𝘼 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙

Dragons

I started waking up because my neck hurt, I groaned softly in pain trying to move my neck but it hurt like it was being stabbed by a sword. I opened my eyes and I was greeted by the dim light of... Snape's office? Oh for Merlin' sake.
He looked over at me from behind his desk, he didn't speak, we just gazed into each other's eyes waiting for some sort of signal but he looked different, he seemed to have lost his bitterness...
"Good morning" I said unsure of what he was actually feeling as I didn't risk it trying to enter his mind "I'm sorry, I fell asleep I-"
"I should be sorry, miss Avery" he interrupted me leaning on his desk with both of his palms, his head bowed down "You have to understand there are things you don't know, I have to be more than careful who I let around myself. I'm not trying to justify my behavior-"
"It sounds like you are, actually" I cut him off this time. Don't give me that, Severus.
"I am deeply sorry" he said in his deep, clear voice.
"Better" I said "I understand why you got suspicious but you had no right of doing what you did" my voice cracked and my eyes watered again thinking back to the previous night.
"I know" he said lowering his eyes for the first time "see it yourself..."
I looked at him more intensely trying to figure out if he meant what I thought he meant.
"As in-"
"Yes, I'll show you" he said, we made eye contact and I entered his mind very easily.

"A library?"
"Yes"
"I don't understand"
"Then shut up"
He made a book appear in front of me, it had my name on it.
"It makes sense... very organized"
"Thank you, I guess, now open it"
I did as he said and as soon as I opened it I found my self in the Great Hall, the first time ever he saw me...
"So that's how it works, a book for everyone you know?"
"For particular events, academic knowledge, many different sections"
"But your the only one that know how they're organized"
"Exactly"
"Do you think you can teach me how to do this?"
"I could if you want"
"Yes"
The memory changed, it was like a fast forward to last night, it started to take shape from the moment he had backed away from me and was looking at me crying but it was like i was muted, I could hear him speaking words I was sure he had never said and of course I realized I was hearing his thoughts:
"What have I done... I am so sorry I-"
He left the room leaving me there alone but I was soon watching him outside his office, he stumbled to the opposite wall. He leaned with his hand on the wall, bend over like he was about to puke, breathing heavily.
"I didn't want to do this, she was just a child... When have I turned into this monster..."
"I don't want to see this, this is too personal, I believe you"
"I want you to see it"
"I can't"
"Well"
I slipped out.

"I don't know what happened to you Professor, but you really can't let it take over yourself like this... we're more than what's been done to us" I gave a light squeeze to his hand that still sustained the weight of his body over the desk and with my great surprise he didn't retract it.
"Over the years I found it was easier to shut everyone out, that it was easier to be like... like I am" he said "but tonight I reached a point I had never reached before"
"At least do you trust me now?" I swallowed the lump in my throat because he had almost broken me in just one day of me working for him and I couldn't take a no as an answer.
"Yes, I do" he said "I'm terribly sorry for what happened to you, I'd do anything to change it if I could" he took my hand into his finally acknowledging my touch and he stared down at our hands.
"Well, you can't" I sniffled "but I need you to see something" I said even though the thought of him in my mind again sent chills down my spine making me really uncomfortable and he noticed that.
"No, I can't, not again" he shook his head lightly.
"Please, that's the only way you'll believe me" I pleaded.
"No I told you I trust you" he said.
"If you trust me you'll come with me. I won't lose control, I promise" I said making eye contact with him and he entered my mind again. I showed him the memory with Harry of the night before, where he told me he didn't put his name in the Goblet of fire and I had entered his mind to test him.
"This is how I knew he didn't put his name in the Goblet, he's being framed Professor" I said but he didn't look even slightly surprised, not that he showed anything ever but my memories the night before did really shock him while this didn't even make his eyebrows raise, nothing.
"You already know he didn't" I said looking at him, his eyes sparkled like he wanted to see how far I could go "of course you knew, I can't imagine how many times you've been in and out of the poor boy's mind without him even noticing."
"When it comes to liars this is the only way I have to know the truth" he justified himself.
"You can't do this, this is wrong, everyone deserves the privacy of their own mind" I said.
"I only do what I have to do" he said stepping forward closer to me.
I had no clue what he was talking about clearly and I didn't want to know that for the moment, with a mind like mine secrets were safer if I didn't know them, not because I couldn't protect my mind, I could and I was pretty good at it, it was just that my emotions made me lose control sometimes.
