AN: Pride of Portree
Subject: Divination
Beater 1: Write about someone's passion for the subject.
Optional prompts: (quote) 'I want to see and understand the world outside.' - Eren Jaeger, Attack On Titan. (word) watery
Word count: 1,162
When can I see?
Sybill watched as Lavender Brown stumbled into her classroom. The girl was one of her favourite students - and she didn't choose favourites often. She frowned as she watched the girl's hunched form collapse on one of her pouffes. Something was wrong. "What's wrong, dear girl?" She part-said part-hummed, hoping that her voice would soothe some of the troubles the girl was experiencing. There was silence, and Sybill began to move closer when Lavender lifted her head up. She suppressed a gasp, and kept her face steady as Lavender's red-rimmed, watery eyes met her own. The girl looked terrible, a far cry from the bright, carefree girl that had skipped into her classroom at the start of the year.
"Now Miss Brown, why did you ask to stay back?" It was her first day of teaching divination to this year group and there had been quite the mix of students. Some were not interested in the subject while others listened with rapt attention, whenever she spoke. Miss Brown was one of the latter.
"I wanted to ask if you ever did any extra sessions." The girl's voice was bright and laced with the innocence of youth. The very idea of knowing she could teach this girl the ways of the universe made her feel…powerful. She could imagine, years in the future where Miss Brown thanked her for helping her master the gift, despite not being a Seer.
"I do not. However," She added quickly as she saw the cheery face fall into a glum expression, "I am willing to make an exception."
"Thank you so much professor!" She exclaimed, and turned to leave the classroom.
"Miss Brown?" Sybill called out. She wanted to know something.
"Yes, professor?"
"Why, if you don't mind me asking, do you want to take these extra sessions?" Sybill could see the thoughts running through the young girl's head and sat up a bit straighter when she saw an answer register in her mind.
"I- I want to be able to see. Properly see. I want to see and understand the world outside, and - and to just be able to understand and accept what is coming." She stopped abruptly, her cheeks flushing red at her outburst. "Sorry."
Sybill shook her head, "Don't be. Your…passion for the subject is refreshing." She smiled at the young girl and she beamed back.
Looking down at Lavender, Sybill was startled by the stark reminder of that particular memory. The grave contrast between the Lavender in that memory and the Lavender before her was disconcerting, to say the very least. "Lavender dear-" She spoke gently, but was cut off by a scratchy voice coming from what had to be the young girl sitting in front of her.
"I - I didn't." The girl took a deep shuddering breath to steady herself. "I didn't see. How did I not see?" The question was wailed, her grief seemingly unlocked by the ability to form a sentence without hiccupping.
"See what, my dear?" Sybill tried to be as gentle as she could, finally moving to sit beside the girl on one of the plush pouffes.
"B-Binky." whispered Lavender, wiping her tear stained cheeks.
"Who's Binky?" She asked with a tentative smile, hoping that Lavender had stopped crying - for the time being at least. She stretched out her arm, and uncurled her fist, allowing a small photograph to tumble from her fingertips. Sybill reached out, and plucked it from between the two pouffes, where it had fallen. The picture was of a rabbit. "Binky, was your rabbit?" She asked, hoping she wasn't probing the girl for too many answers. Lavender nodded dejectedly.
"I - I didn't see." She whispered and Sybill's heart almost shattered. She could tell Lavender felt responsible.
"If you had known, you still wouldn't have been able stop it. You would feel worse than you do now." Lavender turned towards her, slowly, and looked into her eyes.
"What's the point then?" Her voice was still quiet but Sybill could hear the emotion as clear as day. "I wanted to see. But I couldn't even see the one I loved. If I can't see something so close... what have I achieved?"
"You told me on the first day you stayed behind in my lesson that you wanted to see. That you wanted to see what was coming and accept it. A loss like this isn't easy to accept. You can't change anything. What is the point, you ask? Acceptance. Just like you told me on that first day." Lavender was staring at her feet but Sybill could tell she was paying attention to what she was saying. "Do you know who you reminded me of that day?" She didn't get an answer. She hadn't been expecting one. "Myself." She noticed Lavender's eyes flicker towards her in surprise, but then they were locked firmly on her feet again.
"Nana, Nana!" Sybill squealed as she ran into her great-great grandmother's arms.
"What is it, my dear?" Cassandra Trelawney asked, looking down at the young girl fondly.
"I saw shapes in the sky!" She jumped excitedly, jostling the older woman's grip on her.
"What shapes?" The seer asked, her smile growing wider.
"There were four eyes! And they were looking up! What does it mean?" She asked eagerly, pulling on one of the long scarves the other witch wore. Cassandra gently pried her fingers from the scarf and laughed.
"Were the eyes all in a row?" She asked.
"No, there were two next to each other and then two on top of them that were next to each other too! Like a square shape, but with eyes!" Cassandra nodded slowly.
"That, my dear, is the Adinkra symbol for knowledge. So, I guess you're going to grow up to be a smart young lady."
Sybill pouted. "I want to be smart now! Like you, nana." She frowned and looked at the floor. "When will I be able to see? Like you do?"
Her great-great grandmother laughed, and pinched her chin, lifting her head up so Sybill wasn't looking at the floor. "With your determination, I'd say very soon. You're already seeing shapes!"
Sybill narrated the memory to Lavender and turned to her after she had finished. She was shocked to see tears running down Lavender's cheeks. The intent had been to cheer her up! "Lavender?" The professor asked.
"It must have been so painful for you when she left." The young girl looked at her with, not pity, but an expression of understanding. Of empathy. Without warning, Lavender got out of her seat and wrapped her arms around her. She froze, unsure of what to say or do, but knowing that she needed this comfort. They both did.
After what felt like hours had passed, but was only a moment, Lavender spoke, her voice muffled in the fabric of Sybill's scarf. "I want to see. I want to keep learning."
Sybill smiled. "And I will teach you."