You can hinder me, but you'll never stop me

How To Not Handle Affection, a Guide By Jennifer Potter

There were a lot of things Jay thought about when she woke up. Things like, 'What the hell do I do now?' or 'What the hell happened last night?'.

The answer to the latter was most important to her. Hogwarts was one of her safe places, a place where she fit in even if she was different. That would change now, with what happened. She was obviously not safe here, as wasn't anyone else. That... that thing she heard last night, was it even human? Chills slipped down her spine at the thought of the voice she heard. She hoped the teachers would find out what happened last night, and fast.

Since she didn't have school today, or so Severus had said, she decided to go for a stroll on the school grounds.

That was probably her first mistake of the day. Faced with stares, whispers and the occasional douche that thought it was okay to yell horrible things to her, had her leaving for the woods behind the quidditch pitch. While in the forest she felt like she could breath again. Only the occasional bird was heard tweeting and she went deeper into the woods.

She took out her new training suit, thick dark green sweatpants with a sleeveless hoodie and her cloth dancing boots with hard soles. She absently bound her hands while leaning against a tree. She looked at the thick forest roof and let herself be lost in the energy that always seemed to radiate from the forest. It was as if it were sentient and tried to reassure her that she was safe here. Away from prying eyes and judgment, away from the cruelness of society as the wind swept her hair.

She took out a hair tie and braided her hair as she spotted the perfect spot for her warm-up.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Severus would never admit it, but he was slightly panicking. When he returned from breakfast and once more checked on his charge, expecting her to still be right where he left her not twenty minutes ago, she was gone. And he couldn't find her.

This was bad, very very bad. Was there something he did? The girl had been granted the day off and he thought she'd sleep in, not that she'd be, well, gone.

After searching his entire quarters, he hadn't found her. He left a note for her in case she came back before he did. He walked as fast as he could to Flitwick, hoping he'd have a clue as to where the girl might have gone, she was after all one of his favorite students. When he didn't know either, Severus was at a wits end. Had she taken off fully? Gone to Spain or wherever she'd gone during the holidays? That damned girl. Couldn't she be a little more predictable? She'd already outsmarted him on several occasions. Of course, first year with the Potion's guild, then practically all teachers safe for Flitwick and Sprout with her end year's exams... honestly, if they didn't keep a close eye on the girl she'd leave the country at this point and not return due to the misdoings to her. He couldn't blame the girl if she did, but honestly, she wasn't so bad to have around. Intelligence in the plenty, snarky in a way you'd miss unless she wants you to know she'd being cheeky to you, and very undependable.

Though the last brought issues. Lots of them.

Far ahead of her peers, meant she was bored often. The cheekiness could get her into trouble with the wrong people, as displayed during several 'fights' she'd had since she'd arrived, and the independableness... was a huge issue. She was confused when he did things for her, like baking breakfast in the weekend for the both of them. When he checked on her subtly during the day, yet not subtle enough to go unnoticed by her, and then last night happened.

She probably didn't know what to do with it. He already treads carefully in the area's that she outlined for him as acceptable, and even the small act of holding her hand in comfort must have been very alien to the girl. Thinking back to her reaction, she'd reacted not so badly and had allowed him to hold her hand for a bit before pulling back. It was a risk he'd taken, and now he paid the consequences of it. He'd pushed the limits of their unstable relation and now she was gone. There was no way that was a coincidence.

Classes were about to start, but this was slightly more important. He headed to the Headmaster to alert him of the missing student when he heard a student yell for him.

"Professor, wait! Please I just need a minute!"

Severus turned around, ready to snarl at the student. He was, however, surprised by whom he faced.

"Professor," Charlie huffed out, clearly out of breath, "Professor, I've been looking for you all morning. Please, wait just a moment!" Charlie ran as fast as he could to the unmoving professor.

"I don't have time for this, Mr. Potter. There are more important things right now than your failing grades." The man hisses out. He turns to leave.

"Please professor, this isn't about that! I heard what happened yesterday, and no one wants to tell me anything besides that you took Jennifer with you!"

Severus turns around, surprised at the concern the boy shows. "Mr. Potter, I did indeed take your sister with me yesterday, have you seen her or heard anything about her being seen this morning?" He asks. It can never hurt to ask the boy, he seemed to always know most about the gossip going around the school, and it's gotten the boy in trouble in more than a few occasions.

"What? No, I haven't seen her... she wasn't at breakfast and no one knew where she went. Do you... not know where she is?" The boy looks rather worried now, a disbelieving look on his face as he furrows his brow.

Severus jaw flexes, and he must be out of practice with his poker face if the boy actually can pick up on it. Lying wouldn't help him any more now. "No. She was gone this morning and hasn't been seen. I was about to alert the rest of the teachers-"

"Have you checked the roof yet?" The boy interrupts, and when he realizes that the professor has no idea where to look he begins to explain, "She likes high places, dangerous ones. I know that because I sometimes followed her when she got up really early, back at home. I've seen her in some wacky places. Or the forest – have you checked there yet? – she loves nature and being outside. She goes almost every day for running..."

Severus takes an urgent step forward, "Mr. Potter, how do you know this?"

He looks bashful and everts his eyes to the ground, "I- I know she's more then she lets people think. I never told anyone about this, because- because she got so little freedom compared to me... and I don't think it's fair. She deserves to have her own space, you know? If mom and dad found out, and if they made sure that she'd not get those moments..." The heavily implied she wouldn't have made it goes unsaid, but from the look his professor is giving him, he knows. Her flame would have been stamped out, and... he doesn't really want to think about what would have become of his sister. "So, have you checked there yet?" He once again asks, with higher urgency now.

Severus weighs his options.

"I haven't."