Easier To Run

A/N : Another day, another chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and for your kind words. From now on, I will try to ignore ignorant people. *grin*

Let's see. This chapter is a sort of "calm before the storm" type of deal. I mean, where we are in the summer holidays is about mid-July. Which means, that the Quidditch Cup is coming up in about a month. And Draco attends that, so somehow he has to get home. That will be next chapter. *evil grin*

So this chapter will have a little Katie and Draco and a lot of Snape contemplating that I wrote earlier today to be able to concentrate on other things. Nasty little plot bunny.

Enjoy!

P.S. There's an article on the CBBC with Tom Felton about how he makes little kids cry. *grin* It was cute. Just to let you all know.

****

Katie woke up to bright sunlight shining directly on her. As soon as she tried to move her neck, she realized that it was stuff beyond belief. What was even more confusing is she was sitting upright. She lifted her left hand to block the sunlight when she felt something shift beside her. She looked down, very carefully, and saw the top of Draco's head. He looked so peaceful sleeping there. He looked....normal.

Madam Pomfrey came bustling over a moment later and helped her up so as Draco wouldn't wake. She turned and looked at Katie, smiling.

"Good of you to keep him company like that. The poor dear," she whispered, tucking Draco in, "With a father like his, I'm not surprised at this at all."

Katie nodded and decided to go back to Gryffindor Tower to shower and change. Draco would probably still be sleeping by the time she returned.

*

"What are we going to do about this, Albus?" Minerva said, seated in a chair before Dumbledore's desk, "The boy can not stay here. That is obvious. And by now, Lucius must have realized that he's missing."

Albus' eyes swept over a frantic looking Minerva and a seated, and oddly calm Severus. "He cannot stay here. That much is true. And as much as I don't want to say this, if Lucius comes for him, we will have to hand him over."

Severus only nodded. Minerva turned and looked at him, sullen and decided, and then back to Albus, who looked about the same.

"Severus, I would have thought better of you. He's in your house, for Merlin's sake."

"Minerva, the boy has a death wish. It is his decision whether or not to pursue it," Severus said calmly, "Maybe Miss. Bell has changed his mind about his behavior. We can only hope that he can change. Because you and I both know what kind of man Lucius Malfoy is."

"You would say that," Minerva said standing, "He may not be of my House, but he is still my student. I will see that no harm comes to him," she said turning her glare on Albus, "Can't you put a simple charm on him? Like the one on Potter's aunt and uncle's house. But just on Mr. Malfoy. To alert us if anything of this serious nature happens again."

Albus looked up at Minerva from his seat behind his desk. "I could. But I think you are being unfair to Severus. He knows all too well the seriousness of this situation. Of a child's life dependant on our choices."

Severus' head shot up and he stared at the Headmaster in disbelief. Only Albus could thread that situation to this one so eloquently. Albus said nothing, but his eyes held an understanding. As he left Dumbledore's office and headed back down to his dungeons, he tried to shake what Albus had said from his mind. It brought up too many things that he didn't want to think about anymore.

*

Feeling more awake, and a lot cleaner, Katie walked back to the Hospital Wing. When she walked in, she immediately saw Draco, sitting up in bed, eating a plate of food. She walked over and sat in the vacant chair, still at his bedside.

"Here," he said handing her a few pieces of toast, "The house-elves sent me way too much food."

Katie laughed. "Yeah they tend to do that," she said taking a bite of her toast, "Feeling any better?"

Draco took a drink of his orange juice before answering. "I can sit up, so Madam Pomfrey said that was a good sign. But I still feel a little sore. I took a bit of a tumble down the stairs," he said pushing the food around his plate mournfully.

Katie looked at him, eyes blazing. "That fucking bastard," she said with venom, "I swear, if I ever get the chance-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Draco said, looking at her worriedly, "I don't want you to get sent to Azkaban trying to help me."

Katie took a deep breath. "Don't worry. I don't think I have the strength to kill anyone."

Draco smiled at her. "Good. Because I need you around."

Katie smiled back at him and forced him to eat. Unbeknownst to either of them, Minerva McGonagall and Poppy Pomfrey were watching them proudly.

*

Severus sat in his quarters. His mind was running rampant through his deepest memories and he felt like cursing Poppy for it. Did she have to mention Lily at a time like this? Running his hand through his hair, he tried to push the thought of her from his mind. But it was no use. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. He would definitely not be getting any sleep tonight.

Lily was the reason he could never look Potter in the eye. Those eyes of his. Exactly like Lily's. Potter also looked like his father. The man the Severus had lost Lily too. James Potter.

~Flashback~

The first three years of his Hogwarts training, Severus had a confidant in Lily Evans. They had met on the train on their way to Hogwarts before their first year. Severus felt like he had met his intellectual equal in this beautiful girl. But she had been sorted into Gryffindor, although she told Severus that the Sorting Hat had almost put her in Ravenclaw. And Severus, who had nearly been sorted into Ravenclaw himself, was sorted into Slytherin. Severus' heart had been broken. He was now stuck in Slytherin, with people who cared about nothing but the Dark Arts. But on the first day of Potions class, Lily had asked him to meet her in the Library later on that afternoon. He went, and they worked out how they could still be friends.

Meeting in the library every night for three years, Severus had fallen in love with Lily. He hadn't meant to, nor had he wanted to. It just happened. Lily was the only person who didn't make fun of his appearance, or said that he took his studies too seriously. And she didn't call him a freak.

