Rabidity

Adrienne didn’t sleep that night. After arguing with her professor several things had cropped up in her mind. She had been so happy to give up, and then she was given a chance to help the cause and still be able to give her life… she didn’t’t know why she suddenly felt slightly inclined to stay. The comment that Snape had made about her replacing him made her wonder, did he expect to die too?

Upright in her bed she found no peace. The only thing she enjoyed was taking the subsission potion brewed specially for her. It tasted so sweet to her. And when morning finally came she had the energy to leave and find breakfast. The great hall was almost empty. It was a Saturday and almost everyone slept in until the last hour of breakfast, Adrienne had arrived on the first. She found the only person she knew, Harry.

The draft in the room chilled her, she sat across from him curious as to why his friends were missing.

“Ginny sprained her wrist, they took her to the hospital wing.”

“You’re girlfriend right?”

“Um, not... um Just don't tell Ron.”

“Of course… not a word. Any… news on the current war that’s been placed in your lap?”

“Not much. But erm- do you… do you know what the unbreakable vow is?”

“I assume it’s a vow you can’t break.”

“Well I heard Snape talking about it a while back… and not many people believed me, because when you make an unbreakable vow – you die.”

“Yeah gathered that much. Why would Snape be talking about it?”

“Well he made one, for Draco.” Harry said cautiously looking over his shoulder.

“I seriously doubt – “

“They’re death eaters, the both of them and you should stay away. I’m warning you because I know you have to take private lessons with him.”

She thought back to the argument she had with Snape –
I’ve seen him, He is evil. Maybe he really did know first hand.

“Yeah, and my sentence just got upped.” She said back.

“What do you mean?”

“I screamed at him for spying on my thoughts and well needless to say I basically found myself a private tutor.”

“You know he’ll be the one to hand you over to the dark lord.” Adrienne seemed to want to laugh. Her punishment was because Snape wanted to keep her from the Dark Lord… not draw her to him.

“I seriously doubt that Harry.”

“Look, don’t believe me whatever. I’m just doing as Dumbledore asked.”

“What did he ask?” she leaned over the table, lowering her eyes into a very Slytherin look.

“To watch out for you, as a favor for a friend.”

“Ahh. That is why you sought me out the other day.” She said.

“No sought out… ran into.”

“Right.” She said rolling her eyes and taking a swig of crystal water. “You always want to know everything Harry.” Adrienne left when the rest of his friends appeared in the doorway to the great hall. Odd looks were passed to the girl no one knew anything about. And Adrienne felt better than she had before. The professor may have gotten a private look into her life – but she now knew one of his secrets.
_____________________________________________________________________

Severus held the glass of firewhiskey in his hands and with one fluid motion brought it to his lips and turned it upside down. The burning liquid fell down his throat and kindly warmed his stomach. He knew something was wrong with him. He had admired this girl for her cunning wit, her passion for potions, but now he realized that he had begun to protect her, and for whatever reason, he wasn’t sure why. He had shared that small connection with her only briefly, had that been enough for him to see whom the girl really was? Did he like who he had found her to be?

He shook the thoughts from his head. She was a student, and he was a respectable teacher, any feelings that crossed the line of student and teacher were never to be touched, ever. Severus was a master of not only potions, but as well as self-control. But he’d be damned if he let that girl fall into the hands of someone like the Dark Lord. He had been protecting Potter since he had arrived at Hogwarts, he made the unbreakable vow to protect Draco, and he would protect Adrienne as well.

There were many things Severus had done in his life that he was ashamed of. The first was joining the Dark Lord, and the second was for letting someone like Lily become harmed. Although he had a cold exterior skeleton that assigned obscene amounts of homework, and ordered detentions hourly, there was a very protective interior that Snape rarely let out. He was good at protecting people from a distance, and he knew he was bound to do it time and time again.

Severus cleared his mind and gathered a handful of first year essays already marked with red ink as he stepped out of his office and into the dungeons to being class.
__________________________________________________________

Adrienne nodded to Harry as she passed him in the corridor. Ron gave him another odd look.

“What are you on about with that witch?” he asked.

“Who?”

“That witch!” Ron said turning around and pointing.

“Oh. That witch! Nothing.” He said and continued walking.

“Well who is she anyway?” Ron began to pester.

“New girl.”

“Well yeah but she’s a Slytherin.”

“Yes Ron, she is. But Dumbledore said I could trust her.”

“Oh so its Dumbledore we’re talking about then eh?”

“Ron.. stop it.”

“What I was just-“

“Pestering!”
________________________________________________

Adrienne now sat before her professor. His dark eyes, and dark hair clashed with his pale skin. His robes billowed behind him in a menacing manner as he dropped several large text books before her.

“Hell no.” she said instinctively.

“Yes you will.”

“No I wont.”

“You need to begin with these books.”

“Why?”

“Because these spells are necessary to save your life.”

“Oh well then I think we’re at a standstill.” She said crossing her arms.

“If you think that you’re still going to ‘befriend’ the Dark Lord I promise you that you will need to know these spells.”

“Really…? Would you make me an unbreakable vow?” she coyly added, Adrienne was pleased to see the rage spread across his face.

“Books. Now!” and almost as if the books were commanded by tone, they flipped open in response to the loud boom that echoed in the room. Adrienne’s mind reacted while her body didn’t. She looked as calm as could be.

“Why’d you do it?” she said leaning over the desk, the look in her eyes held her professors eyes with ease. Almost as if she had this transfixing magic stored within them. She stood from her desk, she never even blinked as she stood before him. His eyes didn’t either. Her bewildered professor didn’t move – he was simply unsure of what to do in this situation.

He muttered the word ‘detention’ loudly before stopping himself with the beginning or end of the sentence. Adrienne grabbed his right hand, if it had been his left he probably would’ve resisted to keep from seeing the mark that he bore there. He didn’t even realized why she had taken his right - but soon understood when she traced the faintest white line that went around his thumb and crisscrossed on the back of his hand.

He immediately took back his hand.

“What is it you’re not telling me?” she purred. Something about her outward personality was animalistic, her voice was tainting to the hears, her eyes seemed to be so large and her teeth so incredibly white. Severus could feel heat radiating from her body. Snape’s mind seemed to function again when she tilted her head while waiting for her answer.

“Books.” He whispered back to her as he took a seat behind his desk. She didn’t move from the spot she stood. Once he took his seat she turned only her head and looked at him – for a moment she stood, body facing the wall while she looked at him. She circled around and took slow steps to the desk she’d been given.

“You’re good, not many people can fight that.”

“Your witchery? I assume a life without a wand has lead you to many interesting forms of magic.”

“Natural talent actually.” she said taking her seat.

“You’re a bad wolf.” he said without looking at her.

“Just the daughter of one.”