illicit affairs || lemongrab x small saverus

Chapter Ten - The Gold

Our cave's collapsing
I don't wanna be me anymore

Barty Crouch Junior looked at Small Saverus from across the Great Hall as yet another black stamped letter fell down infront of him. These letters had become routine, they both dreaded the morning post. Most days it was just information, updates and propaganda - but they flinched every time the letters dropped in fear of the times it wasn't, the times it was more. They hadn't had any missions as intense as their first - usually it was just the gathering of intel or the transportation of objects - but Saverus knew it wouldn't stay that way.

Saverus found himself waking up most nights in a cold sweat. He had tried his best to push the thoughts of two months ago out of his mind, but it wasn't working. He attempted to gaslight himself into believing that it was Barty who had done the killing - Barty was the monster here, it was Barty's guilt to bear, not his - and yet no matter how many times he told himself this he could not erase the image of the terrified child and her screaming mother; The nightmares reminded him that the green light had come from his wand.

***

"Watch it." Saverus threatened as he bumped into a set of Gryffindor robes.

The robes paused.
Saverus paused too.

"Sorry... Lily. Didn't realise it was you."

Lily seemed to think for a moment.
"It's okay." She spoke carefully, "How have you been? I haven't spoken to you in a while."

The conversation was tense. Lily still didn't know how to approach Saverus, and Saverus was completely unable to relax these days. Their responses were short and cautious, but the conversation seemed to break the ice between them a little.

However, there was no breaking the ice between Small Saverus and The Marauders. James Potter and his loyal followers had doubled down on their hatred for Sav lately, especially Sirius Black.

Sav's fuse was getting shorter by the day, with all the stresses piling up. He was unafraid to fight back and had even taken to inventing some new spells in his spare time - spells that could hurt Potter and Black worse than anything they were taught in school.

***

Saverus couldn't believe they were being forced to sit practice exams this early in the year. Still, he knew he would have no trouble. Even with all the stresses in his life, he was still acing all his classes, Sav was very intelligent.

He was sitting in the middle of the Great Hall with his head bent low, scribbling on a roll of parchment. The only sound was the scratching of quills and the occasional rustle as somebody adjusted their parchment. Sunshine was streaming through the high windows onto the bent heads, which shone chestnut and copper and gold in the bright light. Sav's hand was flying across the parchment, he had written at least a foot more than his closest neighbors, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped.

"Five more minutes!"

The voice made Saverus jump. Turning, he saw the top of Professor Flitwick's head moving between the desks a short distance away. Sav continued to write, rushing to finish. He had just finished the last word of his essay on Dementors when-

"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"

Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him back on to his feet.