Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

53 - Hunted. Part I

The hiss of wind seeped through the castle and across the Scottish lands. The sky painted grey and the booming of thunder from above was chaotically beautiful; so beautiful that Kalina walked by the large oak doors that led out to the cobblestone courtyard and stood in the doorway, casting a curious gaze to the sky.

Her opinion on thunderstorms were very bittersweet. As a child she despised them. She would hear the clangs of thunder and run into her parents' bedroom and cuddle up in between them at the age of five. Shaking in fright, her mum sang soft lullaby's in her ear whilst her father rubbed her back for comfort. She had a love for them, thunderstorms that is, as she got older. When Sunday was brought into her life too, at the age of four, her daughter would do the same thing as her and run into her mummy's bedroom and climb into bed with her. Kalina would sing the same gentle lullaby whilst rubbing her back as she helped to block out the roars from the skies. She couldn't do that anymore.

Closing her eyes at the painful reminder of the passing of both her daughter and mother, she sucked in a deep breath and leaned her head on the side of the door, not minding that students were running inside with their robes over their heads and shoes dripping in wet as the downfall of rain started.

It was the morning, 10AM to be exact, and it just so happened to be the day of the last Triwizard Tournament.

Was the thunderstorm above her head a bad omen or just a mere coincidence for the events that were about to unfold? Kalina wasn't one to speculate on the weather at all. In fact, she quite liked all weather. It did wonders for plants when it rained, not so much when it snowed granting some magical plants love the properties of cold temperatures.

Not realising that she was staring at the shifting clouds above her, her mind lost in many thoughts, she heard a small cough come from the side of her.

On the other side of the doorway which was easily three metres from where she stood was Neville.

He too was leaning against the right side of the doors but his attention was not on the clouds nor was it particularly on the loud roars from above but by the small drop of a tear that rolled down her cheek that glistened by a small beam of light that was coming from the sun hiding behind the clouds. "What's wrong?"

Kalina looked at him, trying not to act stunned that he was speaking to her and it wasn't her trying to talk to him. But, the question confused her which made her stand up straight and turn to face him properly. "What do you mean?"

"You have a little..." he pointed awkwardly towards her cheek, making her right hand raise and her index finger dap at her cheek only to feel something wet hit her fingerprint.

She wiped it away and shrugged her shoulders. "Probably just the wind." She said, smiling awkwardly in response. She lied.

The two fell into silence again before another thunderclap boomed through the heavens making them both look up.

Whilst Neville kept looking, Kalina took her chance to look over towards Neville. He wore plain black jeans and a t-shirt with an old knitted sweater, very similar as to what his father, Frank, used to wear.

Neville was quite quiet when it came to talking about his parents as he never really spoke about them to her. In fact, now that she thought about it, he had never asked her if he could go and see them as St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries since he had lived with her. It's been under a year since he moved in but he just never mentioned it. The hospital itself is located in London at a place where no Muggle would find it and with the use of Floo Powder, it is easy for them to travel. Unfortunately, he wasn't old enough to apparate or disapparate for very quick conveniences.