Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA.. Written between Goblet of Fire and Order of Phoenix.
Genre: Action, Angst
Era: Multiple Eras
Main Character(s): None
Ship(s): None
Summary: Siana Basilica has found the first of many answers, and Severus Snape has returned from his encounter with Voldemort. When Siana finds herself back at Hogwarts to continue looking for answers about her strange abilities, and her even stranger wand, she encounters a Snape entirely different to the one she knew before. The Death Eaters and Voldemort are hunting her, and she herself is experiencing unusual symptoms to the one thing that could possibly help her.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Moony, Padfoot and...Siana?

Two days passed without major mishap. Two days. It seemed like time was passing too quickly. She now had five days left to find or make the Insidious potion, and five days was not very long at all when it needed twenty four hours to simmer. Not as long as others, but long enough to reduce the amount of time she had to four days left. She knew that she could never get away with asking Severus for help now, he would never help her...and the apothecaries had posted notices on their windows plainly proclaiming the shortage of Boggart ingredients. She knew what that meant too. Frederick, you're beating me, you want to have everyone under your control, and I think you're smart enough to do it.

Every time she saw Severus she flinched from his hateful gaze. He had not troubled himself to talk to her, had not lowered himself to even mention her name. He walked away from her when she was in the same area as him, and as he swept away his hands curled as though he was itching to reach for his wand, or her throat. He was scaring her, and she didn't understand his complete change in attitude.

The only thing that she could ascertain, was that he wasn't healthy. And she had ascertained that in the worst way possible, by seeing him when he was vulnerable.

Now that she had quarters in the dungeons, she could not help but run across him frequently. All the moreso because he seemed to have somewhere to go on a regular basis and so was in the hallways much more often than usual. The night just passed had found her stumbling into the narrow stone corridor hearing a short shout, and almost tripping over the injured form of one Severus Snape.

'Professor Snape!' She had shouted in alarm, bending down towards him, and he had lashed out, violently. His hand caught her shoulder, though perhaps he had been aiming for her face, and she was thrown backwards into the wall. Her breath crushed out of her. She gasped anxiously and thought...deja vu. The last time she had been thrown against a wall, Severus had done it whilst in the throes of a nightmare. Now however, he was awake, his eyes did not show mercy or compassion, just blind hatred.

'Stay away from me!' he'd snarled and Siana had a split second to think, he's defensive because I've seen him in pain. Then he was talking again, wrenching himself off the floor, favouring his stomach. 'It's disgusting enough that you're back and Dumbledore thinks he can trust you, it's more revolting to think that you're staying in the dungeons. I'm warning you Siana, I'm watching you...all the time. If you step out of line once, just once...' He left the threat hanging and Siana blinked.

'I should say the same to you. What if you step out of line?' She had gasped and his eyes had narrowed then. A twisted smile curved sickeningly over his strained features.

'If I step out of line, I hardly think you have the power to stop me. After all...it's not like you have any latent skill.' The fact that his voice was strained, his hands were trembling, detracted from the effect of the statement. Though Siana was still hurt by it. Bully. You're behaving like the bullies at Moreberries. Just because I have no skill doesn't mean...what's the point of all of this anyway?

'You're in pain. I was worried,' Siana said then, throwing caution to the winds. She was worried, and he was in pain, and she wished that there was something that she could do. She was frightened of him, and frightened for him. It was a horrible combination.

'Touching.'

Siana's face twisted, her hands were trembling now too, she was more than worried. She stood up, her back throbbing from where it had his the floor, her lungs still aching as she drew breath. She moved towards him, her hands reaching out.

'Severus I'm...'

She grunted then as stars blazed in front of her eyes. Her body was back against the wall, she was winded a second time, and she registered a point against her throat. Her body froze with terror. A wand point. She tried to gasp, and then focussed on breathing. Her chest hurt. When she opened her eyes and recoiled from the unpleasant rictus imprinted upon his face. He was all but snarling.

'You killed my sister, Miss Basilica. I hardly think we deserve to be on such a familiar first name basis.'

'You...' she painfully drew breath. 'You said yourself that you misjudged me, you hypocritical bastard. I'd hate to think that we were going through the preliminary hatred again.' She gulped down her breath and then flinched as the wand pressed harder into her throat.

