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YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2013
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"Care keeps his watch in every old man's eye,
And where care lodges, sleep will never lie."
― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
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CHAPTER 6 - Saved By The Snape
~ R ~
Weeks after the first Triwizard task, things started to get even more exciting at Hogwarts. Students waited in anticipation as the Triwizard winners attempted to decipher how to unlock peculiar egg they got from the first task that was supposedly the key to gain advantage for the second task, which they had plenty of time to prepare for as the second task was scheduled after Christmas break. Even though Fred and George were Renee's best friends and Harry was a close friend of theirs, she never thought of giving them a hint on the tasks, and they never knew that she was a part of the 'committee'. She swore to Snape that every project they would embark on was to be kept confidential, and she intended to keep her word.
As for Snape, after Renee's interesting exchange with him, not a lot was said about it-- in fact none at all, as they carried on with their tasks as usual. Oftentimes, even with his persistent resistance, she would insist on assisting him after Alchemy and even for an hour during weekends, just because she felt compelled to. And she wasn't sure why.
There was also an upcoming Quidditch match, which was interesting and intimidating for both the players and watchers, as Viktor Krum, the renowned seeker, would be there to witness the game, much to the excitement of many hormonal young girls.
Unfortunately for Renee, the Beauxbatons ladies had been and would be present as well. Every time she passed by those French girls, they never failed to mockingly give her the most hateful glare they could muster. Madame Maxime had not been different, especially after finding out that Renee had been sorted in bloody Slytherin. Not that she found comfort in other Hogwarts students, they were still rather prejudiced. It was as if the only ones that did not glare at her were her friends, professors, a few Slytherins who did not give a shit about anything, Snape (she did not count him since he glared at everyone) and a couple of Durmstrang boys, who would often instead give her creepy, lustful stares instead, which she found completely revolting.
Having woken up on the wrong side of the bed and now alone in the Great Hall after a late breakfast, trying to catch up with some reading, Renee was already having a really bad morning when two Ravenclaw girls, who she recognised from seventh year Potions but did not know their names; one was brown-haired and the other blonde, came up to her and started to bitch and spew bullshit.
"Well, well, look what we have here. The great Renee Capulet. Alone, are we? Even the Weasley blokes can't stand you now. Pity." the brown-haired said with mock arrogance.
"What do you want?" Renee asked them with gritted teeth.
"Oh not much, Capulet. Just you out of our lives." the blonde remarked, then both of them chuckled.
"Think you're so brilliant, stealing all the house points like that? You actually think that you can outsmart us Ravenclaws? Well, I for one think that Beauxbatons is a bollocks school, and you're nothing but an arse." the brown-haired said bitterly. Renee ignored them, just as she did with everyone who taunted her in her previous school.
"She thinks she's better than us 'cause she's Snape's pet." the blonde said to Renee venomously. Upon hearing her professor's name, they caught her attention. "I seem to have hit a nerve?" she smirked evilly.
"Oh yeah. You know how she hangs out with that greasy git of a professor all day. They probably spend hours brewing potions that would finally be able to clean off the huge grease stains on the git's stupid outfit, if you could call it that." the brown-haired snorted. Renee's fists were clenched so hard that her palms were becoming sore.
"Or worse, they probably make out! Eeew, they'd snog 'til the wee hours of-"
"STUPEFY!" Renee bellowed, unable to hold herself any longer. The Ravenclaws flew across the hall and crashed onto the floor, landing on their backs. Both of them whimpered in pain as they tried to stand, but their attempts were futile. They started to cry loudly, the sound of their ear-piercing voices filling up the Great Hall. Students who witnessed the scene gasped and stared at Renee in horror.
Renee heard once that Ravenclaws were only good at theoretical stuff, not practical ones, and she smirked when she realised she proved that theory. Approaching the two whimpering bitches, she placed her left foot on the blonde's chest and pressed the tip of her wand on the brown-haired's cheek.
"I hope you like that. I could do it again if you want," Renee sneered threateningly, only loud enough for the two of them to hear. The students started to murmur in panic.
"MS. CAPULET! What have you done?!" McGonagall shouted after seeing her in such an antagonistic position.
Renee withdrew her wand and just stood there, motionless. Even as the awareness of her actions finally sunk in, she still did not regret attacking the girls.
