disclaimer: No...I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is a genius!)
Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Have a great Sunday! ) And, as always, feedback is much appreciated!
-boots!
The moon pierced through the black clouds, like a swollen orb of restless spirits. The wind howled and bellowed as if wounded by some predatory beast. In the dark of this most dreadful and stormy night, there was only one creature that sensed the greater darkness lurking just beyond the castle walls.
In the Great Hall, Draco sat with his entourage all around him, basking in the glow of his unbending popularity. Thomas joined in the conversation occasionally, keeping his eyes on the Gryffindor table in between helpings of chicken and ham pie.
"So I said…well, naturally, you wouldn't see a pureblood make that sort of mistake! I mean, really- what's the point of muggle studies? Big deal- some dumb muggle figured out how to harness light in a glass bulb! Oooh!"
The crowd of Slytherins broke into a choir of laughter and complimented Draco's originality of thought. It was enough to make anyone else within earshot sick and Ginny was not about to hold back.
"You're lucky Hermione isn't here. She'd fix you."
"Hermione? Are you kidding? She'd probably just run off and cry like she always does!"
"Oh yeah? Like when she punched you in the nose?"
"You better shut your mouth, Weasley filth!" He snapped back at her and practically leapt across the table.
"Oh- let it go Draco- she's not worth it" Thomas huffed, heaping his plate full of boiled potatoes.
"Just remember- Malfoy's always get the last word- freckles"
"Just remember there's a lot more Weasleys than there are Malfoys..." she mumbled under her breath and stormed off.
Back in her room, Hermione relaxed on her bed, with Crookshanks nestled against her stomach. She was positively exhausted by everything she had been through in the last 24 hours and she was quite sure that she was physically unable to cry anymore. Her eyes were red and her throat was completely raw.
"I'm a Malfoy" She had to say it aloud to make herself believe it; it was just too mind-boggling. She leaned against her pillows and thought about what she would tell Harry and Ron. Surely, they'd want to know where she'd been all day. Even more pressing on Hermione's mind was how she would ever face Draco Malfoy again, knowing that they were…cousins! But perhaps even more astonishing to Hermione was her stern Potions Master's reaction to her final breakdown. "He hugged me!" she recounted to Crookshanks, who was much more interested in being scratched behind the ears than anything else at that moment. The "bat" of the dungeons, the "greasy git", the professor from hell…had lent her his hand and even more bizarre; she had accepted it!
A clap of thunder sent Crookshanks bolting underneath the bed and Hermione too found herself rather shaken. Lightening split the evening sky in two and freezing gusts of wind pounded the castle from all sides- shaking it to its very core. Hermione rushed to the window and watched the storm move overhead, like some masterpiece of darkness spread across the canvas of the sky. In the distance, hidden by clouds, Hermione could see a full moon rising over Black Lake. It was haunting and beautiful all at once; and it filled her with ominous wonder.
She turned and made for the bathroom where she was intent on drawing a hot bath and forgetting who she was for at least an hour. She ran the water and observed her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were incredibly puffy from crying and she hoped nobody had seen her returning to her room looking as such. But no matter- she certainly wouldn't be the first student who returned from Snape's classroom looking like that. She chuckled a little at her own cleverness and began to peel off her sweater, when she suddenly paused realizing that her necklace was not dangling from her neck.
She searched her bed and retraced her steps around the room, but it was no use- the necklace was nowhere to be found! Hermione hated losing things to begin with but this was above and beyond just losing any old trinket. She paced her room and thought about where she could have lost it. Perhaps it had slipped off in Snape's class- or it could have fallen off in the common room. Another loud crash of thunder slapped around the castle and every candle in her bedroom blew out at once. Hermione could sense something she had never quite felt before. This was no ordinary storm- there was something tainted about it- something manmade.
