I returned to Severus's office, holding the evaluation in my hands. I'd wanted to burn it but Minerva insisted otherwise. As I approached the door to Severus's office I could hear voices from inside.
"If she sees you here.... both dead!" The voices were muffled and could only make out parts of the conversation, so I moved closer, pressing my ear against the door.
"Have you made any progress, Severus? Does she trust you?"
"My orders were clear, Wormtail," Severus hissed, his voice dangerously low, sounding menacing even through the whispers. "I am not to pressure her."
"H-he's getting desperate, Severus. He wants to meet her."
"That is your burden to bear, not mine."
"Severus, it-."
"Get. Out," Severus hissed, carefully enunciating each word.
I heard a small, pathetic whimper coming from the office before the sound of small claws pattered along the floor. Shit. Pettigrew was leaving. I pressed my body against the dark corridor of the dungeon, ignoring the chill seeping into my bones as Peter scurried under the door, heading toward the stairs. When I was sure he was gone I knocked on the office door and Severus opened it, letting me inside.
"I see you've gotten your evaluation," he muttered, gesturing to the packet in my hands. He'd gotten his last week and there wasn't much for Umbridge to report on apart from the Strengthening potion that she wanted removed from the curriculum. It seemed Umbridge enjoyed Severus's cold demeanor and discipline with the students, whereas my evaluation would take much longer to sift through, given that it had taken her nearly a month to provide it to me. He took the evaluation from my hands, tossing it on a nearby shelf.
"We'll worry about that later, love," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
We were silent for a few moments before I finally spoke. "So... we're just going to pretend Scabbers didn't just run out of here?"
He sighed. "You saw that, then?"
"Saw it. Heard it. All of the above."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing as he moved his hand to the side of my face. "Did he see you?"
"No. I stayed hidden until I was sure he'd left... Sev, were you planning on telling me?"
His eyes locked with mine before looking away, sighing as he spoke. "Honestly? I don't know."
"Is this the first time he's shown up here?"
Severus nodded in response. "Your father is getting desperate and he's sending Wormtail to do his bidding and the coward thought we would've made up by now so he could get out of it."
"How long do we have?"
"I'm unsure, love... he didn't say but I imagine it's not long."
A loud scream caught our attention and we quickly ran out of the office, making our way outside to the source of the scream. We reached the entrance hall, finding the students and several staff members forming a large ring around the scene. Several students parted as I made my way toward the front of the ring, finding Minerva.
"Minerva, what's happening?"
"Sybill... she's been sacked."