'I thought I'd misjudged you, when you had lulled me into thinking that it was out of your control. Yet you still let me go to Voldemort, you still almost killed me, if it hadn't been for Dumbledore I would be dead.'

'I fetched Dumbledore for you, and I was...incapacitated when you went to Voldemort.'

'Incapacitated? How convenient,' he said softly, the pressure against her neck lifted but Siana didn't feel any safer. Why do I like him? Why did I like him? Why is he being like this? Maybe because...well...I did kill his sister. And I did nearly kill him. A heaviness settled into her heart, most of what he was saying was true, even if it was tainted with hatred. 'How convenient,' he whispered again, his voice like some horrible poisoned silk, coursing through her. 'I can see it in your eyes. You know as well as I do that you're a guilty fiend dear Miss Basilica. Miss Basilica of the Basilican sadists, the one who have pioneered torture method after torture method.'

'What did Voldemort do to you?' Siana whispered, terrified, intimidated, but so worried that she couldn't stop the words from leaving her throat. Snape's eyes narrowed and his face became momentarily drawn, as though he was thinking of something he'd rather not remember. However as soon as the expression came, it went, and there was nothing on his face but lazy indifference, that look of sheer indolence which carried with it a cutting wit and a macabre sense of humour. He withdrew his wand and looked up and down her body showing clear contempt for what he saw.

'Would you believe not half as much as the Basilican family?' he drawled and Siana felt stung. Her eyes glittered angrily.

'No. No I wouldn't you snide bastard,' she said, her anger coming out in spite of her worry. She dodged away from him, clearing the path so that she could move once more. Her back ached from where it had hit the wall. 'No. How dare you compare my family to him, how dare you?' She said it quietly, so that any passing student would hopefully not know what she was talking about. Severus however was merely looking at her, it was disconcerting.

'I think given half the chance, even your little dead sister Camille would have grown up to be a monster. Her in her what was it? Ballet costume? Believe me Siana, I'm sure she looked innocent enough, but if she was anything like you, she was a deviant. Voldemort ordered your family killed for a reason Siana, and it was either because he didn't like the competition...or because everyone just wanted to see your dear father dead.'

Siana was speechless. Once, a long time ago, she had used Camille to shock him into realising how irrational he could be. Now however he was deliberately using the death of her little cousin Camille against her! She had nothing to say, and feeling her throat tense in pain she turned, and walked away. She was even more surprised when he didn't even bother to stop her, or call anything out.

She wandered, dazed and distraught amongst the floors for a few hours, the sun had set and a lot of students were in their dormitories, for which Siana was grateful. The events of the day were just making her feel nauseous, and the anxiety of having to find a way to make the Insidious potion in order to keep herself safe was weighing down upon her mind. I want to read a book...but what would keep me entertained now? What could I possibly lose myself in at this time? Not even Dante could draw me from this. And, I want to change, but how will I do that? A fruit bat is more likely to be caught by that festy cat Mrs. Norris, and a protectus? That will scare most of the students. And I can't change into a cat either, unfortunately because I'm top secret until I go and become the familiar of a Death Eater.

She sighed. Her eyes were trained on her slippered feet, her hands were curled inside her robe, and her back and neck were sore. The flashbacks - for that was what they were - had happened infrequently, but what she saw frightened her, and what she felt was more frightening. Frederick hit her a large amount of times when she was under the influence of the potion, and she was ordered to do horrific chores that after a flashback her limbs burned, though she had not over exerted herself. It was discomfiting to know that a memory could have that much effect on a single mind.

She was so preoccupied that she didn't even notice someone walk past her until she heard an unusual gait to his walk, and a quick turn, which indicated that he had either realised something, or wanted to know who she was. She slowed down. Then before she was even interrupted, she knew who it was, she could smell him. That smell was unmistakable. For a moment she felt fear, until she remembered that she had nothing to fear. She turned slowly.

His dark eyes smiled at her through the darkness and Siana felt a weary happiness move through her. A bittersweet sorrow almost, about what had happened in both their lives.

