Another month passed. Severus was very sweet to her for this time and she started to think that there was maybe something more between them. But he never gave a title to their relationship and she didn't ask. Deep down she knew her heart would get broken. Which was probably a red flag but she was actively trying to ignore those.

They learned little things about each other. Severus learned that she had nightmares and a hard time sleeping. She wasn't going to explain to him that her nightmares were memories the souls left behind, so she just left it as a side effect of her PTSD. The reality of the potions she made with souls and her animagus form were secrets she had to keep at all costs.

She learned that he enjoyed having a cup of decaf earl grey at night, and he always drank it with tea biscuits. Severus, it seemed, truly had a sweet tooth as he claimed. Rune also found out that he kept up on the new studies and journals about potions, and spent his own personal time every day studying. He liked to listen to deep and turbulent classical music while doing so, sometimes lightly humming along as he flipped pages.

This month she was forced to stay in the castle again for the full moon. Though she truly wanted to be there with her friend for the part of his condition that gives him great stress, Severus would never allow it. He was staying with her at night so often he would notice she was gone, and he was sure to always come on the full moon. Remus understood but she knew he was a little disappointed. She brought him a chocolate bar as consolation every time she had to cancel.

By the time she realized it, it was already Feburary 12th. Severus was in a foul mood. He had an encounter with Harry Potter the night prior where the boy had tried to sneak out, despite the danger Sirius posed, and Severus had tried to confiscate some parchment from him. It was enchanted in some way but Remus intervened before Severus could investigate further. The contention between Severus and Remus was trying for Rune who was always in the middle, and she spent the rest of the day avoiding the pair altogether.

Severus was also in the midst of an extra terrible brooding session because Gryffindor had won another Quiddich match thanks to the jock genes of the Potters. Slytherins hated losing, and the lagging morale certainly didn't improve his mood. He was so moody she wondered if he would even remember that Valentine's Day was approaching, and if they were enough of an item to consider celebrating.

As she spent her day in her room, pondering if she needed to buy chocolate for Severus, she didn't hear the commotion that night.

Something made the hair rise on her neck. Because of his foul mood Severus hadn't visited, but she still heard noises coming from the hallway. He was only one who shared the en suite with her, so she assumed he must be turning in for the night after patrols. She had no idea that he was called away to Gryffindor Tower. Ignorant of the highly tense situation going on across the castle, she went to her door to open it. Maybe she would attempt to comfort him and rub his tense shoulders, and then bring up the subject of Valentine's Day.

"Sev?" She called, frowning when the hall was dark. The sconces on the wall were not lit, which was the first thing he did when he returned for the evening. A silence followed, and she realized that Severus wasn't there at all. She started to close the door, frowning at her mistake, when she caught on to the eye shines of a beast.

A gasp ripped from her throat, her heart dropping in terror. There shouldn't be a creature freely roaming the castle. Preservation instinct hit her and she tried to slam the door shut. The beast made a mighty leap forward just before the latch clicked, knocking the door back open. Staggering backwards with the force of his weight, she wasted no time to grab her wand. When she whipped around, the dim lighting of the candles in her room made the figure less obscure. A wolf? A black dog?

As she lifted the wand to cast the dog shifted to human form.

"Runestella! Wait!"

The voice made her freeze, and her eyes locked onto the man, her brow furrowing with confusion.

Sirius. It was her big brother.

He looked pretty bad, actually. If she didn't hear him call her name in his familiar tone, she might not have recognized him right away. Azkaban must have been harsh on him. The hair he used to keep clean cut was now longer and unkempt and he had grown in a scraggy beard. But... his grey eyes were just as she remembered. Soft and warm.

She had all but forgotten that Remus had once mentioned that her brother was an animagus too. The sudden appearance of his dog form took her by surprise and her hand shook as her mind raced. He was supposed to be a murderer. Someone who was a danger to her life. So why did she feel so conflicted? She kept her wand aloft, eying him with trepidation. Though his eyes looked like the same Sirius she knew, what if he was truly there to hurt her? Why was he sneaking around like this if he meant well?

Sirius held up his hands like he was tamping a hippogriff.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He insisted, shifting his weight to step forward. And Rune had to make a decision.

Remus' words echoed in her mind.

"I would have sworn that he would never hurt Peter, or that he would have protected James, Lily and Harry with his life. But he didn't. And Peter is dead, as well as 12 muggles. He's dangerous and mad."

Once he advanced, taking a step cautiously, every instinct told her to run. She couldn't take the risk that Remus and Severus were right, even if she doubted that Sirius had ill intentions. One wrong decision could be the end.

And she's been betrayed by her family before.

Unable to cast with her throat locking up, the emotional indecisiveness stifling her voice, shifted to a bird and took to the air, her wand clattering on the ground.

"Whoa!" Sirius' jaw dropped in shock at the change. Rune tried to fly over him to get out to the hallway. Acting quickly, he shifted to his dog form which was large and agile. In a great leap he grabbed her mid air, her body barely to the door fame. His teeth gripped her tail feathers, careful not to grab too hard, and pulled her back down to the ground. She cawed in distress, flapping her wings to attempt escape, but he kept his grip. Sirius shifted back to human form, sweeping his arm around her wings so she couldn't fly away. She croaked louder, her neck feathers bristling as she tried to peck at his hands.

Panicked at the noise she was making, he slammed the door shut and held her out so she couldn't bite. Her little raven legs flailed around as she tried to escape.

"Little Star, please! I just want to talk. Can you turn back?" Again those familiar grey eyes softened, his face not even containing an ounce of hostility.

His gentle demeanor deflated her. She went limp, tilting her bird head at him as she pondered the risk.

Little Star.

That was his nickname for her. The only one who ever used it was Sirius. Maybe he wasn't as far gone as they said.

Deciding to trust him, she shifted back to her human form in his arms. A moment passed as they stared at each other, unsure of the next move.

"...I missed you." Sirius pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't smell fantastic, but his build and his height was just as she remembered. Trembling, she raised her arm and clutched him back. A sensation of relief swept her as she accepted that she was right all along and he wasn't going to harm her.

"I'm so happy you're alive." His voice broke. As she held him tightly, she felt him shake as he held back tears.

"I'm fine. But Sirius… what happened?" Rune pulled away, studying his expression. "Remus told me what you were arrested for and told me to avoid you, but surely you couldn't have…"

"No! I would never do that!" Sirius emphatically insisted, setting his sister down so he could look her in the eyes. The clear, determined look on his face told her that he was telling the truth.

"Alright, I believe you. But we can't stay here." Rune turned around to retrieve a cloak to put over her shoulders and picked up her wand. "It won't be long before Severus comes back for the night. I think you're innocent, but that doesn't change the fact that the Ministry is looking everywhere for you. Let's go somewhere safe and we can talk."

"Okay." Sirius nodded.

"Can you turn back to a dog? It'll be easier to smuggle you out."

"Sure thing. I've been traveling as a dog most of the time." Sirius shifted back, his giant dog form kind of endearing now that she had a better look at it. And fluffy. Rune patted his fur before opening the door cautiously.

No one out in the hall.

Leaving the castle with an escaped prisoner was surprisingly easy. They were careful to avoid known portraits and didn't pass one soul until they were out of the castle. She thought they would at least have to hide from a student or two, but there was no obstacle. The air was crisp and cold in the late winter evening, her nose and cheeks reddening. Next to her side, the silent paw pads of her brother followed dilligantly. Once they got further from the castle, he pulled ahead and led them by the whomping willow. Rune raised her wand and used a spell to immobilize the tree, the creaking of it spinning around annoying her, while Sirius transformed back.

"There's a tunnel near here that'll lead me into Hogsmeade. Let's talk here." He pointed to the root area of the tree.

"But wasn't that too easy?" Rune asked, looking back at the castle with a frown.

"I caused a bit of a commotion at Gryffindor Tower. Most of the staff will be dealing with the fallout. They'll probably check the external grounds last so we have a few minutes before anyone comes looking."

"A commotion?" Rune furrowed her brow. "Are you going to tell me what in the world this is about?"

"I've never hurt anyone." Sirius raised his hands defensively. "Not my friends at least. And no muggles. I was framed."

"What do you mean? Did the Ministry do no investigation?" She had assumed he had to have been framed, or at the very least misunderstood and stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it was strange that a powerful organization like the Ministry of Magic made such a blunder.

"Not really. After the war they were eager to toss all the Death Eaters into Azkaban. There weren't many trials, and guilt by association was enough. I was caught at the scene so it was enough for them." He looked antsy, glancing back to the castle as if he left something inside.

"But who framed you?"

"Remember Peter?" Sirius asked. Rune scraped through her memories. Peter. Peter... Peter? No matter how she tried, she couldn't picture who he was talking about.

"No?"

"Right. You wouldn't have noticed him. He was a little meek kid who hung around James, Remus and I. He became an animagus just like we did. A rat. And he's in the castle. He's the one who really turned in James and Lily and framed me."

"Isn't Peter the guy that you supposedly killed? The one that only had a finger left of him?" The name rung a bell finally and Rune snapped as soon as she recalled the newspaper article she had dug up about the case. She just couldn't come to terms with it, even after Remus told her a play by play, so she had to look at the evidence.

"More like he left a finger behind to pretend to be dead." Sirius gritted his teeth in frustration. "He's very much alive."

"So if you can catch this Peter guy you can be vindicated?" Rune lit up. "That's easy. He's just a rat, right? Sirius, if I search the castle maybe I can…"

"No. Absolutely not." Sirius shook his head, his jaw tense. "You can't get involved with Peter. He's dangerous."

"Maybe at least I can talk to Remus…"

"No! Rune, if you let people know you had contact with me they can label you an accomplice. I don't want anything to happen to you. I thought you were dead all these years until I saw you at Hogsmeade. That little weasel Avery told me…" He choked up, tears swimming in his eyes.

Hogsmeade. It clicked for Rune. On Christmas Eve, she had felt someone watching her in the night. It must have been Sirius.

"He told me that he gave you to Voldemort," Sirius continued, "to punish me for beating him. I thought I got you killed, Star. It tormented me every day in prison."

"I'm not dead." She assured him. "And it's not your fault. Avery was a terror from the beginning. No matter what, he would have found an excuse to hand me over the moment the Dark Lord asked about me."

A long silence fell over them as Sirius read between the lines of her statement.

"You… really were with Voldemort?" A haunted look fell over his face, as if his worse fear was realized. To her big brother, who only wanted to protect her, this news was devastating.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm free. And so are you." She tried to smile for him, but her lips were trembling. The emotion on his face was rubbing off on her and it made her want to cry.

"Despite everything, look at you! You look great." He smiled shakily in return, stepping back to admire her. "Like not a day passed since I saw you last. And you're an animagus now, just like me."

"Yeah, well… my appearance is complicated." Hearing praise for it was conflicting. It was by terrible means. "And I became an animagus because Remus suggested it."

"Right. You are still close to Remus." Sirius thought for a long moment, his face dropping into a scowl. "And Severus."

"Severus!" Rune gasped at the name.

"If he finds you, he will never understand. He practically locked me down in the castle the moment you escaped Azkaban. He will come unglued." Rune glanced over her shoulder nervously, imagining her lover capturing her brother and sending him back to prison.

"You really should go now." She nervously pushed at him, edging him towards the tree. "The staff will start searching the grounds at any moment."

"I saw you out with him." Sirius scowled, ignoring her attempt to shoo him off. "Don't tell me you are actually dating Snivelus."

"I'm… it's complicated. Please, brother. You are all I have left. You must go." It broke her heart to part from her brother now after so long, but the thought of him getting sent back to Azkaban was terrifying.

"...alright. You're right." Sirius reached out and grabbed her hand, emotions she couldn't place oscillating over his face. Finally he settled on a heartbreaking smile.

"When I clear my name… come live with me, Little Star. Let's be a family again. Even if it's only for a few years. I just... want to see you."

The request took her by surprise. Sirius left the Black family behind long before it dissolved in the aftermath of the war. But the long years at Azkaban had to be lonely. And of all her family members, she had always been the closest to him.

The smile she gave him back was genuine, a rarity for her, and she squeezed his hand.

"Alright. Let's do that." Rune softly agreed. "I'll be waiting."

They shared another long moment of warmth, Sirius reaching out to ruffle her hair. And then he transformed back to his dog form and disappeared into the night, his black fur great camouflage. Before sinking between the roots of the immobile whomping willow, his eyes shines could be seen in the dark glancing back to her. After a few long minutes wistfully staring at where he had disappeared, she sighed and turned back towards the castle.

It was a strange sensation. While she felt sad to be separated from him again, she felt so much lighter just knew he wasn't capable of what they accused him of. And she knew he would never hurt her. The trust she had placed in him was not misplaced, and that was a comfort she was unused to. Not only was her sweet brother still the same, but she was no longer in danger.

There was really no reason for her to be at Hogwarts.

That realization made her chest throb, her heart sinking.

In one fell swoop her reason to be by Severus had disappeared. The minute he learns the truth her place will be gone.

As she walked into the castle, heading towards the dungeons, she was intercepted by a very angry looking Snape. He stormed forward, his hair and cape billowing back as he clsoed the distance between them. There was an intensity to his expression that made her uneasy and she took a step back, intimidated.

"Rune!" He bellowed, his stern tone making her jump. "Where have you been?"

"I was out for a walk! I couldn't sleep!" The lie easily slipped from her lips. As soon as she spoke it he was upon her. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to be punished because of the way he was acting, but she was wrong. Instead he wrapped her in his arms and squeezed tightly, his hands trembling.

