Ravens have no hearts
Pairing: Ron/Hermoine, and others will be hinted at
Rating: PG-13 for now, mild language
Author: Tainted Elf
Disclaimer: I don't own HP, and some things in this story may vary from the text.
Timeline: Early October, First year at Hogwarts
Chapter Five: An unexpected visit
Dinner was dull that night, and all she could manage was the pumpkin juice. Hermoine and Ron kept asking what was wrong while Harry kept trying to sneak food her hand so she would eat.
Liliana had been struggling through Herbology and Divinations homework in the Library when an idea came to her. She was beyond frustrated and decided to try out her broom. It was foggy outside so it was unlikely that anyone else would be out. She quickly ran towards the Slytherin Common Room.
Draco was in the common room when she arrived. "Lily darling, how are you faring today? Is your horrible father who gives you all those gifts trying to take you away again?"
The poor girl had heard rude comments like this all week. She glared at Malfoy. "Do not speak of things you do not understand you filthy snob!" Liliana ran past Draco, into the girls' dorms and grabbed her broom and cloak. Covering the broom in the cloak and carrying a book with it to conceal it, Liliana walked out of the common room.
Immediately, she pulled the cloak over her. It was getting late and Filch would start prowling the halls for students out past hours soon enough.
Liliana mounted her broom carefully. It made her terribly uncomfortable to spread her legs and straddle it. She snarled, "I will be strong." With that, she kicked off, leaving her book and the cloak on the ground.
She felt so free in the air as she swooped down and grabbed her book and the cloak before rising swiftly. The wind blew her hair all around her as she flew towards the clouds.
A sudden feel of dread came over her as she saw another person in the air. As she looked down, she discovered several other flyers, dressed in red and gold garb. The person in the air in front of her was Harry.
He smiled, "Why are you out here?"
Liliana blushed. "I dare not say...I am not on the Quidditch team...I just came out to check how my Nimbus 2000 performs."
Harry grinned. "I have the same broom. Wanna race?"
She shook her head. "I dare not be spotted."
Oliver Wood's voice echoed. "Harry? Who are you talking to up there? Is that a Slytherin? We reserved the field!"
Harry turned. "She's not on a team." Wood fell quiet and he turned back to Liliana. "Too late not to be noticed, don't you think?"
Liliana shrugged. "I suppose so. Let us race." She dropped her book, some 70 feet above the ground. "Mark, Set, Go!" The two tore downward in a rush of speed. Pushing harder than she should have, Liliana nudged ahead of Harry. 30 feet above the ground, Lili had a miniscule lead still.
Finally, 10 feet above the ground, the book was captured. Liliana caught the book and tried to pull up. Harry watched wide-eyed as she pulled up just in time to rest her feet on the ground softly.
Oliver Wood was staring, as were the other players. "Wow. You ever ride a broom girl?"
Liliana shook her head. "Thought I would come test it out."
He continued. "You aren't on Slytherin's team?"
She shook her head again. "No."
Oliver grinned. "Then we are bound to win Harry." Liliana blushed.
"Harry, you are a great Seeker...beat Slytherin for me, ok? I would hate for them to win...I will be cheering for you."
Harry smiled. "I will try." Liliana quietly snuck back towards the dormitory.
~
Draco was still in the common room with his stooges Vincent and Gregory. Antonin must have fallen asleep already. Liliana sighed. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
He rolled his eyes. "I am supposed to be practicing my Transfiguration but I cannot seem to get the spell right. I need to transform this frog into a goblet."
Liliana smiled. "It's simple." She whispered a few words and produced a goblet. "You are not using your wand properly. You have to swish it, not point it."
Draco tried again after Lili undid the spell and produced a perfect goblet in turn. "Wow, you know a great deal more than I."
A cod streak went through Miss Moore's body. "Of course I do, my father spoils me remember? He makes sure I know all I wish to know...and more."
Draco sneered. "Poor little girl. If my father spoiled me so, I would never be able to live with being so lucky."
She shivered strongly and involuntarily. "Lucky? Is that what I am? Lucky? Am I lucky because he rapes me!? Is that why I am lucky? Or is it because he thinks gifts will make up for what he continually steals from me?" With a scowl, she headed up the stairs to the girls dorms.
As she pulled on her nightclothes Liliana noticed Pansy, Millicent, and Carrie were all asleep already. 'Lucky them.'
Remnants of her nightmares lingered in her thoughts as she tried to lie down and sleep. After a few moments of trying to sleep, she realized she would not be able to sleep tonight. She had a Herbology test tomorrow and her sleep was necessary. As she tossed again, Liliana remembered something Snape had spoke of when he first learned of her nightmares.
A dreamless potion would aid her nightmares quite well. Liliana clambered out of bed and out of the common room under her invisibility cloak. She had no idea where Severus slept, but she headed towards the dungeons.
Once she knocked on the Potions' classroom door, she removed her cloak. "Professor Snape...it's Liliana."
No one answered, but she decided to wait there for a while and see if he came to the classroom.
~
The teachers' meeting was drawing to a close and Severus turned to Albus. "Was there something you wanted to bring up regarding Miss Moore?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Oh yes. One last thing I forgot to mention. Liliana Moore, a Slytherin first year, is in need of residence over the summers. She cannot return to her home and I was hoping one of you would be willing to take her into your home. Her father is abusive to her and both of her parents are Death Eaters. Such is hardly an environment I would recommend for a student as aspiring as herself and it is definitely not acceptable while she is attending Hogwarts."
Minerva smiled. "Dumbledore, I would be happy to keep her this summer. She is such a bright student and I can help her catch up to her proper year. Albeit, I would not be able to the following summer because my son is returning from Egypt to stay with me, I can keep her this coming summer."
Severus hesitated and then spoke. "I can keep her the following year. I have no plans over the summer other than preparing my lesson. As Minerva pointed out, I can help her catch up easily. She is a very bright student."
Professor Sprout sighed. "Perhaps you can help her with Herbology, she is only getting average marks in my class."
Sibyll Trelawny sighed. "It is the same in my class, barely a bit over average though I can say I see potential in her."
Albus nodded. "So you can take her this summer Minerva? And you the next Severus?" They both nodded. "Meeting dismissed."
~
Liliana heard approaching foot steps and bit her lip. Luckily, billowing black robes told her it was Severus and not Argus Filch. "Professor..." She rose to her feet uneasily.
"Yes Liliana?"
She blushed. "I cannot seem to sleep and I was hoping you could brew a dreamless potion for me..."
He nodded. "Well of course. Come in. I was just picking up some papers I had left in the classroom." Severus opened the large door and led her in as he lit up the room with a spell. "The potion should only take ten or fifteen minutes."
Liliana smiled gratefully. "I just finished studying for Herbology and I have to sleep so I can perform my best."
Snape smiled, it was odd to see a smile on his face. "I understand."
~
As the potion was brewing Severus turned to Liliana. "There was a discussion today during the teachers' meeting about your situation. So far, Professor McGonagall will be offering you her residence over the summer and I will be boarding you the following summer. Do you have any problems with that?"
Liliana smiled for once. "Not at all. Professor McGonagall is an amazing teacher! Perhaps she will help me study for my Animagus test..."
Severus turned around. "You want to be an Animagus?" She nodded.
"A cat preferably."
Snape smiled. "You are very ambitious. Perhaps Slytherin won't harm you too much."
Liliana shuddered. "Perhaps."
The potion turned blue, and it was done. "Here. Mix it in with a nice warm drink so that the taste will not bother you too much. This is a week's supply. I will walk you back up to the dormitory."
She smiled. "Thank you very much."
Professor Snape and Liliana walk back towards the portrait hole.
"Sir, I have a very bad feeling about this...do you have your wand?"
He smiled. "Of course I do. Now, let us see what frightens you so."
They opened the portrait hole and Evan Moore smiled at them. "Ah, Severus, so good to see you again. I have come to collect my daughter."
