The Hidden Marauder (Harry Potter FanFiction)

Trust

-CHAPTER EIGHT-

Trust

The next few weeks flew by in much the same way as before. Despite the fact that Katherine had wholeheartedly admitted to her more romantic feelings about Sirius Black, they still did not date as Sirius seemed too nervy to ask her to date; or perhaps regretted his actions in the first place. As to which was true, Katherine still found herself unsure.

Shaking her head, Katherine forgot about Sirius for a moment, stalking down the hallways of Hogwarts towards the dungeons. There were far more concerning things that she felt the need to focus on – making sure Moony had his monthly ‘fix’ of Wolfsbane; keeping an eye on Harry, and making sure that his Defence Against the Dark Arts group, which he’d informed her about on their last meeting and had nicknamed ‘Dumbledore’s Army’, was not in any way dangerous or threatening to the students, as well as keeping a steady eye on the demon herself, Delores Umbridge, who only seemed capable of gaining more and more power as time went on.

Damn the Ministry.

“Hey Sev.” Said Katherine, swinging open the heavy door to the potions dungeons and stepping through. Over the past few weeks, a more ‘friendly’ than ‘civil’ relationship had formed between the two adults; the past was never discussed, no heavily personal details either, but a mutual understanding and care for the other’s wellbeing had been formed. “Got the stuff for-“

With nimble, gnarled fingers, Severus tossed the vial of purple liquid at Katherine, which she caught easily. She noticed that he was wearing his murderous ‘I’m a pissed off professor, get out’ expression, which wasn’t a good thing for two reasons. For one, it meant that if Harry had scored detention with Severus, which he quite possibly had, he might not make it out alive. Secondly, it implied that whatever had angered Severus had really made him extremely annoyed – which was hard to do; even harder now that he was a grown and serious adult. Whatever had caused his anger was quite possibly a threat to Hogwarts.

…And Harry.

“Bee in your bonnet?”

“What?” Severus snapped, whipping his head around to look at her, his black eyes somehow more threatening than they had ever been.

“It’s a muggle expression.” She replied quickly, as he was quite clearly in no mood for her teasing. “What’s up with you?”

“That busy bodied, pompous, cantankerous she-devil.” Severus sneered, shrinking into the chair that sat behind his desk – placing his head in shaking hands, “Delores.”

“Delores?” Said Katherine, her eyebrows raised, although she wasn’t actually too surprised. After all, she’d known that the woman was everywhere.

“Yes.” Severus snarled, looking up and glaring in Katherine’s direction, “Her. Sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong; having the audacity to point out my past failures in front of my class! How dare she – the insolent cow of a woman-”

“Sev-“ Katherine cut him off, rubbing a couple of fingers across her temple to massage her brow, but was cut off by Severus slamming his hand angrily onto his messy, paper filled desk.

His dark eyes lifted to meet hers – a fire – not a passionate one, but an angry one – behind them as he stared at her.

“Don’t. Call. Me. That.”

Katherine paused for a moment, paralysed almost, in response to feeling the brunt of Severus’ anger. Both occupants in the room stood – Severus, now hunched over the desk, his sinewy arms supporting his weight, his breath coming in heavy, long pants – Katherine, stood stock still, arms by her sides, breathing slow and deep.