"Explain yourself! What did these two girls do that could possibly warrant such an attack?" McGonagall asked angrily. Renee simply clenched her wand hard, stared at the girls, then at the livid professor, without saying a word.
"You know very well that attacking a fellow student is against the rules! I thought... You of all people! Your professors spoke highly of you, most especially Severus. But your behaviour has deemed their praises erroneous!" she shouted with obvious house prejudice. "You ought to receive due punishment." she added aggressively.
So Snape spoke highly of me? Renee thought. She knew that wasn't the time for her to be pleased, but she couldn't help it, though she was disappointed at herself. She did not know what Snape would think of her after he hears about the incident.
Just then, a deep, velvety voice that Renee couldn't get enough of spoke from her back, startling her. "I shall handle this, Minerva. She is under my house. Capulet, in my office. Now." Snape said smoothly.
Renee went ahead of him, relieved to finally get out of the Great Hall. As they made their way to the dungeons, she could hear Snape's footsteps from behind her, making her feel incredibly apprehensive. When they reached his office, both of them sat down with scowls on their faces.
"I expected better from you." Snape said, his voice low and obviously disappointed.
Renee exhaled deeply. "Please, Professor, believe me when I say that I wouldn't do things without a reason." she said, feeling a familiar sting her eyes which she tried her best to control.
Snape looked at her with his brows furrowed. "And what might your reason be?" he asked.
Renee's heart was beating so fast that she could almost feel it thump beyond her skin. "She... provoked me." she admitted.
"A mere provocation and you lose control of yourself?" he asked bitterly.
She squinted to prevent pathetic salty liquids from falling down her eyes. "It wasn't just that." she stated, her voice breaking.
"Well, tell me then."
Renee coughed to make way for coherent explanations. "First she insulted me, which was fine, it doesn't really matter now. It's happened before, it doesn't really make a difference. But insulting someone... I care about," she said, her voice faltering, then immediately regretted admitting such a thing. It just slipped out.
Snape stared at Renee with a face she couldn't fathom. "And who might that be, Capulet, worthy of you risking punishment?" he asked. Renee remained silent and merely looked down on his table.
"The Weasley bloke perhaps? I insult him and his siblings relentlessly all the time, but I don't see you hexing me. Or you have wanted to for a long time now?" he smirked, making Renee incredulous.
"No, not him, Sir. And no." she said.
"A parent? A friend? Do you insist on making this a guessing game?" Snape retorted impatiently.
"I haven't got any of those, Professor." Renee simply stated, making him look at her quizzically.
Where were my 'friends' now that I'm in trouble? she thought.
"Well, if you prefer that I enter your memories, I will do it without hesitation. Mind you, I am a Legilimens." Snape said casually.
Renee was a bit shocked by his revelation, but she knew that due to her choice of words, she had to tell him the truth. She kept silent for a moment, then finally blurted it out.
"You." Renee said quietly, looking down.
"What?" Snape questioned skeptically.
"You." she repeated and finally looked at him.
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
Snape looked at Renee like she was stupid. "Now why would you think I actually give a damn about what other people say?" he asked harshly.
"You don't know what they said." Renee mustered.
"Well, what did they say?" he curiously queried.
"I will never tell you." she said bravely.
Snape rolled his eyes. "Very well, I'll give you this deal then, Capulet. Since all you did was stun a schoolmate-- honestly, Minerva made such a huge fuss, the heaviest punishment you can receive is detention for a month. If you tell me what they said about you and me, I'll let you off." he sanctioned. Renee almost found that hilarious.
She crossed my arms. "I'd rather have detention for a year." she said.
He sighed. "That bad?"
"Yes." she agreed. "Well, I accept my punishment, Professor. Can I go now?"
"Not so fast, silly girl." Snape protested.
"What is it now?" she asked, not wanting to stay any longer.
Snape shifted uncomfortably. "Was I mistaken when I heard you say you... care about me?" he asked.
"No." Renee said truthfully.
He looked at her straight in the eye with indifference. "Why would you state such a foolish claim?" he asked.
"It's true. I just do."
Snape glared at her venomously. "You know that does not provide an answer to anything." he said with calm aggression.
"I just think that you deserve to be respected, that's all. I hate it so much when they... say something false or insulting about you. You don't deserve that." Renee blurted out.
