Fifteen
I burst through the portrait hole and into the Ravenclaw dormitory in a huff. I wasn't sure how I was going to get home or how I could convince my teachers to excuse me from class for a quick trip to America, but I knew I was going and that was that. I opened the door to my common room to find all three of my evil roommates sitting on their respective beds and avoiding mine as if it were poison.
"And where were you last night?"
"None of your sodding business," I cooed charmingly as I dragged my trunk out from under my bed and began to throw clothes into it.
"Where are you going now?" This time they actually sounded interested.
I tossed one of my robes into the trunk and heard it slap hard against the floor of the trunk. I spun around, my wand out and danger in my eyes. "Again," I said with acid dripping from my tongue, "none. of. your. sodding. business." I raised my eyebrows to them, challenging them to confront me one more god damned time. No one said anything then, and my voice must have been enough to convey my irritation because they all just stared at me as I went about collecting the rest of my things, levitating my trunk, and heading back off out of the dormitory.
I walked with purpose straight up to the stone gargoyle that precluded Dumbledore's office. "Sugar bean," I told it as if I had been telling it the temperature outside. It slid slowly off to the side and revealed a winding set of stairs. I climbed them quickly and rapped at the door I found at the top. It was opened before I finished my third rap and Dumbledore was silhouetted against the warm glow of the fire and the sunlight filtering in through the draperies.
I stepped inside without having to be asked and allowed my trunk to drop on the floor. "I'm going home for a tick," I told him quietly.
"Most understandable," he answered as he made his way back over to his desk and motioned for me to join him. I sat in one of the comfy armchairs across from the desk, the same one I had always chosen while my counseling sessions had still been going on. I leaned my head against the high back of the chair and tried to regulate my breathing at a normal level.
"I will send you to London by way of the Hogwarts Express," he told me as if he had been contemplating just how to take care of the situation before I had even arrived. From there you can take the muggle train to Heathrow and catch a flight back home." I nodded in understanding. He leaned across the desk then and fixed me with a very serious stare. "Acacia I don't know what to say to make anything better -"
"Don't say anything," I begged him with my eyes still closed and my face still pointed heavenward. "Just don't. I'm a big girl. I can handle this on my own."
"All the same," he went on unphased, "I must insist on sending someone with you. To watch over you and make sure that whomever had these designs for your parents doesn't have the same for you as well." I started to protest but he held up his hand, willing me to stop before I even had a chance to get going. He motioned off to his right as if asking someone to step forward. And step forward someone did.
My eyes widened and I looked desperately from Dumbledore to Snape and back again. Snape? Snape was going to accompany me to America while I paid my last respects to my parents? This could not be happening. It wasn't that I didn't want him there. Or that I didn't trust him. I did. It was just - I don't know what it was but it felt wrong. I got the distinct impression that I would be the one watching over Snape, not the other way around. But his bags were already packed and lying at his feet. He was already wearing his traveling cloak and gloves. I decided it wasn't worth fighting with Dumbledore about. If he wanted to send Snape into the American wilderness that was my family so be it.
"Fine. But I'm not promising this is going to be easy. And it's not going to be some silly little vacation either," I told him seriously. Why was I being so mean? I didn't know for sure, but I felt I had every right to be given the circumstances. "My family is complex at best and you'll never get along with them."
"Very well," he nodded starkly, his hands clasped behind his back and looking very proper indeed. "I believe I can hold my own." I groaned an assent. How the hell was I going to explain him to New England?
I burst through the portrait hole and into the Ravenclaw dormitory in a huff. I wasn't sure how I was going to get home or how I could convince my teachers to excuse me from class for a quick trip to America, but I knew I was going and that was that. I opened the door to my common room to find all three of my evil roommates sitting on their respective beds and avoiding mine as if it were poison.
"And where were you last night?"
"None of your sodding business," I cooed charmingly as I dragged my trunk out from under my bed and began to throw clothes into it.
"Where are you going now?" This time they actually sounded interested.
I tossed one of my robes into the trunk and heard it slap hard against the floor of the trunk. I spun around, my wand out and danger in my eyes. "Again," I said with acid dripping from my tongue, "none. of. your. sodding. business." I raised my eyebrows to them, challenging them to confront me one more god damned time. No one said anything then, and my voice must have been enough to convey my irritation because they all just stared at me as I went about collecting the rest of my things, levitating my trunk, and heading back off out of the dormitory.
I walked with purpose straight up to the stone gargoyle that precluded Dumbledore's office. "Sugar bean," I told it as if I had been telling it the temperature outside. It slid slowly off to the side and revealed a winding set of stairs. I climbed them quickly and rapped at the door I found at the top. It was opened before I finished my third rap and Dumbledore was silhouetted against the warm glow of the fire and the sunlight filtering in through the draperies.
I stepped inside without having to be asked and allowed my trunk to drop on the floor. "I'm going home for a tick," I told him quietly.
"Most understandable," he answered as he made his way back over to his desk and motioned for me to join him. I sat in one of the comfy armchairs across from the desk, the same one I had always chosen while my counseling sessions had still been going on. I leaned my head against the high back of the chair and tried to regulate my breathing at a normal level.
"I will send you to London by way of the Hogwarts Express," he told me as if he had been contemplating just how to take care of the situation before I had even arrived. From there you can take the muggle train to Heathrow and catch a flight back home." I nodded in understanding. He leaned across the desk then and fixed me with a very serious stare. "Acacia I don't know what to say to make anything better -"
"Don't say anything," I begged him with my eyes still closed and my face still pointed heavenward. "Just don't. I'm a big girl. I can handle this on my own."
"All the same," he went on unphased, "I must insist on sending someone with you. To watch over you and make sure that whomever had these designs for your parents doesn't have the same for you as well." I started to protest but he held up his hand, willing me to stop before I even had a chance to get going. He motioned off to his right as if asking someone to step forward. And step forward someone did.
My eyes widened and I looked desperately from Dumbledore to Snape and back again. Snape? Snape was going to accompany me to America while I paid my last respects to my parents? This could not be happening. It wasn't that I didn't want him there. Or that I didn't trust him. I did. It was just - I don't know what it was but it felt wrong. I got the distinct impression that I would be the one watching over Snape, not the other way around. But his bags were already packed and lying at his feet. He was already wearing his traveling cloak and gloves. I decided it wasn't worth fighting with Dumbledore about. If he wanted to send Snape into the American wilderness that was my family so be it.
"Fine. But I'm not promising this is going to be easy. And it's not going to be some silly little vacation either," I told him seriously. Why was I being so mean? I didn't know for sure, but I felt I had every right to be given the circumstances. "My family is complex at best and you'll never get along with them."
"Very well," he nodded starkly, his hands clasped behind his back and looking very proper indeed. "I believe I can hold my own." I groaned an assent. How the hell was I going to explain him to New England?