Romeo and Juliet (Book 1) - SS x OC

Chapter 18 - Confessions and Confusion

"Young men's love lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes". - William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

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CHAPTER 18 - Confessions And Confusion

~ S ~

Barty Crouch is dead.

Dying by the Forbidden Forest wouldn't be as suspicious as it was if the victim had half the brain of a petulant goose, but seeing the corpse of a man who was obviously hit by the Killing Curse, Barty Crouch's death was indeed a red flag for Severus.

Severus didn't want to admit it, as he is not so fond of admitting anything in particular, but he knew that Albus was right. Everything that was happening had something to do with the Dark Lord. It always does, and he knew he was a complete fool for believing otherwise before. It had been fourteen years since he was last summoned, and the security that was provided by Hogwarts since then made him somewhat dependent on its walls which he knew, would ultimately shatter upon the second uprising of the dark wizard, should he succeed in his vindictive endeavors.

As of now, Severus was being summoned by a different master, one of which he trusted completely and in return, trusted him, which most people do not understand. He had no plans of making them fathom their relationship and make an idiot out of him. He released a sigh that he wasn't aware he was holding back, and entered the headmaster's office.

"Ah, Severus. How is Ms. Capulet doing?" Albus asked.

Renee. Besides the cynical death of a ministry official that had just occurred a few moments ago, something else bothered the hell out of Severus. Judging by the way his student just disappeared out of nowhere from where she was situated, he knew that it was something that he shouldn't ignore. Or maybe he should-- he didn't know, as the girl constantly confused his usually focused mind. He waited for her to re-appear after the end of the second task, but she was nowhere to be found.

A portion of Severus' worries were gone since Potter arose from the lake alive and well. He even managed to play hero once again-- the bloody brat, saving two of the hostages instead of just one, all thanks to that Delacour twat who backed out. Meanwhile, he decided to linger around the site a bit more, as he was absolutely certain that he did not see Renee take a boat back to the castle. Eventually, the people left, leaving only him and Filch there.

"Oy, Snape! Time to go back!" Filch yelled.

"Go ahead, Filch. Leave that one boat for me."

"What the ruddy hell are you waiting for?"

"One of my students is missing."

"Merlin's beard! Shouldn't you be calling someone?"

Severus sighed. "I'm going in. If I don't come back after an hour, send someone to aid me."

"You're barking mad! You can't go in the bloody lake! It's bloody dangerous and you bloody know it!"

"Calm down. I appreciate your concern, but I did bring some Gillyweed with me, just in case."

"Whatever, Snape. Don't say I didn't warn you." the grumpy old man said and started to walk away.

"Just do as I say, will you?"

"Fine."

Severus didn't know where the urge to find Renee came from. There was a time when he used to think that the girl wasn't worth anything, but everything had changed since then. He would often find himself appreciating her presence in the midst of the chaos that's happening around him. He never regretted any moment spent with her, and he knew that shouldn't be the case.