'You shouldn't be able to wander these corridors, if a student saw you he'd freak. Mr. Black anyone would think you had a death wish,' Siana said and Sirius shrugged.

'No one actually makes it up to the sixth floor, certainly not around here. There are no classes around this area, and it's been protected by Dumbledore so people like me have a place to stay. How on Earth did you manage to make your way in here?' he said and suddenly his eyes twinkled and he held out his arms. 'Scrap that for a joke, come give us a hug.'

Siana walked into the arms of Sirius Black without a thought to the past behind him. It was just nice to hug someone again, for she hadn't truly hugged someone since the last time that she had seen James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. It wasn't the greatest hug, Sirius keeping his distance a little, he was obviously concerned about something, and when she drew back she saw tension in his face.

She also realised for the first time, that aside from a few torches, it was very nearly pitch black. She looked around, and wondered how on earth she had managed to make her way in here.

'I really lost track of the time,' she muttered.

'Come on then. Walk and talk with me. Spare some time for a lonesome choirboy?' he said with a rakish grin and Siana shook her head as she started walking alongside him. I think it would be dangerous to still like you Sirius, you're a devilish fellow.

'Lonesome choirboy eh? More like undersexed. Must be a lonely life for you Sirius now. Bet you're getting used to the celibate life.'

'I've had to,' Sirius said softly. 'Even muggles know what I am, not that I'd...well...you know. Not that I've been so desperate as to hunt anyone down. Hah. That's a bit of a joke considering that's all I'm known for now. You know, hunting people down.'

'Poor baby,' Siana said, it was half the truth though. She forgot that he had to live the life of an outcast now. 'Well unfortunately I'm above giving you pity sex,' she said on a lighter note and he laughed then, turned to look at her.

'Honestly Siana, anyone would think you didn't care for my poor self esteem. I'm supposed to be irresistible.'

'You're also supposed to be charming, but for some reason everyone takes charming to mean sex starved,' she said and the giggled at the look of mock outrage on his face. Their eyes held for a moment longer and then he looked away a second time. She kept looking at him, studying his profile, noticing how lean he looked, how undernourished. When he looked back at her his gaze was intense.

'Where did you go?'

'Pardon?' she said, taken aback by the question.

'After I saw you last, with Harry, you said you had to see Dumbledore, and then you were gone. He wouldn't tell me Siana, I asked Dumbledore so many times and he wouldn't tell me. It must have been pretty major, because I'm not kept out of the loop on a hell of a lot anymore. You know Harry likes you, how'd that happen? Most people are frightened of you. You're a hazard to people's health, you should come with a warning label like potions bottles do,' he said then and Siana couldn't help but punch him in the arm for that.

'Firstly, I left because I had to, I was a danger to people here. Something to do with my gorgeous Basilican family. Secondly why shouldn't Harry like me? James did.'

'And to his detriment. No no I'm kidding, you know I am,' he said, holding up his hands. 'Still, I am kind of happy you never went to Hogwarts.'

'Damned straight,' Siana said with a grin. 'Because I would have killed you, and I still might, so don't hold your breath. How you finding your dog form? That still alright? Any creases that you had to iron out with the change?' She kept her voice very quiet for that and Sirius didn't even seem to notice that she had bought up a topic which was still a secret to most of the wizarding world.

'No. It's all good now. I was trying to convince Harry to go for it, but he said that there's only one animal he'd want to change into, and he didn't have the time to manage that animal what with Quidditch training.'

Siana nodded. The stag was one of the very hard animals to transform into. Siana had been surprised James could manage it, but then he always did have a latent talent for Transfiguration.

'I can hear talking.' A hoarse voice called from nearby - they had walked into a small room that was also dimly lit - and Siana froze. No. It couldn't be. 'Pads, are you talking to yourself again? The general consensus is that talking to oneself is not a good thing to be...' A shape emerged from the shadows and Siana's hand flew to her mouth around the same time that the light hair, the worn face, was lit up by a dimly shining torch bracket.

'...Siana?' he said and Siana said nothing. No. This is too good to be true. 'Siana? A Basilica at Hogwarts? I'm impressed,' he said, his voice holding the joy of meeting someone he had not seen since before the death of the Potters.

