She wasn't sure how much time past, but it was very dark when echoing pops were heard. Holly stood on wobbly feet, while squinting into the dark blue of early evening. She crawled her way down the sand dune with shoulders remaining tense. Even a glimpse of a pointy purple hat that belonged to Albus Dumbledore did not make her feel any better. The tail of his robes was just disappearing into the cottage-house when Holly walked through the garden.
She stood just outside the door for a moment before taking a deep breath, twisting the handle, and entering. Shell Cottage was a bit bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside, much like the Burrow. Unlike the Burrow, it was actually spacious with neat, tidy rooms and lots of windows. Fleur was pouring tea in the kitchen. Dumbledore was seated at the dining room table with Bill and Ron directly across from him. Ron's voice was rough when he said, "Hermione is asleep."
"Her injuries?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
Bill sighed and shrugged, "Fleur and I did what we could do. The blade that cut into her arm was Cursed. I don't think the scarring will heal properly."
Fleur came out of the kitchen, handing a cup of tea to Holly, before entering the dining room without a word. She passed out cups and sat next to Bill, taking his hand in hers before looking expectantly at the Headmaster. Dumbledore turned in his seat, eyeing Holly with somber eyes. He said, "Come in here and have a seat, my girl."
Holly did so slowly while trying not to gasp at the sharp pain in her ribs. She stared at everyone for a long moment, taking in the serious expressions and purple shadows underneath eyes. Dumbledore asked, "What happened?"
She swallowed, "George was hurt. We wanted to see him. We thought about…"
Ron spoke up defiantly, "We knew if we were to go to McGonagall, she would only send us back to our Common Room."
"And if she had done so," Dumbledore reminded them gently, "none of you would be hurt. We might not have lost a friend tonight."
Holly's breath hitched deep within her throat. She tried swallowing several times and was glad for Ron's irritation. He snapped, "If all of you wouldn't treat us like we are two-years-old and actually include us, then maybe we wouldn't have to sneak about. George is my brother and nobody could spare a moment to tell me or Ginny anything at all. What would you have done if your brother was hurt?"
Holly stared at Ron with her jaw dropped slightly. She flickered a worried glance at Dumbledore, who looked calm and wistful. He quietly said, "That is my mistake. I had decided to bring one of your parents to the castle to collect you, one way or another, after George was attended to. Perhaps I should have taken a different path. Perhaps all of us should have."
Bill's hand was on Ron's broad shoulder. Ron's cheeks flushed. He mumbled, "George is fine now, right? Bill said Fred wasn't hurt."
A tall, dark shadow stalked into the room silently. Severus stared resolutely at Dumbledore before announcing, "The girl will sleep another eight hours at the most. The damage inflicted on her arm is too great. There will be no preventing the scarring for that is what Bellatrix intended the blade to do."
"T-That word is stuck on her forever?" Ron stuttered, angry. He demanded, "Do something for her. You're meant to be so bloody smart."
"Intelligence aside, I am not a miracle worker, Mister Weasley." Severus narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Perhaps you should have thought of possible outcomes before running off into the night like a merry band of idiots."
Ron opened his mouth, face extremely red, when Bill put another restraining hand on his brother's shoulder. He firmly said, "Sit down, Ron. Now."
Bill turned his head toward Severus and firmly said, "I understand where you're coming from, Professor Snape, but you very well know our brother is lying at Grimmauld Place with a piece of his body cut off. Our little sister was nearly snatched by Death Eaters. Ron and his friends were captured and tortured. Surely even you can have the human decency to give it a rest for one night."
Severus seemed to swell up while his eyes went colder and darker. He nodded curtly and hissed, "I have no say in how you Weasleys run your lives nor do I care."
With that, he stalked across the table, gesturing with his hand. He snapped, "Come with me. Now, Miss Potter."
Holly blinked at Bill and Ron before glancing at Dumbledore, who remained wistfully in thought. She stood up, pushing back her chair slowly. She asked, "What about Ron and Hermione?"
Severus spoke dangerously low, "Do not make me repeat myself."
Irritated, Holly sighed. She looked to Dumbledore and said, "I know where it is."
That brought the Headmaster out of his odd trance. Stunning blue eyes fixated on her emerald stare. Dumbledore nodded once and stood. He spoke to Bill directly, "I will walk them both to the Apparation point. When I return, we have much to discuss. When Miss Granger awakens, I will escort you, Mister Weasley, and her, back to the castle."
