AN: I know this took me wayyyy too long to write but for some reason I just really struggled with it. I'm still not super happy with it, but hopefully it's not too bad.
Chapter 2
Mottled green light filtered through the window that looked out upon the bottom of the Black Lake. Evelyn stood leaning against the window arch and watched the fish swim by. Occasionally, the odd Grindelow scurried past, kicking dirt up off the lake floor at the window with a cheeky grin on their strange little faces.
Evelyn had always been an early riser, ever since she could remember. But then, sometimes she would not sleep through the night at all and she felt no reason to lie in bed longer than necessary. She liked the dawn. It was a quiet, serene time before all the hustle and bustle of the castle came to life. Evelyn much preferred the dawn at Hogwarts to the dawn at home.
The dark haired girl looked over her shoulder at Kelsi, who was snoring lightly. Kelsi was quite the opposite of Evelyn. It was a mission to wake her up at any sort of appropriate hour. Evelyn figured she would try and wake the girl up earlier so they could work on glamouring the bruises away, but decided she should get everything else together first so they wouldn't have to wait around too long.
Evelyn sighed and pushed away from the window. As she walked past her bed she swooped the lush black towel that had been put there by the house elves and made her way to the dorm bathroom.
Much like the rest of Slytherin Dormitories, the bathrooms were no less luxurious with stunning jade tiles and silver detailing. Evelyn had never been in any of the other houses dorms before and had no idea whether they had similar luxuries.
After soaking in the tub for twenty minutes, Evelyn finally emerged from the water and approached the mirror. She wiped away the steam and carefully inspected her bruises. They seemed even darker today.
There were two very obvious things people noticed when they looked at Evelyn Grey. The first being her alarmingly thin frame, and the second being her mismatched eyes. Her left eye like ice and her right like melted chocolate. The Muggles called the condition 'Heterochromia', but Wizards were far more superstitious. Evelyn had been told she was cursed since her birth killed her mother.
Once dressed in her school uniform, Evelyn re-entered the shared room and found Kelsi still sleeping, as she expected. She approached the girl and grabbed her shoulder.
"Kelsi," she whispered softly, so as not to awake the other two girls in the room, "Kelsi, get up. Please, you said you would do my glamours."
The small Caribbean girl groaned and tried to bat Evelyn off her shoulder, along with words that would definitely get her into detention if a Professor heard her.
"Come on, Kelsi. We have to do it before the others wake up!"
Finally, Kelsi opened her eyes and scowled at her friend.
"I know you're right. But I want you to know that I hate you for it,' she muttered viciously.
"I can live with that. Come on," Evelyn said with a small smile as she stood away from the bed. Kelsi managed to emerge from the large duvet and made her way around the room, haphazardly throwing on her uniform with no real care as to the presentation. When she was done she grabbed Evelyn's wrist and pulled her into the bathroom.
Once inside, Kelsi sat Evelyn down on one of the stools and drew her wand.
"Okay, so getting rid of the bruises. Anything else for today?" Kelsi asked with a yawn.
"I think that's it," Evelyn said with a shrug. She did not feel the need to use beauty glamours for anything trivial like makeup or hair.
"Easy. Now try to relax and picture your beautiful porcelain skin as it usually is."
Kelsi murmured the spell and flourished her wand. A shimmer encompassed Evelyn's face, leaving a warm, tingling flush over her cheek and neck.
Evelyn looked in the bathroom mirror and admired the other girl's handiwork. Kelsi truly was brilliant at these kinds of spells even if she barely used them for herself. Kelsi was one of the most confident and self-assured people that she had ever met; the only one being more so was probably her girlfriend.
The girls left the bathroom and entered the main living area in the Slytherin Common Room. Clarissa and Noah were already waiting for them, speaking in quiet, calm tones.
"Surprised to see you up this early, Jackson! How'd you manage that, Ev?" Noah asked with a lop-sided grin. He hung his arm around Evelyn's shoulder.
"Magic," Evelyn replied impishly.
"Let's go! I'm starving," Noah complained, changing the subject.
"You're always hungry, Noah," Clarissa said, rolling her eyes.
"Excuse me," He started, as they pushed through the portrait and into the dungeon corridor, "I am a growing boy. Not everyone can be born with model height and only eat salad, Clarissa."
They laughed as they walked. Noah kept his arms firmly around Evelyn's shoulders the whole way and only left them when they took a seat in the Great Hall for breakfast. Evelyn thought back to her and Kelsi's conversation last night. Kelsi had said not to lead Noah on for too long, but she had no idea how to break up with someone. Especially a friend. He would surely hurt, but wouldn't it be better in the long run?
