Mendacity: Book One (Severus Snape)

Chapter 21

A Few Weeks Later

"You did what?"

Severus' eyes met mine and I sighed deeply as he announced, "I had to, Verita. For Draco."

"For Draco? Professor Dumbledore saved my life by allowing me to come here, Severus! If I'd had stayed at Beauxbatons, I-..." I stopped, not wanting the man before me to know of my past.

"Tell me," Severus demanded.

I felt tears prick at my eyes as I told him, "I trusted you. He trusted you."

"Potter said the same thing," Severus Snape replied, unamused.

"I don't care what Harry Potter said, Severus! This isn't about him. This is about us," I snapped, "Is there even an us?"

Severus' eyes flickered with hurt, "I had no choice."

"You do have a choice, Severus. And you're making the wrong one," I hissed, staring him in the eyes, "I'm not sure I want to continue seeing you. You're a monster!"

I thought I saw Severus' eyes glimmer with tears, but I must've been wrong. He gave me a cold, hard glance as he appeared to control his emotions.

"I have never loved anyone as much as Lily," he told me, reaching out for my hand. I rejected it.

"And why are you telling me this?" I asked, "To hurt me? To prove that I'm no less than a worthless student who really means nothing to you?"

"No. It is because I think you are the only person I am capable of loving more."

With that, he swiped his cloak up into his hands and stormed off. I half-expected myself to run after him but I was frozen in place.

What had I done?

I did the only thing I knew to do, and I ran towards the Slytherin common room. I looked around and didn't find Draco.

I continued to look, heading up the stairs to the boys' dorms. I yelled out Draco's name until he emerged from one of the rooms.

"Verita?" He frowned, "What's wrong?"

I felt myself begin to cry, but I held back.

"I've made a mistake," I said as he trailed me to my dorm since no one else would be there. I used a silencing charm.

"Why?" He questioned.

"He told me," I breathed out, "I told him I didn't want to see him anymore."

"What? I thought you loved him," Draco replied.

"That's the problem, I do."

"Why don't you tell him that?"

"I said some really hurtful things, Draco. He won't want to see me anymore."

"He loves you, too," Draco told me quietly.

"That doesn't matter!" I snapped.

"It does!" Draco yelled back, then lowered his voice, "Verita, I've seen the way he looks at you. This may have started as a lie, but it certainly won't end as one."

"The way he looks at me?" I laughed, "Draco, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Shut up, I have a girlfriend of my own," Draco sighed.

"Go see her then!" I giggled, pushing him out of the door, "I've got to see Severus."

"Yeah, you do," Draco chuckled, wishing me luck before leaving.