A special thank to -
Rachna Kumar ( my most adorable mother who is the main source of my creativity . Of she wouldn't have heard the idea and had not given me the suggestions , I wouldn't have been able to wrote this awkward story )
Sovit Roy_Satoshi xy ( my dearest and most loviest friend , who understands me the best and perfectly . I don't know how many people I can count on but you are first one in the list )
Debra Johnson_debjunk ( a great support system and one of my greatest critique )
Please accept my gratitude . Thanks for helping me accomplish my goal of writing this story with utter perfection . I felt uncertain while writing this particular chapter and you were the one who helped me write it and make it immensely readable for my lovely readers .
WARNING ! - This chapter contains sexual abuse and adult language .
Christmas crawled in quietly without anyone's notice . The students who would be leaving for the holidays registered their names to the Head of their Houses . Seraphina , George and the lovebirds were leaving Hogwarts that evening in the Hogwarts Express after the feast .
Seraphina bought Christmas presents for all her friends and the teachers. So did George and the Lovebirds . After attending the hearty feast , Seraphina, who was visibly content with her present shopping , personally gifted the presents to everyone . She presented George with a bright-yellow scarf and a lot of candies from Honeydukes Sweets shop . She gave the lovebirds each a gold plated pendant, explaining to them how it could be connected together and that it would take the shape of a heart. A tight hug awaited her next. Elenore also got a DVD of Sense and Sensibility , a Muggle movie starring the actor Alan . Ever since Elenore had seen his photograph in Seraphina's chamber , she has been crushing hard on that Muggle. Lucifer, on the other hand, got a Broom maintenance kit for his Xena seven fifty broom from Seraphina. .
George gifted Seraphina a box of paints from Vader's Painting Shop with a hand-made Christmas card. A book on Charms from Lucifer and a scarlet cardigan from Elenore awaited her beneath the small Christmas tree kept in the Prefects' dorm . Lucas also sent a gift for her from Durmstrang. It was a brown vambrace with an engraving depicting her sitting on a dragon . It was a very enchanting gift, she thought . Before the departure for Newport, Seraphina personally went to each of her professors to give them their presents . While each of her teachers thanked her for the presents , one teacher did something very unexpected and quiet surprising . Professor Lockhart , who had been a whole different person to her ever since the Yule Ball, handed her a box wrapped with blue velvety paper . A baffled Seraphina gave her professor a surprised look.
" What is this Professor? " asked Seraphina, her brows knit in confusion .
" A Christmas present, " stated Lockhart as if stating the obvious .
Seraphina stood in front of her professor , her mouth gaping in awe .
" That's very sweet of you, professor, but I can't accept it, " cried the young Ravenclaw.
" Come on Seraphina , don't be so reticent . For Merlin's sake, it's Christmas . Now please open it for me. I want to see the look on your face when you see what's inside," said Professor Lockhart, waving his hand in dismay .
Hesitantly, Seraphina tore the velvety blue wrapping paper . The paper covered a black box. Opening it, she almost jumped up in her place with excitement. The black box contained a vintage analogue pocket watch to which a golden chain was attached . It was just like her mother's which had shattered after the curse stuck her . She had been looking for a replacement like crazy , but every time her quest had been futile . The shopkeepers shoved her off by saying that the pocket watch she was asking for was a limited edition and only 45 such watches were made over 25 years ago .
" Oh my God , where did you find this, sir ?!" squeaked Seraphina as a tear slipped down her cheek . She was overwhelmed by receiving a gift so close to her heart.
" I knew you were looking for this watch for a long time , so I thought gifting you one would be the best gift, " said Lockhart , warmly smiling at her.
" But this was a limited edition , how did you get it ?" repeated Seraphina , as she quickly wiped the tear away , composing herself.
" Having contacts can be fruitful sometimes, " commented her professor .
" Professor, you don't know how much happiness your gift has given me. I don't know if my gift could ever reciprocate my gratitude, " said Seraphina. Her gaze fixed on her Professor's blue orbs .
" It's from you, and that makes it sterling for me, " said Lockhart .
Seraphina badly wanted to hug the man standing in front of her . He wasn't that awful after all . But she controlled herself and only thanked him .
Now only one professor was left and that was Batman . The photograph from the Daily Prophet faded away from everyone's memories quickly, and she was only remembered as Ravenclaw's warrior now . Also, Batman hadn't reacted much to that photograph, causing the awkwardness to lie dormant . As she approached the far end of the dungeons, her eyes fell on Batman, who stood in front of the portrait of the warrior-like man .
" Professor Snape, " shouted Seraphina, running towards her professor .
" Yes , Miss Barclay, " said Batman as the girl stopped in front of him , panting heavily.
" Merry Christmas sir !" cried Seraphina as she extended the box in her hand towards him .
Batman didn't take the gift right away. Instead, he looked at her with an arched eyebrow and a baffled expression on his long face .
Seraphina noticed his hesitation and softly spoke in a courteous manner.
" Sir, it is not a prank, and it won't blow up when you open it . It's Christmas, and I am just gifting you a small gift . I hope you like it. "
" There was no need for a gift, Miss Barclay. You are already a good student, and I don't assume... " remarked Severus , but Seraphina cut him off.
" Sir, it's simply a Christmas present, and of all the things I have ever done in my life , bribing my teacher is the not one of them. " The reply came calmly without the hint of offense.
For the first time in many years that had passed, Severus was speechless . Unlike other students, this girl wasn't scared to speak to him . She spoke her words in a very discreet manner without offending the other person . Masking his surprise, Severus took the gift from her delicate hands , but he didn't unwrap it that very instant .
" I am sorry to say, but I have nothing to give you in return, Miss Barclay, " replied Severus with regret .
" Professor, Christmas is about sharing happiness, not expecting a gift ." The calm reply came from the witch standing in front of him .
"Happy Holidays, Professor Snape, " wished Seraphina as she turned to leave .
" Happy Holidays, Miss Barclay, " The words left his lips in no more than a whisper .
" Sakhiusan Tenger " said Severus .
Seraphina heard the portrait door swing open, and the fading footsteps of her Potions Master . He changed the password . But why ? What does that password mean ? Shoving off those thoughts, she walked towards the Grand Entrance of the castle . After all, it was Batman's choice to choose his password .
ልረልክ
Seraphina sat alone in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express , gazing at the panoramic landscape passing by. Lucifer had gone to discuss the upcoming Quidditch World Cup with his team, and Elenore had gone to grab some sweets from the plump lady with the snacks trolley . Suddenly, she remembered the vintage pocket watch Professor Lockhart had gifted her, and she pulled it out of her overcoat 's pocket . While she stroked the engravings on it with her thumb, a tear rolled down her eyes . The watch was just like the one her mom had . Her mother loved that watch. It was always with her no matter what . Seraphina's grandmother had given it to her mother when she had turned 25. But after the curse shattered it, no man on Earth could mend it again, and ever since then, Seraphina had been looking for a watch just like it, so that she could remember her mother every second of her life.
" Seph are you crying ?!" shrieked the voice of Elenore as she thudded open the door of the compartment . The girl's voice snapped Seraphina out of her chain of thoughts .
