Recovered Ivory [1]

Two

"Ms. Hamilton," Filch said, standing at the top of the stair case as we all came in with that cat of his in his arms. "Will you please follow me?"

I knew it wasn't a request I could deny since I knew who it was coming from. I turned to the others, smiling at Fred, who still looked worried after Ron told him what happened. "I'll see you guys inside. Save me a seat!"

I turned and followed Filch, hoping Severus would have this discussion in a private room, not in front of everyone. However, I was not so lucky. Filch brought me into the small sitting room that was behind the Professor's high table. It was sound proof so no one in the Great Hall would hear, but everyone in the room was about to hear the yelling. Severus was standing looking out a window when Filch left, but he didn't turn to look at me right away. The other staff gave me soft looks, but no one said anything. They all knew better.

"Why must you be so reckless?" Severus' words came swiftly and harshly, making me wince. He never got mad at me unless I put myself in danger, because he was so afraid to lose me after just finding me. Because I was friends with Harry and them, I tended to get into a lot of trouble.

"It's in my blood, I guess," I said without thinking. Once the words left my mouth, I knew I had made a mistake.

Severus turned around, his face unreadable and hard. "Is that what you want, Ivory, to take after your father?"

"No!" I exclaimed, taken aback.

"Severus, that's a little harsh, don't you think?" Professor McGonagall asked, trying to come to my aid, but the look she received silenced her.

"I did what you taught me," I began, trying to hold my own temper, which definitely ran on both sides of the family from what I had been told. "I protected myself against that thing."

"I taught you that spell as a precaution," he hissed, shaking his head. "Why did you think it was a good idea to go take a walk to the baggage car. I told you they would be waiting around the grounds."

"I wasn't thinking," I admitted, and he laughed harshly.

"Obviously."

"No harm came out of it," I tried to reassure him, but he was having none of it.

"Because you had to be saved the new professor," he snarled, causing me to take a step away. "If you had just thought about what you were doing instead of jumping in feet first—"

"Is that what you think I did?" I cried, not caring that here he was a professor and I was a student. "I was back there because I was worried about Gwen. I may have been petrified by the Dementor when it came at me, and you know what, I almost didn't fight back because every fiber in my body was telling me I couldn't and there was no use. That I wasn't my mother's daughter, that I was like my father, that it would be easier for everyone if I just gave up! But then I remembered what it felt like when you took me in, Sev, and suddenly everything was worth living for again! So don't you dare make me feel like I did the most stupid thing in the world because you're afraid of the fact that you almost lost me!" I spun on my heel and stalked towards the door. It opened before I got to it and Lupin stepped through, and I was ashamed of the tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Ivory!" Severus' voice was bold and stern, and it made me stop dead in my tracks. "Come back here, please."

"If you're just going to make me feel worse, then I'm going out to the Great Hall to pretend I'm in a happy mood," I snapped, but it didn't stop him.

"Ivory, come here." I took a deep breath to steady myself as I turned and walked back to stand before my uncle who did not look happy. "I'm not upset that you did what you did." He made a motion to cut off my response. "I'm upset because this time I really could have lost you. You're the only thing that makes me want to live, Ivory. You give me joy and remind me that there is another way to live life. I don't know what I would do without you, and every time you put yourself in danger, I feel I'm going to fall down the rabbit hole again. I lost you once, I don't want to loose you again; I'm not going to loose you again."