Disclaimer: Not mine.
The Uninvited
Chapter 5
Doris, as she had named herself, could not stop smiling. She was in awe of the sheer beauty of the place and kept stopping to look back at the castle.
"You do know that on the journey back you will have the castle in full view. I suggest that you watch where you are going," Severus sneered at her.
"I just find it so beautiful," she said turning to walk with him once more. "I didn't really get to see much of it last night, only the tops of the towers. I guess I had other things on my mind."
"Indeed," he smirked, remembering her condition less than twenty-four hours ago. "What could you have been thinking when you decided to die in the Forbidden Forest?"
"That I was free," she said in complete honestly, looking up at his face. "I know who you are Snape. I have heard them talk about you."
He stopped, spun her around to him, and holding her upper arms leaned down to look at her face.
"Who witch? Who did you hear talking of me?" he demanded.
"The others, I don't know their names. At the Revel, that one at my grandfather's house, long ago where I met you." She did not appear scared, but he felt her tense, as if to run or fight.
He released her so fast that she stumbled backwards. Steadying herself on her feet, she looked up at him.
"You don't have to worry about me, I have said nothing so far," she said softly, looking around to make sure they were not overheard. "I won't tell them that you don't belong here anymore than I do."
"Nothing?" he said confused. "What have you said nothing about?"
"When we met, that you have seen me before."
"Pray tell," he smirked raising an eyebrow. "And just when was that? This Revel I met you at, when was it?"
"I am not good with things like when, but you gave me food and came back twice more. Don't you remember? I watched for you, and when you didn't return again I thought that you were dead."
"Where was this that I first met you?" His mind raced, he could not recall a meeting, a Revel, any place where he had seen the witch.
"I am not good at that either, I have only ever been there and here. Well, there and the Revel that I left from to come here."
"I have no memory of you. Are you sure it was me you saw?"
He looked at her face, raked his eyes over her body and then finally rested his eyes on hers. He saw her look of profound disappointment at his admission.
Her face clouded, her eyes changed and became dull. "Perhaps I was mistaken. I have you confused with someone else."
"Obviously," he intoned, stepping back and standing up straight. "You said you do not belong here. Tell me, where do you belong? Pick a side."
"A side? I have no side," she sighed. "I only wanted to get out of there."
"From the looks of you it was more than an idle whim."
"It was the first chance I had, so I took it," she bit her lip and looked to the path behind him. "Can we just walk? I saw a lake from my window, could we go there?"
"Perhaps another time. It is too far for you today."
She heard his stomach growl and giggled. "I think it may be dinner time anyway," she said with a false brightness, "I am hungry too. Am I allowed to eat in there, with the others?"
"I am sure the Headmaster would insist on it."
"Let's go then, if I remember correctly, it was you who was complaining about missing lunch, we don't want to be late for dinner." She again took up his arm as they headed back to the castle.
"That charm that you wear, what is its meaning?" He watched as her hand flew to the charm.
"Protection, my mother used to wear it, now I do," she said simply letting her hand fall and the charm catch the light.
Severus had only seen eyebrow piercing on a few witches, mostly those that lived close to large Muggle populations. He found the charm attractive, bringing his attention to her eyes, but could not read the runes on the charm and wondered again as to what it meant.
Dinner was with a smaller group of staff members than Severus had expected. Only about eight were still in residence. As they approached the head table, Severus noticed that the staff afforded them little attention. Albus must have warned them not to appear surprised to see the visitor, and given them the limited version of what had happened.
The witch had her place set next to Severus. He pulled out her chair, seating her to his right at the end of the table, and anticipating unwanted questions from the staff, he thought to put himself between them and her.
Hungrily helping himself to the assortment of meats and vegetables on the table, he initially paid no attention to the witch beside him, but after several minutes he noticed that her plate still empty.
"Are you not hungry?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes sir." She looked at the plates of food on the table.
He passed her a large plate of roast beef, which she took and placed beside her own. She then transferred a small piece meat from the larger serving plate to her own. Then looking at him hesitantly, she proceeded to eat. Once she had finished she politely put down her utensils and sat quietly.
"Surely you are eating more than that," he sneered. "You have injuries that are still healing. If you are to remain in good health you must eat."