" What ? No ! No, no I am not crying, " said Seraphina under her breath .
" I am not blind . Now tell me what made my Seph cry? " demanded Elenore as she slipped next to Seraphina and flung an arm around her, crushing her with a hug .
" Nothing , I just found what I was looking for, " said Seraphina calmly .
" What ?! Where did you find the watch ?" cried an excited Elenore .
" A Christmas present, " hinted Seraphina .
" Who gave you that watch ? Come on, Seph , now just spit it out, " said Elenore , curiosity dripping from her voice.
" Professor Lockhart, " a casual reply came from Seraphina.
" But how did he know I wanted this watch? " questioned Seraphina to herself .
" Holy jinxes ! " shrieked Elenore , jumping on her seat . " Professor Lockhart gave it to you , but why ? " whispered Elenore .
" I don't have any answer for that Elenore, " muttered Seraphina under her breath .
In the whole excitement of receiving what she was longing for , she almost forget to ask Professor Lockhart how he had known that she'd needed it . She had never talked to him about the watch - actually no one apart from George , the lovebirds and Daniel knew she wanted that watch .
Suddenly, the excitement and zeal of Christmas faded away and an austere look came over her face .
" But how did he know I wanted this watch? " repeated Seraphina , with a grave tone .
Lucifer entered the compartment, seeing the two females surrounded by thick silence , he enquired as to what was going on . Elenore narrated the whole incident for him .
" I said it before, and I am saying it again , that Lockhart means no good . I think... " he stopped before the last words could fall out of his lips .
" You think what ?!" cried the girls together .
" He has been spying on you, Seph . " The reply came in a defeated tone .
" Come on, Lucifer , don't be so ridiculous ! Why the hell would Professor Lockhart spy on me ?!" cried Seraphina in dismay .
" Don't act so naive , Seph. He is always desperate to hold conversations with you . We all have seen how desperately he held you in the class after you fell on the floor , even though you didn't need his help . And for Merlin's sake, please don't deny it. You told me how he forcefully dragged you to the dance floor during the Halloween party, " snorted Lucifer as he continued. " He's never given anyone anything, but he gave you that good-for-nothing pendant . Ok, just tell me yourself, Seph ; you never felt that he was too keen to talk to you and be in your proximity . And who the hell on this Earth asks a student out for a walk? "
Seraphina was speechless . She didn't know where this conversation was leading. What was it that Lucifer was trying to tell her? Seraphina let out the breath she'd been holding for so long.
" What are you trying to say, Lucifer? Just spit it out straight !" snapped Elenore .
" What I am trying to say is that Lockhart doesn't see you as a student, Seph . Now don't get me wrong here, but I think Lockhart feels differently for you, Seraphina " said Lucifer in a defeated tone.
" LUCIFER !" fumed Elenore in a warning tone .
" What Elenore ? Please don't ignore the facts ! No teacher asks a student to dance or gives them expensive watches . Did Professor Flitwick ever ask you for a walk or drag you out on the dance floor forcefully ?" snorted Lucifer. His face had turned the darkest shade of scarlet due to yelling .
" Batman asked Seraphina to dance, and you never lost your mind !" defended Elenore .
" Oh girl ! Do you even know why Batman was on the floor with Seph? Professor McGonagall asked him to do Seph this favor because we both , her closet friends, weren't able to find a frikin' boy for her, " roared Lucifer .
Seraphina sat there silently listening to her friends with truancy, arguing over a matter of her personal concern . Every word Lucifer spoke fell on her ears and sent a stinging pain into her chest . He was right. Every word he spoke was right . Professor Lockhart did treat her differently .
" So, what do you want to say , that Lockhart likes Seph? " vented Elenore as she slapped her palm hard on the gate of the compartment.
" Umm... I don't know if that's the right word, but yes, he does feel something else for Seph that he shouldn't, " said Lucifer trying to calm down himself.
No, not again, thought Seraphina .
Not another teacher who saw her as more than a just a student . Wasn't it enough the last time? Oh God, how would she handle it all over again when she was alone?
" Seph, I know you don't want to hear this, but you can't ignore it either . I am actually afraid that my theory is the harsh reality I was trying to ignore all too long . I don't want that Lockhart to hurt you like before, " said Lucifer prudently as he went on his knees in front of Seraphina and held her hands which looked tiny compared to his own. Seraphina still sat there silently hearkening to what he had said .
" Lucifer, I know you hate Lockhart, but that doesn't mean you can accuse him of such a dishonest and disgraceful thing !" shouted Elenore . Seraphina and Lucifer both ignored what the girl was saying . Elenore didn't accept the fact because for her, Lockhart was her hero: a handsome and brave warrior .
" Please say it's not true. Please say Lockhart doesn't feel anything for me . Please, " whispered Seraphina . She tried hard to hold back the tears but they reluctantly escaped her eyelids .
" Seph, I know I understand that no one wants to hear that, but please listen to me first . Just stay away from Lockhart and ignore him as much as possible . I don't want anyone to hurt you ever again, " said Lucifer with an assuring tone and a brotherly superiority .
"But answer me one thing, Lucifer. Why would a man like Lockhart have feelings ,as you say , for a student ?" questioned Elenore in a frustrated voice .
Lucifer got up and forced Seraphina to get up too. Holding her wrist, he dragged her to the gate of the compartment to get her some fresh air . Before leaving an unanswered Elenore behind, he turned towards her and said -
" Because she isn't like all of you who flatter and are ready to do anything for him. "
Elenore's eyes widened at the offending statement . But before she could say anything the other two had left .
Lucifer dragged Seraphina to the sitting compartment of the Hogwarts Express, buying a glass of pumpkin juice for her. He forced her to sip it when she refused . After a long moment of silence, Seraphina spoke for the first time .
" You shouldn't have said that, Lucifer . It was very offensive . Elenore is very angry with you, " she said in no more than a whisper .
" Elenore was acting like a child, Seph . How could she ignore all those facts just because she likes that witless blonde? " snorted Lucifer .
Seraphina chose to leave that question unanswered . He was right yet again; Elenore indeed was acting like a child .
The rest of Seraphina's train journey slipped away in reconciling the bitterness between Elenore and Lucifer . Reaching the King's Cross station , the railway instructor let two students at a time cross through the enchanted wall . Lucifer crossed the wall with Seraphina and a vaguely angered Elenore crossed with George. Walking out of the station with her friends , Seraphina's eyes fell on the lusty black Mercedes Benz, A-class , onto which was leaning a tall , crisp and handsome man who looked to be around his forties . Seeing Seraphina approach, the man ran towards her group .
" Seraphina ! " exclaimed the man out of excitement. He pressed the young witch in a tight embrace , lifting her in the air .
" Oh, Daniel !" cried Seraphina as she wrapped her arms around his stiff torso .
He held her like that for a few long minutes . Her schoolmates saw their friend in the arms of the man named Daniel , whom Seraphina talked about very highly. Pulling away from the tight embrace, Seraphina turned towards her friends.
" You must be George, " said Daniel as he passed him a warm smile . His smile was similar to Seraphina's , genuine and sweet .
