The White Rose of Winter (on hold)

Chapter Eight: Second Year's Beckoning

Chapter Eight: Second Year's Beckoning

Katrina sat quietly in her room tossing a ball of crumpled parchment into the air. It had been over two weeks since any of her friends wrote to her. She threw the paper ball into the waste bin, turning on her side. It would be another two weeks till school started. Another year, another adventure. As she continued to think of Hogwarts, one memory plagued her mind. She could never forget what Dante said that day in her father's office. He warned her, that she was in danger. From what she didn't know.

There was a feint knock on the door, shortly after her father walked in. This took Katrina by surprise. Her father rarely, if ever came in unannounced. She looked up, his face was twisted with discomfort. Something was bothering him.

"Dad, whats wrong?" asked Katrina. She stood up from her bed walking up to him.

"Nothings wrong, I just had a little trouble with the fire place." he replied rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"are you sure?" asked Katrina, persisting to find out what was bothering him.

"yes, Katrina." said Severus in a harsher tone.

"Well what is it you wanted to talk about?" Katrina didn't press further.

"I wanted to sit down and talk to you about your grades from you previous year."

Katrina shifted uncomfortably, she knew this was going to come sooner or later.

"Yes..." she said in a small voice. Her father's towing figure looked down at her disapprovingly.

"You told me you would do better." said Severus sternly. In his hand he held all her grades from last year. Perfect marks in Potions and The Defense Against the Dark Arts, with her fathers many years of instruction it would have been impossible for her to fail. All other grades were average, except for transfiguration. Thats the one that stood out like a sore thumb. He thrusted the paper into her hand, taking Katrina by surprise.

"I really tried hard to get a good mark but I just couldn't do it" wined Katrina.

"I will not tolerate this from you Katrina, you understand." he growled.

Katrina hid her face within her thick curtains of jet black hair, hiding her tears.

"I understand." she mumbled.

Severus' stern expression softened a bit, he kneeled down his face was now level with hers. He pushed her bangs from her face, wiping away her tears with his sleeve.

"I only want whats best for you Katrina." he said, his voice was much softer than before.

Katrina looked up at her father nodding in reply. Severus took in a sharp breath, he hated seeing her upset. He stood up, straightening his robes.

"I'll be in the study if you need me." he walked towards the door but stopped abruptly. "I almost forgot-" he pulled two letters from his coat handing them to Katrina.

"They came while you were asleep." Severus handed her the two letters before walking out of the room.

"Thank you" she said softly, but he had already left. Katrina walked to her bed, looking at the letters. One was from Dante, the other was from Rosalina. She let out a sigh, setting the letters down on her desk unopened. Katrina turned on a lamp, the bright yellow light illuminated the once dark desk top. The one on top was from Rosalina, Katrina secretly hoped she would say Nyre would be coming back. She pulled her letter opener from the drawer, carefully opening the cream colored envelope. As she pulled out the letter, a distinct smell of coffee and vanilla filled her nostrils. Katrina smiled as she was greeted by Rosalina and Nyre's smiling faces, waving at her from the picture. The letter was short, only having a mere few sentences from the sisters.