Complications // Severus Snape

• Ch 28 Love Conquers All •

TW – discusses rape

***

I could not quite see the figure stood before us in the darkness, but I quickly recognized the voice.

It was Aura.

Severus and I both immediately stood up, creating a large space between us as we did so. "I—it's not—we—I was—er..." I had no idea how to escape this situation. There was no way out of this, unless I either ran away or Obliviated Aura—and I would be doing neither of those options, leaving me to have to deal with the situation.

Severus appeared to be just as lost for words as I was. He simply stared at Aura, repeatedly slowly shaking his head, his mouth rather inelegantly hanging agape as he did so.

"Is this how you've been getting such good marks? By sleeping with your professors?"

My face turned a bright red, which may or may not have been visible in the dim moonlight. "How dare you—I would never—" I stopped myself and turned to look at Severus for a moment. "I don't mean you any offense, but—I would never—"

"Really? What is this, then?" said Aura.

Severus had finally got over his initial shock, and was once again capable of speech. "Miss Smith, that is quite enough. I am not sure of what you believe to have played witness to, but I can assure you that this is a misunderstanding. There is no scandal occurring between myself and Miss Kelly. Quite frankly, I should give you a detention for such an insinuation."

"Nice try, Professor, but I know what I saw. I could tell Dumbledore—you know, usually it's the Defense professors who get sacked around this time of the year, but I guess this year's different."

"Miss Smith, I suggest you cut this act at once, unless you would care to spend the rest of your week in detention." said Severus. A look of impatience formed upon Aura's face, and she turned once again towards Severus.

"Oh, sod off. I know what I saw, and no amount of detentions will change that." Aura said, a look of challenge in her eyes as she regarded Severus with disgust. She then turned to me, a milder look on her face.

"I had thought better of you than this, Am..." she said, sounding disappointed.

"It's not like that—" I said hopelessly.

"What is this?" she asked sadly.

"I swear, there's nothing going on between us—it was a mistake—"

"No, it wasn't. I was watching you before. You're brilliant at Potions—everyone knows that. You don't need to do the dirty with Snape to get good marks. You've been getting Os in it since first year—or were you sleeping with Slughorn, too?" Her voice grew less disappointed and more accusatory as she spoke, and I felt anger boiling up inside me.

"I'm not sleeping with him! You know how hard I work to get good marks—"

"And you'd do practically anything—anyone—to keep them." Aura said, her voice dripping with venom.

"Is this because of Fennel?" I asked. "I'm sorry for what he did to you, I really am, but that gives you no excuse to—"

"Don't you dare mention Fennel to me—"