'Impressed? Is that all you can manage? You haven't seen the girl in how many years and you're only impressed? Personally I think you should be terrified, there are oak trees in the Forbidden Forest after all aren't there?' Sirius said, half chuckling to himself as he went to light more of the torches in the brackets, tactfully giving the pair space. Siana's eyes drank in the details which needed to be updated, more lines on his face, more sadness in his eyes, a haunted look which will perhaps never leave him.

'Oh. My. God. Moony?' she said then, finally daring herself to acknowledge who it was in front of her. He smiled gently and folded his arms.

'Lupin now,' he amended and Siana laughed, it was delightful. It did not make her forget what had happened earlier that day, but events would certainly be more bearable knowing that these two were around.

'My God! By-'

'Artemis.'

'Sirius said you guys still keep in contact. He said you were here last time I came.' Lupin nodded, looking at Sirius as some of the final torches were lit. He then made a pretence of looking out of the window, still giving them space. It seemed that Lupin was as happy to see Siana, as she was to see him, there was something in his eyes that was open, despite his closed posture.

'You still...aversive to the full moon?' Siana said tactfully and Lupin nodded slowly. Siana lowered her voice and looked at Sirius furtively then. 'Ah Lupin I'm sorry. Listen...I need to ask you something. I let it go earlier with Sirius. Is he really innocent?'

'Yes,' he said firmly and Siana winced.

'Then who?'

'You don't know?' Lupin seemed not necessarily surprised, but perhaps a bit concerned that Siana did not yet know.

'That's what I let go earlier, so no.' I had to run away because of the stupid Locarius curse, and I couldn't find out. And now, I don't think I want to know.

'Peter,' Lupin said tiredly.

'What? ' Siana hissed and her hands clenched involuntarily. Lupin spread his hands but said nothing. That little rat. He didn't have to take that path. He didn't have to. Last time I saw him, he was doing okay, a little bit beaten up on, but okay. I wonder what turned him?

'Last time I saw him he was missing a finger, but relatively unscathed,' Lupin continued calmly, his eyes darkening. 'Hopefully Voldemort makes his life more of a hell than we would, though I rather think that goes without saying. Did you kill Lydia?'

'The, Insidious...' Siana said jerkily, she didn't want to say yes to someone she had been friends with since she was younger, even if she did believe she was guilty.

'I'd like to kill every male that ever was proud of the last name Basilica,' Lupin vowed darkly then and one of his hands seemed to spasm into claws momentarily. At that something seemed to grow inside of Siana, blossoming, a sense of gratitude she had never felt before.

'Aw Moons, you're so sweet. Forever my sweet little puppy,' she whispered as she enfolded him in a tight and caring hug. She knew that he would not appreciate being called a puppy loudly so she always said it in an undertone to him. Ever since meeting him for the first time in his human form, she had been quick to reassure him that he was not a monster. Lupin's own hands curved tenderly around her waist and she heard him mumble; 'thank you,' into her shoulder. She smiled then, she couldn't help it.

Siana and Lupin had never been particularly close, it was always James who she had talked to, Sirius who she had stuttered around bashfully, Peter whom she felt pity for and Remus? Well...they never really had much to say to each other, their silent exchanges consisted more of sharing a compassionate bond. Siana feeling for him; his curse of being a werewolf, the shame and the hidden beauty he carried around in his silent prison. Lupin silently feeling for Siana; literally locked up in her tower or a private school, carrying around her self loathing. Now, with a simple hug, they both managed to finally convey to each other, that they understood.

'Thank you,' Siana murmured as they drew away and Lupin, looking tired and content, merely shrugged. Sirius was looking at them now, from his position near the window sill, a confused half smile playing upon his face. 'So are we safe?' Siana said and Sirius nodded.

'There are guards, protections and stuff. Nothing can get through here. Well, not if they were looking for danger anyway. So all these years, you can't have been a slave to your bastard father for that amount of time? Right?' He waited for her response and when none was forthcoming his face fell. 'Oh.'

Lupin sighed and then quietly chuckled.