With that, Dumbledore put a hand to Holly's shoulder. Severus was already out of the door, stalking just ahead with wide steps. As the cool breeze tugged at their hair Dumbledore asked, "What do you have to tell me, my girl?"
"Bellatrix kept asking about her Vault. When I wished for a weapon, the Sword appeared. She was furious when she saw it. She Disarmed me, using the Sword against me and Hermione. She kept asking how we got into her Vault and how we got past her enchantments. I think it had to do with the Sword."
They were quiet for some time. Only the sound of their feet shuffling through the sand could be heard. Severus had greatly slowed his gait and was now directly on Holly's right while Dumbeldore stood to her left. She knew, without looking at him, that Severus was intently listening to their conversation. Holly impatiently asked, "Well? Why does the Sword matter so much? Why did she think we were in her Vault? Is it because she thinks she has the Sword?"
"Gryffindor's Sword is Goblin-Made." Dumbledore said thoughtfully, "It is possible that Bellatrix was entrusted with a phony copy by Tom."
"Why?" Holly asked, frustrated. "Can it really kill Horcruxes?"
"Yes," Dumbledore replied, "The Sword takes in what it touches. You slay a Basilisk and I believe it took some of the venom inside of it."
Holly halted with her head tilted upward as she blinked at Dumbledore for a moment. She swallowed, licking her swollen and chapped lips. She asked, "Is there a chance she has the Cup in the Lestrange Vault? She killed two Death Eaters. She Stunned Mr. Malfoy. She told the entire room that if anyone Summoned Vold-"
"Do not say his name." Severus snapped quickly.
She frowned just as Dumbledore quietly explained, "There was a Taboo placed on Tom's nickname during the First War. Within Wards such as Hogwarts or Grimmauld Place, you are safe to say so. Out in the open, you must use his original name. His title is a beacon leading right to whomever speaks it."
Holly nodded and slowly repeated, "Bellatrix told everyone that if anyone Summoned Tom, then everyone there would die before the night was over."
The three lapsed into silence. Dumbledore was frowning. She asked quietly, "What else could make him that angry at her if not the fear of losing a Horcrux?"
Dumbledore said, "I will look into this, my dear."
"Don't you see, sir?" She replied urgently, "If the Cup is in Bellatrix's Vault, we have to get to it first. She might already have gone and removed the Cup in order to protect it."
"No," Severus said sharply, "Bellatrix was falling out of favor with the Dark Lord the last time I was present at a meeting. While I am no longer a spy, I still know how the structure operates. Bellatrix is important, but she is not as she was during the previous war. The failed attempt at the Ministry was soundly put on Lucius, and by extent, Bellatrix's shoulders. She has magical signatures she leaves during raids, but I have seen no sign of such in the media as of late. I believe the Dark Lord has punished her, leaving her at Malfoy Manor to guard those that are of no great use to the cause. The Malfoys are nothing more than disgraceful now. Wormtail is of entertainment value. She has been left to deal with the peasants of Death Eaters."
Holly let out a frustrated noise and demanded, "What does all that have to do with the Cup?"
Severus coldly replied, "It has everything to do with the Cup. Bellatrix was given an artifact of the utmost importance. In all her fatalistic idolization, that is what she is clinging to. She knows the Dark Lord will shame her and kill her if that artifact is touched or stolen. Bella has likely already gone to her Vault, but she will not remove the object if she is certain none know of its location. No doubt, there is a slew of hefty enchantments and Curses set in order to protect the Cup from curious hands. More than likely, the Dark Lord himself set half of the measures long ago. Bella would have to dismantle all of that protection, relocate the object, reset enchantments that would not be up to par with the Dark Lord's magic, and then confess to him what she has done. He would be furious and blame any potential problem on her. Therefore, she would not remove the Cup unless she could prove someone had discovered it."
There was a pause before Holly muttered, "She has to be suspicious of us."
"Oh, yes." Dumbledore quietly said as they began walking once more.
"Suspicion is not the same as knowing." Severus dryly replied.
"How will you check the Vault, sir?" Holly pointedly ignored Severus and faced Dumbledore. The older wizard held out a forearm. It was his injured arm and although it was covered, Holly made sure to be very gentle when wrapping her fingers around the crook of his elbow.
