Chapter Three In His Dept
"So, change of plans Snape," Lucious said shortly after class, coming up behind him. "It turns out, as I overheard Black telling Pettigrew in the Hospital Wing, when I went to gloat, that Potter is going to Hogsmeade through a different way, something to do with the Whomping Willow and if you tug at the bottom left root it freezes. Supposively there's something there." His eyes were wide with excitement.
Severus looked at him and thought it over, "Did he know you were nearby?"
"No, I went to the direction of the door but then stopped to tie my shoe." He replied with a half-shrug. "He's leaving today at five. C'mon Severus, it's Potty, all alone." His smile grew even more wicked than he thought imaginable.
Severus could have sworn Lucius' gray eyes were swirling with hate.
"You're right, today at five, you said?" He nodded. "I'm there, Potter isn't going to be getting anything by me any longer."
Lucius cracked a glorious smile, "Great. Do you need help?"
"Oh no, I want to do this on my own."
He tapped the desk impatiently with his quill, five more minutes until the class was over. Then he could go off and--
"It's a trap," said a voice from behind him. It was her, again.
"What are you talking about?" He spat.
"I know it, I heard it too and then I also heard Sirius start sniggering when Lucius left the room. Don't go, please, don't go." She pleaded to him, she started to hush her voice.
His eyes widened, "How do you know--"
"Does Lucius Malfoy ever keep his voice down when he's talking?" Lily added hastily. "There's nothing at the Whomping Willow, Sirius just wants you to get whacked--or maybe he was hoping for Lucius to go so he could get his revenge. Listen to me--don't roll your eyes."
"Stop sticking your nose in business that doesn't concern you." He spat. She opened her mouth again. " What is it with you? Stop talking to me you filthy mudblood, you are poisoning my air with your breath."
She backed away, notably stung and hurt, she let her hands down in defeat. She opened and closed her mouth, looking a bit speechless. Usually he would praise himself for hurting someone to this point but he felt...somewhat guilty...
Yah well she deserved it.
She shoved past him and walked away, he stared at her storm off, picking up her pace as she carried on. He felt another stab of guilt.
"Okay, look at him go." Lucius muttered, staring from the Astronomy Tower at James Potter. "There he goes with his invisibility cloak and look--look! The tree stopped moving!"
"Okay, I don't need you to narrate it for me." He sneered coldly. "He's in, I still have time to get there before the tree unfreezes or something. Hand me the broomstick."
Lucius cracked a venomous grin, "Here you go."
He swung one leg over the wooden stick and kicked himself off the ground. He felt the breeze under his hair and hit him in the face, making his eyes tear up. He wasn't ever a real bad flier, he just didn't feel the adrenaline of it all like some people would like James Potter, for instance. No he didn't feel a thing, although sometimes he wished he did...so he could be the one that people wanted to be and who said 'hi' to him in the halls, even thought he would go up to them, let alone have a decent conversation with them...he'd like to be known as something great rather then a freak who read too much and loved the Dark Arts, which he was but that was beside the point.
He landed roughly on the ground, making a thund with his feet. He stared as the trunks and branches stayed perfectly still, without movement, it almost scared him more then when it was moving. Like it was plotting it's attack.
He edged near it and slithered into the passageway. It was cold and in the distance he heard footsteps and dripping water. The footsteps weren't coming towards him, then he realized there was exhos here so he had to walk slowly.
He felt smug, he knew how much trouble James would be if he told...maybe even expelled...
He heard loud noises as he edged nearer, he must have walked a mile, he knew he wasn't in Hogwarts anymore. As he got closer, he heard growls and things crashing together. Screaming, as if in pain.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
Did...she..Was she right? Was this a trick?
He kept walking, hearing the noise grow louder and the beating of his heart take pace.
Then he saw steps and a trap door on top. He heard howls...like a werewolfs,
He stopped moving. He couldn't feel his legs, he lowered his wand to his face so he could keep aware of all his surroundings.
"Potter?" He growled loudly.
He edged closer to the door, and he felt that when he walked closer the noise grew louder...more determined...more savage.
He then saw the door swing open and saw James Potter come out.
He was tucking a small mirror in his pants, he seemed to have a cut on his lip, and small patches of blood and bruises all over.
"Get out!" He snarled. He took him by the collar. "I'm saving your sorry arse, come on! Don't make it difficult."
"Get your hands off me Potter! What are you trying to hide from me?" He pointed his wand at him. "Expelliarmus!" James wand flew out of his hand. "Get out with it!"
James face contorted in anger, "What in bloody hell do you think you're doing?"
He turned around and made it for the trap door. He pulled it open and shoved his head up there.