" Yes ... sir ," mumbled George shyly . He was confused about how to designate the man .
" Ah, please, I will die from the burden of being called that, little fella, " chuckled Daniel as his emerald green eyes twinkled in the phosphorescence of the sun . By that time, George , Elenore and Lucifer's family had also joined them .
Lucifer was from a Wizarding family, so his parents were boisterously overjoyed when they saw Seraphina. They received some curious looks from the Muggle passing by .
" Oh my God , I still can't believe you jumped into the dragon's pit, " cried Mr. Jones .
" People still remember that ? " asked a baffled Seraphina .
"Oh dear ! people won't forget that for an eternity . There are not many wizards who deliberately jump in front of a dragon and still breathe . Well, how did you made that dragon obey you? " asked Mr. Jones.
" Ah, Dad, come on , she had to answer that question for God knows how many times . Leave her, " said Lucifer as he shoved his father's arm .
" Lucifer , don't be so rude, " Seraphina warned her friend .
" Well, I also need an answer for that, Seraphina ," Daniel broke in.
" Oh, Daniel ," cried Seraphina shyly .
No one talked about the drama that had happened in the train . Seraphina requested Lucifer and Elenore to not say anything to Daniel about Lockhart and his feelings for her . They respected her request. After all, it was her personal concern, and they both respected that .
Everyone said their goodbyes and went on their own way . Daniel helped Seraphina stuff her trunk and Hans' cage in the back of his Mercedes .
" Seraphina, seriously tell me what were you thinking when you jumped in front of a dragon? " asked Daniel with a grave voice. He didn't looked at her , his eyes were fixed on the road ahead as he drove .
" Daniel ..." sighed Seraphina . " A friend could have died, and I couldn't have let him die when I was capable of saving his life . You know how helpless I was last time with Dad , but I wasn't that pathetic now, " she continued in a defensive tone .
" Listen, Seraphina, of all the amazing things you are , pathetic isn't one of them . And there was nothing you could have done the last time, so please don't blame yourself for it , Angel," said Daniel calmly, but his tone was severe .
Seraphina passed him a look of dismay . Letting out a little sigh from her lips she tried to change the topic .
" So how's Rachel ?"
" Oh, Rachel ! She is fine . Actually you know she is looking forward to meeting you again . You know I have invited her family over for a Christmas feast . I told them all about you, and they are looking forward to meeting my little 16 year-old, intelligent sister," said Daniel excitedly .
" I never thought someone was looking forward to meeting me, " said a genuinely surprised Seraphina .
The drive home was a pleasant and refreshing ride for her after the whole drama that happened in the train . She was looking forward to celebrating her Christmas with her only family left and the love of his love .
ልረልክ
Severus placed the present clad in black wrapping paper that Seraphina had given him on his work desk . The girl was inscrutable, but somewhere deep inside he wanted to know her more , understand her more . He couldn't remember that he ever felt that way for anyone else in his life. Not even for Lily .
He had started to receive many gifts for Christmas from people he didn't even know . Most of the presents were from the Ministry of Magic . After all, he was the one who had killed Lord Voldemort and saved the wizarding world from the darkest and the most evil wizard ever born . But the young Ravenclaw's present was the most surprising . Not many students preferred to give him gifts because of his rude and grumpy persona , but he still received many presents , most of them as bribes from students to get some extra credits .
Seraphina's gift stood apart from them all . It was a genuine gift without it masking any intention . Picking the box up from the table, his long slender fingers traced the edges. Tearing off the wrapping paper , a brown box appeared. Severus felt curious unwrapping it . Pulling out the wooden frame from inside , he almost fell on his armchair kept near the fireplace . Inside it was a framed painting of him . The utterly convincing and human portrait looked just like him . The strong two-tone painting was just alluring . A small signature was scribbled at the rear right corner of it . Reading -
𝘴ꫀ𝘳ꪖρꫝ𝓲ꪀꪖ ᥇𝘲𝘳ᥴꪶꪖꪗ
The girl was an artist too .
Merlin she is truly gifted , thought Severus .
It was hard to believe that a sixteen-year-old painted him so flatteringly . It wasn't an enchanted portrait, but instead, she had drawn it in the Muggle way .
Gazing at his own portrait for a long time , Severus made a decision . Standing up from his armchair , the portrait still in his hands , he walked towards the mantle of his fireplace . On the mantle were kept many enchanted photographs of him with the Minister for Magic when he was awarded the Order of Merlin , First Class . There were also many more photos with Albus , Minerva , Hagrid and Filius . Among them was the photograph of a certain someone . He had put an illusion charm on the photo of Lily so no one could know he kept her photo with him. He had delusion her photograph to show angel's wings instead of her . He picked up the small wooden frame which once had a hint of gold that has faded over the years . Removing the charm from over it , now it showed reality. His black orbs were fixed on the pretty face of the woman who no longer seemed breath-taking to him .
A strong wave of emotion flashed down his body . He threw the photo into the malicious, bloody blaze of the fireplace. Staring down at the wood which burned with dazzling flame, he watched the photograph of Lily curl up into ashes .
Sighing heavily, he flinched his gaze away from the flames and looked intensely at the portrait of himself the innocent girl had given him. Shoving aside the other photos, he delicately placed the wooden frame on his mantle . A very content look came over his face as he made the grave decision .
As he walked towards his work desk, his eyes fell on the envelope lying on the floor . Picking it up with his slender fingers ,he opened it . Seraphina had written him a small letter, too .
Dear Professor Snape ,
A merry Christmas to you ! Please accept this small gift from your student . I know it isn't much for a man like you, and neither am I a good artist, but that was all I could conjure up for a great and magnificent man like you .
Happy Holidays Professor !!!!!!
P.S. - it's not a bribe.
Seraphina Barclay
A warm smile crept upon his face; a genuine smile , not a forced , painstaking one . The girl was just too modest sometimes . Even though she had obvious skills , she was still humble , sweet and modest . She was so likable , but Severus was scared to like her . How could a girl so nice , sweet , admirable , brave and selfless be the one Lord Voldemort had chosen for him? One thing was clear - that Lord Voldemort cursed him so he would feel pain . Love was his greatest weakness and strength . What had happened ten years prior was because the Dark Lord had killed the woman he had loved, but now the scenario was different . Seraphina did seem like a girl who couldn't harm anyone intentionally. Albus confirmed that she wasn't an imposter, neither was she related to any Death Eater family . She was just a sixteen-year-old , born as a half-blood to a witch and a Muggle man , just like him . She liked studying , singing and endangering her own life for the sake of others . She was normal but nothing like normal at the same time .
But one question was still unanswered - Why had The Dark Lord choose Seraphina to hurt him ?
ልረልክ
The Christmas holidays ended, and all the students came back to school on the Hogwarts Express . Seraphina got off the train with George and the Lovers , who had reconciled and were no longer angry with each other. Professor Hagrid escorted the crowd of students towards the carriages that awaited them . Climbing the stairs of the Grand Entrance , they saw their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher waiting for them .
" Merry Christmas to you all, youngsters . I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, " said Lockhart with a wide grin plastered on his face .
