Hidden Wings - Part I

Jessamine

Professor Snape sat in his dimly lit office, correcting essays.

It was a quarter after seven, his lesson with Ms. Lince should have started fifteen minutes ago.

The tip of his quill was puncturing the parchment as he violently crossed out every second word, and wrote at the bottom a big, fat red T.

He angrily shoved the lid onto the ink well and stood up.

If he used his free time to teach Ms. Lince wandless magic, she should at least have the decency to show up on time.

Robes billowing, he exited his office and swept through the dungeon corridors, until he stopped in front of the wall that led to the Slytherin den.

"Pureblood", he hissed and stepped inside once the wall slid away.

Inside, Ms. Parkinson and Ms. Greengrass were lingering on the couches, straightening up as he came into view.

"Where is Ms. Lince?", Professor Snape demanded, his black eyes narrowing at them.

"We don't know, sir", Ms. Parkinson replied, grimacing at the thought of the muggleborn.

Professor Snape's anger was dampened for a moment, as he realized that Ms. Lince had it harder in his house than he had thought.

Still, he wouldn't tolerate tardiness.

"Send her to my office when she arrives", he instructed sharply and left the Slytherin common room with a sharp turn.

He was about to return to his office, when something brown fluttered in front of him, shrieking relentlessly.
Professor Snape recognized it as Ms. Lince's blackbird.

The bird kept trying to tug at his robes, then flew a few metes away before repeating the process.

Professor Snape watched her for a moment, his face emotionless, before he followed the bird.

His instincts told him that something was wrong, and they were always right.

Profeasor Snape's swift pace slowed down as he followed the blackbird into a dark corridor.
The torches were out.

Flicking his wand, he relit them, and squinted his eyes upon noticing a figure huddled against the wall.

"Lumos", he muttered and walked towards the figure.
It was a Slytherin, he realized due to the robes of the student. The bird had landed on the student's shoulder, chirping sadly.

Professor Snape felt his heart stop for a moment when the light of his ebony wand illuminated the Slytherin's face.

It was Ms. Lince.
Her expression, frozen, displayed her utmost horror. The girl's eyes were wide open, staring into a mirror in her hand that was angled slightly to show the corridor around the corner.

Professor Snape breathed in deeply and waved his wand in the air, summoning a patronus.

"Get Albus and Minerva", he instructed the silver-glowing deer and watched it bound silently through the corridors, while he waited with the bird next to the petrified student.

It was during breakfast time in the Great Hall, when Hermione noticed Jessamine's absence.

"Erica", she said quietly as the little Slytherin passed her.

"Do you know where Jess is?"

"No", Erica replied and shrugged her shoulders, "sorry."

Throughout the day, Hermione kept an eye out for Jessamine, but she did not appear in Potions, nor during lunch time in the Great Hall.