Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

34 - The Beginning of the End

"Neville come on! You're going to be late!"

Kalina called up the stairs on September 1st, 1994 to Neville Longbottom, a boy who is a student at Hogwarts and is also under the protection and care of Kalina Oakblood. This year, it is going to be Professor Oakblood once more.

During the heated argument she had with Severus months prior, she had forgotten to mention that she would be starting at Hogwarts again, taking over the position for Herbology as Pomona takes a break off work for personal reasons. She was ecstatic to be going back but a little nervous too.

Neville came springing down the stairs, his hair a mess and his sweater on back to front. Of course, he had slept in. Kalina had made the mistake of purchasing him a Gameboy and without a doubt, he spent all night on it.

"Oh Neville." Kalina tutted at him, pointing to his sweater which made him look down, bring his arms out of the sleeve holes and turning it around before Kalina shoved a plate of toast with marmalade towards him whilst she went and got his stuff from his room.

The time was 8am but they had to get a taxi to the Wiltshire train station and then board on another train which is not visible to the Muggle eye at Kings Cross Station. Sadly, there was no means of getting there with Floo Powder and she wasn't allowed to apparate with anyone underage, which Neville was. Also, Dumbledore had enforced a strict rule that even teachers were no longer permitted to apparate and disapparate in and out of Hogwarts unless crucial.

The time Neville had spent at Kalina's, he had grown considerably over the summer. Of course his hormones were changing but she wasn't expecting him to be up to her shoulder when he was barely up to her waist two years ago. However, they both had an incredible summer. The pair of them decided to travel a little in England, Kalina wanting to show Neville the incredible Lake District and Rocky Mountains. Since their birthdays were close to one another (Kalina's being on the 23rd of July and his being on the 30th), it seemed like a perfect way to spend their summer.

Before Neville had moved in to live with her, she took her time and went to Diagon Alley and picked out the tank that Neville was eyeing up for his toad, Trevor. She had attached a small bow to it and led him up to his new room and he was shocked and baffled to see the tank. He had set it up himself, knowing how Trevor likes it best and together they also went out and picked some furniture out for him to make his room better. Now, he had a small desk that faced opposite his window where he could do his schoolwork that was set for him over the holidays (no help from Kalina of course, aside from the odd hint here and there). He had a black rug on top of his carpet by his bed and she also allowed him to hang pictures and posters up on the wall but as Kalina had noticed, he had left the pink splotch of paint that was a reminder of Sunday's old room and drew a rainbow and some flowers right underneath it.

Kalina had also been in touch with Severus over the summer too. It was him who wrote first this time. Kalina wanted to write first but she spent a long time thinking of the words he ushered in her ear whilst he thought she was asleep.

You have my heart, my darling Kalina.

The words never seemed to fade from her memories and she spent a long time thinking about it. She never addressed it to him but she supposed he thought that that may be the last time they would see eachother. He still doesn't know that Kalina would be coming back to Hogwarts this year.

They exchanged letters once every three weeks, keeping in touch yet his letters were brief and short. His letters considered of questions such as how she was, if she's been in contact with her father, if the weather is nice and how he hoped Neville was doing his homework.

Speaking of her father, Kalina had introduced Neville and her dad and he seemed overjoyed. He had even taken him out to the cinema one evening so it was a delight for Kalina to see that Neville was settling in just fine.