Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-37-

We walk side by side in silence. Only the sound of our steps keeps echoing around the castle. The whole atmosphere feels so... Intense. Then, I stop walking while keeping my gaze down. Severus realizes this after taking three steps. He stops and turns to me:"What is it this time?". Sniffy turns his head to see how pensive I look while sitting in my arms. "Why?" I let out without raising my eyes from the floor. No answer. Sniffy's little chest keeps going up and down fast as he keeps staring at me. Then, I lift my (e/c) eyes on the man in front of me:"Why you've been helping her? Thought using the Veritaserum is forbidden.". "It is." he answers bluntly. No emotion what so ever on his face to tell me if he's regretting it or not. It angers me. "How can you be so careless?! Do you have any idea what that has caused? Students are suffering! They have been tortured because they tell the truth. And you..- You've helped her..." my voice goes small at the end.

No answer. My emotions are all over the place. It's like there is this battle inside of me. The thought of how Vivian got those marks on her hand. How he caresley left Harry and his friends in the office. I'm so confused. I thought he would... He supposed to be..- I mean, I... Tears raises on my eyes as we keep staring at each other in silence. "Don't you care at all?!" I finally let out. Those black eyes are narrowed right in me:"It is not mine to decide what Mrs. Umbridge does when I give her the potion she has asked for.". "But you knew all along where she'd be using it." I snap back. Severus turns around and keeps on walking:"Doesn't concern me.". I scoff and shook my head:"Unbelievable.". Then, I place Sniffy down, turn around - ready to head back to the D.A.D.A. office, and take the wand back of my pants:"I won't let them suffer.".

Faster than the wind, Severus grabs me by the hand I'm holding the wand in. Huh?! And before I can react, he pushes me up against the wall near by. "Don't be a fool!" he hisses while holding tightly both of my wrists. Trying to fight out of his grip:"Let go of me..!". He's too strong for me to break out from his grasp. Shit..! He keeps frowning:"Do you have any idea where you are getting yourself into?! Talk about how close you already were if I haven't walked in..-", "And why do you care?!" I snap back with anger in my eyes. No answer. He straightens his posture, bringing himself closer while glaring down on me with gritted teeth. Almost if he's having this battle with himself what to say. While waiting for his answer, my heart starts pounding faster inside my chest. Little bit afraid what is he about to say.

All of sudden, Severus feels how someone is tugging his cape. We both glance down to see what's happening. It's Sniffy. He's lugging end of the cape, trying to help me get out of the Potions Master's grip. Severus lets out a sigh and lets go of me, but he won't move away. Sniffy lets go of the cape and rushes between my shoes. Potions Master keeps glaring down on me. "I only say this once; Stay out of it." the tone of his voice is soft, yet full of warning. Too stunned to speak, I just keep staring back at him. Like the words are stuck in my throat. Then, without a word he leaves by my side and continues to walk where he was heading. Bringing my gaze down to comprehend all of this. I don't understand. Who's side is he on? Sniffy tries to climb up to my leg into my arms, so I get down and pick him up. Before Potions Master walks behind the corner, I raise my voice enough for him to hear:"Where does your loyalty lie?". For a moment, my voice echoes all over the stone walls. Immediately, Severus stops walking, but he won't turn around to face me. Nervously, I wait for him to answer. Say something. After a small pause, which felt like eternity, he left. After that day, we never saw Umbridge again.

A few weeks after, the semester ended. Gryffindor won the House Cup. All of the students left Hogwarts back to their own homes. Hagrid, Filtch and I are the only ones that stayed in the castle for the summer. On the very last week of the school year, Dumbledore offered me the position of to be the new History of Magic teacher. I gladly accepted it. You'd think I'd be cheering all wild by this. Don't get me wrong! I am really, really happy I get to continue studying and working in Hogwarts. I really do. It's just that... The way Severus and I left things before summer break, it haunts me. So I haven't felt so giddy I thought I would after hearing I get to continue working here. We barely talked after what happened when he told me to stay out of Umbridge and such. Almost like we went back to the polite nods whenever we happen to run into each other.

