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

Chapter Twenty-Three - Three Symbols

Chapter Twenty-Three

Severus Snape could not sleep. The mark marring his pale forearm stung sharply as he rolled over beneath the satin bed sheets as he tried to lure the darkness to overcome him and free him of his busy, painful thoughts.

He flung the bedding aside, wiping the thin film of sweat from his forehead as he scrabbled around for his clothing.

He was going to take a walk - he needed to soothe his tortured mind. Ever since he had arrived at Hogwarts after the summer he found it difficult to think straight - especially with the Carrows breathing down his neck the whole time. True, it was the first night of term so he shouldn't have too many burdens, but there was one recurring problem that no elixir or tonic could solve.

He had hoped she wouldn't return - that she would go on the run with Potter and his faithful sidekicks, Merlin knows it would have been safer for her. But no, that evening he had greeted Hogwarts as the new headmaster and as his cold, steely eyes had swept the frightened students he saw her. Scowling.

The thought of her and the things she did with him made his heart race, so seeing her was one step more. But the dark, unforgiving glare she had given him made him die inside. She detested him. Sure, he had guessed that before, but it was different when the evidence was thrust directly into your unsuspecting face.

Snape shook his head, trying to disperse the stupid, foolish thoughts as he walked through the calm, empty corridors at one o'clock in the morning. Why should he care? He hated the girl. Right now he couldn't care less if the insolent child lived or died.

But he did. Oh, how he did. And that small fragment of caring still buried inside of him made him furious. He yelled loudly, lashing out at a nearby wall with his fists. She still controlled him! She had sunk her claws in too deeply and he feared that she'd never let him go. He continued to walk along the dimly lot corridors until something caught his attention.

Snape stopped, eyeing the oddly familiar cobblestone wall with distaste. The moonlight dripping in from a nearby window as he touched the cool stone, tracing his fingers along the rugged surface. Could it help him with his problem?

Show me the room where my heart rules my head.

He pinched the bridge of his node, screwing his eyes up in concentration as he paced past the wall three times and only on the third time did he hear a satisfying clunk as a small, uniform black door appeared amongst the stone.

Show me the room where my heart rules my head.

The handle turned effortlessly in his hand as he stepped slowly inside.

Show me the room where my heart rules my head.

The moment his entire body was through the door it slammed suddenly shut and as he turned he cursed profusely. The door was gone, leaving a full expanse of black wall in its place. For the first time he finally looked around the room - if you could call it that. The faint, cylindrical boundaries were faintly visible amongst the dominating black emptiness which engulfed his entire body. He could have been suspended could he not feel the solid ground beneath his feet.

He stepped backwards when one by one, three distant torches roared into life, each illuminating an identical black door sculpted into the wall, engraved on which were three different, crudely scratched symbols. Snape approached the door on his left, eyes fixed firmly on the easily decipherable symbol glowing beneath the torches hungry flame. An eye.

The handle moulded comfortably into his hand and just as he went to turn it he yelped, retracting it abruptly as the metal glowed a deep, throbbing red matching the puckered burn on his palm. He scowled, going to abandon the door for its neighbour when a sound stopped him in his tracks.