"What makes you think you are the judge of what I do and do not deserve?" he argued calmly. Renee remained silent, defeated.
Snape sighed and clasped his hands together on the table. "I will ask you again, why did you state such a claim?"
Renee just couldn't answer him. "I just do, and that answer will have to suffice for now, Professor. All I know is that I care about you immensely." she said, then regretted having blurted out loud the last bit. She did not even know where that came from.
He looked at her, showing no emotion. "You do know that you're a fool for saying that and you will not gain anything from me." he stated coldly.
Finally, the tear that had been longing to fall from Renee's left eye rolled down her cheek. "I already know I'm a fool. I'm not asking for anything." she said painfully. She hated crying in front of people; it made her feel weak, and she had always done it in the comfort of her bed or at least the bathroom.
Snape frowned, then did something Renee never thought he was capable of doing. He went closer to her, placed his right hand to cup her face and wiped the lone tear with his thumb. His hand felt so warm on her skin. "I apologise. You are not a fool." he said quietly, looking at her straight in the eye, then let go of her face.
Renee shook my head. "Don't, you've done nothing. I'm not usually insane like this." she said, putting a hand on her forehead, looking down.
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, we've all had our days." he remarked.
"Indeed." she laughed.
"Glad to see you show your teeth again, silly girl. I thought I would have to get a new assistant who isn't be as grumpy as her boss." he told me. She thought by 'show your teeth', he meant smile.
"Did you just crack a joke, Professor?" she asked, grinning madly now.
"I might have." he said, and curled his lips into a half-smile. It was the most he could have given, and Renee absolutely adored it.
"Well. I have another proposition." Snape said, making Renee eye him curiously. "You may call me... Severus. Outside of class. But only you, with nobody else to hear. Understood?" he said.
She smiled at that. "Only if you call me Renee."
---
"Renee-- Renee! Please, I'm sorry!" Fred begged. Renee was still quite upset at him for leaving her behind the morning she got in trouble. She ignored him throughout her whole walk towards the library, but the boy ran after her.
"I was in the common room with Lee Jordan and George. I went to look for you as soon as I heard what happened, honestly. If I had known that you were in trouble, I would've intervened. You know me," Fred explained apologetically. "Please, Renee..."
Knowing that he wasn't going to give up, Renee finally looked at him. "Forget it now, it doesn't matter." she said, wanting to let him know that it was not a big deal anymore.
"I really am sorry, Renee. I don't want to make you angry at me ever again." he apologised, sincerity apparent on his fretful face.
"Yeah, yeah, it's fine." she replied and patted his shoulder. Fred smiled.
"Are you alright? Did any of them hurt you?" he asked, genuinely concerned.
"I'd like to think I hurt them." Renee said casually. He gaped at her, but recovered immediately.
"Well, at least you're alright." he said with a nervous laugh. "What did they say to you anyway?"
"Honestly, why do you people think I'd actually tell anyone?" she said viciously, laughing at the thought. Fred looked curious but then decided to ignore the matter.
"Let me make it up to you, then. How about a date?" Fred asked flirtatiously.
Renee concluded that Fred liked her enough; he did not care that she was in Slytherin, and he couldn't care less that she just attacked two Ravenclaws. Renee liked Fred too, but unfortunately, she did not reciprocate the attraction, though she thought he deserved a chance. He was really nice to her and he was one of the few people who have been, making her really grateful for his presence.
"Alright. When?" she asked him.
Fred grinned at her compliance. "Sunday, of course. Hogsmeade weekend."
"Right. But only in the morning, okay? I've got piles of homework that needs to be done." Renee complained. Still, that seemed good enough for him.
"Okay. See you, gorgeous!" He kissed her lightly on the cheek bade her goodbye as he dropped her off to the library.
Men, she thought.
---
Days after that unfortunate incident in the Great Hall, Snape, or Severus rather, kept his word that they would be tackling the Wolfsbane Potion next, and she was quite excited about it. They were in his office and she was about to Accio a cauldron when Severus stopped her.
"It has come to my attention that I have ran out of stocks of aconite roots. Due to its rarity, it will take months for me to acquire it, should I wish to order from London. However, there are full-grown ones that are available at the hidden bushes along the Black Lake." Severus told her.
"Do we have to get them now?" Renee asked him eagerly.