The four Slytherin students took their places in the Great Hall along the table reserved for their house. There were more Ravenclaws than any other house up at this hour, but that was not a surprise. Their noses were already in books before their first class had even begun. Very front of the room, in front of three large stained arch windows was the staff table, positioned so that all the teachers could see out on the student body with ease. Evelyn scanned them casually.
Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, was dressed in a fabulous lilac robe that did not go so well with his complexion but brought out the whimsy in his bright blue eyes behind half-moon glasses. A faint shimmer of golden crescent moons against the fabric brought the robes to life and was so quintessentially Albus Dumbledore. His long white beard trailed beneath the edge of the table and Evelyn wondered if it had grown even longer since last year.
Professor Dumbledore spoke brightly with the brooding man beside him who was so starkly opposite the older wizard that it made Evelyn's eyes hurt. He was dressed in his typical black robes that seemed to consume and hide his body away from view. His expression was somehow sour and blank at the same time, as if the expression was simply his resting face. His large, slightly hooked nose, down turned as he pointedly ignored the prattling of the Headmaster and focused on his plain oatmeal. This man was Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master.
As if sensing her gaze, Professor Snape's pitch black eyes flickered up and met hers briefly before looking back down to his porridge in disinterest. Evelyn turned back to her own breakfast and continued to chat with her friends. She ignored the strange feeling of curiosity she suddenly had when he met her eyes. It couldn't have been the first time, Evelyn thought, given she had been in his classes for four years previously. Then again, it was an unspoken rule to never really look Snape in the eyes unless he addressed you directly. Evelyn stretched her memory and could not recall a time when he had ever done so. If he came to critique her potions in class then he would be looking at the potion, not her. It was strange to know someone for four years and never look at his or her eyes, right? Evelyn decided to shrug it off.
Once the majority of students had finally emerged into the hall from, most likely, their first early morning rise since Hogwarts had ended last school year, the teachers began making their ways down the long House tables and giving out the school schedules for the year.
When Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived entered into the hall Evelyn looked away. She had never spoken to the younger boy but there was something about him, ever since she had first laid eyes on him on the train that pulled her to him. A sense of protectiveness that she had absolutely no explanation for. Perhaps in was some deep-seated gratitude for his hand in getting rid of Lord Voldemort, not only when he was but a baby, but also with Quirrel and whatever happened last year. Even as she tried to convince herself of this her subconscious rejected the notion. Although grateful, she knew deep down it was something else. So, Evelyn did what she did best and avoided looking.
It was not long for Professor Snape to stop by her group of friends and silently hand out their schedules. Evelyn once again met his eyes and found that curiosity pique again. His eyes were so black, like bottomless pits. There was no way to know how deep they went. In was only a second however, until he moved his attention to Noah.
"Mr. Parabel, do attempt to keep your hands to yourself during classes, injuries have been caused before by such idiotic displays," he drawled in his deep, velvety voice.
Noah removed his hand from Evelyn's thigh as if he had been burned and nodded vigorously.
"Yes, Sir."
Evelyn cocked her head slightly. She had always wondered why people feared the Potions Master so much. Sure, he was intimidating and mean but she never found him to be scary. She had seen what scary is and it rarely had much to do with words, no matter how venomous they were. Evelyn firmly believed a person's true character were in their actions. After all, her father could sometimes say the sweetest things as he hit her. She had never once seen Professor Snape hurt a student, only intimidate and belittle. Words were not scary.
Once he had moved off, Kelsi scowled.
"Honestly, just because he's never had affection before in his long, sorry life doesn't mean he should deprive us off it."
Oddly, Clarissa met Evelyn's eyes and Evelyn could have sworn the blonde was thinking the exact same thing she had been.
"Come on, let's get to class. Who has Ancient Runes?" Evelyn asked as she stood, shrugging her satchel onto her shoulder.
Clarissa nodded while Kelsi wrinkled her nose.
"I do," she said softly.
"I don't know how you guys stay awake in that class," Kelsi said with a laugh. Clarissa smiled at her serenely and the shorter girl seemed to melt.
"It's really a very interesting subject, Kelsi. There is a lot to learn from Runes."
Evelyn agreed. It was not her best class but it was interesting. It was like a puzzle and Evelyn was a big fan of puzzles.
