Chapter 13: Laughing and Falling

Severus had decided not to talk to me and just gave me a list of things do written in a parchment. There was no verbal conversation between the two of us and he wouldn't answer if I asked him something. He didn't even give me a punishment but he did write a letter to my parents about my actions. It was already been a week but my parents haven't written back yet and Severus owl hadn't return yet either. I'm guessing that they had gone to a trip and the owl couldn't found them yet.

As for Gillian, the flower pixie, she continued on staying with me and following me wherever I go. She also presented herself to carry my things around but I didn't agree. She's not my slave, she's a friend. Karilyn was ecstatic when she first saw Gillian. She said that flower pixies are rare to be seen and she said that it was her first time to see a living flower pixie. The most common pixies are the cornish pixie she said but I haven't seen a cornish pixie yet. Karilyn had also asked me where I met Gillian and she, too, was furious when she found out that I went into the dark forest. Honestly, why do people have to overreact to what had happened? There was nothing wrong that happened to me and came back in one piece. My parents don't even worry about me doing the forbidden they'll even join me. Unlike Severus who is still mad at me, Karilyn had already forgiven me.

A week and two days after my trip to the forest my parents send a letter to me and to Severus. Their letter to Severus is probably all about saying sorry about my behavior. As for my letter I didn't read it until evening before going back to bed. Well this is the content of the letter:

Dear Cey

Why are we not suprised with the news? But still we are rather disappointed with your actions. We know that in the past we even come with you doing dangerous things but its different now. There was no one with you and we heard it that place is really dangerous places full of dangerous beast. Your teacher had even told us that it would still be unwise to go into the forest even if you're with someone or with a group. Please don't make others worry for you too much. If you make people worry about you too much they tend to cease to care. They would think that you don't have any care about their feelings and would be hurt by that. So please don't push your friends and those who care for away.

Love Mom and Dad.

P.S By the way you are grounded for a month on summer for your actions. And please if you're bored don't risk your life too much. I'm sure you'll find other things you can do without endangering your life. Also your brother is laughing at your, what he calls, 'stupidity'.

Is Severus care for me too much and for that reason he stayed mad at me? Then would that mean Karilyn don't care about me that much? I doubt that about Karilyn. She's just forgiving and all. I think I owe both of them an apology. First is Karilyn since she's nearedr to me right now. "Karilyn?" I called as I knock on their room.

She quickly opened the door and I saw her ready for bed. "Do you need anything?" she asked timidly.

"I just want to say that I'm really really sorry about what I did last week."

"Didn't I already said that I forgave you?"

"Well yes but I just realize how wrong I am and so here I am saying sorry again." She hugged me tightly and said "Just don't do it again okay? You made me so worried about you."

"Okay I promise I won't do it again without you knowing it." I said sheepishly which me a painful smack on my arms from Karilyn. "Cey be serious."

"I'm serious. I can't promise not to do a dangerous thing again. I'm highly and extremely adventurous and attracted to danger. All I can promise you is to tell you ahead before doing them."

"Then when are you going to tell me that you are attracted to certain, as others call him, dangerous man?" She said in a knowing tone and I gave her the what-are-you-talking-about-look, "Come on Cey. It may not be obvious to others but I can definitely tell that you like him."

"Do you want to sleep over in my room?" She's my best friend here in Hogwarts so I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell her about liking that certain dangerous man she is talking about.

Karilyn squealed in excitement knowing that I am going to tell her what she wanted to know. "I'll be there in a minute." then she was gone behind her door and I headed into my own room and I left my door open for her. Just a couple of minutes later she came in my room carrying some extra pillows and then she locked my room's door. "So?" she said as she sat on the bed beside me.

"Just to make sure, whom are we talking about?" I asked to make sure that we have the same person in mind.

"Professor Snape." She answered. "Honestly the way look at him is very different than how you look at your enemy and friends."

"I do admit that I like him and I already told him that."

"You did? When?" she asked curiously and then I told her what had happened in the Owlery on September 1st and also the day I got a phone call from Erika. "You know he obviously like you too."

"Really? Are you serious?" I may seems closer to Severus than the others but I don't think he likes me too. It's seems he just treat me as one of his students and can't just fight my stubbornness.

"In my point of view he does. I mean this is my sixth year in Hogwarts and I have never seen him have such a good mood until you came. I mean fewer points are taken and fewer detentions were given." she explained.

"Don't you think it might just be because people aren't, like he always says, dunderheads anymore?" It is possible isn't it?

