Chapter One – The Arriving
Semptember1st, My first year.
I shivered as we all stepped off the train. I hugged myself, hoping for some warmness. I was wondering where we should go when a female's voice called out through the crowd, "1st years this way! 1st years over here!" She kept yelling this out as a bunch of people around my age made their way forward. The woman that had been shouting had straight brown hair and brown eyes. She looked as if she was in her 30's. She stopped yelling and headed away from the crowd. All the first years followed until we got to a lake where a bunch of boats were.
"Four to a boat. Get in. Get In!" called out the teacher.
I scrambled into a boat, almost being knocked over because I was short for my age. I hated it but there was nothing I could do. I climbed into a boat with a boy with black hair and another boy with dark hair. They both were laughing and pushing each other around. A boy looking nervous and shy still was on shore, looking for a boat that didn't already have four people in it.
I waved my hand towards him and yelled, "Hey! You can come in this boat!"
The two boys gave me a look but didn't object as the boy climbed in. The teacher clapped her hands and we were off. The two boys laughed and threatened to push one another into the lake while the shy boy and I just watched. I never laughed out loud at their jokes but they did make a smile come to my face.
All of a sudden one of the boys nudged the other boy and nodded at the next boat over. "Look at the girl, Sirius. She's cute."
The boy who must have been Sirius said, "Yeah, she kind of is James. Look at those knockers!"
"Ugh, guys are such perverts." I said quietly, but not quietly enough.
"Well excuse me, Ms. Sensitive." Said Sirius. James smirked.
"My name is Erica, not that you two care because I don't have big 'knockers'"
The shy boy next to me sniggered. Sirius turned his attention to him.
"So what's your name? You're a bit to quiet, aren't you?"
"What's wrong with being quiet?" asked the boy.
"Leave him alone. You're just looking for trouble." I butted in.
"I just asked his name! Sheesh!" exclaimed Sirius.
"Well if you most know, it's Remus."
James snorted and Sirius burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, 'What amateurs!' Remus looked back down sadly.
"I don't think it's such a funny name, Remus." I said, trying to cheer him up.
"Thanks" he replied.
From up ahead the teacher called, "You'll be seeing Hogwarts for the first time right up here!"
Everyone eagerly looked around waiting to see the school. I didn't know what I had expected, but when we turned the corner there was a huge gasp from everyone. I was amazed. Hogwarts turned out to be a huge castle with many towers and what looked like thousands of windows. Most of the windows were lit up and shining brightly on the inside. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My smile brightened, just like the windows.
Up ahead was a cave where the boats were headed. As our boat went into the cave it became very dark. I let my eyes get use to the darkness and climbed out of the boat. Everyone else, who hadn't already done this, did. The teacher got out of her boat and walked over to a big oak door. She knocked three times and it opened almost instantly.
The person who had opened the door was a witch. She had brown hair that was graying that was pulled back into a tight bun. She had a stern look on her face and she had square spectacles. She had a pointed hat on her head, and she was wearing robes.
"Thank you Cathy. You may go to The Great Hall now." Said the stern teacher.
The other teacher nodded and walked out of site. The stern teacher looked down upon them all and said, "Follow me."
She turned around and led us into the castle. We all went up a lot of steps and we finally stopped in the center of a hallway. "This is Hogwarts and I am Professor McGonagall. You are about to be sorted into a house. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here your house will be like your family. Good things you do will get your house points and bad things will take away points from your house. I will be right back, everyone stay here." She turned and walked away.
"I bet you'll be in Slytherin, James!" Said Sirius loudly.
"No, you will!" James gave Sirius a little shove.
"No, you!" yelled Sirius giving James a harder shove, making James go backwards, knocking into a boy with a pale face and greasy hair.
"You guys watch it!" I yelled, punching Sirius on the arm.
The boy that got knocked into glared at us.
"Don't be glaring at me! It's not my fault you were there!" yelled Sirius at the boy, rubbing his arm slightly.
