Delusion (A Severus Snape love story/Harry Potter fanfiction)

Chapter Sixteen - Twin Intuition

Chapter Sixteen

"Are you going to tell me what happened, or am I going to have to guess?" Professor Snape had returned and was standing reprimandingly in the doorway of sorts of her cubicle, arms crossed tautly over his chest as he raised one jesting eyebrow.

He turned to check that no-one was watching before stepping inside and sliding the curtains shut, disdain not falling from his face. No matter how much he tried to hide it with his grim facade, Melody could tell he was worried. Although she was fine physically, having fully recovered with the Pepperup potion Madame Pomfrey had given her earlier, Dumbledore seemed to want to keep her in a little longer. She couldn't help but feel a little disconcerted by his angst.

"I thought an intelligent man like yourself could work it out, for the most part anyway." She smirked, folding one leg over the other and leaning back on the bed. As she watched his expression deteriorated from rather placid to downright murderous in a matter of seconds.

His grip on her shoulders was incredibly tight as he shouted at her, face inches from hers with his eyes narrow slits and mouth curled into a snarl.

"You stupid girl! This is no silly game! You could have been killed! Wondering off on your own like that, honestly! With stupidity like that maybe you deserved to be!" He grabbed her wrists just before her palm made contact with his face and his expression darkened. She watched, wide eyed, as he exhaled slowly and moved slightly closer.

"Don't you even think about it, you pathetic, insolent excuse of a child. I have every right, as your Professor, to tell you off for absolute idiocy!" He made an incredulous snort. "Are you really that dumb," His voice was low and bitter. "That you would think it a wise idea to go gallivanting on your own like the miserable brat you are with the wizarding world as it is? Do you have any clue what could have happened to you?"

He seemed to almost tug at his hair with disbelief, having let go of her wrists which slumped lifelessly into her lap as she watched him with a fierce scowl upon her face.

"Thanks for the lecture, professor." She hissed, intending to do as much damage as possible with the sharpness of her tone. "But you've seemed to have forgotten that we are slightly more than teacher and student."

"Are we?" He stormed out without a backwards glance, not noticing her crumble instantly under those two words.

*~*~*~*

"Melody! Oh Melody, I'm so glad you're alright!" Melody was shaken roughly awake when her Mother threw her arms around her and pulled her tightly into her chest whilst Mr Weasley smiled warmly at her over her shoulder.

"You gave us quite a scare there, sweetheart." He murmured when she was released, red in the face and struggling for breath. He leant in and kissed her softly on the forehead whilst Mrs Weasley sat beside her on the bed, fondling her hand in her lap whilst giving her a worried stare.

"What happened? Professor Dumbledore only said that you had been found on your own in Hogsmede but he couldn't tell us anything else." Melody tugged the sheets tighter over her scantily clad body, allowing her eyes to drift over the somewhat frightened faces of her parents to the two men who had just entered the room.

The eldest man's eyes glimmered with warmth and a fair amount of mirth as he gave her a gentle smile, readjusting a portly hat upon his head as his Half-moon spectacles moved up and down on his nose.

The other man merely scowled, eyes narrowing slightly and causing Melody to look away, what felt like poison bubbling in the pit of her stomach and eating away at her painfully from the inside. Professor Snape's chest swelled slightly seeing her anguish, a small smirk growing on his sadistic lips as he glared at her with contempt.