"No I don't think so. I received a detention just a week ago and he made me grade some papers and trust me they aren't that good."

"Why did you have a detention?" Honestly I never thought she would ever receive a detention.

"Ah well...you don't have to know about that. Going back to the topic...what's your plan?" she said quickly changing the topic.

"Karilyn! Why did you have a detention?" I asked seriously telling her that I won't allow her to change the subject easily.

"Well in my potions class last week some Slytherins are talking about some rumors about you and I got mad. Then he gave me detention." she answered without looking at me.

"It's just a rumor. You know the truth." I told her as if it was nothing and it is really nothing for me. I'm used to rumors and I just don't care what they say about me. I know the real me.

"Wait you know the rumor?" Were they hiding it from me? Didn't they know that they can't hide things that are easily spread around?

"Yeah. I'm not actually surprise with it. The same rumor had been made in my previous school but none of it is true." I told her. "I'm still virgin and I don't plan to lose it anytime soon."

"So you don't have any plans to lose it to him if ever he likes you too?" she said with a big grin in her face which caused me to strike her on her nape lightly. Honestly, something like that never crossed my mind yet. "Let's just go to sleep shall we?"

"Fine." then we slept beside each other. We didn't use the bed of course. We wouldn't fit on it. We slept on the ground. The next morning, Friday, we quickly went to the Great Hall to have breakfast. I don't have class this morning and Severus had cancelled my lessons this morning.

After breakfast, Karilyn and the others went to their classes. Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor first years went to their DADA class. I decided to walk around the castle not wanting to read more books. Honestly there is nothing much I can do here. I'm not allowed to fly around except when there is flying lessons or Quidditch practices. I was been banned from flying after almost hitting the whomping willow which is within the castle ground two weeks ago. I almost hit it but I managed to avoid it resulting in losing control of my broom and I landed ungracefully on a small flower garden nearby completely devastating it. The flying ban would be effective for three months. I also managed to get two days of detention with Aunt Pomana. The detention is all about restoring the damaged garden. My falling to the garden had also made Severus and my friends angry at me but it didn't last a week or a day. They quickly forgave me but I think going into the dark forest is really too much.

While walking I decided to 'annoy' Severus to make him speaks to me. The plan is to make him speak to me then I'm going to say sorry. I know he didn't block me out of his mind. I don't have any proof just I know it. "Severus, Severus..." I called him in my mind over and over again without stopping. The advantage of mind communication is that you wouldn't get tired of talking and talking since you don't have to use your mouth and so you don't need to take a breath in talking. "You know I won't stop until you talked to me." I said after calling him over and over again and still he didn't reply. "Severus, Severus..." I started calling his name over and over again.

"Fine" he grunted in the mind and I smiled to myself "What do you need?" he asked with much displeasure in his tone.

"I just want to say I'm really really sorry for making you worried when I entered the forest and during the other things that I did." he didn't reply and I don't know his reaction since we are talking in the mind not face to face. I waited a little longer but still he didn't reply "I would say it in front of you but you're nowhere to be found and besides if I do manage to find you, you wouldn't talk to me." Still he didn't reply nor make any sound. "I'm really sorry." Still no sound from him. "Come on Seve..." I wasn't looking on my way and on my surrounding and so my clumsiness had won again over my balance, or so I thought. I fall first face on the muddy soil. It's been raining this past few days and the rain only stopped this morning so the soils are muddy and soft. My face is full of mud and I heard people laughing around me. They are Timothy and his new gang,

"Loving the mud, Cey?" Timothy asked and then joins his friends in laughing at me again. I glared at him and was about to say something as a comeback but I heard another person laughing. I heard 'him' laughing in my head.

Wiping of the mud on my face and deciding ignoring Timothy I talked to him in my mind "Do you take pleasure on the miseries of the others, Severus?" I'm still sitting in the mud by the way.

"No" he said sternly. "It's just that your face is so amusing. You're face is full of mud and yet you manage to give him a hateful glare before wiping it of your face." he said still half laughing. I looked around but he is nowhere to be found. He said my face is amusing so he had seen me and so that means he's around, right? But where is he? I couldn't see him. "Disillusionment charm Ceyranese." he said answering my unspoken question.

"Okay?...but what do you expect me to cry and run away? I'm not that kind of girl." I told him then I decided to get up. The mud is soking my clothes badly.

"Lost you tongue Cey?" Timothy asked in a mocking tone and I'm surrounded by his gang.