But at the start of their fourth year, Lily had befriended James Potter. Severus and Lily still met in the Library, but it went from every night to once a week. And then every other week. Then once a month. Severus grew angry at Lily and on the night he had decided to tell her to just forget about them being friends, Lily had broken his heart. She came to the Library and told him that she had fallen for James. And since she was looking at Severus, expecting him to be happy for her, he had smiled, wished her luck, and walked from the Library, leaving Lily standing there.

The friendship became non-existent by the next school year. James and his friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, had begun teasing him mercilessly. Claiming that he had hurt Lily. He had retaliated of course, but never told the Gryffindors what he had truly felt for Lily, and what she had done to him.

His sixth year, though, was the year that he had almost died. Sirius Black had decided to play a trick on him. Baiting him into finding out where Remus Lupin went once a month, he took Severus out onto the grounds and showed him a tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow. Told him how to get into said tunnel. But he neglected to tell Severus about the full grown werewolf residing in the tunnel at the time. James Potter had grabbed Severus at the last moment as he came dashing from the castle. Severus' leg had been slashed apart and when the Whomping Willow had come back to life, both he and James had been knocked unconscious.

James had been hailed as a hero and Severus had truly lost Lily forever. But he had found out about Remus. Something he could use against the Gryffindors. But Dumbledore had to go and ruin everything by swearing him to absolute secrecy.

Then, several years after graduation and renouncing himself as a Death Eater to Dumbledore, he sat in Dumbledore's office waiting for him to return from an errand. The man sat before Severus and told him about Lily and James, and eventually Harry. Severus had his mask in place to hide his emotions, but when he walked into his room in the dungeons, he cried. For the first time in his life.

Lily was gone. Murdered by the man he had once vowed to serve forever. He felt like a traitor, even though he had nothing to do with their deaths. He felt as if he should have done something. The guilt was overwhelming, and it consumed him. His heart felt non-existent and yet it hurt so much. He looked up into the mirror and saw a cold man staring back at him. He didn't even recognize his own reflection.

~End Flashback~

That's when he had changed. Changed into the bitter, cynical man he was at that moment. No one knew. No one would ever know. He reached a hand up to his cheek and felt a wetness there. Had he been crying? Furious at the young man still alive inside of him, he picked up the nearest phial and threw it at the wall, enjoying the satisfying crash it made.

That boy should be dead. Just like Lily. He could never be Severus again. He was Snape now.

'But what about Katie? Who will you be for her?' that annoying voice in the back of his head said.

"She deserves better than I could ever have given her," Severus said quietly.

Then he started thinking about Katie. She was exactly like Lily. Smart, kind, overly forgiving. And she cared not for what House a person was in. She had befriended the Malfoy boy. Helped him. But she was also dating Wood. Who reminded Severus of James in a way. Star Quidditch player that he was.

His throat clenched when he thought about Katie meeting the same horrible end as Lily did. He shook his head of the thought. No, he wouldn't allow that to happen. Katie was his responsibility and he was not going to let her get hurt.

And if it would relieve the guilt crushing his chest, it would be worth it. He knew in the past that he had risked her life. He wasn't going to let that happen again.

~Flashback~

He had received an owl from Andrew Bell, informing him that his wife, Carolyn, had had a child. He also asked Severus to come and visit. He did, reluctantly. But upon seeing the tiny baby, with just the trace of fuzzy blonde hair on her head and big blue eyes, a section of his heart had thawed. Andrew than asked if Severus would want to be the baby's, Kathleen was her name, godfather. He hadn't even thought about before answering yes. There was something about this child.

A year later, he had turned spy for Dumbledore. Severus had no family, so he figured he was only risking his own life. But Dumbledore had turned to him, with sharp eyes, and asked about Kathleen Bell. Severus' heart had plummeted. Yes, the Death Eaters knew of his being a godfather. So, if he was revealed as a spy against them, Kathleen could be in danger. He felt nauseous just thinking about what the Death Eaters would do to that little girl. But he had to help Dumbledore. He would have to be careful. No harm would come to her.

~End Flashback~

He felt sick recalling the many times he had almost given himself away. The many times they would have attacked the only person he had a tie to. She had been a baby, just learning how to walk. And they would have tortured her to get back at him. They still would. He shuddered to think what would happen if Voldemort ever returned.

Shaking his head of the thought, he decided it was best not to think of what they would do to Katie now. He cursed Albus for bringing that thought back into his head. He knew what he had to do to protect Katie while she was at Hogwarts, but when she left the school in two years. He shook his head again.

"Things will work themselves out," he told himself convincingly, before leaving his quarters and heading for the Hospital Wing.

*

Katie jumped when the doors to the Hospital Wing opened and Snape strolled in. Her and Draco had just been talking about him.

"Hello Professor," she said politely, as he stood at the end of Draco's bed.

He gave her a curt nod before turning to Draco. "Feeling better, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes, sir," Draco said honestly.

"Good. You gave us quite a scare."

Katie was looking between Draco and Snape and saw an unspoken understanding between them For a moment she envied Draco for that.

"I wasn't sure what to do. Katie had told me to write if I got into any serious trouble, so I did," Draco said smiling at Katie.

Katie smiled sheepishly at Snape, but Snape was beaming with pride.

"Well, I'm glad. Who knows what could have- Well, we won't dwell on that. I'll leave you two to visit," he said and before Katie could say anything, he was gone.

'The more I get to know the real Snape, the more confused I get,' Katie thought shaking her head and looking back to Draco.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "So, are you ever going to tell me about you and Wood?"

Katie muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Stupid, hormonal boys.", and rolled her eyes at Draco.

Draco just laughed, and this time he didn't clutch at his stomach. Katie felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders.