RIDDLE ME THIS

57

the room was quiet.

Bellatrix had gone to fetch me a glass of water, Draco and i sat on one sofa with Matteo, Pansy and Tom in the arm chairs opposite us.

behind them, Snape paced up and down before the unlit fire, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"maybe you put too much stress on your body?" Tom suggested as Draco gently scratched the dry blood off my palms.

"what do you mean?" i looked up at him.

"that... altercation with Granger," he counted on his fingers. "killing Potter, then Bullstrode."

"ha," i snorted. "all i did was lift my wand."

Snape has stopped pacing and was now staring at me as if i was a ghost.

"are you alright, Professor?" i asked. "you look pale."

"you... killed Potter?" he questioned quietly. "it wasn't The Dark Lord?"

"no, it was me." i shook my head, frowning. "weren't you there? you missed my big moment."

he straightened, his whole body stiffening.

my frown deepened. "are you sure you're feeling alright, Sir?"

"do you have any idea what you've done...?"

"yes," i nodded slowly. "it's pretty obvious, is it not?"

Matteo huffed a laugh, hanging his head and pressing his lips together to hide his grin.

"oh, Lily..." he muttered.

he was beginning to sound like a madman.

"Lily? as in his mother?" Tom twisted round in his chair.

"you killed him, despite Lily's protection." his eyes were blazing.

"this 'protection' can't have been that good if Lo was able to get around it." Tom smirked. "no offence, Lola."

i flipped him off.

"what protection?" Draco spoke up.

"her love for him... it protects him." Snape whispered.

"protected." Tom corrected. "past tense, Professor."

"i don't understand why you're acting like this." Matteo shrugged. "you should be happy he's gone."

"you loved her." Pansy said slowly. "Lily."

"what?" i spluttered.

Snape gazed at Pansy, a strange look on his face. "i still do, Miss Parkinson."

dear god, it was true.

"after all this time?" my smile faded.

"always." he hissed. "and you killed the only thing left of her."

"calm down." i insisted. "you're acting crazy."

"i'll show you crazy, Lolita Riddle." he reached into the folds of his cloak.

my eyes narrowed.

did he have a photo of her?

a lock of her hair, perhaps?