"Have ya found the wedding gift yet?" Hagrid asks while chopping some wood in front of the hut. Peeking behind Buckbeak while brushing him with a brush:"Hm?". The half-giant hits the piece of wood in half before answering:"For Remus and for his bride?". Continuing to brush the hippogriff:"Don't remind me. I still have nothing to wear either. And to think the wedding is in two weeks...". It's a nice, warm summer day. Gentle wind keeps caressing us past by. Sniffy is playing around with some butterflies while he's on a long leash, which gives him the space to run around the hut's surroundings. "Are you going to visit your aunt at all this summer?" Hagrid asks. Buckbeak ruffles his feathers when I stop brushing and toss the brush into a little basket near by. "I was going to go there this weekend, but Ruby and William are going in Italy, so I guess I'll visit them a week before the school starts or so." I sweep hands together while walking towards him.

He once again hits with the ax a piece of wood before opening his mouth:"Well, if ya got nothing else to do, I'll be going this festival in Cokeworth this weekend. You could join me.". "Cokeworth?" I frown slightly confused. Never been there, but I have heard it's quite... How do I put this? Not so inviting town? Yeah, let's go with that. Hagrid chuckles, amused by the look on my face:"I know what's ya're thinking, (Y/N). But believe it or not, they make the best beer there!". Lift my hands up in defense:"Alright, you got me. Count me in.". We both laugh a bit before continuing to work around the hut. Hagrid tells me more about the whole festival. Cokeworth tries to lure more people to come visit or even live in there. So, every year they have fun little festival, which includes some food, drinks, music, shows and dancing around a big bonfire at the end of the night. Hagrid has visited there each year, either all alone or with some friend. It actually sounds fun!

After we were done for today's yard work, we sat down on the hut's stairs to drink some ice tea. Gulping down the sweet, cold drink feels so great after working for couple of hours outside. There is pretty much nothing else to do in the castle, since some of the elves are taking care of the Greenhouse over the summer. So, I have been hanging out and helping Hagrid with the yard and the beasts. It's actually quite nice for change. While sitting on the stairs, we enjoy the cold drinks and watch as the sun goes down. "Hagrid." I start while keeping my eyes in the distance. "Hm?" he turns his head a little to glance over his shoulder. I'm sitting right behind him, since the stairs are quite narrow and impossible to sit side by side. "Why did the centaurs took Umbridge? There must be other reason than just insulting them." I wonder.

It was told by Harry and his friends, that after what happened the D.A.D.A. office, they went to the Forbidden Forest and centaurs attacked them, dragging Umbridge with them. The reason why they all went to the Forbidden Forest that night is still unclear to me. All we know is centaurs surrounded them and only the students got out of there unharmed. Dumbledore wasn't quite pleased when he needed to go deal with the aftermath with them, but at least we got rid of our D.A.D.A. teacher for good. Maybe not the way we all wished, but still... Hagrid sighs:"She disrespected their grounds. Humans aren't allowed to step their foot in centaurs territory.". "The kids got lucky." I nod slowly. He agrees and gets up:"Fortunately. Don't know what would I do if I got their blood in my hands.". "On your hands?" I ask. "Well, I'm the Gamekeeper. Kids shouldn't be running around in to the Forest like that. Specially that time of the night." he answers. Yeah, well... Bet they didn't go there by their own free will.

That got me thinking the time Remus and I went to the Forbidden Forest, and what happened in there. All of sudden, the memory of how Severus embraced me in the garden pops into my mind and my face goes red. Not again! Immediately all the other memories floods in too. Whenever we have been close. In the Great Hall, in the hallways, classrooms, in my chamber. How he always looked at me with those eyes when I kept telling him my random stories. How he hold my hand when we were at the Stadium to watch the Quidditch Cup. How we almost kissed that one time... But I quickly get washed over the sad feeling how the things are now. Feels like we have become strangers. Hagrid gathers the cups we drank the ice tea from and heads inside. I move out of his way when he climbs up the stairs, thinking it'll be best to head back to the castle with Sniffy.

The next day, I went to Hogsmeade to walk around, hoping to find something to wear for this weekend's festival and for Remus'sand Tonk's wedding. After looking sometime, I enter in Gladrags. The shopkeeper was really kind and knew right away what I need. He brings out this beautiful, light green fairy dress. It has a sweetheart neckline corset with shoulders off, see-through sleeves and flowy hem that will look beautiful when doing the spin. Perfect! It sure costed a lot, but it's worth it. Now I have the perfect outfit for the festival and for the wedding! Only the wedding present is missing. Luckily, I don't haveto buy it right now. Maybe I'll find something from the festival? We'll see.