"Mr. Quensy" Severus suddenly appeared behind Timothy. They all look at him with fears in their eyes. Severus is really being feared by everyone, even by the bullies. "And it's the reputation I want to keep as long as I'm here." He said in my mind before turning back again to the bullies. "Get out of here." he said to them and they all hurried out of our sight.

"You like acting as my knight in shining armor aren't you?" he didn't reply instead he took out his wand and said "Scourgify" and then my face and my clothes became cleaning and no trace of mud was left on me.

"So am I forgiven?" I asked hopping that I am really already forgiven.

"Don't you dare go in that bloody forest again." he said. So I am forgiven and because of this I smile. He started to walk away and I followed him and walked beside him.

"Laugh again Severus." I said while walking. He didn't reply nor laugh. He didn't even look at me. He just kept on walking while kept walking beside him and talking to him "I've always wanted to see you laugh or smile but I never see you did."

"Why are you following me?" he asked changing the topic.

"Well I have nothing to do. Why did you cancel this morning's lessons?"

"I have things to do."

"Then what are you doing there?" I asked pertaining to the place where I tripped over.

"I was just getting back from the things I have to do" he answered but we still kept walking and he's heading to the dungeons. "Why don't you just read some books?"

"I have already read all the books that are required for the first years. I don't want my studies to become more boring." I told him with all honesty,

"Amuse yourself with that little imp of yours?"

"She has a name and that's Gillian." I don't want others call someone with other names when they clearly knows that they have a proper name. "Also she's a pixie not an imp." I continued pointing out things about Gillian. "She's out with her friends. She doesn't always have to be with me. Also she isn't with me for entertainment."

"Then perhaps fly like what you always do?" I thought I'm already forgiven so why is he pushing me away?

"I'm banned for three months remember?" I pointed out. In fact he was the one who suggested banning me from flying that long. Aunt Pomana only wants to give some detention for destroying her flower garden. He did reply anymore and just continue on walking. "Why do you always stay at the dungeons?" I asked so to have a topic.

He stopped just before the way down to dungeons and stood in front of me blocking my way and looming over me. "To have my privacy" Clearly he wants me to leave him alone.

"Okay okay...I won't bother you anymore but do we have lessons after potions?" I asked before leaving him.

"Yes." Then he turned his back on me and started walking away.

I decided to walk around the castle again. Then I decided to go to the kitchen. The house elves allowed me to stay there whenever I want. They also let me help them to whatever they are doing. I aside from the other students in Hogwarts I have become very close to these house elves. They're very charming and friendly. They made some ice creams for me which I happily ate.

I stayed in the kitchen until Harry's DADA class ended. When I know that they're class had ended I joined them. We don't really do many things. Just talking, jesting, and having fun. When lunch came I sat with my group and talked about funny things. Of course, Severus isn't there. Gillian hasn't come back yet either. I wonder how Kelsis is doing. I hope she wouldn't fell prey to something or someone again. I hope she's safe. I wonder if I could ask Gillian to check if Kelsis is alright. I think I'm going to ask her she could do that when she came back.

After lunch we immediately went to the dungeons for our potions class. We don't want to be late and let Severus take points from our houses or give us detentions. Nothing much happened in the potions class. The he had taken some points from the Gryffindors but it was only a small amount. He of course had favored Slytherins and they had received some points from their head of the house.

After the class I made no move on leaving. When the all the other students are all gone, he gave me books to read and topics to make an essay. "Wait here until I get back" he said before leaving me alone in the dungeons.

I easily finished what he asked me to do. Since he isn't back yet I decided to do my assignments but when I finished them Severus still isn't back. I wonder where he is and what he's doing. He seems to be always busy this week.

Third Person's POV

When Severus came back to the dungeons and into his classroom, Ceyranese had already fallen asleep on her seat. She is using her hands as a pillow on her desk. From his position at the door of the classroom, Severus had quickly noticed her hair. Actually he had already noticed them this morning. Usually her hair is a flaming red and it is usually tied into different hairstyle each day. Cleary the girl likes styling herself and doesn't want to look ordinary and plain but today her hair is onyx black like his but not greasy and she just let them down framing her face. She looked neither ordinary nor plain with that. She actually looked stunning and Severus had hated himself for he cannot take his off her. He never managed to take his off her but today it was different. She looks more beautiful and stunning. When he had use the Scourgify spell on her this morning he had expected to see red hair but he didn't saw it. He saw her with black her and her face doesn't have any make up on it. She always wear light make up on her face that there was no trace of make up on her even when she had entered his classroom. She look so young that was the first thought entered his mind when she saw her face without any make up on it.

