The Black Queen | F. Weasley

50. Confession time

His feet clicked against the iron deck as he rushed down the stairs. He had to get there before he was too late. The students quickly stepped aside as they noticed the determined stride of their Professor and without trouble he reached her in time just when she was about to step aboard the dingy.

"Miss Black," he drawled and the piercing grey eyes that he knew so well met his own. "I can only imagine how anxious you are to return to your common room, but I'd like to speak to you before you do so."

A meaningful glance was shared between the two, much to the confusion of her friends. The girl nodded her head and she went to stand beside him.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be there as soon as I can. Wouldn't want to miss my own party, now would I?" She grinned at them reassuringly and they nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. Stepping back into the boat they waved her goodbye, leaving her and their Professor alone standing on the lower deck. "What is it you wanted to talk about, Professor?"

He looked regal as he stared out over the water with his hands behind his back. His eyes followed the boat where the two redheads were sitting in as he answered her. The wind blew softly in his face and he squeezed his hands together unconsciously when he found the person that was the cause of his concerns. "What was your conversation with Moody about this morning?"

Salem watched him for a few seconds and wetted her lips nervously as her eyes followed his gaze and settled on the heavily scarred man. "He wanted me to visit his office after the Second Task, I got an eery feeling when he looked at me. I think he knows..."

"Have you given him any reason to suspect you after your last run in with him?"

"No, I've kept my head down like you asked. I avoided him as much as possible, so I don't know what changed."

His eyebrows were drawn in a frown and the corners of his mouth pulled downward; he was troubled to say the least. One thing that he knew for sure was that he couldn't let the girl meet with Moody, he had a bad feeling about it.

"I'll accompany you to your common room and take care of Moody, but you must promise me that from now on you'll not go roaming the castle on your own."

He could see the inner battle in her eyes as she contemplated her options. She was probably weighing the consequences of disagreeing with him on the matter, and he knew that she was aware of how grave those repercussions could be.

So, with a sigh Salem relented and nodded begrudgingly. "Alright, I'll see to it that someone's with me at all times."

Snape lifted his hand to squeeze her shoulder, offering her the smallest bit of comfort he could give her. He gazed out over the water in the direction of the shoreline and scanned it thoroughly. Moody, or as he liked everyone to believe he was, was marching up and down the banks; ordering students about and shouting at them to hurry along.

"He's staring at us."

With an arched eyebrow he turned his head to look at her. The wind was blowing tendrils of her curly black hair in her face as her eyes were trained on the shoreline of the Black Lake. They were fixated on Moody and a shiver ran down his spine as he was once more reminded of the powers she had required. Even though he hadn't been there, he could imagine, in a way, what had taken place that evening, what the Dark Lord had done to her. But that was all he could do, imagine, fantasise, letting his mind run wild with all the possibilities; for nothing could make him aware of the true horrors that had transpired that night.

Salem's eyes were troubled, haunted almost, and he watched how she unconsciously raised her chin and squared her shoulders. Never had she looked more like Regulus than in that moment, ready to face any kind of battle that may come head on.