"Okay but we need to set some rules for this to work..." I said, I thought he would've agreed, he liked rules.
"You won't enter my mind without my permission. You won't doubt me ever again and you won't treat me like garbage all the time" I said.
"We'll stay shields off all the time when you're with me" he added. It was a strange request but I guessed if he agreed to mine I could agree to that.
"Deal" I said.
"Deal" he repeated soon after me.
"Now, I brought you some tea from breakfast, drink" he said, not really an invitation, rather an order. Well, now that's thoughtful.
"I- hum.. thank you" I said and as I glanced down at the cup of tea on the desk in front of me I noticed something I hadn't before. His cloak was on my legs meaning it was covering me while I was asleep. "I think you might want this back" I said handing it to him, he seemed to have completely forgotten it.
"Yes" he said briefly putting his cloak back on his shoulders.
"Even though I like you better without it" I couldn't hold myself and ended up regretting what I had just said but I couldn't take it back, could I?
"Do you?" he said with a smirk "one more reason to not take it off anymore"
There, he's back to normal, I was starting to worry.
"Now you should go get some proper rest, I'll inform your teachers of today's classes that you're exonerated. Only this one time."
"I... do you need me today or..."
"I've taken care of everything last night" he said "so I guess I owe you one day without my dreadful presence"
I didn't know how to respond to that.. was he trying me or...
"I've never said that"
"Of course not, you would be in detention by now if you had only just thought of it"
Is this supposed to be a joke? Easy Sev, you don't joke
"You know what... I've never said that and you won't make it look like I don't want to be here. I was thrilled to work with you, did you know that? Did you bother to ask me? No you didn't and now you're forcing me to tell you..." I said aggressively "...you're forcing me to tell you that your being so effortlessly deeply talented makes me... a little jealous, I must admit, but most of all makes me crave to know what you know, makes me want to learn from you. I've always looked up to you and as unpleasant as your manners may be I've always admired you strongly and now you're playing this 'my dreadful presence' part?" I looked at him and for the first time I saw something spontaneous, he was looking at me standing in the middle of the room shouting like a crazy person with his chin resting on his knuckles, elbows resting on his desk, just as simple as that, like nothing touched him.
What is wrong with me?!
"I see... but you still got the day off and since you admire me so greatly let's say it's me, I am trying to spare myself the pain of your dreadful presence" he said, his eyes pinned on mine "better?"
"Yes... because that's actually more like yourself" I said with a smirk.
He curled is lips in an odd little smile "have a good day, miss Avery" he said pointing his eyes on some papers a second after.
"You too, sir" I said and left the room.
I stopped, leaned my back on the wall opposite to his door. I couldn't believe what I had just done and most importantly I didn't know if he was mad at me or not...
I had just yelled at him, like really yelled, he was Snape so he was 100% mad, he didn't yell back at me but he sure was going to have his payback one way or another.
I decided to go to the common room, everyone would certainly be attending classes so I should've been alone. I could relax for a while especially after that night... the memories were still vivid before my eyes and I couldn't shake the feeling of danger and uncertainty I got every time I went back there, maybe this alone time could help me reorganize my mind like Snape's, I don't want a library though that's boring, beautiful but boring, I should have something more like me...
"Balderdash" I said dully, I got in and with my surprise I found Harry pacing nervously up and down from the window to the fireplace "Ah, good morning Harry" I said trying to give him a smile but I wasn't sure what came out instead.
"Good morning... you look like you never went to bed though" he said probably happy someone had interrupted his overthinking because he sat next to me on the sofa.
"Yeah long night of... potion making" I said not really willing to admit what a disaster it had been.
"Blimey, all night?!" He asked incredulously
"yeah, well, Snape likes to get things done quickly... Anyway how'd the first night go?" I said focusing on his greater problem.
"Honestly I'm a wreck, Ron doesn't believe I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire and now he won't even speak to me, Hufflepuffs hate me because they think I want to steal Cedric' spotlight and maybe Ravenclaws too, no need to mention slytherins... and they're all walking around with these 'Potter Stinks' badges. Everyone hates me at the moment and the only people who talk to me are Hermione and you"
Wow, that's a lot.
