Angel *currently being edited because I started writing this when I was younger*

8- A Box of Nails

It was the day after Ali had taken the box, a Saturday to be exact. She was going to have lots of fun figuring out what's in the box. She revelled in her own twisted ideas, making her way up to Gryffindor common room, a skip in her step.

She stopped in her track, and backed into a dark crevice in the hallway. Her fingers traced over the small box, and it set her senses alight. Tears came to her eyes as she thought back to her childhood. A shiver travelled up her spine, and her throat suddenly felt tight.

A dark room, light from the hallway peaking through the small cracks in the door. I pulled my small, scratchy fleece tighter around me, defending myself from the cold draft. Footsteps were heading towards me, and hot tears stained my face. A drunken groan echoed through the house. I sank further into the corner I was hiding, praying to any god or greater force out there to save me.

Ali knew he didn't get here that night, somehow she got away...but how? She looked down at the box, the answer had to be inside of it. She felt so drained at that second and let herself sink to the floor, her back scrapping down the wall. She felt her eyes closing, she was losing consciousness. More memories started to flood, but she was too far gone to take them.

Eloise sensed it. She was currently in the middle of taking a detention, but that could wait until later. She excused herself, and ran as fast as she could, without drawing attention to herself, to Ali. What had the girl done? Eloise knew she was a trouble maker, but in the best of ways. A child's ignorance is sweet.

She arrived in a dark hallway to see that Ali was passed out in a corner. She picked her up effortlessly and noticed that the girl was clutching something close. Her own slim fingers traced over the small box, and she knew what was inside of said box.

She the young girl to Snape's personal potions lab, and layed her down on the table. She then ran to Snape's room, not knocking and dismissing his incantations with a turn of her hand. He was sitting in his chair by his fireplace, reading a rather old and tattered looking book. Eloise strode over to him, and without a word took his hand and made him stand up.

Snape was shocked to say the least, but followed suit anyway, knowing that it must be something important. She led him into his private lab and he saw a first year girl lying on his table. He suddenly found his voice. "Eloise, what is the meaning of this?" he spoke with a hint of agitation in his deep baritone voice, indicating over to the unconscious girl.

Eloise pried the box from Ali's hands and handed it over to Snape. He stared at the box intently, and then glanced back up to the angel's face, then briefly at those lips that kissed his. But did they? He silently chastised himself, it was neither the time or place to be thinking of such things.

He reached out and took the box from Eloise's soft hands. He winced slightly as his hand brushed against hers, he desired her so much. It was the angel nails. "What happened?" his voice was softer this time. Eloise wondered over to Ali and sat on the table, carefully placing the girl's head on her lap.

"She must've taken the box from your cupboard. They may just be nails, but even a single cell detached from an angel is enough to create some sort of reaction." She looked down at the girl, her eyes glowing the same electric blue as they were when she touched the gold mistletoe, she was reading her, seeing what happened.

"She had flashbacks, but passed out before it could reveal anything important. This child has suffered greatly, take the box and do not approach her about it." "But-" Snape interrupted, but Eloise continued. "This could be vital to her mental stability." She paused and looked up at him with her entrancing eyes still alight. "And vital to my survival."

Snape nodded in understanding, before Eloise picked Ali up and walked towards the door. Before she left, she glanced over her shoulder at Snape. "I need to speak with you soon." And then she opened the door, and closed it gently behind her. She let out a breath and proceeded to the moving stairs.

Ever so carefully she descended upwards, being careful not to wake up Ali, heading towards Gryffindor common room and the girls dorm. She got to the fat lady and simply walked through the door without a word. Her footsteps were barely audible as she walked across the centre of the common room, the fire slowly burning out in the fireplace.

She followed the spiral stone staircase up to the girl's dorm in Gryffindor tower. Eloise opened the door and cast a quick sleeping incantation on the girls just to make sure none of them notice her. She meandered around the beds until she found Ali's. It was covered in books and half written essays due in the next day.

Poor girl, Eloise thought to herself, you were probably going to finish those tonight..a little help won't hurt. The angle placed a soft, slim hand onto the girl's head and the other hand on the parchment containing her half written essay. Ali's style of writing soon started appearing onto the paper. It was all what she would've written, just being extracted and copied down by Eloise.

The angle organised all her books and looked for more uncompleted work that was urgent. She then packed Ali's bag for the next day, and laid out some clean uniform neatly on her bedside table. Goodnight Ali,may the sweetest of dreams aid your night. Until we meet again. And with that Eloise placed a small peck on her forehead, and left the room.

She wandered through the dark corridors, eyes still slightly alight but dimming. Severus. She needed to see him immediately. That kiss was making her go crazy, he didn't even kiss back, but she knew he wanted to. She also knew that she had to make the next move, and she was going to do it first thing in the morning.

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Hello anyone and everyone who is reading this. I am sincerely sorry for the long wait. Life hasn't really been going well for me, but I'm back and hopefully for good! Thanks for reading this chapter, please vote for the next one!

Jenmus XD xxx