The Collision Theory | Remus Lupin

23. Spychos

"I can't do this."

"Yes you can. It's easy." I say for the millionth time.

Marlene and Sirius are staring at me as if I've grown a second head. McKinnon scoffs, "You know, there are people who actually don't read about Wrist Theory. Did you Lottie?"

My dear cousin shakes her head, pausing to look up from her Herbology assignment, "Nah."

"It's called Flick Movement Theory actually. And who are these people?" I sigh, feeling that helping them with Charms was by far one of the worst decisions of my life.

They exchange eye-contact for a split second before Black smirks, "Cool people."

"Okay," I begin to pick up my books, stuffing them into my satchel, "let's see how cool people do in exams shall we?"

"Novak..." they reply with trembling lower lips and puppy dog eyes, but I'm not going to give in this time, maybe drag them around a bit.

"See ya, I'll go find the others. Might study with Lupin or something." I sigh dramatically as I leave the library, skipping down the hall.
Blatant lie, it's been exactly a whole day since he left the grasp of Pomfrey and he hasn't spoken to me.
Sirius only started talking this morning, and it was to ask for help on Charms.

Black and McKinnon's hurried footsteps echo down the hallway a few seconds later, "Lin come back!"

"No thank you!" I pick up my pace, hoping to drag them along a bit further when I hear shouting at the base of the grand staircase. Well more like a shrill voice and cold mocking laughter.

I don't realise that Mar and Black have caught up with me as I stand listening to the commotion, "Lin what's the-"

"Shut up." I snap, drawing my wand. There's something familiar with the voice, "Just one second alright?"

"Lin don't-"

"Get away from me!" The shriek down the hall pierces through the air like a blade, hitting me in the chest. Miriam.
I yank my wand out of my hair and sprint straight down, Mar and Sirius at my heels.

"What's going on?!" I yell, pointing my wand randomly at the group gathered around Miriam, who is backed against the wall with her wand just out of her reach. Mulciber, Avery and Snape are at the front of the group, and Malfoy skulks a little further away.

"Ganging up on eleven year olds are we Snivellus?" Sirius hisses through gritted teeth.

He ignores him, instead looking at me, "I told you. You are either with me, or against."

"You're disgusting." I grab his shirt collar with one hand, digging the tip of my wand into his throat. He swallows in a moment of fright, adams apple bobbing as he does, but grins again.
I've never seen him like this.
Thriving in darkness.

"No. You are." He pushes me off of him, wand raised just like mine, "Couldn't you just let me be happy?"

I ignore him, "Mim come here."

"Lin." She replies meekly, sniffing.

"Miriam!" I snap, and she runs straight to me, clinging to the back of my robes, "Mar, take her away."

"S'okay Mim." Marlene pulls her away, cooing softly to her.

I don't take my gaze off of Snape for one second, "You hurt her."

There's a small crowd starting to form around us, and I know exactly how this is going to end. An extremely familiar looking boy pushes to the front, wand in hand, "Severus don't."

"This isn't your fight Black." He hisses, which stumps me for a moment before I realise that the boy is Regulus Black, "She didn't deserve to be here."

"Back off of her Snape." The younger boy, tries to pull Snape away, but is only pushed back with abrupt force.

"Where don't I deserve to be?" I raise an eyebrow.

"A bloodtraitor doesn't deserve to go to this school."

Sirius swears behind me, but I am more successful in deflecting the insult, "Oh bloody Hell, how thick can you get?"

Severus raises his wand without notice, aiming directly at me, "Inferno!"

"Aguamenti!" I retaliate quickly, totally unprepared for the duel, and Merlin knows I don't want to hurt anyone, "Calvario!"

"Really Novak?" Snape blocks my hex silently, and casts a non-verbal spell, "Hair loss hex?"

"Big improvement to the grease." I spit, casting protego before attacking with God knows what jinx, which is blocked again.

"Come on Lin! You can do so much better."

"Don't call me Lin! You don't have that right anymore!" I throw bombarda at him, exploding the satchel on his shoulder, fabric staining black with what I presume is an exploded bottle of ink.
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.

"What the Hell?!" He screams, face going red. Then something happens that I have never been taught to protect myself from, "Sectumsempra!"

"Severus!" Regular rushes forward to push the boy back, but it seems almost slow-motion in the moment my body feels completely numb.
Only for a moment.
Then the pain starts.
Like every part of me is being ripped from the inside out, like I'm being skewered.

"Aylin!" Someone screams.

Hitting the ground is nothing compared to the pain. I can't even scream, it hurts to just breathe. I think it's Sirius, "Aylin! Jesus Snape what did you do?!"

"I-I don't..." I hear Snape whisper. I grab Sirius' hand, gripping tight for some kind of support, but even moving stings.

There's a scuffle before Regulus kneels beside me, "Can you hear me?" I nod, feeling so weak I can barely move, my lungs cabin so much I doubt I'll be able to breathe any longer, "Sirius hold her."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" He snaps, taking his wand and staying to mutter, "Vulnera Sanentur..."

The pain starts to dull, but I feel so much weaker, like my grip is loosening.

"Vulnera Sanentur..."

I drop my head, vision blurring.

"Vulnera Sanentur ..."

Nothing.

*

SEVERUS

"Sectumsempra!" I lash out in a split moment of rage, and Novak's eyes wide in a second of fear, unknowing to which spell to counteract with.
A part of me wants her to flick away my spell like it's nothing, but another wants to see the effects.
It's the latter that overrules.
And it's something I immediately regret wishing for. Blood seeps through her school blouse and she crumples to the floor, her hand clenched with a pain I underestimated severely.

"Severus!" Regulus rushes forward pushing me back, but it seems almost slow-motion in the moment my body feels completely numb.
Only for a moment.
Then I'm brought back to reality. To consequence by her sister's scream.
Guilt starts to gnaw away at me, like every part of me is being ripped from the inside out, like I'm being skewered.

"Aylin!"Sirius rushes to the girl, before turning to shriek at me, "Aylin! Jesus Snape what did you do?!"

"I-I don't..." I barely manage a whisper.

Regulus' pushing gets more insistent, and he snarls with a tone I don't think I've heard before, "Get out of here now Snape."

"But I-"

"Go!" He pushed once more, and I turn around, heading in the direction of the Slytherin common room.

Lily will never forgive me, not now and not ever.