Selena stirred bright and early on September 1st, just as the golden rays seeped through the ancient windows of her chambers. She spent most of the day cooped up in the library, as there were still no occupations of any kind required of the Hospital Wing. Her initial plan was to take a stroll around the grounds, but she didn't want to disturb the busy professors at work preparing for tomorrow's start-of-term. The students were arriving later that night, the sole reason for the excited skip in her step. The castle would finally be free from the uncanny silence summer provided and become the Hogwarts Selena was more familiar with.
The book currently in her hands was not a one of the library's, but a one of her own; A selection she purchased from a muggle bookshop years ago. She was very invested in muggle novels, particularly in the works of Jane Austen, author of her favorite, Sense and Sensibility. The Mediwizard would read the classic over and over again, reliving the heart-warming sensation of her favorite parts and every time would feel as though it was the first time she had read it.
"I never suspected you as an Austen enthusiast, Miss Stellifer."
The deep voice startled Selena, her eyes shot up immediately only to meet Severus' own sombre ones. She frowned upon perceiving the slight relax of his face, clearly feeling smug about surprising her without the intention to.
"Professor! Why, I never suspected you even knew Austen." The Mediwizard replied, almost like a question, and in return, it made Severus frown as he moved to take a seat opposite to her.
"Just because I appear as if I'm practically incarcerated here doesn't mean I actually am." His offended reply graced an amused smile on Selena's face. "I reside in the dungeons not under a rock, for Merlin's sake."
"Point taken." She stifled a soft laugh. "So, you know Austen. Do you have a favorite?"
"No." The potioneer scoffed with evident dislike. "Sentiment is not my cup of tea, which is why I barely made it three chapters into Persuasion."
"And you've never bothered with another work after that?" Asked Selena, disbelievingly, and Severus merely shrugged his shoulders as a response. "Well then, Professor, I must recommend you this. It's my personal favorite: Sense and Sensibility." She pushed the book forward for him to take a closer look.
"I truly hope you aren't doing this to spite me. I did just say I'm not fond of sentiment." He sighed whilst accepting the hardcopy selection and scanning the pages with boredom, but slight attentiveness was present too.
"They're three different things, Professor; Sense, sensibility and sentiment." Selena argued with a chuckle, "And who knows? You might just like it."
"Still, it won't change my views on sentiment." He stated firmly, making Selena roll her eyes. We'll see about that, she thought. "I'm merely reading it out of curiosity and because you advised me to. It would be rude to decline."
"Terribly rude." She parroted with a smile. Severus redragged the book across the table but Selena pushed it back with strings of "No."
He raised a brow in confusion. "But you haven't finished."
"Keep it. I was only passing the time. Besides, I've read that enough times, I practically memorize it." She said, earning a feeble scoff from the potioneer.
"And if you wish to seek it again?"
"I won't, especially now that I await your opinions about it." The Mediwizard smiled profusely.
Severus studied her with uncertainty, until eventually he nodded and inserted the book with the other parchment he's been carrying. "Don't expect me to finish soon."
"I know. I don't." She nodded. "Just make sure you actually finish it, though. Don't let me down by giving up after the third chapter."
The potioneer sighed tediously, "I'll do my best, Miss Stellifer."
The exchange didn't last long after that, as Severus explained he just dropped by to borrow a book for final adjustments to the week's lesson plan, something he needed to return to and accomplish before dinner later that night. Selena eyed the novel tucked gently under his sleeved arm while he walked out of the library, wondering if this supposedly unsentimental man would come to enjoy it or not.
Time seemed to haste after their meeting, as it was sunset when the Mediwizard vacated the confines of the library. She returned to her chambers for a brief moment, only to switch into finer robes, and ventured to the Great Hall to meet with the other staff.
That night was the first time Selena's been to the Great Hall in over twelve years, and though it seemed to have not changed physically, the absence of her classmates and fellow Ravenclaws made it a tad bit unfamiliar to her. One thing she has always found worth adoring about the hall, however, was the bewitched ceiling and how exaggerated it seemed to appear apart from the genuine sky itself.
The Head Table was starting to fill a few moments later and she deliberately situated herself on the rightmost section of the table, facing the left wall. On her right was Madam Pomfrey—or Poppy, as the matron advised to call her—whom she was indulged in a conversation with. They finished a topic relating to the experimental potion, Wolfsbane, when Severus entered through the back door nearby, catching Selena's gaze in an instant.
The potioneer, without a second thought, took ownership over the chair beside her, slumping into it with his usual dull expression, looking as though he was forced to be there... He probably was.
"Good evening, Miss Stellifer." He greeted without a direct glance, instead, training his eyes at the humongous open doors of the Great Hall.
"Professor." Selena nodded in acknowledgement, and joined him in his gazing. "You excited?"
That caused him to turn to her. "For?"
"For dinner?" It was supposed to be a declarative, but his retort puzzled her. She gestured to the empty House tables and added, "For the first day? For new House members?"
"Perhaps, exhausted is the word you mean." And Selena frowned in attempts to seal her amused smile.
"The students haven't even arrived yet."
"And yet, I'm absolutely worn-out." He sighed. "You should know that as a professor, there is just as much work while students are present as they are absent."
Selena frowned for real, maybe even sympathetically, "I take it, there was no time to rest, then?"
"Not quite. I finished the lesson plan ten minutes after I arrived from the library." He answered and it briefly confused Selena until he added, "I happened to start on your book, afterwards."
"You did!" Her cheeky grin returned, and she rested her chin on her palms, leaning closer eagerly. "And? What do you think?"
He replied nonchalantly, "I've not made it past the fourth chapter yet."
"Thank Merlin you passed the third." She quipped. "But that's not my question."
A sigh, "I don't have the adequate information to really conjure any opinions yet."
