No Good Deed
What is this feeling?
So sudden and new?
I felt it the moment
I laid eyes on you:
My pulse is rushing:
My head is reeling:
My face is flushing:
What is this Feeling - Wicked
CHAPTER 7
"Who wants to see me take of Snivellus's pants?" James Potter taunted, after their Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL.
After the Yule ball, Lily did not speak to either of them for two whole weeks. It was after her two weeks of detestation, that she realized that she was actually now more popular than before. Boys were now coming up to her in between classes and dinner to say how sorry they were for what happened. Not only that but she was comforted that night by her latest crush, Remus Lupin.
Lily, being as kind as she was, could not stay angry forever and quickly began speaking to them again, however Severus and Gertrude still held a secret grudge..
"Stop it! Put him down!" Lily shouted at James.
"You think your so cool messing up your hair and playing with that stupid snitch." Lily said.
"Go out with me and I will let old Snivelly down. Oh come on Evans!' James pleaded.
"Hey, Snivellus always getting girls to stick up for you. You really are quite pathetic." Sirius taunted.
"I don't need a stupid little mudblood's help!" Severus shouted angered and red in the face.
"Fine." Lily said coolly, and walked away towards the lake.
"Now who wants to see me take of Snivellus pants." James aksed again to the group of onlookers. Gertrude had just come out on to the grounds, as she saw Severus hanging upside down. Quickly she dropped her books, drew her wand, and ran towards them.
Severus's pants were nearly off now, and he struggled to hold back tears of embarrassment. Gertie, infuriated aimed her wand directly at James and muttered a dark curse.
"Animus Recordatio" Instantly Snape fell to the ground, who quickly pulled up his pants and took off running in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. James Potter and his friends however, dropped to their knees hugging their head between their hands. Before anyone could get a professor, Gertie ran after Severus into the forest.
"Severus." Gertie said as she sat down next to him on a fallen tree
"You shouldn't have done that." He said, his eyes glistening.
"I know." She replied.
"I hate them, all of them. Stupid bloody Gryffindors." He muttered.
"Need I remind you that I am a Gryffindor?" She said.
"Gertie, every one knows you belong in Slytherin. Your whole family was Slytherins. You might as well become one, you are down there all the time to talk to your sister anyway." Severus said wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve.
"Maybe, maybe there is a reason I am in Gryffindor." She said softly.
"Why are you here?" Severus suddenly snapped.
"You are in the Forbidden Forest, if you haven't noticed, you're my friend I came to see if you were all right." She snapped back.
"Gertie, leave me alone." He hissed.
"NO! Stop pushing me away! What's wrong with me Severus? Why am I not good enough for you. In case you haven't noticed, you're not the cream of the crop either." She yelled.
"It's not like that Gertrude and you know it!" Severus yelled back.
"Then what it is like? Why won't you let me help you? Why?"
"Because." He said upset and confused.
"Fine." Gertie marched off.
As soon as she was out of earshot of Severus she broke down. She wanted to tell him that she loved him. She wanted him to tell her that he had loved her too. Gertie wanted him, and it hurt her that he did not want her in return.
Gertie stayed in the forest until nearly dark, when she tried to find her way back. Unfortunately, it became increasingly difficult to find her way out. She got lost and ended up wandering in the terrifying woods for quite sometime.
Gertie came upon a clearing where she sat down to rest for a few minutes, before trying to find her way out.
"Human! What are you doing in our forest!" An old Centaur boomed.
"I'm sorry, I am lost, I don't know where the castle is." She said scared.
"The forest is full of dark creatures, you should not be here." He told her.
"I told you I don't know how to leave."
"Gertrude Carrow, follow the western star, there, quickly a storm is coming." Another Centaur told her. Gertie was unsure how he knew her name, but did not question him.
"Bane! Do not address them! She got herself into this mess, she will get herself out." The other Centaur scolded.
"She is a youngling." He responded.
"Then we will not harm her. Go human, now!" He boomed again. Terrified, Gertie took off so fast that she did not see the tree root protruding from the ground. She caught her foot, and fell hard to the ground, causing her hat to fly off. She cried out in pain as she grabbed for her ankle.
Sobbing, cold and terrified, she sat wishing that she was back at the castle.
"Grrr..." Gertie's abruptly stopped her crying as she looked into the face of what looked like a wolf.
"Help!" She cried out loud.
ooo
Lily took notice of Gertrude's disappearance after dinner. She became worried when Gertrude did not come back to their room after dinner. She decided to go try and find Severus, even though she was still furious at him for calling her a mudblood, even though by now Lily recognized that he only lashed out at her and others when he was feeling vulnerable.
"Severus, excuse me, but have you seen Gertrude?" Lily asked as she walked towards him in the library. He was busy studying for his Astronomy OWL which was in a few hours.
"Why?" He asked annoyed.
"She didn't come to dinner, and she hasn't been back to her room since the Defense exam." Lily said.
"I thought you two weren't friends anymore, why do you care?" Severus asked still not looking up from his book.
"I am not heartless, in case you hadn't noticed I tried to help you today." She said now mad.
"Look, I don't need your help, I don't need Gertrude's help, I am fine!" Severus hissed.
"Well, this isn't about you Severus. Gertie is missing, and you were the last one to see her!" She yelled, which caused Madame Pince to shush her. Severus's eyes widened, and remembered the fight they had in the forest, 'the forest, oh no' he thought.
Severus shut his book and quickly rose to his feet. Lily looking at him with wide eyes.