"Sirius! Leave him alone! It's your fault! Remus back me up here!" I yelled even louder then Sirius.
Everyone was watching now. Remus just looked nervously around. When he looked past us and gasped, Sirius and I shut up and spun around. Professor McGonagall had come back. She was staring straight at Sirius and me.
"Well, it's time to come into The Great Hall," she announced, taking her eyes off of Sirius and me.
She opened the great oak doors in front of us and led us through. There were 4 tables and I imagined that they must have been the houses. We followed Professor McGonagall up to the Staff's Table. A magnificent wizard was in the middle, looking at us all in turn. He got to me and I saw a sparkle in his blue eyes, which made me smile. He smiled back and looked at Remus next to me. Remus was shaking all over and didn't smile at the wizard. I was nervous, but not as nervous as Remus. I wondered why he happened to be so nervous.
McGonagall walked off through a door and came back with a stool and a patched up hat. She put the hat on the stool and a stitch on the hat opened up like a mouth and the hat started singing a song. I tried to listen to the song but it just went in one ear and out the other. McGonagall took a scroll out of her pocket and started reading off names.
"Cameron Arson!" Shouted McGonagall. A girl with perfect blond hair walked up to the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. A few seconds past and the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" Everyone in the Great Hall clapped as she smiled proudly and went to sit at the Ravenclaw table.
Next, McGonagall called out, "Joshua Bean!" He did the same thing as Cameron, but this time the hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" He hopped down off the stool and went to the Hufflepuff table.
Next was Sirius, who blushed a little and went up to the stool. The hat seemed to take a little longer this time, but in the end the hat called out, "GRYFINNDOR!" Sirius got down from the stool, gave James thumbs up, and walked to the table.
Next was a girl with red hair and green eyes named Lily Evans. She became a Ravenclaw, and then it was my turn. I walked up to the stool and Professor McGonagall put the hat on top of my head. Inside my head came a voice. "Ah, lets see what we have here. Plenty of courage to stand up to people, smart, and friendly. Where to put you? Ah, I know, GRYFINNDOR!" the hat shouted.
The gryfinndor table clapped the loudest as I went to sit down across from Sirius. I watched the rest of the nervous people go up. Hestia Jones became a Hufflepuff, Remus Lupin became a Gryfinndor, Lucius Malfoy became a Slytherin, James Potter became a Gryfinndor, Kinglsey Shaclebolt became a Ravenclaw, Severus Snape, the greasy haired boy, became a Slytherin, Nymphadora Tonks became a Gryfinndor, Charlie Weasly became a Gryfinndor, Tiffany Yule became a Ravenclaw, and the last person, Carl Zeshen became a Hufflepuff.
Finally the sorting was over and everyone was seated. I nudged Remus next to me and asked, "Who is that wizard in the middle?"
"That my friend is Albus Dumbledore"
"Oh" I said. This man, Dumbledore stood up and said, "Let the feast begin!" and all of a sudden food appeared on the plates. Everyone grabbed food and dug in. After about an hour everyone was full and we were to go off to our dormitories. Everyone walked to their rooms and fell asleep.
This place had become home to me and I hated going away during the summer. Sirius, James, Remus, and I had all become very good friends. Sirius and I still bickered at each other but never did we get into serious arguments. Sirius and James liked to tease Severus Snape, who nobody know that that was his name; everyone called him 'Snivelus'. I started actually liking him. Not just as a friend, but I think I started loving him. I didn't tell anyone of course. If I told anyone James and Sirius would completely hate me. So I kept it to myself. The 1st week I was at Hogwarts Sirius and James decided to give me a nickname, which was Elg. It was just my intials and even the teachers called me it. It just kind of stuck. I didn't mind very much.
