Green Eyed Monster | Draco Malfoy

89. Regale

Chapter 89 - Regale

I felt sick to my stomach. I felt like I needed to put my hands on my knees and wrech out all of the horrible, colliding emotions that battled deep within my instincts. As prepared as I had always imagined myself for this moment, for the moment I could finally speak with the man who had ruined our future, my mentor had caught me off guard - I should have known. Catching people off guard was what Severus Snape did best.

Snape was holding Neville so that his arm was behind his back, obviously in an uncomfortable position considering the boy's flushed face. Luna Lovegood, in the corner, had stopped whispering to the portraits that lined the walls, but she still stood precisely in the position she had been caught in - as if ready to whisper each upcoming event to the paintings once more.

I felt my face heat up, even more than Neville's. Today had been a horrible bloody day; not only had I been forced to play hero with my 'brother' and his 'comrades' in tow, I had watched one of my best friends get horribly injured and snuck into the castle that I'd once called home. Now to come face to face with my mentor? It caused some horrible chemical reaction that I tried hard to control.

It wasn't working well.

"Professor, what an unpleasant surprise," I tried to keep my voice steady, tried to dim down my insults. As intelligent and strong as Ginny Weasley was, I had a particularly sharp tongue that she didn't quite have the gall to replicate. I couldn't inform him who I was, who knew what those consequences could be. No, I had to bite my tongue and play dumb.

It was a hard sensation to get a grip on. For months I had imagined this moment: the moment I was face to face with Severus Snape. The moment I was face to face with the one who could finally give me answers...and now I could have none of it. I couldn't attack him, I couldn't question him, I could give him no indication that I was Audrey Potter and that he had wronged me. If not for my sake, if not for the mission's sake, then for Ginny's sake - who knew what would happen to her if she was caught helping me. I was a wanted criminal now, the Ministry would charge her with treason if she worked with me...which she did so commonly that Ginny could cause her entire family's souls to be sucked out by Dementors.

The thought gave a unique perspective on the importance of my next moves.

"I don't see why it's a surprise, unpleasant or not, this is my office," he informed me, letting go of Neville's arm and giving him a hard push towards Loony. I saw that in his hand he was now juggling two wands: one his and the other, likely, Neville's. Wrapped around the hilt of Neville's wand was the thick stack of parchment I knew to be the Marauder's Map - the ink showed on it because I hadn't told Neville how to disguise it. If Snape so much as glanced at it my cover would be blown. I kept a tight grasp on the wand in my pocket, trying to let it anchor me to my role. "To think, I ordered everyone into the Great Hall for head-count. Then again, if any students would disobey me, it would be you."

"I think more people are disobeying you than you may think," I bit back, trying hard not to say more.

"As much as I lament the loss of our casual conversation during detentions, I believe it's time to enquire as to your purpose here," his eyes narrowed on me. "And why you thought it pertinent to turn to thievery against your own Headmaster."

"I figured this isn't yours to have," I told him, giving a glance down to the sword. The rubies shone in the morning light, winking as they caught the sun and insinuated death. "This is a sword of nobility and noble people don't curse others when they can't defend themselves."

Snape's pale face went white with rage. The grip on his wand tightened.

"Is there something specific you feel the need to mention, Miss Weasley? Or shall I assume your disobedience is stemmed from your feminine issues?"