Heather woke suddenly, curled up in the Potions Master's cushioned chair. Snape was nowhere to be seen and she was still in his personal chambers. She must have fallen asleep. She had a vague image of Trevor in the girl's bathroom. A girl ghost trying to flush the toad down the toilet.
You have awaken," was the droll comment from the other room. She looked up, catching a glimpse of something similar to this room but with more doors and more things. So this must be a reception chamber, the next his personal sitting chamber with the bedroom and bathing room off of that. The entire area still felt like various guard rooms in a dungeon. Which at one point it likely was.
"Yeah," she said, still fuzzy from sleep. She ran her hand through her hair which was starting to feel like Professor Snape's looked. Greasy. She needed a bath.
"I suggest you run then. There is not much time till breakfast."
Heather nodded, getting up, then turning back briefly as she snagged back her potion sitting on the end table. She darted out of the chamber quickly. Snape watched her, buttoning up the last silver stud on the collar of his black silk robe.
Heather had planned on running to the dorms and getting changed, but the image of Trevor being flushed down the toilet bugged her. She spotted a couple ghosts passing by having a friendly morning conversation with each other over the upcoming ghost ball.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you, but do you know of a particular bathroom with a resident ghost who likes to flush toilets?"
Oh, how polite!" the Victorian lady exclaimed, fanning herself with a tattered bloody fan.
The other ghost thought a moment. "You must mean the young Ms. Myrtle. In the girl's lavatory, second floor."
"Thank you!" Heather shouted, already running that direction.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The same two ghosts soon ran into Peeves. They both looked barely tolerant and the lady covered her disapproving scowl with her fan. Peeves had his 'I know something you don't' expression that made both ghosts roll their eyes.
~~~~~~~~
Heather reached the girl's bathroom to hear indignant screaming. She darted in, just in time to see a girl near her own age dressed in school uniform and distinctly transparent stomping her foot and pointing at the toad.
Heather got to the toad before the ghost could decide to do anything to it and, holding the squirming creature, she smiled pleasantly at the ghost.
"I'm sorry, I know whose toad this is, and little Trevor here seems to have a wandering instinct."
The ghost shrieked and dove into a stall. The sound of a toilet flushing was Heather's only answer. The other girl only shook her head, glad that she did not normally come to this bathroom.
"Now Trevor, Neville is worried sick about you. Do you know that?" she told the toad, walking out into the hall behind her. She could hear loud sounds of water running. The bathroom would likely be flooded soon.
That ghost really didn't like toads, she mused and headed for breakfast. She would give Trevor back to Neville there.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rumors fly faster than fact, as Snape discovered, finding himself under the uncomfortable gaze of Minerva McGonagall, along with the tearful and hurt eyes of Sprout. He was sitting and eating quietly, wondering what was going on and noticing some rather knowing smirks from the Slytherin table. Aside from becoming a very disturbing image, he was starting to wonder if he had fallen asleep and this was one of those dreams where he came in with no trousers. A discreet check ensured he was fully clothed in loose dress slacks; his Renaissance inspired shirt was buttoned correctly, as was the black silk robe over it.
So this was no dream. What could have happened to put him in worse standing with the other teachers than normal? Let alone the mixed annoyingly knowing and horrified gazes of the students? He shrugged it off and went back to his breakfast, deciding this morning may be a good one to leave early.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heather came rushing into breakfast late. Passing the Gryffindor table, she did not notice the covert glances of many students or hear the whispers. She dropped Trevor near Neville who was ecstatic at finding his toad again since he had been moaning his loss over pumpkin juice. She got to her seat, sitting hastily, hoping she hadn't attracted too much attention when she noticed the Slytherins snickering at their table.
While it wasn't that uncommon a sight to see the Slytherin table acting like a pack of crazed hyenas, it was odd that they were looking at her. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing overtly about the hall. Slytherin wasn't the only one to take sudden interest in her. She chewed her lip and glanced towards the high table. Dumbledore was seemingly oblivious to the going on of the hall munching a pastry and trying to keep the crumbs from getting trapped in his beard. Hagrid was talking with the Dark Arts teacher about something involving a rather oddly described creature she never recalled hearing of before. Snape was concentrating on his own breakfast, while McGonagall and Sprout glared.
Heather decided everyone must have gone completely bonkers and tried her best to ignore the attentions and pick at breakfast till she could escape to class.
~~~~~~~~~
Severus marched down the hall in a fit of pique. When he had risen, he found himself followed by both McGonagall and Sprout, who then went on him about the indecency of having a student in his personal chambers. At first, he had been confused then he remembered that he did indeed have a student in his chambers the previous night. That did not bother him though; the idea that both of the teachers before him were under the impression that more had happened between them did. Severus had given his usual insulting answers to them and they left him alone.
Then he met Dumbledore, who all but asked if something was going on between him and Ms Fletcher.