Clarissa and Evelyn left for Ancient Runes together and chatted about a few of the classes they had before the last year had ended. Evelyn got along well enough with Clarissa but there was something quite guarded and hidden about her. She was like an ice sculpture, beautiful and cold. She had every grace and manner awarded to Purebloods from Noble Houses and she exercised each of them in an effortless way. To Evelyn, this seemed like a performance, albeit by a true master of the craft, but she couldn't help but wonder who Clarissa really was once you took all that breeding and social graces away.
Ancient Runes and Charms had gone as expected. Evelyn did perfectly fine in Ancient Runes and rather below average in Charms. Kelsi chuckled and encouraged her as she attempted to use the Red Sparks charm and barely managed a few pink sparkles shooting out of her wand like a puff of glitter while Kelsi managed to shower the class in a firework of Crimson Sparks that could put even the Gryffindor red to shame. Professor Flitwick had been so impressed he had awarded Kelsi 20 points.
After lunch was potions, by far Evelyn's favourite and best class. As the four of them wandered down to the dungeons Evelyn felt herself becoming less tense from the disaster that was Charms Class. The cool air of the dungeons seeped into her bones and gave her a welcomed chill.
She knew that most students found the dungeons a dreadful place, even a fair few Slytherins felt this way, but to Evelyn it was perfectly peaceful and welcoming.
The class settled inside the Potions Class room as usual and waited for Professor Snape to come bursting through the doors as he always did. By now, barely even half of them still flinched.
Evelyn took out her books and prepared her quill while she waited. Her eyes lazily roamed the room as she always did before class, taking in the strange pickled things in jars on the shelves and the large, imposing desk that Professor Snape usually occupied scratching scathing remarks in blood red ink on student essays. Evelyn looked at the desk and remembered suddenly what Kelsi had said about the wonders of desks during sex. Blushing, she turned her gaze back to her books just as the door banged open.
Professor Snape strode in, like usual, with his black robes billowing behind him. His stride was always purposeful even as his eyes scanned the room with an almost casual disinterest. Evelyn would have believed it if his eyes didn't hover over the dark corners like he was looking for signs of danger. He turned on his heel at the front of the class and folded his arms. He stared down in impressive nose at them and savoured their worried stares.
"As you should all know," he began, his voice soft and deadly all at once, "This year you will be taking your OWL examinations. The results of these exams will determine your future at this school, as well as life. I suggest each of you take the time to consider how you want the rest of your lives to progress. I only take those with Outstanding in their Potions OWL exam into my NEWT level classes." He paused and looked over the students with a scowl as if doubting any of them would make it to said classes. "Turn to page 503 and read the chapter. Once you are done, prepare the potion. You have an hour and a half."
With that, Evelyn ducked her head down to her book and flipped to the correct page while others got their books from their bags. The chapter was on the Calming Draught, a definitive step up in difficulty from their fourth year potions that Evelyn was expecting with the OWLs being so prevalent this year. Evelyn read the passages quickly, writing notes on the parchment beside her. Although not the quickest to read the chapter (they were sharing the class with Ravenclaws after all) she was the first one to actually begin brewing. She found the process natural as she cut, sliced and crushed the ingredients. She made minor adjustments as she went. Evelyn had studied the ingredients list for this year and had studied each one with vigor over the holidays. As such, she could gauge ways to slightly improve the method of adding it to the potion to make it more potent.
Halfway through the class, Snape began his usual stalking around. He peered over the students' shoulders and made them uncomfortable. He critiqued and snarled at their work as he went. Evelyn watched from under her lashes while she worked, always aware of where he was so he could not sneak up on her and cause her to accidentally cut a finger. She suspected not many students would do this, given how they would flinch at the sudden sound of his voice.
He finally came to stop before Kelsi's potion and sneered.
"This is hardly acceptable, Miss Jackson. What poorly founded excuse do you have for creating such an abysmal mess?"
Kelsi prickled but kept quiet. Evelyn knew her friend was trying not to cuss the Potions Master out and earn a year of detention. Evelyn peeked into her friends cauldron and shot her eyes up sharply to Professor Snape.
"Excuse me, Sir. But there is still plenty of time to rectify the potion. There is no need to jump ahead and assume it will be ruined," Evelyn said calmly, although her mismatched eyes were sharp. Snape turned his attention to her like the crashing of a wave.
"Is that so, Miss Grey? Care to explain to the class how to fix the concoction then?" He asked, raising his black eyebrow up in challenge. Evelyn quickly put a stasis spell on her own potion and turned to Kelsi's cauldron.
The liquid was a sickly kind of grey where it should be a brilliant, shimmery blue. Evelyn eyes the ingredients that were yet to be used and reached for the
prigs of Brahmi, she rolled the plant in her palms for a moment to heat them slightly and dropped them into the mortal to crush them to paste.