Erica's P.O.V. 15 years later
15 years past and I was now 26 working in Knockturn Alley. I wasn't proud to work here but at least it paid. It was 11:40 p.m. and I was due to get off my shift in 20 minutes. I wouldn't be that happy to go home because I shared my home with others. It was kind of like a hotel but it was a house. An old woman owned the house and rented the rooms out to others. I lived in on the 2nd story where I could here everyone's music and everyone's noises. I cleaned a table where a couple had just been. It was away from the crowd and as I wiped the table down, a man in the corner caught my eye. He gave me the creeps because he was in all black and he had shoulder length black hair. I couldn't see his eyes because of the lighting where he was.
I went over to a table where a bunch of men who looked they had to much to drink were calling, "Hey waitress!" I walked over to them.
"What can I get you guys?" I asked.
"Something sweet," said a positively drunk man, "something like you." He grabbed my wrist all of a sudden. The men at his table laughed wildly.
"Let go of me please," I said politely, trying to get my arm out of his grip. But it was no use. Men were too tough for me.
"Oh come on, you know you want me." I really didn't. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in a month. He was just gross and his breath smelled of beer.
"I don't! Let me go!" I was starting to get frantic now.
All of a sudden, a wand was pointing at the mans neck and everyone stopped laughing. "If you'd like to ever use your hand again, I suggest you let go." Said a silky voice behind me. The man let go and I rushed back to the kitchens. I looked out the tiny window of the kitchen door and saw the man that had been sitting in the corner glare at the door. Then he turned around and walked back to his table in the corner.
I turned around to look at the clock. It read 11:59 a.m. My boss came up to me and announced, "You can leave now Erica." I smiled slightly at him and walked out of the kitchen. Careful to avoid the drunken man, I exited the bar.
Snape's P.O.V.
'Not even a 'Thank you', thought Snape darkly, 'why do I even try?' He sat back down but as he did the girl came back out of the kitchen. She went around the idiotic drunk man's table cautiously. Snape thought about what had just happened for a second and thought that worst things could happen to the girl. He stood up in a flash and strode out of the Skeleton's Bar.
He saw her a little ways ahead of him. He kept an eye on her and made sure that she didn't see him. He followed her and she turned around for a second. He thought she saw him and she quickened her pace. He wondered if she saw him and he hoped not, in case she thought he was stalking her. He quickened his pace a little to keep her in sight. She rounded a corner and went through a crowd. He rounded the corner but didn't see her. He stopped dead and looked around. From behind him he heard footsteps. He turned around and was tackled to the ground.
"What the..." said Snape. He pushed the figure off of him and pinned it to the ground.
The person whimpered and said, "Ow. Get off!" Snape recognized the voice. It sounded like the girl from the bar.
He got off of her and pulled her to her feet. He noticed how small her warm hands felt in his. He was at least a foot taller than this woman. He looked into her eyes and apologized.
"Why are you following me?" she demanded.
"I was just trying to make sure you got home safely." He snarled back at her. "But if you don't appreciate it then fine." He turned around and started to stride off.
"No wait," said the girl. She grabbed his arm and he turned back around and he stared down at her. She looked up into his black eyes. "I thank you for helping me at the bar. I also thank you for being caring enough to see me home safely.
"Well, it is dangerous here at night. But I'm sorry I won't bother you again."
"No I think I'd like to see you again. Where do you work? I'll come and visit you."
Snape was stunned. "I work at the school. I'm a professor at Hogwarts."
"A professor? That's cool. If you give me your name I'll come and visit you there."
"I don't know why you would want to come and see me, but if you say so. My name is Professor Severus Snape. Now where is your house?"
"It's right there." The girl pointed at a three-story house that was old and creaky.
"You live there? Doesn't look like the best place, but if that's where you want to live then I'm not going to stop you."
"I don't want to live here, but I don't have a choice, I have no where else to live. Well good-bye. I'll see you tomorrow. And by the way, my name is Erica. Good night." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She walked quickly to her house and went inside, as he just stared.
He soon stopped staring and left to go back to Hogwarts.
Erica's P.O.V.
I skipped happily up the stairs and into my room in the creaky, old house. I put my PJs on and jumped into bed. I fell asleep almost instantly, but not before setting my alarm clock to 10:00 a.m.