"Lumos" she waved her wand and for a minute the tip struggled to glow. She stared out the window and noticed how calm everything appeared outside. Nothing moved in the darkness- even the trees seemed to be in a sort of suspended animation. Suddenly the candles flickered back to life as if turned on by a switch. She rushed to the window and once again, the wind was blowing wildly about the branches and the lake was a sea of unruly black waves.
As Severus made his way to the Great Hall, he thought hard on all that had transpired between him and Hermione. There were so many things he wanted to tell her; about Katrina, about her very odd family, about the possible danger she could be in- but for some reason, he couldn't find the words. His head was swimming with "should haves" and "could haves" and all sorts of doubt. In truth, Severus had never found himself quite so caught off guard in a long time- yet it seemed some how natural that the bane of his teaching existence should stump him so.
He took a deep breath and burst into the dining hall with his standard scowl spread across his pale face and his black cloak cascading behind him like a wild tempest of dark intentions.
Thomas watched the black haired Potions Master cross the room with a mixture of awe and apprehension. He knew Snape's history and yet he knew nothing of Snape's past.
"Draco- Snape's your godfather isn't he?"
"That's right" the blond haired imp chewed loudly "what of it Crowe?"
"Oh- nothing really- I was just wondering…"
The dark wizard of dubious and questionable loyalties shot Thomas a glare that would have struck him down had it been a wand, and then took his seat. The boy lowered his eyes to his meal and kept his questions to himself.
Remus Lupin choked and gripped his chest as he leapt down the staircase. He was in a race against his own wretched darkness and he was not about to allow his curse infect the people he loved. His glassy eyes flashed wildly as he ran out of the castle; his heart, pumping and throbbing against his thickened ribs. A roar of agony resonated from his trembling mouth as his teeth turned to razor-sharp daggers against the iridescent glow of the menacing moon. Lupin's mind battled against his body in a furious fight for dominance. His thoughts were in chaos- like the feral beast he was becoming. Familiar faces flashed before his glowing eyes and conversations of the day echoed feverishly in his pointed ears; and then the howl- the deafening moan of his cursed form- broke the silence of the night and claimed him.
From her window, Hermione watched on in horror, too shocked to move. Her eyes welled up with emotion as she backed away from the glass. True, she had seen this transformation once before, but never had she seen a man struggle so violently against his own sickness. It stirred her soul in a way that nothing ever had. She took a few breaths, threw her coat over her shoulders and bolted out the door. Though she had no solid plan, she felt an adamant need to take action. As she approached the doors to the main hall, she stopped to catch her breath. Her thoughts raced through the vast library of information she held in her mind. "Wolfsbane" she whispered and turned towards the long hallway to Professor Snape's supply closet.
Albus Dumbledore took a final sip of comberry cider and gently closed his heavy eyes; listening intently the various chatter of the students.
"Did you hear Susan Bones went out last Saturday with Vincent Crabbe to Madame Puddifoot's? Just think- if they ever had kids, they'd be little bone crabs! Get it?"
"Uggh! I can't believe how much work I have left to do on that silencing charm project for Flitwick!"
"Have you seen Hagrid's new tadfoal?"
"I heard some of the third years talking and they said that Professor Snape once killed a student for brewing a faulty babbling beverage! They said the student's ghost still wanders the halls…just babbling incoherently to anyone who will listen!"
The old wizard chuckled loudly and opened his eyes to see the head of Slytherin house staring right at him.
"Severus- it is most comforting to know that you have not lost your touch over these many years" he continued to chuckle.
"Yes- well, it is most comforting to know that you remain a frustrating old fool" he scowled and looked out over the vast tables of students. They were all so eager; their young faces so full of anticipation and promise.
"Come now Severus- remember, you'll be old like us one day" Minerva chimed in.
"Tell me Minerva- have you anything to regret?"
The prudent witch pursed her lips and fell quiet for a minute before looking directly into Severus' black eyes. "Nothing, my dear boy. Not a thing" she smiled effortlessly and shook her head softly.