"No, no, and no!" Severus snapped at the Headmaster. "Last night," he covered his eyes for a moment, "I was not thinking and did not realize someone had been watching."
"Then what did happen?" Dumbledore had asked, now seemingly more curious.
"Something that I will only discuss with you in private," he responded and stormed off down the hallway. Who had seen him admit Fletcher to his chambers? And who started the rumors? Normally, such rumors about him hardly bothered him. What others thought about him meant little to the Potions Master, but a scandal like this could cost him his job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heather managed to make it to class. Which was worse since Snape was not there yet and her fellow Hufflepuffs glared her direction. The Ravenclaws did not seem too overly interested, which was fortunate since the only space at a table open at the moment was next to a Ravenclaw named Tommy. He gave her an encouraging smile and leaned over saying, "I don't buy into rumors myself. So just ignore them, they'll get over it and focus on whatever other rumor pops up next."
Heather felt a little sick. All this was because of a RUMOR? And what exactly was the rumor about?
That moment before she could ask Tommy what the whole thing was over was the moment Professor Snape charged into the room in quite a state. He looked very angry.
"NOTES NOW!" he shouted and again, everyone spent the morning scribbling down notes from the chalkboard. Periodically, Snape would stand and lecture them, but mostly he hovered over his desk and glared balefully.
At the end of class while everyone was being dismissed, Snape looked her direction with an unreadable gaze that Heather had become familiar with as 'I must yell at you'. She waited, holding back in getting her things together so it would only seem as if she was the last out of class. It helped that she had been so nervous that she dropped several quills, which she had only been lucky Snape had not noticed, or her fellow classmates would have had other reasons to glare.
She got her things back in order and taking another inhale of the potion she carried with her, she waited for Snape to storm. Instead, he drummed his fingers for a few seconds on his desk.
"Tonight, meet with me in Dumbledore's Office. I believe his password is "sweet tooth" at the moment. Dismissed." Heather nodded and left quickly. So he felt it was time to inform the Headmaster of what they were doing?
She ran into Peeves outside the classroom, and he looked unusually smug with himself.
"What do you want, Peeves?" and she wondered what the poltergeist had it in for her about. Seemed to become a regular thing running into the ghost.
"In a bit of trouble, are we?" he sneered in a way that gave Heather the feeling THIS was the cause of this morning's craziness.
"Oh no, not at all. Everything is completely fine. In fact, I've been invited to talk with the Headmaster tonight," she said sweetly. And as she hoped, Peeves took that as meaning she was in trouble and after chuckling evilly to himself, had left her be. She shook her head and headed off to her next class.
~~~~~~~~~~
Severus paced in Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster had of course offered him a seat, but he had preferred to walk off his anger. The entire day had been much like that morning and it was beginning to become extremely annoying.
Yes, he did have a reputation. He had worked very hard to build that reputation. To find, though, that they would think of him doing something so…profane was infuriating.
She's not even that pretty. If I were to take up courting students, I would at least pick one with both looks and possibly some brains, he mulled to himself, as well as being from my own house.
There was a discreet knock and Ms. Fletcher poked her head into the office.
~~~~~~~~~
Heather sat in a chair across from the Headmaster while Snape continued to prowl the room.
"So then, what is it you two were doing that has the entire school in an uproar?" Dumbledore finally spoke.
"I think you can blame Peeves for that. He's got it in for me for some reason and a chance to spread rumors was likely beyond his limited scope of resistance."
Snape snorted and Heather hid a grin, as she was pleased to see him sit and at least fume without prowling like a cornered leopard.
"Sir," Heather started again after a moment's thought, "Professor Snape has been helping me with…visions."
"Oh?"
"Well yeah. Um, I keep seeing a rather…disturbing event. One that the Professor is, er, connected to." She paused to find herself cut off rudely by Snape.
"She sees the Dark Mark."
Dumbledore did manage to look concerned. Although not surprised.
"And death, a family dead. Killed by the Dark Lord," Snape said.
"Are you sure, Severus?" the Headmaster asked, his voice strained.
Snape nodded, his face cool. "I saw her vision with my own eyes. We have till December to save that family if we can." He then glanced over at Heather as if debating something and then rolled up his sleeve. Heather's eyes went huge and the blood drained from her face.
He wore the Dark Mark. Snape was a Death Eater. Heather felt like she might just go ahead and pass out right then. Though it did suddenly explain some things. Making the reasons for him being her Source more probable and why the visions dealt with Death Eaters.
Why he tore those pages from her journal.
I was talking about him, I described what HE did in the past, or at least things he witnessed and was familiar with. The idea made her more than a little ill. The things in her dreams where horrible, and the idea of her teacher involved…She decided not to think of that too hard right now.
"A meeting was called last night."
Why he left so suddenly, she thought, still dazed from the revelation.
