Possible chapter

[Demonic Neko]

(Harry tells everyone that Snape killed DD. Everyone reacts badly)

"You're wrong."
Harry spun around to see Raven standing behind him. She was eerily calm and composed despite what he had said.

"I saw him," Harry said quietly.

"Someone could of used Polyjuice potion to look like him," she stated simply.

"I spoke to him afterwards.. He betrayed Dumbledore..." Harry paused choking back a sob. "He betrayed us all."

"No," came the faint voice of Hermione Snape as she came to stand beside Raven.. "My uncle would never do that!"

"Harry, you know how much Albus ment to him-" Raven began, still defending him.

"NO! You weren't there! You didn't see! He was one of them!"

"Severus isn't a death Eater and you know it!" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You've been in his head Harry, you know him."

"HE KILLED DUMBLEDORE!!" Harry screamed.

"IT WASN'T HIM!" Hermes screamed back, "Some one could of used Imperius on him. He would never do that!"

[Demonic Neko]

(jumping forward a bit, writing this while it's still in my head..)

"Severus!" He stood with his back to her, and she quickly ran up to him, hugging him tight as tears of relief ran down her cheeks. "Thank God you're ok."

He didn't turn around, didn't say anything. He stayed stiff and unyeilding in her embrace. She released him and stepped back, confused.

"Severus..?" She grabbed his arm and tugged on it to turn him to face her. He turned but refued to look up at her, his long hair hiding his face. At that moment she knew.

"Oh God no... No no no no no no..." She sunk to her knees.. "Tell me it isn't true Severus," she whispered. "I'll believe you if you tell me.. Please..."

From this angle, she could see his face. It was contorted in an expression Raven had never seen before, a mixture of deep remorse intermixed with burning hate.

She reached out for him but he pulled away. "Talk to me, Please...." she whispered.

"Don't touch me." His voice was a mix between what sounded to Raven like revulsion, hate, fear, and pain in a cacophony of dissonant emotions.

"Why did you do this?" she said her voice slowy rising as a mixture anger and betrayal in her voice. She clutched her hands so hard her nails were drawing blood from her palms.

"Because I am a beast!" He bared his fangs when he said this, "A monster!"

"That's not an excuse, Severus Snape," she hissed as she stood, her own fangs bared as well. She grabbed the front of his robes, just barely restraining herself from shaking him. "Tell me why!"

"Because he told me to!" Snape didn't fight against her grip and swayed slightly under her hand's direction.

"..... What...?" She released his robes. "What... do you mean he told you to..?"

"When I told him about the. . ." Snape shook his head as if to clear it, "I had to take an unbreakable vow with Narcissa Malfoy."

"Oh God.. Why did you..? How could.." She looked up at him imploringly. "Why didn't you tell me? We could of found another way..."

" If there was another way I would have thought of it!" Snape snapped at her, took a breath and began again, more quietly "The Headmaster. . when I told him, what I had done, . . . he said. . . when the time came, I was to . . . . " Snape shuddered.

"Severus.." she whispered helplessly. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled him into an embrace.

Snape pushed her away from him roughly, "I said don't touch me!"

"Damn it Severus it isn't your fault!" She clentched her hands at her side, fighting the urge to scream and cry all at once. She had to remain calm. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "You tried to tell me before you wanted to quit.. I should have never talked you into going on with this."

"You're right. . .you shouldn't have!" He glared at her, accusation etched in the hateful look on his face.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen... I'm sorry you had to... you had to.... oh, god, Albus!" She sunk to her knees once more as a fresh wave of tears ran down her face. Albus was dead and it was her fault. She couldn't do anything to make it better. In one fell swoop she have nearly lost everyone she loved. Her hand went to the engagement ring on her finger. She no longer deserved to have it. There was no longer a chance for them to be happy. She pulled off the ring and laid it at his feet.
"I'm sorry Severus.." she whispered with a choked sob as she shakily stood up and stumbled away from him.