Seraphina stepped back at the sight of her professor . Lucifer gave Lockhart a furious look as they followed him towards the Great Hall . Elenore was still not convinced of the accusations Lucifer has put upon Lockhart . Inside the Great Hall all the teachers waited for them , seated at the Head table . Lockhart and Professor Hagrid joined them, and soon the feast started . Seraphina enjoyed herself, but whenever she looked up at the Head table she found Lockhart staring down at her . His gaze sent a wave of unease down her spine . Ignoring her Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor for the majority of the evening , she slipped to her dorm quietly without grabbing much attention .
ልረልክ
Her chamber was just like she had left it . Blue and elegant . Although it was chilling weather outside , Seraphina still opened her window for some fresh air . With the spine-chilling breeze came a jet black owl with a parcel tied to its claws. A surprised Seraphina untied the parcel and gave the owl a nut from the jar of nuts she had kept for Hans and patted him softly . The brown parcel lay in front of her on her study desk . After staring at it for a long moment , she decided to open it. Tearing apart the brown paper from over the parcel , she found a box beneath it with a letter taped over it . She recognized the flowing writing of her Potions Master . It read -
Dear Miss Barclay ,
I am very thankful to you for the amazing portrait you gifted me . And I have to say that your art skills are commendable .
Please accept this present from your Professor as a thank you gift .
I hope you like it .
Severus T. Snape
Scarlet dusted her cheeks and a shy smile crept on her lips as she read the letter her professor had sent her.
He either liked the portrait or he was just being polite , she thought. Opening the box, she found a leather jacketed book on which it's title was printed with gold entitled
" Feelings of an Artist "
A gift for an artist . Batman was hard to understand , though . He had killed Voldemort but he never carried a bit of attitude. He was logical , hard , and sarcastic, but somewhere deep inside he was cute - very cute. Shoving aside the thought provoking thought, Seraphina jumped on her bed with the book Batman had given her and stuck her nose in it .
ልረልክ
Ever since the return to Hogwarts after Christmas, everyone seemed zealous and refreshed except for one person . That person looked irritated and anguished for reasons unknown to everyone. It was Seraphina.
Lucifer and Elenore noticed her mood .
One day while studying in the Common room and making notes for charms , Lucifer made his move and asked, " Hey Seph , you look angry about something . Is everything all right ?" He asked in no more than a whisper. Lucifer made Elenore sit across the table in front of Seraphina .
" Nah, nothing, " said Seraphina, shoving him off and hunching more over her notes.
" No, girl, there is something that is worrying you . You never walk around with that look on your face, " said Elenore . She looked concerned .
Carefully placing her quill in the ink bottle , taking off her glasses, and placing them delicately on the table , she buried her face in her hands and let out a heavy sigh of exhaustion .
" Seraphina, " whispered the lovebirds together .
Raising her head, she put her glasses back on and faced her friends . A discernable look of pure anger filled her face .
" Daniel won't listen to me," declared Seraphina . The words escaped her lips in such a hurry , it seemed as if they were longing to escape her heart.
Lucifer and Elenore gave her a confused look .
" I asked him to propose this time; he won't listen to me . I told him that Rachel and he are perfect for each other, but he says they need more time . For Merlin's sake, man ! They have known each other for like five years now," said Seraphina in frustration .
" But maybe they really need more time, or maybe Daniel is not ready yet, " suggested Elenore .
" He had bought a ring to propose to her like two years back . Ever since then, he has been to propose her. Rachel's parents visited us during the holidays, and they also want them to get married and start married life, " snorted Seraphina . She was genuinely angry with her 42 year-old brother .
" Seriously? He bought a ring two years ago and still hasn't proposed? " exclaimed Elenore .
" That is why I am upset with him . I have seen how they both look into each other's eyes. I see pure love in them . Daniel has never been in a serious relationship since his last break-up with Scarlett . Now seeing him with Rachel , I just want to see him happy . Before coming back, I asked him the whole holidays to propose, and he kept dodging me, " sighed Seraphina heavily.
" But I think you just need to give him some time, " said Lucifer .
" I have been doing that for the last two years, Lucifer " said Seraphina , burying her face in her hands again.
ልረልክ
The next morning at breakfast, Seraphina sat with her friends. Hans came flying into the Great Hall with a letter in his dark brown beak . Hans was a beautiful owl covered with cream colored feathers with crimson dusted in his face and wings .
Taking the letter in her hand, Seraphina exclaimed," Oh, Merlin, it's from Daniel. "
" Go on read it and tell us why he wrote it, " said Lucifer , curiosity growing inside him .
The letter read -
Dear Seraphina ,
I know you are upset with me, and you have all rights to be . Please forgive me for upsetting you my little angel. I proposed Rachel, and she agreed .
Yours lovingly
Daniel
Seraphina's eyes bulged out of their sockets as she re-read the letter.
" Daniel proposed," said Seraphina. Her words came out in no more than a whisper .
" What? " shrieked the Lovers together as they snatched the letter from her hands .
As the words written on the letter sunk in , the color revived on her face. She looked more lively than ever.
" Oh my God, he proposed at last !" screeched Seraphina. Her excitement grabbed attention of the whole Ravenclaw table, but it didn't bothered her at that moment . She felt utterly blissful .
"We're going to have a party on me when we go to Hogsmeade next, " declared Seraphina with contentedness in her tone.
ልረልክ
Ever since she received the letter from her brother, Seraphina was back to her normal self . A blissfully curious and helpful girl . The lovebird and George were happy to have their weirdo Seraphina back .
ልረልክ
A trip to Hogsmeade was organized one week after the return of the students . Seraphina wanted to stay away from Lockhart as much as possible. She felt that whatever Lucifer had said on the train was correct to some extent , so she was going to Hogsmeade with the lovebirds to give them a party as she had promised . But little did she know this trip to Hogsmeade would turn out to be the most horrendous trip of her life.
Out of all the teachers that could have gone , Lockhart was one of them, who tagged along with them in their carriage . The whole 20 minutes journey became horrendously long for Seraphina as she tried to stay away and ignore Lockhart who sat next to her .
Arriving at Hogsmeade , the three of them squeezed their way through the crowd of students to the Three Broomsticks . As they grabbed the table in the rear of the dimly lit cafe , Seraphina went to place an order for them . A commotion came from the counter where Seraphina had gone .
" What happened there ?" asked Lucifer as he picked up his glass of butter beer which Seraphina had brought to the table .
" Nothing, they just recognized me from the Daily Prophet and were willing to give us free lunch, but I insisted on paying , " said Seraphina casually.
" They really did that? " asked Elenore, who was taken aback in surprise by the statement .
" Yes, " came the reply .
The three of them sipped their butter beer while chatting and breaking into fits of laughter at times.
" Seraphina , Seraphina , Seraphina, here you are ! I was looking for you everywhere," an irritating voice came form behind Seraphina's back.
With an 'oh, shit ' expression on her face , she turned to face her professor .
" You only ever seem to find Seraphina, " snapped Lucifer . Elenore kicked him under the table , warning him to be courteous.
Without an invitation, Lockhart slipped onto the empty chair next to Seraphina .