"Harry honestly you shouldn't focus on them. This Tournament is very serious, dangerous, you must not allow all of this to distract you, go to classes, ignore them all completely and then practice anything as much as you can. If you need anything ask me or Hermione we'll help you" I said trying to motivate him because he looked more like someone who was trying not to burst into tears at any given moment "if you want you can try and talk to Ron but I think it would be best if you could let him adjust to this situation alone..." I said and he shoot me an inquiring glance. "You know this must be hard on him, he's been living in your shadow since the first year, this might've been one time too many even though I know it's not your fault but he could be having some trouble realizing that" I explained.
"That's kind of what Hermione thinks too except she thinks I should talk to him but honestly I'm just too mad at him right now" he said fidgeting with his fingers "now I've got to go, as if things weren't already hard enough I have double Potions today" he said rolling his eyes playfully.
"Let's go then I'll walk with you so you don't have to go facing everyone who hates you alone" I said and finally managed to elicit a smile from him.
Walking those corridors next to him was like having a spotlight following you around in the middle of the darkest of rooms, it seemed like they didn't see anything but him and many of them weren't kind at all. I sort of knew the feeling even though the hostility towards me mainly came from gryffindors and slytherins occasionally.
"what, Potter, your friends don't talk to you anymore so you've got to hangout with the spy?" Draco Malfoy said to Harry, he looked at him like he was going to jump at his throat but I grabbed his wrist first and forced him to follow me down the hallway to the dungeons.
"Do slytherins call you that too?" He said, poor him he looked as lost as I was when I first realized it.
"Yes, even though, unlike Gryffindors, they know for a fact I am none's spy, they just find it amusing that I'm bullied by my own housemates and probably drawn some kind of pleasure in perpetuating this thing" I explained.
"Harry, here you are!" Hermione rushed to us "and hi Sue what are you doing here?"
"I didn't want to walk alone, she just came with me because she pities me and she's too kind" he answered on my behalf.
"Ah well-" Hermione was cut off by Malfoy approaching again.
"How much do you think you're going to last in this tournament Potter, like ten minutes?" He teased him again and before me or Hermione could do something to stop him Harry had his wand stretched out looking at Malfoy like a famished animal waiting for the right moment to attack, Malfoy on the other hand wouldn't stop teasing him until they both casted two charms that collided and bounced back, one of them hitting Goyle and the other one fell on Hermione.
I was trying to understand what she was trying to say while her front teeth were growing uncontrollably when the potion classroom's door swung open and a very displeased Snape emerged. Crap. Hermione was trying to hide her growing teeth with her hand, Malfoy started complaining like a baby and telling Snape how Harry had hit Goyle with his charm until Harry pointed out what he had done to Hermione. Snape sent Goyle to the hospital wing and then looked over to Hermione, eyes glued to her, he hadn't even noticed my presence, anyway all he resolved to say was "I can see no difference" eliciting laughter from the slytherin counterpart.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she ran away, then and only then he erased that smug look from his face once his eyes had rested on me "you think of yourself so highly, Professor, but I'm afraid the truth is you're just the worst of them" I said signalling to Malfoy and his friends, I didn't add anything, he looked already shocked enough, and just ran after Hermione "don't worry Harry I've got her" I said looking back at him.
"Hermione stop!" I said tugging her robe forcing her to stop running "now sit" she did as I said. I pulled out a tiny mirror from my bag and handed it to her, she took it rather uncertainly. "Now I'm going to shrink them, you tell me when they are back to normal okay?" She nodded and took a deep breath, I did the same, and flicked my wand while clearly stating "Reducio". With her delight the teeth started shrinking until she signaled me to stop.
"Oh thank you, you kind of saved my life here!" She jumped from her seat giving me a hug, one thing I wasn't used to so it took me a hot second to hug her back.
"That's nothing, really" I smiled as she let go of me "now go back to class, see you at lunch".
Being too nervous to hang out in the common room all day having nothing to do I decided to attend classes anyway so I spent the rest of the morning between DADA and Transfiguration, when the last bell rang I was dragging myself out of the classroom, I felt extremely tired but Professor McGonagall spoke "miss Avery, a word, please"
Merlin, this is about Snape, about what I did, she knows I yelled at him and practically compared him to the slytherin bullies. I'm going to be expelled. I thought while approaching her desk.
"Yes Professor, what is it you wanted to tell me?" I asked pretending I didn't know.
"I wanted to ask... how are you?" She said with my great surprise.
"How... why?" I asked not understanding what was going on "I'm good" I said.
"Professor Snape came to talk to me, he told me what happened last night, he asked me to remove you from the position of his assistant but he asked me not to tell you he came to me" she explained.
