Snake And Wolf: The Finding

I hope you have as much fun reading this as I have writing it.

Snake and Wolf: The Finding

Chapter 2

* * * * *

Hagrid walked quickly into the castle and made for Dumbledore’s office. Mumbling the password he hurried up the stairs, opening the door, and saw the headmaster standing by the window, his phoenix Fawkes on his shoulder.

“Yes Hagrid?”

“There’s something ye might wan teh see.”

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow. “Lead on.”

“Might want teh get Professor Snape too.”

“Severus?”

“Yeh. I better go make sure she’s still ‘ere.”

With that the half-giant turned and left.

Dumbledore stood in his office for a moment then headed towards the dungeons, Fawkes still sitting on his shoulder.

* * * * *

Severus Snape was pondering over what to do to the Gryffindors in the upcoming year when Dumbledore entered his office.

“Severus?”

“Mmm?”

“Hagrid has something you might want to see.”

Severus looked up and asked, “What?”

“He did not say.”

“A man of many words.”

Dumbledore gave him a fairly skeptical look and he rose from his chair. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

With that the two left the dungeons.

* * * * *

As Hagrid got back to his cabin he looked back and saw Dumbledore and Snape just coming out of the castle’s main doors. Hurrying into his cabin, he relaxed when he saw the woman was still there, sleeping still.

A few minutes later Dumbledore entered, followed by a disgruntled looking Snape.

“Now what’s this all about,” was Snape’s first question.

Hagrid pointed at the woman and said, “She’s goh a medallion on.”

“Point being?”

“Same crest on ih as on deh ring yer wearing.”

Snape looked down at the silver ring, then glared at Hagrid for a moment before walking over to the cot the woman was lying on. He carefully reached out and grasped the medallion.

Almost immediately he dropped it.

“No. I-it can’t be.”

Dumbledore peered at Snape, who had gone pale. “Severus?”

“Its…its…”

“Who Severus?”

Severus swallowed hard and looked at the woman. The face was a bit different than he remembered, the hair was longer and riddled with foliage, but it was still the face of the five-year-old girl he remembered gazing fondly up at him.

“My sister.”

* * * * *

Hagrid blinked.

“Sister?”

Severus nodded. He slowly reached out one hand and brushed a lock of greasy black hair back from the woman’s pale face.

“Saerry.” His voice was almost a whisper and it seemed he was speaking to himself.

Dumbledore waved Hagrid from the cabin, who glanced at Snape then left.

Once outside he asked, “What’re we doin?”

Dumbledore smiled and replied, “Severus is having a hard time with this.”

“Yeh knew?”

“I knew he had a little sister but not that she was alive. Everyone thought she died in the burning of Snape Manor.”

Hagrid looked back at the cabin. “Seems not.”

“Indeed. Let’s head up to the castle. They can still hear us.”

Hagrid nodded and the two set off.

* * * * *

Inside the cabin Severus listened to what they were saying, not paying attention to the fact that the woman was beginning to stir.

Her eyelids flickered for a few seconds then opened, revealing eyes as black as the midnight hair. A second later she had jumped back away from him, clutching the blanket to her.

Severus blinked and took a wary step back.

“Easy, easy. I’m not going to hurt you Saerry.”

Black eyes met black but he saw only wild animal instinct in those eyes.

A low growl brought him back to reality. Severus looked around for a moment before realizing where it was coming from.

“Saerry. Saerry. Dear sister, what has happened to you?”

The woman growled in reply and looked around the cabin, obviously searching for a way out.

Slowly, Severus reached out to touch her arm but she jerked it back and snarled. But he continued to reach. As she tried to move her arm again, he caught it in a surprisingly firm grip and held it tight. She struggled against him, whimpering and growling, sometimes even trying to bite him.

“Merlin’s beard, Saerry. OW!”

Her teeth had caught his hand, which now sported blood. She stared at it for a moment then looked at him, something like intelligence flashing through the animal instinct in her eyes for a moment.

Severus sighed and started to turn away. A moment later something heavy landed on his back with a shriek and drove him to the floor. He hit the floor hard but rolled over, sending whatever it was flying.

As he tried to get up the woman jumped out of nowhere, now without the blanket, and tackled him. She wrapped her hands around his throat, her face locked in a feral expression, and he brought his own hands up to grip her shoulders. As he did the sleeves of his robe fell back.

The grip on his throat loosened as the woman was transfixed by the symbol on his left arm. She stared at it and Severus watched as human intelligence drove back the animal instinct in her eyes.

A minute later Saerry Snape looked down at her older brother, breathed out the words ‘I’m home’, then collapsed in a heap on his chest.