I woke up to my alarm clock shrieking, "Get up you lazy bum! Get up!" It would not shut up until you were standing on your feet with your eyes open. I did this and the alarm clock went quiet. I got dressed in a black skirt and a tank top that was black with roses on it. I didn't have to fix my hair very much since it was cut short. I just sprayed some hair spray in it and messed with it a little. I put some pale pink lipstick on and some blush on and left the house. I walked until I got to Hogsmeade. The horseless carriages were waiting patiently for me. I climbed into one of the carriages and it took off.
After about a 10 minute ride I got to the castle. I hopped down from the carriage and made my way up to the castle. I opened the familiar oak doors and stepped inside. It was the same as always, except a massive shape was in a corner humming. To my own surprise I gasped. The figure got even taller and turned around. I almost screamed at the thing that was now facing me.
It was a male for sure and a human (maybe). He had brown bushy hair, eyebrows, mustache, and beard. I could only see his nose and eyes on his face. He wore a big brown drench coat. He was about 8-9 feet tall, which meant, 4-5 feet taller than me. This man scared me. He took a massive step towards me, and in 3 more steps he was hovering over me.
"Can I help you?" he growled in a deep voice.
I tried to answer him but my knees were shaking and I felt as if I had a frog in my throat. Instead of saying anything I nodded.
"With?"
"Dumbledore," I croaked.
"Ah I see. This way." He turned around and headed up the stairs. I followed him. I could hardly keep up with him; every step of his huge boots was 3 steps of my small feet. I followed him until he came to a sudden stop. I almost crashed into him, but I didn't. In front of him was a gargoyle.
"Lemon drop" said the huge man. The gargoyle sprung aside and we stepped on to a flight of steps. We get to the top and the man raises a huge fist and knocks.
"Come in," says an all to familiar voice. The man opens the door and steps aside. My face lights up with joy as I run to the desk like a young girl running to her mother. Dumbledore stands up with a smile on his face and spreads his arms wide, ready to hug me. I fall right into his arms and laugh into his soft beard. I pull back and look into his sparkling blue eyes.
"Have a seat Erica." Says Dumbledore pointing to a chair in front of his desk.
I sit down and say, "I'm not intending to stay long. I just came to visit someone."
"Oh?" say Dumbledore curiously, "and who is that?"
"Professor Severus Snape. I just need to know where his class is? He did not tell me what subject he teaches"
"Oh, Severus?" I nod. "Well, Hagrid," Dumbledore looked at the huge man, "please show Erica here where Professor Snape's Class is."
"Yes Professor Dumbledore, sir."
Hagrid turns around and walks out of the office with me closely behind.
"Why would you come to see Snape, of all people?"
I glared at Hagrid. "I like him. Is that a problem? I may be small but I'm good with hexes!"
He glances down nervously at my bag and shakes his hairy head. "No, no. I was just wondering."
We walk in silence until we get to where I came in. "The dungeons are through that door. I don't like going in there so you can go by yourself" says Hagrid.
"OK." I say opening the door. I close it behind me and go down a bunch of stairs. It gets colder and colder the farther down I go. I get to the bottom where a door stands. I open it and a bunch of fourth years turn their heads in my direction.
'Uh-oh, I've come in the middle of class,' I think.
"I think you've got the wrong place lady," say a snotty looking Slytherin girl.
"Maybe," I reply.
"No you don't" says a voice from the back of the classroom. I look around for the speaker but can seem to spot him. Then from the back of me I feel hands lay onto my shoulder. I look over my shoulder and see Severus. I look into those dark, dark eyes of his and smile. He does not smile back, but I do see I sign of happiness.
"Class dismissed," announced Snape, still staring at me.
"But we still have ten minutes, Professor." Says a girl with bushy brown hair.
Snapes attention was no longer on me, but on the girl. "Ms. Granger I said 'Class dismissed.' Now Leave!" said Snape in a deadly voice. The girl gulped and packed up her things. Everyone filed out of the classroom. Severus and I were now alone.
