A/N- I do not own any of these characters except for Melodi and her
parents. Any recognizable characters are property of JK Rowling. Please
review, as this will help me judge what you like and don't like, so I can
post chapters faster. Enjoy and Thanks!
Mucho mucho thanks to my beta reader and all who reviewed. Just remember- the more reviews, the faster I type! ( - Kris
Chapter 2: Hidden Depths
The next morning, Melodi's alarm clock rang, dragging her out of a wonderful dream. 'Stupid bloody alarm clock!' She thought to herself as she pushed the curtain aside. Her roommates were still sleeping as Melodi grabbed a towel and a fresh pair of robes and headed toward her shower. The hot water was invigorating as it sprayed down her body. She quickly lathered shampoo on her hair, rinsed and washed herself with Cinnamon smelling soap. She turned off the hot water, toweled herself dry and changed into her robes. It was her favorite pair of robes, a midnight black color that gave the robe a blue tint with a purple satin lining on the inside. Melodi quickly brushed her teeth and cast a drying spell on her long black hair. Then she cast a styling spell that made two braids, connecting together in the back, like a crown around her hair. She smiled at herself in the mirror, ready to face the day and headed out to grab her books and meet Hermione in the Common Room. Lavender and Ginny had just woken up as Melodi grabbed her stuff. "Morning Ladies!" she said cheerfully. The grunted in reply as they too headed to take their showers. Apparently, they were not exactly morning people.
Melodi was full of nervous anticipation as she walked quietly down the hall and to the stairs. Hermione, Ron and Harry were all sitting in chairs, ready and waiting for her. "Morning you guys!" she said as she approached them. The three friends looked up, smiling at her.
"Morning Melodi!" Ron said enthusiastically.
"Ready for your first day?" Harry asked. Melodi took a deep breath and smiled.
"I am now. Lead the way!" she replied. The four students walked down to breakfast, laughing and talking about what the day would bring. As they entered the Great Hall, the scent of breakfast foods filled Melodi's nose, making her stomach growl softly. She took a seat at the Gryffindor table, Ron sat beside her; Harry and Hermione across the way. Soon other students filtered in for their morning meal- Lavender, Ginny and Parvati all came walking in together. Breakfast had been under way for a few minutes and Melodi's nerves had calmed down when she heard the already familiar voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Morning Potty, Weasel and Mudblood." He sneered at the group of friends. Melodi felt somewhat hurt that he hadn't added her into his list of nicknames. 'Like I'm not even here,' she thought sadly. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned away, completely ignoring Draco's antagonizing. Harry mumbled something under his breath and went back to his food, following Hermione's lead, but Ron turned around, his face red with anger.
"What do you want you dumb ferret? I can't wait for the day when I don't have to see your ugly face and hear your loud, obnoxious voice." Draco looked down at Ron, never missing a beat, as he said,
"And I can't wait for the day when the Weasley's stop populating the earth with their poor, filthy genes." Ron's face grew even redder and he tried to lunge at Malfoy, but Harry was one step ahead, reaching over the table and grabbing Ron's shoulders.
"Ron, it's not worth it. He's not worth it." Harry said in his friend's ear. "Just ignore him. He wants you to get angry so we'll lose House points. Just let it be and finish your breakfast." Ron shook Harry off and stomped away.
Melodi had watched the whole thing out the corner of her eye, never saying a word and never showing that she was paying attention. Soon, the weight of the bench changed as Draco sat down next to her.
"Not even going to say good morning to me Purpaidhrosg?" he whispered into her ear. Melodi felt shivers go down her spine at his words- purpaidhrosg or translated roughly, purple eyes. He spoke Gaelic! She had never met anyone else who spoke Gaelic. She turned to look at him, the disbelief and wonder obvious in her large violet eyes.
"What did you call me?" she said, bewildered. Draco smirked at her, winked his eye and walked out of the Great Hall. Melodi stared after him, mouth agape and nerves buzzing.