Dumbledore answered, "I will involve Bill. He knows the goblin way of life far better than most. I'm sure he can give me a better understanding of what we're up against. Come now; it is late and you need rest."
With that, Dumbledore tugged her closer and disappeared through a whirlwind of colors and distorted sounds.
The war had heightened to an all-new level of intensity. The morning after their return to the castle, the Daily Prophet was printed with an entire spread dedicated to the complete shut-down of Diagon Alley. Not a single shop remained open. Most were destroyed with Fiendfyre, if the rumors were to be believed. The only shop to remain fairly untouched was Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. While the joke shop and Fortescue's had been the main targets of the newest attack, it was only the old parlor damaged. The brightly colored, eye-catching joke shop had remained standing like a sentinel with nothing more than cosmetic damage along the front doors.
The twins had obviously put protective Wards and Charms to use, but Holly worried they would not hold and the Weasley duo would lose their life's work. Still, Fred and George had their lives after a terrifying night. They had managed to escape the Death Eaters at their front door, but only just. The trio, even a battered and grey-faced Hermione, had begged for reassurance when they had been firmly told they were not to go to Grimmauld Place to see George for themselves.
They had received vague responses from Dumbledore, but once all were back in the Gryffindor Common Room, Ginny came barreling down the staircase and pulled the trio up to the boys' dormitory. She had gently pulled a tired Hermione onto Ron's bed before blurting, "He's okay. George will be okay."
From what Ginny explained, George had lost his ear and nearly bled to death before Severus could perform a Counter-curse to an obscure Cutting Curse. At half past ten o'clock at night, an alarm had alerted the young men to trouble. The Death Eaters had breached their Wards. The Weasley duo had gone back-to-back when their first line of escape had been blocked. They had dueled against a group of four Death Eaters, knocking one unnamed man unconscious.
As they maneuvered down the alley way directly out back of the shop, where a secret Apparation point existed, George's Shield Charm faltered and a stray Dark Curse caught him across the side of the head, severing his ear. He cried out, stumbling into his brother, who took the brunt of his weight and toppled to the ground behind a cluster of trash bins.
They were fairly close to the Apparation point, yet it was just out of reach. The amount of blood pouring from George had been disturbing, but not nearly as disturbing as the Death Eaters running their way. Fred casted a series of Exploding Jinxes at random before covering George in a Shield Hat, carrying George as quickly as possible. Fred had taken a nasty Burning Hex to the lower back and barely managed to dodge a Killing Curse, but managed to take the few steps in order to Apparate with George firmly in arm. They arrived on the first step of Grimmauld Place only moments later. George had fallen unconscious.
Once Fred had nearly barreled the door down with his thumping and hollering, Mrs. Weasley and Sirius had pulled the twins inside. The adults tried a quick series of Charms and handy potions before Patronus calling Mr. Weasley and Dumbledore. Less than ten minutes later, the two wizards and Severus were within Grimmauld Place. Roughly half an hour later, Ginny showed up on the doorsteps with tears in her red eyes as she shoved Mr. Weasley aside and darted toward the blood-soaked sofa in the main sitting room.
She had fallen to her knees beside Fred, who was crouched at George's feet. Holding her older brother's bloody hand, she had offered a quick reply when the adults began questioning her sudden appearance. Ginny had snapped, "Ron, Harry, and Hermione are right behind me. We had to come. He's my brother!"
The shaking reprimands from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley fell silent at that announcement. Sirius had offered no words, only a grim look of understanding. Severus was the loudest and snappish of them all, especially as the minutes ticked by and no one else showed up despite Ginny informing the room that she had left Hogsmeade with the trio in perfect health.
"They were right behind me." Ginny had sniffled. She was frowning as she tore her eyes from George's unconscious form. Mrs. Weasley was busily wiping blood from his neck with a wet cloth. Mr. Weasley said, "Dumbledore and I can go looking for them. Severus, please, could you watch over George for a bit longer?"
And everything had only gone downhill from there. Dumbledore returned from Hogsmeade with Mr. Weasley to grimly inform the room that Aberforth, Dumbledore's younger brother and the owner of Hog's Head, had heard high-pitched screaming. Upon looking out of his bedroom window, he had witnessed Death Eaters Apparating away with multiple children. When asked to describe the children, Aberforth had told them he was unsure, but one was certainly a female with a slight build and a screech louder than a Banshee. Another was a male with ginger hair, who was raging like a wild bull in the arms of Death Eaters. The third was a slim, short girl with inky black hair.