"What, do you know where she is?" Lily asked.
"I have a good idea, come on." Severus said as he raced down the castle stairs and out onto the grounds.
"Severus, we aren't allowed out on the grounds after dark without a professor." Lily said as she continued to race after Severus.
"You're a prefect, I am sure you can make an exception." He said out of breath.
Severus and Lily reached the edge of the forest, as they heard a faint "help" coming from within the forest.
"She's in the forest?" Lily asked surprised.
"Yes, she must have gotten lost, come on, follow me or you'll get lost too." Severus said urgently.
Severus and Lily jogged around several large trees, when finally Severus who was a few hundred feet in front of Lily, came upon a shaking Gertrude, who was huddled in her cloak. Severus kneeled down beside her and touched her cloak which covered her back.
"Gertie?" Severus asked in a gentler voice. She did not respond, but Severus knew something was wrong, she was trembling, and her breathing was quick and shallow.
"Gertie, look we are going to get you out of here, okay? Gertie, can you hear me?" He asked, as Lily gasped as she saw her roomate's body.
"Sev.. I'm cold." She said barely above a whisper. Instantly Severus took of his own cloak and wrapped it around her.
"Sev... thank.. you." She said looking into his eyes.
"Don't speak. Don't worry I will get you back to the castle, you'll be all right." Severus said trying to repress the incredible guilt that knotted up his stomach.
He scooped her up in his arms. She was incredibly light, but then again Severus was almost a good foot taller than her. As he held her in his arms the three of them headed back towards the castle.
"What happened to her?" Lily asked softly as they walked knowing now, that the Severus was blind if he did not know how madly in love Gertie was with him. But then again, Lily had been blind as well.
"I don't know. She is hurt, but it is too dark for me to tell where."
"What was she doing in the forest?" Lily asked.
"She came after me earlier in the day, after..." He said softly.
"Oh." Lily said quietly.
As the three reached the castle door, they were unexpectedly greeted by the Headmaster.
"Master Snape, explain!" He boomed.
"It is Gertrude sir, she was lost in the forest. Please don't punish her, it is my fault." Severus said in shame as the Headmaster took Gertrude from his arms.
"I do not know what possessed her to go into the Forbidden Forest, however I will see to discipline later, give her to me." The headmaster said worried.
As they made the transfer, both gasped at the blood that now covered the front of Severus's robes. The onlookers of students gasped, some cried out, however the Headmaster, even in his old age, could be seen taking two steps at a time, rushing the poor girl to the hospital wing, while Severus and Lily followed closely behind.
ooo
Severus and Lily waited outside the hospital wing, worried for their friend. Albus had told them that they would be excused from their Astronomy exam, so that they could wait, if they wished.
"She loves you." Lily said to Severus while looking down at her feet.
"Pardon?" Severus asked.
"She loves you, can't you see?" Lily said with a twinge of jealousy.
Severus closed his eyes and remembered all those times when she had tried to tell him. The library, the yule ball, this afternoon, he was constantly pushing her away, but she never gave up. She did love him. Gods he had been such an idiot.
"You may see her now, one at a time." Madame Pomfrey said as she opened the Infirmary door.
"You go Severus." Lily said smiling slightly.
Severus got up slowly, unsure what he was going to do or say. As he walked towards the bed in which he lay, surprisingly his heart gave a little jump, and forced him to swallow hard.
"Hello." He said lowly.
"Hi." She said trying to smile slightly.
"Listen, I am sorry." He said slowly.
"Severus Snape, sorry? Has hell frozen over?" She tried to joke, but winced as she pulled her healing muscles.
"What happened?" Severus asked brushing his hair back with his hand.
"Werewolf or at least it looked like one." She said softly, trying not to cry for the fifth time that night.
"WHAT? Did it bite you?" Severus nearly yelled.
"No, Bane came back and fought him off, but not before he scratched me." She said as she pulled back the blanket covering her legs. Her silver skin mixed with the maroon colored blood, which gave a rather unusual color. Severus winced as he saw the damage. It was nothing that Madame Pomfrey couldn't fix, but it still looked rather gruesome.
"Who's Bane?" Severus asked.
"A Centaur."
"Odd, they usually don't associate with us." Severus said unsure what else to talk about.
"I should probably let you get some rest. Lily wanted to see you too." Severus said now standing up.
"Lily?" Gertie questioned.
"She was the one who came and told me that you were missing. She went into the forest with me to find you."
"Oh." She said looking away from him now. At this, Severus scrunched his forehead, and slowly reached for her hand. It was an awkward dance, the pair of them played. But finally they both were dancing to the same tune.
"I am glad you are okay." Severus said, still holding her hand. Gertie turned her head, her eyes wet, she looked at him and smiled.
"Severus, I am sorry for my stupidity." She coughed.
"No, it was my fault you got lost. I should have come and found you, but, but, I was so embarrassed. I hate it when they bully me! I can take care of myself." He confessed.
"I thought the same, but apparently I can't be strong all the time." She sighed.
"I guess, we need each other, don't we?" Severus asked. He was falling in love, something about her, how she cared for him, she may not be as pretty or as popular as those like Lily Evans, but she cared for him even when others did not, and he found that incredibly attractive.
"I would like to think so." She squeezed his hand. Slowly and quite gracelessly Severus bent over and kissed her.
"Huh hum." The pair heard Madame Pompfrey clear her throat.
"Mister Snape, Miss Carrow needs to rest now, you may see her tomorrow." Madame Pomfrey told him.