[Lolua]

(bit with Snape in the cave -- does the Thorne stuff come first?)

The floor of the cave was strewn with animal bones, rotting newspapers, and monstrous piles of mysterious droppings that were long past the point of drawing flies. Whatever strange creature lived in this cave was carnivorous and literate, but it was also long absent, and that was as far as Snape ventured to think about it.

From the rocky ledge at the cave's mouth, Snape had a decent view of Hogsmeade. He couldn't see much detail, but from what he had seen in the last few days, the town would be soon back to its former state of wholeness after the destructive siege. The belltower of the church had suddenly reappeared, bells ringing mournfully, at midmorning three days ago. The barricade was no longer visible as a lumpy smudge across one end of the high street. Crews must have been busy in the last few days as they rebuilt the houses and shops that had been lost, one by one filling the gaps in the neat rows of buildings.

In another day or so, most everything would be restored to normal: the injured would be released from hospital, the streets cleared and the shops open for business. The dead would be buried and all traces of that horrible night, obliterated.

Snape risked a glance beyond the last house at the edge of town. His eyes followed the narrow road, brown and dry in the summer heat, as it wound toward the castle, steady and serene in front of the blue smudge of the lake.

Nothing would ever be the same at Hogwarts.

He tore his eyes from the castle and, cursing inarticulately to the empty sky, turned back toward his current refuge.

Merlin, what a hole.

Snape had lived underground for most of his life, hiding in the wine cellar of the Potter house to keep away from the worst of the sun's rays, sleeping in the Slytherin dungeon dormitory as a student, and finally living and working in his inner, lower-level rooms in the castle The dampness and dark did not bother him at all, and with the exception of the lingering smell of wet dog about the place, he might have found the cave quite habitable.

It was the idea of living anywhere but Hogwarts for the rest of his life that made him despise everything about the cave.

He briefly wondered, as if he didn't really care, what was happening at the castle. Had his rooms been searched? For the first time since the beginning of the siege he remembered Hermione, who he thought would be scared and upset and taking it out on everyone around her. It was uncanny how much she was like himself at that age -- or any other, really. Well, perhaps Raven would be able to deal with her.

Raven. He barely remembered the sobbing wreck of a woman he had stormed away from, so consumed had he been with his own grief and anger. He could not deny that the fewer ties he had now, the better. Any houseroom his heart held for her was barricaded by his knowledge of what he had to do. She would cry, she would beg, she would make excuses; she would ask too many questions, questions he could not answer. It was better this way.

The Dark Lord was appeased, if not downright joyous, at his rival's death. The cave was cool, dark, and, for the moment, safe. Eventually he would have to move on; his food supplies were running out and Hogsmeade was the last place he should be seen getting more. Besides, the Dark Lord would get suspicious if Snape lingered in this place too long, as if he were loath to leave sight of the old man's fortress by the lake. As if he had let emotion cloud his judgment and love pierce his impenetrable heart.

He told himself that it didn't matter what happened at Hogwarts, because now the place that had been his home for a good chunk of the last twenty-five years was barred to him forever.

The dry, scraping sound of a minor rockslide from an ill-judged footfall cut into Snape's thoughts. Someone's here.... He drew his wand and turned toward boulder blocking his view of the path down the mountainside.

you bastard..., came a low growling voice into Snape's head. Around the corner of the boulder he saw a pair of glowing green eyes, glaring at him hatefully. took me a while but i finally found you. Thorne stalked towards Snape with the same expression on his face that he had right before he killed his alter world counterpart.

Snape clutched his wand tightly, ready to strike, "You found me."

Thorne grinned wickedly, showing rows of dagger-like teeth. it wasn't hard to follow your stench, he hissed as his paws flexed, extending deadly claws.

Snape eyed the razor sharp claws, and sneered nastily, "Going to kill me now, are you?"

maybe... but then that would be too easy.. he slowly circled Snape. after everything you've done, you don't deserve a quick or easy death..