"Ow! Severus! What is this about?"

"What the hell were you thinking?!" He hissed, pulling back to look her over in a hasty inspection. "Why were you wandering around like this?!"

"I don't know what you are on about." Rune shrugged him off, adjusting her cloak so that the cold nip in the air didn't give her a chill.

"Sirius was in the castle again." He growled. "He attacked a child in bed with a knife."

"What?" Rune's jaw dropped. A knife? Really, Sirius? She thought, exasperated with her brother unsure of how to explain it away to make it sound better. Rune knew he was after the rat animagus, but it did seem pretty horrid the way Severus phrased it.

"I found your quarters empty and assumed the worst." Severus' fists clenched. "What if Sirius had found you?"

"Well, I'm fine." Skirting around him she continued walking to her room, forcing Severus to catch up.

"This isn't a joke, Rune. You could be killed."

"You are overreacting. I still don't think Sirius would try to hurt me." It wasn't a complete change in attitude since she had insisted on the stance since the beginning. It just frustrated Severus.

"You don't know that! You think your brother was a good man, but I know he was not! He tried to kill me in school!" He grabbed her wrist and forced her to a stop. Emotions flitted across his face but Rune couldn't quite make them out.

"Rune…" The voice he used was low and broken. "I was terrified. Please don't take this lightly. If you die too...I…"

"I'll be fine." Offering him a warm smile she seized his hand and held it. While she didn't want to brush off his concern and the way he was opening up to her, she desperately wanted to move on from the subject. She was skirting on the edge of lying, and she didn't want to have to claim that Sirius never visited.

"You probably have to watch over the students in the Great Hall, right? I'll go straight back my room and lock the door. You can check on me first thing in the morning, okay?" It was her effort to distract him, and it worked. He looked at her for a long moment, his scowl deepening, and finally decided to let it go.

"I'll leave once I see you safely back." He insisted. With a mighty sigh she agreed. It would be a waste of time to try to convince him to let her go alone.

It sucked to be stuck between Sirius and Severus' long grudge. She loved them both but she also knew better than to try to butt in and fix things. Even if she mentioned she met with Sirius and that he was innocent, Severus would never listen. Not only was the timing poor, but there was a longstanding hatred between the men that would keep Severus from accepting the truth.

After that night, Rune had managed to keep a low profile about Sirius. Severus was so occupied by the incident that he forgot about Valentine's Day entirely. And while she tried not to take it to heart, it hurt to realize that he didn't prioritize their relationship at all. It further pushed the idea in her mind that he didn't care for her more than friends with benefits.

She suspected that Remus might know more than she realized about Sirius, as the mention of her brother made him notably less hostile. But she was unsure of how to approach opening a conversation about it. If she admitted she talked to Sirius it could create more problems than she could handle.

Severus grew increasingly cagey as the days passed. While their relationship was still close he never quite recovered his gentle demeanor from Christmas Eve. He was hard and paranoid, constantly looking for threats. His protective attentions were suffocating. As the school year was winding down, she reached her limits.

At the end of May, school had only a few weeks left. Desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the castle, she decided to go on a little excursion into the Forbidden Forest to collect some Leaping Toadstool.

It was easy to flit around in her raven form but it was hard to carry the ingredients so she decided to just walk, her wand in hand to immobilize the jumping fungi. At first it was a calming trip, the scent of the earthy forest and petrichor reminding her of times past. While she walked through the forest aimlessly she neared the Forest Lake, eager to check for good ingredients along the lake shore. The centaur camp was nearby and Firenze made it very clear that she was unnatural and therefore not the most welcome amongst centaurs, so she wanted to be quick.

As she leaned forward to look at the curl on a fiddlehead, the ground solidified and iced around her feet. She almost didn't notice it, but a heavy dread weighed down her shoulders and her chest ached with sadness. The white ice spread up the fern and almost encompassed her hand. She pulled back just in time, a gasp falling from her lips. The animagus instincts in her screamed, felling her she was in danger.

Looking around for the assailant, she noticed that her breath was now coming out in puffs of icy smoke.

The environment had changed.

Something was wrong.

She scanned the treeline, trying to spot any creatures that might be problematic. Finally she saw movement, closer than she would have liked. Around the trunk of a large tree, she saw a greyish, spindly and slimy hand curl around the bark. Black cloth billowed out as it peeked around the mass, his face shrouded and unrecognizable. Confusion furrowed her brow as it floated, coming closer to her.

She had never seen anything like it.

But the sheer cold and the immense hopelessness she felt was textbook. This creature, in description and in abilities, had to be a dementor.

"Oh, Merlin."

