This is a short one, sorry! Also, I just found out that reading this in dark mode and 1/2 format is better. But your preference might be different. Enjoy though :)
The sky was dark with grey rolls of clouds hovering low. Wherever Circe was, she knew something was waiting for her or maybe someone. Whatever or whoever it was, it has been waiting for a long time. Circe could tell by the feeling of a certain strong force pulling her down to the end of the corridor. She looked out from the veranda. It was going to rain cats and dogs soon. With a loud, forlorn sigh, Circe surrendered to the force and let it pull her as if she didn't care for what was waiting for her. Walking lazily, almost dragging her feet, Circe came to a door. On it was two large golden plating: 43. It was a motel room, in some place that seemed so familiar to her, like it was something from a distant memory of perhaps another life. The curtains were drawn and there was a faint light inside, giving the impression that someone was inside, waiting for her to knock.
She knocked. Three times.
The door was opened by nobody and was left ajar, tempting her to push in wide open. For some reason, Circe felt bored as if she has played this game a million times. With a groan, she pushed the door. Then, her breathing stopped completely.
"Hello, Circe." A young man was standing in the middle of the room. The bed and cupboards were gone; it was just an empty carpeted room. The young man was smiling wickedly at her, as though he had a bad news to tell her and would enjoy the pain it will bring her.
"Tom." Circe said whispered, still in shock. "Father."
"Look here." He pointed at a door inside the room.
Circe walked across the room, treading slowly and trying not to go near him as she possibly can. Reaching the door he pointed, Circe opened it. Inside was another room. This time, it was a complete motel room with a queen sized bed; table, cupboards and a lamp stand at a corner. In fact, it was the exact room her mother committed suicide because right in the middle of the room, hanging from the ceiling fan was a mother's dangling body with a course rope tied around her neck.
Circe blinked once and then twice. With a tough heart, she turned darkly to her father, who was grinning as widely as ever. "I've seen this before. So it won't work."
Her father's grin immediately disappeared. And then there was a flash of green light.
"What an unlucky start of schooling."
"That idiot! She never has the sense of responsibility to herself!" The voice who spoke this sounded cold, hard and annoyed. Professor Snape! And the other person talking would be the headmaster.
"Perhaps she should stay with you during the summer, Severus?"
Circe frowned and squint her eyes. Stay with him? Of course not!
"Oh, look! She's awake!" Professor Dumbledore said cheerfully, ignoring the murderous glare of Snape.
"No way in hell am I staying with him!" she declared when they realised that she was listening to their conversation.
"I see your language hasn't improved yet since we last saw each other, Ms Grace. I'm utterly disappointed with you." Professor Snape said coolly. "And don't fret yourself. I don't allow someone with a vulgar mouth to share a roof with me. Not even a week"
"Oh, I won't want to stay with you not even for a day!" she said sarcastically.
"Alright, alright. Let's talk in a more civilised manner." Said Professor Dumbledore.
"We ARE civilised!" growled Snape as if he felt insulted by the remark.
Dumbledore gave him a moanful look and Snape held his poisonous tongue back. "Well, now that we are all calm again, Circe, how are you feeling now?"
Circe threw a glance at the headmaster and eyed him suspiciously. "I'm fine, thank you."
There was an odd silence. "Circe, did you know that 5 dementors were attacking you? And if it wasn't for Professor Snape here who was searching for you, you could have..."
"I could have?"
"Well, let's just say that you'd be in a state that you wouldn't want to be. You were really fortunate that Professor Snape came just in time. But, Circe, how did you feel before you lost your consiousness. Please, this is really important."
Circe frowned harder. She had a dream about her father again. The same dream where he showed her the scene of her mother's death, like he was teasing her in some way she cannot fathom. But the dream has nothing to do with the dementors, Circe was sure of that, or she was almost sure about it. "I..."
"You...?"
"Well, I felt very cold and...I supposed, that was about it." Circe said with a shrug, looking from Professor Dumbledore to Professor Snape and back again quickly to the headmaster when she saw how dark and suspicious her potion teacher looked.
Professor Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Circe, remember when Professor Snape questioned you about the day you got your wand, you lied didn't you?"
"So?"
"So tell the truth now, you little insolent chit!" roared Professor Snape.
