Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

47 - Suspicions are Rising

Excited chatter filled the grounds of Hogwarts as every student and every member of staff made their way towards the Black Lake. Everyone had a buzz of what was in-store for the Champions that afternoon. To get a good view, boats was the main source of transportation for the tournament so that wet afternoon, Kalina stood by the docks and escorted the students safely onto their transport.

Harry Potter came walking across the wooden dock with Neville by his side, seeming nervous and looking around for something or someone.

"Afternoon Neville, Harry." Kalina nodded to them as she just sent a few students across the lake before turning to them.

"Afternoon, Professor." Harry breathed apprehensively, tugging on the sleeves to his jumper out of angst.

"Come on Harry, try not to worry." Kalina said comfortingly, giving him a somewhat pitiful look. "You're going to smash it, alright? Won't he Neville?" Kalina turned to Neville, hoping that he would give his friend some words of encouragement but he seemed just as nervous Harry did which all in all, made Kalina nervous. Neville nodded meekly as a response and climbed into the boat next to Harry who were then joined by Ernie MacMillan and Susan Bones, two other students at Hogwarts who set sail over to one of the three large platforms that stood in the middle of the Lake.

Kalina watched Harry and Neville's boat float away but turned once she heard the loud thumping of a familiar metallic foot and staff coming down the dock.

"How did he seem?" Alastor had asked once he stood next to her, gesturing towards Harry who, which Kalina could make out, had his head in his hands in the boat.

"As expected - nervous." She told him flatly. He grumbled something under his breath and then made his way over to one of the few remaining boats and climbed in before anyone else could and went ahead.

Kalina had been in her office the night before, looking at the Boomslang Skin and was rummaging through her books on Potions and Draughts of what Boomslang skin could be used in. It was unfortunate for her however that there was at least fifty different ones and all of them seemed more useless for Alastor's usage the more she looked.

As Kalina was watching Alastor's small boat sail across, she didn't even notice two others had graced her presence until a hand rested on her shoulder which made her jump back in fear at the sudden touch. She felt her foot slip from underneath the dock, having moved to far back towards the edge and was ready to embrace the cold of the Black Lake. Her heart had stilled but jump-started up again when an arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back and into the warm embrace of the Potions Master.

"Oh my goodness, I didn't mean to startle you!" Minerva, who had watched with a horrified expression of her friend almost falling into the abyss of water on her behalf.

Kalina who was red in the face from embarrassment and slight relief that Severus was there to catch her before she fell, straightened out her clothes and removed herself quickly from Severus' embrace since she believed that Minnie had no idea that they became more than just friends at the Yule Ball.

In the Break Room, Minerva had constantly tried to get out of Kalina how her relationship stands with Severus since nobody has ever received something such as a necklace from him before.

Severus wasn't at all offended when she pulled away as he quickly made sure that his pink cheeks were hidden by moving towards a boat that had magically appeared and got it ready so the three of them could cross the Lake together.

"No worries, was just startled is all." Kalina told her female colleague, slightly exasperated.

Severus glanced over his shoulder towards Kalina, a small frown on his face as he started to ponder what could have caused her such a response so as he scanned the lake, the closest boat to the dock they stood at had Alastor sat inside the vessel. Of course he knew that they clearly didn't get along but Severus had the inkling that Kalina could be hiding something from him; just as he was with her such as the Dark Mark.