Severus Snape A Soul Undiminished

Chapter 30 - Pertrificus Totalus

Sirana was on her fifteenth book of the day. Severus had discovered after a few days that her unique talent of reading and retention allowed her to read through two or three times
what he had originally estimated. She still found time to work out, but she made it quick before getting back to her studies. She felt driven. Severus had proved to be a tough teacher. When they were in his study, he was all business. Sometimes, when she left the room after a tough day of instruction, she had to take a break from him as well. She couldn't go too far, so she would just say she needed to lay down for a bit and go to the bedroom for an hour or so of privacy. Otherwise, she may have found a way to use magic to poison him or rid him of his lovely head. She tried to never let him know he got to her sometimes. She knew she got under his skin too. His expressions were very subtle, but also very telling. She felt like she was in magic bootcamp, and she wasn't always sure if she was meeting his expectations. She had decided it didn't matter, that she would do her best with or without feedback from him. She wasn't a child—and she didn't expect to be treated like one—but sometimes, she wished he was a little less stern. She was beginning to really miss him today, though. It had been several days since he had even been home. He had
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left enough for her to do, so she focused on that. She could still feel their connection, but she would really have liked to see him.
Sirana heard the door. She was already in bed, and it was dark. She knew it was almost the middle of the night, and he would most likely be exhausted, so she pretended she was sleeping in case he wanted to wait until morning to greet her.
She was a little surprised to hear Severus when he opened the door to the bedroom, "Sirana, come join me out here. I would like to talk."
She was happy to do so. She hadn't fallen asleep yet anyway, and she looked forward to spending a little time with him. She donned her robe and went into the living room, her bare feet padding across the cool floor. There was only a single lantern lit, so it was still a little dark. When she saw Severus, she started to go to him to give him a proper hello. But, there was something that seemed off, and she hesitated. She could see him look her up and down, and a smile touched his lips.
"Is everything okay, Severus?" Sirana said. "You seem tired."
She didn't want to say that he seemed more than tired. He seemed cold and distant. Even though he was not usually a man of many words, and even though he was a hard taskmaster at times, he was never cold and distant. It was unnerving. She tried to reach out to his mind, and she suddenly felt a cold panic rising through her. It wasn't that the link was not there, she could still feel it, but it was not with the person who stood in front of her. She was silent as she screamed through the link,
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hoping to send a message to Severus, wherever he was, that she was in danger. She felt an answer, however faint, and it was a mix of dread, desperation, and rage, but most of all, she felt him reaching out to help fortify her, like a tower of strength and courage.
She looked at the man, aware that there were spells that could change a person's appearance. If this man was a wizard, she knew what magic she had learned so far would not be an adequate match, but she would still fight if she needed to.
"Yes, everything is alright," the man answered. "In fact, things are especially well. I hope you are also well?"
Sirana didn't want to give anything away, even her closeness to Severus.
"As well as can be expected," she answered vaguely.
He stepped towards her, and she unintentionally flinched. She saw a smile on his face. "Don't worry," he said in mock concern. "I will take it easier on you—this time."
She thought that he had assumed she flinched because she thought it was really Severus standing in front of her, and perhaps that the sight of Severus would make her flinch with fear. He stepped closer to her, and she had the feeling in her gut that she recognized that walk, that arrogant tilt of his head, the shifty, side-eyed glare. Lucius! She felt her stomach tighten. He got close enough to touch her, and he reached out to put his hand gently on her face, then ran it back roughly into her hair, pulling her face to his. She reacted reflexively, swinging
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her arm up and over to break the hold he had on her, then swung back using her reverse momentum to crash the butt of her hand into his nose. She stepped forward, using her feet and legs to tie his up while pushing him back and down. She fell with him, and she used her momentum to bring her whole body forward, landing with her knee on his neck. She wrapped his neck with her legs, trying to squeeze the life out of him, but he was strong. He was able to pull his wand from inside his jacket and she felt herself thrown back from him in a burst of pain and light.
Severus lay paralyzed by the full body-bind curse on the floor in the small living room of his house in Cokeworth. He would never excuse himself for being caught off guard by Lucius. He didn't think the wizard would do something so bold to a fellow Death Eater. While he lay there paralyzed, but still able to see and hear, Lucius had laid out his plan to him, too arrogant to consider that it might fail. Lucius retrieved clothes from Severus's closet and dressed in them.
He stopped to look at himself, "Severus, it would kill me to have to wear this day in and day out...But I must admit, I don't look too horrid in it," Lucius said in a lively mood. He wanted to let Severus begin to see the plan unfold before he confirmed it.
He retrieved a small vial hidden in his own clothes, which he had placed in a rucksack. He sauntered over to Severus, plucking a single long black hair from his head. He knew Severus would be getting the idea by now, and proceeded to tell him the rest.
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"You see, I have an inkling that you have grown too attached to your...hostage. I believe I will be doing you, as well as the Dark Lord, a favor by removing the distraction. I can hold her for you until our mission is at an end, and if she still...lives, you are most welcome to have her back. I always knew you had a soft spot for beautiful women—like Lily, like...Narcissa—but they were clever enough to avoid you. I would hate to think that this woman—the one that couldn't get away—might be your downfall."
Severus could see Lucius's intent. He would hold Sirana as a hostage against him, a contingency plan if events were to turn in an unexpected direction. Severus was sure that Voldemort didn't know of this, but he tried to think of a way out, whether he did or didn't. Lucius completed the Polyjuice Potion, which would have already taken at least a month to brew, by adding Severus's hair. When he transformed into Severus's image, he smiled menacingly, but with Severus's mouth. "What do you think? It is always a bit disturbing to see one's likeness donned by another, or so I've been told. You see, I am going to walk right into Hogwarts, save the young woman from your cage, then bring her back here to make love to her while wearing your skin. If you try to oppose me at any time, now or in the future, I will kill her in a most unpleasant manner."
Lucius's threat had a desperate sound to it, and he wondered what drove him to this. Perhaps he hadn't been seeing eye to eye with the Dark Lord after all. Severus was careful not to let any of his emotions pass into the connection he had with Sirana.
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There was nothing she could do. With the spells he'd put on his rooms, she was in the safest place she could be. He wished he had talked to Dumbledore before and perhaps arranged for extra protection for her, but he hadn't wanted to take the risk of anyone else besides Albus knowing of her presence there. He cursed himself. If Lucius was able to break through the protection around his rooms, she would be completely vulnerable.