Forever Yours

15. Sectumsempra

Severus was so tired.  It had been a long day.  The first part hadn't bothered him so much, but the last half of the day had almost gotten the best of him.  He had graded papers until his eyes were ready to cross and now he was up half the night to chase after Quirrell.  He had seen him go up to the third floor and watched him come back down.  He had been following him ever since.  They were outside now and only feet away from the Forbidden Forest.  Breathing shallowly, he kept his eyes straight ahead.  Suddenly Quirrell stopped and so did he.  Severus ducked behind a tree.

There was a guy standing there in front of him.  In the dark he couldn't make out his face, but when he spoke his voice sounded young.  Severus frowned.  What on Earth was the man doing here anyway?  

"Have you done it?" a cold voice asked.  It was Quirrell's but without that pathetic stutter.  

Snape smirked.  He knew it was fake.  No one stutters that much.  

"I have," the young man told him.  "It was easy.  No suspicion at all."

"Good.  And the girl?"

Girl?  Severus thought.  What girl?

"Everything has been set in motion.  It won't be very long now."

He saw a wicked smile settle on Quirrell's lips.  "Excellent.  Master will be pleased."

"Indeed," said the young man.  "Now I must get back.  We will meet again in a month or so?"

"Of course," Quirrell said.  "I wouldn't miss it."  He turned and headed in Snape's direction.

Severus made sure he was out of the way of the man's eyes, all the while keeping an eye on the young man too.  He disapparated immediately.  Quirrell made his way back toward the castle.  

"Well," he whispered to himself.  "He's definitely not loyal to Dumbledore."

He waited until Quirrell was significantly ahead, but still in sight, then he followed.  He went back to his office and quarters on the fifth floor.  Once Snape was sure he wasn't coming back out, he went to his own office in the Dungeons.  He was exhausted.  He opened his office door and walked inside, shutting it behind him.  

"I'm glad that's over with," Severus said to no one in particular.  "I'm exhausted.  I'll have to report to Dumbledore in the morning."

He turned around to go into his quarters and his heart did a leap.  There was a silouhette in the dark.  He wasn't alone.  Severus lit the tip of his wand.  

"Who's there?"

Lucy jumped and turned around.  She hadn't even noticed that anyone had come back in yet.  The light hit her square in the face.  She squinted.  Severus couldn't believe his eyes.

"Lucy?"

"Yes, it's me," she said quickly.  She didn't want him to curse her or anything.  She was trespassing after all.  

Severus lowered his wand and flipped on the lights.  Lucy was standing there in front of him wearing a blue dress shirt and black slacks.  Her face was pale and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.  This was not the happy girl he had seen earlier.  There were tears in her eyes and they were red and puffy.  She hadn't just started crying.  She'd been crying for a while.  His throat suddenly went dry.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?  What's wrong?"

She wrung her hands.  "I need you, Severus."  Realizing how that might sound, she immediately corrected herself.  "I mean I need your help."

He tried to pretend he hadn't heard what she said first because he knew she had deemed it as a mistake.  Why else would she amend her statement so hastily?  But it was too late.  Those words had already embedded themselves into his brain and his heart swelled to twice its normal size.  NO ONE had ever said those words to him as long as he'd been alive.  Just to know someone like Lucy needed him, even if it was a slip of the tongue, was enough to make all the pain and guilt he endured worthwhile.