"Afterwards, I decided to try and see if I could clear her vision up more by putting her into a trance. Since Ms. Fletcher came to my chambers to check on me, for I am afraid I left her rather in a hurry, I tried it then while things were still clear in my mind." Despite revealing what he was, Snape seemed disinclined to talk readily about the details with Heather there.
Dumbledore nodded, his lips a thin line that disappeared into his beard.
Snape continued, "I did not expect she would take me into her vision as well. Her skills are stronger than I expected. She has a true gift."
Dumbledore thought a long moment. "Then perhaps we should see about moving her to Trelawney's class."
Snape blew up, "And ruin her Sight?!"
Heather watched amusedly as he actually came out of his chair and leaned over Dumbledore's desk as he would one of his own students. Dumbledore remained unmoved by the erratic behavior of the Professor.
"The girl has the clearest vision I've ever seen, I will not have her sight tampered with. Nothing against Trelawney, she has her own vision, but she has become to engrossed with seeing death that she refuses to follow any other path!"
Dumbledore held up his hands in surrender. "I see your point, Severus. I won't have Heather move. But who will teach her? We can't have her gift go rogue."
Snape sat back into the chair. "I will," he stated, back to his bland self. Moment of passion passed.
Heather broke in before they could completely decide things for her and to protect Snape from awkward questions. She didn't think he would want the Headmaster knowing about him being her Source.
"I do not mind. He has already helped me a lot. I'm not afraid anymore."
Because I know I will always come back, He won't leave me alone in those horrible dreams. Besides not all the dreams are bad. I saved Trevor this morning right? she thought to herself.
Dumbledore thought hard on this.
"Very well. I will deal with the rumors, but I do suggest we restrict meetings to a legitimate classroom setting. Also, I want to be kept up to date on everything that goes on."
Heather nodded, then Snape said quietly to her, "Go off to bed."
She nodded and left, hearing faint conversation behind her. It sounded as if Snape was giving more information to the Headmaster. Some that he did not want her to hear.
She had a strong feeling she did not want to hear it anyway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As December drew near, Heather's dreams began to worsen. They had figured out the most likely family to be targeted, but they could not get anyone to listen. Or even warn the family. Finally, Dumbledore had to send them a note and they only replied back saying that they would be on guard.
That only made her own dreams more violent. Being on guard wasn't the direction they should take. They should leave. Heather could only grit her teeth and periodically have fits of panicked tears in Snape's classroom where no one else would see but the Professor, who didn't care about her tears.
Or at least he didn't make a big deal over them, to Heather's relief. Just let her get it out of her system and go on with whatever they were doing.
On Professor Snape's suggestion, Heather began to take more interest in her defense classes. She even spent more time in the library researching defense against the Dark Arts and various forms of divination.
The Potions Master kept her so busy she didn't have time to worry about what was in her visions. For as the day drew nearer, she had to finally skip classes because it would strike her at odd times. Despite becoming more intense and graphic, no changes made had turned the events in her mind.
Snape began to plow her with a new skill (likely in desperation after she burst into tears once more in his office), Occlumency. If anything, the concentration exercises kept her too busy to feel much about the visions burning in her mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heather sat by the lake staring at the waters. She was supposed to be in class with Professor Snape. She skivved off instead. Her head hurt too much to be able to handle his frustration and temper, which had grown worse both with the ground they were losing and the nearing of the yearly Yule Ball, an event he barely tolerated most years. Heather wished she could enjoy the prospect of going, as this would be her first eligible year to go. She had never been asked before and while she was not asked this year - nor did it seem she would be either - it would have been fun to enjoy the music and watch the other students make fools of themselves.
But she found she just didn't have the heart to think of such things like Balls and Winter Holidays when all she saw in her mind was blood and death.
"I see you have found this place too," a familiar voice spoke and Heather turned from her seat to see the Headmaster nearing the spot by the lake she was at. He sat down on a stone near her and she wasn't sure if she should leave or ignore him.
"Lemon drop?" He supplied the sweet and she politely refused, feeling anything in her mouth this moment would only make her throw up.
"It is nice here," the Headmaster said after a long moment.
"Yeah," Heather responded only because she felt he wanted an answer.
"A bit nippy, but a nice day like today does make one want to skip class."
Heather looked embarrassed. "I…I just needed to think. Alone."
"Yes, thinking. I find I have to do that from time to time." He saw her suddenly amused expression and his eyes twinkled. "Yes, even I do that thing called thinking."
Heather giggled and they sat in silence for a while. Then Heather thought of something that had been bothering her for some time.
"Sir?" she asked and the Headmaster looked at her kindly, "Does the Sorting Hat ever make mistakes?"
"Are you talking about the fact your mother was sorted into Ravenclaw?"
Heather lowered her head, embarrassed, and felt a gentle touch on her chin.
