Listen To Your Heart
Chapter Thirteen-Roselyn's Escape
I cried and cried and it felt like I couldn't cry anymore.
I heard everyone offering their condolences and if I needed to talk, they would be there for me.
After Remus released me, I went to Mario and hugged him tightly as well.
"I'm so sorry, Lyn," Mario whispered pressing his face into my hair.
"Well well," a voice crooned from the hospital wing entrance.
I slowly peeled my face away from Mario's robe and we all glared toward the doorway.
It was a boy with light brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in Slytherin robes as well.
"Eric," I heard the venom in Sirius' voice. "FLAKE OFF BRO!"
"If this isn't a Kodak moment," the boy continued in a mock voice filled with emotion. "A Slytherin hugging a Gryffindork."
"I ought to kill you, you bastard," Sirius snarled as he went to lunge toward the boy, but James held him back.
"You banged Gillian's head against the wall," Remus said in cold and angry tone. "You deserved to be suspended."
"I want to kill him," Sirius continued.
The boy's eyes moved onto me.
"And who is this pretty little Gryffindork?" the boy asked looking me up and down.
"Leave her alone," Mario snarled his eyes flashing. "She's my sister."
"You are related to this?" the boy named Eric asked Mario as he scanned me again. "I feel sorry for you."
Mario went to lunge toward the boy next but Sirius blocked him.
"Flake off," James rasped. "Or the whole lot of us will curse you into oblivion."
Eric sneered at us before leaving.
"Ugh," Lily said shivering. "He's such a slimy git!"
Sirius was still steamed.
"He's the cause for what happened to Gillian," he explained to me. "He's the one who banged her head against the wall. He told Filch where she was after a so called 'meeting'. He basically ratted her out."
"What a scum bag," I said shaking my head.
"Yeah," Remus agreed nodding.
A FEW WEEKS LATER.
Remus, James, Sirius, Sam and Peter had gone off to the Shrieking Shack. Remus explained to Lily and Gillian that he told me about him. The only one that didn't know was Mario and I wasn't about to tell him unless they told me it was alright.
It was around nine o'clock at night. I had decided to go for a walk on the grounds to just enjoy the warm evening air.
I strolled along the sides of the castle, just inhaling the pine scent of the trees that lined the edges of the lake.
A gentle gust of wind blew my hair back from my face. I smiled to myself and turned my face up toward the sky.
Just as I passed the greenhouses, someone grabbed me and clamped a hand over my mouth, dragging me to the side of the greenhouse.
I was banged up against the wall and I got a clear view of who it was. It was the boy named Eric that we had seen in the hospital wing. He kept his hand over my mouth.
"Scream and you'll be sorry," he sneered.
I just felt my body trembling violently.
"Yes," he said. "You are a verrrry pretty witch indeed."
He purred.
I felt tears forming in my eyes.
He began running his hand up my thigh and under my skirt. I tried to scream, but it was muffled by his hand.
I began sobbing now. He tried to un-do my tie and skirt, but I kneed him in the groin and went to run back toward the castle, but he caught up with me and grabbed me by my ankles, forcing me to land face down on the grass. He flipped me over and straddled me.
"LET ME GO!" I screamed thrashing.
"I told you if you screamed you'd be sorry," Eric snarled as he grabbed me by the collar of my uniform and banged my head hard down against the ground. I didn't know there was a small rock under my head and I soon drifted in and out of consciousness.
"HEY!" a voice shouted angrily.
I turned my head and through foggy vision, saw a guy with greasy shoulder length black hair and dark eyes running toward us.
Eric took off running.
The guy kneeled down beside me.
"Are you alright?" he demanded concerned.
At that moment, a huge gray wolf appeared and came over to me, standing protectively. It retracted its upper lip, exposing white canines and incisors at the guy. The ears were flattened out sideways.
I saw a black dog come barreling toward me as well as a black and white Border Collie. I blinked again and was able to see more clearly.
The guy kneeling beside me had a look of fear on his face but he was terrified to move an inch.
The wolf placed a paw on my shoulder and continued to snarl angrily at the guy.
I slowly sat up and rubbed the back of my head. There was a small bleeding gash.
"I'm okay," I said to the guy wincing.