" I hope you youngsters don't mind me joining you, " he added . They didn't answered him .
" So, what are you doing here ?" Asked Lockhart .
" I am giving them a party, " said Seraphina with uncertainty in her voice.
" Wow, but may I know why ?" Asked Lockhart with curiosity .
" I just wanted to give them a party, " lied Seraphina .
The gate of The Three Broomstick opened, bringing in the snowy wind with a visitor clad in black . It was Batman . He didn't walk to the counter , instead he walked towards the rear end of the pub where Seraphina and her group were seated . As he approach the four of them, his deep , enticing voice filled the silence that had come over the table .
" Professor Lockhart , you should have told me you were here, " snapped Batman . A displeased look came over the handsome face of Lockhart as he saw the man who killed the One - Who - Shall - Not - Be - Named . With furrowed eyebrows, he indicated that he didn't understand what Severus wanted to say .
" We are here on duty to look after the students , not to enjoy ourselves, " snapped Severus yet again .
" Good evening, Professor Snape, " Seraphina broke in .
" Good evening, Miss Barclay, " said Severus, looking at the girl sitting next to the witless blonde .
" Come on, Professor Snape, it is a trip for us too " said Lockhart .
" Professor Snape, why don't you join us here . I was just giving a small party to my friends . I hope you wouldn't mind joining us? " pleaded Seraphina . Her eyes carried a look of grave desperation.
" Oh, I think Professor Snape hasn't got time for that, " interrupted Lockhart.
" Maybe Miss Barclay is right, " said Severus . Seraphina didn't expect an affirmative answer, but she surely was happy with her Potions Master's response . While in the vicinity of Batman, Lockhart couldn't even think of saying or doing something that would bother her .
Severus dragged a chair from the empty table near theirs and seated himself comfortably.
" Well, what would you two like, Professors ? " asked Seraphina, getting up from her seat.
" Whatever you like, Seraphina, " said Lockhart .
" Let me get the drinks, Miss Barclay, " suggested Batman as he rose from his chair.
" Sir, please sit. I will get you a butter beer, " protested Seraphina, but Batman was too hard to dissuade. They both walked to the counter, and yet again, the man at the counter cried out loudly.
" Oh, my God ! Honey I can't believe I am seeing them both together ! " The man at the counter called for his wife who was back in the kitchen .
As a plump woman shoved aside the curtain and stepped into the counter , her jaw seemingly fell on the ground .
" Merlin !" She gasped under her breath. " Severus Snape and The Dragon girl both are in the Three Broomstick at the same time . " She continued .
Seraphina's delicate face turned scarlet at the reaction of the couple upon seeing her. She wasn't accustomed to this type of attention . On the other hand, Severus had years of experience of these type of situations , so he looked unaffected .
" Well, can we have a photograph of you two together ?" asked the man shyly at the counter ." It will be an honor to have a photograph of you two . Please don't say no, " he continued.
Seraphina's raven eyes widened at the urgings of the couple. The couple looked genuine with their request, so Seraphina nodded slightly and the man hurried to grab the enchanted camera . Seraphina and Severus stood there still a bit baffled by the request the couple had asked of them, but their musings were cut short by the arrival of the man . He asked them to stand near the window which still had some Christmas decorations hanging over it . They both stood next to each other with an appropriate distance between them.
" Can you please move towards each other a little bit? " requested the man . They both did so , but the man kept on urging each other until the point came when they both were standing with no space between them. Scarlet dusted Seraphina's cheeks as she stood there next to her professor .
'Click.' A loud sound filled the cafe as the huge flash light ignited, blinding her momentarily .
The sound made by the camera was enough to grab the attention of Gilderoy Lockhart, who came there, running like a bee flying towards the nectar of a flower.
" Oh, I see a photo session is going on, " commented Lockhart . The lovebirds were on his heels .
Seeing the brave , fearsome, and handsome Gilderoy Lockhart in their cafe with the girl who conquered the dragon and the man who killed the Dark Lord , the couple almost fainted . The requests increased, and now the couple wanted to have a photo of the three . Very hesitantly Seraphina agreed. Seraphina and Severus stood the way they were standing before, but Lockhart squeezed himself into the frame and wrapped his arms around Seraphina . Seraphina gave Lockhart a baffled look as her raven eyes widened . As soon as they clicked the photograph, Severus walked off and so was Seraphina about to, but Lockhart held her back .
Lucifer saw the whole drama and gave Lockhart a very nasty look . That was all he could have done . Surely, Lucifer wanted to hex the his professor . For once the Greasy Git seemed good to him .
" I think a photograph of Seraphina and me would be fine, " suggested Lockhart . The couple nodded sheepishly in excitement . Lockhart slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her against his muscular chest. He took her hand and wrapped it around her neck . Seraphina turned the darkest shade of scarlet possible. After the uncomfortable photo session, Seraphina pulled away and ran towards the counter where Batman was already standing . He looked anguished. Maybe he didn't like the request of the couple .
Back at the table Seraphina , her friends, and the two professors silently sipped their drinks and ate the turkey sandwiches the couple had given them as a complimentary gift . Seraphina looked visibly disturbed, and the Lovers sensed it, so they tried hard to change the topic.
Technically, Lockhart was the only one blabbering at the table . Batman sat there in a deadly silence with the same anguish in his eyes. Lucifer and Seraphina looked visibly frustrated and irritated . Elenore was the only one who seemed to be listening to whatever Lockhart Chronicles he was narrating .
After the five of them were done with the snacks . Seraphina went to pay the bill, which was heavily criticized by Severus, who insisted on paying . But Seraphina wasn't a girl who persuaded easily , so she rejected his proposal . The Ravenclaws almost ran outside the cafe to get away from Lockhart. Lucifer nagged about the blond professor the whole time until the girls dragged him to Honeydukes and stuffed his mouth with chocolate frogs.
" I was telling you that Lockhart means no good, " he said, gulping down thea big bite of chocolate . "I mean, who holds a student like that? " he continued with a disgusted look on his face .
After Honeydukes, they went to Gladrags Wizardwear to buy some clothes for Elenore, who had burned half of her trunk while practicing charms . Then they went to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, where they bought their stationary . Grabbing some famous tea from Madam Puddifoot's, they went on with their shopping . While enjoying herself , Lockhart escaped her mind . And it felt good not to have him hovering in her mind . Ditching Lockhart at every turn and alleys of Hogsmeade , the three of them carefully made their way to the shops .
" Ok , sorry for whatever drama happened in the Three Broomsticks, so now let me grab some lunch for us, " said Seraphina turning towards her friends .
" No, you can't pay ,we will contribute . You need not feel bad because of that idiot, Seph . He interrupted our party and the mistake is his, " declared Lucifer .
After having a hearty lunch at The Hog's Head, the three of them got up to leave . Just outside the door of the pub, Seraphina bumped into the very last person she wanted to meet . Gilderoy Lockhart .
" Oh, Seraphina , here you are . Well I hope Miss Wilson and Mr. Jones won't mind excusing you for a while . There is something important that I want to tell you, " said Lockhart . The darkness in his eyes seemed to have taken over the natural crystal blue color of them .
