His Masterpiece

Chapter 4

Severus woke slowly, blinking away the sleep left clinging to his lashes. His roommates had already left. Severus dressed slowly, taking his time to savour the unnatural quiet of the room, the silence of his own mind.

He ran his fingers through his hair, snagging at the tangles, and, with mounting dread, stepped out of his sanctuary. The gas lamps - their flames tinged green - hummed as he passed by the Slytherin dorms. Was that a voice he heard? That laughter, was it coming from the common room or from inside his own brain? Severus ducked his head down and hurried to the Great Hall.

He slipped inside, his eyes flickering over at the Gryffindor table, taking mental note of each Marauder. Lupin had his head down and appeared to be asleep, despite being tucked in-between Black and Pettigrew who were in the midst of a raucous argument involving Quidditch. Lupin always looked worn and tired after a full moon (Wasn't it obvious? Why hadn't anyone else noticed?). Potter was leaning back on the bench, trying to get Lily's attention, who sat further down. If they noticed his arrival, they gave no indication.

Rain was pouring in sheets, battering against the roof, and looking up at the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling was like staring up from the base of a waterfall. Severus slid into a seat next to Rosier and grabbed a plate, hoping to eat quickly and leave.

"She did more than just bite him," Rosier whispered to Avery. "She tried to kill him. On their wedding night."

"Merlin, why would she do that?"

"Because she's a nutcase. Who knows what was going through that squirmy brain of hers?"

"Is Rodolphus alright?"

"As well as could be expected. He was left bed-bound for a week." And then, much more quietly lest Regulus overhear, Rosier whispered, "Bellatrix is at St. Mungo's now. Psychiatric ward."

The eggs turned to ash in his mouth. Severus forced himself to swallow them down, ignoring the churning of his stomach. He wasn't crazy. He wouldn't end up in St. Mungo's like Bellatrix. Those voices... Potter did that. It was Potter's fault. He had somehow cursed him.

Severus looked over at the Marauders and his heart skipped a beat when he realized that Potter was missing. Where had he gone? What was he planning? A cold sweat pricked at his forehead. He needed to get back to the dungeons, where it was safe.

Severus stood up from the table, leaving his breakfast mostly untouched as he skittered back to where he came. The halls were quiet and empty, his feet echoing against the flagstone, and every now and then came the distant sound of thunder.

Severus slowed his rapid pace, pausing to listen. Was that a second pair of footsteps he just heard? He looked behind him and saw nothing.

"You're hideous. You should just kill yourself."

Severus pulled his robes tight against his body, hugging himself as he started walking again. His every instinct was screaming at him to fight, to strike back and strike hard, but there was nothing for him to fight against. He felt helpless, weak.

"Kill yourself, like you killed Alison Hayes."

He hadn't. He hadn't even known who she was until she died.

"Did you hear? She was found naked."

Something brushed against him, phantom fingers dipping into the crease where his ass met thigh.

"I'm going to strip you and chop you into pieces, just like Hayes."

Severus was frozen, his entire body shaking. He squeezed his eyes shut against the images that floated through his head. It wasn't not real. Not the voice, not the touches, it was just a curse. A curse to make him think he's gone crazy.