Time to decide
Darian and Isis could do little more than look at each other than face the harsh and probing eyes of their father.
"We need to talk," he had said after the last student had left the dungeon-like classroom.
He pulled up a chair and once sitting leaned forward with his hands steepled below his nose. He looked at his daughters
in turn, as if waiting.
"What," Darian finally said breaking the silence.
Snape sat his hands on the table top. "You must be kidding. You both look horrible, like you haven't slept in days. Your
grades are dropping and you hardly have anything to do with anyone in your house let alone each other. Now I demand
an answer, what is going on?"
Isis looked from the table to Darian to her father. "No, we haven't been sleeping."
Snape sat back in his chair. "And," he replied.
"And, we've been having nightmares." Darian added.
"What kind of nightmares," he asked.
Darian and Isis slowly related the nightmares that they had been having for the past few weeks. Snape listened intently
with his breathing and looking from one daughter to the other as his only signs of life. After both had finished, Snape
stood up and looked away from the duo.
"Well, now, this sounds serious. Have you angered anyone in your houses as of late? When both girls nodded in denial,
he spoke again. "Perhaps now you will consider leaving and going to Willowridge like your mother."
Isis looked up at her father. "It is really that serious, these nightmares, that you feel we would be safer away from here with mother."
He turned back to her, "Oh come now Isis, you know better than that. This is what I feared about; you both need to leave because
someone knows."
Isis stood up anger filling her voice, "Father, I don't want to leave. Besides if we really are in some kind of danger why not just talk
to Dumbledore about it. He has power and influence, I'm sure he could help us."
"No," Snape said sharply, "we will keep this between the three of us. Be glad that I haven't decided to expel you, I have done worse
for lesser offenses from students."
Darian, also having had enough of the mystery stood up. "Father, what's happening to us? Why all the secrecy? It seems like you
are the one who has enemies that would profit from our misery and I bet you have one in mind too."
Snape looked at them harshly. "Enough," he hissed. He stalked over to one of the cabinets that lined the walls and rummaged
around in the various bottles. Isis and Darian watched him in silence not knowing what to expect.
Their father turned back to face them with two small bottles in his hand. He walked back over the girls and handed each of them
a bottle. Isis read the inscription but found it blank of any writing. She looked back to her father curiously.
"It is a Sleeping Draft, it will help you sleep. And since you both are bound and determined to STAY! I will do what I can to find
out what is going on." Isis and Darian's faces raised in happiness.
"But," Snape added, "if you continue to experience any nightmares or have anything happen to you that you don't understand
I want you to come to me directly. Are you clear?"
Both girls nodded mutely. "Good, now go to bed. And don't get too comfortable, if anything else happens I won't think twice
about yanking you out of this school."
Isis stood up, followed closely by her sister. "We understand father, thank you."
They turned to leave when a voice stopped them. "Girls, I'm serious, anything out of the ordinary."
They nodded once again and walked out of the office. They headed down the hall and stopped at the corner. Isis turned to her sister.
"I have to get to Transfiguration, I'll see you after class."
"Ok," Darian said as she started down the opposite hall towards Charms class. Darian heard a voice in her head. "Remember,
be careful."
"Don't worry, Isis, I will," Darian replied.
Darian and Isis could do little more than look at each other than face the harsh and probing eyes of their father.
"We need to talk," he had said after the last student had left the dungeon-like classroom.
He pulled up a chair and once sitting leaned forward with his hands steepled below his nose. He looked at his daughters
in turn, as if waiting.
"What," Darian finally said breaking the silence.
Snape sat his hands on the table top. "You must be kidding. You both look horrible, like you haven't slept in days. Your
grades are dropping and you hardly have anything to do with anyone in your house let alone each other. Now I demand
an answer, what is going on?"
Isis looked from the table to Darian to her father. "No, we haven't been sleeping."
Snape sat back in his chair. "And," he replied.
"And, we've been having nightmares." Darian added.
"What kind of nightmares," he asked.
Darian and Isis slowly related the nightmares that they had been having for the past few weeks. Snape listened intently
with his breathing and looking from one daughter to the other as his only signs of life. After both had finished, Snape
stood up and looked away from the duo.
"Well, now, this sounds serious. Have you angered anyone in your houses as of late? When both girls nodded in denial,
he spoke again. "Perhaps now you will consider leaving and going to Willowridge like your mother."
Isis looked up at her father. "It is really that serious, these nightmares, that you feel we would be safer away from here with mother."
He turned back to her, "Oh come now Isis, you know better than that. This is what I feared about; you both need to leave because
someone knows."
Isis stood up anger filling her voice, "Father, I don't want to leave. Besides if we really are in some kind of danger why not just talk
to Dumbledore about it. He has power and influence, I'm sure he could help us."
"No," Snape said sharply, "we will keep this between the three of us. Be glad that I haven't decided to expel you, I have done worse
for lesser offenses from students."
Darian, also having had enough of the mystery stood up. "Father, what's happening to us? Why all the secrecy? It seems like you
are the one who has enemies that would profit from our misery and I bet you have one in mind too."
Snape looked at them harshly. "Enough," he hissed. He stalked over to one of the cabinets that lined the walls and rummaged
around in the various bottles. Isis and Darian watched him in silence not knowing what to expect.
Their father turned back to face them with two small bottles in his hand. He walked back over the girls and handed each of them
a bottle. Isis read the inscription but found it blank of any writing. She looked back to her father curiously.
"It is a Sleeping Draft, it will help you sleep. And since you both are bound and determined to STAY! I will do what I can to find
out what is going on." Isis and Darian's faces raised in happiness.
"But," Snape added, "if you continue to experience any nightmares or have anything happen to you that you don't understand
I want you to come to me directly. Are you clear?"
Both girls nodded mutely. "Good, now go to bed. And don't get too comfortable, if anything else happens I won't think twice
about yanking you out of this school."
Isis stood up, followed closely by her sister. "We understand father, thank you."
They turned to leave when a voice stopped them. "Girls, I'm serious, anything out of the ordinary."
They nodded once again and walked out of the office. They headed down the hall and stopped at the corner. Isis turned to her sister.
"I have to get to Transfiguration, I'll see you after class."
"Ok," Darian said as she started down the opposite hall towards Charms class. Darian heard a voice in her head. "Remember,
be careful."
"Don't worry, Isis, I will," Darian replied.