Snape watched impassively. Dark eyes following her movements.
"Wait, doesn't the recipe say to cut them?" Kelsi whispered. Evelyn shrugged and carefully added the paste to the potion and begun to stir clockwise.
"Yes, but given that there was too much Crocodile heart added this should counter balance that," Evelyn told her calmly and she stirred once counter-clock wise and turned off the flame. As the potion cooled in morphed into the correct shade of blue.
"A shame that your friend will not be able to assist you in your examinations, Miss Jackson," he said. Scowling at the perfect potion and the equally perfect potion beside it in Evelyn's cauldron. "I suggest you study harder."
With that he stalked off to the next persons potion. Evelyn let out a breath and hid her shaking hands in her robe pockets as she became aware of how many people were staring at her. Evelyn did not mind helping her friend (and showing off to Snape) but she hated it when too many people watched her. She was not like the Gryffindors who paraded themselves around and basked in attention, although Evelyn wished she could.
Class wrapped up and Evelyn brought her vial of potion to Professor Snape who was now at his imposing desk. Without looking up, he said. "Stay after class, Grey."
"Yes, Sir."
Evelyn stood to the side and watched as her friends left her with sympathetic looks. Evelyn folded her hands behind her and waited.
Silence stretched for a moment before Snape finally looked at her.
"Do you think it is acceptable behavior to speak back to a teacher?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow. Evelyn frowned in thought.
"Depends, sir. In this case, I believe it was called for. Kelsi was not even half way through her potion and it was not difficult to salvage."
Snape scoffed. "Not for you, perhaps," he muttered, "For those like Miss Jackson, she would not have thought of crushing the Bahmi as you did and thus the potion would have been ruined."
"I would have told her."
"This is your fifth year, Miss Grey. If your friends are not able to think for themselves then you are doing them a disservice by coming to their aid. How else will they learn?"
Evelyn thought on this and nodded slowly.
"I can see your point, sir. But it still feels wrong to not help a friend when I am able to." Her hands tugged nervously at her sleeves. She was not afraid of Professor Snape, but still found herself to be nervous.
"A very Gryffindor ideal, Miss Grey," he said, rolling his eyes. Evelyn ran a shaky hand through her hair and looked at the odd shape of the thing floating in the jar behind his desk. She felt, rather than saw his eyes harden all of a sudden.
"Why are you wearing a glamour, Miss Grey?"
Evelyn's hand froze for a moment before dropping uselessly by her side and allowing her hair to fall back in place.
"Just some beauty charms that Kelsi showed me," Evelyn said, trying to sound casual even as her voice waivered. Suddenly, Professor Snape stood and was in front of her. With a simple wave of his hand she could feel the glamour slip from her skin and leave her vulnerable. Evelyn dropped her face to look at the floor the minute she felt the touch of his magic. Her heart beat so rapidly in her chest she was worried it would burst out of her and onto Professor Snape's dragon hide boots.
"Miss Grey, look at me."
"I-I really should be getting to my next class, sir. I promise I won't wear another glamour to class," she stammered, trying to think of any lie she could.
"I won't ask again, foolish chit," Snape growled. Evelyn decided to make a dash for it, but only got two feet before she felt his hand wrap around her forearm, fingers overlapping his thumb. He jerked her to a stop but she did not raise her head. Her hair created a shroud around her.
"Look at me, now." His voice was so powerful and commanding that she almost did, but before she could lower her head again his other hand clasped her jaw and brought her face up. Evelyn did feel fear then. She had never seen him touch a student, and now he was grabbing her. Her body twitched and tried to curl away as his razor sharp eyes scanned her face and neck with a blank expression. Only when he had fully examined the bruises did he let go of her. Evelyn stumbled away from him and tried to steady her breath but it did her no good.
It was silent for too long. She waited. There was no indication on his face of what he was thinking as he looked at the bruises and she was afraid of what he might say.
"Who gave you those bruises, Miss Grey?" He asked quietly, although anger slithered beneath the icy surface.
Evelyn faltered. "Oh, um..." but her mind failed to provide a suitable answer, given she knew he would ever accept 'I tripped'.
"I am your Head of House, this is the sort of thing you can come to me with."
"No, I can't," she whispered before finally tearing off out of the classroom. Professor Snape watched her leave and made no move to stop her.
