Severus Snape: The Half Blood Prince

*(86) I Thought I'd Lost You

"Speaking of which," Sophie resumed, her gaze moving between the two marauders, "When do I get to see Severus?"

After Sophie spoke those words, Remus turned towards the students, his authoritative presence commanding their attention. "Adult time, you all need to leave now... that includes you, Harry." The students reluctantly filed out of the room, leaving Sophie, Remus, and Sirius to have a more private conversation.

As Harry walked out, he looked back at Sophie and smiled, a glimmer of relief in his eyes. He now knew he had another person there for him, someone he could trust, even if she had once been associated with the Death Eaters.

Once the door closed, Sophie sighed and flopped down on the couch, seeking respite from the overwhelming events of the day. The room felt warm, the crackling fire casting dancing shadows across the walls. She swore she could feel the heat lingering around her, almost as if the flames were still flickering before her eyes, making her head swim.

"Now," Remus began, his voice returning to a more serious tone, "Severus is most likely at the place the Death Eaters consider their hideout or base... you may know where it is, but they may have also changed the location in the years you were gone."

"He told me every location when I last was in contact with him," Sophie replied, her words revealing a connection they had no idea about. She had spoken with the Dark Lord on countless occasions, and they were unaware of her deep involvement with him.

"Who told you?" Sirius asked, his curiosity piqued, as he brought over coffee for the three of them.

"...Voldemort did..." Sophie hesitated, choosing her words carefully as she maintained a straight posture, attempting to hide any traces of her true emotions.

Remus and Sirius exchanged a concerned glance, their eyes drilling into Sophie with hard, questioning expressions. The revelation of her past and her dealings with Voldemort added a layer of complexity to their understanding of her, leaving them unsure of how to proceed.

"Look, I know this looks bad, but have I ever done anything to betray you? If anything, you lot have done worse to me over the years, but I still came back and called you all my friends," Sophie said, her voice steadying as she began to feel more relaxed around the now older and wiser men.

"How many times have you met with him?" Sirius asked, his curiosity piqued as the new topic unfolded.

"Well, I'd say at least 20 times over the years and events since my time arriving at Hogwarts in 1971... It could have been m-" Sophie's words trailed off as her mind unearthed something she had suppressed for so long: the first time she apparated with Severus to the Malfoy Manor, where she met Tom Riddle for the first time.

Her hand instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes widening with the realization of what had happened. The memories flooded back, unbidden and unwelcome. She glanced down at the dark mark on her arm, the twisted symbol of her past, and felt a shiver run down her spine as she recalled the way Riddle had traced it with his finger.

Trying to refocus on the current conversation, her voice turned shaky as she looked back up at them and spoke, "Ahem," she cleared her throat, "There are certain things I don't want to remember now that I am thinking back on things... that happened," her voice quivered, and she fought to suppress the overwhelming emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

Almost on instinct, Sirius shot up and sat beside her, wrapping his left arm around her shoulders in a protective gesture. Remus, too, moved closer and perched on the arm of the couch at her left side. Sirius gently clasped her right hand in his right, seeking to provide comfort and support, even though they both knew she was a strong woman.