'Outcasts now. All of us. You'd be the last Basilica, well, aside from your Uncle - Dumbledore told us about that - and we're, well...I can't imagine their ever being a time when we can live normal lives. Especially you Sirius, I mean you were so ugly in the first place, and now you have the attached stigma of being a homicidal maniac.'

Sirius spluttered. 'Ugly?' he said and Siana laughed.

'You're right Lupin, I mean, I think he's got a receding hairline now too, that's never good. Girls don't like the bald ones from what I hear,' she joked and relished the look of mock outrage playing on his face. He slid off the table and held up his fists, as though asking them to spar.

'I'm warning you two,' he said mockingly and Lupin grinned, openly grinned, his face seeming to appear so much younger with that simple gesture.

'Why Pads, I'm more of a looker than you now. Fancy that,' he said, and that appeared to be the final straw for Sirius.

'Right, you and me, here, now. Siana can referee,' he said, and Lupin shrugged.

'Nah you'd beat me.' He was always the first to back down from even play wrestling, and Sirius dropped his hands.

'Aw, and there's no point fighting Siana, it'd be like breaking a twig.'

Siana had the presence of mind to look offended but they all knew it was a lie. The truth was she couldn't fight, and they were all having too much fun pretending otherwise. However there was a pall amongst them now that hadn't been there before, the death of James and Lily Potter, the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew, the secret lives that both Sirius and Lupin now had to leave. There was a sorrow between them which could not simply be erased by a few kind words. If anything, the breaking up of the four, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs made Siana's chest close up with pain. After all, she would never really be one of them, and even now it seemed that all Sirius and Lupin wanted was the peace of the olden days, when time was spent running around Hogwarts and escaping the grounds.

'So what are you? Like Dumbledore's secret force or something?'

'Of which you are now a part,' Lupin said quietly. 'I know you have some tricks up your sleeve, though the Headmaster won't tell us what they are. We also know that you plan on being a sort of double agent? He said it was considerably less risky than putting Severus in the hands of Voldemort again.'

'Yeah. As much as I hate that git, he was really...Siana you should have seen him when he came back. He didn't know who he was, or where he was,' Sirius said, his face turning with disgust as he remembered. Siana swallowed and felt pain in her throat, she hadn't wanted Severus to go, but there had been no other choice at the time. Either her or Severus, the presence of one would make Voldemort happy, the presence of the other would make him full of wrath.

'What...what happened to him?'

'Well. Funny. We don't know. Dumbledore looked after him for about a day, then left it to Madam Pomfrey. His injuries were extensive, if you look hard enough on the top stair into the Great Hall of Hogwarts, you can still see a blood stain which Filch hasn't been able to remove yet. That's a fair indication of his external injuries. I think it's fair to say that Voldemort definitely didn't want to see him last time he went.'

'Wipe that look off your face Sirius, you're just unhappy that Voldemort didn't finish him off,' Lupin said softly and Sirius looked at him, pain seeming to pass over his face. He tensed then, as though thinking about something from a long time ago, but a shadow crossed his face and took the expression with it.

'I just...never mind.'

'He's not evil,' Siana said softly, though as she said it, she remembered how he had treated her earlier that day. 'He's just very, I don't, well, he's not evil,' she finished and Sirius shrugged.

'Yeah well. Evil is a very extreme term, there's only one person I'd call evil, the rest just do evil things. And Severus is right up there with the worst of them. He dug his own grave when he was a student at Hogwarts if you ask me. Why are we talking about this?' he said suddenly and shook his head, clearing cobwebs away as his did so. 'Listen people! Haven't seen each other in years, and we're talking about this?'

'If only we had a bottle we could spin,' Lupin said, winking mischievously at Siana. Siana giggled.

'I'd only play that on the thirty percent chance I'd get to see you and Pads kiss. So I'm going to pass, because I don't think that's going to happen, or at the very least not in front of me,' she added with a raised eyebrow and ignored the looks that both Sirius and Lupin gave her for that comment. Instead she shrugged. 'No. Let's just sit and talk, like old times, only now we're older, and hopefully a little wiser,' she said and Sirius shook his head as he sat down on the stone floor, indicating Lupin and Siana to follow his lead.