Semptember1st, My first year.
I shivered as we all stepped off the train. I hugged myself, hoping for some warmness. I was wondering where we should go when a female's voice called out through the crowd, "1st years this way! 1st years over here!" She kept yelling this out as a bunch of people around my age made their way forward. The woman that had been shouting had straight brown hair and brown eyes. She looked as if she was in her 30's. She stopped yelling and headed away from the crowd. All the first years followed until we got to a lake where a bunch of boats were.
"Four to a boat. Get in. Get In!" called out the teacher.
I scrambled into a boat, almost being knocked over because I was short for my age. I hated it but there was nothing I could do. I climbed into a boat with a boy with black hair and another boy with dark hair. They both were laughing and pushing each other around. A boy looking nervous and shy still was on shore, looking for a boat that didn't already have four people in it.
I waved my hand towards him and yelled, "Hey! You can come in this boat!"
The two boys gave me a look but didn't object as the boy climbed in. The teacher clapped her hands and we were off. The two boys laughed and threatened to push one another into the lake while the shy boy and I just watched. I never laughed out loud at their jokes but they did make a smile come to my face.
All of a sudden one of the boys nudged the other boy and nodded at the next boat over. "Look at the girl, Sirius. She's cute."
The boy who must have been Sirius said, "Yeah, she kind of is James. Look at those knockers!"
"Ugh, guys are such perverts." I said quietly, but not quietly enough.
"Well excuse me, Ms. Sensitive." Said Sirius. James smirked.
"My name is Erica, not that you two care because I don't have big 'knockers'"
The shy boy next to me sniggered. Sirius turned his attention to him.
"So what's your name? You're a bit to quiet, aren't you?"
"What's wrong with being quiet?" asked the boy.
"Leave him alone. You're just looking for trouble." I butted in.
"I just asked his name! Sheesh!" exclaimed Sirius.
"Well if you most know, it's Remus."
James snorted and Sirius burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes and thought to myself, 'What amateurs!' Remus looked back down sadly.
"I don't think it's such a funny name, Remus." I said, trying to cheer him up.
"Thanks" he replied.
From up ahead the teacher called, "You'll be seeing Hogwarts for the first time right up here!"
Everyone eagerly looked around waiting to see the school. I didn't know what I had expected, but when we turned the corner there was a huge gasp from everyone. I was amazed. Hogwarts turned out to be a huge castle with many towers and what looked like thousands of windows. Most of the windows were lit up and shining brightly on the inside. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My smile brightened, just like the windows.
Up ahead was a cave where the boats were headed. As our boat went into the cave it became very dark. I let my eyes get use to the darkness and climbed out of the boat. Everyone else, who hadn't already done this, did. The teacher got out of her boat and walked over to a big oak door. She knocked three times and it opened almost instantly.
The person who had opened the door was a witch. She had brown hair that was graying that was pulled back into a tight bun. She had a stern look on her face and she had square spectacles. She had a pointed hat on her head, and she was wearing robes.
"Thank you Cathy. You may go to The Great Hall now." Said the stern teacher.
The other teacher nodded and walked out of site. The stern teacher looked down upon them all and said, "Follow me."
She turned around and led us into the castle. We all went up a lot of steps and we finally stopped in the center of a hallway. "This is Hogwarts and I am Professor McGonagall. You are about to be sorted into a house. There are four houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here your house will be like your family. Good things you do will get your house points and bad things will take away points from your house. I will be right back, everyone stay here." She turned and walked away.
"I bet you'll be in Slytherin, James!" Said Sirius loudly.
"No, you will!" James gave Sirius a little shove.
"No, you!" yelled Sirius giving James a harder shove, making James go backwards, knocking into a boy with a pale face and greasy hair.
"You guys watch it!" I yelled, punching Sirius on the arm.
The boy that got knocked into glared at us.
"Don't be glaring at me! It's not my fault you were there!" yelled Sirius at the boy, rubbing his arm slightly.
