Chapter 4-
"Silence, I've told you before, you have to use two newts. Two!" Snape slammed his hand down on the desk, some pencils shifting slightly.
"Alright, alright! Sor--ry!" She rolled her eyes at him and added another newt to the caldron.
Professor Snape shuffled some papers on his desk, most likely essays from students. "Well if you're going to help me keep up on my potion stock, I suggest you follow my instructions."
"I DO know how to do it! This is child's play. You taught me how to do this when I was nine. I just made a mistake, that's all. People do that from time to time, you know." She stared at him bitterly, continuing to mix the ingredients in her caldron together. Professor Snape didn't bother to respond to her or even gave a hint he'd heard her.
"There you see. It's done. Simple enough to make. Why not leave me with more complex potions to make. I can handle it. Why not let me make some Veritaserum? I can do it. Besides, you're almost out, anyways."
Snape got to his feet and grabbed a box of small viles before walking over to Silence. "Place it in these. Then you may leave."
Snape always said this. Everyday. Silence decided to stop arguing with him and just did as she always had. She finished filling the viles and then waved her wand over her caldron, clearing it of all potion that was left. She set them in the storage cupboard and replaced the caldron, before grabbing her school bag she'd placed next to a table with large boxes on it. She tried to make out what was in the boxes but when she was unsuccessful, went and sat at a small, lone desk near to Snape's and pulled out her Arithmancy book and homework.
Silence grabbed her quill and then glanced over at Snape who was scribbling notes onto a student's paper, not minding her continued presence. She placed her quill down to the paper and began to head it before flipping through the book's pages. An hour passed and they said nothing to each other, her Arithmancy homework almost completed.
A small rap sounded at the door and she looked up.
"Come in," Snape called, not breaking from the scribbling of more notes.
The door opened and from around the door appeared Harry Potter. He looked around the room and then over to Snape and then finally he spotted Silence. She stared at him and then pretended to be too busy in her homework to care that someone had entered the room.
Harry walked to the front of Snape's desk and Silence peered up at him with her head still bowed.
"Ah, Potter, how good of you to join me." Snape got out of his seat and walked around to the other side of the desk, over to a table that held the boxes on them. "These boxes hold the disciplinary records of every student in Hogwarts history. They need to be re-filed and so I have left that task to you." He pointed to one box sitting off to the side of the rest. "This one might be of particular interest to you, Potter." They stared at each other for a few moments before Snape lowered his hand and walked back to his desk, continuing with his grading.
Two hours went by and not a word was spoken. Silence continued with her homework, now nearly done with her history report. Snape had just a few more stacks of papers left for him to grade. Shuffling was still sounding from Harry's direction as he sifted through the old records, continuing to sort and file them.
A click sounded from Silence's desk as she placed down her quill and held her arms high in the air as she stretched them and yawned. "Well, I've finished my homework for tonight." She placed her arms back onto the small desk and looked over at Snape, who said nothing.
She looked over at Harry and their eyes met as he held a stack of papers in his hands, clicking them against the desk. He averted his eyes away and Silence then got to her feet. She walked over to Harry and peered down at the progress he'd made, catching the name of James Potter on the top most sheet.
"Silence. I do believe that is all I will be needing of you tonight. You may leave now." Silence looked over at Snape. She wasn't ready to leave. She had no friends to return to and discuss the happenings of her day with and her homework was completed. She had always spent the days in Snape's office while he was at the school and stayed late into the night. She didn't like being made to leave early, but figured it'd be best not to argue. If Harry saw he made special allowances for her, the school might talk about them having a less that platonic relationship.
She went and placed her homework, books and quill back in her school bag and slung it over her shoulder. She walked to the door, opened it and shut it behind her. She slid down the wall and stared up at the ceiling, attempting to clear her mind and not wonder of how long she had to wait.
Silence had never spoken a word to Harry, other than for that one fateful day eight years ago. In all the years she'd been at Hogwarts, she found herself constantly unsure of how she felt towards him. Of course, this boy had stopped the Dark Lord from rising to power, and in turn, Silence led a life of constant recurrences of being shunned. But there was also a human aspect to him she could never put from her mind. He was just a baby at the time and had no idea of what he'd done. Nor did he wish, she'd assumed, to have the life he led placed upon him.