"Yes sir," she said, eyeing the food on the table again, all the while worrying her bottom lip.
He grabbed her plate putting a mound of mashed potatoes, carrots, and parsnips on the one side, and then proceeded to place a slab of roast, a piece of chicken and two rolls on the other. Ignoring her gasp, he placed the over loaded plate in front of her and turned back to his own plate.
"Now eat, witch. If this is not to your liking then a kitchen elf will bring you something else."
She picked up her knife and fork and began eating. Finishing the plate of food and two glasses of pumpkin juice, she smiled at the hot baked apples served for dessert. Noticing her eyes on the hot sweet offering, he placed one in front of her.
He watched out of the corner of his eye as she chewed, closing her eyes with a look of bliss on her face. He placed a second apple in front of her, and watched as that too disappeared. The third took her a lot longer, but went the way of the first.
As he reached for the fourth, her hand stayed him. "Professor, if I may, could I take it with me, for later I mean?" She asked eyeing the apple.
"No you may not," he felt his lip twitch. "However, have Poppy show you how to order from the kitchen elf assigned to the infirmary. He will bring you anything you like, at any time."
"No shite!" she said in wonder. Then turning red, her hand flew to her mouth.
"Language Miss Bentley, language," he smirked.
When the tea service came and dinner was completed, he turned to the witch and leaned over to her, not wanting to be overheard.
"You must now return to the infirmary. Poppy will have robes suitable for our outing this evening. You are to accompany us to a meeting with others that are fighting to defeat the Dark Lord," he told her as calmly as he could, trying not to place much importance on it.
"Must I attend?" she asked nervously. "Is this what you meant when I was told to do as I was ordered?"
"Partly yes, there will be other things expected of you."
He was shocked when she jumped up so quickly that she pushed her chair to the floor. She had run from the head table and half way to the doors before Severus came to his feet to run after her. As he sped down the aisle between the student tables, he heard Albus' caution to be careful and cursed the old man under his breath before slamming the doors open against the stone walls and hurrying into the corridor.
He caught her as she reached for the handles of the main doors. Pulling her back, she struggled against him. He slammed her back into the doors, instinct bringing his wand to her throat.
"What is the meaning of this?" he raged.
"Let me go!" She struggled, trying to kick him, her hands clawing at his face.
He pushed one leg between hers, and grabbing both her hands with his, he raised them over her head then pinning her against the wall.
He saw terror on her face and felt her continued struggles against him. He could smell her musky odour, and see golden flecks in the bronzed green of her eyes. Feeling a natural arousal at the close proximity of a female body, he pulled back from coming in contact with her.
"Now, you will tell me witch, why you run," he spoke quietly, a dangerous undertow evident.
"I did not escape his Revel to come to yours. I will not do this, I will not," she screamed at him, and still fought to get away.
"You will do as you are told," Severus said coldly.
"Let me go, all of you, let me go." She pressed her body back against the wall, fighting not to cry. "I won't let you take me, not you, not any man. Never again, I would rather die, rather you just killed me."
He stepped back as if burned, his reaction immediate, and watched as she slumped to the floor swiping tears off her face with the back of his hand.
He had seen her close to death; he had observed her pain, her flight, her fear. It was not until now that he had seen her tears. It had seemed that she could face anything and come up fighting, but this was so repulsive to her, that it reduced her to tears. In an act of kindness that he seldom showed, Severus Snape knelt next to the witch, laid two fingers under her chin and lifted her face to his.
"I would never hurt you that way. No-one in this castle would ever hurt you that way. And the members of the Order, that we are going to visit this evening, will fight the Dark Lord to ensure that this never happens again," he said softly and sincerely.
He stood, holding his hand out to her, offering assistance.
"Please, you must trust me." He looked into her eyes and saw fear still there.
"You lied once," she spat. "Do you lie now?"
He stood silently, his hand still extended to her, seeing her resolve weaken.
She wanted to believe him. Many years ago, this man had been kind to her, the only kindness she could remember. However, he did not remember her. She had spent so long dreaming that he would return and now that he was before her, she did not want to let go of her memories. Cut deeply by his admission of forgetfulness , she could only hope that he would remember her as time went by. She reached up to take his hand and in that moment she knew, she had to trust him. There was no-one else.