//Running Out of Breath // A Severus Snape Story: Book One:

Chapter Four: Within Death's Shadow

Chapter Four:

Within Death's Shadow

The next morning Adriana walked around Diagon Ally alone. Snape had given her the day off seeing no reason to make her stay that morning. She walked into a random book shop looking around. She went to the far back, glancing over the many titles. She took a book from the shelf and began to read. As she read she felt a strong cold feeling come over her as if a dementore were near. Adriana rubbed her arms, her skin felt like ice... It was unbearable. A gloved hand clasped around her mouth pulling her back into the darkness. She tried to call out but her screams were muffled by the man's hand. He pressed his wand into her throat, causing her heart to beat rapidly. He leaned down licking her neck...

"soon my dear Adriana...soon you will be mine!" said the man, the same man from her nightmares. The same man who had tormented her all these years...

The same man who killed her mother. She felt him force his lips onto hers, causing her to whimper. The mans arm slipped under her robes, pressing his hand into the small of her back. She let out a muffled yelp as her skin burned at his touch. As if he were pressing a branding iron into her flesh. She continued to scream, but the mans hand just pressed harder.he removed his hand from her robes and put his wand back at her throat.

"till next time. My dear!" he said forcing his lips on hers once more.

He chuckled evilly to himself disapperating. She crawled into a ball holding her knees to her chest, sobbing into her robes. She soon caught the attention of the store Clark who kneeled down next to her. "what's that matter?" she asked softly. Adriana said nothing. The old woman looked at her again seeing the bruises all over her face and neck.

"tell me who did this to you?" she asked pulling Adriana into her arms.

Adriana continued to sob, having to put forth a great deal of effort to speak.

"I d-don't know h-his name" she said in between sobs. She pulled herself from the woman's arms stumbling, she quickly grabbed her bag running out the door. She then dissaperated onto the out skirts of the Hogwarts grounds. She pulled out her wand from within her robes, roughly wiping her tears. "expecto patronum!" she said casting a weak patronis. Her patronis took the form a timber wolf, yet it's image was distorted and hazy. She waited using her wand to start a small fire as she waited for someone to come fetch her.

*In the Castle*

Dumbledore sat at his desk looking over a few papers as Adriana's patronis prowled through the window. He removed his half-moon spectacles looking carefully at the patronis. The timber wolf spoke in Adriana's soft voice, telling him what happened. He nodded, and the patronis melted away in a pool of light. He called for Professor McGonagall, who arrived shortly after.

"you called for me Headmaster?" she asked.

"yes Minerva, I would like for you to go get Adriana Tramel, she is on the outskirts of the grounds and she may be hurt." he replied. She nodded walking out of the office.

*twenty minutes later*

Professor McGonagall lead Adriana up to Dumbledore's office, holding her arm tightly. He opened the door letting her walk in before leaving. Dumbledore looked at Adriana closely, he walked over to her to get a better look at her face.

"who did this to you?" he asked...

"I don't know his name." she said with a bitter tone of voice.

"but what I do know is that bastard who ever he was marked me!" she said lifting her robes showing him her back where the man burned her. Dumbledore put his glasses back on, stepping closer.

On small of her back was burned what looked to be someone's initials.  

"do the initials A.O.B mean anything to you?" he asked looking back at Adriana.  

"What?" she asked, her voice still filled with disdain that seemed to come from nowhere.

Dumbledore repositioned his glasses, "on your back there are the initials A.O.B, I was asking if that ment anything to you." he stated, remaining calm as ever.

"no..." she muttered, "please excuse me." she dashed out the door and down the winding stair case.

Adriana ran into her room, quickly closing the door quickly behind her. She slid down the door onto the ground holding her head in her hands. she could still hear the mans voice, playing back over and over in her mind. Adriana pounded on the wall cursing to herself. Why. Why is this happening? She cried out loud.

Her hand pressed into the burns that indented deep in her flesh. She could still taste the bastard. Adriana wiped her mouth roughly at the thought. She looked into a mirror, she lifted her robes once more. Tears streamed her pail face, there starring back at her were His initials. It disgusted her, she was marked like an animal.

She took of her robes tossing them aside. She looked back at the mirror looking at the burn once more. Adriana gasped she felt his cold hands on her waist. He pressed his lips into her neck, chuckling darkly.

"you really should have thought things out better, dear Adriana." he whispered into her soft flesh.

She wanted to scream she wanted to call out, but Adriana could not say a word. She was Silenced by fear...

"why don't you scream my darling? I know you want too" he said, his hand slipping lower to her inner thigh.

Tears streamed down her face, she tried to push him away but he was far too strong. He roughly pushed her to the wall, enjoying every second of tormenting Adriana.

He let out a low laugh,"I would take you here as you stand... " he whispered into her ear.

"but what good will that do me?" he said kissing her neck.

He continued his assault with no plans of stopping anytime soon. But then the door flew open and the man was thrown back.

"get away from her!" yelled the other man.

The man wiped the blood from his mouth.

"ah Vicktor I knew you would show up some day... But I would never expect you to show up today!" he said in a playful tone.

Vicktor pointed his wand at the man, dangerously close to his heart.

"leave...now." he growled.

"fine..." he said. He looked at Adriana. 

"I had my fun for the night..." he laughed dissaperating.

Adriana looked at Vicktor, unable to see his face in the darkness. He walked up to her waving his wand in font of her causing her to fall asleep.

Author Note: sorry no Snape in this chapter, but he'll be back in the next. :)