They were opposites in many aspects, but still their lives were similar. Both led lives that resulted in a childhood they didn't understand. Both led lives that thrust a destiny upon them the moment they turned eleven. And both were shunned because of fear of what their existence meant. For Harry, she knew, this hadn't always been. He was accepted by the vast majority of the wizarding world, while for Silence this was quite the opposite.
Recently, that had changed for him, though. With all the talk of the Dark Lord's return, fear was struck into people's hearts. They all aimed this at Harry, as he was the one who revealed this information to everyone. And now he was forced to bare a similar fate to Silence's. He too, suffered the ill-fated looks in the hall and the whispers of distrust sounding from behind his back.
Silence decided to wait for Harry to get done with his detention. She wished to speak with him. She tried to delve into her mind to figure out why it was that she wanted to, but the answer she'd found caused her to shake her mind free of those thoughts and she refused to think anymore of them. However, she'd made up her mind to have this conversation with him and she was going to go through with it. There was an inner part of her that caused her to do things even when she was unsure of the consequences, and this was one of those times. She chuckled at these feelings that caused her to do things of stupidity and just then the doorknob clicked.
The door creaked open and Harry stepped out, pulling the door shut behind him. He caught Silence sitting on the ground next to the door and looked slightly shocked to see her. She scrambled to her feet and pulled her bag up more on her shoulder.
"Harry," she began, "I was wondering if I could possibly have a word with you." She looked around for a moment, hoping no one was around to hear her. "Tomorrow afternoon. By the big tree near the lake. Can you meet me there around 1pm, after lunch?"
Harry sighed. "What for?"
"I just have something I wish to speak with you about. Will you meet me?"
"Yeah, sure," he said as he walked off and back up the stairs that led out of the dungeon.
Silence stood there for a few moments before following in his wake. She wondered what Snape was up to at that moment and longed to go back down there and see him before she went to bed. But she didn't want to give away her inner most feelings she felt towards him, so off she went, back to the Gryffindor common room.
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The sunlight warmed Silence's face as she stepped outside. She stepped down the stairs and looked around at the grounds, watching as students passed by, talking amongst themselves. She glanced over at the lake to where she'd asked Harry to meet her and saw several small groups lazing around.
She headed over and a sinking feeling arose in her stomach. Though it was of benefit at the current moment, she always much disliked when her fellow students got to their feet and left her deserted in where ever she chose to rest. The library left her in similar situations as did the meal tables if she'd lingered too long in the common room, causing them to be more empty. If there was little room left, others had little choice but to tolerate her presence and they made habits of craning their bodies away from her, as if the four points in which their bodies faced suddenly had unfathomable interest.
The water was calm and the sunlight reflected off of it. She sat down under the shade of the tree she'd specified for Harry. As the other students got to their feet, she glanced at her watch and saw it was 1:47pm. She drew her knees close in to her and rested her head against them, staring at the water. It calmed her and she was able to lose herself in thought while gazing at it.
She decided to concentrate on the ripples flowing through the water instead of the inner voice that was telling her it best to continue pretending Harry didn't exist. The white wrinkles in the water, strolled along softly and she counted them to herself. She heard muffled dirt shifting against the Earth and looked up to see Harry striding down towards her.
Harry hovered over her for a moment and then sat down a few feet forward of her. He too, pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, staring quietly out at the lake. She took in his sight for a moment before looking around to check that no one was near. She scooted forward a bit, so that she was now level with him, but still an arms length away.
She pulled one leg up under her and bent the other in front of her, placing her arm on the knee. She had forgotten what she wanted to say to him. Her mortal enemy sat next to her and comments on the whether seemed in order now. The anxiety welled up inside her, but suddenly, she was freed of it all.
"What was it you wanted to speak with me about?"
The lead she had such a hard time finding didn't seem so difficult to muster now.
