Another Dark Star

Chapter 35 – Auror School

Sadira was relieved to find a plain brown owl pecking on her window. It had been a while since she had heard anything from Severus and she was beginning to worry that she had upset him by mentioning his crimes in a letter. She let the windblown owl in and gave him some of Xerxes’ food while he warmed up. ‘Poor thing.’ She thought. It was cold in London in October but it was probably snowing in Scotland already. Eagerly she tore open the latest note from her lover.

‘Dearest Sadira,
I am sorry your association with me is causing you problems with your classmates. How are your instructors treating you? If your declaration of loyalty, appreciated but foolish my dear, causes them to treat you unfairly you must tell me. Dumbledore would hate to hear of a former student being unfairly treated and he holds a great deal of influence in the Ministry. I cannot abide the thought of you suffering needlessly on my account.
With regard to my case notes, I appreciate your honesty. I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you did not wish to read up on my history without my permission or knowledge. I am touched that you claim my past has no bearing on our present and, dare I say it, future. However my choices in the past define me and made me into the man I am today and I feel that, given how honest you have always been with me, you deserve the same treatment. I wish to speak with you in person, tell you my side of the story. Then you will be forearmed with the truth against the accusations you will undoubtedly come across about me. I promise to tell you the full story, the whole truth as few others have heard, from my own lips. You deserve this much my love.
Perhaps we may be able to arrange a visit on the pretence of ‘catching up’ with your poor neglected Head of House, as Minerva seems to think I have grown quite caustic and morose without my ‘protégée’ to keep me company. I wonder why? Perhaps it is because I miss holding you in my arms and waking to you each morning. Perhaps it is because everyone else in this castle is so blasted tedious. I did not realise until you left exactly how enjoyable it was to have an ally, a friend, against the ennui of Hogwarts life. Never will I take your presence for granted. I sincerely hope that by this time next year we shall be able to throw off this pretence and openly declare the true nature of our relationship. I do not think I could endure another year unable to visit one another without some false pretext or complex excuse. I await your next letter eagerly my love.
Yours,
Severus.’


She sighed as she let the school owl out to return to the Owlery. He wanted her to hear his rap sheet? She wasn’t sure she quite wanted to hear it. Cowardly, she knew, but it was easier to deal with his past when details were vague. She knew what Death Eaters were capable of. She also knew her dark paramour had a temper. It was, perversely, one of the things she loved about him. He was so dangerous! All that pent-up aggression and violence, tightly reined but lying just under the surface; waiting to be unleashed upon some unsuspecting but surely deserving victim. She wasn’t particularly girly or fragile but she had to admit it made her feel safe and protected. But to imagine her Severus; the quiet genius with his soft voice, cultured manners and gentle hands, committing atrocities like torture, murder and rape? She felt sick just thinking about it.

On the other hand, she missed him terribly and although she knew she would have to hear some uncomfortable truths about him it did give her a good excuse to see him. Perhaps it wasn’t as dire as she expected. If she could get over what he had to say, surely the rest of her visit couldn’t be so bad? She scribbled a quick note to tell him she missed him, Taylor and Mason were behaving and she couldn’t wait to see him again.

She placed a warming charm on Xerxes’ feathers to fortify him against the weather and sent him on his way. She really was spoiling the haughty owl. If only Transfiguration hadn’t been such a struggle, she could have tried to become an Animagus. Perhaps her form would have been a bird and she could fly up to visit Severus herself, incognito.

She would have to console herself with the only photo she had of him, taken while he was unawares, deep in thought while reading something esoteric at his house in Yorkshire. She lightly touched the picture, longing to touch him for real. The Severus in the photo looked up at her over the top of his book, quirking a brow quizzically. The gesture was so quintessentially Severus that she burst out laughing.


The next letter she received from him both shocked and frightened her.


‘My dearest Sadira,
What I am about to write is the closest of secrets. It is imperative that you share the contents of this letter with no-one. I know I can trust you. I regret to inform you that it is unsafe for you to make a trip to the castle at the present time, nor will I be able to get away to see you. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened and a student and a cat have been petrified by Slytherin’s monster. Currently we have no clue as to who is responsible or precisely what form of monster we are dealing with. I am certain Potter knows something but as he is currently residing in the Hospital wing he is out of my way for the time being at least.
Do not fear for your cousins, the monster attacks Muggleborns only. However there are a substantial number of students with Muggle heritage at the school and there is an atmosphere of fear and panic. The Slytherin students are viewed with even greater mistrust than is usual. I will keep you informed of the situation. Do not worry for the petrified boy; he will be fine as soon as Pomona can provide me with mature Mandrakes. I do still intend on having that discussion, however it will have to wait until a more auspicious time. Wishing once again you were here with me.
Yours,
Severus.’


Monsters attacking students? Don’t worry he says?! Why had she never been told of this Chamber of Secrets? If it was Slytherin’s monster then surely it would have been a legend among Slytherin students, a tale to frighten First Years into behaving?


