✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

05 | R E A L I S A T I O N

to sew this hole up that you
ripped in my head;
stupidly thought you            
            had it under control.

   "WHY WOULDN'T YOU finally talk to her?", Hermione groaned, her eyes flickering over the crowd, looking out for Cormac.

   Harry's gaze, on the other hand, didn't flicker; it was fixed on the couple standing several feet away, both fiercely whispering at each other. Ember's eyes were narrowed, a glare that didn't fit the girl Harry used to know: dark, angry, tired. Malfoy's jaw was clenched as he listened to her words, his eyes seeming to stare right through her.

   "Doesn't seem like she's in the mood for a talk", Harry muttered. He could see Ember's lips moving faster with every word escaping her mouth. "I don't even know what to tell her. This isn't Ember." Ron's words echoing in his memory, he couldn't agree more. This wasn't his sister. Ember used to be sweet and kind, shy and introvert; the girl hissing at Malfoy wasn't sweet, she was fierce, and whatever left her lips, it wasn't kindness. Her whole appearance withheld nothing of this cute shyness. A tight fitting black dress gained her several impressed looks that would have usually left her highly uncomfortable.

   "So you will just watch her getting all enveloped in darkness?", Hermione said, now also watching the pale couple quietly fighting. "I'm all with you. This isn't Ember." Hermione turned her gaze towards Harry. "Harry, she's still there, she's somewhere beneath these shadows. Remember what Dumbledore told you!"

   Harry blinked. "Get a bit more specific, will you? Because Dumbledore told me quite a lot lately, and I'm not the one out of the both of you with the extraordinary brilliant brain."

   "But this was essential!", Hermione sighed. "It's like he predicted something like this to happen! He told you about the side effects of Erebokinesis! It's said that darkness —"

   "... doesn't know a side", Harry slowly whispered. "She has lost control. You think they're controlling her? How?"

   "They're giving her darkness way much more room to act than Ember would have ever granted it. I think when Sirius died, the control she might had gained during the last year got cracked. She tortured Bellatrix Lestrange. She used an unforgivable curse, and if that wasn't really dark, I don't know what is." Hermione paused as Ember and Draco turned their backs on each other and walked away into different directions. "I assume her shadows had turned her over, and with that it's an easy thing for Voldemort to control her."

   Harry's eyes followed Ember on her way to the exit, as suddenly Snape blocked her way, and just a minute later they both left the room together.

   "Go", Hermione whispered. "I'll tell them you're in the bathroom."

·

    There was something in his eyes, she hadn't ever seen before in his gaze. She knew his disgust towards her, the hatred; but two black orbs were staring down at her in fear, and Ember Potter couldn't tell that she didn't like it.

   Nevertheless, Snape's voice was the usual emotionless snarl, when his thin lips opened.

   "I lately have the feeling you're trying to sabotage the young Mr Malfoy." Ember didn't even blink at his words. "I will have to report any given sign of disobeying. Say, Miss Potter, is there something I need to report?"

   "You'd rather mind your own business", Ember hissed, her arms crossed in front of her chest, as she lazily leaned against one of the desks. "What young Mr Malfoy doesn't get, is that I need more time. It might escaped your notification, but protection standards had significantly raised since the start of the term."

   "You blocked Draco's offer for co-working in this", Snape said I. A plain voice. "I wonder why, as both your missions perfectly fit into each other."

   "His plan is ridiculous, it won't work out."

   "Tell him a better one."

   "Who am I? His nanny? He decided to take this path his own! He sees it as an honour, doesn't he?" Ember laughed coldly. "Honour must be earned! I won't do all the work, so he will be his master's shining star!"

   "You don't get it, Potter, don't you?", the potion master spat. "For Draco it is irrelevant if you'll complete your task, but yours will never work out if he will fail!"

   "Well, if I'm that stupid, how do you think I will ever manage to help him?" She smirked at her teacher. "He's not telling you shit, is he? Does it drive you mad to not be the Dark Lord's number one pet in this castle any longer? Do I sense a little frustration about being replaced by Draco?"

   "Talking about pets, you of course do know that you also are just one of his toy soldiers, are you, Miss Potter?" There was a pause where his dark eyes pierced into hers, blackness meeting blackness. "Arrogant as your father. Have you forgotten where his haughtiness had lead to?"

   Anger boiled under Ember's skin, hot waves flashed through her veins, burning every other feeling than the wrath she felt.

   "As if you'd care if I live or die", she hissed, her voice dangerously low. "You'd love to see me end like my father! Aren't you thrilled about my wonderful mission? Must have been awful to wait six years for this to happen. However it will end, you'll get rid of one of us, Harry or me."

   Snape's expression was unreadable, his face a plain mask. The fear in his eyes was gone, there was nothing left but emptiness.

   "I wonder what your mother would say if she could see you now", he replied, his voice so quiet she barely heard them.

   "Don't you dare talking about my mother! You know nothing about my mother!" Her voice equally low, she stepped closer to him, glaring up at him with a deadly expression.

   "I know enough to say that the woman dying to protect her children wouldn't be that thrilled about what you're currently up to."

   His words took their time. Like an anesthetic injection she could feel it spreading through her vessels. Slowly, her fingers turned numb, and this very same feeling wandered up her arm, feeling like she was torn out of her own body, bit by bit, reaching her neck, creeping higher —

   It was like an explosion in her brain,  like being kicked out of her own mind, but also being able to catch a clear thought for the first time in a very long while. Blinking at Snape, a sudden realisation washed over her in icy waves, drowning her in reality.

   "Don't forget", Snape said, "neither can live —"

   "... while the other survives."

—