" Ok, " replied Seraphina after a painstakingly long pause . Hearings the affirmative answer, Lockhart dragged Seraphina away from her friends at once.
Lockhart tugged her to the outskirts of the very small village . Seraphina's heart throbbed thunderously; she didn't know what it was that Lockhart wanted to tell her. Somewhere deep inside, she was scared, too , so she kept her wand at the ready to defend herself . Eventually, Lockhart stopped a bit far from the horde of the village, near the spring of the woods . He turned and faced the girl .
" Seraphina, there is something I want you to know, " said Lockhart . His voice was smooth and seductive .
Seraphina calmed down and gave slight nod , indicating her undivided attention .
" You know, in the past few months that have passed , I have felt like a different person, even to myself . I wasn't just thinking about my adventures , but I was also thinking a lot about someone else . Someone very special and lovely indeed," he murmured.
He looked at her with compassion as he took a step towards her. Seraphina still couldn't comprehend his words, so she kept listening patiently. But now a big smile had crept on Lockhart's handsome face as he continued -
" I have liked the company of the person, and I just can't tell you how much she has bewitched my mind . Her eyes are just mesmerizing, and words fall short if you ask me to describe her."
He kept on increasing the proximity to her.
Slowly, Seraphina felt like her brain was growing numb. She couldn't comprehend his act . But growing impatient with his words, Seraphina sputtered .
" Wh... what is it th... that you want to tell me s... sir ?"
" Oh, please don't call me that, Seraphina, " said Lockhart .
" Th... then what sh... should I call you ?" asked a baffled Seraphina.
" Gilderoy , just Gilderoy, " said Lockhart .
Gaining back her senses quickly and composing herself, she snapped, "But you are my professor ! "
" Oh, come on, Seraphina . I know I am, but don't you feel something unexplainable when you see me ? "asked Lockhart
" Sir, please, can you just say what you want to because sadly, I am not good at philosophical talks," said Seraphina.
"Ok, if you say so, Seraphina . I am deeply in love with you . I know it's not correct as I am your teacher, and I thought of confessing my feelings after your N.E.W.T.S., but your enthralling beauty just made me gravely desperate. "
Seraphina choked on air . What the hell was he saying ?! She was his student ! How could he fall this low ! It was happening all over again . No, no, this couldn't happen .
" Sir... "said Seraphina in a small voice .
" Just call me Gilderoy , Seraphina ."
Her brain felt numb as she saw Lockhart close the distance between them . In a blink of an eye, his muscular chest was pressed against her small bosom . He was leaning in, his face inches from hers . She could feel his hot breath on her forehead . His lips were now barely an inch from hers . Her body was not coordinating with her mind . She wanted to run away from Lockhart, but her legs weren't moving. Her hands fell numb, too as she couldn't push him aside .
Lockhart's lips were about to caress hers when suddenly a wave of rage flashed through her body , making her regain all her senses back . Pushing Lockhart aside, Seraphina ran towards the small village covered with snow in front of her. Lockhart didn't understand her denial; instead he interpreted it as shyness.
" It's ok. I will wait until you are fine with me kissing you, " shouted Lockhart from behind her . Seraphina didn't turn to shoot a glance at him; instead she ran . Mindlessly running away from Lockhart, she ran by the lovebirds who were patiently waiting for her outside The Hog's Head. They looked at each other and ran after her as she didn't acknowledged their calls from behind .
Seraphina's mind and heart were so preoccupied with the thoughts of Lockhart liking her and all this ending up just like before just made her run like a mad woman . As she reached the fence abutting the village and The Shrieking Shack , Seraphina stopped, panting heavily . The color has drenched out of her face as she started pacing back and forth nervously . Lucifer and Elenore joined her , both panting heavily, just like her. Lucifer launched his chain of questions at once -
" Girl, what happened ? Why are you running around like crazy ? Did Lockhart do something ?"
Seraphina didn't answer her friend . She kept mumbling something illegible under her breath . The look on her colorless face mutated into a dead one . A corpse could have looked more lively then Seraphina in that moment of time .
Abruptly, she stopped pacing and marched towards the spring in the woods nearby . Then she did the unexpected . She punched the rough , uneven trunk of the gigantic tree robustly . Elenore gasped at her act as Lucifer went for her, but she quickly shoved him off with her wand.
Seraphina squeezed her fist hard because the bruise was harrowingly badly . For a split second only, she forgot Lockhart for the sake of goodness . A bruise had begun as a purple stain over her left knuckle; purple welts were scattered across her hand . But this spreading purple with yellow blotches was only the surface wound. The real one was within. That feeling of being forced upon again . The images of that evening struck hard in her mind's eye .
The menacingly dark evening was spine chilling . The concrete building stood there with big metal letters casted on its front wall.
' St. Michael's College '
Huge classrooms were lined up in the eerie corridor . In one of the classrooms stood the fourteen-year-old Seraphina with her contrabass. She looked so much younger and happier . The room was filed with the melodious tune she was playing on the instrument with accuracy and delicacy . A middle aged lady sat in front of her , observing her hand movements . After she completed the song , the lady and Seraphina had a little conversation and then they both went on their way .
While Seraphina walked towards the entrance of the building, a voice called for her from behind . The young witch turned to face a 45 year-old man . He had a square face with a clenched jaw line. His grey eyes twinkled with something unexplainable in the dim light of the corridor. He was her English teacher. After a small conversation with her teacher, she followed him towards a classroom.
As she stepped into the classroom, the man locked the door . An austere look came over his face . Seraphina gulped hard .
In a trice, he had flung himself over her and forced himself on her . He effortlessly ripped off the grey cardigan Seraphina was wearing . He forced himself on her again, his lips crashing over hers in a furious manner. He slipped his hands down her hips and tried to touch them inappropriately . The girl felt helpless . She kept on shouting, but her pleas seemed to fade away in the eeriness of the empty school . At first sight, it seemed like the man was in total command of the situation, but then the unexpected occurred . Seraphina wrenched her body away from him violently, forcing him to fall hard on the floor . The young witch quickly seized the moment and continuously kicked him hard between his legs . He groaned in pain, but Seraphina wasn't done yet . She grabbed a chair and hit him hard with it. She let out a frustrated scream, but before she could kick his ass any further, the janitor and the same middle-aged lady burst into the room and caught hold of the angry girl .
Another wave of herculean rage flushed down her body . She turned towards the tree to punch it again, but this time she felt an iron grip holding her arms back form doing so .
" LEAVE ME LUCIFER ! I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME, " hissed Seraphina without glancing over at the owner of the iron grip . She unsuccessfully shrugged hard to shove his grip off . By now, his hands were dragging her back . Resisting violently, Seraphina jerked harder this time .
" LEAVE ME, I SAID ! " shrieked Seraphina aggressively, but it was more of a bellowing scream rather than a scream of anger or frustration . She still didn't look at the possessor of the hand holding her . Her eyes were fixed on the trunk of the tree .
