Slytherin Queen

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 23:

Athena wasn't having a good day.

She was used to bad days. She had them most of the time actually or at least she did.

But that was when she was with dave. When she would be locked in her room after doing something that pissed the man off. When she would be left alone. When she wasn't with her team mates or at soccer practice. When she was let alone in an empty house after receiving a bad punishment or just being left alone to her own head.

They would usually start with her brain fuzzy,vision grey,time a blur,ears buzzing with static,and mouth filled with cotton.

She thought those days were over.

Yeah she still had nightmares,she still got lost in memories,and she still had days where she simply had little to no motivation to get out of bed.

But they haven't been like this. She was doing better. Everything was fine. She had friends,her godparents,Sev,Tom,she had a family.

So it didn't make sense why she was in bed,vision grey,mouth filled with cotton,head fuzzy,ears filled with static,and time blurred. The hours going on until the sun started rising,the other girls alarms going on as they woke up and started getting ready. She stayed on her back,glazed over eyes staring at the star covered ceiling.

"...ena,everything okay?" A familiar voice spoke,the sound muffled like she was under water.

She slightly tilted her head,seeing Pansy. Her best friend. Her first girl friend.

Why did she look so worried? Why was she asking if she was okay? Why was she frowning? Why? Why? Why?

The other girls lips started moving again,a warm hand slowly reaching forward to cup her cheek. The other girl hovered over her skin though,not making contact until after a few long minutes Athena herself tilted her head,resting her cheek against the warm soft palm as her eyes fluttered closed. The touch was grounding and the fog lifted a little,enough for her to hear her friends next words.

"...to get Professor Snape? It's breakfast time but I'm sure he won't mind coming up here with you. I can get someone else if you want or I can stay,it's up to you,sweetie." Pansy's voice was sweet,gentle and despite her worried expression her words were genuine.

She's just being nice. She doesn't actually want to stay. No one else is going to want to either. You're causing too much trouble. You need to get yourself up. You're worrying your friend. Get up. Get up. Getupgetupgetupge-

"I'm going to have to take your silence as a no,sweetheart. I'll be right back" Pansy started to move back but Athena shook her head,attempting to push herself up with weak arms.

Such a bother. Your making her do all this work and worry for nothing. Stop being a little bitch and just get up. Getupgetupgetup-

"Hey,stop" Pansy ordered gently,pushing the small girl back down. Athena had no more energy to try and fight back but a pathetic whine escaped her lips. "He's not going to mind coming up here,sweetie. In fact he would love to help you though this,so just wait a few minutes while I go get him okay?"

Athena gave a small nod. Too tired to actually do anything else as her eyes went back to the ceiling,feeling the warm palm leave her cheek as the other girl most likely left.

Leaving her once again alone.

She didn't know when but her eyes must of drifted shut because they snapped open at the sound of footsteps,panic settling deep in her gut and her brain only having a few minutes to register that they were familiar. They didn't belong to dave or any of her past foster parents.

"Athena,may I come in?" A drawled but gentle voice,with a trace of concern drawled and Athena wanted to scream. Wanted to beg the man to come in. To come help her because this wasn't suppose to be happening,but her tongue was led and her mind was to fuzzy so she simply stared up.

Then she blinked,flinching slightly when a figure with dark eyes and greasy hair peered down at her. When did he get here?

"...thena,are you with me?" Athena blinked,the fog lifting slightly when it clicked that Sev was here. He was going to help her. "Do you want to come down to the kitchens with me?"

The kitchens? Why? Shouldn't he be teaching class? Isn't breakfast served in the great hall? Why do-

"Come on,darling. Come back." Severus cooed,gently lifting a hand and slowly holding it out towards the small girl. When hazel eyes refocused on him he gave a small smile, "You can help me make some cookies,yeah? We can give them to your friends or we can stay in here? It's up to you. Whatever you want."

She liked his voice. It was grounding,keeping her from slipping to far. It filled her with comfort and safety. Warmth. Stopping the phantom pains that coursed through the scars on her body and ghost hands that made her feel dirty. Blocked out the voices that screamed insults,the sick words that made her skin crawl,and voices that filled her with dread.

And Athena believed him. He truly would stay here with her if she asked him too but cookies seemed fun and they usually made her friends happy.

"k-k-ki--" Her voice cut off,a frown on her face as her tongue still felt too heavy. Voice stuck in her throat.

Pathetic. You can't even talk correctly. you're causing so much troub-

"It's okay,darling" Severus soothed,hand slowly reaching up to gently run through untameable curls. Holding back a sigh of relief when a little more light returned to hazel eyes. "I understand. Do you want me to go to the boys room? They have plenty of spare clothes you can borrow."

"mm-hm" The soft sound cut off in between but he knew that was the best reply he was going to get.

Athena watched as Severus stood but her heart pounded when the warm touch was moved so she reached out a hand,grabbing onto the back of his robe with a pathetic whimper.

She didn't want her to leave.

Severus looked down,heart clenching when wide pleading hazel eyes stared up at him. He turned back around and knelt back down infront of the girl. "Want to come with me?"

There was a few seconds of hesitation and he waited patiently until he received a small nod. "Okay,do you want to walk o-"

He was cut off when Athena whined,making grabby hands towards him (if his heart melted at the sight and his expression turned unbelievable soft then no one was there to call him out on it)

Severus wasted no more time to grab the girl,keeping his movements slow and dramatic so he wouldn't scare her and easily scooped her up.

He felt better having her close,warm breathe fanning over his neck where she hid her face and arms loosely wrapped around his shoulders while her small hands gripped the back of his robes and her legs were wrapped tightly around his stomach.

He was glad she felt safe enough to be so close and he couldn't stop a small smile from making his way across his face when she let out a deep breathe and relaxed even further into him.

He knew she was in a bad state of mind. He read about dissociation,which she seems to be showing signs of and he himself personally had a fuzzy brain and static ears on bad days where he would wake up drench in sweat or when he'd black out from a too harsh hit from his drunk father.

He was glad that he was the one that could be here for the small girl in his arms. He always did everything he could to let her know he'd always be there for her but she wasn't exactly the most open and unless something triggered her into having a break down then she would continue to laugh and smile and keep her walls high.

But times like these,where she was just a broken child. He could help her,or at least try his best.

He would always be there to pick up her broken pieces.