"Are you going to do what he asked?" I directly said.
"Before I decide what I should do I want to know how you are coping... I need the truth, I can't ignore this if you aren't feeling good, safe, happy..." she stopped talking like she already knew the answer.
"Good, safe and happy are all things I'm not really familiar with. I suppose you know that already" I said quickly catching a tear before it could fall.
"Sue I'll remove you from your position immediately if you want me to" she said looking at me with a concerned frown.
"He's not easy okay... he has strange ideas, many of them, he thinks he knows everything and it is so frustrating. But somehow I think he will like me if he gives me a chance, I know we can get along" I said.
"He feels guilty about what he did, that's why he asked me that, because he likes you already and what he did to you scared him, he doesn't want to hurt you" she explained.
"I can deal with him, I promise things will get better, but give me another chance, I only had one day, it's too soon. Plus I really need this for my future" I said trying to convince her.
"I hope it didn't come at this cost" she sighed.
"It's my cost, it is my decision to pay it or not" I pointed out.
"Well, this being the case you can continue but on one condition, I want you to keep me posted: every weekend a piece of parchment on your work with Professor Snape until I'm sure you're doing fine" said Professor McGonagall.
"Yes, all you want, thank you" I sighed in relief.
She squeezed my hand and softly smiled back, she was all tangled in her rules and her austerity but she wasn't cold, she cared deeply and I appreciated her so much.
"Thank you" I said again.
"Yes you can go now" she said.
I joined the gryffindor table for lunch and I glanced at the teacher's table and briefly crossed eyes with Snape, he surely knew McGonagall had talked to me and he was surely trying to understand what had been the end of the discussion because he couldn't find out by viciously sneaking into my mind like he did constantly with anyone else, however he broke eye contact immediately and I returned to focus on my meal. Until I noticed Harry and Hermione sitting in front of me.
"Hello" Hermione said smiling widely.
"Showing off that smile, I see" I winked at her and she chuckled.
"Can't thank you enough for this"
"And what you said to Snape was amazing honestly, that's the highlight of the week considering I'm going to die on Tuesday" said Harry nervously but with a grin.
"What did she say? What did you say to him?" Hermione asked curiously, I lowered my eyes on my plate not really willing to spread that piece of information, he was a coward and a bully but I didn't want to act like him spreading the news of him being scolded by his assistant but Harry didn't think the same.
"She said and I quote: you think so highly of yourself Professor, but the truth is you're just the worst of them" he quoted religiously.
"Oh shut up" Hermione looked at me and Harry back and forth and he nodded vigorously.
"Guys, please, I'm going to be in trouble for this, it would be much appreciated if you didn't share this episode with other people" I said already thinking about all the nasty work Snape was going to give me to make my life a living hell.
"Yes of course" Hermione said gravely "I'm sorry you're going to get in trouble with Snape because of me"
"I can handle him, it will be fine as long as we don't push it, so act like I never said anything to him a few hours ago" I said "now Harry, what are you going to do on Tuesday?"
"Detention with Snape and then I'm going to die" he said "thanks for asking"
"Stop! You're not going to die" said Hermione.
"What I was going to say, none dies" I said, we just need a strategy.
"Actually we think he might know something tonight, Hagrid asked him to meet him in the forest"
"Oh that's great actually, finally something is moving... well you two keep me posted okay? Now there's something I must do" I said leaving Gryffindor's table.
I hurried out of the Great Hall when I saw Snape leaving too, i didn't know if this was good, it surely wasn't, but I sometimes acted impulsively.
"Professor Snape" I said struggling to keep up with his pace. He didn't do anything to show me he was aware of my presence beside him "Sir I need to talk to you, it's important" I continued even though the aura of his rage was hard to miss and I felt my heart in my throat.
"Get in" he said opening a door i had never noticed before in the middle of a fairly crowded corridor. I did as I was told.
"What do you want?" He stated coldly closing the door of the room.
"Where are we?"
"Do you ever answer the question you are asked?" he said annoyed.
"Do you?"
"Ok now stop with this game" he said almost in a whisper walking towards me forcing me to back away in the corner, he only stopped when my back touched the cold, hard stone of the wall.
"I want to know why you talked to professor McGonagall" I said shakily.
He grunted "that woman just can't keep things to herself, can she?" he said "and where do you get the nerve to ask me this after that little stunt you pulled today with Granger" he growled.