Selena shot him a deadpan look, but nodded, after. "Fine, fine. Just keep reading."
The Headmaster appeared right after and the Head Table was finally complete save for Minerva who was temporarily away, handling the unsorted first years like she always had been. Dumbledore walked down the aisle in his lavish robes, enthusiastic for another new school year to commence.
"The express has just arrived! The students will be filing inside any minute now." He declared jovially before seating himself.
"Dumbledore's in a surprisingly good mood." Severus remarked under his breath, loud enough for only Selena to hear.
She chuckled and answered, "You should be the same, Professor." The potioneer only managed a scoff.
Soon proving Dumbledore's words, students clad in their House robes infiltrated the hall with their radiating energy, whilst the echoes of their chatter bounced off the walls, most likely stories about how their summers went. The long tables began to fill one by one, although Selena was more drawn to the eagle-crested students filling their own table, happy and admittedly proud to see the lot of them carrying thick textbooks and landing them on the dark oak with a thud. They reminded her of herself as a young Ravenclaw, who would have already been doing some advanced reading three weeks prior to the beginning of the new school year.
As everyone began to settle down, merely waiting for the new batch of first years to enter the huge doors, there were incoherent murmurs buzzing all over the place, and Selena could discern none but one word—or name, in this case—Harry Potter. She was reminded, only then, that that moment would serve as the first time she'd see The Boy Who Lived in person, and it increased her anticipation more to silently wonder what House he could possibly land in.
Watching Minerva lead the first years into the Great Hall, moments later, was quite nostalgic to witness. She recalled trailing behind her just-as-astonished batchmates, eyes dancing around the hall but tried their best not to reciprocate the slightly intimidating stares from her Hogwarts seniors.
Dumbledore began his welcome speech—which, in truth, wasn't all that welcoming—and Selena leaned towards Severus to whisper, "I can't believe we were that small as first years."
He glanced at her briefly before returning to the first years. "Speak for yourself," The potioneer whispered back, "I like to think my height was quite satisfactory." And instead of arguing, Selena quietly chuckled as she flumped back against her chair.
The sorting began in no time—after the hat's traditional song, that is—and began yelling the respective Houses of which the students were classified in. While she awaited Potter's turn, she wistfully recalled the memory of her own sorting and as if on cue, the hat yelled, "RAVENCLAW!" to an auburn-haired witch who now ran with glee to her newfound friends.
"Do you remember the moment you were sorted, Professor?" Inquired Selena to Severus absentmindedly, unbeknownst to her if he perceived it through the softness of her wistful voice. Although, he did, and she saw him nod his head from the corner of her eye.
"Clear as day." Answered the potioneer with a tone hinting distaste.
"Slytherin, right?" And he nodded once again. Selena hummed, "Do you think it made a mistake? Or did it feel wrong?"
"I believe that there is no such thing as a right or wrong classification when it comes to House sorting, Miss Stellifer. We all inevitably possess traits that come from different Houses. I find it impossible to stick to one, or you'll appear quite plain." Severus paused shortly as another sorting was made. "We still practice the sorting, however, purely for sparking connections between students because one is never alone at Hogwarts, as the Headmaster says."
Selena blinked a few times while she digested what he had just uttered. She whole-heartedly agreed and beamed at him with sudden admiration for his words. "That's very well put, Professor. Very well put."
"Augh, a few pages of Austen and now I'm blurting words..." The potioneer grumbled, scowled even, but it was all for show, she knew. Selena snickered into her hand, scared she'd rouse attention if she laughed too loud—though, lucky she didn't. "But why do you inquire of such matters, Miss Stellifer?" Severus asked in return. "Do I look or seem as though I don't belong in Slytherin?"
"No, no. That's not what I meant." She shook her head. "I was only curious, Professor. Honestly, you are very much adhering traits that belong to Slytherin, Salazar himself must be very proud to have you… " Selena paused with a speechless gape, processing on what words to put together next. "But, for my curiosity's sake, have you ever wondered what you could've been, what could've changed, if you were sorted into another House?" She added, "Did the hat have other choices for you?"
"I have, a few times, wondered. And yes, it did." He admitted after a few wordless seconds. "But what use is having second thoughts now? It's been thirteen years since I graduated, twenty since I was sorted. There's no changing it, even if we wanted to."
Selena shrugged, "You're right… I'm sorry I'm feeding you with my musings." She chuckled, "I know you're glad to be in Slytherin, as I am in Ravenclaw, but you must know where my musings come from; I was—"
"A hatstall." Severus concluded for her, much to her surprise.
"Yes."
"But what issue is it to be a hatstall? I quite envy people like you—but not Pettigrew—because that means you're quite extraordinary."
Selena ignored how her heart skipped a beat after that, trying to keep her composure while speaking to him. "That's one way to put it, I suppose."
"I remember your sorting." He mused on.
"You remember?"
"I was there, you know, in my second year." He said in an isn't-it-obvious? tone, to which her smile only widened. "When you arrived a few days ago, I knew I saw you somewhere. Black hair, jet eyes, youthful complexion... I've always known your appearance, but never your name."
Selena instantly stifled a suppressed laugh, "How peculiar is this? I've always known your name but never your face."
Despite the humourous coincidence, his expression immediately darkened, "Through Black and Potter's ludicrous stories, I presume?"
The Mediwizard pursed her lips timidly. "An awful lot of them." She admitted. "But I don't believe them Professor, never have, never will." The sorting hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" before she spoke again. "In fact, if we'd already met before, I reckon we'd have been instant friends."
Before Harry Potter's name was called, before the sorting hat declared him as a Gryffindor, before the hall drowned in the deafening cheers of lion-spirited students, Selena perceived Severus' deep and hushed voice, it was almost a sigh.
"Perhaps."