He walked to her and leaned on her desk beside her. He immediately saw the file of works that she had done and there is no doubt that they were done perfectly as usual. The girl is intelligent but she gets bored easily and that is the reason Severus has been in and out of the headmaster's office this week. Her being too bored is alarming since it lead her on doing dangerous things just to get rid of her boredom. The headmaster and he are planning new things for her just to avoid her getting bored.

He didn't do anything to wake her up instead he had just stared at her. Times like this are the only time he can look at her freely but it is also the times like this he hated himself more and more. He hates to be closer to her but he couldn't stop himself. He had tried before but it only made things harder for the both of them. "Are you going to wake me up or are you just going to stare at me?" She suddenly spoke to his mind and it had alarmed him.

"How long have you been awake?" He said out loud. He doesn't want to his their mind link as much as possible to distance him from her.

"I'm asleep as you can see." she said still using the mind link. "I found out just a couple of days ago that I can still use my mind link even though I'm asleep." she explained to make it clear.

"How did you found out about it?" he asked. He knows that Professor Dumbledore not to tell anyone about her mind link so to whom did she used?

"I made a mind link between me and Gillian a couple of days ago. Just to find out if I can use them to others creatures aside from humans" she had always wants to know what else her mind links can do so she had asked Gillian to try it. "I forgot to cut the link between her and I and that's when I found out I can use them even though I'm asleep or the other is asleep. I saw her dreams and when she had woken up and I still asleep we were able to talk to each other." She can see others dream and that's more alarming than any other thing for Severus. Sharing his thoughts to her is already alarming and her seeing his dreams is more than disturbing. "Don't worry I didn't look into your dreams" she added.

"Stop reading my mind." he said but he isn't angry. He blames himself for being vulnerable even just for a minute.

"I didn't read you mind." She defended herself. "I know how to respect someone's privacy. I just thought that it might be what you're thinking."

"Then how did you find out that I was staring?" he asked suspiciously though he knows that Ceyranese seldom lies in fact she hadn't lied to him even just once.

"Because I'm seeing things through your eyes."

"So much for your respect in someone's privacy"

"I didn't mean to." She exclaimed suddenly defending herself again. "When you entered the room it just suddenly happened. This is the first I was able to do something like that. I couldn't control my mind while I'm asleep. I still need to train myself in that area." She explained which Severus accepted.

"Do you think you can do it while you're awake?"

"I don't know. I still have to try it out while awake." Ceyranese still can't fully control her powers and sometimes it can just get off out of her hands. That is the reason that sometimes she prefers to be herself only and try to focus on fully controlling them but then when she was been able to do so, next day it would seems that her powers had grown and she couldn't fully control them again. She of course thinks that it is only due to her lack of practice and it seems that is the more probable cause. She seldom becomes serious in what she is doing except of course on writing essay. Creativity is really what she lacks the most. "By the way I can also hear through your ears."

"What else can you do?"

"I don't know. Like I told you this is the first time I was able to do such thing."

"Do you want to try it tomorrow?" He himself has been shocked by his offer. He never offers to help a student and he never thought that he would. He only helps a student if the Professor Dumbledore told him so. So why did he had offered the girl a help? He will never know and will never want to know.

"Sure" she exclaimed happily.

"What happened to your hair?" he asked suddenly remembering her hair color for today and suddenly becoming curious.

"I jinx it back to its normal color. I forgot to dye it back before coming here and my black hair started to show and it would be ugly to have a black and red hair." She explained.

"It suits you better." he blurted out low enough and hoping that she didn't heard it but she did since she's in his mind.

"Really?" she said and she's knows that if she is awake she would be smiling ecstatically. "I was planning to jinx it back to red since they said red is better on me. Do you think I should let it be black?" Of course she would prefer whatever Severus opinions on her. She bloody likes the man and that wasn't her secret to him. She told him and he immediately dismissed it. Of course she would want to please him.

"Don't you think it's time for you to head back to your dorm?" He said quickly changing the subject.

"You didn't answer the question."

"It's time for you to wake up." He said still eager to change the subject. He knows that she can be easily swayed away from any topic.

"You'll have to wake me up." he was right of course. Anyone can change the topic on her without her bringing up the previous topic. She's that easy to manipulate. "I can't do to that alone." And that was what he did. He woke her up and walked her to her dorm.

