Thoughts and Conversations

Severus sighed where he sat alone in front of the dying fire. He had tried to sleep after Draco had left two hours ago, but he couldn't stop thinking about the frightening sight of Theresa Potter standing only seconds from death. He didn't know why he felt so much towards the girl.

It had started at the dance, when she came up to him, asking him to dance with her. He had seen something in her eyes, fear. But not the usual fear he saw in students when caught doing something unacceptable, no, it had been fear of rejection. At first he had brushed it off, and he told himself that he had been wrong. But as they danced, he noticed something that made him think. Outwards, she was smiling, talking and living, but when he held her in his arms, he had felt fear, pain and a bit of hopelessness. And that, didn't fit into the picture Severus had made himself.

What was hiding behind that brave cheerful mask of hers?

His years as a spy had made him an expert when it came to reading people, but this girl, she was a mystery.

He drank from the cup of hot tea. What was he going to do now? He had to talk to Mr Weasley about this, that much was clear. What had trigged this? What happened the first time? How had he convinced her to keep living the first time, and why hadn't he told anyone? There was to many questions. But he would get answers, and everything be damned, he would help the girl, whether she liked it or not.

Ron woke up and looked around. He was in Snape´s bedroom. The event of the night came crashing back down to him, and he looked at the girl in his arms. She was seemingly sleeping peacefully, but for how long? And what would she be like when she woke up?

Ron couldn't believe that he had almost lost her again. Three years ago, he had been able to build some kind of wall around himself, controlling his own emotions, so that he could focus on helping Tess. But now, he was an emotional wreck.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that this time, he would need help, not just because of his own emotions, but because that this had turned more serious than he could ever imagine. He glanced at the clock standing on the night stand, and he saw that classes would start in two hours.

He slowly released his friend and made his way out of the bed slowly, not to wake her. She needed the sleep, he knew that, so he walked out of the room as quietly as possible and shut the door behind him.

"Slept well, Mr Weasley?" said the silky voice of the potion master, making Ron turn around and see the man sitting in an armchair.

"Thanks for letting us stay, sir, I really appreciate it." Snape nodded and motioned for him to sit down on the sofa.

"Sit down Mr Weasley, we need to talk."

The tone didn't leave room for arguments, so Ron resultantly sat. He looked down at his hands and waited for the professor to speak.

"I take it she has yet to wake?" Snape asked, and Ron could only nod.

"I have some questions for you, but I think we can take that later. How are you feeling?"

Ron raised his head and looked at the professor. Had he hears right? Had Snape of all people asked him, Ronald Wesley, how he was feeling? Where was the world heading?

"I don't know professor. I don't know."

He really didn't know how he was feeling. His emotion was in total disorder and his head was spinning with thoughts and images.

"I see." That was all the professor said before he got up and into a room that had to be the kitchen. He was gone for some minutes and when he came back, ha had two mugs with tea in his hands. He gave one of them to Ron and took place in the armchair again.

"I don't know what to tell you Mr Weasley, but I think you did a good job yesterday."

Ron snorted. "If I had done a good job sir, she wouldn't have been standing there! She wouldn't have felt the need to kill herself!" Ron was frustrated. This was the second time Snape told him that he had been doing a great job. Couldn't he see it for what it really was? He had failed, failed to protect her as he had promised three years ago. She had trusted him, and he had let her down.

"No, listen to me. If you hadn't been there, she would have jumped. She would have done it, and she would have been dead now." At this, Ron had to force himself not to let out a sob. The thought of his friend and sister lying dead on the school grounds wasn't a pretty image.

"If you hadn't been there, she would have jumped, and Draco wouldn't have been in time to catch her. She slipped, both you and I know that, she didn't jump. And that's because of you. You Saved Your Friends Life."

Ron slowly nodded. What Snape told him made sense, but he couldn't forgive himself for not going after her directly. Maybe then he would have been able to stop her from even going to that blasted tower.

"I will cancel my classes today, and if anyone ask, tell them that Potter is sick or something. I will stay here with her."

Ron was in a state of utter and completely shock. where was the snarky old dungeon bat? The greasy git? This sertainly wasn't him.

"Are you sure? I could.."

"I'm sure, run along and come back here after classes. We have some things to discuss."

Ron stood and made his way to the door. Before he stepped out into the hall, he turned and gave Snape a sad smile. "Thank you Professor."

Draco hadn't slept that much, so when he crawled out of bed one hour before classes was about to start, he felt like shit. His hair was a disarray and his eyes where red from lack of sleep.

When he had gotten back from Severus rooms that night, all of his dorm mates had been fast asleep. He had been relieved because that meant no questions. Or so he thought.

"Hiya Malfoy, where were you last night? Off shagging Potter heh?" Blasie was standing in the middle of the room, half dressed and with a smirk on his face.

"Oh just shut it Zabini!" Draco snarled. He was NOT in the mood for his friend´s questions and taunting.

"Ah, I get it, someone is a bit jumpy this morning." Zabini laughed when a big black pillow hit him in the face.

"Oh, I thought throwing pillows was to childish for you Dray!"

Draco groaned. This day didn't start good at all...no, not at all.

In what state will Tess be when she wakes up? and what will Draco do? And how will Ron handle all this? You will found out in the next chapter! But for now, Please review!