Perhaps Another Time, Severus [A Severus Snape Fanfiction]

2000

2000
Cross lay bleeding on the Headquarters floor, he had barely made it back. Shaylah ran her wand over him, muttering any healing spell that came to her mind. The deep lacerations didn't seem to budge. Vex joined her, his wand trembling in his fingers. He too was reaching for any helpful healing spells. "I found it, I found the blood replenishing potion." Brawn came barreling into the room, his hands tightly wrapped around the small vial. He held it to Cross' lips and helped him drink.

"It doesn't do us any good if we can't control the bleeding and close the wounds." Shaylah hissed. "Do we have any Dittany?" Brawn disappeared again.

They had a healer in their group, Holly, she was excellent at what she did. She could heal a wound or repair a bone in less time than you could bat an eye. She had spent years working at St. Mungos, but she disappeared a month ago. She never came back from the apothecary when she had gone to replenish their supplies. So they were left with the bits and pieces of healing knowledge they held collectively.

Brawn returned with a bottle of Dittany and handed it to Vex, his trembling hands struggled to open the top. Shaylah snatched it and opened it quickly. The adrenaline in her veins mincing with the panic in her chest. She squeezed the dropper and watched as the flesh sizzled under the droplets that landed on the wounds. Fresh skin began to form but then stopped. The wounds only slightly closing. "No. No. No." Shaylah shouted. "Keep trying."

Vex continued to run his wand along Cross' chest but nothing changed, blood still poured from the wounds before them. Shaylah laced her fingers with Cross' as she watched his chest still. Vex's wand flew across the room and Brawn let out a deep howl. Vex turned to the table just behind them and ran his arm across it causing the stacks of The Daily Prophet and the trash that had accumulated to topple onto the floor. Shaylah heard glass shatter but she would clean it later. Vex had known Cross far longer than she had, his pain overshadowed hers. "I told him not to go after Snape!" Brawn shouted. Making no effort to hide the hurt in his tone.

"I'll kill him!" Vex declared, retrieving his discarded wand.

"No! We can't risk losing you too." Shaylah said, placing her hand on Vex's wrist.

The two men grew quiet, looking down at their fallen friend with tears in their eyes. Brawn made a sudden movement toward the door. "Barnaby!"

"Don't call me that Wilde, you know I hate it." Brawn hated being called by his true name, it's why he went by Brawn.

"Then don't go. Don't do something brash that will get you killed next, please." Shaylah begged.

Brawn stopped and turned to her, the fire in his eyes burned brightly in the dimly lit space. "Let's bury him with his mom." He said quietly, looking down at Cross' body.

They did just that, in the shadows of the night they dug a grave and buried their fallen friend next to his mother. There was a thickness in the air around them as Vex said a few words and their tears fell onto the fresh pile of dirt that now housed Cross' body.

When the world around her fell silent and she knew her friends had finally found solace in sleep, she slipped out under the full moon to meet Severus. Their meetings had become more frequent and in more desolate places than the pub. An abandoned house outside the city had become their most frequent spot. They had fixed up the dilapidated furniture and the house itself with little effort. It was comfortable and quiet.

When she arrived the house sat empty. She took a seat on the sofa and stared blankly at a chipped spot on the table. The world grew fuzzy around her as she was swept into her thoughts. "Severus." She whispered. Her voice was so quiet, she barely heard his name leave her own lips.

"Yes?" His low voice came from behind her and she almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn't heard him enter the building. She hadn't heard him apparate. No noise announced his arrival. It was as if he were an apparition. The hurt that had been swirling around her seemed to slam into her chest and she attacked without hesitation.

"Cross. You. Killed. Him." She didn't even remember standing from the sofa. She was at Severus' chest pushing him back, her words thick bricks she used as a weapon.

Severus placed his hands on her shoulders lightly but she shrugged them off. She drew her wand and held it between them, her fingers trembling. Severus raised his hands to show he was unarmed. "It wasn't me." He punctuated each word. She saw the annoyance flicker in his eye and was expecting him to disarm her. He didn't like being challenged.

"Who was it then? I watched my friend bleed to death from your wretched spell. We couldn't heal him." Her voice cracked in her throat. "Why would you create something so horrendous?" She melted to the floor on her knees. Her wand lay loosely in her fingers on the floor. Perhaps he would kill her the way he had Cross. Perhaps he had fully planted both feet on the opposite side instead of straddling the blurred line of right and wrong.

He bent down in front of her, his thumb swiping away a stray tear that had fought its way free. "It wasn't me."

"Who else knows the spell?"

A shadow of regret flickered in his dark eyes as she looked up at him. "They're narrowing in on your Headquarters. I would move before someone else gets hurt. I sent anonymous invitations to some people who would be an asset to your cause. They should be arriving soon if they're interested."

While what he said was interesting and foreboding, he had avoided her question. "Severus, who else knows the spell?" She stood, once again pressing herself toward him. Her heart beating in her ears.

"It was Lucius!" He shouted, his hands disappeared inside the pockets of his robes and she expected him to produce his wand but he didn't. Instead he straightened his back and looked down at her.

"I'll kill him!" She growled, preparing to apparate but Severus grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him.

She struggled. The rage boiling in her gut. "Shay!" His booming voice shook the bones of the house, causing the walls to rattle. "There is a meeting at Malfoy Manor in a week, it's mostly to discuss the Muggleborn agenda but it will be a small group."

She nodded. The heat in her cheeks dissipated. This man had been helping her for months and had never given her a reason not to trust him, even in the months she trailed him. Yet here she was accusing him of murder. He wrapped her in his arms, his robes engulfed her. "If any of you act on sheer vengeance you will not succeed."

She forced her dry throat to swallow, the sound of Severus' heartbeat was thick in her ears. "Perhaps it is time I taught you Occlumency."

She pulled herself away from him, a confused look on her face. "Why?"

"So that you can join me. If I recommend you, you'll become part of the inner circle."

Her breath caught in her throat. He couldn't be suggesting she become a Death Eater. The very idea made her blood boil. However if she did what he suggested, she would know all of Voldemort's inner workings and plans. Severus could only give her bits and pieces without anyone being suspicious. Even she could only tell the Order so much without them wondering where she was getting her information. Their partnership was detrimental but incredibly intricate.

She ran her fingers through her hair. "I could never do those horrible things they do."

The corners of his lips tugged up and he pushed his forehead to hers. "You won't have to. I promise."