Recovered Ivory [1]

Ten

"You're too skinny," Madam Pomfrey was tutting as she moved around my bed. "You've lost a lot of weight over the last two weeks. Why?"

"I guess I haven't been hungry," I said, shrugging, not meeting her eyes. If anyone could get the truth out of me, without even asking, it was her. 

"It's not like Narcissa to let you starve yourself," she sighed, knowing there was something else going on. Much to my surprise, she didn't push it. "Well, it's lucky you were able to produce a patronus."

"Yeah," I said, nodding with a small smile. I hadn't known where the memory came from, but the wonder and love I had been filled with couldn't have been fake. Whoever the mystery man was, who had loved my mother enough to let her steal his most prized possession, had loved me as much as his own child. 

"Ivory." Severus' voice was odd as he stood in the doorway of the infirmary. It was like he didn't recognize the girl sitting on the bed. "You look awful."

"Thanks," I said, dryly as Madam Pomfrey bustled into her office to give us some space. "So, what are you doing up here? Won't someone get suspicious?"

"No, most everyone is gossiping about what happened on the train then to notice I'm not there," he sighed, sitting on the bed next to me. "You want to tell me what happened?"

"Dementor came after us. I cast the charm. Saved us." I knew he was asking a completely different question, but I was ignoring it. He wanted to know what happened over the vacation. 

"You know I took a few days off during the holiday in order to check on the house," he began, but I wouldn't look at him. "I ran into Lucius and Draco, both trying very hard to hide something from me. Now, they're not as trained as you are in hiding their thoughts. They were able to hide most everything from me."

"But?"

"What are you planning on doing, Ivory?" he asked, surprising me. I was sure he would start yelling and cursing, but instead he seemed scarily calm. 

"You're not angry?" I was sure he would at least yell at me, since it was partially my fault. There was something I could have done about it before it happened, I knew it.

"Oh, I'm plenty angry," he said, and I could tell he was holding it all in. 

"I'm sorry," I whispered, looking down at my hands. 

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he hissed, making me look at him sharply. His face was fierce, but he meant the words he said. "There was no reason for that boy to do this to you. If he knew what family you belonged to, this would never have happened."

"That's the thing, Severus, I don't think it would have made a difference," I whispered, looking into the darkness that was outside the window. "Maybe I deserved it for the way I act. Even if he had known, I still act the way I do."

"You did not deserve anything!" he growled, jumping to his feet to pace back and forth in front of me. "You don't have any idea how hard it is for me not to storm into the dorm and search everyone's memories."

"Why don't you?" I was actually confused by his lack of action. I was sure he would be on a murderous rampage at this point.

"Because, as creative as I can be, Ivory, I know you deserve to enact any and all revenge you see fit," he hissed, looking into my eyes deeply. "Now tell me, what are you going to do?"

I felt a smile grace my lips, but not a smile he was used to seeing. It was sadistic and malicious. He took a step back. "Nothing pretty."

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