"My dear, I believe whole-heartedly that in your case, you are everything a Hufflepuff should strive to be."
"But…" she said, feeling even more embarrassed by his kindness.
"Child, you alone with your hard work and, yes, heart, have made friends in some of the most unlikely places. You alone have seen into the darkness and found light."
She was quiet for a long moment before whispering, "You mean Professor Snape?" It was true. In a way, she did rather like the man, though he was impossible and just because he showed her some 'favor' didn't stop him from deducting House points.
"Not just one person. So many do look up to you. Or have you not noticed the young Gryffindor who comes to you first when he can't find his toad?" Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with mischief.
Heather couldn't help but grin. Poor Neville and his toad who had wandering feet. Always going for a bit of freedom, but no real sense of where would be best to go. So normally, he just got lost.
"I guess..."
"Don't think, Heather," he said quietly, making her look at him from the familiar use of her name. "Feel."
Heather thought and then cleared her head and just let herself go. Just feeling like Dumbledore said. Then she suddenly smiled quietly, feeling like something didn't smother her so much now.
He was right, when she stopped thinking, it was all so clear. She did belong. She wasn't as extreme as some; she was just herself. Hardworking, caring Heather. Who would make friends even (in an odd and certainly distorted way) with a sour Potions Master who wouldn't let anyone in.
When she opened her eyes again, Headmaster Dumbledore had left and she was once again alone by the lake watching ripples and wondering if it was mermaids or the oversized Calamari surprise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was halfway through the day when Heather realized what day it was. When she did, she nearly felt faint. The entire morning she ended up spending in the hospital wing since the visions refused to let her go. Come lunch, she had no appetite and managed to sneak out of the caring ministrations of Madam Pomfrey.
Then she found herself standing outside Dumbledore's gargoyle entrance. Something drew her here. To this spot. Half formed images in her mind.
"Roteller" she said, not sure what the password was since it was the first time it wasn't a sweet and watched the door slide open. Allowing access to the stairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~
This was the day and Snape was on edge. Something bothered him. He felt angrier than usual. Snapping at students till he realized he just subtracted fifty points from a student who asked him to repeat an ingredient. Snape dismissed his class hastily. His head pounded and he kept finding himself fingering sharp objects in a way that made him nervous. He tried to clear his head of emotion. Keep himself focused as he had tried to do most of his life.
Then it happened. Falling back against his desk he stared at the ceiling eyes huge his chest constricting and the sudden excruciating pain centering first at his arm, then through his entire body. Something worming into his mind, past everything he had worked years to erect. Barriers he placed were suddenly blown away easily like so much dust on a dish.
A rat scuttled across the floor, dragging something silver behind it. It left the item at his feet and Severus found himself on his knees, fingers closing around the silver handle of the snake blade.
He suddenly knew what he must do.
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Heather?" Dumbledore looked up surprised as he saw Heather Fletcher come into his office, looking ill. Her eyes were glazed as though she wasn't quite seeing things.
"Run. Now," she told him.
"What are you talking about, child?" Dumbledore came around his desk. He had just changed his password and for once had not used a sweet, as was his habit. Her entrance was of double concern at the moment.
Before he could say more, Fawkes gave a startled warning cry and Dumbledore looked up in time to see the crazed eyes of the Potion Master, a blade held to strike, but he didn't. He seemed to be fighting something. Dumbledore held very still. Knowing this inner battle would mean everything in a few moments, if he moved the wrong way, either he or Severus Snape would be dead.
Heather threw herself between the Headmaster and the Potions Master.
"Stop!" she screamed, moving to tackle Snape before he could do what he was sent to do.
Snape dodged, being the more experienced fighter, and knocked Heather aside. Dumbledore struggled with his wand and found the Potions Master moving faster than normal and could only watch as the sudden flaring pain blossomed across his chest as the snake blade sunk home - into his shoulder.
Heather had once more dashed, in striking Snape's aim off at the last moment. The crazed teacher flung her aside, ripping out the blade and turning onto her.
He raised his arm to strike and she only stared back at him, her eyes never leaving his. Dumbledore saw the emotions flickering behind the cold veil in Snape's eyes. Then suddenly with a strangled sound, he flung the blade from himself and flashed out of the room.
Heather paused only long enough to see that Dumbledore still breathed.
Then she too, ran out in the direction of the Potions Master.
~~~~~~~
Heather cursed herself a fool when she followed Snape into the dense vapors outside the school. Wet, stormy weather, and heavy fog the rest of the time. The entire day had been like this. Perfect for an unexpected attack.
But who knew the attack would be done by Professor Snape? she thought to herself, pausing over the still body of a student. Did Snape do this? She couldn't tell if the child lived or died.
But because of the moments she spent checking, she didn't see the ones that came from behind.
Then she didn't see anything but the back of her eyelids.