'Wiser? No. We're not wiser Siana, not any of us. There's only so much one can go through in a lifetime and I think in some ways we've all gone through enough to take us from wisdom into something more irrational. Something deeper really,' he said and Siana's eyes narrowed. Was that true? I'm not wiser now, my decisions aren't based on the coolness of my logic, they're based on the warmth in my bones and in my heart. I'll never be as composed as Dumbledore, and I don't think that these two will be either.

'You're right of course,' Siana said and Lupin nodded.

'We're not professors at heart, any of us. We've just seen the insides of hell, and maybe it makes us better equipped to fight darkness.'

'Speak for yourself Lupin, you're a professor of the Dark Arts,' Sirius said and Siana hid her grin. Lupin was always destined to study the Dark Arts, not because he had loved the topic, but because he understood it, and because he was a creature who lived in the classification of a Dark Creature anyway. Sirius, had he not been framed, was probably heading towards whatever he could grab, he never really cared what he ended up doing, as long as he was happy doing it.

'Shut up Pads,' Lupin said quietly, though he didn't mean it in a brutal way. 'We're not ever going to be who we were again, and I don't think we could be, or could even want to be, considering what we know now. No wonder we're helping Dumbledore, there's nothing left for us to do. We can't know what we know, and not help. It would make us as much of a criminal to stand by when we could be doing something...and I don't know about you two, but I have no desire to ever know in my heart that I had done something atrocious.'

Siana said nothing, because in her heart, she knew that she had murdered a human with an Unforgivable Curse. The knowledge weighed down on her and she felt even more separated from Sirius and Remus than she had before. She swallowed and blinked, staring blankly at Sirius who was now saying something about spending time inside of Azkaban.

Voldemort never really left. Not our lives anyway. How could we ever hope to be free when darkness haunts our every movement and our every thought? We're not innocent, and I don't think we'll ever...well, we'll never shake off the shadow. There will always be something to atone for, when you're self condemned.

Hours later Siana was wandering the dark halls of Hogwarts once more, tired but very thoughtful. She had been sleeping restlessly anyway because of the nightmares and so she didn't particularly want to go down to the dungeons to bed yet. There was also the possibility that she'd run into Snape, she seemed to see him at impossible times, and she had no wish to ruin what had been a pleasant evening, by being threatened at wand tip once more.

Ideas were running through her head. Talking with Remus and Sirius had encouraged her to be more determined in terms of acquiring the Insidious Potion. She had thought of something which filled her with dread and quiet exhilaration, something which would test her skill but would leave her with the opportunity to make the Insidious Potion and remain in control of her wand.

Sneaking into Snape's potions stores. I could do it too, if I went in as an animal, or even as a human, it would still leave Transfiguration to fall back on. Only, what would happen if I was caught? He wouldn't, no, he wouldn't kill me. I'm desperate too, I need those ingredients, without them I'm...I'm going to have to leave again and I can't handle that. So it's not like, it's not like I have any choice.

It didn't seem like a totally worthless idea. It was a sign of how desperate she was and how little avenues she had, that she was seriously considering walking into what could now only be enemy territory. It was imperative to her that she didn't revert back to being all destructive all over again, the idea of it was too traumatising. It was hard enough knowing that she usually hurt people just through being herself, harder to know that she could kill people when she was trying to help them.

So I'm going to do it then. And nothing, come hell or high water is going to stop me. Though I'm going to have to do it soon, so I'll do it tomorrow, once Snape has left for one of his regular and unusual trips away from his rooms. I'll do it then. It will give me plenty of time, or time enough for me to grab what I need and then bail. I should probably get extra too, just in case I screw up the procedure, which I'm inevitably apt to do.

Severus Snape blinked dazedly. Low roaring fireplace in one corner, the sound of someone snoring loudly, and then when he looked up, a pheasant's carcass. He winced and then as dawning horror set upon him he leapt upright, unsettling a small ball of fur that had been curled up at his side.

Of course, it's not humiliating enough that I have to come here, I have to fall asleep too.

His hand was automatically reassuring Svelte as he took in Hagrid, snoring into his large wooden table, his bushy beard rising up and covering most of his face. A tiny twinge of guilt pinched at him. It was after all a kind gesture of Hagrid to not wake him up when he had been tired, Hagrid was full of kind gestures. Next to Dumbledore, Hagrid was one of the few people that Severus mentally counted a human being. He didn't know if he liked Hagrid because of his loyalty to the Headmaster, or because of his simple way of life, and the persecution that he had suffered for being half giant. He also knew that he would be damned before he let Hagrid know that he felt anything more than loathing for him.

He stood up slowly and his back protested, it was still sore from being smashed against the wooden armrest of the chair in Dumbledore's office. He had almost damned everything and taken a healing potion earlier but it would have been suicide. Until he made an antidote, which he was starting to realise would be a laborious process, he would not be able to shake the pain.

He looked down at Svelte who was curled innocently against a fold in the somewhat worn quilt. Most of what he felt was trapped affection. Seeing the small creature every hour, for two days, was forcing him to realise certain things, things which he hardly wanted to admit to himself. He was tolerant of the little fox now, tolerant of her tendency to want to fall asleep while he was there, tolerant of her tendency to want to romp back to the sanctuary where he had first found her. He didn't understand her preoccupation with the area, perhaps she, like himself, just found a security there that could not be found anywhere else.

His affection for Svelte was not making him any nicer to his students, if anything it was making him more irrational and grumpy when it came to handling the human race. He'd often leave his potions classes with strict instructions for them to behave themselves, and come back to find that something had gone wrong, because he couldn't supervise the potion making process. It left him angry, he could not teach the students well enough, because he had another responsibility now.

He very nearly placed Hermione in charge of the Gryffindor and Slytherin class earlier that day, and the thought itself horrified him. Hermione Granger? In charge of one of his classes? I think the potion is actually making me clinically insane, I think I'm losing complete control of all my faculties. The sooner I get rid of Svelte, the better I am able to control my classes, yet...the breaks from the apathy and stupidity of students are somewhat refreshing, the innocence of Svelte is...more appealing than I thought it could be.

There was a day left before Dumbledore would review the situation, and Severus still did not know which he would choose. He cleared his throat softly and walked over to Hagrid. The lump of a man was hulked over, clearly fast asleep. Severus cringed and withdrew his wand, then he sharply poked Hagrid's head with the tip of it. As the Care of Magical Creatures teacher awoke Snape pasted a sneer on his face, one which came too easily, reflecting the pain that he was in.

'Your bed is now free,' he said curtly and wondered briefly he should perhaps apologise for falling asleep. Why? You couldn't control that. Besides look at the great lump, it's not like it's doing him any harm. Hagrid was blinking sleepily, obviously focussing on the Potions Master with some difficulty.

'Oh...righ' you are Professor. Thanks for letting me know. The table isn't exactly comfortable if yer catch my drift,' he said with a wink and Severus swallowed.

'It won't happen again.' There. That's the closest I get to an apology Hagrid. Hagrid however was waving his hands around, like a large, strong windmill.

'Now now, I'm not blaming yer!' His voice then became quite loud and Severus placed a cautionary finger against his mouth, pointing with his other hand, which was still grasping his wand, at Svelte. Quiet you buffoon, it took her an hour to sleep tonight, and the last thing I want is to have her crying all over again. Hagrid followed the direction of Snape's hand and nodded.

'Sorry Professor,' he said, though when he looked back at Severus, there was a strange glint in his beady eyes. Was it...no it couldn't possibly be. Not admiration? No. 'So I guess you'll be off then no doubt. Now that she's settled down for the night an' all. How you finding seein' her all the time?' he said and Severus looked at the tiny creature sleeping on the bed.

'She reminds me of an animal companion I knew a long time ago. It's different,' he said, suddenly nostalgic. 'Listen I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning, if she doesn't sleep during the night contact me immediately. It would not be a good thing of your classes got any worse than they already are because of lack of sleep,' he said dryly and Hagrid chuckled nervously, though it was obvious he had been hurt by the statement, he tried to mask it.

'Righ' then. Good night Professor Snape,' he said, tipping an imaginary cap. Severus nodded curtly.

'Good evening Hagrid.'