Ginny ended her explanation by telling them George was sleeping heavily when she had left early the next morning to return to Hogwarts, although he had woken up many times in the night. After pestering her endlessly, Mrs. Weasley had finally gone to bed with Mr. Weasley and left Fred to attend his twin. Ginny had sat in the sitting room in a small chair, occasionally bringing drink to one or both of her brothers.
George had woken, often mumbling jokes once or twice, and had even told Ginny she was his favorite sibling when she had a moment of extreme tears. Then, Fred and George bickered over their favorite sibling choices for some time. Fred was pretending to be jealous until Ginny had given a wet laugh.
"George sounds like he will be okay." Ron had whispered, relieved.
"If they're joking," Hermione had replied, "I can honestly say you're right."
The explanations from Ginny took hours to tell and everyone was exhausted. After resting, in which no one seemed to actually rest, the group headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were all uncomfortably somber. Once seated, Ginny had quietly asked what happened when they were captured. It was Ron who decided to offer meager information to his sister. He mumbled, "Got captured. Brought to Malfoy Manor. They threw me in a dungeon cell."
"Did each of you see Madam Pomfrey?" Ginny asked as she piled eggs onto her plate and then Ron's. She passed the platter to Hermione, who half-heartedly scooped out a pile of scrambled eggs before passing to Holly, who stared at the platter for quite a while without touching any food. With a sigh, she set the platter down and poured Pumpkin Juice instead.
"We were seen to by Bill and Fleur, mostly." Hermione replied in a scratchy voice. Ginny eyed her friend's long-sleeve shirt, but didn't ask about the white bandages poking out from beneath the fabric.
Ginny nodded with a frown settling between her brow. Ron glanced nervously at Hermione before telling his sister, "We got away because Holly called for…for…"
Hermione took a breath and firmly said, "Dobby. House-elves can go all sorts of places wizards and witches can't. There were Wards in place, but Dobby came and saved us. He saved our lives."
Ginny nodded again, looking at first Hermione and then her brother rather intently. She asked, "And?"
"Bellatrix…threw an enchanted knife." Ron quietly said, "It killed him."
Ginny pressed her lips together and bowed her head. A moment later she looked up and whispered, "He was brave and kind. Better than most people."
Holly had nothing to say, so she pushed juice down her dry throat and stood from the table. Despite the empty seats all around, there were still too many people in the Great Hall for Holly's liking. She nodded to her friends as she walked away. Holly wandered the corridors for quite a while and was not surprised when she ran into the occasional shoulder. More than one student huffed at her rudeness, but Holly continued walking, only offering a muttered apology when she remembered to do so.
When her friends found her on the third floor, they shared worried glances and urged her to hurry. Holly followed them to Charms, only for her to realize she had left her satchel in the girl's dormitory. She took notes off of parchment supplied by Hermione and a chewed-up quill from Ron. After rolling her parchment full of notes, Hermione stuck it into her bag. Holly watched her friend discreetly gulp a lavender-colored potion before putting the empty vial into robes' pocket.
Holly whispered, "Are you hurting?"
Hermione's eyes dropped to her covered arm. She shrugged and whisper back, "Pain is temporary. The outcome of this war is far more important."
Holly grimly echoed, "More important. Right."
After a rather unproductive Transfigurations lessons, the trio met Ginny at the sadly empty Gryffindor Table. Dean and Seamus were speaking with Ginny and Neville when the trio sat beside them. Ron muttered, "Half our House is gone…"
Ginny piped up, "There's only one other Gryffindor girl in my year still here."
Ron blinked and shook his head. "People are stupid. Everywhere is dangerous, sure, but next to Dumbledore is the best place to be right now."
Holly waited, impatience building, as those around her talked in muted tones and ate their lunch with gusto. She did little more than eat half a baked potato. She was drinking a cold goblet of water when Hermione said, "It's time to see Madam Pomfrey. I will see you later."
"I'll go with you." Holly spoke up quickly. She turned to Ron and asked, "Will you take notes for us in Defense?"
He nodded and shrugged. She said, "See you after, then."
The girls slowly made their way up staircases and down corridors. Hermione was moving much slower than usual and Holly had seen her wincing often. More than once, Ron had taken Hermione's books and bag even as Hermione argued. The bag was bright purple with beads all along the strap. Holly said, "I can carry that."
