The Mark of a Death Eater

Snape's Mystery

I went to Professor Snape's office at eight thirty, giddy with excitement and relief. He was standing behind his desk in front of the fire.

"The door, please," he said.
I looked at him, then at the door, not comprehending.
"Close the door," he explained. His tone made me think he'd roll his eyes.
"Oh." I blushed and shut the door.
Professor Snape shook his sleeves back. "You're probably wondering why I called you here alone, without Draco. I didn't teach you what you asked me to, and I'm going to complete teaching you from here onwards."
I broke into a smile. "Seriously?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered curtly. "Now, I want to remind you-"
"Professor?" I raised my hand.
"Yes?" he asked warily, as if anticipating my question.
"Can I ask a question?"
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'll answer it."
"Good one Professor. Do you know anyone in the school that can do a patronus?"
He eyed me. "What particular patronus are we talking about?"
I shrugged. "A stag?"
He gave me a look, as if my questions were up to no good.
"You saw a stag in my memories that day, Miss Evergreen," he accused, most likely wondering what I was up to by asking him this.
I'm sure I blushed again. "Uh, yeah..."
I wasn't sure what was worse: him pretending it didn't happen, or him calling me out for it.

But the patronus in the corridor earlier on had not been my imagination nor Snape's memories.
I debated whether or not I should tell him of it. I decided to.

"Professor, in the corridor today, I saw a stag patronus. It was exactly like the one in your memory. I think... I think someone casted it when they saw mine."
I had the benefit of seeing Professor Snape's eyebrows lift.
"You can do a patronus?" he asked.
"Yes, but that's not the matter. The problem is, I want to know who cast the stag."

Professor Snape looked tired of my argument.
"What makes you think I know?" he asked.
"Because your memories held a stag patronus!" I half shouted. "This has something to do with you, Professor."
He glared coldly at me. "Yes, it has everything to do with me."
"But Lily and the man who looked like-"
Professor Snape moved so suddenly, I didn't see him coming. In a second, he was in front of me, glowering down at me.
"Lily has everything to do with me. Therefore she, her family, the man you saw, the deer patronus, they are of no concern to you."
His gaze seemed to burn into me.
"You will not breathe a word of it to anyone, or you will regret my having taught you Occlumency."
The threat was so unexpected, it took me off my guard and I felt a shiver pass through me.

Professor Snape stormed away and turned angrily to the fire. With his back to me, I took a huge breath. But his words had given me a new line of thinking.

Lily and her family...
The black haired man. I knew now why he looked so familiar to me. He bore an unmistakable resemblance to Harry Potter.
Could it have been possible that Professor Snape had been in love with Harry Potter's mother? My world seemed to not make so much sense anymore.

And then, with a wave of shock that sent me reeling, I recalled why Lily's eyes looked familiar.
Lily and her family.
A stag and a doe.
Patronus.
Deers.
Harry Potter being on mine and Draco's tails.
The stag in the corridor.
The stag was on the seventh floor corridor. The seventh floor.
The room of requirement.
The cabinet.

Potter knew about the room of requirement.
I let out a small and unintentional scream. Professor Snape spun around to frown at me.
"Oh my goodness!" I shrieked. "I have to leave." I grabbed my cloak and rushed out of the door, leaving memories behind me.

(A/N: APOLOGIES FOR THE NEXT SHORT CHAPTER!)