Finding Severus

15. Beaubaxtons

When Severus and Thea reached her home, some of the tension was relieved in both of them. They had made it back safely. Thea went straight to the kitchen and got a glass of water and drank it straight down. Severus watched her curiously. Something wasn't right. He had known it back at the castle. The moment she saw Travers. I guess it was now or never if he wanted to know what was going on. He watched as she wiped her mouth with her hand and leaned on the kitchen counter.

"You're hurting, aren't you?"

Thea whirled around to face him. "I am."

Severus's face twisted with sadness. "I'm sorry. I know the Torture Curse hurts you physically, sometimes pretty badly."

Her voice was small when she spoke. "So you've been tortured before?"

"Many times. It was often pleasurable for the Dark Lord to punish, not just one, but all of his followers if someone made a grave mistake. When I was young and naive, I was tortured quite often."

"That's how you knew I was hurting."

"Yes. What about now? Are you hurting now?"

Thea averted his eyes. "The pain is down to a dull roar." She laughed sarcastically. "My body is only partially on fire now."

Severus stared at her. This Thea was very different from the one who had saved his life, hardened somehow. But it couldn't just be from their encounter today. This ran deeper. "Thea, I'm sorry about today. You would have never been there if you hadn't been looking for me."

"And you might have died. Don't blame yourself." She still wasn't looking at him. She was afraid he might see the tears in her eyes.

But she didn't count on him picking up the crack in her voice.

He noticed it right away, but he didn't say a word. Actions would speak louder at this point. He walked over to her and took her hand gently into his. "Come with me."

He guided her over to the couch, thankfully with no resistance from her, and sat down. Thea sat down beside of him and they faced each other. She still wouldn't look at him...until he lifted her chin. Her dark brown eyes finally met his black ones and he saw her tears at once.

"Tell me what's going on," Severus pleaded. "You and Travers have a history, yes?"

Thea nodded. At the mention of that filthy Death Eater's name, the tears in her eyes began to roll down her cheeks. "He hurt me."

"I know. I was there."

"No. Not today. A while ago. Right after Voldemort first came back. I guess it was a year after. Or two. I can't remember. Dumbledore had just died."

Severus swallowed. "What happened?"

She licked her lips and a frown creased her forehead. "It wasn't what he did to me. It was-" She swallowed. She had told no one this. Not even her superiors. "It was what he did to my students."

"You're a teacher?"

She nodded. "Well, I was. At Beaubaxtons. As long as Dumbledore was alive, we were safe. Voldemort wouldn't dare attack the schools with him still here. He offered us a sort of silent protection. When he died, Voldemort didn't waste any time. He sent Death Eaters to recruit teachers and students alike. Just a couple. I heard he hit up Durmstrang as well. Of course, you know that already."

Severus sighed. "Unfortunately. Please continue."

Thea was twisting her hands nervously in her lap. "It was so unexpected. Travers came into my classroom wearing that awful mask and asked me to follow Voldemort. When I told him 'no'-" She buried her face in her hands. "I wish I would have just joined him, or at least pretended that I would. Maybe I could have stopped him."