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

Chapter Thirty-Three - The Shrieking Shack

Chapter Thirty-Three

Melody stood staring down at the encompassing row of bodies, twisting and tearing a blade of grass between her fingers until the green pigment spread across her skin. She could still hear shouting and screaming from within the building but was too afraid to enter and see exactly what was happening. She had witnessed two deaths today, one by her own hand, and had held her dead brother in her arms. She didn't think she could cope with anymore without breaking down there and then.

She felt strong arms wrap around her body and pull her into a tight hug and she pressed herself into Neville's chest, trying to stop the tears from pouring out. She had lost so many friends that day and feared that she would lose many, many more.

She pulled herself away, snivelling pathetically as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, giving Neville an unsure, unsteady smile which he returned gently, kissing her softly on the forehead before walking over to examine the bodies on the far end of the courtyard.

Melody sighed, ripping a strip from the bottom of her blouse and using it to roughly tug her hair up and out of her face. She closed her eyes, relishing the light breeze brushing her stained cheeks and tender, swollen eyes.

Swallowing loudly, Melody inhaled the air bitter with the acrid stench of smoke and as she opened her eyes she could just see wisps of spiralling black curling into the sky from the far end of the castle. She frowned, prowling slowly closer as the smoke rose higher and higher into the sky.

She broke into a steady run, feet pounding monotonously against the floor at the same pace of her rapid heartbeat. Her breath came in ragged, short rasps as she ran harder, the ever present smoke darkening and the stench increasing until all she could sense was the smoke, burning her lungs and singing her hair.

And then she stopped. Her mouth fell open as she gawped at the flames hungrily encompassing the west wall of the castle, ravage oranges and veracious reds tearing angrily at the brickwork as it began to smoulder and crumble. She struggled not to fall to her knees, the pain in her chest was just too much. It felt like her home, the one place she had felt safe, was being destroyed. A sense of hopelessness washed over her as her sanctuary was destroyed before her.

The fire was reflected in her eyes as she tried to blink back her tears, clenching and unclenching her fists so much her palms began to prick with blood. She stood mesmerised by the flickering flames, watching them devour one of the places she had truly felt safe.

Out of the corner of her eye a flicker of black went hurrying past, and she glanced away from the fire for only a moment, enough to see a small figure disappearing into the distance. The familiar billowing black cloak twirling behind them as she began to frown, lifting her hands up to wipe the sudden moisture from her cheeks.

Where was he going in such a hurry?

And for what felt like the millionth time that day she began to run, ankles and legs ceasing as her chest ached with the strain. It seemed like she was making absolutely no headway as Snape stayed the same distance away from her. She was only just close enough to see where he disappeared suddenly, small frown beginning to take over her features as she pushed her body harder, to breaking point. She did not see where he had gone, but just as she neared the entrance to the forbidden forest he could see three recognisable figures dive out of sight beneath a large, gnarled tree.

She watched as the womping willow became wild again, branches thrashing madly as she managed to dive at the right time and slam her hand onto the stump, barring the motion just moments before she was set to be thrown up into the air.

Stumbling and falling, she grazed her skin repeatedly, smashing her head on the jagged ceiling and tripping over gnarled, twisted roots as she crawled through the series of tunnels in complete and utter darkness. Suddenly, small, twirling tendrils of light crept towards her through the darkness.