Sorry everyone. I was sick last week, and it put me really behind with everything!
Chapter Fourteen
By the time they made it up to dinner the entire school seemed to know what had happened. Serenity, able to leave Snape's side now that she was well within sight of the other professors, was nearly mobbed by her friends the moment she sat down.
Ginny threw her arms around her, mumbling how sorry she was. Serenity hugged her close, turning to listen as Harry fumed.
"Snape? Snape, of all people, why Snape?"
"Professor Snape volunteered, Harry." Serenity explained for the fourth time. Hermione was gone already. She'd run to the library the moment she heard the spell's name.
Draco, having just heard the story from one of the affected Slytherins, pushed past Harry and took Serenity's hand in his. "I'll owl my father about this. He'll put a stop to it, don't worry Serenity."
Harry scowled, angling himself to break Malfoy's grip on her hand. "Hermione will find something." He assured her.
What the boys did not notice was that with every movement, they kept blocking her from different professors. The quick moments of involuntarily losing sight of her began to wear on them, and after seeing Professor Sprout wince for the third time Snape stood, sweeping down the aisle. He reached out and roughly pulled Harry back from her.
"In case you haven't heard, Mr. Potter, the professors need a clear view of Ms. Riddle for this spell to work properly. Sit down and stay still or I will remove her to the Head Table." He bit out. "Mr. Malfoy, back to your own table." He released Harry, who reluctantly sank onto the bench beside Serenity.
With one final, hard glare at them all he swept from the Gryffindors and back to the Head Table. He noted that Serenity seemed to be taking the entire situation rather well.
Or not.
Why hadn't he thought of that particular problem sooner? He wanted the girl to trust him, and far he'd blown it. Again!
Each professor's private quarters were quite spacious, and the bathroom was no exception. In other words, the size of the bathroom exceeded five feet...something Snape planned to ask the House Elves to fix as soon as possible. If anyone knew how, they would.
As it was, Serenity wouldn't so much as look at him now. She was not at all pleased with the current arrangement, not that he blamed her. During her bath, he'd had no choice but to sit in a chair near the tub and wait for her. He thought he could handle it. He'd bathed her as an infant before, how hard could it be to sit and wait? But twelve-year-olds were much, much different than babies, and didn't appreciate being babysat during bath time.
She'd settled into bed directly after her bath and promptly fell asleep without a word to him. Snape gave a sigh as his eyes were drawn from his grading back to her for the fifth time in as many minutes. Giving up, he set the essays aside. On his way to his own bed (positioned no more than five feet from her own) he paused near hers, the curtains drawn mostly shut. He raised a hand as though to open them further, and let it fall.
A week passed, and still their relationship did not improve.
Impatiently, Snape knocked on the door to the new bathroom. "Are you ready yet? Serenity Riddle! Hurry up, or we'll be late!"
The door opened and Serenity stepped out. "Do I have to come?" She whined.
He sighed. "We've been through this. Nobody else can watch you right now. Now come."
She followed, sulking the entire way up the stairs. When they reached the Great Hall she let out a yell of excitement, running past him and into the crowd, nearly barreling Harry over when she located and hugged him.
Harry returned her hug. "So the dungeon bat brought you along?"
"Yeah, he did. I'm glad though, because I get to hang out with you for a while. Hermione!" She treated her friend to a similar hug. "I miss being around girls. Boys aren't any fun to talk to."
"Hey!" Harry protested. "You were fine having only me to talk to for ten years!"
Serenity stuck her tongue out. "I had Diamond too, not just you." Harry rolled his eyes, but the Dueling Club's demonstration started and he quieted.
After Lockhart's complete trouncing by Snape, they separated into pairs. Serenity found herself facing an older Ravenclaw. Lockhart started them, and the Ravenclaw fired, sending Serenity backwards. She tumbled out of Snape's range and protectori kicked in, jerking her violently back towards the platform and Snape. He caught her deftly, checking her for injuries before floating her back to the floor as Lockhart shouted for control of the room. Serenity was only thankful that nobody had noticed amidst the chaos.
He could not say what made him do it, except perhaps to embarrass Potter, but Snape called Malfoy and Harry up to demonstrate the Expelliarmus jinx. Very bad idea. When Harry yelled at the snake slithering towards Justin Finch-Fletchley, it turned on Serenity instead. Serenity, who had always been afraid of slithery or slimey things, screamed and ducked as it lunged at her.
Snape reacted more quickly than many of the students believed possible for him. He destroyed the snake and swept from the platform, hurrying Serenity from the hall.
Snape held her close as he whisked her from the room and down the stairs to the dungeons. He ushered the shaking and crying girl through the portrait into his quarters. He kept her by his side as he entered his private potions stores, where he retrieved a small purple bottle before settling her in an armchair by the fire. He uncorked the bottle and poured the contents into a goblet, handing it to her.
"Here, it's a mild Calming Draught. Drink it and you'll feel better."
She sniffled as she took a tentative sip. It tasted vaguely like mint and lavender, and as promised she began to relax. Snape summoned a damp cloth from the bathroom and gently wiped her face with it, cleaning away her tears. "There now Serenity, you're alright. You're alright. It didn't get you."
