Dark Magic

Ghost of Christmas Past

"Humiliated him? How?" My jaw clenched under the influence of my own questioning, and I found myself regretting the words the moment the escaped my trembling lips. Remus Lupin did not even need to give an answer, his mind opening up to me without even realising it. Only I found myself questioning if I really wanted to know the answer to the question I sought.

Images forced their way into my mind, creating a small, brief moment that must have occurred in another time...Severus Snape; a young,  possibly sixteen year old boy, sitting underneath a tree; quietly reading alone on the school grounds. Undisturbed and peaceful. 

I withdrew as quickly as I could, shutting my mind and forcing the images away. "Actually, I don't want to know." I protested, to Lupin's amusement. 

"You're a Legilimens." Remus pouted, seemingly impressed. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, my head shooting quickly to face him that it almost gave me whiplash, "What? No, I'm not." I shrugged, finding is feeble to even think he would believe me for a moment. Lupin chuckled, "How long?"

I bit my lip hard, almost drawing blood as my gaze averted onto the soil beneath my feet, just managing to peek through the blanket of snow. "I don't know, really. A while, I think. It only started as a feeling...When I was about five, I think. People's emotions...I almost felt as though I could feel them. And then a word here or there. I've only just started being able to make out sentences. Images are rare...A bit of a new one for me. But I can only do it when people open their minds up to me. Like you just did." My eyes found his, filled with bewilderment and disbelief.

"Did I?" He scoffed, causing me to nod in confirmation. "My, you are extraordinary, Emerald Potter." Lupin breathed, still in awe. I chuckled in response, embarrassed. "If I notice a big enough difference with this Wolfsbane potion Professor Snape is making for me..." The man paused, and I watched as he gazed across the lake ahead, the sun now rising in the distance over the scarily calm waters. 

Remus bit his lip, "Would you consider, maybe...Coming to live with me?" I fought for breath at his question, as though all of the air had been completely knocked from my body. Had he really just said those words? I searched his thoughts for confirmation, hearing them echo in his mind a mere moment after escaping his lips. My stomach fluttered at the thought; living with Remus Lupin; my Godfather. The only man in the world that my mother and father wanted me to be with, in the event of their passing...

"I'd like that very much." I breathed out, the tears already streaming down my cheeks. Lupin laughed; half shocked, half in disbelief. His own tears now threatened to fall, "May I?" He asked as his arms opened. I smiled, unable to suppress my sob in content as I nodded and fell into his arms and they latched onto me, tight and almost suffocating. But I didn't mind; I wasn't sure how long it may have been, when he last hugged someone...

We remained in our embrace until the sun came up, the bells tolling in the school to signify the Christmas Feast was about to commence. "We best head inside, my dear." Remus spoke softly. I nodded, sitting up in my seat and fixing my curls. "Alright. Oh!" I reached into my cloak pocket, taking out a small, black box with golden ribbon. "Merry Christmas." I spoke, as he accepted the gift with hesitance, the embarrassment evident in his eyes, but his smile remained grateful.

"You shouldn't have." He huffed, opening the box to a small bracelet inside. "It's a moonstone; supposed to have healing powers. I put an protection enchantment on it as well." I smiled, his eyes lighting up, even in the midst of his gloomy disposition days before a full moon. The colour came back to his cheeks a little and I watched as he slid it onto his wrist. Remus looked as though he could burst into tears again, but he forced them away.

"Thank you. I'll never take it off." 

"You better not." I warned, pointing a finger at him in false sternness before another chuckle made its way through my lips. We then made our way back up the hill and inside the castle, resuming our usual places for the Christmas Feast. Only, this year, I dined with Harry, Ron and Hermione; all of whom had decided to stay for the holidays to spend with us both.

I told them the news of Lupin practically adopting me, trying to gloss over it as much as I could as to not make Harry feel sad. Maybe Lupin would let Harry come and live with us...It would be amazing, if we could all live together; two children Wizards and a Werewolf...

After the best meal of the entire school year-even better than the Halloween Feast-I decided to make my way down to the dungeons, where a certain Potion Professor's classroom was situated.

After knocking, nothing other than silence followed. I had seen Snape leave The Great Hall; he wouldn't have gone anywhere else....And the door to his classroom was unlocked. I stepped inside, peering around as I found Snape in his usual place...By his desk. Had he heard me knock? "Professor?" I called.

The man did not even look up from his desk, instead narrowing his eyes and glaring at the wooden table in front of him. "What do you want?" He spoke with sheer spite, unlike anything I had heard from him before.

"I-I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas." I stuttered, causing him to scoff and shake his head. "Oh you did, did you?" He spoke, his eyes finally meeting mine. They looked hollow....Empty.

"Have I done something wrong?" I asked, holding the present I was about to give to him behind my back. His face distorted into that of a ragefully envious man, his usual pale expression turning a deep crimson.

"Well, you clearly don't want anything to do with me, now that you're going off to live with a werewolf, Miss Potter!" He spat my name out like it was a distasteful, vomit-flavoured bean. My stomach churned at his words, the stinging returning to my eyes; not being that of excitement and happiness...But sadness and slight anger.

"How did you-..." I stammered, still in shock. 

"-Lupin couldn't wait to gloat to the other members of staff at the dinner table." Snape shrugged angrily, averting his gaze back onto the table in front of him. I had hoped to tell Professor Snape, myself. But I couldn't fully comprehend why it bothered him so much. His mind had turned into a fortress, forcing even the smallest word to be kept inside so that I could not make anything out.

"Him and my father were horrible to you when they were children; and I'm sorry for that but he's-"

Before I had a chance to even finish my sentence, Severus Snape shot up from his chair and launched his desk across the room, causing it to fly into a shelf filled with potion bottles; smashing all of them into millions of pieces.

"-CHILDREN!? TRY SEVEN YEARS OF MY LIFE BEING TORTURED BY THOSE IDIOTS! NOW GET OUT!"

I gasped, a shard of glass from one of the exploding bottles flying at my face and catching my cheek. It would have only left a scratch; but his words cut deeper than any glass could. The moment Severus noticed the very small scratch on my cheek from the mess he caused...His face dropped into disbelief, sadness and sheer regret. 

Stalking towards me with a caring hand outstretched, "Emerald, I'm so sorry-" He began, but I shook my head, the tears streaming down my cheeks as I dropped the box in my hand to the floor....Running from the room before he could reach me...