𝓢𝓽𝓾𝓹𝓲𝓭 𝓖𝓲𝓻𝓵!

C23 Pick a job any job!

Monday was here, finally free from detention with Snape. Then there was my appointment with Flitwick after breakfast. Then O.W.L.s were next week. I needed to hit the books hard this week. I already sat with the normal group at the Gryffindor table, and Hermione already busily studying. "Hem hem, children!" Everyone went deadly silent, eyes darting to the ugly toad in pink at the front of the hall. "As you know, starting today is the beginning of career week. It's time to pick a career and as a ministry official, I implore you to think about pursuing a ministry career. I know not all of us can be in the same career so I do wish you all the best." She sat down and the Slytherin table erupted with cheering. Kiss asses. Harry also has his appointment with McGonagall today but later on, lucky him. Getting to skip DADA all together. I think everyone was nervous. Having to pick which career we wanted and then two more weeks of testing to see if we can get these careers. It was nerve-wracking and my stomach was twisting into knots but I knew I had to eat and shake the nerves away.

After breakfast I made my way to Flitwicks office, I had somehow beaten him there too. "Good morning professor." I had said when he strode up. "Good morning my dear, ready to pick a career?" I meakly smiled at him as the nerves set in. "Come in and take the seat opposite of me." I did as I was told, placing my hands together, my palms beginning to sweat. "So, what are you most interested in?" I thought about it for a moment. "I like to draw but I don't think I want to be an artist. I like to read but I don't think I'd be any good at writing. I'm not.. sure what to go with." Flitwick looked at the pamphlets on his desk and picked one up. "Have you thought about being an Auror?" I shook my head no. "I would like to help people in some way but I don't think dark wizard catching is for me." Flitwick scanned the other pamphlets. "What about St. Mungos?" I paused a moment and thought of Wednesday. "That sounds... Like something I could do." Flitwick smiled. "Well, you need to keep up your grades and have an outstanding or exceed expectations in Potions, transfiguration, herbology, charms, and Defense against the dark arts." I nodded. We talked a bit more until Flitwick was satisfied. "Alright then, here is a note for Professor Umbridge." I accepted it and said my goodbyes as I left the room with the Healer pamphlets. I headed to DADA, which I had hoped to skip today. I walked slowly to the class and silently entered.  ''Ms. Black, I assume you have a good reason for missing half this class or did you have an appointment today with your head of house?" I frowned and dug out the note from Flitwick. "Appointment, headmistress." She walked to me, her heels clicking against the ground. "Take your seat please." I did as I was told and took my seat in the back. I made it through my appointment with Flitwick now I needed to survive O.W.L.s and hope I could actually join the career. Maybe Madame Pomfrey could help a bit. On top of O.W.L.s coming up and studying our brains off. It seemed the professors were trying to kill us with loads and loads of homework. Essays, herbs, potions, charms. I was ready to rip my hair out. Snape wants twelve inches of paper on Moonstone and potion ingredients for tomorrow. Umbridge wants us to read and study the next five chapters of the DADA book then a written statement on the matieral and so on and so forth. Just piling it on. I need a hot bath. I groaned silently and put my hands over my face. Suddenly my stomach started to turn sour, I held it and then it started to come up. Blood slithered between my fingers and the class turned it's heads with gasps. "Some one get Filch to clean this mess up and oh.. I suppose some one take her to the hospital wing." Umbridge sounded, I fell out of my chair and passed out. When I awoke again I instantly knew I was in the hospital wing, wearing a clean hospital gown. "What do you think Severus?" I heard someone whisper, I looked at the end of the room and there was Pomfrey and Snape. "I think the girl is lucky to be alive. Some one deliberately stole from my personal stores and poisoned her. I will find out who did this." He seethed the last words and Pomfrey looked over at me. "She's awake Severus. "They walked over and I locked eyes with Snape. "What happened?" I put my hand over my head, just realizing it was pounding. "You were.. vomiting blood in Defense against the dark arts and large trace amounts of poison was found in your system." My brows furrowed.Who would do something like this?.. Why me?..." Snape turned away and Pomfrey sat at the edge of the bed. "Your friend Luna brought you an outfit. I think you should stay over night in the hospital wing though." I sighed and then frantically got out of bed. "What are you doing?! You should be resting!" Pomfrey stood. "I need my school work, there's still O.W.L.s!" I shoved into my jeans and then put my socks and shoes on. I slid off the gown and put my shirt on, then my jacket. I'd have to thank Luna for this. "Luna said she forgot it in the girls dormitory, she had collected it all for you." Pomfrey added. I would extremely have to thank her. Snape turned back around. "I'll go with her Pomfrey, I won't let anything else happen to her." She nodded and off we went.

"You should... Take it easy. The school will always be here." I put my hand on my side and his brows furrowed. "I don't have time to fail." He crossed his arms. "Stupid girl, you need to take care of yourself first. I'll... Give you an extension on homework." He wrapped his arms around my waist, my breath caught and heat rose to my cheeks. "Let me help you." I nodded gently. Why was he being so nice? We took secret passageways up to the tower and I quickly grabbed my things. He held my things and I walked next to him on the way back. "I.. erm .. Thank you... sir." I said and he nodded a few times. "Do you know who could have done this?" I shook my head. "I know people don't like me...But I have no clue who would want me dead." His eyes looked into mine. "Could it have been Avery?" I shrugged. "Even if it was I have no doubt he would get away with it since he's following Umbridge... What's worse is I don't know if I can eat anything, they were able to do it once they could do it again..." Snape stopped. "You can't starve yourself, you can eat with me and no one would know, I'll have the house elves deliver it to the classroom every mealtime until you feel comfortable eating around others again." I went to protest but then stopped myself as I knew better. "Won't people... question it? What would I say?" He continued walking and somehow I hadn't noticed we were back at the hospital wing. "You'll tell them you've been ordered to do so, for protection." He opened the doors and I walked in, he set my things down on the table and I sat down on the bed. "I think Pomfrey went to bed. You should get some rest too." I nodded. "Good night sir.." He walked back out of the doors, I kicked my shoes off and tried to fall asleep but simple rest would be no easy accomplishment tonight.

I fell into a dreamless sleep and when I woke, it was still early. "4:35?!" Ugh... I got out of bed and slid my shoes back on. I went walking until I found myself at Dumbledore's office. "Lemon drop." The stone eagle didn't budge. "Sherbert Lemon!" Nothing. "hmm.. Ariana." Nothing. "Ugh.. The Deathly Hallows." The Stone eagle shifted into staircases and I quickly followed them up. The crazy old fool had changed it to my favorite bedtime story or at least it was when I was younger, the deathly hallows. As soon as I was in his office the eagle shut and I started to look around. I rummaged through his desk, I found a letter addressed to me.

"Dear Raylona,

Please excuse naive Severus instead evaluate very elusively.

Your Guardian,

Albus Dumbledore."

My brows furrowed. Please excuse naive Severus Instead evaluate very elusively? It had to be more than that. I grabbed a pin and circled the first letter of every word.

P. E. N. S. I. E. V. E.

Of course! I used incendio on the letter and ran over to the Pensieve. I looked around it and saw many different viles of memories. Great, now what. I counted the viles, eight in total. Funny... Eight letters in Pensieve. Maybe... I dumped the last vile in and dunked my head into the Pensieve.

Memories flourished, memories of Snape and myself. I gasped as I took everything in and removed my head. "That completely selfish git! How dare he!"