Stepping back in horror, she only had a moment before she decided she had to run. Rune was gifted beyond measure, but she had never mastered a spell for this situation. Turning around, she began to flee. Her only goal was to get away from the beast, but everything around dropping in temperature. The firm ground and the ice made it hard to navigate, and she clumsily bolted through the trees, her sleeves snagging on twigs.

More the creatures slid around trees, swooping after her. Dread consumed her, a sharp and acrid fear making her heart race as she went. The ice spread, crawling up tree trunks and along the plush pine needle forest floor. The running was blind in the dingy forrest, her teeth chattering in the chill. No matter how quickly she ran, she couldn't go faster than the creatures. She might have managed with one of them, but there were dozens. And every time she thought she might have slipped away, another beast showed up. . They were fast in the air and beyond her human limits.

She thought about turning into her raven form, wondering if she could get away with her animal prowess. But she didn't think she could outmaneuver them in the air either, and corvidae were still clever enough to garner interest from the creatures. It would just make her smaller and more vulnerable.

Turning down a bend she was shocked to find that the ice had thickened enough to reduce her traction. She slid down and rolled, gravity working against her and making her lose any lead she had. All the progress she had made getting out of the forest was pointless now that she was grounded, her weight easily sliding down the slick slope. Her body continued to bounce off the ground until she found she was right by the Black Lake.

She was near their hill.

"Fuck." Shaking with the cold and fear she tried to get to her feet but a wave of hopelessness overcame her. A dementor swooped down and with a great rattling breath he sucked, his gaping hole of a mouth drawing in her energy. She screamed at the sensation, her body seizing and refusing to work.

Every poor memory she possessed flashed in her mind.

The first being her mother training her in potions, clicking her tongue when she burned herself while brewing.

Another swoop, a new dementor sucking.

Being told that she had an arranged marriage. She argues with her father and is hit.

A long hiss, her cries echoing into the night.

Meeting Avery. He grabs her by the hair.

This has to stop. Or she'll die. Rune pulled out her wand and tries to conjure a happy memory. Anything.

Severus. Severus was the only happy moments she had.Rune did her best to think of anything that could be of use, like their moments on the hill or their date. But it was tainted by her negative mind, her thoughts recalling the doubt she had felt. How she felt inadequate to Lily.

"Expectro Patronum!" She cried, and all she could muster was a thin wash of silver. It deterred one dementor briefly but another flew close, sucking. She fell to her knees, tears blurring her vision.

Avery beats her. His hand is on her throat while he demeans her.

A hush falls over the clearing. One soul rips from her body and floats. The dementors know there is more and don't stop, wanting to take everything. They suck harder.

She's given to Voldemort. He throws her in the cell.

Two souls pop out and she screams, holding her head in agony.

He holds her down and violates her.

More souls. They trickle down out of her skin. Another swoop. There is more for the dementors to take.

Lucius holds her down and tears at her clothes.

She gargles, her body convulsing, before her own soul lifts from her body. The remaining souls in her body lose their anchor and ooze out like shimmering plasma. Everything goes blank, her mind quieting.

"Expecto Patronum!" A firm voice calls out over the clearing and a blinding light overtakes the air, a wave of spell magic knocking the dementors away. Her soul falls back into her body, no longer held aloft by the beasts, and she gasps with life. Her eyes wildly look around, trying to comprehend what was occuring. Another wash of magic and the dementors hiss. On the bank of the Black Lake a shimmering silver doe runs, chasing the creatures away.

As she rolls in agony from the assault, trembling with cold and fear, the souls absorb back into her. They were part of her now and they returned to their vessel, but the sensation of the excess returning was nauseating and invasive. Like an uncomfortable pressure in her skin. Each light floats in the night for a brief moment like a firefly before swooping in and attaching to her, her glass-like skin glowing as they absorbed through the dermal layer.

"Rune!" Severus rushed forward, his eyes wide as he dropped to his knees beside her. "Are you okay?"

Her vision blurred, her body exhausted from the attack. More of her escaped souls float to her, past his gaze, and land on her face, falling through her cheek.

"Sev…" She croaked, reaching out with her trembling hand to graze his face. To ensure he was truly there. But all her strength waned, her eyes falling closed.

When she awoke she was in the hospital room, the familiar ceiling of the ward pulling her lips into a frown. As a student she spent entirely too much time there.

"Careful, Miss Baines!" Madame Pomphrey dropped her clipboard and rushed forward, assisting her while she tried to sit up.

"What happened?" She moaned, her head throbbing.

"It seems the dementors patrolling for Sirius Black took a fancy to you. Severus brought you here in quite a state."

"Where is he?" Looking around she noted the ward was pretty empty.

