Her Eyes


He was drawn to her from the beginning. Yes, since the very first time he saw her, just a little first-year brat, overeager to give him answers.

How could he not have noticed her? The chit was obnoxious in her attempts to show off her knowledge, actually standing from her seat to wave her chubby little arm just that much higher.

But it should have been easy to dismiss her as an overconfident, know-it-all braggart. There's always at least one each year. That one student who has to interrupt the class to ask irrelevant questions, simply has to be the one to answer his. One who makes all the other students roll their eyes and snicker, one who has no friends except when it comes time to turn in an assignment or study for a test.

Most teachers respond by being either desperately relieved to find one student eager to learn and participate, a bright jewel in a bed of coal, or as annoyed as everyone else but forced to hide it. He doesn't bother to hide his impatient disdain for those students.

But something was different about her. Oh, he acted just as dismissive of her as he does of anyone else at first, was just as cruel.

Yet... he saw something, something in her eyes.

It wasn't the arrogant glint he expected. Instead, it was something that spoke of desperation. Of helpless entreaty. Look at me, they seemed to say. Accept me. Save me. On the brink between sanity and madness. Between functionally normal and completely disengaged from the world.

He had always been a natural empath. Sensitive to the emotions of those around him, an unconscious legilimens. Most would never have guessed it, but before he'd learned to distance himself, built a wall... well, they'd called him "Snivellus" for a reason.

So what he saw in her resonated in him deeply. And in a sea of wary, hostile, stubborn, and distant faces, this girl was looking at him with worship. So desperate to connect, she was freely giving him power over her very mind and soul.

He felt a rush of adrenaline just thinking of that power.

All she needed was his approval, his assurance and confirmation. A nod, a small smile, a word of praise.

That's all she needed.

Nothing else.

.

She wouldn't get it.