Pairing: Ron/Hermoine, and others will be hinted at
Rating: PG-13 for now, mild language
Author: Tainted Elf
Disclaimer: I don't own HP, and some things in this story may vary from the text.
Timeline: Early October, First year at Hogwarts
Chapter Five: An unexpected visit
Dinner was dull that night, and all she could manage was the pumpkin juice. Hermoine and Ron kept asking what was wrong while Harry kept trying to sneak food her hand so she would eat.
Liliana had been struggling through Herbology and Divinations homework in the Library when an idea came to her. She was beyond frustrated and decided to try out her broom. It was foggy outside so it was unlikely that anyone else would be out. She quickly ran towards the Slytherin Common Room.
Draco was in the common room when she arrived. "Lily darling, how are you faring today? Is your horrible father who gives you all those gifts trying to take you away again?"
The poor girl had heard rude comments like this all week. She glared at Malfoy. "Do not speak of things you do not understand you filthy snob!" Liliana ran past Draco, into the girls' dorms and grabbed her broom and cloak. Covering the broom in the cloak and carrying a book with it to conceal it, Liliana walked out of the common room.
Immediately, she pulled the cloak over her. It was getting late and Filch would start prowling the halls for students out past hours soon enough.
Liliana mounted her broom carefully. It made her terribly uncomfortable to spread her legs and straddle it. She snarled, "I will be strong." With that, she kicked off, leaving her book and the cloak on the ground.
She felt so free in the air as she swooped down and grabbed her book and the cloak before rising swiftly. The wind blew her hair all around her as she flew towards the clouds.
A sudden feel of dread came over her as she saw another person in the air. As she looked down, she discovered several other flyers, dressed in red and gold garb. The person in the air in front of her was Harry.
He smiled, "Why are you out here?"
Liliana blushed. "I dare not say...I am not on the Quidditch team...I just came out to check how my Nimbus 2000 performs."
Harry grinned. "I have the same broom. Wanna race?"
She shook her head. "I dare not be spotted."
Oliver Wood's voice echoed. "Harry? Who are you talking to up there? Is that a Slytherin? We reserved the field!"
Harry turned. "She's not on a team." Wood fell quiet and he turned back to Liliana. "Too late not to be noticed, don't you think?"
Liliana shrugged. "I suppose so. Let us race." She dropped her book, some 70 feet above the ground. "Mark, Set, Go!" The two tore downward in a rush of speed. Pushing harder than she should have, Liliana nudged ahead of Harry. 30 feet above the ground, Lili had a miniscule lead still.
Finally, 10 feet above the ground, the book was captured. Liliana caught the book and tried to pull up. Harry watched wide-eyed as she pulled up just in time to rest her feet on the ground softly.
Oliver Wood was staring, as were the other players. "Wow. You ever ride a broom girl?"
Liliana shook her head. "Thought I would come test it out."
He continued. "You aren't on Slytherin's team?"
She shook her head again. "No."
Oliver grinned. "Then we are bound to win Harry." Liliana blushed.
"Harry, you are a great Seeker...beat Slytherin for me, ok? I would hate for them to win...I will be cheering for you."
Harry smiled. "I will try." Liliana quietly snuck back towards the dormitory.
~
Draco was still in the common room with his stooges Vincent and Gregory. Antonin must have fallen asleep already. Liliana sighed. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
He rolled his eyes. "I am supposed to be practicing my Transfiguration but I cannot seem to get the spell right. I need to transform this frog into a goblet."
Liliana smiled. "It's simple." She whispered a few words and produced a goblet. "You are not using your wand properly. You have to swish it, not point it."
Draco tried again after Lili undid the spell and produced a perfect goblet in turn. "Wow, you know a great deal more than I."
A cod streak went through Miss Moore's body. "Of course I do, my father spoils me remember? He makes sure I know all I wish to know...and more."
Draco sneered. "Poor little girl. If my father spoiled me so, I would never be able to live with being so lucky."