James pulled his leg and pulled him down.
Severus then saw it...staring at him for a split second, with big yellow eyes and fur covering its whole body. Saliva dripping from it's mouth with hunger.
James made another tug, making Severus fall. James then took the liberty to steal his wand back and close the trap door and put a temporary lock on it. He then heard growls and bangs and howls of pain.
"What was that Potter?"
"Expelliarmus! It was a werewolf, and if it wasn't for me, you'd probably be a goner by now. I don't have time to answer your stupid questions. Just walk." James said dangerously. Severus took him by the collar and threw him to the ground.
"Tell me Potter, or it's going to be all over for you. Dumbledore will know of this, mark my words--"
"Stupefy!" He pushed him off and spat in his face, "He already knows and if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut."
He then kicked him in the stomach.
Severus groaned as James threw his wand at his head. He stood up and pushed him once more.
"You don't quit do you?"
"Sectumsempra!"
James started holding on to his face, blood squirted from it and dripped from it. Cuts started appearing like invisable razors were hacking away on it.
"Finisempra!" And it stopped. Blood was everywhere. On James clothes, on Severus' hands, on the walls...
Severus backed away and looked down at James who was desperately trying not to make a noise as he cleaned his face.
Severus flicked his wand and the blood stopped coming but the cuts were still there. He gave him a disgusting grin and walked away.
After a mile of walking in silence with James behind him, in even more silence. He started remembering everything Lily had warned him about...Black knew about it, James knew about it...His insides were shaking with rage. It was meant for a trap, to make him look like a fool, to even go to measures close to death.
"You deserved it." He muttered under his breath, directing it at James. Cuts were open and fresh, diagonally on his face. That was nothing to what that would have caused him...
"So did you." He heard him say. Or maybe what he thought...
Severus got out without thinking and the moment he got up he was taken down by a savage branch, across his stomach. And then another and another until James felt like tugging at the root.
"Gentlemen, good evening." said a voice when Severus hit the ground. "I am not even going to ask because I already know the answer. Follow me."
"Yes, Professor Dumbledore."
"Explain, Mr. Snape, what you were doing by the Whomping Willow." Professor Dumbledore asked him gently, his blue eyes peering at him innocently.
"I was following Potter, sir. I saw him go there and touch something, the tree stopped, sir. And well... I saw it, it was a werewolf." He said in return, not lowering his gaze.
"I see," He said, his voice still light and breezy. "I will not lie to you, Severus, I know about the werewolf. But we usually refer to him as Mr. Lupin when the full moons not in tact."
Severus felt his jaw drop...
Lupin's a werewolf?
He remained speechless, James was covering his face with his hands,
"And what were you doing there, James?"
"I-I-I heard from someone there was a passageway there and then I had to check it out."
Dumbledore peered once more at him through his tiny spectacles, "Is that the truth James?"
James moved his eyes away from his, "Wouldn't I tell you the truth if it was something important, sir?"
He backed his head away and let out an exhausted sigh, "Severus, you have seen a lot today and are now filled with plenty information, it would be in your good judgement to keep this information between us." He gave him a small look that bluntly said 'or else.' "Don't think of it as doing us a favor, do it so you can be the better man. Revenge is a boys game, a petty boys game."
Severus looked up at him and nodded, feeling bruises from on his arms and stomach.
A boy's game... That's a thought.
Close your mind Dumbledore.
The Mind is a fickle thing, Severus.
Severus shook his head, Dumbledore was a very strong studier of occulemency (sp?), he could even send messages back.
"Sorry professor." He said in a low praising voice.
"No problem, Severus." He said in a slightly amused tone. "You are a very strong Legilimence(sp?), if I do say so myself." He suddenly became lost in thought and he looked back at him in a grave matter. He cleared his throat, "Now tell me what you've done to Mr. Potter's face."
"He attacked me, it was self-defense." He said in a casual voice.
James touched his face again, he could swore his eyes were watering. Severus knew he must be in pain, "I had to professor! He was heading staight to Remus and he wouldn't listen! And I couldn't exactly yell 'you can't go in there, a werewolfs there', I mean who would believe that?"
He had a point.
"You should go see Madam Pomfrey, James, I'll take care of this from here. Go, don't worry boy. No one will stop you looking like that and I'm sure you have that cloak of yours with you." His eyes glittered as he spoke. James gave him a half-smile and got up. He shot Severus a look and then left.
"So Severus, that was pretty dark magic you've preformed on Mr. Potter, now what spell was that?" He asked him in a serious, yet airy voice.
"A spell I made, sir. Sectumsempra."
"And those are the results?"
"Yes sir, I made it so if I ever got threatened by dark magic, I'd have a counter."
