Verita's POV

I didn't move from my bed the next day. I knew I had Defense Against The Dark Arts, but why would I want to go after being so harshly rejected?

I'd already skipped my first classes - Transfiguration, Herbology and Alchemy.

I felt myself falling back into the abyss of sleep about halfway into the lesson, but I couldn't.

Every time I tried to close my eyes, I saw his face. It was haunting. I saw him with a pained expression, and I knew that what I was seeing was Severus thinking of Lily.

I sighed and got dressed, then ran to DADA.

"Miss Winters, you are extremely late," Severus said calmly.

"I'm sorry, Sir."

"Detention," he said, then continued teaching about Dementors.

I sat in my seat. Draco gave me a worried glance but nevertheless, didn't speak so he didn't land himself in detention too.

The bell went within no time, and Draco asked where I was.

"I slept in," I said sheepishly.

He frowned at me, but left anyway. He probably had a girlfriend to meet or something.

"Verita, I hope you realise that truancy is unacceptable," Snape started.

I decided to ignore him and not say anything back, but this annoyed him further.

He finished, "You will have detention with me for a month."

"A month?" I repeated.

"Yes, Miss Winters."

I sighed and nodded.

"I'm sorry," I said. He gulped at my words.

"Did you perhaps get a note?" Severus asked. He was speaking so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

"Yes. It said 'I'm sorry'. It was you, wasn't it?" I replied.

Severus nodded and I inhaled sharply before saying, "It's no use."

"Did you read the other side?"

My eyes widened as I thought back. No, I didn't.

"Nope," I said, popping the 'p', "What did you do? Write sorry on both sides? It's no good, Severus. You already rejected me."

"I didn't-"

"You did. Quite clearly too," I stated, "What's detention today?"

He pointed to a pile of paper on his desk, "Help me mark them."

I took a handful of the assignments and what-not. I sat in the chair nearest Snape's desk - I knew he'd shout at me if I had went any further back - and read through them with ease.

These were from the year who was doing love potions. I frowned.

"Severus, you don't teach Potions anymore," I said.

"I am helping Professor Slughorn with his marking," Severus declared.

I glared at him when he turned back to his work, knowing that he wasn't telling the truth.

I had an idea.

"Professor, please may I use the bathroom?" I asked, smiling sweetly.

"You didn't go while frolicking about?" He uttered, but ushered for me to leave anyway.

I rushed to Professor Slughorn's storage cupboard, peeking through a crack in the door. I searched for a good five minutes, accidentally smashing a bottle of the Draught of the Living Death.

I'm doomed, I thought.

If I stepped in that, I'd die. If anyone else stepped in that, they'd die, and I'd eventually be found out and sent to Azkaban for the rest of my life...

Pushing my thoughts aside, I searched for Veritaserum. I found a whole tray of vials ready to send to the Ministry, so I only took one so that it was less noticeable.

Stupid enough not to realise that I could do it earlier, I cleared up the Draught of the Living Death with magic and placed the now unsmashed vial in it's original place.

I checked the time. Seven. Detention was almost over and I'd been about ten minutes already.

I rushed out of the cupboard and back into Snape's class.

"What took you so long?"

His voice was droning on and I felt myself become dizzy with the adrenaline of the fact that I just stole from my teacher.

"Sorry, Moaning Myrtle kept me," I responded.

My fingertips slipped across the vial in my pocket as I finished marking the essays.