"Are you s-sure?" he stammered not taking his eyes off the wolf and the two dogs who were also growling menacingly at him.
"Yeah," I said nodding and realized that the guy was dressed in Slytherin robes as well.
"I'm going to go get Professor Dumbledore," the guy said. "Stay here."
He got up and tore back into the castle.
I moved my eyes onto the wolf who was now sitting on his haunches beside me with his tail wrapped around his hind leg. The two dogs had vanished and Sirius and Sam were now standing there.
"I can't believe Snivellus did this," Sirius growled angrily. "I'm going to make him pay."
"Who's Snivellus? And what did he do?" I asked confused.
"Severus Snape," Sam replied. "The guy who was just kneeling beside you. He assaulted you."
"No," I said shaking my head. "It wasn't him…it was the guy named Eric."
Sirius began letting out a long string of curse words.
"So Snivellus helped you?" Sam asked incredulously.
"Yes he did," I said nodding. "Eric took off back to the castle."
"That's it," Sirius said. "I'm paying him a little visit."
He changed back into a dog and took off toward the castle again.
"Oh boy," Sam moaned. "Knowing him he's going to do something rash. I'd best go check on him. Remus will stay with you until Severus gets back with Professor Dumbledore. Don't worry you're in good hands."
Sam winked and then changed back into the Border collie. He too, took off after Sirius.
I turned to the wolf who was now panting slightly.
I reached out my hand to touch the wolf on the forehead when to my surprise, the wolf began growling quietly. I quickly retracted my hand in surprise and fear.
I heard someone running across the grounds. I turned and looked. Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore and the guy named Severus came running toward me. I turned to look back at the wolf but he was gone.
"Miss Rourke," Professor McGonagall demanded anxiously. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," I said as Severus and Professor Dumbledore helped me to my feet. I knew I looked an absolute mess. My tie was loose; the first three buttons of my white shirt were undone and was un-tucked from the skirt waistband. I had dirt smudged on my cheek and my auburn hair had bits of grass and leaves sticking out of it.
"What happened?" Professor Dumbledore asked gently.
"I was taking a walk when this boy named Eric grabbed me and banged me up against the wall behind the greenhouse. He tried to…you know," I said feeling the heat rising in my cheeks even though it was dark out and I had hoped Severus couldn't see me nor the teachers. "I tried to get away but he grabbed me and banged my head on the ground. If Severus here hadn't come to my rescue, I don't know what he would've done."
In the moonlight I could see Severus' face changing to a crimson color.
"Well," Professor McGonagall said. "I want you checked out by Madam Elkin. Let's go."
We began heading back into the castle.
"She's fine," Madam Elkin said as she finished checking me over. "Nothing damaged."
Gillian and Lily were with me. Severus was standing at the foot of my cot.
"Thank you, Severus," Gillian said softly. "You saved Roselyn."
Again, Severus turned crimson.
James, Remus, Mario, Peter, Sirius and Sam burst into the hospital wing.
"Roselyn!" Sirius cried running forward, pushing Severus out of the way. He threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly.
I got hugs from all of them.
"Mr. Malone will be expelled," Professor Dumbledore said firmly. "This is the second assault he's done on a fellow student."
He looked really angry but gave me a wink before he and McGonagall left the hospital wing.
"I'm fine guys," I said.
I noticed Severus was quiet in the back of the group and he was staring at the floor.
"It was thanks to Severus here that I'm okay," I said.
James whipped around.
"Snivellus? YOU saved Roselyn?" he sneered.
"Yes," Severus sneered back.
"What were you doing out so late?" James interrogated.
"I was taking a walk," Severus replied stiffly. "I couldn't sleep and I needed some fresh air. That's when I found her."
"Strange coincidence," James scoffed.
"James," I scolded. "Leave him alone alright? He helped me. That's enough."
James fell silent.
I carefully got to my feet. Remus and Lily both held onto me briefly.
"I'm fine," I reassured them.
I stepped over to Severus.
"Thank you again," I beamed at him.
He muttered something and blushed.
I threw my arms around him and hugged him. He totally seemed shocked and very shy. I released him. He was about as red as a tomato.
"Alright," Mario said yawning. "I'm pooped."