"He had class, fortunately. Professor Snape and Professor Lupin have been insufferable since you were brought here. I'm sure they'll both bust in the moment they hear word of your recovery."

"I see." Her head throbbed and she winced, pressing her temple.

"Oh dear. One moment, let me get you a potion for that." She poured a familiar brew, likely one Rune concocted herself, and held out the little cup to her. Grateful, she took it and downed it in one swoop.

"Get a little more rest, dear. Your headache will be gone when you wake."

"Thank you." She groaned, falling back into the bed.

Lulled to sleep by the brew, she slept soundly for a while but was woken by a loud, concerned voice echoing through the room.

"Stel!" Remus peeled around the corner, pulling the curtain back to stare at her. She groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her headache was indeed gone.

"Oh, thank Merlin you are okay." He walked to her bedside and sat in the chair, his scarred face pulled into a concerned frown.

"I'm fine. There was no need to cause a ruckus." Her smile diffused him and he leaned forward, grabbing her hand.

"No need? Stel, you could have died. If Severus didn't go to track you down, you would have. He barely managed to fend the swarm of beasts off."

"I wouldn't have died. That's a little dramatic." Rune returned.

"Fine, you would have been an empty shell. Does that even matter? If Severus hadn't of intervened, you would have been dementor food."

"So he saved me again." A bitter smile wrapped her face, her mind recalling those moments before she lost consciousness.

A doe.

It was so unlike him to have a doe as a patronus. Severus wasn't very doe-like.

"Remus…" Rune sighed and flopped back, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing.

She knew this question would shatter her heart, but she couldn't help herself.

"What sort of patronus did Lily have?"

"Lily? Why are we talking about her?" The sudden shift in topic brought him away from his lecture on safety, his green eyes wide and blinking.

"Just curious."

"… I believe her patronus was a doe. I had only seen it a few times, but it matched James' stag." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Why?"

A doe.

Devastation ripped through her.

"I understand. I'm tired. Can I sleep some more?" Rune didn't even look at him.

Remus understood her cues. He nodded, letting her roll over before going to his next class.

For a while she just sat there, anxiety humming in her ears and sadness weighing her down worse than the dementors had managed. And then she found her old habit of self protection and made herself feel nothing. There was no telling how long she spent staring at the wall.

She must have dozed off again because once she woke up it was dark in the room, only the light of the moon streaming through the window. Rune had lost the entire day. Sitting up to rub her eyes, she noticed the chair next to her bed was occupied. Rune looked over at the man, noting his dark attire and familiar form.

"Sev." A bitter sadness poured over her and she did her best to smile, but could only muster that practiced plastic smile her mother had taught her don at all times.

"Rune!" He sat straighter the sound of her voice, relief relaxing the severity of his usual scowl.

"Fancy meeting you here." The sound of her chuckle was humorless. She knew that, but she still couldn't gather the happy needed.

"What were you thinking?" He growled, his default to feel anger in the face of fear. His hands clenched into fists. "Why were you wandering alone into the Forbidden Forest with Sirius roaming about?"

"I was just collecting ingredients. It's my job." All pretense of good nature dropped from her face, the emotionless doll mask falling into place.

He ignored her excuses.

"You know every defensive spell against dark magic in the books. You grew up paranoid about it and studied every word. I have never found one spell you couldn't conjure. So why in the hell didn't you defend yourself against dementors? One well placed patronus and you would have been fine, so how did this happen?"

She stared at him for a long time, contemplating how much she wanted to say. But now she had lost all will to play nicely, so she just spoke her mind.

"I tried to make a patronus when I was a student. And again during our ten estranged years. To make one you need a happy memory. But I never had a moment in my life where I was truly happy with no strings attached. I tried every memory I had but nothing happened."

"No happy memories? But what about the time we spent together? Wasn't that happy?" Severus had a desperation about him that he usually didn't show.

It was time for harsh truths. She swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she tucked them in her lap.

"The time we spent together always felt wrong. How could it ever be a truly happy memory when I was always nervous I would get beat by Avery for talking to you and you were always focused on someone else. You still are. I am more than aware that I am just a replacement. Every memory we have is tainted."

"What?" He pulled back from her as if she hit him, his eyes wide and stunned.

"Your patronus, Sev. I saw it. It's a doe. Just like Lily's." The significance of that was implied. If someone loves someone enough their patronus can mimic that person.

"Rune-" He raised his hand to touch her but she pulled back.

"You still love her. Looking back, you have never told me once you even like me. I was stupid to fall for your act. I'm just here as stress relief." While she thought the reality spoken aloud would hurt her more, she was absolutely broken by the expression on Severus' face. Her voice broke midway as she held back tears. At first his face it fell in pain, but then it quickly twisted to anger.