"You made her cry, she's just a girl just like I am, you made her burst into tears just like you did with me, she hadn't done anything to deserve it just as I hadn't" I said "but you apologized to me, you felt guilty enough to go ask Professor McGonagall to forbid me from being your assistant, what's the difference?" I asked.
"I forced you to show me your past, your father..." he couldn't even finish the sentence when it came to this matter "how can you not see the difference, I triggered your most hidden fears and you couldn't even stop crying" I was in utter shock at the sight of what my eyes were witnessing, vulnerable Snape was one new version of him and I wasn't sure I liked it.
"As long as the results were the same there's no difference for me, she bursted into tears too. She's insecure about her smile, you didn't know that, did you? Yet, here, you triggered her too, right were it hurts. She's very bright but she has weaknesses just like we all do. You can't keep destroying people like this, you can't keep doing this to yourself. I know it hurts you too, this is not the way, you're bullying your own students!" I said trying to stress the concept enough.
"I don't need your pity or anything else actually" he continued like I hadn't said a word.
"You keep pushing me away because you know that we could work well together, that I could help more than I could be a pain and you don't want to rely on someone else because you're too stuck up on the idea that you're perfectly fine on your own and you don't need anyone, well I'll tell you the truth as you're not able to see it yourself: none is really fine if they feel alone" I said, I was pushing him I was aware of that and I was actually a little afraid of how he might respond to that.
He looked at me intensely, I was afraid he might try to read my mind but he didn't he was just staring until I decided to break the silence to add "give me a chance, a real one, I am begging you because you had already kicked me out even before you'd let me in. I believe that we can make this work, yes?"
His eyes glistened for a second while I spoke, he was looking at me as you look in a crowd looking for a single person... carefully, with concern and impatience.
"Tonight after dinner, we're doing burn healing paste and I want an essay on the exact procedure, step by step, with reference to how it's been perfected over time" he said and left the room with a loud bang of the door.
I went out of the room too, soon after him, but he had already disappeared.
I spent my all afternoon in the library. Hermione was there as well, of course. We sat one next to the other but we didn't share a word, each one of us deeply focused on what we were doing. The moment she started scoffing repeatedly I had to ask "What?" I whispered.
"They don't disturb you?! I find it impossible to focus with all this giggles and stupid chattering" she said in a very irritated manner.
"Oh them.. no they don't bother me that much, however what's all the giggles about?" I asked her.
"Either you don't come to the library often or you are totally living in another universe Sue... there" she discretely, with a tilt of her head, pointed at Viktor Krum standing in front of us giving us his back.
"Ah right... I always forget he's famous" I said "is it wrong that I never even once thought of him like that? Like I don't know it's not like I don't like him but I'm more likely to fall for brain rather than muscles" I said.
"I'm not the right person to ask because I am exactly the same" she said collecting her things "I'm off to dinner are you coming?"
"I wish, but I have to finish this for Snape, I don't want to piss him off anymore" I said.
"Oh well good luck with that" she said leaving the library.
I really need it. I thought to myself.
I skipped dinner as I wasn't yet finished with my essay and then when even the library closed I headed straight to Snape's office.
"Here you go, more things to read" I slapped my essay on the table rather dramatically.
"Well, you work very fast indeed, I didn't say I wanted it tonight but..."
"Then you weren't very clear, sir" I said a little irritated because he had made me miss dinner for something that wasn't even due today.
"You should've done it anyway so better sooner than later, isn't it?" He said softly.
"Ah, of course..." I said.
"Shall we start?" He asked summoning cauldron and ingredients on his desk.
"We shall" I said and he signaled me to go on with a gesture of his hand and so I did while his attention went to the paper I had placed on top of the others he had already been grading.
He didn't make a sound for a while, his eyes leaving the parchment just to check if I was doing everything correctly.
"You weren't at dinner" he stated briefly.
Did you look to know which plate to poison? I thought but then my heart missed a bit because I remembered he might have been sneaking around in my mind but he was honoring our deal so far and I was too.
"Won't say I wasn't hungry, I just had something more important to do" I said referring to the essay he was reading. He stared again, did he even know it was rude to stare?
"I told you, flattery won't get you anywhere miss Avery"
"And I heard you but you should know that I can't refrain from speaking my mind... of course you certainly had noticed that" I said biting my lip slightly because I knew that had come out a little defiant.
"How could I not..." he sighed and I smiled a little.