"No." Hermione replied crisply, "It isn't heavy. Ron is just being a pain. I don't need you acting as if I'm an invalid, too."
"You're not an invalid." Holly rolled her eyes with a sigh, "He only cares."
Hermione muttered, "I have a Charm put on this bag. It's really light."
"Oh," Holly replied in surprise, "That's convenient."
"Yes," Hermione huffed, struggling up the last set of stairs. She offered, "I can add the Featherlight Charm to your satchel later."
"Thanks." Holly said, vaguely. Her eyes were on the opposite side of the corridor as they rounded the corner. The large doors to the Hospital Wing were just a stone's throw away, but Holly's stomach squeezed tightly as she realized she wasn't going to make it safely inside. He wouldn't let her, of that Holly was sure.
"Miss Granger." Severus drawled quietly, nodding once. With a flick of his wand, the hefty Hospital Wing doors flew open. Hermione blinked and offered a breathless word of thanks. He never responded, only stalked forward, never breaking stride as he gestured sharply to Holly and said, "You follow me."
Holly locked her jaw and her feet in place. Hermione anxiously whispered, "Go. I'm going to be fine. Go, Holly. Get your answers. I won't tell Ron."
Hermione hobbled into the Hospital Wing. Holly stared blankly ahead until she heard his quiet voice directly behind her. "I will force your obedience if you persist."
She whirled around with eyes flashing bright green. She snapped, "Go to hell."
With that, Holly briskly walked away. She kept her head held high, blinking rapidly and walking even faster when she caught his dark image out of the corner of her eye. She went down to the second floor, turning abruptly to head down a narrowed corridor covered in dust. It was one rarely used by any other than the ghosts. Most of the classrooms were empty.
With a grumble, Holly went up to the third floor and then the fourth. She thought about climbing out a rather large window next to a portrait of dancing pigs, but decided against it. He would only use magic and bellow in rage at her stupidity and even Holly would not be able to argue that crawling out a fourth-story window wasn't stupid. No matter which way she turned, Severus followed.
They passed down a series of moving staircases. A handful of students glancing in their direction. The scowls on both faces had some sniggering and others wincing in sympathy for Holly. Severus stood out of her reach, but nearby as they waited for a particular staircase to settle into place. His lips barely moved, but somehow Holly heard his words well. He said, "My office."
Holly stomped down staircase after staircase, footsteps echoing loudly through the darkened dungeons. The flickering flames from torches along the walls were always on-going in this part of the castle. Holly grumbled, "No window to jump out of now, is there?"
Severus glanced sharply at her as he moved two fingers in a quick gesture. The dungeon doors to his office flew open. He spread his arm and raised an eyebrow, staring down at her in a way that thoroughly irritated her. Holly glared noticeably before stomping into the room. She pressed her back directly against the wall beside the door with the intent to hurry this meeting along, so she could leave quickly.
The door closed and Severus stalked to his desk. He sat down, straight-back in his chair, hands at his sides. He stared at her unnervingly. A moment of awkward silence passed. Holly snapped, "Well?"
Still, he remained unmoving and silent. Holly was pretty sure Severus wasn't even blinking. She frowned, taking in his blank expression and fathomlessly dark eyes. She demanded, "If this is a detention, get on with it. I have things to do, you know."
"Do be quiet for just a minute of your life." Severus replied, "I called you here to discuss your abysmal decisions as of late. Decisions that, by some miracle or stroke of luck, have not gotten you killed yet."
At that word, Holly flinched. Her chest felt tight, so tight that she had to drag air into her lungs by sheer stubbornness. Her bottom lip was trembling, spreading to the rest of her body. She locked her knees in place and gritted her teeth as Severus continued talking.
"I have repeatedly attempted to explain why your impulsive behavior is dangerous. Unfortunately, I am aware that you are capable of average intelligence. Therefore, your unwillingness to follow basic safety precautions tells me that you haven't misunderstood your instructions as a simpleton would. Rather, you are simply arrogant and disregard all other thoughts or suggestions from others. Gryffindors crave danger and attention by nature, but that is no excuse for your continuous disregard for anyone's life, including your own."
Severus paused, eyeing her like one might a dirty rat. He curtly added, "You will come here every evening after dinner. For four hours, each and every night, you will serve detention with me. Dumbledore believes, and I am most unfortunate to agree with him, that you are in need of constant supervision."
