Loving Lily: A Snily Story

Chapter 42 - Severus's Guardian

He unfastened his sleeve, rolled it up past his Dark Mark tattoo, and removed his wand from his robes as a grin of anticipatory excitement curled his lips.

Quirrell pressed the tip of his wand to his Dark Mark and opened his mouth, but a low, familiar voice spoke first.

"-Pardon me, Professor Quirrell, but the duty you're about to perform lies with me, not you."

Quirrell scowled as he whirled around to face Severus, who walked down the stone steps that opened into the secret room with his black robes billowing elegantly alongside his tall, imposing frame.

"HA!" Quirrell laughed as he took his wand away from his Dark Mark, "Plans change all the time, Snape, but not this one, not tonight....Do you think I'm a fool?!"

Severus held his usual, unreadable expression of stoic calm on his face as Quirrell glowered and asked, "Or perhaps......it is our Dark Lord himself who has become the real fool? His blind trust in you would have led to his ruin, but I will not stand idly by and watch such a thing happen!"

Severus's heart secretly fluttered in nervous tension as he steadily replied, "May I ask......of what you speak?"

"I know the truth, Severus......The great lie you've somehow convinced everyone to believe." Quirrell scoffed.

"Clearly, you must have fallen and hit your head again, Professor, just as you did on All Hallow's Eve when your lack of courage sent you colliding with.....the unforgiving stone floor." Severus quipped.

"I know about your daughter, Severus Snape!" Quirrell bellowed.

Severus paused as he silently stood in front of his enemy.

"I know the truth!" Quirrell insisted as he raged on, "I know where your loyalties lie! Not in the hands of our Dark Lord, but in the heart of-"

Severus rushed towards Quirrell in one frighteningly smooth motion.

His long, black robes flowed behind him like great, streaming trails of jet-black ink as he seized Quirrell by his collar and pushed him backwards until his spine slammed against the heavy column of an ancient pillar in the room.

"Perhaps it's you instead....Quirrell....who should be contemplating....where your true...loyalties....lie." Severus hissed as he hovered in front of his enemy's face.

Quirrell sucked in a breath as he gaped at Severus.

"You don't want me as your enemy......" Severus growled warningly.

Droplets of his saliva landed on Quirrell's face as he spoke, but Quirrell blinked the moisture away as he smiled wickedly at Severus and replied, ".......My enemy, Severus? Has my silence not proven that we can be friends?"

Severus sneered as he narrowed his dark eyes while Quirrell went on, "I've been kind enough to not yet reveal your greatest secret of all to the Dark Lord. I'd say that's an amiable gesture in itself, wouldn't you?"

Severus kept Quirrell in his grasp as his enemy laughed and explained, "I know the girl is not your daughter.....The girl's real father is-"

Footsteps interrupted their conversation.

Quirrell's gaze traveled past Severus, which caused him to whirl around and find Harriet standing on the stone steps that led into the room.

"Dad......?" Harriet asked.

Severus's dark eyes widened as he stared at Harriet and demanded, "How much have you heard?!"

"I haven't heard anything." Harriet blinked, "I only walked in and saw-"