sister of the wolf | s. snape

thirty-seven | crucio

Upon entering, Albus confirmed their identities by asking questions only the real Lupin siblings would know the answer to. Then they joined the others at the long kitchen table, Elise refusing to let her eyes land on Severus there.

"I apologize once again for calling you all here at such last minute and during such a sacred time to be with family," Albus began, clasping his wrinkled hands together atop the table.

"However, Voldemort and his men must have known our guard would be down at this time and he has chosen to strike a Muggle town within an hour."

"Two days before Christmas?" Marlene remarked, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "That snake-faced bastard can't get any worse."

Albus nodded once in agreement.

"I have arranged a portkey to take you all just outside of the town. There, you will have to apprehend as many Death Eaters that you can."

"How many are there this time?" Sirius inquired.

"I'm afraid I do not know for certain." Albus answered gravely.

Elise felt the familiar rush of anxiety, anger, and determination that she usually did when she was told of Voldemort's newest scheme. Muggles didn't even know who he was, and he wanted them dead. It pissed her off.

"We feel that they are targeting so many secluded Muggle inhabited towns lately because the Dark Lord believes the Potters may be hiding in one of them." Severus informed.

Peter crossed his arms and muttered, "He'll never find them."

"Let's hope not." Sirius replied.

Everyone nodded in agreement before deciding to make their way outside to the portkey and get to work. This time the portkey was a ratty old bra laying out in the tiny front lawn.

"Ew, who did this belong to?!" Marlene exclaimed, scowling at the clearly well-used undergarment.

"My apologies," Albus said with a chuckle as he stood by the door to watch them all depart. "I had to be sure any passerbys wouldn't want to touch it."

"Let's all stop fussing over Albus' old bra and get going." Elise grumbled, placing a hand on the torn strap of it. Light giggling ensued from a few of the others at her wording.

But they all did as she said and placed their hands - somewhat hesitantly - on the portkey. Within seconds, they were all transported just outside the town as Albus said they would. As they all gathered themselves and took hold of their wands, they could see that the horror had transpired earlier than they believed it would.

One or two buildings were set ablaze, screams being clearly heard from Muggles as they all tried - and failed - to run or hide from their unknown attackers. Some were being suspended in air by magic and some even lay motionless on the roads.

The sights and sounds made Elise's stomach sink down to her toes. They had to get in there. Now. And save as many as they could.

"We go in, save Muggles, put out the fires, apprehend the Eaters, and all meet in the center of town. Understood?" Moody instructed.

Everyone agreed and quickly split up, entering the town from different entry points. Sirius was with Marlene, Peter with Remus, Emmeline with Moody, Alice with Frank, and - to much to her dismay - Elise was with Severus. 

Together, Elise and Severus entered the town from the South and began firing spells at any and all Death Eaters they saw. Screaming from a small burning house caught her attention and she dashed towards it without even thinking.

"Aguamenti." She began to aim her now water-spouting wand at the flaming front door.

"Elise!" Severus' voice could be heard from behind, but he was too busy fighting off a couple Eaters to chase after her. "Don't go in there, you'll be killed!"

Ignoring him, she managed to make the flames die down by the door enough to kick it in and jump inside. The wooden walls creaked threateningly and the air was thick with smoke. This place was going to come down any minute, but she wasn't going to leave people in here to die.

"Where are you?!" Elise managed to cough out, still using her water-making spell to try - and mostly fail - to put out flames around her.

"In here! Please help!" A little voice called out from a room down the hall. It was just a kid.

The toxic air made her eyes, lungs, and throat burn horribly, but she managed to make her way to the room. Again, she kicked down the door that was weakened by the fire at this point and her eyes landed on a little girl sitting on the floor.

The room was untouched by the fire so far, thankfully, and Elise quickly knelt down and let the girl climb into her back. Little coughs could be heard in her ear as she began to carry the girl out. Stepping out of the room, she looked down the hall and could see the horrifying remains of what she assumed was once this girl's parent.

"Keep your face in the back of my neck, okay? You don't wanna breathe in this stuff." Elise instructed weakly, and the girl obeyed. In reality, she just didn't want the poor child to see that sight.

A deafening groan was heard throughout the house and Elise felt her heart hammer in her chest. She only had seconds to get out. Holding her breath so as to not breathe in any more smoke, she held on tight to her wand with one hand and kept the girl supported on her back with the other, and ran as fast as she could out of the house.

Less than a second after fresh air hit her lungs and her feet were on the cobblestone streets outside, the house crumbled down into a pile of ash and flame.

Weakly, she knelt down and let the girl climb off of her. She sat there for a moment, breathing raggedly as her lungs felt as if they were on fire themselves. Her vision was blurred and she struggled to keep herself from falling over. She hadn't noticed the Death Eater approaching her, wand drawn.

"Miss, look out!" The little girl chirped fearfully behind her, but by the time Elise looked up, she heard 'Crucio!' leaving the man's lips. She closed her eyes, bracing herself as much as she could for the insufferable pain she'd only heard that the Unforgivable Curse caused.

But nothing happened. No pain came. Only the sound of a thump and agonized grunting about a foot in front of her on the ground.

Opening her eyes, she blinked hard to make out that Severus lay before her, getting brutally tortured in her place.

"Severus..." She choked out, her instincts to protect taking over as she grabbed her wand once more and Stupefied the Death Eater.

Laying on the stone ground, Severus gasped with relief as the pain ceased, his breathing labored still.

Weakly, Elise made her way over to him and took his head into her lap. His eyes were shut tight, his teeth till clenched from the pain he'd just endured.

"Sev! Severus! Are you okay?" She cried out, feeling her eyes sting even more with tears building in them as she studied his strained features.

After a moment, his breathing slowly relaxed and he opened his dark eyes, taking in the woman before him.

"Why would you do that?!" Elise sobbed, shaking her head as she still held him in her lap. "Why the bloody fuck would you take that spell for me?! That could have been the Killing Curse, damnit!"

A pale, weak hand came up and touched her cheek, causing her to inhale sharply and stare down at him in surprise.

"Love... Why wouldn't I die for you?"