"How long do I serve detention?" Holly spoke from between her clenched jaw.
Severus raised a dark eyebrow and dryly drawled, "Until I say otherwise."
She grunted, "No."
"Excuse me?" He asked lowly, a smirk growing.
"You heard me." She snapped, "I'll take detention with McGonagall."
"No," He spoke with dark amusement. "You will remain with me, regardless of how much you wish it were otherwise. By all means, take your complaints to the Headmaster, if you wish. Your whining only proves how self-centered you are."
"My decision is based on my Godfather." She retorted. "I'm going to Dumbledore as soon as you're done playing your game. He's well aware of Sirius's rules. I made a promise and I won't break it on a whim for you."
The room was suddenly much colder and stiller than before. Severus slowly stood up with long fingers splayed across his desk. His eyes were glittering as he quietly asked, "What is this nonsense about your…Godfather?"
Holly stared, leaning heavily against the stone wall. She said, "He doesn't want me around you. At all. It's bad enough I'm in your classroom."
Severus dryly stated, "I am unsurprised. Black was never capable of logical thought. As a professor of this school, I have every right to be in this castle. He's far more ignorant than I originally thought if he believes you, as a student, would not come into contact with me at various times. What he decrees is an impossibility."
She stared at him, eyes darting across his face and lingering on his dark gaze for several moments. She quietly said, "I'm dropping Advanced Potions."
His face remained perfectly calm, but she saw the subtle shift of his shoulders. Holly swallowed heavily as he murmured, "No."
"No?" She echoed before pushing off of the wall. Her shaky legs brought her toward his desk. She slammed her hands down on the tabletop and snapped, "Yes. I don't want to be in the class. It's difficult, anyway. I need a free period. I resign."
"You must have permission from your Head of House-"
"Then, I'll go to McGonagall after this."
"Your permission will be denied." Severus promised icily.
"How? Why?" Holly demanded, "For what reasons?"
"I will ensure you remain on my roster." He spoke just as coldly. Black eyes roamed over her face. Holly felt her upper lip peeling back in a silent snarl. She gripped her hair in her hands, whirling away from him. She went to the door and yanked on the handle. It remained firmly shut. She snapped, "Let me out."
He said nothing. Holly stared at the pattern in the woodwork of the door for a long time. She whispered, "Were you in love with my mother?"
The room was silent. Holly couldn't hear a brush of fabric or the squeak of a mouse. Her own heart seemed to be too quiet. Holly's fingers were gripping the door's handle quite tightly. She tried to wrestle herself off of the handle and couldn't manage. She pressed her forehead against the rough wood of the door. Her eyes were burning and a single tear silently dripped down her cheek in a slow trek.
Her throat felt swollen, so she swallowed. It took another moment before Holly let her fingers fall limply from the door. She turned, slowly pressing her back to the door and staring at the tall man before her. Severus remained in the same position as he had been in minutes before. He was tall, dark, aloof and proud. This cold man was the same one who had touched her so gently with lips and tongue and teeth in the dead of a winter's night. Ten months. It had been ten months since that night. Christmas time of her Sixth Year. In a few short months, it would be Christmas again. She felt no sense of peace and holiday cheer. As far Holly was concerned, Severus might as well have been across an ocean instead of standing right in front of her. She blinked quickly and pressed her trembling lips together.
"Say something." She bit out harshly, "Anything."
"You are not your mother." Severus quietly said.
A hard laugh tore from her throat. She pushed a shaky hand through her hair and shook her head while looking to her shoes. She said, "No. No, I'm not my mother. She was smart and talented and charming and kind. She was beautiful and a dutiful student. She had many friends and the teachers loved her. I've heard it all before."
There was a pause. She heard her heart thudding pitifully in her chest now. Holly muttered, "Just let me out. I'll be back for detention."
There was another pause and it was much longer than the previous one. She heard the faintest of footfalls and glanced up, watching him come around the desk. He stood closer to her, but still well out of reach. His eyes were sharp and his hands were clasped behind his back, displaying his shoulders.
Severus murmured, "Your mother held grudges as do I, which never served to help either of us. The main difference between us was not Gryffindor or Slytherin. It was self-righteousness versus self-exploration. She was constantly sure of herself to the point of arrogance. She saw the world in one way and one way only. If a person did not fit into her preconceived notion of what was acceptable, she would write him or her off as a lost cause. I was one of the many she did such a thing to."
