𝐒𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄 || Severus Snape x OC ||

26. DROPLETS OF POISON

*.·:·.☽ ✧ ☾.·:·.*

"Professor Snape – It's the Headmaster sir. He has summoned you to his office for the Potter boy," Alice recognized the raspy voice of the castle's caretaker, laced with the bored and rather unbothered meows of Mrs. Norris in Filch's arms.

A mere moment ago Alice had slid to the wooden chair and her fingers had curled around a quill as the potions master had pulled out his wand and with a motion of his hand, the door had flung open.

Keen eyes sought to decipher the potions master's unreadable expression and Filch's enigmatic words about Harry Potter. Within, she felt a sliver of relief that it was not Umbridge after her own tail as well as of Severus's. Unlike most members of this Hogwarts house, the Head of Slytherin made no effort to hide his discontent with the new teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her constant 'advices', as Umbridge called them, to focus on merely theoretical instead of practical lessons had made the fangs of the large dungeon bat to show. Umbridge, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy repeatedly prickling him with the needle of her giggles and pretended politeness.

Severus turned, catching Alice's gaze. His hand was still upon the door of the dungeon. His onyx eyes veiled with alarm, yanking at her heart's strings. She stood up, scooping her potion's book and her quill, pacing swiftly out of the door. She didn't need him to tell her; she already knew she had to leave, for he too would not stay here.

Filch glared at her but merely for a moment, as Severus's demanded his attention, shielding Alice from any questions the caretaker could ask her.

"Miss Wolfwind," his dark voice halted her steps as she began to climb up the flight of spiral stairs. "You're to continue your essay on the Strengthening Potion. Tomorrow evening. Same time."

"Yes, sir," she voiced softly at the caress of his timbre and clenching her book she hastened her steps, hearing solely the echo of Mrs. Norris meowing and the potion master's steps upon the stone stairs.

Up. Up. Up and away, she went back to the Ravenclaw tower against the sound of the empty corridors, nibbling her lower lips and tasting still Severus's kiss as the sparks of curiosity came alive in her mind.

Why would the headmaster ask for Snape at this hour? What happened to Harry?

She stood before the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. The temptation to slither her way to the headmaster's office and hear what happened tugged at her. For a moment, she considered the likely plan. She had little need of her wand to luminesce, as her eyes kept adjusting easier and easier to the low light, and her soundless steps would make it a piece of cauldron cake to leave the portraits undisturbed and avoid Filch's attention...

Whatever it was that was happening to Harry Potter had no doubt some sort of relation to the Dark Lord. It always did... and hence, it was of interest to her, too.

She hesitated.

"What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?" the portrait at the door of the common room questioned looking down at the raven-haired witch.

Alice hoisted her glance up to the moving portrait and a bitter-sweet smile formed on her lips.
"A promise..." she voiced and the door to the common room yawned open before her.

*.·:·.☽ ✧ ☾.·:·.*

The class was filled with the voices of the students. Chatters and a little laugh flew up in the air like a flock of birds with Seamus Finnigan's Irish fiery spirit sounding louder than them all as he reached out in the air with a grunt, trying to catch a bewitched piece of paper that batted its wings away from his lion-like swift grasp.