Addicted to You

IV

He could give up right now.

The Gladiator glanced upon the steel beaten out of his hand- covered in sand and blood. The sunlight, reflected off of the shine of the blade, it blinded him. He could see no crowds and no masters- not anymore. The only thing real was something making its way down from his temple. But it was not just sweat. It was thicker and hotter.

His opponent was much bigger and heavier built than him and at least a limb taller. His blows had made their impact. His shield was all but shattered and the arm holding it was cramped and tight. A few more blows and his shield would be in splinters, lost in the sands of the Colosseum. And then he would go the same way; dead and forgotten, a broken and beaten man, who deserved no mention, even in the bowels of history.

His opponent advanced towards him. He was beastly, wearing a large helmet and carrying a heavy shield. People like him were not expected to drag a fight this long- they were meant to finish it off quickly, with quick bursts of heavy blows leading to an incapacitated opponent. He advanced, breathing heavily.

He could see death coming for him. He had long known that this day would come. He was weary and weak. He had always been taught that good steel had to bend, or else it would be broken. But he would not bend. Not today. He slowly grasped around with his fingers, looking for his wand. He slowly rose with it from the ground, his shield forgotten. Today he wished to be broken.

As he struck, his opponent halted. And right in front of his eyes, he changed. He took the form of an even bigger beast and let out such a big roar that it sent waves of cosmic energy all around. It made him go down on his knees, cowering in front of this colossal power. He could see the red of its eyes, the dark red veins clearly visible, like some spider's web dripped in wine. It revealed sharp white teeth, contorting its face in a fearsome snarl.

"Say it. SAY IT!"

"I- I don't know-"

"You do. Admit it. Or else you are a bigger coward than I thought you were. Say it!"

"No! Noooooooooooo......."

***************************

Hermione entered his room and it was all dark. It was 3: 00 a.m. How could it be this dark? She'd never seen it so before. It was like he had brought his very own sepulchral umbrella along with him. Hearing the noise again, she ventured forth, unsure. She switched on a light and saw Snape thrashing in bed. She placed a hand on his shivering figure, in order to shake him awake but his eyes snapped open on their own with a single touch. He took a moment to grasp his surroundings and as soon as his eyes focused on her, he pulled his blanket up to his chest.

"Go away." he shouted, "This is absolutely preposterous! Spying on me while I'm asleep- What do you think-"

"I wasn't-"

"Why are you here? What do you want? Which part of 'go away' you don't understand? Turn off the lights and go. Just leave."

"But-"

"Get the hell out of here!"

"Sir, you were screaming!" Hermione said louder; she had to shout back, in order to put her message through- it was like he had put up a wall around himself and even after everything it still stood strong. It would take a lot to break through that.

His words stopped short, with him realizing his mistake. She had only come here out of concern; she was still in her night gown, evidently broken out of sleep by his cries. He rubbed his temple, his head falling to his chest; he hadn't anticipated that his dream had leaked into the real world making him actually give voice to the emotions he felt.