Serendipity [Book 2]

The Darkness that Covers the Heart

“You look horrible, Cross,” Severus drawled at breakfast. His words seemed uncaring but his furrowed eyebrows suggested he was worried for the blonde. She yawned widely and scoffed at his comment.

“Thanks, Snark,” she mumbled darkly as she picked up a scone of a nearby platter. Snape frowned at the choice.

“Elle! There you are!” Remus exclaimed as he appeared behind them. Ariella shrugged her shoulders.

“Here I am,” she replied tiredly. Ariella scrunched her nose as she bit into the scone. It tasted like she felt, horrible. Well, in all honesty, that wasn’t true. The scone was delicious, but she didn’t have the energy to enjoy it.

“Are you alright? Nearly Headless Nick said he had seen you walking around so gloomily,” Remus remarked as he sat next to his best friend. Severus looked up and noted the dark circles that took away from the wonder of Ariella’s amethyst eyes.

“I’m fine. I just didn’t get a whole lot of sleep,” Ariella responded curtly. She frowned at the remembrance. She had spent the night tossing and turning, reliving her worst nightmare.

“Elle, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Ariella raised her hand to cut her friend off.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” She spoke suddenly. She didn’t want Severus to know she was questioning her trust for him. Not after all of the progress they had made over the past two years.

“What happened, Cross?” Snape asked. Now he was officially concerned. Remus looked guilty and Ariella was avoiding the subject.

“Nothing. It’s nothing. I just had a bad night, that’s all,” she replied. Severus’s frown deepened. He knew they were hiding something from him.

“Lupin, may I speak with you in private?” Snape growled as he climbed to his feet. Remus looked surprised for a moment before nodding slowly. He followed the Potions Master into the teacher’s lounge. Ariella sighed as she gulped down her pumpkin juice.

**

“She looks exhausted,” Hermione commented as she closed her transfiguration textbook. Ron grumbled something that sounded like “Why would she be?”

“Professor Lupin said he was friends with my dad and Professor Cross said the same thing. So that means they had to be friends right?” Harry remarked as Hermione shrugged.

“More than likely. They do appear to be close,” she replied. Ron shoved another forkful of food into his mouth as Hermione shot him a dirty look.

**

“You know something,” Snape drawled as he folded his arms across his chest. Remus frowned at the accusation.

“I hardly think you should be confronting me, Severus,” Remus replied curtly. He straightened his back and clenched his fists at his sides.

“Lupin, you will tell me what is wrong with Ariella or I will happen to let it slip that you are a were─,” Severus growled until a harsh exhale of air stopped him from finishing his sentence. Remus looked conflicted before settling his features in a firm scowl. The usually peaceful man wore the look well, Snape noted.

“Ariella and I were merely having a conversation about our school days and your earlier encounters may have been mentioned,” Remus admitted resentfully. Even now as he said it, he felt guilty. He hadn’t meant to make her have the nightmares again. He merely wanted to protect her. Severus’s eyes widened at the admittance before narrowing into a withering glare.

“You did what?” He hissed infuriated.  His hand gripped the collar of the other man’s robes in a death grip and he pulled him closer.

“Do you have any idea how long it took her to forgive me? She could finally look at me without cringing!” Snape’s voice shook with fury. Remus looked thoroughly surprised by the man’s anger and he couldn’t tell what he was angrier about: the fact that he had warned Ariella about dealing with the Potions Master or the fact that he had caused her to relive her attack.