Ten
9th June 1994
A huge scrawny wolf stalks around the group of jeering people, howling and barking with laughter itself, more like a hyena or a jackal. In the centre a pathetic excuse for a man cowers while spitting back insults at the taunting faces surrounding him. Living proof that some traumas never go away, and simply wait in the shadows for an opportunity to leap back out.
The man’s once intimidating and perfect black robes are torn and hang from him in tatters, exposing areas of pale flesh, where bones jut out at angles and scars pepper his skin. He screams and lunges while those surrounding him laugh and jeer, and offer pitying looks.
‘Potter!’ Severus suddenly shouts. ‘Potter get over here! The wolf…’ His eyes are wild now as he tries to warn the boy of the danger behind him, but the boy simply stares at him his face morphing between arrogant smirks, angry scowls, and pain laced distress. Then the boy begins to taunt and berate the man along with the others.
‘Deranged, quite mad… jealous, bitter… traitor… evil, dark… ugly git, greasy bastard…’
Severus lunges forward and grabs the boy, throwing him to the ground and towering over him. His own form morphs into someone thicker framed, his clenched fist holding in it a belt which he brings down on the now terrified and cowering child. Then he stumbles backwards and drops to his knees.
‘No… NO!’ He cries out, and tears at the remains of his clothing, exposing the mark on his inner arm. He begins to scratch and scrape at it desperately with his nails, ripping at the flesh, as he screams to block out the continued contempt filled barrage of words assaulting him from all around.
‘ENOUGH.’ Morpheus intones, before the man can rip apart his whole arm.
He waves a hand to send the voices, the people, and the wolf back into piles of grey sand.
Severus stops too, looking up at the Dream King, still breathing heavily and shaking slightly. He sighs, and turns his eyes away seemingly in embarrassment, and draws the tatters of his clothes around himself.
‘Time for tea?’ Morpheus says, approaching slowly and holding out a hand.
Severus clears his throat and glances up, tilting his chin slightly.
‘Perhaps I might trouble you for a fresh set of clothes?’
Morpheus inclines his head slightly, his lips turning up in that enigmatic smirk of his.
‘Of course.’
He blows a handful of sand which surrounds Severus in a cloud, and when he stands up Severus finds himself dressed in quite a fine, elegant black suit.
‘This will do I suppose.’ He intones, smoothing down the long jacket.
Morpheus smirks again, and almost tells Severus how handsome he looks. But that would be rather gauche.
Instead they walk together in silence along the banks of a still lake till they reach a flat area of soft grass. A wide parasol casts a little shade over a blanket upon which sits a low table and two cushions. Severus raises a brow at his companion.
‘A picnic? How quaint.’ He comments, causing Morpheus to huff a light laugh.
They sit down and sip mint tea while Severus explains the incidents leading up to his little nightmare. Morpheus listens quietly, his subtle expressions showing hints of the anger, and amusement he feels at the rather disastrous series of events. Severus tells the tale with his now signature acerbic wit and dark sarcastic humour, which hide the real pain beneath his words.
Eventually the wizard begins to relax and lean back on the cushions. The conversation turns to other things, and the hours pass by quickly in their easy companionship.
‘My patronus has changed.’ Severus comments after a long silence.
Morpheus looks at Severus with that knowing wry smile of his. A smile that says “I told you so”. Because he had always seen the light inside of Severus, a light that is required in order to be able to cast a patronus in the first place. A light which comes from love, and hope.
‘It is a raven now.’ The wizard states.
One of Morpheus’ arched brows twitches a little higher, and something ripples under the surface of his calm exterior.
At some point the table had vanished and they had moved to sit closer together. Their fingers touch lightly as they watch the sky gradually lighten to purple, then orange in the east.
‘It is morning.’ Severus says.
~~*~*~~