"Calm down, Severus. Let me handle this." Said the headmaster. "Circe, we understand that last year, we did not treat you the way we should have but we promise to help you in any way we can now."
Circe couldn't believe what she was hearing and started laughing so loud that Madam Pomphrey had to come over and hush her. "What? You still think that I'm a child. Well yes, I am but this is so stupid. You think that by bribing me with sweet words and treating me nicely would make me tell you everything, if there was anything to tell, that is. Seriously, don't you guys have children of your own?"
The question only made Dumbledore looked at the floor and Snape glowered in bright anger.
"Look, okay, I'm sorry." Circe quickly said, seeing how disappointed the headmaster looked. "That was unnecessary. But, honestly, I just felt really, really cold and that's all!"
"Did you hear a woman screaming?" Professor Snape jutted in impatiently.
Circe stared at him as though he asked a nonsensical question. "A woman...? Err..No...I don't...think I heard anyone screaming. Hey, is that what you were fishing about? Why didn't you just ask?"
Dumbledore looked at Snape, arching an eyebrow. "Well, we was expecting maybe a bit more than just hearing a woman screaming, so we decided you ask you an open question."
"Okay...Hang on, why particularly a woman screaming?" Circe said, looking at the both of them. "I mean, why did you expect me to hear a woman screaming?" But none of them answered her, not even the brooding Professor Snape. "Look, I answered your question, right? So answer mine." she said, crossing her hand.
"A dementor entered the Hogwarts Express today and it affected Harry-"
"-so badly until the boy fainted and he heard a woman screaming." Interrupted Snape, smirking just slightly while ignoring a glance by Dumbledore.
"Oh, so just because he heard a woman screaming, you think that I might have heard the same thing? Well, just to remind you, Harry's mother died screaming, my mother died in silence." Circe said looking as though they should have thought about that earlier "Like I said before, I am nothing like Harry. I'm not soft, weak or reckless. Plus, I'm way better than him in every way possible."
"My, my, what vanity." Said Professor Snape. "I don't remember teaching you this quality."
Circe rolled her eyes. "Professor, it's the truth."
"Circe, listen, we just wanted to see any similarities on how the dementors affected you and Harry, knowing that the both of you have a very...different background." Said Dumbledore. "Alright, the feast was over a long time ago. I'll have someone to bring over some food. I heard that the roast was quite good. Goodnight, Circe. Hope you get better"
"Goodnight, sir and the roast have and will always be delicious." She said humbly. Professor Dumbledore smiled warmly and left them alone. The minute she was sure he was out of earshot, Circe gave a sharp look at the potion teacher. "You did NOT answer my letter!"
"I was not obliged to answer it." He simply said. "Have a good rest. I expect you to be in class tomorrow and no exception."
Turning to leave, he felt a jerk on his billowing cloak. Tilting his head slightly, he saw Circe was out of her bed and grabbed him to stop him from leaving. "Let go off me this instant, Ms Grace!"
"What time you came to Hogwarts?" Circe asked calmly, totally unaffected by his growl that would have send even Professor McGonagall out of his office.
He was about to yelled something about deducting 100 points for even daring to touch his holy cloak when he was caught mid-sentence when he really heard her question. "That is none of your concern." He tune down his voice but it was still as menacing as ever.
"I was waiting for you, you know. That's why I was out at the courtyard. I watched the gates the whole day but I didn't see you coming. I was kinda worried, I'll admit that. What happened?"
Snape stared at the 13 year old girl who looked so sincere that the saints could cry. He eyed her warily. She was surely up to something no good. "I was already in school before the sun rose if you must know and next time; keep the warm, fuzzy feeling to yourself. I do not need your concern." And he left holding his cloak in case she grabbed it again.
Circe sighed. She could tell that he was uncomfortable when she said that she was worried about him. What happened to him, he can't be born like this, all cold and clammy? But what the hell, he didn't want to sign the permission form. That could be easily fixed though, she thought to herself, I would see him tomorrow and berate him until he surrender to my ultimate force.
But it had got Circe wondering, what is the story behind Professor Snape?
Review, please because(if you still don't know), it makes me happy and gives me everlasting inspiration! Welcome back Devil! I thought you left Circe forever:( Tinker, we could actually make Circe real! Thank you so much for those who reviewed! lOVE, Wildreams
