Chapter 6:

*Raven's POV*

The day before my birthday, my bag of stuff for the weekend is almost ready. My body feels so giddy for the first time - properly even giddier than I had with my former professor.

I look at myself in the full-length mirror, trying to figure out what to wear for my first day at the Institute. The only thing I really feel cute in for Igor is a long-sleeved black top with shoulder cutoffs and a sweetheart neckline, a long gray layered skirt over black leggings, and black boots. I put on some silver jewelry that I had since Hogwarts years. My hair is half up and down in its waves. Simple makeup paints my face.

Suddenly, there are so many questions that are running through my mind. Are we going to kiss? Am I going to handle seeing him as a headmaster? Or, in other words, am I going to feel about him as the ruthless Headmaster?

Maybe I should ask Tonks once she gets here.

I did a once over of my shop, making sure that my shop and greenhouse are ready for my best friend.

Then a visitor enters my shop.

"Welcome to-" I am cut off by the sight of my former professor enters into my shop. "Professor!" I'm surprised to see him. "Are you running out of supplies already?" I asked him, appearing before him.

"No,….I have come here to give you an early birthday gift," he answers, showing me a wrapped gift. "As an apology for what happened during our date."

"Oh, thank you so much," I hesitantly accepted the gift. "I'm glad that you came now. I was about to leave once Tonks comes here."

"You going somewhere?"

"Igor Karkaroff invited me to celebrate my birthday weekend at Durmstrang."

"The headmaster of Durmstrang?" Professor Snape's surprised to hear that.

"You know of him?" I asked curiously.

"We…..were friends."

"That's funny. He never mentioned you before when I told him I used to be your student."

"Doesn't surprise me." Professor Snape stares at me, for instance, moments.

"Pro-" A gasp escapes my lips when he pushes me against a nearby wall.

"Don't go near him anymore," he speaks in a deep voice. "He's cruel to his students to the point where there were many students who asked to be removed from Drumstrang….He's ruthless, greedy, and shouldn't be someone you should be around with."

"But what about you?" I asked him, scared in a whisper. "You're cold to everyone, including to your students and me."

My response surprises him gratefully. "At least I give respect to my favorite students," he says softly, looking deep within my eyes.

"You have five seconds to get away from my best friend, or I will hex you on the spot, Professor Snape," Tonks comes to the rescue while pointing her wand at the back of his head with her hair a shade of red.

"Miss Tonks," he says in his usual tone without breaking his stare at me. "You haven't changed a bit since you graduated with Miss Nightshade."

"Especially when I am protecting my best friend," she almost growls, glaring at him. "Now leave."

Professor Snape lingers his stare at me a little while before separating from me to leave my shop.

"You okay, Raven?" Tonks hurries over to me, worried, her hair changes to a yellow blond colour.

"Yea, I am fine," I answered. "He just wanted to give me a birthday present, but I guess it freaked him when I mentioned Igor."

"They know each other?" she asked, confused.

"I believe so, but it seems like a toxic friendship based on what I heard," I said, looking at the gift he gave me.

"Why would he give you a present after what he did last year?" she asked, taking the gift in her hand to examine it.

"He said it's an apology," I take it back, "but he's not the apologetic type."

"Maybe you should open it," she suggests. "It's a birthday gift after all, but I wouldn't accept it as an apology though," she's serious about that.

"I know, Tonks," I agreed with her. "But he's still my former professor even though he did hurt my feelings," I said before ripping the wrapping paper off of whatever it is. A gasp escapes my lips when I see what it is. "Winogrand's Wondrous Water Plants?" I asked softly, looking at the book that I haven't seen in years.

"Didn't you already had one?" Tonks asked.

"I did, but the Hufflepuffs girls destroyed my copy, remember Amber and Tori?" I asked her, looking at her.

"Oh, right, I remembered," she realizes it. "The book was heavily destroyed that not even our own magic can fix it."

"I'll thank him later for the gift and thanks for looking after my shop while I am gone," I smiled to my best friend while putting the book into my trunk. "Please let me know if anything happens to it."

"Of course I will, Raven," she smiles back big. "You're my best friend for life and you worked so hard to have this shop as your creation."

"And?" I smirked as she forgets something.

"And happy birthday, Raven," she laughs a little before hugging me. "When you come back, we're going to celebrate your birthday together."

"Thanks, Tonks," I smiled again, hugging back.

I travel by Floor Powder because of its hidden location. Floor Powder isn't my ideal form of traveling because I like train rides and things like that so I can see everything on the way towards my destination. Also, I wouldn't get the memory loss of the location once I am there.

Before I know it, my boots touch the floor of the Headmaster's office at Durmstrang Institute.

"Raven! You finally came!" Igor sees me with a massive smile on his face from his desk.

"My apologies for running late," I tell him, smiling. "I caught up with something," I explained, walking over to him.

"Doesn't matter now," he says, pulling me into a warm hug. "I promised you what Herbology is like, right?" he says, making me happy.

"Yes, you did!"

"I have some time to step away from my work to show you everywhere in the castle," he offers his arm to escort me.

I happily accept his arm.