Eleanor Snape- Book 2

...Until You're Caught

"I can't believe you got us caught!" I snapped as I stood with the Weasley twins outside of Dumbledore's office.

"We didn't do anything!" They defended at the same time, holding their hands up as if to shield themselves from my words.

"You were the one that brought attention to us!" Fred pointed at me.

"What did I do?!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air as well.

"Your the one with the loud, hag laugh!" George put in.

"What are you talking about?!"

"You bloody cackle!"

"I do not!"

"Yes you do!"

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you three now." McGonagall peeked her head through the doorway.

"Hey, Professor?" George asked, "When Eleanor laughs, does she cackle?"

"I-what?" She shook her head. "Come on in." She held the door open for us to go through.

"Ah, Mr. Weasleys. Ms. Snape. Have a seat." Dumbledore offered as soon as his twinkling, blue eyes spotted us. He was sitting behind his desk, guesering to three chairs sitting in front of it. I went in front of the twins and sat in the chair farthest to the left. The boys followed. "I believe you three now why you are here."

I swallowed as Fred and George nodded their heads as if they were saying yes to a simple Herbology Question. How were they so calm? I guessed they were so used to it that they weren't worried at all.

I, on the other hand, was frantic. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears. What would happen to us? How much trouble were we going to be in? Technically, I didn't do anything but pick the victim. 

"Yes, sir." George answered nodding.

"Humiliation solves nothing." Dumbledore looked at us over his half-moon spectacles. I touched the top of the cap in disbelief. He was siding with Pansy when my hair had been pink since Christmas. "I'm not saying that what Ms. Parkinson did to you was okay., Eleanor, but revenge was not the answer."

"But she-" I started, but he interrupted me.

"Were you aware that Pansy was being punished already?" I closed my mouth and looked down , shaking my head no. "Yes, by your uncle. She didn't get off for what she did to you." He paused for em to say something, but I stayed silent. I didn't have anything to say. Dumbledore softly smiled. "Feels awful, doesn't it? Guilt. Guilt is much more effective then embarrassment. No more damage is made besides what has already taken place."

"Pansy doesn't feel guilt." I stated, "She has no emotion."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "What about love? Jealously? Anger?"

He had a point. Pansy loved Draco, but Draco loved me. She was jealous of me, making her angry When she see's us together. Suddenly, a realization clicked in my head; She didn't hate me per say, but hated my relationship with Draco.

"You understand now?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Yes." I replied quietly.

"Good!" He clapped his hands together. "Now, sadly, you three still must be punished."

"Uggh!" Fred and George simultaneously moaned in disappointment.

"And I think that this will be better handled in the hands of the heads of your Houses." Dumbledore nodded at McGonagall, who had just coughed in the corners.

"Come along, boys." She said, signaling for the Weasleys to follow her. "And I'll take you to your uncle's office, Eleanor." I looked at Dumbledore, who just grinned and shook his head yes.

I did what I was told and followed McGonagall to the door of my uncle's office.

"Go ahead." She watched as I knocked on the door.

"Yes?" I heard Uncle Severus ask.

"It's me, Uncle Severus." I heard the door unlock and soon it was standing wide open, the familiar tall, dark figure standing in front of me. He looked at the sturdiness faced McGonagall and then down at me.

"What did you do this time?" He asked as he pulled me into the room behind him.

"It seems that she and the Weasleys played a horrid trick on Pansy Parkinson."

"Really?" Uncle Severus's face lacked emotion, but he raised an eyebrow as if to imply that he was curious.

"Albus instructed us to take care their punishments."

"Yes. Very well." My uncle didn't waste time closing the door. He turned around and for what seemed like eternity just looked at me. This was the first time I had been in his office, besides potions, since he had snapped at me. "Why can't you stay out of trouble?" He asked me. Surprisingly, it sounded more of a joke then a question.

"I just wanted to get back at her for...you know..." At that moment I realized how much I really did miss him. "...I'm sorry."

"I do not think that what you did was okay, but Pansy started it. I think you are now even. Instead of punishing you, I'll just drop her punishments."

"No, not for that. For getting mad at you. It's just, all these nightmares with my father. They are stressing me out. I wish I knew what he was trying to tell me." I looked up to see Uncle Severus rubbing his left for arm again. He had been doing that ever since the world cup, maybe a week or so after. "Why is wrong with that?" I asked. He looked at me, shocked.

"I do not know what you re talking about. "

"Yes you do." I lowered my voice. "The mark of You-Know-Who."

"It's called the Dark Mark, and you do not need to know. The Dark Lord is dead, and this," He pulled up his sleeve, revealing the Dark Mark on his pale skin. It looked darker than I remembered it, as if it were just freshly drawn on by wet, black ink. "doesn't matter anymore."

"You're lyi-

"The potion is finished." He interrupted me, changing the subject. It took me a minute to realize that he was talking about.

"Really?" I asked excitedly. Finally, I would be able to take off the stupid Quidditch cap.

"Yes." He took out his wand and waved it, making a vial of dark liquid fly from his desk and into his hand. "Here." I took it and quickly drank it. "The pink should fade out in a couple days." He assured.

"Thank you..." Now that I had taken the potions my thoughts had turned back to the Dark Mark. What was wrong with it? Something was going on and I intended to find out. "Uncle Severus? Can I use the owl?"

"What ever for?"

"I need to send a letter."