Holly was frowning. Severus's dark gaze flickered to her clenched fists before quietly adding, "The information given to you about Lily Potter is all true. She was a faithful wife and a doting mother. She was a kind friend and a talented witch. What you do not have is information about Lily Evans. From what I have been told, she grew out of some of her worse characteristics. I do not know that as fact as I did not know your mother on a personal level past the age of sixteen."
She watched him take a small breath before looking to the wall. He stared at it as he continued to talk in a calm, quiet voice. "She was my friend in childhood and well into teenage years. I ruined that, as I am sure Black has told you by now, by using a slur and demeaning her for her blood status. I did not, nor have I ever, held with such beliefs regarding bloodlines. I aligned with those who put significance on such things out of the stupidity of youth."
They two lapsed into silence until Holly whispered, "What do you mean? I doubt you were ever stupid a day in your life."
He kept staring at the wall as he replied, "I had little to no control over my emotions at that age. Anger was my biggest enemy and helped me in making many more enemies. A misplaced word, due to anger, meant I no longer had your mother's friendship. Greed is a living, breathing thing and when my talents were eventually recognized by the wrong people, I did not care. I cared only that they noticed my abilities. Stupidity of youth, Holly."
She said, "That's why you're so irritated at me all the time. My emotions."
He glanced at her. Just a flicker of sharp, dark eyes. His mouth barely moved as he said, "Your control is abysmal."
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "I know. You've told me so a thousand times."
A moment passed and then Holly took a deep breath. She asked reluctantly, "And you turned away from their side after Voldemort threatened Mum?"
Severus nodded once, eyes firmly on the blank wall. Holly stared at him a moment more before whispering, "You were in love with her."
She watched, but he didn't move. He remained tall and straight and tense. His angular face, pale like cream, stayed expressionless. She sighed, "Please, Severus…"
"I have no answer for you." His voice was deep and low.
"What does that mean?" She snapped, running a hand through her hair feverishly.
Severus's eyes glanced at her once more before he was back to staring at the wall. Holly took a step forward and waved her hand. She sarcastically said, "You can look at me. That would be a great start to this conversation."
Severus faced her, body rigid.
She said, "I'm tired. Just tell me what I need to know, so I can get back to the Common Room. I can't keep doing this with you. I really can't."
He slowly said, "You are different than your mother."
Holly blinked. She closed her eyes and mumbled, "Yes. You've said so already."
"I never had discussions like this with her." He murmured.
She cracked one eye open and muttered, "What? A row, you mean?"
His voice was faint when he replied, "No. Tangible moments."
She blinked and sighed, "Okay. I get it, Severus. I'm an annoyance and a duty. I'm my mother's daughter. That is kind of important because you love her. You like irritating me. I'm going now."
Holly went back to yanking at the door. She kicked it before snapping, "Just let me out. Merlin, what do you want from me?"
Severus lunged forward, fingers gripping her shoulders and spinning her around. She tried swinging her arms upward, as if to push him away, but Severus held her arms down. He pressed her against the door slowly and gently. Holly stared owlishly into dark, deep eyes. Severus murmured, "I have not looked at you and thought you were your mother at any point in time."
"Why…?" Holly's voice cracked as she spoke, "Why did the Horcrux bring her to you, Severus?"
"She is dead because of my own actions." He murmured, leaning down and pressing his cheek against her neck. She turned her head to the side slightly and felt him breathe in deeply. Holly's body relaxed somewhat. Severus continued to hold her closely with her arms pinned at her sides. Holly closed her eyes, burying her head in his neck. Ocean and forest caressed her senses. She felt guilt worming its way through her heart and head and neck. Her stomach was sinking to the tips of her toes as she basked in a cool embrace. She had promised Sirius she would ignore Severus.
"She's dead because Voldemort killed her." Holly corrected in a rough voice.
"I was his spy." Severus quietly said, "Nothing will ever change that."
"You aren't his spy now, are you?" Holly retorted, still breathing him in. They both went quiet. Severus pulled back slowly, straightening his already immaculate robes. He said, "Dumbledore wishes you to remain with me in the evenings. Detention is to be a ploy."
"Unless I annoy you," She replied, giving a tentative smile.
He raised an eyebrow and commented, "Perhaps."