"What of you? With all your secrets? You didn't tell me you were a walking abomination. I saw the souls that poured out of you. How souls do you have in your body?"

He knew.Her internal voice was screaming in denial.

"I told you that the experiments were unethical." Nausea rolled in and she hugged her arms, trying to hold herself together with physical force. The situation felt like it was caving in on her, a heaviness weighting down her shoulders.

"But souls?! Souls, Rune? No wonder you were attacked by dementors. You are a walking buffet to them. How many people had to die so you could continue to live?" It was a wild accusation. Severus refused to be the one in the wrong, and he easily flipped it back on her.

"Stop lashing out at me, Severus." Tears blinked into her vision. "I know! I know, alright? I know I'm a monster. I know you could never love me, so why do you continue to pretend? Pity?"

Her words once more struck him and all the anger drained, replaced by what looked to be panic. Fear.

"No, wait, Rune I never said-"

"I can't do this... I cant... I... I can't do this!" Shaking, she tried to clutch at her head. Everything was swimming, and she was overwhelmed by emotions and the situation. There was nothing she wanted more than for the world to stop so she could have a moment of peace. Severus reached out to hold her and she flinched away, her eyes wild and paranoid. A need to escape filled her.

Everything was already ruined. There was no need to hide anymore.

A tear fell down her cheek and on to the bedding before she willed her animal form to come out. Her body morphed easily into the tiny feathered body, her wings taking to the air and pulling her out of the bed.

"You!" Severus watched her with wide eyes, understanding clicking. He knew was making an escape.

"Wait, Rune!"

Diving out the window, and feeling lucky that Madame Pomphrey thought to air out the infirmary, she flew recklessly into the night. It didn't even cross her mind that what she was doing was dangerous. As Severus had just pointed out, she had enough souls that she was likely to draw every dementor in the area.

But still she flew, the clouds gathering as she went.

A large thunderclap lit the sky and startled her. Her tentative grip on her magic faltered and she fell out of her bird form, tumbling down towards the trees. It took effort to find her sense of self again, her sadness breaking her reality, but she managed to change form once more into a raven. Her wings caught air in time to stop her fall as the rain cascaded from the dark clouds. Touching down on the ground in the protection of the trees she turned back to her default human shape and sobbed, droplets of water soaking her and giving her a chill.

She was still in her hospital clothing, the pajamas white and very see through as they gathered moisture, clinging to her skin. Crying, her chest squeezing in an agony she had felt only after the loss of her twin brother, she staggered through the trees.

I knew it. Rune thought, disappointment staining her mind. I told myself not to fall for him. I warned myself a dozen times. No, a hundred times. I knew this would end like this and I'd be broken.

I'm an idiot.

It was unclear where she was trying to go, but her emotions were so chaotic she couldn't control her need to flee so she stumbled through the her careless trek she tripped over a gnarled root, tumbling roughly to the ground. Taking it as a sign to stay put, she clutched at the earth. And finally the tears and cries ripped through her. She continued to sob, mourning her stupid love and life.

It was so sad to think she had spent a majority of her life attached to a man who could never feel the same. She knew that she shouldn't grow hope and she did her best to stay neutral, but the pain she felt today told her that she had already long lost the battle. And she was pathetic.

Crying blindly, she was glad the rain was concealing her breakdown. No one was there to see, but she felt safe in the shroud of the storm. And she continued to cry until all that was left were rattling breaths and whimpers.

"Runestella Black."

Her full name drew her attention and she sniffled, her eyes burning and her throat raw, while she looked at the source. Stepping through the overgrowth towards her was a handsome centaur with silver hair. Someone she knew.

"Firenze. It's you." She rubbed at her cheeks, smudging mud, trying to hide her outburst. Though her eyes were stinging and swollen and a dead giveaway.

"You shouldn't be here." He announced. "There's dementors all around this forest these days. They'll be drawn to you."

"I know." Rune frowned at his warning, nervously looking around. A chill took her bones, clinging to her with her wet clothes, and she shivered, hugging herself. She sniffled pathetically.

"I seem to always find you when you are the brink of freezing to death." Firenze wryly added. "Come. I don't have a fur this time but I can still help."

He turned, waiting for her to follow. Unsure of where else to go she followed him. After a short walk, the rain pounding down into her eyes and making her hair stick to her cheeks and back, Firenze pushed aside a small tree to show the opening of a cave.

Grateful for the cover she skittered inside. Once out of the rain she curled into a tiny ball, trying to conserve warmth. While she made herself small, Firenze easily assembled a fire with dry sticks that had been kicked deeper in the cave. The warmth of the fire revitalized her.