Evelyn sulked the rest of the day and carefully kept her hair over her face. She knew the professors would be able to see something if they caught a good look at her, but she had done so wonderfully well at keeping under the radar for four years she had hoped they would pass over her as they always did. Then Professor Bloody Snape of all people had been the one to discover her. She should have kept her mouth shut in Potions. Where was all her supposed Slytherin self-preservation?
At dinner, she pushed her food around and found herself uninterested in the conversations of her friends. She could feel Noah's hand on her thigh but paid it no mind. She heard Kelsi's laugh but it did not make her smile. It was only a matter of time before Professor Snape confided in the Headmaster about her bruises. Evelyn knew that the next holidays home would be horrendous if Dumbledore followed up on it with her father. She might as well let the Dementors outside kiss her rather than go back to him.
Evelyn stiffened at this morbid thought. Despite her circumstances, she had never considered herself...suicidal. How many times had she had thoughts like this?
Evelyn pushed her plate away and stood up.
"I'll see you guys later, I'm not feeling well."
Noah clumsily rose.
"Everything okay, babe? Should I walk you back to the dorm?"
"No thanks, Noah. I just...need to be alone for a bit." However, she turned around right into Snape, bounced off hi and landed back on her bum on the bench. The Professor's face was impassive.
"Miss Grey, see me in my office in ten minutes," he said coldly before he strode out of the hall. Evelyn sunk further in upon herself.
"What is that about?" Noah asked, scowling after the Professor.
Evelyn shrugged. "I spoke back to him in class, I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to reprimand me further. Probably didn't get his fill after class," she lied. She really had no idea why he wanted to see her now. She figured if anything he would have come and told her to go see Dumbledore. But if he hadn't already then that was a promising sign.
Evelyn knocked on the door and entered when told to do so. Professor Snape was standing by his desk, his face still unreadable. After a moment of just looking at each other, he gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
"Sit."
Evelyn crossed the room and sat just as he did. He leant forward on clasped hands. He seemed to be finding the right words to say.
"I do not appreciate you running out of my classroom like some kind of pantomime damsel," he began stiffly. Evelyn clenched her jaw but said nothing. She scratched her nails along the edge of the desk, playing with a splinter off the wood.
"I do, however, understand how difficult this situation must be for you. If you wish to press charges against Mr. Parabel-"
Evelyn's head shot up then and she squared him a vicious look.
"Noah did not do this!" She bit. The splinter broke off from the table and jammed into her finger. She ignored it.
Professor Snape raised his eyebrow.
"Surely not Miss Jackson...?" he asked. Evelyn shook her head thoroughly.
"Of course not! It was-" she paused, her fire dying out as quickly as it flared up and she stared at the splinter in her finger.
Snape sighed. "I cannot help you unless you tell me who it was. Or would you prefer I go to the Headmaster and leave him to figure it out?"
Evelyn paled and shook her head. "What if...would you promise not to do anything if I told you who it was?"
He was silent for a long moment, Evelyn glanced up at him again and could see him thinking hard.
"For this one time, yes. However, if I see you with worse or continued injuries I am legally meant to report it," he said lowly. Evelyn nodded.
"Um...I-it was...my dad," she whispered quietly. But she knew Snape heard her from the sharp intake of his breath.
"I see. And has he done this before?" Evelyn remained silent. But that was answer enough. "Are you sure you do not want to do anything about this, Miss Grey? Hogwarts takes the safety of it's students very seriously, even against their own parents."
Evelyn promised herself she would not cry. "It won't do any good. I don't have any other family and...and...It would be so much worse if he found out anyone knew."
"I understand." And Evelyn was sure that he did, almost too well. It caused Evelyn to look up at him in thought. Snape only held her stare a moment before suddenly standing and walking over to one of his personal supply cupboards. He took what he was looking for quickly and returned, holding out a jar for her to take.
Evelyn took the jar and inspected the strange salve inside.
"Do you know what this is?"
"It's a healing salve of some kind. I'm guessing one for bruises?"
"Correct. Use it tonight and keep the rest...in case."
Evelyn smiled at him then. Perhaps this was why Slytherin's could never be as fearful as the other houses. Professor Snape may be snarky and cold, but he really did care about his Snakes. No one would deny that.
"Thank you, sir. For this and...for keeping my secret."
Professor Snape nodded and dismissed her.
Evelyn left and wandered back to her dorms with a bittersweet feeling in her heart. Part of her was relieved that someone, an adult, finally knew and cared enough to want to do something. The other part of her was terrified of what would happen if her father ever found out. The only thing Evelyn knew for certain is that she was so much more interested in the Puzzle that was Professor Snape.