Complications // Severus Snape

• Ch 30 The Truth Will Out •

Edit: I realized that Amarina and Severus already told Dumbledore what happened in the Forest, in chapter 25. Sorry!

***

When I set foot in my dormitory for the first time in a month, I looked first not on my own four-poster bed but rather that of Sage. The curtains were left open, and the bed was made neatly. Her possessions were exactly as she had left them, only covered in a thin film of dust from disuse.

"Am! You're back!" Ava and Shay jumped out of their beds and ran to greet me. Aura, however, remained in her place, seemingly unaware of my return.

"Why didn't you tell us you were getting released today?" asked Shay.

"I wanted to surprise you," I said with a smile, which ached slightly on the part of my face damaged by Severus's spell.

"You succeeded! But we wanted to throw you a party when you got out—and it's a bit late to throw one tonight—" said Ava.

"Wait—" said Shay, seizing the tulip bouquet from my hand. "—are these from your Valentine?"

I froze. I couldn't bloody well tell the truth—that the flowers were from Severus—or else Ava and Shay might treat me as Aura was. "Yeah, if Madam Pomfrey is my Valentine." I said, hoping that my nervousness wasn't evident in my voice. I relaxed slightly when my response evoked laughter from both Ava and Shay. "She gave them to me as a 'get well'/'don't come back to my Hospital Wing' gift."

"Ooh, did you get on her bad side?" Ava asked.

"I suppose you didn't hear about the window incident, then?" I said.

Ava clasped her hands together and placed them in front of her mouth to conceal her smile, and Shay bit on her cheek to prevent herself from laughing outright.

"Ah, yes, the window incident—how could I forget?" said Ava, and Shay burst into a fit of laughter.

"It wasn't my proudest of moments." I said. "But in my defense, the old hag clouded the bloody window!"

"Just try not to demolish our dorm," said Aura, who remained sat on her bed, reading a book.

"Aura—it's good to see you—" I said with a nervous smile.

"And it's good to see what's left of you." said Aura, finally shutting her book and standing up. Ava and Shay exchanged awkward and clueless looks.

"You said a werewolf did this?" she said.

"Yes," I said, unsure of where this conversation was headed, but getting a horrible sense of dread nonetheless.

"Really? Because the full moon was at the start of January—not when you were attacked."

"What? I-I guess I could have been mistaken—it was awfully dark in there—"

"Ava? Shay? Would you mind if I spoke to Amarina alone, for a moment?" Aura asked.

The pair gave her a weird look, but agreed and stepped out of the dormitory. After Aura watched them go to the common room, she shut the door and turned to face me. Shockingly, she did not appear to be angry—but rather, concerned.

"It was Snape, wasn't it?" she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Who hurt you, in the Forbidden Forest! Why are you protecting him? He's dangerous, Am—can't you see?"

"I've told you a million times, Aura—Severus is not dangerous. He's not going to hurt me, or you, or anyone—and he's not going to bring back You-Know-Who."