"Then I shall never grow old… like you"
Minerva's eyes twitched a little as she gazed deeper into the black abyss of his cold stare. She knew much of Snape's life- having watched him grow up over the years; but she knew nothing of the immeasurable pain that he had become so used to.
"Someone! Someone come quickly! Something's happened to Professor Lupin! He's changed! I saw him running out of the castle!" Pavarti Patil screamed upon her entrance of the Great Hall.
Massive commotion erupted from the students while all heads of the staff turned to Professor Snape, whose eyes narrowed to the Slytherin table where Draco's goons continued to stuff their faces- seemingly unconcerned with the grave situation at hand.
Dumbledore slowly stood from his chair and calmly lifted his wand above the uproar.
"Silence!" he boomed. "All Prefects will escort the students back to your respective houses. No one is to leave the school under any circumstances."
He then turned his frail body toward the staff and very calmly issued instructions to each of them. "Oh- and Severus…" But the Potions Master had already disappeared, like the fog over Black Lake, he had silently moved on to the next great storm.
Hermione riffled through the shelves, letting empty vials smash to the floor. Surely Professor Snape had a supply of Wolfsbane someplace. It was somewhat common knowledge that it was Snape who brewed the potion for Professor Lupin every month. While the potion did not cure lycanthropy, it helped to subdue the harsh affects of it. Could her meticulous professor have forgotten to restock his supplies? It seemed very unlikely to Hermione that Snape would have let something so critical slip his mind.
"What have you done?" A calm yet terrorizing voice descended over Hermione's small shoulders.
"I…I…me? What have I done?" she protested. "What have you done?! Or should I say…what have you NOT done?!"
"What are you squawking about you silly girl?" he snapped back at her.
"The Wolfsbane for Professor Lupin, you forgot to…"
" I am a Potions Master, you intolerable little doxy! I don't forget things!" he pushed past her into the cramped closet.
Hermione's face was flushed with frustration.
"Did you just call me a doxy?"
"Get back to Gryffindor Tower at once!" he barked from the ladder.
"No!" she shouted "I shall remain right here!"
Severus felt all the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Just who did this little witch think she was? He grabbed a green vial from the top shelf, shoving it in his cloak, and hurried down the ladder.
"I will not ask you again…get back to Gryffindor Tower…now!"
Hermione's face held such determination, such unbridled defiance that he found himself quite lost in it.
"Professor Lupin has been nothing but kind to me and I am not about to let him destroy himself! I am not about to abandon him to the darkness!"
"What do you know of darkness, child?"
"Plenty" she growled back at him and blocked his way from the door. His eyes widened for a moment and Hermione was not entirely sure what sort of punishment she had brought on herself. Severus could scarcely believe how like her mother she appeared before him- unwilling to let a friend get hurt, prepared to break innumerable rules- but there was something else in her face; this defiance….this beautiful determination to risk all that she had…it was otherworldly and it made her whole body glow with a certain power he had only seen once in his whole life. It frightened and thrilled him all at once and before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed hold of her trembling shoulders and shook her ferociously, " You will return to Gryffindor at once if you value your fragile existence!"
"I'm not as fragile as all that" she challenged the gaunt wizard before her.
"One hundred and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor for your actions tonight Miss Granger…now, get out of my way" he hissed.
"That is NOT my name"
Severus said nothing- just stared at her, unable to say anything in response- unable to believe her vehemence. Then, he suddenly grabbed her by the chin and roughly pulled her up to his face. Hermione did not move. She barely breathed. Severus stared at her for a minute, sweat collecting between his arched eyebrows. With his free hand, he carefully lifted the delicate necklace from his pocket and before clumsily pushing her aside, let it fall to the floor.
"Don't misplace this again. In the end, it may be all you have left of who you are." He then backed out of the closet and ran swiftly down the hallway.
The only sounds that filled the night were Lupin's howls, the rush of the remorseless wind and the pounding of Hermione's heart.