"Did you not bring your wand?" The centaur asked, his eyes wide with astonishment. A wizard without a wand was like they were showing up naked.

"No. I didn't bring anything." Rune held her hands out to the fire, letting the licking flames warm up her digits.

"That was dangerous." Firenze commented, his horse legs folding to allow him to sit with her. A long silence eclipsed them before she tried to make small talk.

"You're older now." Rune noted. The centaur had grown into a beautiful man.

"And you're not." He wryly replied.

"Right." A sigh came out of her mouth and she grabbed a stick, poking at the coals listlessly.

"… you should go back." Firenze chastised.

"It hurts too much to go back. If I had my things I would never return there." Bile rose up in her throat and she jabbed the burning wood, little embers flicking into the air.

"I really think you ought to. You are fated to remain by that man. The stars told me." He flicked his tail casually, knocking the embers away from him.

"Fated to suffer? Sounds about right." Frustrated, she just tossed the entire stick into the flames. "Even if Merlin himself materialized and told me to stay by his side I wouldn't."

"Then what will you do?" Firenze sighed, decided not to lecture her about how it was impossible to fight the fate of the stars. Even if she tried to separate she would return to her place eventually.

"Hm." Rune arched back, her palms flat against the cave floor as she stared at the ceiling. "I don't suppose you can contact my friend Remus for me? And have him bring my things?"

"… we aren't supposed to contact humans." Firenze began.

"I thought not."

"But I will find a way."

His agreement took her by surprise and she stared at him.

"Why are you helping me?" She uttered, gripping onto her wet pajamas with anxiety.

"Perhaps it's just out of good will. Your soul is an enigma. Though you have suffered greatly and you have tainted your body with unicorn blood, your soul remains bright and pure. I want to protect that." His gentle smile was so heartbreakingly lovely.

"I'll be back." He announced, standing up. "I'll find a way to talk to this Remus and bring him here with your things."

"… thank you."

And she was left alone. Staring off into the fire, she found herself entranced. It was so easy to forget the world when staring at the flames. Curling on her side to see better, she watched it until she dozed off.

"Stel! Runestella! Wake up!" Remus' voice brought her to consciousness and she slapped him away, irritated with the way he was shaking her shoulders.

"Merlin, Remus. I'm awake. Stop that." Sitting up she ran a hand through her tangled hair, noting that it was going to need a good brushing. "Where's Firenze?"

"He left. Apparently the herd was expecting him to check in." Looping his arm around her shoulders he held her up, his brow furrowing. "Last I saw you, you were in the hospital wing. Why in the world are you in a cave? And why did you wander off without your wand?"

"Speaking of my wand, do you have it?" She changed the subject. Remus reached into his jacket and retrieved it, passing it along. She took it and used a charm to finish drying her damp clothing. "What about my stuff?"

"I packed it all right here." Remus pointed to the suitcase. "What in the world is this about?"

"I'm leaving Hogwarts." She announced, grabbing her suitcase and looking for boots.

"What?!" Remus bolted to his feet. "What about Sirius?! He's still at large!"

"I'm not in danger from my brother, Remus. You'll see that for yourself soon."

"But why?! Last I saw you were disgustingly close to Snape. Why are you leaving?"

"Remus." She said his name again, drawing his attention. "I'm doing what I do best. I'm running away. I've spent my whole life either running or hiding and this is no different."

Remus desperately wanted to fight her and keep her from leaving, but he knew her mind was set.

"I already made your next round of Wolfsbane Potion. Just ask Severus. And make sure not to miss a dose. I won't be here to give it to you."

Pointing her wand at her outfit she muttered a spell.

"Multicorfors."

Her hospital garb shifted to black and changed into a style more befitting of her with tailored skirts and a v-neck bodice. She was sure to keep the sleeves to hide her burn and dark mark. Bending over to pull on her boots, she made sure to snugly tie the laces.

"Where are you going, then?" Remus asked, looking anxious at her behavior.

"I'm returning to my home outside of Godric's Hallow in London. You can inform Dumbledore but you must never tell Severus where I have disappeared to. I don't want to see him."

"Alright. Please write to me and let me know you've settled in." Defeated, he let out a large sigh.

"I will."

With a crisp pop she apparated out of the cave, appearing directly outside of her house. She had a charm on the house that didn't allow her to apparate straight in for her own protection. It had been months since she returned to her house and the cool interior and cobwebs spoke to her abandonment.

Without even bothering to clean or put her things away she shuffled to her bedroom and curled up on her bed. And just slept.