Friday morning, Snape’s spirits lifted a little when he noticed a familiar Barn Owl coming his way at breakfast. He had been in a foul mood since yesterday when Potter threw that bloody firework into Minerva raised her brow at his sudden increase in mail but he merely smirked at her and pocketed Sadira’s letter. ‘No I won’t tell you who’s writing to me you nosy old moggy.’ He thought to himself.

When alone in his dungeon he opened her letter, noting how her letter smelled of her. He wondered if she sprayed the parchment with her scent, like the silly Fifth Year girls tended to or whether it merely infused into the parchment as she wrote, from the close contact with her.


‘Dear Severus,
I don’t know what to say. A monster in the school? Aunt Molly told me that Ginevra, my youngest cousin, is a friend of the boy who was attacked and is devastated. Ronald tells me that Fred and George are causing havoc trying to take her mind off it but it doesn’t seem to be working. You have my sympathies. If those two frighten little Ginny any more you will have your excuse for I will storm up to the school and beat some sense into them myself. I do not envy you the task of instilling House pride and integrity in the current atmosphere. For all the narrow-minded children using this as an excuse to spout their parents’ Pure-blood mania there will be just as many Slytherins who are disillusioned at being outcast by the other houses on the basis of rumours and scaremongering. I wish I could help you through this troubled time, I truly do.
My studies are going well, no drama in my life. The animosity from the Gryffindor cretin Taylor seems to have simmered to friendly banter and half hearted insults. We even managed to go for a drink, the four of us, and not start a fight. How’s that for inter-house unity? Tonks is coming along in leaps and bounds. She is very different from the girl I tutored and is becoming more confident in her abilities. She makes a good partner, her Hufflepuff loyalty never wavers and I am glad she is on my side. It seems an anti-social oddball like me can make friends after all! I hope everything works out with regard to the monster. I am anxious to see you again.
Much love
Sadira.’


Severus sighed. Weasleys! Thank God none of them had ever been sorted into his house; he’d retire then and there. He was glad her life was relatively quiet although he didn’t like the idea of her going out drinking with a boy who was clearly infatuated with her. Still, Lockhart had just given him the perfect opportunity to bring her to him. He just didn’t know it yet.


‘My dear Sadie,
I am glad you are doing well and have a friend you can trust. Such things are a true treasure in life. Sadly we are no closer to solving this riddle. However no more students have been attacked so we can be thankful for small mercies. I believe I have the perfect ruse to bring you here and also a little entertainment. The posturing Lockhart has planned a Duelling Club to commence in December. The idiot doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing and I should dearly love to teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget, but I digress. This farce will be the perfect excuse to visit. I am sure your cousins will sign up so you could say you wanted to see them, or to compare as a trainee Auror how Lockhart’s methods measure up. The date of the club is to be 12 December at eight and I have graciously volunteered to be the moron’s ‘assistant’. He has no idea what he is getting himself into. Let me know if you can come, I will look out for you.
Yours, as always,
Severus.’


Sadie was disappointed at the brevity of his most recent note. ‘Perhaps he was excited to be seeing me?’ she reasoned. Merlin knew she was excited to be seeing him. Her enforced celibacy was very trying for her and she had been having some very naughty dreams, making it hard for her to concentrate in lectures the next day. She decided to let off a little steam and give Severus a little hint of what he had to look forward to.


‘Darling Severus,
I can’t wait till Friday when I can be near you once more. I think about you all the time and this distance is killing me. Anticipation fills me at the thought of seeing you and I find myself thinking how much I long to be alone with you and feel your lips on mine, your hands on my body. I want you to take me in your arms and kiss me senseless, while your talented hands undress me slowly, laying me bare for you. I ache to feel your flesh under my fingers and against my skin as you fill me with your member, slow and teasing then hard and deep, fulfilling me, riding me as I scream out my ecstasy. I want to taste your flesh on my tongue, lick your body all over and take your length into my hot, wet mouth, swallowing hungrily as you empty yourself into me. But most of all I long to lay in your arms and in your bed, holding you close and begin again, loving you until the sun came up. Friday cannot come soon enough my Love.
Yours always
Sadie.’


Snape was puzzled when his usual letter from Sadira had a note written on the envelope. ‘To be read when alone.’ Of course, he always read her letters when in private to avoid discovery, but never before had she insisted on it. He wondered why.

When he retired to his rooms that evening and read her letter he was surprised and pleased at the content. ‘Saucy wench!’ he thought with a smile, undressing and climbing into bed with the letter.

As he read her passionate words he began to stroke himself slowly, imagining her hands all over him, her mouth enveloping his cock. His strokes grew faster, pumping himself harder as he imagined taking her as soon as she reached his office, bending her over his desk, pulling up her skirt and burying himself into her in one swift movement and riding her till she screamed. With the thought of her in orgasm beneath him, he spent himself; warm sticky liquid coating his hand as he gasped her name. Cleaning himself up, he placed her letter in his bedside drawer. He would certainly be re-reading that one again. ‘Thank you Sadie.’ He thought as he drifted off to sleep.