Taming the Snake

Chapter 7

To say Snape was furious when he heard from Draco that Minerva had kept the knowledge that Hermione's journals had been found from him was a major understatement. Abandoning his fifth-year Ravenclaw and Slytherin class, he bolted to the door of the Headmistress, capes billowing like plastic bags.

"You better tell me my godson just lied to my face, Minerva, or we are going to have  major issue!" the deep voice echoed as he launched open the door finding two blondes and the elder witch hunched over a long table.

All three shot their attention to him as he barged in, as reckless as the teens he reprimanded in the halls every day. For a moment, he felt foolish. Then, he remembered the look on Hermione's face when Lucius had entered the room; the paralyzing terror and shaking as the black fabric lining her body twitched with anxiety. He remembered the pain that had hit him in the gut as he realized that she had no recollection of who he was, of their hours sitting across the parlor, laughing lightly as their eyes met when they glanced up from their novels. Everything they were and had been was gone, as if by a snap of a finger; a snap that infiltrated his heart and gut, kept him from sleeping at night, and sent him on frazzled rampages through the castle halls.

"Severus." The elder witch glided over to him, a stern look the only response he received for his grand entrance. "You have a class at this very moment, if I'm not wrong. What on Earth are you doing in my office?"

He felt exhaling most of the air inside him was all he could do to not wring the frail-looking woman's neck. She had promised they would get his Hermione back together. She had lied to him, just like her predecessor. Suddenly, memories flickered like film clips across his mind and his heart began to race.

"Severus, my lad, perhaps it's best we should discuss these matters out in the hall area?" The offer's sincerity was emphasized by the concern echoing in McGonagall's eyes, but the mind of the dark-haired wizard was far away in thought.

Times of empty promises and looks of fear captured in dead eyes waltzed in and out of his mind. The unseeing gazes laced with fear reminded him too much of Hermione, shooting chills down his back and pin pricks on his skin. For a moment, his Hermione sat in his gaze, in Malfoy Manor,  as she pleaded without words, a cry he knew too well. Please, end this torment; by escape or death, it didn't matter. The weight of the world too much on the back of someone who was already carrying too much, a hopeless Atlas situation. He knew this emptiness and desperation too well. He didn't want to imagine what would be going on this very moment, if his love was even still alive. All he had was an intuition in his chest that she wasn't gone yet.  

As his senses surged back to him, he noticed the worrisome stares he was receiving from his godson and the blonde Ravenclaw at the table across the room. His anger flared as he realized the Headmistress had allowed the loony girl to be more a part of rescuing his love than he himself was. Reminding himself to keep his anger in check, as he was in the presence of former students, he simply nodded to his mentor and exited the office swiftly.

"Professor McGonagall, perhaps I-" Draco was silenced by the swift hand of Minerva, his pales lips clamped shut at her motion.

"Give me three minutes, Mr. Malfoy. Then, you may go out and speak with Professor Snape."

Without another word, she followed in the dark-haired wizard's steps. The two blondes were left in the office alone, leaning over the many books they had found. Draco turned to the young girl, keeping his suave personality.

"So...um...Looney- I mean Luna-can we...may I-you need to not kiss me again."

For a moment, the girl didn't reply, simply laughed lightly and placed her hand gently on his pale arm. Draco immediately shook her faint grasp from his body. She had to be mental!

"Don't do that either. It's impolite."

"That's peculiar."

"You? Thinking of something else as odd? Don't make me laugh."

"I just meant I think it's funny that you still have the heart shaped-"

"You can stop right there, Lovegood. I have none of these delusional creatures around me or any part of my head or body. Comprehend me?"

"Yes, I understand," Draco felt better "but just saying that they don't exist won't make them go away. That's not how nargles work, my friend."

This definitely caught the attention of the young male.

"Who said we were friends?"

"I'm sorry, I thought you just figured that we were...or could be, since we are working together..."

As the girl's smiled faded, something in the pit of Draco's stomach twisted in guilt, a feeling he wished he didn't know; a feeling he had definitely not known before. It was as if he had been kicked by one of his father's pointy boots as he watched confusion replace the light in the girl's eyes.

He couldn't explain why he did it. In fact, he was contented to blame the made-up things that the loony girl claimed floated around his head. So long as as the blame drifted away from him. His family had never been known as one to show great compassion to others, as his father was so brilliantly demonstrating with the Granger girl at the moment.

"Draco, I dare venture to say you do have feelings!" Luna proudly called out.

"Hush. If anyone should ever hear those words..." He nervously glanced about, making sure they were alone in their conversation.

"You'd be ruined? Mortified? A public disgrace?" He didn't answer. She ran her thumb gently over the back of his hand, shooting tingles up his spine. Something he had never experienced with Pansy or anyone else, for that matter. "You don't have to be completely soulless, Draco. You have an entire life left in front of you to live. Don't let what's past ruined that. This is your chance to show McGonagall your family is people in your life that you didn't get to pick. Instead, you learn from their mistakes and grow."

Her words worked their way through him slowly and with great difficulty. No one had ever offered him another choice. They had written him off. Even his own godfather and mother didn't believe him strong enough to do what he was told, despite his life being on the line. Now, here, was this amazing girl he had written off the first time he had even heard about her, giving him a life; a freedom.Did he dare to take it?

"You truly are mad, Lovegood."