Chapter 13- Number Three
There were only two weeks left before the Christmas break and every teacher, even Snape, was having trouble holding the students attention. The din in the Great Hall at dinner time was nearly overbearing, and all the staff, except perhaps Dumbledore, were nursing exceptionally large headaches.
Dinner had been going on for far too long and Isis had long since given up pretense and laid her head in her arms, pushing the plate out of the way. "Are you alright dear?" McGonagall asked, leaning over and stroking the younger woman's hair.
"Headache." She mumbled unhappily.
With a soft sigh of understanding Minerva ran her fingers through the fire red hair, putting just the slightest pressure on her scalp. Then the door to the great hall banged open and both women looked up sharply, Isis crying out in pain.
Standing in the entrance to the now silent hall with all eyes on her, was the divination professor Sybill Trelawney. She was flushed, her pupils dilated, and her eyes wide. She looked different than her normal kooky self and as her eyes settled on the head table a strangled cry erupted from her throat. "There is darkness there." She intoned as she walked toward the table. Her finger pointed at Professors McGonagall and Malfoy. "There is darkness surrounding you, you will be lost within it." She told them both. "The end is near, and those left behind will have only regrets and sadness." Then she crumpled to the floor, her eyes fluttered shut and no one moved.
After a few moments Madam Pomfrey left her seat and removed Professor Trelawney to the hospital wing. Still the hall remained silent. "I believe," Dumbledore told the silent students, "that was quite enough excitement for tonight. Off to bed now." The only sound in the hall was the scraping of benches against the stone as the students rose and trudged out of the hall looking back with curious and frightened gazes to their professors.
As soon as the last student had left, Isis let out a sob and begging her excuses in a whisper she fled the hall out the back door. The entire staff looked toward her retreating back in sympathy. McGonagall swallowed heavily and tried to remind herself that she didn't believe in divination. Least of all, when Sybill practiced it. But still, according to Dumbledore there had been a few times, two if she remembered correctly, where Sybill had indeed had genuine predictions. "Albus?" She asked softly. He knew what the rest of her question was.
"I believe that takes her tally up to three."
Tears flooded her weary blue eyes. "So it isn't over." Dumbledore merely shook his head and took her hand in his. Together they sat in the great hall, not speaking, not even looking at each other. The other professors left, talking quietly, but the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress never moved. They sat at their seats in the great hall until the dawn broke, her hand in his, both lost in a nightmare where the other no longer existed.
Severus Snape took the back way out of the Great Hall. He was the last to leave, looking behind him at the two figures still seated. When they didn't move, didn't even acknowledge him, he left shutting the large oak door behind him. After the door was shut he looked up and down the hall for any errant students who may stall him from reaching his destination. Realizing there was no one about; he set off quickly for the lake. As he approached the moon broke over head and the lake and the snow covered shore glistened with pale light. Walking along the shore with the moon spotlighting her every move was a sprite in beautiful violet robes, her red hair out of the braid she usually wore it in. The night breeze carried her sobs to him and pulled him out of his bewitchment.
He approached her quietly, his feet making no noise on the freshly fallen snow. When he was a few steps behind her he stopped. "Isis." She whirled around and launched herself into his arms. The force knocked him back a few steps and he wrapped his arms around her waist to steady them. He felt her tiny body shake against him as she cried. "Izzy, Izzy, listen, Sybill is very rarely right." He reminded her quietly.
She pulled back and met his eyes with a sharp glare. "I've seen true divining trances." She snapped. "I know what they look like."
"So, fine." He sighed. "Maybe she really had a premonition. But forewarned is forearmed. It will be fine." He insisted calmly.
"How can you be so calm?!" She shrieked, pulling out of his embrace. "How can you, knowing that in a few months I may be under the control of my brother and Voldemort? How can you be okay with the fact that I may be what gives him the edge to win and the world we know may no longer exist? How can you be so calm about the fact that I may never see you again?!"
He smirked, despite the cord her words struck. "That's what you said last time we parted. 'You'll never see me again Severus Snape.'" He made his voice higher, imitating hers. " 'Not until I'm dancing on your g-d forsaken grave!'" He stepped closer to her one step at a time, the smirk gone, a tender, honest look replacing it. "And yet Isis, here you are. And here I am. I think destiny has been interfering in our plans. I think it will continue to do so. And I know, that the last face I'll see before I die will be yours and the last thing I'll feel will be your arms." He took her back in his embrace, one arm pinning her body close and his other hand tracing her cheek. "Trust me."
She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly in response and snuggled her head into his chest. Her tears spent she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Snape noticed and swept her into his arms, carrying her back to the school. Just as sleep overcame her, she vaguely heard his voice, from a distance. "I'll never let him take you from me, you have my word."
