An unlikely pair

7

When I woke, my head throbbed with a pain so sharp it felt like a hammer striking my temples. The air was heavy and stale, and the room was shrouded in darkness. I shifted in the chair I was seated in, testing the situation. My wrists didn’t ache from the pull of ropes, and my legs weren’t bound either. Yet when I tried to move my hands toward my pocket to retrieve my wand, they wouldn’t budge.

Frustration surged. My wand was there, I could feel its comforting weight against my leg, but I couldn’t grasp it. A spell, then. Invisible restraints held my arms in place, rendering me powerless. Brilliant. Just brilliant, I thought bitterly. Animagus transformation briefly crossed my mind, but I dismissed it. I didn’t know what kind of room I was in—or what dangers lay within. Best not to risk it.

A deep chuckle broke the oppressive silence. “Ah, so the princess has awoken.”

The voice was male, smooth but mocking. My teeth clenched instinctively at the arrogance in his tone. “No shit, Sherlock,” I snapped, rolling my eyes even though I doubted he could see me in the darkness. “Now turn on the damn lights.”

He chuckled again but didn’t argue. With a muttered spell, the room lit up. I blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness.

“Thank you,” I said curtly, my manners kicking in despite the situation. Manners cost nothing, even with kidnappers.

The room was nothing like I expected. It wasn’t some dungeon or sinister lair, but an old classroom. Dust motes floated lazily in the golden light, though the space itself was surprisingly clean. Scattered desks and chairs, a cluttered potion station, and a towering stack of books filled the space. If not for the eerie circumstances, it might have felt cozy in a peculiar, academic way.

“So, what exactly do you have against me?” I asked, my voice steady as I turned my gaze toward the culprit. Severus Snape. His lank black hair framed a face marked by irritation, though he didn’t look nearly as menacing as James and the others always claimed.

“Absolutely nothing, Lafenier,” he replied, his tone clipped as if I were an inconvenience. “But if you could stay here for the next ten minutes, I’d be most grateful.”

His request was so absurd I almost laughed. “Sure,” I said after a beat, deciding to play along. “Untie me, and I won’t move a muscle.”

His black eyes narrowed slightly, skepticism flaring. “You promise?”

“Royalty never breaks a promise,” I replied with as much dignity as I could muster, even tugging dramatically at the invisible bindings. “So yes, I promise.”

He hesitated, his gaze scrutinizing me as if searching for deceit, but finally relented. With a flick of his wand, the restraints dissolved, and I rolled my shoulders, savoring my regained freedom.

“Very well,” he said. “But I’ll have to turn the lights off when I leave.”

“Fine with me, Sev.” The nickname slipped out before I could stop it, but to my surprise, he didn’t protest. Instead, the corners of his mouth twitched into a half-smile before he turned and exited the classroom, leaving me alone. True to his word, the lights vanished as he left, plunging the room back into darkness.

I sat there in silence, my mind racing. Why would Snape go through the trouble of kidnapping me, only to leave me here with such a peculiar request? It made no sense. My fingers brushed against my wand as I considered my next move. Whatever was coming, I’d be ready for it. Or at least, I hoped I would.



The door swung open with a creak, and the room flooded with light once again. Before I could make out who had entered, a furious voice filled the space.