Hearts are Blind (Severus Snape X OC)

How Do You Catch A Redhead?

When supper had ended and the throng of students came trailing and pushing out of the Great Hall, there was an imposter among them. She'd slipped through the front doors, just as the entrance hall came alive with activity and she weaved her way through the clusters. She blended in quite well with the students, for she was very short and her cloak was as black as the sea of robes around her.

She hadn't meant to go unnoticed. She'd actually planned to meet with the Headmaster first, but then she got caught in the wave of children, as they pushed her along with them. She didn't fight the fates, though, because she lived her life by them. Besides... She really needed to see her daughter immediately. Dumbledore would just detain her and there just wasn't the time. Who knew how dire the situation was? Enough moments had been wasted, already. A lifetime had been wasted, actually, and she wasn't going to let things go any further.

It was time to open up her daughter's eyes.

It was time for Beatrice to stop fighting fate.

~

Clover's long, lithe fingers closed over Gabriel's wrist and he pulled the boy back from the crowd of students.

"Hey, wait a minute—"

"There's no time, Clover." Gabe muttered in a quick, breathy rasp. He didn't look at the boy tugging at his arm. He pulled his wrist free and said, "I need to find Lucy."

Clover set his jaw into an out-of-character level of displeasure and grabbed the boy's upper arm this time, pulling him back sharply from the door to the dungeons—which Gabriel was reaching for.

Gabe didn't make a noise, as he let his body snap back into the boy behind him. The trails of students leaving the Great Hall passed in front of them and Gabriel allowed this brief moment of contact, as his spine pressed into Clover's chest. The taller boy slid an arm over Gabriel's shoulder, hooking it across his sternum and holding him there. They felt each other breathe, as they watched the hall emptying.

"Lucy—" Gabe started, glancing at the entrance to the dungeons on their right.

"She's with Professor Snape." Clover said steadily and his voice was soberly deeper than usual. Gabe felt it resonate straight through him.

"Samael—" Gabe tried again, quieter this time, with a glance around the entrance hall.

Clover caught sight of the boy in question, heading up the grand staircase, hands in his pockets. "He's right there." The boy's golden eyes stayed on him. "Lucy isn't with him. She's with Professor Snape."

"But something's wrong with her." Gabriel whispered and his fingers slid over the arm that was around him.

Clover watched Tristin walk up the stairs and out of sight, followed by the rest of the students heading in that direction. The entrance hall was emptying quickly. "I know." He whispered back and then said more clearly, "and I'm sure Snape will easily figure out what's going on with her."

Gabriel paused a moment and watched the last few students disappear up the stairs and down into the dungeons. "Don't you care?" His hand tightened on the arm.

"Of course I do," Clover said sincerely, squeezing the boy gently and then letting him go. "But I can't focus on Lucy right now."

Gabriel turned around hesitantly and then his blue eyes—drowned and cold—met the smoldering hues of golden embers above him. "Why?" He asked quietly, face much more composed than it should have been.

"I need to find my sister," Clover said seriously. "She ran after Xavier when he left during supper."

"Do you think she's in danger?" Gabe raised his eyebrows just a fraction, the hesitancy still shadowing his voice.