Soon she calmed, and taking a slow breath, she asked, "why did you do that? I hate snakes." She sniffled a little.
"I'm sorry." Said Snape softly. "I never meant for it to go anywhere near you, and I'm certain Draco didn't either."
Had it not been for the potion, she might have gotten angry with him once her fear faded. But the potion left her calm and sleepy, and she could only nod passively as she settled back in the chair. Snape lifted her easily, carrying her to her bed and tucking her gently under the covers.
"I'm bored."
"Do your homework."
"It's finished. I want to visit Harry."
Snape twitched. "I told you already, you'll see him at dinner."
Serenity groaned and flopped back on the rug, staring up at him seated at his desk.
"Why don't you read something?" He suggested.
She pulled a face. "Reading is boring."
Snape set down his quill. "Come with me." He instructed. She dragged herself to her feet as he moved towards the door. He led her to the library. They passed a table of whispering Hufflepuffs, several Ravenclaws, and even the occasional Slytherin or Gryffindor. They passed the stacks she normally had to use for class, heading to the very back of the library. The books here were old, probably almost as old as Madam Pince.
"There is a book here I've been meaning to show you. I suppose that now is as good a time as any." He said softly. Reaching up to a high shelf, he removed a book titled Legends of Peoples Past: An Objective View. "This book.."
"Serenity!" Ginny rounded a nearby stack, throwing her arms around her friend and sobbing hard. "Serenity, it's terrible! The Heir got Justin!"
"Justin?" Serenity asked, "Finch-Fletchley?"
"Yes. And, and now.." Ginny sniffled. "Everyone thinks that Harry did it! They think he's the Heir of Slytherin!"
Serenity looked confused. "Why?..."
"Because he's a Parselmouth!" She wailed.
"That is enough!" Snape took Serenity's arm and led her from the library, pausing only long enough to check out the book.
She stumbled after him, unable to do much else. "I'll see you at dinner!" She called to her friend.
Snape said nothing more until they reached the dungeons, then abruptly he turned to her. "Can you speak it as well?" He asked quickly.
She stared blankly. "What?"
"Can you speak parceltongue, can you talk to snakes?" He asked impatiently.
"I...I...no. I can't. Why?" She stammered out.
Snape looked incredibly relieved. "It's nothing. Read your book." He returned to his desk.
"Well it's obviously something if you're going to react like that!" She exclaimed, moving to the other side and bracing her hands against the top in irritation. Snape closed his eyes as though in deep thought.
"Your father," he said softly, "was also a Parselmouth. I did not think your magic would be powerful enough for the ability to develop in you, and it seems I was correct."
She glared, even more irate. "So now you're calling me weak?!"
Snape moved to pacify her. "I-no! Serenity, far from it. You are powerful. But your magic is different, that's all."
"Poppycock!" She was tearing up again, and Snape cursed teenage moodswings. "You-you're only telling me that because I'm my father's daughter, and you don't want to call your Master's daughter weak!"
As soon as the words left her lips, she knew she should not have spoken them. They'd reached a sort of truce the previous night, and she felt that she had just destroyed it. Sure, the thought had been bothering her for months, but still...
Snape settled back in his chair, a sorry expression on his face. "I did serve him, once. But something happened."
"What?" She could not help but ask.
"You." He whispered. "I held you the day you were born, and I knew then that I would do anything to protect you, especially from him."
Serenity was staring at him, unsure of how to react to his revelation. He looked so vulnerable in that moment that she knew she would not hurt him again.
The moment was broken when a knock sounded, and abruptly the mask of Potions Master slid back into place. "Read your book. We will speak more about this later."
Serenity retreated to a chair in the corner where Snape could easily watch her, the book on her lap. One of the older Slytherins she did not know entered the office to speak with him. Trying to distract herself from the strangeness of the earlier conversation, Serenity skimmed tales about the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, and Atlantians, taking particular delight in the moving pictures and drawings. Even after more than a year in the wizarding word, such little things still amused her greatly.
One particular drawing caught her attention, and she paused to look at it. Unlike the others, this drawing was at first still. It was only a silhouette, a woman judging by the body shape, with a white crescent set against the shadowy form. Suddenly the picture shifted, the image becoming clearer although the face remained obscured. Serenity traced her fingers over the page, studying it. The woman's hair, now that she could see it, was styled into two buns on either side of her head.
Curious, Serenity reached up and removed the white ribbons from her hair. Working carefully (for it was difficult to do without a mirror) she fashioned her long blond pigtails after the picture's.
"What are you doing?" The student had left, and Snape peered at her now with an eyebrow raised.
"One moment." With a final tug she retied the second ribbon and looked up at him with a smile, her hair fixed in a near-perfect imitation of the picture. It was as though as she'd never worn her hair any other way. "Well? What do you think?"
After having a couple people ask me whether or not she wore her hair in the buns, I realized that she actually didn't, and it bugged me. Fixed now! I also keep thinking she is very moody in this chapter. Then I remind myself that she's twelve, and twelve-year-olds are inevitably pretty irritating regardless. What? It's true.
Thank you to my reviewers for last chapter Rakusa, Anexia, angel313, Lily Marie Wolfe, and Chicwa88 (glad you decided to click on it!).