Aurelia stirred, her body heavy and aching, the events of the forest flashing through her mind like fragments of a nightmare. Her eyes fluttered open, the dim light of the infirmary casting long shadows across the room. For a moment, she thought she was alone.

Then her gaze landed on a dark figure seated in the corner, his posture rigid, arms crossed over his chest.

"Professor Snape?" Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Snape looked up from the floor, his expression unreadable. "You're awake," he said flatly, as though her recovery was more of an inconvenience than a relief.

Aurelia shifted, wincing as pain flared in her arm and leg. "What... what time is it?"

"Late," he replied curtly, standing and approaching her bed. "Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping you overnight for observation. It appears you needed it."

Aurelia tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her leg, and she winced. Snape's hand instinctively reached out, but he stopped himself before making contact. His fingers curled into a fist, withdrawing back to his side.

"You shouldn't move," he admonished, his voice sharp but quieter than usual. "Your injuries were severe."

Aurelia's throat tightened. Memories of the wolf, its snapping jaws and piercing eyes, rushed back to her. She gripped the blanket, trying to suppress the tremors in her hands.

"The students," she rasped, her eyes wide. "You said one was injured, are they okay now?"

Snape's gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "All accounted for. Madam Pomfrey treated the injured one immediately. It was minor—a twisted ankle."

Relief flooded her, and she sagged back against the pillows. "Good. That's good."

"You, however," he continued, "showed a complete lack of self-preservation."

She looked up at him, surprised by the venom in his tone. His expression was impassive, but there was a flicker of something in his dark eyes—anger, perhaps, or something deeper.

"I wasn't going to let them get hurt," she said softly.

"And in doing so, you nearly got yourself killed," Snape snapped. He leaned over her slightly, his voice low and intense. "Do you understand the consequences of your actions? What if I hadn't arrived in time? What if—"

"I didn't have a choice!" Aurelia interrupted, her voice breaking. Her hand instinctively gripped the blanket tighter. "I couldn't just stand there and let that wolf hurt them!"

Snape's jaw tightened, and he took a step back, his fingers flexing at his sides. "You have no magic," he said coldly. "You're a defenseless squib, Aurelia. Running into the Forbidden Forest with nothing but a stick was reckless and utterly idiotic."

Aurelia flinched, his words cutting deeper than the wolf's bite. Her breathing quickened as she tried to steady herself, her trembling hands betraying her. "I know I don't have magic," she shot back, her voice cracking. "You don't think I know that every day? I did what I could because someone had to."

Snape's lips thinned into a hard line, but she wasn't finished.

"And for the record," she continued, her voice rising despite the pain in her chest, "if I'd hesitated for one second longer, that wolf would've torn through a student. So excuse me for not thinking about myself!"

Silence stretched between them, tense and suffocating.

"You don't think about yourself enough," Snape finally said, his voice quieter but no less sharp. "Your life is not disposable. Playing the martyr doesn't make you a hero. It makes you a fool."

Aurelia's anger ebbed slightly, replaced by an ache she couldn't place. She looked away, her gaze falling to the edge of the blanket she clutched. "I wasn't trying to be a hero," she murmured. "I just… I couldn't let them get hurt. Not when I could do something about it."

Snape exhaled sharply, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small jar of salve. Without a word, he set it on the bedside table.

"Madam Pomfrey instructed you to apply this," he said stiffly. "For the bite marks."

Aurelia nodded, her voice too strained to thank him.

He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, her hand shot out and grabbed the edge of his sleeve.

"Wait," she said, her voice trembling.

Snape froze, his body stiffening as though the touch burned. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her.

Aurelia's gaze was fixed on her lap, her fingers releasing his sleeve as if realizing she'd crossed a line. "Sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Snape lingered for a moment longer, his dark eyes studying her. Then, with a swish of his robes, he turned and left the infirmary, the door clicking shut behind him.
Aurelia sank back into the pillows, tears stinging her eyes. She wasn't sure if they were from the pain, the fear, or the weight of his words still lingering in the air.
Aurelia spent the next few days in the infirmary, tucked away in one of the beds with thick bandages wrapped around her leg and forearm. The pain was bearable now, and Madam Pomfrey's potions were doing their work, though Aurelia still couldn't shake the memory of the wolf's eyes—the hunger and the rage that had driven it.
The days blended together, with the occasional potions and bandage changes, but mostly silence. Madam Pomfrey said she'd be healed in a few weeks, but she was recovering much faster than expected, and before long, the witch declared she could be dismissed sooner than anticipated.

