Rabidity

Severus returned, and found the innocent girl asleep on her desk. He took back the vial he’d given her and silently placed it back on the shelf. Perhaps if she didn’t wake, she would never know her decided fate. He had burned fear into this girls brain and now he had to be the one to tell her it was now coming a reality. It was his fault she’d be scared, and it was hid fault he’d let her slip. He felt responsible because he was and he vowed he’d do what he could to still keep her safe.

He lightly tucked her hair behind her ear; it was gentle enough to stir her from her sleep. With half open eyes she smiled, but she quickly realized something was wrong due to the concern in her professors eyes. She sat up and saw the dark window, night had fallen, she had been asleep for sometime. Severus rubbed a bit of ink that had stained her cheek. She stood to look at her reflection, and her cheeks turned red at the sight of the letter S across her cheek, she suddenly remembered what the quill had begun to write, and she turned around to see professor Snape barely begin to peak at what had been written. She hoped the spell hadn’t continued in her sleep… or he might find some very incriminating thoughts through out the paper. She quickly snatched it away off the desk and into the trash. She smiled until she turned back around to scrub the letter off her face.

“Adrienne.” He said calling her by her name, she felt her heart skip a beat and then flutter back to its normal state, and she must have imagined that. “I’m afraid I’ve done something wrong.” He spoke again. And she could see that his eyes were in fact pained, something was indeed wrong.

“What is it professor?”

“I took time to convince you to stay here, to stay out of the war, but by my mistake it seems that you’ll play a part whether you like it or not.”

“Professor what do you mean?” Adrienne asked as she watched a slight moment of pain pass over his face. The emotion was contained when he spoke again:

“I mean in several days when the death eaters invade Hogwarts, you will be taken prisoner, by order of the Dark Lord.” This time her heart sunk. She had once been so eager to help infiltrate Voldemort’s actions – but her professor had filled her with terrible memories to frighten her away – and now due to him she had to follow the plan anyways. She feared pain – and that was all that she felt awaited for her. She begun to let tears sting her eyes so she turned back to the mirror and continued t wipe away the ink that stained her cheek, the tears seemed to help wash it away.

“And how does he know I won’t run?”

“Well for one, I’m not supposed to tell you, and two I’m supposed to bring you myself, and if I don’t he had appointed Bellatrix to ensure that you arrive safely.”

She had expected to stop crying after a few tears, but she found that they were far too tricky to just stop. She eventually had to turn her face – and the entire time professor Snape was ill. She deserved to never feel pain again, she deserved to live life as a great witch away from this war. But now she may very well have found death alone with Severus.

He reached out of her hand and she let him take it – he used it to pull her to him and wrap his arms around her. Tears staining both their robes, she cried, she let all her fears leave her as she cried deeply into his shoulder.

“But listen to me: I swear to protect you. I swear it.”

Realizing her professor was one of them, and that she had been right all along should’ve frightened her… but instead she found her own arms wrapping around him clinging to the only man that could possible keep her safe while she was a slave to the Dark Lord.
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Adrienne was a bit stunned once finally alone. Perhaps this was all fate, and it was meant to happen. She would no longer let herself be afraid, she had a job to do, and she would do it no less than the best. She was even more astounded by the kindness that her professor had shown her. She felt safe being drawn into his grasp, and comforted by the wrapping of his arms around her small waist.

She should have hit him, hurt him, anything. But she couldn’t he had been so sorry, he had taken the blame, and promised to take care of her – of course what good was the promise of a death eater? But he had made that vow to protect Draco… perhaps she was in the same situation… perhaps he cared more about his students than his loyalty.

With her mind fluttering she slipped out her room and headed for the only other person she could trust, Dumbledore. Whispering the silly password she lead herself up the stair case and found the headmaster already expecting her.

“It’s scary how you always know things.” She said.

“Like the frightening ordeal you must now face?”

“Yes, that too.”

“Professor Snape came into my office this evening and told my of his dear mistake. I can assure you his apology is genuine.”

“I believe it is too headmaster. I’m just… wondering how to go about it.”

“I recommend you do as you feel is right. He knows Daygona is dead… but perhaps you can still convince him she resides somewhere inside you.”

“I think I can… do you think I’ll be tortured?”

“No, I do not, I think that Voldemort will find you useful. You have many talents.”

“Even use them for evil?”

“Sometimes surviving is necessary, and sometimes it isn’t.”

Adrienne felt like the headmaster knew that was true on his own account.

“Will he really keep me safe? Like he said?”

“I haven’t a doubt in my mind that Severus will protect you, he’s grown quite fond of you. And I assure you that you are not as weak as you think you are. You and I both know what you’re capable of, even if you choose to hide it.”

“It’s a part of me that I don’t like to consider ‘me.”

“We are all given strengths Ms. Knox, as well as weaknesses, and we have to learn to use them both because whether we like it or not, they are a part of us.”
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“My dear Severus, you were so silent at our meet tonight.” Voldemort looked directly into his eyes, he was searching for the memory he’d just seen, Snape had to let him have it.

“My apologies Dark Lord.”

“Was your mind wandering Severus? Perhaps on those of a lovely girl?”

“I do not know sir, I merely was thinking of a students poor work in my class.”

“Severus, I find it quite odd that you’re teaching a student that is the same woman I killed years ago.”

“I can assure you sir, she is but a student.”

“Ah, I see.” He cooed. “Bellatrix!” he said louder than his previous voice.

“Yes my Lord?” she hissed, she smiled as her called upon her, she was at his side instantly.

“There is a student attending Hogwarts, when you and the others infiltrate the castle, I would like you to bring her along, I have… many questions that need answering. –And Severus, you will make sure this happens, yes?”

“Of course my Lord, anything for you.” Severus waited until he was dismissed from the Dark Lord's presence and slipped back into the fire place away from the man he hated, his mind was locked up like a brick wall, as a defense he had guarded everything, his whole mind, and now it was burning to break free. Severus merely watched himself walk down the dark corridors, he awoke with a fire in his head. He muttered a cooling spell as he lay in his bed. The sheets soaked with sweat from his heated body. He felt terrible for what he had done.