" Relax Barclay , you have already hurt yourself enough, " snapped the possessor of the iron grip as he propped her on her feet . The deep , velvety voice sent a wave of comfort down her body . She shot a glance at the man holding her . It wasn't Lucifer, but Professor Severus Snape. He was holding her arms and dragging her away form the tree . He had appeared out of the blue, but the lovebirds were relieved to see him pulling the mad Seraphina away from the tree and stopping the young witch from hurting herself further.
" Sorry, Professor, but I think you should leave me alone, " she said curtly with a last attempt to free herself. Her last words were futile as Batman wouldn't let go of her.
" So you can hurt yourself more? " snapped Batman as he deterred her from going near the tree . He looked down into her agonized eyes as she abysmally tried to mask her pain .
" Ok fine , I won't do anything. Please just let go of me, " Seraphina begged. Very hesitantly, Batman let go of her eventually .
" Now please just spit it out, girl . What did Lockhart say to you ? " asked Lucifer with a concerned tone . He didn't hesitate in speaking Lockhart's name in front of Batman .
Seraphina looked defeated. She sunk to the ground that was covered with snow and buried her face in her hands . Very silently she sobbed because she couldn't hold it back anymore. She was too silent to be heard, but Severus sensed her unease and kneeled on the ground next to her .
" Miss Barclay, " he whispered softly .
" Lucifer, you were right about Lockhart " sniffed Seraphina , her face still buried in her palms .
" What? ! " shrieked Lucifer. " I told you he didn't see you as a student ! Please say he didn't try to do anything !" vented Lucifer , his fingers clenched into a tight fist ready to punch the handsome face of that witless blond .
" No, it couldn't have happened, " Elenore gasped under her breath in utter dismay. It was still hard for her to digest the fact .
" Why me ...?" cried Seraphina .
Severus stood there rooted next to Seraphina on the ground covered with snow. Hearing what the three Ravenclaws were discussing, ire filled him. He didn't know what the three students were taking about, exactly, but he could imagine . Did Lockhart do something to Seraphina ?
Why the three Ravenclaws looked so disturbed and anguished ? Did Lockhart did anything to Seraphina ? Why was she so anguished ?
" What did he do?" asked Severus in his deep , voice .
No one spoke a word . Lucifer and Elenore seemed to have gained their senses back because they now acknowledged the fact that a teacher was among them .
" Sir the thing is... " started Lucifer, but he was cut off by Seraphina who was still sobbing silently on the ground .
" No, Lucifer, " she sniffed .
" No, Seph , he should know this . At least someone would be there to defend you and know how much that idiot torments you !" snapped Lucifer.
The way the boy spoke about Lockhart was offensive, and Severus would surely have scolded him if it had been some other teacher , but his suspicions about what had happened kept him silent on the matter. He actually was enjoying listening to the names the boy was calling Lockhart .
Turning towards the boy, he indicated him to carry on with his explanation. Lucifer obeyed sheepishly .
" Sir, that Lockhart... he... he... " Lucifer couldn't bring himself to speak the name of the forbidden feelings his teacher had for his beloved friend .
" What the hell is it, Jones? Damn it, " hissed Severus .
" He loves me, " spat Seraphina, whose face was no longer buried in her palms . She looked gravely shaken and utterly dreadful . The life seemed to be draining out of her raven eyes every second that passed .
What ?! Severus's fist clenched hard. He wanted to hex that moron badly with an Unforgivable Curse. How could Lockhart do something so forbidden and disgraceful ?
None of them dared to utter a single word. Not even Severus thought of speaking . Lockhart was full of himself, and it wasn't hidden from anyone, but nobody ever thought even in their wildest dream that he would lust upon a 16 year-old girl .
What would he tell the adolescent girl, anyway, that he was worse than Lockhart? At least that blond hadn't imprinted her . Severus thought .
The sound of laughter filled the intense aura that had built around them . It wasn't a joyous laughter, however, but instead it was a painstaking , sarcastic and gutteral laughter . Seraphina was laughing, and she looked more dreadful than ever . The three of them turned towards her and fixed her with a baffled gaze .
" Wow , am I that good that every frikin' teacher wants to fornicate with me? " Seraphina remarked with heavy sarcasm in a dead tone . She was staring at the Shrieking Shack which stood beyond the barbed fencing , lost in deep thought. The words surely left her lips, but she hadn't realized it .
" He tried to kiss me, " declared Seraphina . She was still deep within her own thoughts . The words left her lips in the same way as earlier. Elenore's jaw gaped open, and Lucifer cursed under his breath . Severus looked at the wrecked girl . He wanted to console her, but he was afraid his embrace would only worsen her condition, so he held himself back.
" No, this won't happen again. I will tell him that I don't like him . I will not let him force himself on me . NO , NO, I WONT LET ANYONE HURT ME THIS TIME ! "
As the last words left her lips, she was screaming again. " Why don't people stay away from me? I don't want their attention. Leave me alone . Please ! " cried Seraphina, who looked more dreadful as the seconds passed by . Severus couldn't take seeing the lovable girl in that condition anymore. He wrapped his long and muscular arms around her small cocooned body . Seraphina, who had lost track of everything, felt protective arms around her, comforting her . A wave of warmth and protection flushed over her cold body . She buried her pitiful , distraught face in the muscular chest of the black figure and sobbed . Just like Seraphina, all had lost the track of time and stood there . The lovebirds looked sympathetically at their friend who had melted in the arms of her professor . But the color of her face had returned, and she looked more lively than a corpse.
After God knows how long, Seraphina gained back her senses . Soon she realized she had buried her face in the muscular chest of her fearsome Professor Snape. Quickly pulling away from his protective embrace, she stood and started straightening her clothes . But the feeling of emptiness filled her heart again .
" I am sorry, Professor . I shouldn't have done that, " said Seraphina, breathing heavily . Her face had turned scarlet from the long cry , the puffy, raven eyes narrated the whole story .
" Miss Barclay, please don't run away now . I heard it all . You need my help ." said Severus, getting back on his feet .
" I don't need anyone's help, " hissed Seraphina , she hadn't calmed down completely .
" You don't have to be so tough on yourself all the time . Why do you always think that you can handle everything on you own ? " snorted Severus in frustration . Seraphina shot a glance at his slender face . His black orbs were fixed on her face and held bit of sympathy in them . She felt disgusted. She hated sympathy; she hated being pitied . So she tried to walk off, but Batman caught hold of her arms. She jerked, but his iron grip won once again . The Ravenclaw felt helpless , disgusting, and defeated .
Exhaling deeply, Seraphina looked up at her professor. Although she had gained her senses back , her mind was still baffled.
" Can you do me a favor, Professor Snape? " she asked .
" I want to help, " he almost cried but masked it flawlessly .
"Can you please ask for red wine in my behalf? They won't give it to me," exhaled Seraphina.
" What? " asked a baffled Severus.
" I am underage and I am in bad need of red wine . Can you ask for it in my behalf? " vented Seraphina impatiently .
Hesitantly, Severus agreed, and the four of them went back to the Hog's Head where Severus placed an order of a bottle of red wine . After the skinny waiter left, he uncorked the bottle. Seraphina didn't even bother to pour it into the glass, she just started gulping it down straight from the bottle itself. Severus and the Lovers stared at her with a look of utter disbelief . She was gulping down the contents of the bottle like a drunkard . Severus had to intrude at one point. He snatched the bottle from her light grip so she would take a break to breath .
