Slug Club Christmas Party, 1996
The past few months have been rough, after my mother passed away, I've been feeling rather alone. The anger I once had is subsiding, but I fear that I am only bottling it up further, that's never healthy. Despite having few anger issues, I have been extremely depressed lately, questioning my very own existence. I really haven't been myself at all; my collection of gnome hats hasn't grown since June last year, my hair no longer a bright blonde, rather a sandy brown, my makeup ruined everyday due to the fact that I am constantly crying. I have tried approaching the Headmaster on what to do but he seems to be away an awful lot lately. Minerva suggested that I ask Professor Slughorn, my old potions teacher who is back this year for some advice, possibly a potion to treat my condition. Speaking of the potions master, Horace's Christmas party today for his Slug Club, I was invited by Horace himself as he saw that I had been feeling rather down. I want to make it up to him at his party as I kind of snapped at him the other day when he asked me.
"Ah, Charity, you were just the woman I wanted to see." Slughorn smiled at me and gave me a gentle nod. "I was inviting Minerva to my Slug Club's Christmas party when she suggested that I better off invite you instead, as you've been feeling a bit down in the dumps."
"Oh!" I went off at him. "I see how it is! I'm the pity choice; you didn't want to invite me! I'm just a charity case aren't I! Is that it?" I was terribly mean.
"Merlin's beard Miss Burbage, I meant nothing by it! I just thought—"
"Don't worry Horace, I'll be at your silly party, I'll be there at 7, good day!"
"But Charity—"
"I said GOOD DAY!" I stormed off to my office, feeling slightly ashamed.
The truth is the only reason I agreed to go to the party was Severus would be there, he was a former member you know? Severus and I had grown closer ever since my mother died; he was the only one who would comfort me, who could look after me. I now consider him somewhat of a friend to me now, probably the one I'm closest too in this place. Minerva had been becoming continuously irksome to me, her strained voice scratching at me like a knife. At least SHE won't be at the party now. Time passed and the party would be in approximately half an hour, now I just need to get ready. Usually, being muggle studies teacher and all, I would get dressed the muggle way, though tonight I just used some charms Filius taught me. I configured the black, wavy dress in the corner of my office over to me and put it on. I took a large necklace from my draw jewelled with emeralds and threw it over my head and tied my hair up tightly in bun. It was 6:55pm, I should be on my way, I do not want to be late. I quickly walked through the hallways of castle, passing several of my students including Ernie Macmillan who tried to talk to me about next year's classes. I told him to 'shove it' and naturally he went off and cried. I also passed Filius, him and I were extremely close now, he was there when Snape was not, the other night was amazing, I winked at him. I reached the door of the party opened it up and stopped. There was no one there. The decorations were up, the food being brought in my some house elves yet I was the only one there.
"Ah, Charity!" Professor Slughorn waddled in from the other side of the room and shed a nervous smile. "Glad of you to come—so – early..."
"I'M EARLY?" I was highly embarrassed, especially after my argument with Horace.
"I tried to tell you that the party didn't start til 8 but you stormed off before I could. Never mind then, other guests should be arriving—soon." He shed yet another nervous smile and walked off to talk to one of the house elves carrying the dragon tartar. The next 52 and a half minutes were some of the most awkward of my life. Horace kept coming over trying to make brief conversation, one of the house elves spilt what smelt like troll bogeys on my foot and my dress caught on a loose nail, causing a large slit to appear on the side of my dress. At last the first guests began to arrive, my old student Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, the infamous Harry Potter, a vampire, several students and Professors and at last Professor Snape, who I was dying to talk to. I grabbed a glass of mead and strutted right over to him.
"Severus! I didn't know you'd be here!" I lied.
"Charity, don't you look acceptable, how is class?" Severus did this thing where he pretended to like my class but seriously, it's Muggle Studies!
"Class is great Severus and how—" He stopped me.
"I'm sorry Charity; I must go talk to Potter at once."
Once again, he had left me, mid conversation. I chugged down my mead and grabbed another glass, chugged that down and walked into the middle of the dance floor, showing my moves to the rest of the world! Shortly after, the caretaker, Argus Filch dragged the Slytherin student, Draco Malfoy into the party as he had been lingering in the halls. And naturally, SNAPE, accompanied him out, it's always Snape! I never get a chance to be with him, when will I get my chance? About an hour later there were fewer guests yet the party was still going strong and this was when Slughorn decided to make that dreadful speech. I decided I was better off with some more mead first.
"Attention, attention!" Slughorn tapped his spoon against his glass of mead. "I would like to thank you ALL for coming, there have been a few disruptions but the party is still raving! Now I would like to invite a very special person over here to make a speech, Mr Harry Potter! Harry?" Slughorn looked around the room for Harry, I saw him leave awhile ago, shortly after Filch came in. "Oh, Harry must have gone off to practice potions!" There were little laughs amongst the audience. "Well, while I'm up here, I would like to pay respect to the mother of Professor Charity Burbage, who was sadly taken from us last year, so shall we raise our glasses up, to Mrs Burbage!" The rest of the crow followed suit. "Charity; is there anything you would like to say." I was angry, a little drunk even.
"Is there anything I would like to say? Is there anything I would like to SAY? I repeated myself. "There are several things I would like to say!" I walked over to Slughorn and pushed him out the way. "Thanks a lot everyone, for your kind, HEARTLESS words! NONE of you knew my mother yet you pretend to care, I KNOW YOU DON'T!"
Slughorn tried to stop me. "Charity, please."
"NO HORACE, NO! I HAVE TAKEN TOO MUCH CRAP IN THIS WORLD! STOP NOW! I had NEVER done anything to wrong anyone in this world yet my mother was taken by me by those cruel death eaters, I DID NOT DESERVE THAT."
Horace had alerted Minerva of what I was doing and she came striding in the room.
"Charity, dear, please stop now."
"Ah, Minerva, just who I wanted to see." My hair fell out of its bun, my makeup was running and my eyes were full of tears. "You have done NOTHING to help me this year, making helpful suggestions doesn't help all the time, so cut the crap!" Minerva looked taken aback.
"So, THANKS, everyone, you have been so helpful!" I was angry and sarcastic. "Now sadly, I HAVE GOT TO GO!" I pointed my wand to my head and began to shout "Avada Ke—"
"STOP!" Severus had entered the room. "Charity, please, put your wand down, you don't deserve that."
I stared at him, half angry, half relieved he had stopped me.
"Come on Charity." He moved towards me. "Put it down, let's go, let's go."
I put my wand down and fell, crying into Snape's arms. "It's just not fair Severus, it's just not fair! They KILLED my mother, I've done nothing wrong!" That night he comforted me, he was so kind, gentle, I love him so much.
I thought I could trust him... I guess not.
