Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

33 - Brutal Truths

Kalina was elated with the news that Neville would be moving in with her! The pair spent the rest of their weekend watching old cartoons on the TV (something really enjoyed) whilst Kalina sat at her computer, writing to her family about the news. She received word back from several of her cousins, all of them congratulating her although they were shocked to receive such news at first.

Kalina sent Neville back to Hogwarts that Sunday evening after telling him that she will pick him up at the station. She doesn't drive so she'll have to get a taxi but she didn't mind at all, she was excited and she hoped Neville was too.

Neville, when he went back to Hogwarts, went to his dormitory, fumbling his mind for the right password before bundling up the stairs to tell his roommates, Harry, Ron, Dean and Seamus the awesome news himself. They were shocked but pleased that Neville was living with someone 'bloody brilliant' as Ron said and 'as sexy as a Veela' as Dean said bluntly. Neville glowered at Dean who received a small smack on the arm by Seamus. There was only a few weeks left of the school year and although he loved Hogwarts, he just couldn't wait to live with her. She had told him that when he moves in she will get him a present so that was something to look forward to.

Meanwhile, a few days later, Kalina was applying a thin layer of lip-gloss to her lips, smacking her lips together and looking in her bathroom mirror. She was heading back to Hogwarts to speak with Albus about Neville and he also had something else to discuss with her anyway. Since she was going back up, she had remembered that she was going to have a drink or two with Severus.

Albus had expected a visit from her so he wasn't so surprised to see her emerge from his fireplace that Wednesday evening. He had just come back from dinner, feeling satisfyingly full and embraced Kalina, shockingly to her, in a hug. "I'm so happy about you and Neville, I had overheard Potter and Longbottom speaking about the other day."

Kalina laughed softly and shrugged her shoulders casually. "I'm happy too. I'm glad that he seems so enthusiastic about it as I am. He's a lovely kid."

Albus beckoned her to sit with him on two large chairs, his fingers laced together as they both dove into a small conversation.

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Later on, leaving Albus' office, Kalina had a slight spring in her step as she made her way down to the dungeons. She wore a nice pair of ankle boots, plain black and skinny jeans accompanied with a white long sleeved blouse that had a few frilly bits at the end.

She was quiet as she headed down, noticing some of the paintings were starting to nod off to sleep.

Kalina felt the same chill that she usually did when she came down to the dungeons, feeling somewhat excited to see Severus again and to tell him the big news.

She approached his door and knocked but to no avail. She knew it was around 9pm so there was no chance he was teaching or in the Great Hall so she knocked again but with enough force, the door opened.

She hesitated, looking from left to right to see if there was anyone lurking around and there wasn't so she entered his room, one foot in front of the other.

"Hello? Severus?" Kalina called out one she stepped into his chambers. She could hear faint bubbling and as she suspected, a cauldron was bubbling away in the corner but something seemed odd. As she walked over, she inspected his workstation to see that it was messy which was very unlike him. He was always clean and precise when conducting potions but instead he had bat tongues, lacewing flies and burdock roots scattered all over the place.

She stepped back and walked towards his bed, listening closely to the door on the left to see if he was showering and to her relief, he wasn't.

Walking to his desk, she smiled fondly as she saw a small pile of her letters on the right side of his desk and faintly, she could see some attempts of writing back to her but only for her name and his words to be crossed out.