Disclaimer: All of the HP Characters aren't mine
Chapter 3: Secrets…Ciara:
I left the Infirmary happy. I finally had the chance to talk to Professor Snape. But it wasn't a long conversation and it's worthwhile anyway. I walked carefully so as not to weaken myself easily, as I walked before I reached the Great Hall, along the way, I saw Draco Malfoy, with his usual gang, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. I thought I was going to be prejudiced like the rest of the Gryffindors, but I never knew what I didn't expect…
"Morning Winters, having a lovely day?" he said, I thought that it was his greeting of annoyance, but he added, "What's wrong with you today? You look pale, have you gone to the Infirmary yet?" I was surprised, my eyes widened at his statement, I was almost speechless, but I was able to answer him.
"Thank you for your concern Malfoy, but I've been to the infirmary already, there's been quite an accident involving me…and Professor Snape…" I said to him, I was expecting the worse of what was going to come out of his mouth, but instead he said…
"What accident? How come? Why Professor Snape?" I suddenly almost fell backwards, but Malfoy grabbed me by the hand, "careful…you'll hurt yourself…go easy, sorry about that…"
"Gee, thanks Malfoy ("Call me Draco"), I didn't know you cared…"
"Well…anyway, what accident that you got into with Professor Snape anyway?"
"Um…I was up early at the common room, and I left the tower early. As I was walking to the Great Hall, well, I thought that someone is following me, and it grabbed my shoulder, and well…I passed out, he scared the wits out of me…but it was just an accident," Malfoy was raising his brow, "Really! I'm dead serious! I get really dead nervous when I'm just walking by myself, then somebody just appears in front of me like a ghost!"
"Al right…I believe you…but are you sure you're really okay? Do you want some assistance in going to the Great Hall then?" He asked politely, smiling, for the first time, he actually smiled, I only usually see him smirking. He looked cute, and handsome when he smiles. So I agreed to come with him, we went to the Great Hall together, he told Crabbe and Goyle to go ahead, and I realized, for the first time in my entire life at Hogwarts, he's been nice to a Gryffindor, usually, he mostly annoys the Gryffindors, some classes, especially Care for Magical Creatures…things were quite different when it came to me…it felt like…I found a friend, my best friend…
* * * * *
I was about to attend Divination class, I was 15 minutes early, even so, I went ahead, left the Great Hall early, and then suddenly somebody called me…
"Miss Winters, could I have a word with you?" It was Professor McGonagall.
"Yes Ma'am?" As I turned around, she was standing beside the door of the Great Hall. "Is there any help I can do?"
"Actually, there is, you see, I have received this letter for Professor Snape, and I'm too busy to deliver it to him, could you deliver this to Professor Snape after your Potions class?" She favored me.
"Of course Professor McGonagall, I'll make sure that I'll deliver it to him."
"Thank you so much Miss Winters, here, this is the letter you'll be delivering him." And she handed me the letter, in a neat envelope. As I took it, I was feeling uneasy while holding the letter, felt like that something bad is about to happen, so I placed it in my bag.
"Now do hurry up, you might be late for your Divinations class with Professor Trelawney," She told me, so I left, with the letter inside my bag.
* * * * * * *
Lunch…at last! The last two classes were really tiring me out…Herbology…and Care For Magical Creatures, but it was worth it. Then I settled down on the chairs at the end of the table, because some people are not good conversationalists, so I'd rather eat in peace, also, I'm sitting away from the Weasely twins, they tend to give a big laugh that the tendency that I might choke while eating…that already happened to me last year, I was seated near those twins and they pulled out a big joke when they finished their dinner during the Halloween dinner, most of the 3 houses laughed at the sight, and as for me…it so funny that I choked. Good thing, Professor McGonagall along with Professor Vector helped me, well…the bad thing was…the twins were deducted 30 points for pulling a big joke during dinner, and someone didn't even think twice that someone might choke because by laughing so hard. The twins apologized, they weren't upset with me too, I was afraid that they might be because they were just giving a good laugh for Halloween. As I was seated at the very end of the table, I started to eat my lunch, the food was still good, however, I still long for grandmother's cooking…maybe, when I visit Japan someday, I'll stay there and take care of my grandmother. I ate my lunch peacefully, then I heard thousands of beating wings from afar, I can hear almost anything even from a great distance, so while I heard the beating wings coming closer, I guessed that our owls are arriving, delivering our usual mail, I don't get mail, I just get the Daily Prophet everyday from my owl Alicia.
"The owls are coming, better get ready." I muttered, a few students heard me, and they prepared themselves because sometimes, one of the students' owls plunges into their lunches without notice. 3 minutes, the owls came; the other owls dropped their parcels to their owners, some landed on the table giving them their letters, and one owl, plunged into a milk jug, which happened to be Ronald Weasely's family owl which is really old. As for me, Alicia arrived just in time, gave me my paper which was in an owl post bag that can carry dozens of letters but can be still lightweight when carried. I took it out, and read the newspaper just as I finished my lunch. I read the headlines:
Sirius Black, still at large!
