Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

3 - Simple Gestures

The walk to the Dining Hall the next morning was daunting. She was a shy character and being introduced to hundreds of students as well as new staff did hit a nerve but she put on a brave face.

Before she left her chambers, her hair was pinned into a half-up half-down ponytail and she wore a white blouse with long sleeves that were crossed off at the ends with ribbons that hung down and long. On the lower half of her body, she wore faux leather pants accompanied with a detachable skirt that was slit at the front, revealing her legs. The skirts itself was made of a silk and trailed behind her flawlessly. She put on her black boots to finish off the look before she made her way to breakfast.

She did get lost straight away, but her spirit lifted when she spotted Minerva walking towards her, a small smile on the older woman's face. "Lost are we?" Minerva asked, giving her a sympathetic look upon seeing the slightly stressed one on Kalina's face.

"Afraid so, will you show me the way?" Kalina asked sheepishly but Minerva only chuckled and nodded her head, gesturing her to follow after her. On the way, the two conversed quietly, Minerva mainly asking if she found her chambers to be adequate enough and then explaining her role as Head of House Gryffindor and what she teaches. Even before Minerva could tell her that she did Transfiguration, Kalina guessed as much.

Minerva kindly opened a door for Kalina, a side entrance to the Great Hall, a large and miraculous Hall with a fake ceiling, candles floating above the students heads as they gathered along the long tables, waiting for the feast and teachers announcements to start.

"Ah, Professor Oakblood, thought I'd see you again soon." Before she could sit down, she looked across from where she stood to see Lockhart striding over to her, wearing the most spectacular royal purple attire, laced with gold and silver details.

She was impressed with how good he always looked but then again, being a top-selling author would allow him to buy such luxurious clothing.

"Professor Lockhart, it's a pleasure." She nodded curtly to him, a small but at the same time forced smile planting on her face.

As the Professor's started to pile in, she introduced herself to all of them; all of them friendly and sweet and very interested in her teaching past.

A sweet woman with large eyes due to her obnoxiously large lensed glasses took her hands into her own, smiling sweetly as she traced her index finger over the body, mind and soul of her hand. "Sweet one, you've had such heartache and sorrow in your life..." She says softly yet her smile was wide as if she was trying to be comforting. "Yet, passion and the will to thrive awaits you."

Kalina swallowed slightly, clearly uneased by the Professor quick evaluation of her. She was clearly a Seer, someone could determine or see ones future. She looked to her side where Lockhart stood beside her, his hand son his hips as his eyes trailed along the Kalina's palm under the Professor's touch.

"Do you really need to do that now? Trelawny?"

Kalina looked around, not finding the source of the mans voice until she looked down, her eyes landing a much smaller wizard, looking unhappy towards the mad woman who still had Kalina's hand in her own.

The woman quickly looked to the man and then back up to Kalina, smiling sheepishly before prying her hands away, slightly shaky as she held them up to her chest. "Forgive me," she said softly, tilting her head to the side as if something was grabbing at her neck, the movement was quick and sharp as she did so, "you just have the most amazing aura about you."

Kalina blushed at her words, finding them incredibly sweet yet odd. "Thank you," Kalina replied, reaching out and placing her hand on the woman's arm as if to put her at ease, "it's glad to know my future is somewhat worthy... despite the sorrow of my past." She spoke, her voice slightly wavering but she quickly wiped the bitter memories away before they could poison her mind.