"Hum... now I think I messed it up, sir" I said as it was becoming increasingly difficult to stir.
He stood up and came next to me, he looked attentively at what I had used, and what color the potion was and finally said "No no, that's how it's supposed to be. It's a paste miss Avery use your intelligence, that's just how it should be" he said bitterly almost as if he was displeased by me doing a good job. Of course, he would've liked it more to see me fail and finally have a good reason to be mad at me.
"Maybe just..." with a flick of his wand he reignited the fire below the cauldron and soon enough the paste became easier to stir.
"But the book said-"
"I know what it says" he cut me off abruptly.
"Fine..." I sighed. Why do you have to be so difficult, damn I sort of yelled into my mind and the second he made eye contact with me I knew that he knew and that was the first violation of our pact. He didn't say anything though because he knew he shouldn't have done that.
"You did it again"
"I didn't do it..." he said
"I know you did, the way you immediately looked at me like I had said something... I mean I'm not stupid but this weren't the rules I-" he cut me off again.
"I've been trying to stay out all the time since you first stepped foot in here tonight and I was being successful since I got distracted by... the potion" he explained.
"So what are you trying to say?" I asked.
"I'm saying I didn't know I was doing it until I heard that and realized you couldn't possibly have said that out loud" he explained and confused me even more, as skilled as he was how could he not know? It made no sense at all.
"Think about it, you know it too when someone tries to penetrate your mind just as you knew when I tried the first time" he said and that made me realize I didn't feel the tingling sensation in the back of my neck that usually alerted me.
"You're right..." I said looking at him, his look was so concerned...
"But why does it happen?" I asked.
"That I don't know, I need to study it" he said softly, clearly disappointed by his 'lack of knowledge' or maybe having to admit it.
"Professor Snape, sir!" a breathless Filch said bursting into the room.
"What now?" He said outright annoyed.
"Your presence is required in the Forest, sir" he said still trying to catch his breath.
"What has happened?" He asked, his face forming a preoccupied frown like he knew something bad must have occurred.
"There was a little problem with the... hum, you know" he vaguely said glancing at me repeatedly like he couldn't say anything in front of me.
"I'm coming, you can go" he said and Filch hurried away leaving the door open just a crack.
"Put this in your bag, would you?" he said passing me all sort of jars and flask.
"Yeah but why do we need this?" I said looking at him trying to slip a little of the freshly made paste in another jar. He handed it to me.
"Do I have to read your mind to answer my question?" I said.
"I don't know yet, but when they call me it's rarely because things are going as planned." He said.
We hurried out of his office and as always I was left behind because his pace was unbelievably fast.
We went out straight from the front door and I wondered if I was even allowed to go out so late at night but I guessed I was with a teacher so that should've been fine.
"Please stay next to me and don't leave my side for any reason" he stated clearly and actually slowed down his pace to make it easier for me to keep up. Thank you I thought just to check if he was still there.
"You're welcome" he said.
"I didn't say a word" I said chuckling lightly, if this actually turned out fun I could've gotten used to it.
He looked at me and then rolled his eyes. What's going on here... I heard but noticed he hadn't said anything and I realized it was mutual, he read me and I read him. I kept this to myself, he didn't need to know just now.
As we were pacing through the Forest we heard some rattling and roaring that concerned me but his face didn't show signs of preoccupation so I just went on walking hoping he wouldn't get us both killed.
"Professor Snape, an incident with the dragons occurred!" A guy I had never seen before rushed to us, didn't even look at me but, working with Snape, I was getting used to being ignored.
Dragons?!
"What is it?" He said softly.
"Charlie Weasley sir" the guy said and I swore I saw Snape furrowing his brows in disappointment "he got too close and the Hungarian Horntail wasn't very pleased"
Snape nodded. What an idiotic idea... I was taken by surprise again hearing thoughts that weren't mine echoing in my head but everything was silenced at the sight of four of the biggest creatures I had ever seen roaring and breathing fire all around.
Oh my... I thought and felt immensely anxious. If that was what I thought it was I wasn't sure Harry wasn't going to die. Snape looked at me briefly, not saying a word, I understood why he had brought me there. You want me to tell him... he nodded once.
"Now miss Avery, that's your occasion to prove yourself, go take care of Mr Weasley I confide you already know what to do" he said and I nodded looking briefly for a redhead and found him sitting at the foot of a tree.
"Charlie Weasley, I suppose" I said walking over to him.