"Sirius! Leave him alone! It's your fault! Remus back me up here!" I yelled even louder then Sirius.
Everyone was watching now. Remus just looked nervously around. When he looked past us and gasped, Sirius and I shut up and spun around. Professor McGonagall had come back. She was staring straight at Sirius and me.
"Well, it's time to come into The Great Hall," she announced, taking her eyes off of Sirius and me.
She opened the great oak doors in front of us and led us through. There were 4 tables and I imagined that they must have been the houses. We followed Professor McGonagall up to the Staff's Table. A magnificent wizard was in the middle, looking at us all in turn. He got to me and I saw a sparkle in his blue eyes, which made me smile. He smiled back and looked at Remus next to me. Remus was shaking all over and didn't smile at the wizard. I was nervous, but not as nervous as Remus. I wondered why he happened to be so nervous.
McGonagall walked off through a door and came back with a stool and a patched up hat. She put the hat on the stool and a stitch on the hat opened up like a mouth and the hat started singing a song. I tried to listen to the song but it just went in one ear and out the other. McGonagall took a scroll out of her pocket and started reading off names.
"Cameron Arson!" Shouted McGonagall. A girl with perfect blond hair walked up to the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. A few seconds past and the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" Everyone in the Great Hall clapped as she smiled proudly and went to sit at the Ravenclaw table.
Next, McGonagall called out, "Joshua Bean!" He did the same thing as Cameron, but this time the hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" He hopped down off the stool and went to the Hufflepuff table.
Next was Sirius, who blushed a little and went up to the stool. The hat seemed to take a little longer this time, but in the end the hat called out, "GRYFINNDOR!" Sirius got down from the stool, gave James thumbs up, and walked to the table.
Next was a girl with red hair and green eyes named Lily Evans. She became a Ravenclaw, and then it was my turn. I walked up to the stool and Professor McGonagall put the hat on top of my head. Inside my head came a voice. "Ah, lets see what we have here. Plenty of courage to stand up to people, smart, and friendly. Where to put you? Ah, I know, GRYFINNDOR!" the hat shouted.
The gryfinndor table clapped the loudest as I went to sit down across from Sirius. I watched the rest of the nervous people go up. Hestia Jones became a Hufflepuff, Remus Lupin became a Gryfinndor, Lucius Malfoy became a Slytherin, James Potter became a Gryfinndor, Kinglsey Shaclebolt became a Ravenclaw, Severus Snape, the greasy haired boy, became a Slytherin, Nymphadora Tonks became a Gryfinndor, Charlie Weasly became a Gryfinndor, Tiffany Yule became a Ravenclaw, and the last person, Carl Zeshen became a Hufflepuff.
Finally the sorting was over and everyone was seated. I nudged Remus next to me and asked, "Who is that wizard in the middle?"
"That my friend is Albus Dumbledore"
"Oh" I said. This man, Dumbledore stood up and said, "Let the feast begin!" and all of a sudden food appeared on the plates. Everyone grabbed food and dug in. After about an hour everyone was full and we were to go off to our dormitories. Everyone walked to their rooms and fell asleep.
This place had become home to me and I hated going away during the summer. Sirius, James, Remus, and I had all become very good friends. Sirius and I still bickered at each other but never did we get into serious arguments. Sirius and James liked to tease Severus Snape, who nobody know that that was his name; everyone called him 'Snivelus'. I started actually liking him. Not just as a friend, but I think I started loving him. I didn't tell anyone of course. If I told anyone James and Sirius would completely hate me. So I kept it to myself. The 1st week I was at Hogwarts Sirius and James decided to give me a nickname, which was Elg. It was just my intials and even the teachers called me it. It just kind of stuck. I didn't mind very much.