Dumbledore's words echoed in his mind as the great cat circled him, and he cursed the old man yet again. In choosing the right over the easy, Severus wondered if he forfieted an easy death as well, "I'm no coward." Snape said more to himself than to Thorne, as if to confirm and strengthen his failing convictions.

really? the cat asked, his tone laced heavy with sarcasm, what about what you did to raven? really brave of you blaming a woman who's lost almost everyone she loved and made her think it was all her fault.

Snape lowered his wand a fraction, "What are you blathering about!? I killed the old man! I am a Death Eater! If she is imbicilic enough to place trust in the opinions of filth like me, then she deserves everything she gets!"

The fur on Thorne's back rose and a low growl filled the cave. Then suddenly he stopped, his fur smoothing out again. trying to piss me off enough to get me to kill you, huh? it's not going to work. i also know why you killed dumbledore. not that she told me. i had to pry it out of her brain after she passed out..

"Passed out? From what!?"

i thought you didn't care, Thorne jeered.

"Don't put words in my mouth," Snape growled dangerously, raising his wand again, " What happened. . . ?" Snape looked him directly in the eyes.

Thorne glared at him for a moment. after she left you she lost it, completly. had herself a little nervous breakdown. can't really blame her really, she'd lost her father figure and then the man she loved and was going to marry had basically told her it was her fault she had killed him.. Thorne paused and narrowed his eyes at him. she did not deserve what you did to her at all, for whatever your reasons. anyways, i was unconcious after the fight. when i woke up eustace told me that she had been missing for three days.

Snape clutched at where he knew both Raven's and his own ring hung around his neck, "Where is she now?"

Thorne sat back and carelssly licked a paw for a long moment before answering. she's packing. the school years over and she had eustace and hermione to think
about, and so she pulled herself together and iswell on her way to forgetting you. he hissed.

"Good." Snape lowered his wand again.

Thorne stood, eyeing Snape for a moment. i suggest staying away from all of them. raven will be back when the school year starts. mcgonangal(sp?) offered her your old position, and she took it. she wants to stay close to hermione and eustace during their last year. they've both been through a lot. if i see you come close to raven again i will kill you. i will not allow you to hurt her again.

Snape said nothing, but sat down on one of the cleaner areas of the cave floor.

Thorne glared at him and turned away with a snort of disgust. Snape was no longer worth his time or effort. He left the cave, softly growling to himself.

[Lolua]

<CanonMistress> hmmm
<CanonMistress> how much time between the part I wrote and
Thorne coming in?
<RedRummy> ummm ot sure
<CanonMistress> because I imagined that bit to be less than three
days after the attacks
<RedRummy> hmmm
<CanonMistress> on Hogsmeade and on DD
<CanonMistress> and if Raven has had her enormous nervous
breakdown
<RedRummy> I can change it a bit so thorne
comes in a while after
<CanonMistress> but now feels good enough to think about the
future
<CanonMistress> it would seem that either a lot more time needs
to have passed
<CanonMistress> or she put herself back together remarkably
quickly
<CanonMistress> and if that's the case
<CanonMistress> maybe Thorne could make a remark to that effect
<RedRummy> hmmmm
<CanonMistress> something like
<CanonMistress> 'but she had eustace and hermione to think
about, and so she pulled herself together and is
well on her way to forgetting you'
<CanonMistress> even if it's complete crap
<CanonMistress> thorne wants to hurt snape for the way he treated
raven
<CanonMistress> so he'll go for the gut
<CanonMistress> whether with his claws or his mental messaging
<CanonMistress> "even if it's complete crap" = even if Raven is
putting on a brave front though she's still dying
inside, and Thorne knows it (as he would)
<CanonMistress> also
<CanonMistress> Mlle, hadn't we talked about Snape not staying in
the cave long-term?
<Mlle> yeah that's correct
<RedRummy> gaaah I lost most of that
<RedRummy> DAMN YOU REFRESH!!