The escaped convict from Azkaban, Sirius Black, was rumored that he was seen at a nearby Muggle subdivision, a Muggle woman saw him and immediately dialed the hotline, and less than a minute, the Ministry was on their way. The Muggle woman who called the hotline; Mrs. Dillard, said she saw Sirius Black at their neighbor's backyard, stealing their black shirt and jeans that was hanging in their clothesline, the moment she called the hotline and went for a second look, he disappeared into thin air. The Ministry believes that he Apparated the moment Mrs. Dillard called. The search is still on going for him, and now, the Ministry is saying that he might be hiding somewhere near Hogwarts.
As I finished reading the headline, things were confusing me; Sirius Black was one of my mother's good friends, and why could he be rumored that he's one of Voldemort's supporters? Mom told me a lot of the Marauders, but mostly he would talk more of her best friend, I couldn't remember the name, all I know was that, it was a man. To my opinion, I wish she married her best friend, instead of the no good git that married my mother, mistreated her when I turned 3, and left, he never came back, it was good that he didn't came back! Why should I care? He stopped caring about us the moment I was 4! I could never forget those nights that he would get brutal with my mother! He should have gone to hell!! Feeling that I had enough thinking about the bastard, I left the Great Hall immediately. I walked slower because why the heck am I going to Transfiguration early? So, I walked slowly, until my walking was just slow strides of my steps, every step would make a small noise through the hallways. I wasn't even looking until something hit at me, then the moment I knew was I was all wet, I was all soaked from head to foot! I looked up to see who did it, and then I saw a rather disappointed but worried face in front of me, it wasn't 'somebody', it was 'something', then I knew it was Peeves the Poltergeist, he was about to speak then I heard a booming voice from the end of the hallway.
"PEEVES!!" It shouted, and frantically, he immediately left, I looked around and I saw, Filch the Caretaker, with his cat Mrs. Norris. He was cursing him while I was squeezing the water out of from long hair.
"Damn that poltergeist! He got away again…eh? What's this? Another victim of his no good pranks…? Huh? Winters? You? Of all the students…you?" Immediately, he took of his coat, wrapped it around me, and led me somewhere. "I better take you to Madam Pomfrey, you'll be catching a cold if we don't hurry…"
We were walking along the hallway until we reached the Infirmary, he let me sit down on the beds, and I was still holding on to his coat, and Madam Pomfrey went in.
"What's all this Argus?" Madam Pomfrey asked Filch.
"Peeves, threw a big water balloon at Winters, and she's all soaked from head to foot." Filch told her, and Madam Pomfrey came to me, touched my forehead.
"My, my…this is your second time this days isn't it Ciara?" She asked me, I nodded, and then she came back at Filch.
"Argus, would you kindly inform Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Professor Snape that Ciara Winters isn't going to attend her afternoon classes, I'll give them letters to inform about Winters, would you kindly wait, it wont take long, her first class isn't going to start after 20 minutes." And she left with Filch, and after 10 minutes, Madam was back, with a pair of pajamas, a tray of water and medicine.
"Here, dress up, drink this medicine and take some rest, that cold will be gone by the late afternoon." Then she placed the tray on my bedside table, and the pajamas on my bed, and then pulled the covers, and left. I changed into the pajamas, placed my wet robes, and clothes at the table in front of the bed, drank the medicine, and went to bed.
I woke up around the late afternoon, and realized that Draco Malfoy was sitting at my bedside. I rose up the bed, but still sitting on the bed.
"Hello Draco, surprising huh? Seeing me here in the Infirmary for the second time…" I told him, with a disappointing tone.
"Nonsense! I was worried that why weren't you at Potions, then Professor Snape told me that you're in here, so I decided to visit you, and see if you're all right." I blushed at his comment, and then he pulled out his wand.
"Orchideous!" Then a big bunch of flowers came out, he took out the flowers from the wand, tucked it back inside his robes, and handed them to me.
"Here, these are for you, don't worry, they wont poison you or anything." As he handed the bouquet to me, I took them and smelled them, they smelled terrific, I looked at the bouquet that it was filled with my favorite flowers, violets, and lavenders, and then I looked at him with a big smile on my face.
"Thanks Draco." I smiled then gave him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed, I saw him turning red, and he looked so cute actually.
"I-It's a pleasure, you're w-welcome." I was giggling at his expression, because he was getting cuter than I have imagined.
"Well, well…this is quite a visit." A rather icy voice has just spoken, I looked to see it was, and we saw Professor Snape.
"Mr. Malfoy, I didn't expect you to be visiting Miss Winters here."
"Well sir…since you told me that she had a nasty accident with that poltergeist early this afternoon…and for the whole afternoon, she's here in the Infirmary, so I have to visit her." Draco told him, and I saw Professor Snape eyeing on the bouquet of violets and lavenders I was holding, and I saw his eyes gleam in approval. I sighed with relief.
"Very well…now would you excuse me, I'd like to have a word Miss Winters in private, you can see her later this evening at the Halloween feast." He told Draco, he nodded, I waved goodbye and he waved back. Then Professor Snape pulled the covers around the bed and he sat down on the chair next to my bed.
"I'm sorry if I didn't show up at your class this afternoon this afternoon Professor…" I told him, my head hung in disgrace, looking at my bouquet of flowers.
"No need to apologize Miss Winters, or can I call you Ciara instead?"
I was shocked, how come was he asking me to call me by my first name. That's the first time I've been called informally by a teacher.
"Sure Professor Snape…" I said, with my head nodding with affirmation. "Um…what do you want me to talk to about?"
"Your mother Ciara…your mother…"