"I believe so. But if you'd rather stay here and sleep on my table once again like a knocked-out puppy..." he remarked with the best tone of sarcasm known to mankind.
"Oh, stop it, Prof-- Svrs." she said shyly, looking at anywhere but his eyes.
"I believe that my name contains vowels in it... Renee." Severus stated dryly, making Renee almost giggle. Hearing her name being uttered by his voice felt so utterly good that it gave her the tingles.
Merlin, get a grip, Renee.
"SE-VE-RUS. There." she said playfully with much more confidence now that she was assured that she could get away with calling him by his first name.
"Better." his brows furrowed but he smirked, making her stick her tongue out at him.
How mature, Renee. Just perfect.
"The next full moon is next week, so we have to finish the potion by tomorrow, right?" Renee asked.
"That is correct; for it to take effect, the werewolf must drink it everyday for the rest of the week." Severus answered.
"If I may ask, who is going to be testing it?" she said curiously. She thought about Remus, who promised her that he was going to visit her soon.
"A friend of Dumbledore." he said mindlessly. Yup, definitely my Remus.
They were out of his office in no time. Renee had to keep up with Severus' abnormally fast, brisk walking pace. "Wait up!" she called, seeing his billowing cloak a few feet ahead of her. "We haven't got all the time in the world, Capulet." Severus complained.
I wish we did, Renee thought.
"It's Renee!" she corrected him, but he ignored her.
They finally reached the coast of the Black Lake. Although Renee was still wearing her uniform and school robes, she felt severely cold. It was seven in the evening and no student was out except for her and the professor.
"I advise you to be careful. You do know that monkshood leaves are poisonous, am I correct?" Severus said while rummaging through the thick bushes with his dimly lit wand.
"Yes, of course. Be careful too, Severus." Renee cautioned him, but the man simply rolled his eyes.
They parted ways in the hopes of collecting the plants faster. Severus went deeper into the bushes and insisted for Renee to just collect the ones near the edge of the lake so that she wouldn't risk getting poisoned. She reluctantly obliged, but not without putting up a fight.
Swishing and flicking her wand, she wordlessly cast Wingardium Leviosa to levitate the aconite plant she found into a dangly, fibrous container that she and Severus brought with them.
Just when Renee was about to levitate the second plant, she heard a creaking noise. She looked to see if someone was behind her, but no one was there. The noise did not seem to resemble footsteps; it sounded more like somebody was crawling behind her.
Renee spun around, checking to see if Severus was nearby, but there was no one within her area. Shrugging, she went back to focus on the plant.
What an eerie place this is, the Black Lake.
She was about to unroot her third plant when she suddenly felt something really slimy grab her ankle tight. Looking down, she gasped in surprise; a scaly tentacle was wrapping itself around her leg.
Renee cast the Immobulus spell, but the creature managed to knock off her wand out of her hand, sending it off a few meters away. She continued to panic as the tentacle pulled her into the lake.
"Severus!" Renee shouted, but she couldn't see him. It was too late, the slimy tentacle dragged her body from ground into the Black Lake. She felt breathless, struggling to get out of the thing's grasp underwater. She tried to look at what was pulling her but it was too dark. There were a couple of underwater creatures approaching her and she squinted to see properly, only to find out that they were selkies who looked as if they were dying to devour her body. Soon enough, the tentacle had gone up to her neck, choking her.
Renee could sense that she was about to lose consciousness when she saw a man who had jet black hair and pale skin swimming towards her. He was topless, wearing only black trousers. She saw that he had a black tattoo on his left arm, but couldn't quite see it properly as her vision was obstructed by the darkness and her dizziness. She couldn't even see his face, but she was certain the man was Severus.
A bolt of blue light shot out of his wand and it hit the tentacle. Renee was released immediately, but she struggled to swim because her body felt incredibly numb. The man caught her in his arms easily and he swam back up, holding her protectively.
Coughing, Renee struggled to inhale as the man laid her on the grass. She opened her eyes slightly to confirm who her rescuer was; sure enough, it was Severus. He removed her soaked school robe and gray vest and wrapped his black, dry cloak instead, then wore his black jacket as fast as he could, using his wand to button them up quickly. Finishing off, he carried her into the castle while she was still struggling for air.
"Breathe Renee, it's alright, you're safe now. Breathe..." Severus said soothingly.