"And you felt James was dark magic?"
"Well...it was the only thing I could think of at the moment."
"And you think you can overcome dark magic with more dark magic?" He asked, stroking his beard.
Severus nodded.
"You're wrong, my boy. Wizards who preform dark magic are wizards that have never met love, and giving them what they gave you, isn't going to make them stop...no, boy, it won't...You have the biggest weapon right there." He pointed at his heart. "Love. If you love, you can overcome."
"Yes, sir."
"If you think about it, Severus, James saved your life today. As much I know both of you boys have your differences, it's something to think about. Maybe you'll see him with new respect." He smiled. "Or not. But none-the-less, you are in his dept, m'boy. You owe Mr. Potter your life."
Severus was trying with all his might to try to block that out. In the dept of Potter? Never. He didn't save me for me, he saved me for his sorry neck. Wanker.
"That will be all Severus, now I don't want to see anymore of that dark magic in my school." He ordered him, his eyes digging into his.
"Yes sir."
"Don't forget about what we discussed."
"I won't."
Too bad sir, that I don't love.
Yes you do, my boy. Go to Madam Pomfrey.
"Bye sir."
He felt himself limp as he walked up the tower to Madam Pomfrey, he stared at his reflection in the window, bruises were covering his eyes and his rather razor cheekbones...his hair was a mess and covered in dirt, his lip was smeared with dry blood and his clothes looked ragged and ripped. He could hardly move his arms and legs.
He kept walking, thinking to himself. Thinking about her.
She tried helping him, she tried giving him advice and he didn't listen. Then he insulted her and drove her away. The only person in this school who cared about what he did and cared if he got hurt.
Unlike Lucius who didn't even check to find out what was there before sending him there.
He felt guilt and he felt pain, which was a horrible combination.
"Mr. Snape, you too?" Madam Pomfrey sounded exasperated. "Sit sit sit, let me see."
He sat on the bed, obediantly, a couple of beds away from James and Sirius, who looked furious at the sight of him.
"Fractures! Bruises! Blood clots! Not to mention a few broken ribs! You're going to need to stay the night, you'll be ready by noon tomorrow and you're going to need to drink this." She handed him some purple solution that looked rather chunky. It burned as it went down his throat, he swore it was going to leave blisters.
Damn stupid bloody woman.
"Now sit sit, I'm afraid though, that you have a vistor and she insists to see you." She said, winking at him.
Was she really,
"Miss Evans, you can come in."
Severus' head shot up, and from the corner of his eye he could see James head as well. Severus tried desperately to flatten his hair.
"Sod off." James hissed at him, his face contorted in anger.
"Severus?" She peaked her head around the corner, her smile lit up the room. He felt a blush creep on his face. Her eyes darted to the two very angry Marauders, she cleared her throat, "Hi, Sirius. Hello James." Her attention was no focused on Severus, "Told you so."
Severus smirked and flicked his wand, he muttered a little spell, "You can speak freely now. They can't hear us."
Lily looked at them again and sat on the corner of his bed, "Are--are you okay?"
He shrugged, "Been better."
Lily nodded and then wacked him in the leg.
"What was THAT for?" He said groaning loudly. James cracked a smile.
"THAT was being a total arse to me when I was trying to help you, next time someones trying to watch your back don't take it so badly, okay?" She snapped.
He grinned at her, "Okay. Just to let you know, we're still not friends."
"Fine with me. What are we then?"
He thought for a moment, "Familiar acquaintances."
She sighed, "Okay, we're that then."
Severus looked away and suddenly became deep in thought.
"Get out of my mind boy! I told you to GET OUT!" The man yelled, pushing the boy back, watching him topple over. "That should teach you to respect your teachers."
"I'm-I'm sorry." The boy said, going in a small ball, holding himself. "Don't hurt me, please."
"Don't beg boy, it's pathetic and worthless. Do you think the Dark Lord takes pity in beggers? NO, he doesn't." He sneered at the boy on the ground.
"I-I-I-"
"CRUCIO!"
"Severus?" Lily said, breaking into his train of thought. He looked up at her green eyes, her genuine sweet green eyes... She didn't deserve the way he was treating her... "I just came to make sure you were alright, and you are. So I'll talk to you some other time, if you want me to."
He nodded slowly.
She got up and headed for the door.
"Hey...thanks."
She looked back and smirked and continued heading for the door.
He then flicked his wand again and the buzzing in James and Sirius' ears ceased.
Authors Notes: Third chapter in the life of Mr. Severus Snape. Hope you like it, please comment. Hard Love and Finding Lily are still going on. The new chapter of Hard Love, should be coming out by next week.
Enjoy.