Surprising turn - a turn for the better? Or into madness ... (Draco Ff)

Chapter 32 ~ Accepting help has nothing to do with weakness!

Victoria's Pov.

The quidditch game was now some time ago.
But you could still see the Gryffindors celebrating this.
You could read something in the faces of the Slytherins too.
However, this was rather the opposite of celebratory good mood.
You couldn't blame them.
After all, Slytherin hadn't won the Quidditch Cup again, but Gryffindor, like the year before.
The house cup wasn't doing particularly well for us either.
Since Professor Snape was no longer a Potions teacher and stopped deducting unnecessary points from the Gryffindors, the lions were catching up at breakneck speed.
To be honest, all the houses were close to each other.
It would probably be a head-to-head race.
But I shouldn't care.
Since Draco and I won't be around for the last day of school, I didn't really care.
The day of days was inexorably approaching.
The day of Dumbledore's death wasn't as far off as it had been at the beginning of the school year.
And this gave me stomach pains.
Neither the vanishing cabinet was working, nor was Draco willing to kill the most powerful wizard alive.
I trailed my fingertips along the cool stone wall and took a deep breath.
I took in the musty and damp smell of the dungeon and got goosebumps despite the warm temperatures.
I rubbed my upper arms and moved on.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I could make out the monotonous voice of the former potions professor.
"Would you follow me to my office, Miss Lestrange." Severus Snape breathed, breaking the stifling silence that reigned in the dungeons.
I wrestled with myself.
However, I turned and faced Snape.
I couldn't quite see him in the dim lighting.
I nodded and followed him.
His cloak flapped and I understood why everyone compared him to a bat.
In front of his office, Snape stopped abruptly and opened the heavy door of dark, aged wood.
The door creaked loudly and threatened to fall off its hinges.
Snape entered and I followed unbidden inside his office.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, causing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to turn around shortly after the sound was triggered.
You couldn't read anything on his face.
Without a word, he sat down on an old wooden chair behind his desk and didn't look at me.
After filled hours, he looked up and began to speak.
"Sit down." It sounded more like an order than a request.
However, I stopped.
I didn't feel comfortable with the situation.
"What do you want from me, Professor?" I asked, as I was about to lose my patience.
"It's about your orders. What does the Dark Lord have you do without getting your hands dirty?" Snape answered without putting any emotion into his voice, while simultaneously asking me a question.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I pretended to be ignorant.
I didn't want him to know anything about my duties and assignments.
I didn't want anyone to ever know about this.
No one should know how many deaths I'm responsible for.
"Don't be silly, Miss Lestrange. Do you think I'm asking you this for no reason?
If I ask you a question, I expect an answer accordingly!", the former potions professor simply threw this into the room and I could see that it seemed to be something personal.
I saw it in his eyes.
He felt responsible for something.
For something he can't do anything about.
"What did you have to do for the Dark Lord?!" I didn't answer him.
It was none of his business.
These orders.
It was something between me and the dark lord.
He shouldn't interfere.
"Victoria, I'm serious.
i want to help you
But I can only do that if they talk to me." I hated how he started taking it personally.
As if it affected him.
I turned my gaze to Snape, who hadn't moved an inch until now.
I walked towards his desk and stopped just short of the edge.
I supported myself with my hands.
"I don't need your help, I never asked for it!" I tried to control myself, careful not to let my voice tremble too much.
That would have been the last thing I needed now.
"I promised to support you and Draco."
"We didn't ask you to do that, though, do you understand?" I interrupted the Death Eater sitting in front of me.
"I swore it! I promised to help you!
Let us help you.
Don't be stupid.
There is nothing wrong with accepting help.
Accepting help has nothing to do with weakness!" As he said this, he got up and did the same, putting his hands on the edge of the desk for support.
I looked up and saw his face twisted with anger and despair.
His greasy black hair hung in strands over his face.
His cold expression accentuated the lines on his face and made him look ten years older.
My legs felt like lead.
My body suddenly felt heavy.
It felt like something heavy had settled on my chest, making it impossible for me to speak.
I opened my mouth and tried to say something, but not a word left my lips.
I looked down and saw my hands still resting on the edge.
I had unconsciously driven my nails into the soft wood of the table.
This made my knuckles turn white.
As I loosened my grip a bit, I felt my hands begin to tremble slightly.
I was completely overwhelmed with the situation and didn't know what my next steps would look like.
Without saying a word, I turned towards the door and groped for the door handle.
The professor's words stopped me.
"I'll talk to the Dark Lord and convince him to finish your assignments," Snape said, settling back into his chair.
I opened the door and left his office with the professor's piercing gaze on my back.
Once I was back in the quiet aisle and could feel the cool air against my skin, I felt a surge of relief.
I felt a small part of my worries fall away and the weight on my shoulders minimized.
I breathed out relieved and decided to let the coming events come to me.