He held Renee securely as he walked, and she found the warmth of his robes quite comforting. She took one last weary glance at his concern-filled face before finally losing consciousness.
Darkness enveloped her surroundings, and she somehow found myself alone in some sort of alley. There was a small light at the far end and she ran as fast as she could to reach it. However, as soon as she did, its intensity blinded her eyes.
The brightness slowly faded, and she opened her eyes when the blinding sensation dissipated. She then saw Severus staring at her, his eyes filled with immense hatred and contempt.
"I don't ever want to see you again." he said spitefully. He gave her one last glare then walked off to nowhere in particular.
"No! Severus!" Renee shouted. She choked in despair, but instead of seeing nothingness, she saw that she was in a hospital wing. She panted a bit before all of her senses become fully functional again.
It was only a dream. No... it was a nightmare.
Renee's head throbbed hard and she felt a pang of dizziness. She looked to her left and was surprised to see Severus sitting beside her bed. He looked shocked and perturbed for a moment but then he immediately regained composure.
"How... are you feeling?" he asked, frowning.
"Better, Prof--" Renee stopped awkwardly, unsure again of how to address him. "Thank you for--"
"Would you care to explain why you just happened to be underwater when I told you precisely to stay put and behave?" Severus interrupted her angrily.
"I didn't go in there! I-- someone... or something pulled me into the lake. I couldn't fight it, it somehow disarmed me." Renee explained shamefully. "I am so sorry." she uttered, regretting her carelessness. Her heart dropped when she realised that her wand was probably lost somewhere by the coast.
Severys looked at her, still frowning. "I shall inform the headmaster of this tomorrow. Remind me not to bring you there ever again. Or even anywhere outside, for that matter." he said sardonically, as if she didn't feel bad enough. Renee remained silent, not wanting to compromise their Wolfsbane Potion project.
"Any idea on who or what the hell pulled you in there?" Severus asked dryly. "Was it the Giant Squid?"
"Probably. I didn't see what exactly it was... Sir," Renee decided to cease her internal name-calling debate since he isn't complying with their 'deal' anyway. "But I thought... you did." she said, recalling his heroic deeds.
"It may have escaped your notice, but Lumos Maxima doesn't quite cover the extent of the lake's darkness. I was lucky enough to actually see you." he spat bitterly.
No, I was lucky because you were there, Renee wanted to say, but she knew better so she held her tongue.
"How did you manage to swim that deep, Sir?" Renee asked curiously.
"I was most fortunate to have gillyweed in my pocket." Severus replied, then pulled out something from his sleeve. "Here." he handed her back her wand.
"Merlin, thanks." Renee said, exhaling with relief that he found it. She looked at Severus and couldn't help but notice that he looked extremely exhausted.
"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.
"I hardly think that is a necessary question." he answered monotonously, making her sigh in defeat.
"Are you hungry?" he said after a few minutes.
"No, I'll be fine." Renee responded, not wanting to bother him any longer. "You should go rest now, Sir." she said, even though she didn't want him to go.
Severus pulled Renee's blanket up, making sure she felt warm. She peeked beneath and saw that she was still wrapped around his black cloak. But underneath, her soaked uniform had been removed and replaced with a loose hospital gown. "I will stay." he said decisively.
Renee gave her a weak smile. "You have no idea how much I appreciate you saving me, Severus. Thank you." she told him gratefully.
"Whatever. Go back to sleep." he drawled.
He is such a jerk.
But I care so much for this jerk.
And at that moment, when Severus decided to stay, Renee somehow knew that he cared for her well-being, at least in a professional sense. Otherwise, he wouldn't bother to remain in the sordid hospital wing with her.
Renee recalled the nightmare she just had, and horror filled her abruptly when she remembered Remus saying that she tended to sleep talk whenever she felt really anxious or had bad dream. She wondered if Severus heard her screaming his name-- that would explain the shocked look on his face after she woke up.
Oh Merlin why.
Fuck, I need to sleep.
It's best not to do anything stupid. Getting hurt is the last thing I want.
But what if with Severus, getting hurt is worth it? One thing's for sure and even I can't deny it.
I'm falling for him.
"Good night, Severus." Renee said.
He looked at her with serene eyes. "Good night."
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a/n: Yes, I put Quidditch matches in the Triwizard year because I want to.