Salvation | Severus Snape

Chapter 11 - Disappointing

He didn't end up bringing her the chocolate eclair. When he went into the Hospital Wing the next day, she was already gone. Madam Pomfrey informed him that she'd left, which slightly relieved him — her recovery had been fast, and there weren't any issues after all. Perhaps it had been the truth that it was only an accident and bad intuition. After leaving, Severus finished the eclair in a few bites, deciphering why this dessert was Katherine's favourite. He supposed it was the texture of the chocolate, pastry and cream melting together inside his mouth, creating a lingering aftertaste.

However, as the end of the school year neared, there didn't appear to be any sign of her. At times, he would hesitate in front of the patched wall, wondering if she would come outside — though his pride wouldn't let him go in and check for himself. He couldn't deny that he missed the carefree conversations they shared. It became strange that she no longer appeared in front of Severus and enthusiastically tried to make him do things that she wanted. He often reprimanded himself for thinking about it: didn't he tell himself he'd forget about her?

One night, Severus entered Lupin's office to deliver the Wolfsbane Potion. The room was completely vacant. He set down the flask on the desk, but noticed a piece of parchment lying nearby. It was a map of Hogwarts, with dots scattered all over it, each with a different name. Severus had heard about the Marauder's Map before, but had never been able to look at it until now. He examined the castle, where most students were in their common room or dormitory. The discomfort in his mind grew when he confirmed that Katherine was not in her room. However, he had no time to dwell on this as he noticed something else amiss: the dot of Lupin was headed towards the Shrieking Shack. Having the Wolfsbane Potion meant he could transform in his own quarters without harm, so why would he go there? Unless... it was a meeting spot with Sirius Black. Another glance proved that neither Harry Potter nor his two friends were in the castle.

Without a second to lose, he bolted out of the castle and towards the Whomping Willow. He couldn't believe it, was Lupin helping Black all along? The possible betrayal caused rage to rise in his heart. He needed to save the trio before it was too late. When he arrived at the deadly tree, he caught sight of the Invisibility Cloak lying on the grass. Severus slipped underneath and climbed into the Shrieking Shack soundlessly after prodding the knot with a stick to immobilise the willow. It felt like a long while that he listened to Lupin explain about being a werewolf. This is ridiculous, why aren't they more concerned that there's a murderer in the room rather than Lupin's life story? he thought, trying to formulate a plan of action.

Then, he heard about the night he almost died, where Black had lured him to the exact room they were in now and Lupin had tried to kill him as an uncontrolled werewolf. Severus was sick of this. The story only proved that the escaped prisoner was indeed capable of ruthless murder. His body was almost trembling with the strong anger bubbling inside him, a beast craving to be unleashed. Black deserved to be punished for what he did. Betraying his close friends, killing innocent Muggles, and most of all, selling out Lily and her family.

Severus removed the cloak, his wand hand immediately snapping to disarm Black, narrowing his dark eyes at the wild appearance of the man he loathed, perhaps even more than James Potter. "Vengeance is sweet, I hoped I'd be the one to catch you," he said breathlessly.

"Severus-" Lupin began, but Severus refused to listen to anything the traitor had to say. He'd seen the werewolf embrace his old friend and he felt frustrated that he'd considered trusting Lupin for even a minute. "He's not here to kill Harry. You're making a mistake, I can explain," the brown-haired man pleaded.

"I told Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into the castle and now here's the proof!" he sneered, his eyes gleaming maliciously. "Two more for Azkaban tonight." Ropes shot out from his wand and twisted tightly around Lupin, causing him to trip over. They constricted his body, rendering him immobile. Black growled and lunged at the caster like an animal, but Severus pressed his wand against his head and hissed, "Give me a reason. Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will." They were in a deadlock, both giving the other a death stare full of hate.