Snivellus

26

'Where have you been!' Pansy and Millicent ran to Darah as soon as she walked through the dormitory door.

Darah brushed them away and proceeded to get into her pyjamas.

'Why are you still in your robes? You went up to bed hours ago!' The girls walked over to her.

'I just needed to clear my head. That's all.' Darah yawned, puffing up her pillow.

Pansy sat on the side of her bed. 'Can I... help?' She managed to say. Pansy wasn't normally one to express caring emotions so when she does it normally means there's something serious.

'No, not really.' She sighed. 'It's my Dad and just everything happening right now with the attacks.'

'What's up with your Dad?'

'We're not on speaking terms and I don't even know why anymore.' She said in annoyance, burying her head into her pillow.

'Have you sent him an owl?'

'Something like that. Look I'm going to try sleep it off, I'll be better tomorrow.' She smiled weakly at her friends.

***

Dumbledore and Hagrid had been announced that they had to leave Hogwarts and no one was sure of when they would return.

The next day Darah finally decided to turn up to potions after avoiding Snape's lessons for the past few weeks with any excuse she could find.

Walking into the classroom Snape acknowledged her presence but sat quietly at his desk, writing.

'Looks like Snappys in a grump.' She heard Ron say as he walked past her on the way to his seat.

Darah had avoided Harry and Ron curtesy of the previous nights shenanigans. She wanted to help them find the heir and solve the petrified students so bad but Ron had prevented her and hurt her feelings in the process.
'Not all Slytherins are bad.' She thought to herself.

Snape whipped his wand out and pointed it strictly at the door making it slam shut.

'Today we will be learning about Flobberworm Mucus.' Snape explained dryly.

'Where's Draco?' Darah elbowed Pansy. The seat next to her was empty.

Pansy shrugged. 'Probably slept in.'

Just then Draco Malfoy flew in dramatically through the door.
'Sorry professor, got a little caught up helping the first years out of a sticky situation with the seventh years.' He smirked proudly making his way over to his seat.

'One point to Slytherin for helping others.' Snape announced, marking Draco down as present.

Ron scowled at him from across the room and muttered some stuff to Harry.

Draco sat down and whispered so only Darah, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle could hear. 'Slept in.'

'Pansy burst out laughing and Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. Darah smiled along side them and then caught Ron and Harry's glances from across the room and so she started to laugh loudly. Their glances then turned into glares.

'I told you. She's too buddy buddy with Malfoy. There's no way she hasn't told him.' Ron scoffed to Harry who just stared at Darah and shrugged.

Snape had instructed them to get their cauldrons out and attempt to make the Flobberworm potion.

Darah coped completely fine with it, potions being her strongest talent.

Draco walked over to Harry and Ron, winking back at his fellow Slytherins.
'Hey, weasel.' He called to Ron who scowled at him.

'What do you want, Malfoy?'

Draco sat down next to them. 'I see your know-it-all girlfriend isn't here.'

'Shove off.'

'Hm. Not very nice.' He leaned in closer to them. 'But it appears you've got a crush on someone else.'

'What are you talking about, Malfoy?' Harry chirped in.

'I see you two staring at Lucie over there. You think it's not obvious?'

Ron looked at him. 'I don't even know who she is.'

'Stop the bs, Weasley and tell me what your obsession with Lucie is.'

Ron gulped. 'I told you, I don't know her!' He shouted at Draco's face.

'Five points from Gryffindor, Mr Weasley!' Snape yelled across the room, angrily.

'What? Malfoy's the one not in his seat!' Ron retaliated back.

'Do not talk back to me! Draco, return to your proper seat.'

Draco got up and whispered his last words in Harry and Ron's ears. 'Don't mess with a Slytherin.'

The lesson ended and everyone piled out of the classroom, except for Darah. She told Pansy she'd meet her later and so she lingered around the potions classroom until everyone had left.

She hesitated but finally decided to walk up to Snape's desk. 'Dad.'

Snape looked up at her, she now noticed, close up, that his eyes were puffy and he had dark circles underneath. His hair was even more greasy than usual and the wrinkles in his forehead were permanent.

'I'm sorry.' Darah admitted weakly.

The corner of Snape's mouth slowly began to twitch into a smile. He got up and hugged Darah tightly, it was just what the both of them needed.

'My girl...' he moved the hair out of her eyes. 'The things I said... it was wrong of me.' He found it hard to tell the truth. Snape was usually very snarky and strict with himself but around Darah he was different, he was another man. He knew he needed to protect Darah with all his life and part of that was sharing his truth.

'I shouldn't have shouted. I was angry and scared and it just came out.' She paused and said quietly, 'I regretted it afterwards but I couldn't find a way to tell you.'

'What made you?'

Darah smiled cheekily at her father. 'Someone once told me to always stick to their promises.'