It was a quiet afternoon when a soft knock on the door roused her from her nap. She blinked, unsure if she'd imagined it, but the door creaked open. A small group of her students stood at the entrance, holding a bouquet of flowers and an assortment of Get Well Soon cards and trinkets.

Aurelia managed a tired but grateful smile as they shuffled in, the students looking a little more nervous than usual.

"Professor Aurelia!" one of the muggle-born students exclaimed, the flowers in her hands shaking slightly. "We, uh, brought you some flowers. We hope you feel better soon."

Aurelia accepted the bouquet and placed it on the table beside her bed. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice still hoarse. "You all didn't have to do this, but I appreciate it."

Another student, a quiet Hufflepuff, stepped forward with a small box. "We thought you might like this too," she said, smiling shyly. "It's a little something from all of us."

Aurelia opened the box to reveal a small wooden charm, carved in the shape of a volleyball. Her heart warmed as she held it in her hand. "This is lovely," she said softly, her eyes misting for a moment.

The students lingered awkwardly, unsure how to act around their injured teacher. They fidgeted with their hands, casting glances toward the door, but it was clear they cared.

Aurelia cleared her throat, smiling up at them. "I'll be alright," she assured them. "You all just focus on your studies."
Just as the students began to shuffle toward the door, another figure appeared in the doorway. Remus Lupin, his eyes solemn, stepped into the room with a gentle, almost melancholic smile.

"Professor," he greeted softly, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Aurelia. "I thought I'd come by and make sure you're alright."

Aurelia nodded at him, surprised by his presence but not unwelcome. "Thank you, Professor Lupin," she said, her voice still unsteady from her earlier conversation.
Lupin crossed the room slowly, his gaze lingering on the students before he turned his attention back to Aurelia. "It's good to see you recovering so well," he said, but there was a sadness in his tone. "I heard about the wolf."

Aurelia's eyes flickered, and she could feel the weight of the memory pressing down on her again. "It was a… strange situation," she said, trying to keep her voice light. "I think it was just a lone wolf, kicked out of its pack, starving. It wasn't… vicious, exactly, but it was desperate."

Lupin's expression darkened at her words. "Wolves are vicious creatures when they're desperate," he said, his tone grave. "I've seen it firsthand."

The students exchanged glances, and one of them, a Gryffindor boy, asked, "Professor Lupin, have you had experience with—"

"Enough," Lupin interrupted gently, his eyes flicking to Aurelia. "It's not something to dwell on now."

The students fell quiet at his words, and with a few last murmurs of well wishes, they left, leaving Aurelia and Lupin alone in the room.

The door clicked shut behind them, and Aurelia let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

Lupin gave her a kind, understanding look, but there was something shadowed in his eyes. "You're recovering well, Aurelia," he said again, his voice softer now. "But… don't push yourself. You're lucky it wasn't worse."

Aurelia nodded, her eyes dropping to the charm in her hand. "I know," she murmured, her voice a little quieter. "But it was close. Too close."

Lupin gave a sympathetic smile, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. "Wolves are not to be taken lightly, not even when they're starving."

Aurelia didn't respond, instead turning her gaze to the flowers on the table. A thought lingered in her mind, but she didn't voice it. Snape. He hadn't come to see her since…
Aurelia shifted uncomfortably, her heart sinking as she forced herself to focus on Lupin. "Thank you for coming," she said, her voice still thick with emotion.

Lupin gave her another soft smile. "Take care of yourself, Professor. And if you need anything, you know where to find me." With that, he left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Aurelia was left alone once again, the silence of the room pressing down on her as she lay back in the bed. The absence of Severus's presence was more apparent than ever. He hadn't come. Not even once.

She clenched her fist around the charm, her heart aching as she allowed herself to rest, the quiet pain of the situation settling deeper into her bones.