Erica's P.O.V. 15 years later
15 years past and I was now 26 working in Knockturn Alley. I wasn't proud to work here but at least it paid. It was 11:40 p.m. and I was due to get off my shift in 20 minutes. I wouldn't be that happy to go home because I shared my home with others. It was kind of like a hotel but it was a house. An old woman owned the house and rented the rooms out to others. I lived in on the 2nd story where I could here everyone's music and everyone's noises. I cleaned a table where a couple had just been. It was away from the crowd and as I wiped the table down, a man in the corner caught my eye. He gave me the creeps because he was in all black and he had shoulder length black hair. I couldn't see his eyes because of the lighting where he was.
I went over to a table where a bunch of men who looked they had to much to drink were calling, "Hey waitress!" I walked over to them.
"What can I get you guys?" I asked.
"Something sweet," said a positively drunk man, "something like you." He grabbed my wrist all of a sudden. The men at his table laughed wildly.
"Let go of me please," I said politely, trying to get my arm out of his grip. But it was no use. Men were too tough for me.
"Oh come on, you know you want me." I really didn't. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in a month. He was just gross and his breath smelled of beer.
"I don't! Let me go!" I was starting to get frantic now.
All of a sudden, a wand was pointing at the mans neck and everyone stopped laughing. "If you'd like to ever use your hand again, I suggest you let go." Said a silky voice behind me. The man let go and I rushed back to the kitchens. I looked out the tiny window of the kitchen door and saw the man that had been sitting in the corner glare at the door. Then he turned around and walked back to his table in the corner.
I turned around to look at the clock. It read 11:59 a.m. My boss came up to me and announced, "You can leave now Erica." I smiled slightly at him and walked out of the kitchen. Careful to avoid the drunken man, I exited the bar.
Snape's P.O.V.
'Not even a 'Thank you', thought Snape darkly, 'why do I even try?' He sat back down but as he did the girl came back out of the kitchen. She went around the idiotic drunk man's table cautiously. Snape thought about what had just happened for a second and thought that worst things could happen to the girl. He stood up in a flash and strode out of the Skeleton's Bar.
He saw her a little ways ahead of him. He kept an eye on her and made sure that she didn't see him. He followed her and she turned around for a second. He thought she saw him and she quickened her pace. He wondered if she saw him and he hoped not, in case she thought he was stalking her. He quickened his pace a little to keep her in sight. She rounded a corner and went through a crowd. He rounded the corner but didn't see her. He stopped dead and looked around. From behind him he heard footsteps. He turned around and was tackled to the ground.
"What the..." said Snape. He pushed the figure off of him and pinned it to the ground.
The person whimpered and said, "Ow. Get off!" Snape recognized the voice. It sounded like the girl from the bar.
He got off of her and pulled her to her feet. He noticed how small her warm hands felt in his. He was at least a foot taller than this woman. He looked into her eyes and apologized.
"Why are you following me?" she demanded.
"I was just trying to make sure you got home safely." He snarled back at her. "But if you don't appreciate it then fine." He turned around and started to stride off.
"No wait," said the girl. She grabbed his arm and he turned back around and he stared down at her. She looked up into his black eyes. "I thank you for helping me at the bar. I also thank you for being caring enough to see me home safely.
"Well, it is dangerous here at night. But I'm sorry I won't bother you again."
"No I think I'd like to see you again. Where do you work? I'll come and visit you."
Snape was stunned. "I work at the school. I'm a professor at Hogwarts."
"A professor? That's cool. If you give me your name I'll come and visit you there."
"I don't know why you would want to come and see me, but if you say so. My name is Professor Severus Snape. Now where is your house?"
"It's right there." The girl pointed at a three-story house that was old and creaky.
"You live there? Doesn't look like the best place, but if that's where you want to live then I'm not going to stop you."
"I don't want to live here, but I don't have a choice, I have no where else to live. Well good-bye. I'll see you tomorrow. And by the way, my name is Erica. Good night." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She walked quickly to her house and went inside, as he just stared.
He soon stopped staring and left to go back to Hogwarts.
Erica's P.O.V.
I skipped happily up the stairs and into my room in the creaky, old house. I put my PJs on and jumped into bed. I fell asleep almost instantly, but not before setting my alarm clock to 10:00 a.m.