"Right, well... It goes without saying that we all know a certain someone is back." She placed her arms up behind her head and forced herself to feel more relaxed. She saw him glance over at her and knew what it was he was wondering. "I guess it also goes without saying that I've been living with my father now. Rumors have sprung up, of course, but they were completely unfounded, I'm sure. No one knows of who my muggle family was, or at least I should hope they didn't."
Now Silence found herself wondering if that was investigated by anyone now, but figured it most likely wasn't, as the Ministry didn't believe a word Harry had spoken.
Harry slammed his hand to the ground and looked over to her. "Look, if you've come to tell me some sort of death wish, weather of your father's or of your own, you can save it, alright." He began to get to his feet and Silence became very serious at that moment.
She dropped her arms to her sides and turned towards him as he walked off. "Is that what you think? Harry, I think it's quite obvious that the threat of death is present. I wouldn't call you here just to mock you."
Harry stopped and gazed 'round at her.
"Now stop assuming everyone is out to get you or tell you how much of a liar you are and sit down, shut up and listen to what I have to say."
"So you've decided to join the good side then, is it? Want to pledge your allegiance to me, eh? Alright then..." He curled his lip in an awkward smile, nodding his head in a swift, mocking manner, a 'but of course' manner.
She wanted to yell at him and tell him what an assumtuated fool he was, but merely closed her eyes and shook her head at his arrogance.
He looked over at the water and curled his lip a bit, realizing the mistake of his outburst. He contemplated if he wanted to hear anymore of what she had to say, but finally walked over to her again and sat back down.
"Alright, let's hear it then."
She breathed in heavily and all her anxiety about talking to him was finally pushed from her mind.
"I've seen how the others treat you. They think you lie and poke fun at you behind your back. They stare at you in hatred and judge you for it all. However... you and I both know that deep down inside, they're just scared. Fear generates these things. It mutates into other emotions to strengthen itself. And you are the enemy for them, Harry. You've brought out things that mean a horrible change for them."
Harry remained silent and continued to listen to her words.
"This is what my father-- Voldemort wants for you, Harry. He knows of what it's doing to you and is smirking in the shadows knowing the pain is taking root in your heart and turning you into what he wants you to be."
"Enough! I don't want to hear anymore." Harry was frightened of becoming something other than himself and she was speaking of his fears at the moment.
Silence stared at him calmly from the corner of her eyes and dared to trudge on in her speech.
"However, in your attempt to keep out the damaging opinions of those around you, you've also pushed away those closest to you. The friends who support you are now suffering the anger you feel towards those who fear you and it's causing a rift between you and them. Again, something the Dark Lord favors and is glad to know is happening, even though he can't see it for himself.
"Harry, I urge you to not push them at bay. It will do nothing but place all the burden upon yourself."
"As it should be!" he said as he looked over at her. "They don't need to be involved in this." He stopped and looked back out at the water, a shadow forming across the lake from a grey cloud over head. Harry had lost himself in what she was saying and as a result had said something he regretted. Looking into her eyes had made him realize who he was talking to again and he was unsure if it was safe to have revealed his fears to her.
Silence pulled her knees to her chest and laid her chin in-between her knees. "Harry, I know all too well what it's like to not have friends, to not have someone you can confide in." She thought back to Snape, who had been the only person who she could say things too. He rarely spoke back and rarely gave her much console, but it was all she had.
She got to her feet and brushed off her robes. "Just remember, friends aren't to be taken for granted. They are there by choice, not because they have to be, and they can soon renounce that choice if they so wish it. Treat them better, is all I'm saying."
She turned and walked away as Harry scrambled to his feet and turned 'round.
"Why are you helping me?" He glanced to the side and felt almost guilty in what he was about to say. "I mean, you're his daughter, you're Voldemort's daughter. You're on his side, why would you want to help me?"
Silence turned back to him as she continued to walk backwards up to the castle. "We chose our own destinies, Harry. I can be whoever I want to be. No one choses my destiny but myself."
She turned away from him once again and continued on up to the castle. An elation filled her at realizing she'd just proclaimed what she'd always felt from the start. She could chose her own destiny. But as of now, she was still unsure of what her choice was.
A/N: Please forgive me if the settings inside the actual book happenings is a bit off. I'm just going on memory and don't have the books in my possession in order to cross check. ;;