The Potion Mistress & the Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 34: Caught

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OC (Katherine) is entirely my own.

The low whistle of a steam engine blew in the distance. He was surrounded by hundreds of children and parents alike; hugging and kissing each other goodbye on the platform. Severus looked around the station and wondered why he was at King's Cross. It was cleaner than he remembered; a lot cleaner actually.

The train's whistle gave another low toot as the conductor shouted 'All Aboard!' Severus watched the children scramble onto the glistening green express. It was then that he caught sight of a blonde haired eleven year old hopping aboard at the last minute.

Severus walked towards the area where she had disappeared with curiosity. Children hung out the windows, waving to their parents as the train began to move slowly out of the station. Suddenly, there she was again; the young blonde witch was now hanging out one of the compartment windows, waving towards the platform. She smiled happily as she waved, but quickly turned and pulled someone else towards the window with her.

A black haired boy, with dark eyes and a hooked nose hung out the window with the girl. He smiled slightly as he began to wave goodbye as well. Severus froze in his spot on the platform and stared intently at the two eleven year olds as the train continued out of the station and out of sight.

Parents lingered on the platform for a bit longer before beginning to disapparate or floo from the station.

"Don't worry," a fair-haired man said next to him. "They'll be alright. They have each other after all." Severus frowned at him, as he watched the man walk towards a brunette woman, and began guiding her towards the floo network.

"Severus," a voice whispered next to him. But as he turned, he saw no one there.

"Sev," the voice came again, this time a little louder. "Sev." He could feel an odd sensation run through his body; the hairs on his arms and neck stood on end. It was like the signals of a ward was going off.

'Wait! A ward?' Severus shot up in bed, breathing hard. 'Another bloody dream,' he thought as he looked around his bedroom.

In the darkness of the room, he made out the silhouette of what he knew was Katherine's figure hastily throwing on a robe and searching the bedside table for her wand. The waning November moon was trying to break through the dark curtains, casting small bit of light across the floor.

"Sev," Katherine whispered in the dark. "There's someone in the office." Severus quickly rose from the bed and grabbed his robe and wand as well. The two made their way to the office door and Severus leaned against it, listening for any signs of movement from the other side.

"Come on Luna," a soft girl's voice hissed. "We don't want to wake the portraits." That was all Severus needed to hear.

"LUMOS!" he shouted as he wrenched open the door. The sudden light filled the room; the portraits began protesting have been woken up in such a rude manner. Severus and Katherine entered the room to find Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood standing near the opposite door. The former, trying to hide something behind his back.

"What are you all doing in here?" Severus snarled, as he stalked towards the trio. No one dared to answer him. "What do you have Longbottom?"

The young man in question, shifted slightly, but continued to glare up at the Headmaster. Severus watched as the Weasley girl's eyes shifted from him to a spot behind him, where he could only guess Katherine was standing.