I woke up to my alarm clock shrieking, "Get up you lazy bum! Get up!" It would not shut up until you were standing on your feet with your eyes open. I did this and the alarm clock went quiet. I got dressed in a black skirt and a tank top that was black with roses on it. I didn't have to fix my hair very much since it was cut short. I just sprayed some hair spray in it and messed with it a little. I put some pale pink lipstick on and some blush on and left the house. I walked until I got to Hogsmeade. The horseless carriages were waiting patiently for me. I climbed into one of the carriages and it took off.
After about a 10 minute ride I got to the castle. I hopped down from the carriage and made my way up to the castle. I opened the familiar oak doors and stepped inside. It was the same as always, except a massive shape was in a corner humming. To my own surprise I gasped. The figure got even taller and turned around. I almost screamed at the thing that was now facing me.
It was a male for sure and a human (maybe). He had brown bushy hair, eyebrows, mustache, and beard. I could only see his nose and eyes on his face. He wore a big brown drench coat. He was about 8-9 feet tall, which meant, 4-5 feet taller than me. This man scared me. He took a massive step towards me, and in 3 more steps he was hovering over me.
"Can I help you?" he growled in a deep voice.
I tried to answer him but my knees were shaking and I felt as if I had a frog in my throat. Instead of saying anything I nodded.
"With?"
"Dumbledore," I croaked.
"Ah I see. This way." He turned around and headed up the stairs. I followed him. I could hardly keep up with him; every step of his huge boots was 3 steps of my small feet. I followed him until he came to a sudden stop. I almost crashed into him, but I didn't. In front of him was a gargoyle.
"Lemon drop" said the huge man. The gargoyle sprung aside and we stepped on to a flight of steps. We get to the top and the man raises a huge fist and knocks.
"Come in," says an all to familiar voice. The man opens the door and steps aside. My face lights up with joy as I run to the desk like a young girl running to her mother. Dumbledore stands up with a smile on his face and spreads his arms wide, ready to hug me. I fall right into his arms and laugh into his soft beard. I pull back and look into his sparkling blue eyes.
"Have a seat Erica." Says Dumbledore pointing to a chair in front of his desk.
I sit down and say, "I'm not intending to stay long. I just came to visit someone."
"Oh?" say Dumbledore curiously, "and who is that?"
"Professor Severus Snape. I just need to know where his class is? He did not tell me what subject he teaches"
"Oh, Severus?" I nod. "Well, Hagrid," Dumbledore looked at the huge man, "please show Erica here where Professor Snape's Class is."
"Yes Professor Dumbledore, sir."
Hagrid turns around and walks out of the office with me closely behind.
"Why would you come to see Snape, of all people?"
I glared at Hagrid. "I like him. Is that a problem? I may be small but I'm good with hexes!"
He glances down nervously at my bag and shakes his hairy head. "No, no. I was just wondering."
We walk in silence until we get to where I came in. "The dungeons are through that door. I don't like going in there so you can go by yourself" says Hagrid.
"OK." I say opening the door. I close it behind me and go down a bunch of stairs. It gets colder and colder the farther down I go. I get to the bottom where a door stands. I open it and a bunch of fourth years turn their heads in my direction.
'Uh-oh, I've come in the middle of class,' I think.
"I think you've got the wrong place lady," say a snotty looking Slytherin girl.
"Maybe," I reply.
"No you don't" says a voice from the back of the classroom. I look around for the speaker but can seem to spot him. Then from the back of me I feel hands lay onto my shoulder. I look over my shoulder and see Severus. I look into those dark, dark eyes of his and smile. He does not smile back, but I do see I sign of happiness.
"Class dismissed," announced Snape, still staring at me.
"But we still have ten minutes, Professor." Says a girl with bushy brown hair.
Snapes attention was no longer on me, but on the girl. "Ms. Granger I said 'Class dismissed.' Now Leave!" said Snape in a deadly voice. The girl gulped and packed up her things. Everyone filed out of the classroom. Severus and I were now alone.