He shook Severus' hand.
"Thanks mate," he said earnestly.
Everyone seemed to be grateful toward Severus except James. He glared at Severus as the group left. I followed behind them with Severus and Gillian.
"Listen," I said brightly turning to Severus. "You can hang out with us if you'd like."
"Yeah," Gillian said eagerly nodding.
Severus looked a head of us at the group…particularly at James.
"I doubt Potter would allow that," he said coldly.
"You saved Roselyn's life," Gillian said firmly. "James can be a bit of a prat. You can hang out with us. We owe you."
"You don't owe me anything," Severus said raising an eyebrow at her.
"What I mean is we're grateful," I picked up. "James is too he just takes a bit to warm up."
Severus looked at me. "Do you know what he's done to me?"
He scowled.
I shook my head.
Severus began telling me all the cruel pranks Sirius and James had pulled on him.
"If you call that warming up," Severus said icily. "Then James loves me."
I felt a faint glistening of tears in my eyes. What James and Sirius had done was pretty mean and cruel and I didn't understand why Remus allowed them to do it. After all, he was the Gryffindor Prefect. Gillian's expression read the same thing.
"I'm glad you're alright," Severus continued his tone softening. "But I don't think James would like it if we hung out."
He put a hand briefly on my arm before heading off toward the Slytherin common room.
I felt total anger boiling inside me as we all headed back to the Gryffindor common room. I told Mario to keep an eye on Severus before he headed off as well.
Once we entered the Gryffindor common room, I was about near exploding point.
"You okay Rose?" Lily asked nervously. "You feel alright?"
"I feel fine, Lily," I said through gritted teeth. "Just peachy."
"What's wrong?" Remus asked immediately looking concerned.
I finally couldn't take it anymore. I exploded.
"JAMES YOU ARE THE MOST MEANEST, INHUMAN PERSON I KNOW!" I snarled angrily.
James looked startled at my outburst.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
The fact that he was clueless only added to my anger.
"YOU TREATED SEVERUS LIKE SHIT!" I roared. "SOME OF THOSE THINGS YOU AND SIRIUS DID WERE INCREDIBLY MEAN!"
Realization dawned on James' face.
"Roselyn," James said. "Snivellus is vapor…a waste of breathing space."
Even Lily gasped at this statement.
"JAMES," she scolded completely shocked.
Gillian got up and stood next to me. Then Lily. It was us three girls facing James, Sam, Remus and Peter.
"He might be different but that's no reason to treat him that way," Gillian said folding her arms over her chest.
"He's tried to hex us as well," Sam argued.
"SELF DEFENSE!" I snarled. "I WOULD TOO!"
And I rounded on Remus.
"AND WHY DID YOU ALLOW THOSE TWO TO DO IT? YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE PREFECT!"
Remus was silent.
"I'm really disappointed in you guys," Gillian said sadly looking at Sam and the others. "I can't talk anymore."
With that, she brushed past Remus and headed off to the girls' dorm. Lily followed close behind.
"I can't sleep here with you," I said finally. "I can't sleep in the same tower."
I brushed past James and entered the girls' dorm. I grabbed my pillow and quilt and left the Gryffindor common room.
I pretty much knew the way to the Slytherin common room but when I got there I realized I didn't know the password. So, I curled up outside of it and soon dozed off.
The next morning, I felt someone shaking me awake.
I opened my eyes and stared into the faces of about 4 Slytherin girls.
"You alright?" one girl asked curiously. "Did you forget the password and stay out here all night?"
"Sort of," I muttered getting to my feet.
"Gryffindor," a second girl sneered. "Why on earth are you outside our common room?"
"My brother is in here," I explained. "Mario Rourke?"
"Oh yes," the first girl said nodding. "He's real cute. He should be out any minute."
They headed off down the corridor.
A few moments later, the Slytherin common room opened. It was down in the dungeon so I was a bit cold from sleeping outside for so long.
I was surprised and delighted to see it was Severus.
"Roselyn? What on earth are you doing here?" he asked looking shocked.
"Mario," I explained. "Is he coming?"
Severus shook his head.
"Mario headed down to the Hall early this morning," he explained. "Come on I'll take you."
We began heading down the corridor.