She shivered strongly and involuntarily. "Lucky? Is that what I am? Lucky? Am I lucky because he rapes me!? Is that why I am lucky? Or is it because he thinks gifts will make up for what he continually steals from me?" With a scowl, she headed up the stairs to the girls dorms.
As she pulled on her nightclothes Liliana noticed Pansy, Millicent, and Carrie were all asleep already. 'Lucky them.'
Remnants of her nightmares lingered in her thoughts as she tried to lie down and sleep. After a few moments of trying to sleep, she realized she would not be able to sleep tonight. She had a Herbology test tomorrow and her sleep was necessary. As she tossed again, Liliana remembered something Snape had spoke of when he first learned of her nightmares.
A dreamless potion would aid her nightmares quite well. Liliana clambered out of bed and out of the common room under her invisibility cloak. She had no idea where Severus slept, but she headed towards the dungeons.
Once she knocked on the Potions' classroom door, she removed her cloak. "Professor Snape...it's Liliana."
No one answered, but she decided to wait there for a while and see if he came to the classroom.
~
The teachers' meeting was drawing to a close and Severus turned to Albus. "Was there something you wanted to bring up regarding Miss Moore?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Oh yes. One last thing I forgot to mention. Liliana Moore, a Slytherin first year, is in need of residence over the summers. She cannot return to her home and I was hoping one of you would be willing to take her into your home. Her father is abusive to her and both of her parents are Death Eaters. Such is hardly an environment I would recommend for a student as aspiring as herself and it is definitely not acceptable while she is attending Hogwarts."
Minerva smiled. "Dumbledore, I would be happy to keep her this summer. She is such a bright student and I can help her catch up to her proper year. Albeit, I would not be able to the following summer because my son is returning from Egypt to stay with me, I can keep her this coming summer."
Severus hesitated and then spoke. "I can keep her the following year. I have no plans over the summer other than preparing my lesson. As Minerva pointed out, I can help her catch up easily. She is a very bright student."
Professor Sprout sighed. "Perhaps you can help her with Herbology, she is only getting average marks in my class."
Sibyll Trelawny sighed. "It is the same in my class, barely a bit over average though I can say I see potential in her."
Albus nodded. "So you can take her this summer Minerva? And you the next Severus?" They both nodded. "Meeting dismissed."
~
Liliana heard approaching foot steps and bit her lip. Luckily, billowing black robes told her it was Severus and not Argus Filch. "Professor..." She rose to her feet uneasily.
"Yes Liliana?"
She blushed. "I cannot seem to sleep and I was hoping you could brew a dreamless potion for me..."
He nodded. "Well of course. Come in. I was just picking up some papers I had left in the classroom." Severus opened the large door and led her in as he lit up the room with a spell. "The potion should only take ten or fifteen minutes."
Liliana smiled gratefully. "I just finished studying for Herbology and I have to sleep so I can perform my best."
Snape smiled, it was odd to see a smile on his face. "I understand."
~
As the potion was brewing Severus turned to Liliana. "There was a discussion today during the teachers' meeting about your situation. So far, Professor McGonagall will be offering you her residence over the summer and I will be boarding you the following summer. Do you have any problems with that?"
Liliana smiled for once. "Not at all. Professor McGonagall is an amazing teacher! Perhaps she will help me study for my Animagus test..."
Severus turned around. "You want to be an Animagus?" She nodded.
"A cat preferably."
Snape smiled. "You are very ambitious. Perhaps Slytherin won't harm you too much."
Liliana shuddered. "Perhaps."
The potion turned blue, and it was done. "Here. Mix it in with a nice warm drink so that the taste will not bother you too much. This is a week's supply. I will walk you back up to the dormitory."
She smiled. "Thank you very much."
Professor Snape and Liliana walk back towards the portrait hole.
"Sir, I have a very bad feeling about this...do you have your wand?"
He smiled. "Of course I do. Now, let us see what frightens you so."
They opened the portrait hole and Evan Moore smiled at them. "Ah, Severus, so good to see you again. I have come to collect my daughter."