Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

26 - Okay

It was now February.

She had been back at Hogwarts for a whole month and she was feeling relaxed and calm for a change. When she came back, she was glad to see the Mandrake Draught still brewing and hasn't been damaged again. The students were behaving themselves and there hadn't been an attack for a while so she was relatively tranquil.

She was walking out of one of the Greenhouses after teaching the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students about poisons in plants and flowers when she almost had a head caved in by a vicious Bludger. She had ducked down quickly, staying low to make sure that the Bludger was long gone before she returned back to her normal stance and looked around, her gaze landing on a group of Gryffindor students were practicing.

She sighed as one of the members ran towards her, fumbling apologises after apologies. Kalina recognised the babbling student to be Oliver Wood, the team Captain for Gryffindor.

"Don't worry Mister Wood, I'm perfectly alright." She told him with soft eyes, instantly making him relax. "Practice going well?"

Oliver chuckled nervously and looked over his shoulder seeing that the twins, Fred and George, were already messing around in his absence, "It's going better but..."

"But?"

"I need a better Broom. Flint had been gifted the newest model by Draco Malfoy's father." Kalina noticed the look of disdain on his face, clearly envious about the special treatment the Slytherin team were getting.

"Lucius? Typical." Kalina rolled her eyes.

She had met Lucius once before a few years ago and he was as arrogant back then as he was now. There was something sincerely unsettling about him too.

She told Oliver not to worry and just to keep practising before she made her leave and retreat back into the castle, she had a free period more often now since she quit Potions.

It was very strange to see Severus and not say a word to him. Not even hearing a sly remark from him at dinner or as he passes by in the corridor. One day she had sat a few seats away from him from dinner and she cast a small glance in his direction, supposedly wanting to see how he was acting but in an instant, he had stood up and left without touching no more than a pea on his plate.

She called hear the small talk amongst the staff, wondering why Severus had been more off than usual and why Kalina as well wasn't her usual chatty self. Minerva had tried talking to Kalina about it since she became the substitute headteacher whilst Albus was gone. Undoubtedly Minerva was trying to persuade Kalina to take up Potions again but she just couldn't do it; she couldn't look Severus in the eye. After finding out about his past and what may or may not have happened in his chambers, she had no idea what to say or do.

Students had also come up to Kalina, wondering why she had stopped Potions and her answer was always 'you don't need me no more' which was true, the students didn't need her. They paid closer attention, they made sure they grabbed extra ingredients, they didn't follow straight from the textbook and listened to Severus a lot more closely.

She didn't want to toot her own horn but she knew she was a valuable asset in those lessons since whenever she was seen walking around on a free period or even just in her chambers, students would come knocking with their workbooks, almost begging her for help even if they were on the right track anyway.

After dinner that evening, she was making her way down to her chambers when she heard aloud crash occur from behind her. She jumped slightly in shock and whizzed around to see the commotion. As she looked, a large suit of armour went tumbling on the ground of the dungeon, the helmet rolling around in a circle until it came to a dizzy stop. She looked towards the stand and noticed a figure cowering around two plates of armoured legs but she recognised those Lilac robes from anywhere.