" Hey, " snapped Seraphina, who wasn't please with her professor's act .
" Drink like a sensible person, Barclay . I don't want to take a drunkard back to the castle with me ." Severus warned her. Ignoring his warning, Seraphina snatched back the bottle from him gently. After taking another long drink, she pointed the green bottle towards the other three occupants of the table .
" Want some ?" she asked .
Seraphina liked the warmth of the drink in her gut as it flowed down . The blood in her veins seemed to warm up as she drank the wine . The three of them denied the offer, letting the girl enjoy her drink .
" I never thought you could drink so much, Seph " commented Elenore.
" Daniel has warned me that I am a potential drunkard, but I just needed it badly right, now " replied Seraphina as she wiped her lips with the sleeve of her overcoat . " Thank you very much, Professor Snape, and I am really sorry for my behavior back there . Please forgive me ." she continued , an ashamed look coming over her delicate face which looked more lively than ever.
" Let me go and pay for it, " she said as she stood up .
" There is no need to, Miss Barclay, but before leaving, I would like to get the answers to some of my questions," declared Severus who indicated for her to sit back down.
With the ashamed look still overshadowing her face, she sat down . She took her wand out and placed a silencing charm around them so that no one could hear what she was about to tell them.
" So, what did Lockhart actually say to you? " asked Severus .
He expected a protest from the young witch, so he was prepared with an explanation .
" You have spilled half of the truth, so please answer my questions, because this involves a Hogwarts teacher, so it is not only your concern anymore ."
Seraphina's knew the man seated in front of her was right, and maybe telling the truth would help her get rid of Lockhart . She narrated the whole incident to them .Not realized she'd already blurted out earlier that Lockhart had tried to kiss her, she told them without hesitation of the attempted kiss, too because she knew there would be no good in hiding it . Elenore almost shrieked when she heard it, while Lucifer almost jumped off his seat to find Lockhart and hex him with an unforgivable Curse. In the eyes of Batman she saw undeniable anguish and hatred .
" And after that ? " asked Severus .
" After that, I ran away from him. I didn't want things to repeat themselves, " said Seraphina . In the flow of the story, she realized too late that she had said too much.
" Repeat themselves ?" asked Severus with an arched eyebrow .
" I don't know, sir, that I should tell you this or not because... " she fell silent .
" Listen, Miss Barclay, I know some things are personal, but I see no good in keeping things secret from me now that I know almost all of it," said Severus with a demanding tone . A long , painstaking silence came over the table . Seraphina's head bowed low with humiliation as she remembered the nightmarish evening .
" Two years back, when I was studying in my Muggle school, I stayed after school due to contrabass practice," explained Seraphina with a determined look in her eyes as she looked out at the misty street from the window.
" The school was almost empty except for my music teacher , the janitor and... and Noah Smith - my English teacher. "
the last name had slipped out of her lips with onerous hatred . Her voice seemed to have lost the sweetness and warmth it usually inhibited .
" He asked my help with carrying some books to his car, to which I agreed . When we reached his office, he closed the door behind him and locked it . "
Again she fell silent. The other three listened to her with undivided attention, although Lucifer and Elenore already knew about this tale. She had told them the story once before . Before continuing, she let out a heavy sigh .
" He threw himself on me and forced himself on me. He forced his lips upon mine and tried to touch me inappropriately . He ripped off my clothes and tried suppressing my resistance . I pushed him in the floor and kicked his privates until he was crying for mercy, and then I threw a chair at him."
I was about to pull out my wand from beneath my sleeve, but then the janitor and my music teacher caught hold of me . The police were called. They examined the camera footage of him forcing himself on me, and he was arrested and convicted through a Muggle court . You know what he thought of..."
Before she could finish, her voice seemed to fade into oblivion. Biting her lips to hold back the tears, she spoke again in a small voice "He thought he would bribe the janitor to delete the footage of him raping me from the system and have a copy for himself to blackmail me further . " she concluded as a tear slipped down her cheek .
" Why does everyone lust after me ? Lockhart tried to kiss me, and I didn't do anything to oppose him . I was so weak... stupid . Oh, God, I am the world's biggest imbecile !" cried Seraphina in frustration.
" You are not an idiot, and don't ever call yourself weak again ." Severus admonished her. "I haven't ever met a girl as strong as you. One who doesn't fear a dragon or who isn't afraid to speak for herself . Seraphina you stood up for yourself, and you didn't let that son of a flea bitten dog do anything to you. You are God's most amazing creation . " the reverent words of Severus Snape filled the onerous aura of the table . He slowly got up from his chair and kneeled on the floor in front of the young Ravenclaw , facing her . His black orbs fixed on her with a look of comfort . His words felt soothing to her.
" As for Lockhart, you and I will make Headmaster Dumbledore talk to him, and I promise you he will not dare to touch you ever again . " reassured Severus as his sad smile crept on his thin lips. Turning away from her professor , Seraphina contemplated the layer of thin mist that stood outside the window of the pub . Sighing heavily, she spoke with an empty voice. .
" Whatever he did was to me, not you, Professor Snape . I will talk to him myself, and I can say he won't dare to touch me ever again . I know what you all would be thinking about me... that I am being such cry baby, and maybe I am being that, but please don't tell anyone about this. I need a promise from you all ." said Seraphina as she wiped her tears .
" Seph, you have already seen enough pain to last a lifetime . Professor Snape is right. You are just being too hard on yourself . Whatever happened wasn't your mistake; it was the lust of that son of a bitch. As for Lockhart, he won't dare to even lay his eyes on you, I promise you that . Just don't blame yourself," said Lucifer . Elenore nodded in agreement .
Seraphina gazed apologetically at her friends for a long time with her puffy raven eyes , before speaking .
" God, I am lucky to have you two . "
A sad smile crept on her distraught face . She turned towards her professor and apologized for her behavior .
" I don't blame you for that reaction because nobody could have gone without breaking down, especially after all that you have gone through before . You are the bravest girl I have ever met . " said Severus with a reassuring smile on his face. " And I promise you that nobody would have known that's how you subjugated that Muggle," he continued then he took her bruised hands in his. slender, long fingers.
At first Seraphina flinched away abruptly, but Severus patiently said in a gentle voice, " I don't want to hurt you . Just let me look at your knuckles. They are very badly bruised ."
Very reluctantly, Seraphina gave him her hand. Although she looked calm, her body was still shivering badly . Severus examined her hand for a long time, then drew out his black wand and muttered something under his breath .
"Vulnera Sanentur"
As the spell poured out of his lips, the deep gashes on her knuckles started fading and the last of the skin was back to normal. After thanking her Professor and having a mild quarrel with him over the payment of the wine, the four of them left the pub . The return journey was much better because Batman sat in the same carriage as the Ravenclaws . But the comforting words of Batman weren't enough for her . Lockhart has surely instigated her PTSD and she knew one thing: that the journey further wasn't going to be an easy one for her .