"Yes" he gave me a pained grin that he intended to be a smile.
"Can I..." I said signaling to his shoulder.
"Of course, please...." he said giving his back to me and I saw a very extensive burn that took part of his arm and extended on his left upper back.
I rummaged in my bag looking for the burn healing paste I had just brewed with Snape.
"I am really sorry but this is going to hurt a lot" I said so that he was prepared.
"Don't worry go ahead" he said.
I did as he said and started applying the paste on the burn, he gasped loudly and groaned as I placed my fingers on his injury the first time and I froze.
"It's okay don't mind me, do what you have to do" he said so I continued applying the paste while I looked around to try and gather more information about what was going on and noticed Hagrid was there with Beauxbatons' Headmaster, I didn't understand at first. Where's Harry, he was supposed to be with Hagrid...
As I was trying to hurt him the less that I could something went horribly wrong when someone just carelessly stepped on my foot and didn't even seem to notice. As he walked past me I identified him as Durmstrang's Headmaster.
"Merlin, I despise that man" Charlie said sincerely.
"I'm sorry I couldn't avoid it" I said "but I'm done applying the paste. Do you feel any better?"
"Actually yes, it burns less, it's a lot more bearable. Thank you..."
I realized I had never told him my name "Sue... Sue Avery" I added for him.
"Now please I'm curious, how can a gryffindor be in his graces" He signaled at Snape with a tilt of his head and I noticed he was standing firmly not paying any attention at all at whatever was that Karkaroff was excitedly whispering to him, I forced my attention back into the conversation with Charlie.
"Believe me, I hardly ever am in his graces... I'm working on it though"
"Seems like you're doing a pretty good job" he smiled at me and then checked on his burn "You did fantastic, it nearly doesn't even hurt anymore" he smiled and tried to get up but I stopped him putting a hand on his healthy shoulder.
"Excuse me where do you think you're going?" I said showing him bandages "we're not done yet, sit down"
He sat down again immediately letting me wrap the bandages around him very carefully, he stayed very still even though he had become more talkative "If it was up to me I'd say you don't even need him anymore, you're doing perfectly on your own"
"I wouldn't say so... I think he has a lot to teach" I said looking over at Snape glaring at Karkaroff "it's just hard to get him to actually teach me something" I chuckled.
"You are a saint Sue, I'm telling you" he joked.
"That could probably be true, but we're willing to go through whatever comes on our way for our goals aren't we?" I said referring to the fact he just got injured by a fire breathing, fifty-foot-high dragon.
"I suppose we are" he laughed.
"Now you may go" I said "I'm done".
I got up and brushed my robe lightly.
"Thank you and... good luck" he said making me giggle, the thought he considered Snape scarier than four dragons was just hilarious to me.
"Good luck to you too" I responded and turned back to smile at me before he hurried to his team again. I indulged some more watching them work with the dragons...
"Are you done?" Snape said from behind my back scaring me.
"Oh! Yes... I- I'm ready to go, sir" I said turning to face him probably my face was as red as my hair at that point but...
"Hm..." he said starting to walk away from me leaving me behind as per usual. I hurried behind him and set my pace on his in order to stay the closest to him I could. I didn't enjoy the Forbidden Forest at night.
"He perhaps is the most decent Weasley I know... Still annoying though" he said.
"Honestly why are you telling me that?" I said.
"Just... I saw how you were looking at him, you Gryffindors are fascinated by bravery and stupidity, a dangerous mixture" He said.
"I wasn't looking at him in any particular way, I was looking at the dragons..." I scoffed "first Harry, now Charlie... Do you think I fall in love with everyone I see?"
"No I just... forget it" he surrendered, strange behavior for him.
We proceeded the rest of the way to the castle in an uncomfortable silence while each one of us tried to stay out of the other's mind. We parted ways as soon as we stepped foot past the front entrance.
I ran to the common room hoping Harry would still be up.
"Balderdash" I gasped and she glared at me but slid open. I got into the portrait hole and with my relief I found Harry on the sofa even though he didn't look happy.
"Harry..." I said still trying to catch my breath "it's dragons, Harry, we have to think about what you're going to do and we have to do it fast"
"I know.." he said looking over at me with a scared but surrendered look in his eyes.

A/N: okay I did it again 😅 super long chapter, I'm sorry if it's boring I just couldn't stop myself from writing 😂. I hope who's reading my story is enjoying it so far. See you on the next chapter 😘