The next day Ceyranese woke up early. She is excited and too eager to test her new found skills. "Severus wakey wakey." She called on his mind trying to wake him up.

"I'm not asleep Ceyranese." He answered back. "Aren't you up too early?"

"I'm excited to test my newly found skills."

"Then try it." He commanded. He, too, is eager to start so that it would be over as soon as possible. Then is silence and Ceyranese tried to concentrate on her mind. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"I still can't see through your eyes and can't hear anything either."

"That's because there's nothing here that you can hear though I think I can hear through yours. I can hear chattering."

"That would be my house. They're usually up so early in the morning." She explained finally taking notice of the noise outside her room. Then suddenly she tasted something terrible in her taste buds though she hadn't eaten or drank anything yet. "Did you just….intake…something terrible?" she said in between gags that made her sound so silly and funny and he laughed. "Right take pleasure on my miseries." She said sarcastically.

"That would be the awakening potion." He said after he laughed at her. He needed the potion for today since he didn't manage to get some sleep. He didn't to be plague with dreams of her last night and so he had decided to grade some miserable and horrible papers.

"Didn't you get enough sleep?" She asked. Her voice laced with concern and worry that he didn't like. He doesn't want the girl to be concern or worry about him. He doesn't her to feel anything for him and he too doesn't want to feel anything for her. But he couldn't deny the girl is growing on him. Suddenly he felted as if he had scrapped his knees but he didn't since he is still standing within his room. He laughed at the idea that Ceyranese had tripped yet again on her way to the Great Hall.

"I'm now quite sure that you take pleasures out of my miseries" she said but of course he didn't. He's actually worried about her constant tripping but her clumsiness is just really hilarious.

"Alana!" he heard someone called her through her ears.

"Good morning Erick." His face suddenly scrunched up on the name. The guy is becoming too close to her lately especially when she had joined the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He didn't like him calling her Alana. He felt the guy's arms draped over her shoulders as they walk and angered seared in him though he quickly dismissed. He doesn't like the thought that him being angry at someone being close to her. He can't be jealous as he can't feel anything for her.

"Up early this morning eh?" Erick said "And alone too." That is none of your business. Severus thought and again he quickly regretted it. He, then decided to make is way to the Great Hall and eat his breakfast there this morning.

"I need to do something and I'm meeting Karilyn at the Great Hall." She answered.

"Oh okay then see yeah later." The guy said before leaving her. Like what had Ceyranese had said, she had met up with her friend Karilyn and sat with her.

"Look whose coming." Severus heard someone whisper and he was sure that it was Ceyranese friend who had whispered to her ear. He saw her turn her gaze at his direction and she clearly didn't expect him in the Great Hall this morning.

Severus sat at his usual seat and started to eat his breakfast. Moments later he had tasted something that he didn't quite like. He was sure that his scrunched up because of the taste but he quickly hide. From his seat he tried to know what the girl is eating but instead he saw and heard her laughing. "I saw that face. Now it's my turn to laugh." He likes her laughs he realized. "I take it you don't like raspberries." He frowned. He never liked any kind of berries especially raspberries.

"Yes and your laughing like an idiot." He retorted back and she quickly tried to stop laughing. They ate in silence but Ceyranese didn't stop eating the raspberries much to disappointment of Severus. Though she kept eating them not only to annoy him but also because it is her favorite food next to ice creams and pancakes which tied at the first place.

"I caught someone staring at me." She suddenly boomed at his mind. She wasn't looking back at him and he guessed that she is seeing what he is seeing.

"I thought you said you have respect for someone's privacy." He didn't remove his stare at her since he was already caught red handed.

"Well I thought it was all right since that's our purpose this morning to test it out." He didn't answer but he could see from his seat that she is smiling.

"I guessed someone is happy to see someone this morning." He heard the whisper of her friend to her. Her pale cheeks quickly became pinkish.

"Quit it" she hissed at her friend.

"Oh come on Cey. Admit it." Her friend playdfully tease her. "He's not an every morning site here in the Great Hall." Both of the girls take a quick glance at him. "You know I know that you like him." The friend continued with her playful tone. Ceyranese became redder probably because she knows that he can hear her friend and also because what her friend is saying is true. Severus not wanting to hear more decided to completely block her out his mind for the whole day.

A/N: I hoped you liked this chapter and I'm really sorry if can only update once a week but I'm trying my best to write more chapters but just can't really do it this past weeks...

Also suggestions, reactions and comments are greatly welcomed. ^_^