There were only two weeks left before the Christmas break and every teacher, even Snape, was having trouble holding the students attention. The din in the Great Hall at dinner time was nearly overbearing, and all the staff, except perhaps Dumbledore, were nursing exceptionally large headaches.
Dinner had been going on for far too long and Isis had long since given up pretense and laid her head in her arms, pushing the plate out of the way. "Are you alright dear?" McGonagall asked, leaning over and stroking the younger woman's hair.
"Headache." She mumbled unhappily.
With a soft sigh of understanding Minerva ran her fingers through the fire red hair, putting just the slightest pressure on her scalp. Then the door to the great hall banged open and both women looked up sharply, Isis crying out in pain.
Standing in the entrance to the now silent hall with all eyes on her, was the divination professor Sybill Trelawney. She was flushed, her pupils dilated, and her eyes wide. She looked different than her normal kooky self and as her eyes settled on the head table a strangled cry erupted from her throat. "There is darkness there." She intoned as she walked toward the table. Her finger pointed at Professors McGonagall and Malfoy. "There is darkness surrounding you, you will be lost within it." She told them both. "The end is near, and those left behind will have only regrets and sadness." Then she crumpled to the floor, her eyes fluttered shut and no one moved.
After a few moments Madam Pomfrey left her seat and removed Professor Trelawney to the hospital wing. Still the hall remained silent. "I believe," Dumbledore told the silent students, "that was quite enough excitement for tonight. Off to bed now." The only sound in the hall was the scraping of benches against the stone as the students rose and trudged out of the hall looking back with curious and frightened gazes to their professors.
As soon as the last student had left, Isis let out a sob and begging her excuses in a whisper she fled the hall out the back door. The entire staff looked toward her retreating back in sympathy. McGonagall swallowed heavily and tried to remind herself that she didn't believe in divination. Least of all, when Sybill practiced it. But still, according to Dumbledore there had been a few times, two if she remembered correctly, where Sybill had indeed had genuine predictions. "Albus?" She asked softly. He knew what the rest of her question was.
"I believe that takes her tally up to three."
Tears flooded her weary blue eyes. "So it isn't over." Dumbledore merely shook his head and took her hand in his. Together they sat in the great hall, not speaking, not even looking at each other. The other professors left, talking quietly, but the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress never moved. They sat at their seats in the great hall until the dawn broke, her hand in his, both lost in a nightmare where the other no longer existed.
Severus Snape took the back way out of the Great Hall. He was the last to leave, looking behind him at the two figures still seated. When they didn't move, didn't even acknowledge him, he left shutting the large oak door behind him. After the door was shut he looked up and down the hall for any errant students who may stall him from reaching his destination. Realizing there was no one about; he set off quickly for the lake. As he approached the moon broke over head and the lake and the snow covered shore glistened with pale light. Walking along the shore with the moon spotlighting her every move was a sprite in beautiful violet robes, her red hair out of the braid she usually wore it in. The night breeze carried her sobs to him and pulled him out of his bewitchment.
He approached her quietly, his feet making no noise on the freshly fallen snow. When he was a few steps behind her he stopped. "Isis." She whirled around and launched herself into his arms. The force knocked him back a few steps and he wrapped his arms around her waist to steady them. He felt her tiny body shake against him as she cried. "Izzy, Izzy, listen, Sybill is very rarely right." He reminded her quietly.
She pulled back and met his eyes with a sharp glare. "I've seen true divining trances." She snapped. "I know what they look like."
"So, fine." He sighed. "Maybe she really had a premonition. But forewarned is forearmed. It will be fine." He insisted calmly.
"How can you be so calm?!" She shrieked, pulling out of his embrace. "How can you, knowing that in a few months I may be under the control of my brother and Voldemort? How can you be okay with the fact that I may be what gives him the edge to win and the world we know may no longer exist? How can you be so calm about the fact that I may never see you again?!"
He smirked, despite the cord her words struck. "That's what you said last time we parted. 'You'll never see me again Severus Snape.'" He made his voice higher, imitating hers. " 'Not until I'm dancing on your g-d forsaken grave!'" He stepped closer to her one step at a time, the smirk gone, a tender, honest look replacing it. "And yet Isis, here you are. And here I am. I think destiny has been interfering in our plans. I think it will continue to do so. And I know, that the last face I'll see before I die will be yours and the last thing I'll feel will be your arms." He took her back in his embrace, one arm pinning her body close and his other hand tracing her cheek. "Trust me."
She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly in response and snuggled her head into his chest. Her tears spent she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Snape noticed and swept her into his arms, carrying her back to the school. Just as sleep overcame her, she vaguely heard his voice, from a distance. "I'll never let him take you from me, you have my word."