"Melodi? Melodi? Are you okay? What did he say to you?" Hermione was calling her name. Melodi turned to her friend, gathering her composure.
"Nothing. It was nothing. He was just being gross is all. You know how he is." Melodi tried to shrug off the fact that Draco had startled her. Hermione seemed to accept her answer with a wary look.
"We should be off to class now. You don't want to be late on your first day." Hermione stood up, Harry and Melodi followed suit and the three friends left the hall, heading toward Defense Against The Dark Arts.
Draco watched from the shadows as Potter, Mudblood and Melodi all left the Great Hall. He snickered to himself; he just loved playing with people's heads. He had overheard her this morning when she was walking to breakfast with the Golden Trio. She had dropped a book and muttered to herself in Gaelic. She had said 'Gabhaibh mo leisgeul' which means 'Excuse me'. Draco remembered hearing his distant Scottish cousins murmuring that every time they were chided by their parents. He had been taught some Gaelic when he was younger; his mother had been eager for him to learn a basic understanding of many languages and he was incredibly multi-lingual. After he heard her speaking the language, he knew he had to say something to her. He didn't know why, but ever since he had first seen her in Potter's tramcar, he had been intrigued by her. Maybe it was her dark raven hair and amethyst eyes. Maybe it was the fact that she never had anything to say, unlike the whiny Mudblood who always had an opinion to put in.
No matter what it was, Draco had not been able to get her out of his mind. She had even been in his dream last night. He smiled to himself as he walked to class, remembering his erotic dream. She had been dressed rather provocatively, wearing a short black strapless dress and knee high boots. What happened from there, he shook his head from remembering the rest of his fantasy. He had already had to deal with one erection this morning, no need to make it two. Draco walked into the classroom and took his seat when a loud, shrill voice filled the air "Drakey!!" Draco rolled his eyes and swallowed o keep his breakfast down. He turned just in time to see Pansy Parkinson, in all her gracelessness, stomping her way toward him. She took the seat next to him, cradling his arm in hers. "Oh Drakey I missed you so much over the summer. You were supposed to come visit me, what happened? Oh well, we have all year to catch up. Isn't that exciting?" she squealed into his ear, making Draco recoil unconsciously.
"Exciting indeed." Draco replied dryly. Pansy continued to talk away as class began and Draco's mind soon wandered back to Melodi and her look of astonishment at breakfast. He smiled to himself, 'Exciting indeed.'
Melodi didn't have much time to think on what Draco had said to her, classes kept her mind busy all morning. During Defense Against The Dark Arts, the new instructor, Professor Flounce, regaled them with stories about hunting grindylow's in random pools of water around England. He bounced around the room as he told his tales, acting out the battles and doing different voices for each character. Melodi tried to take notes, but was too wrapped up in Professor Flounce's performance. Before she knew it, the bell had rung and class was dismissed. Melodi followed Hermione, Harry and Ron out the door and into the hallway.
"Wow! He is an awesome teacher!" Ron laughed. "Did you hear the part about how the grindylow grabbed the guy next to him and Professor Flounce cut off the arm and then the grindylow grabbed his sword and." Ron was waving his arms about all excited.
"Ron! We were listening to the story also." Harry shook his head at the red head, a smile on his face. "We heard all about it.the first time." Ron turned beat red and the friends all laughed. It had been an interesting class, Melodi thought to herself. But she hadn't gotten a single page of notes to study from. Not that it was such a big worry, Melodi never really had a need for notes, her mind was exceptionally quick when it came to remembering things. She remembered when she was little, she would listen to her mother and Uncle Snape talk about potions and charms. Just by resting her head on her uncle's chest and closing her eyes, her mind would absorb everything they said. Later that month, if she closed her eyes and concentrated she could remember every single thing they had discussed. Her mind was like a sponge- taking in anything and everything. She supposed she was lucky for that, but it did come with a certain stipulation. Every bad thing that had ever been said to her, by someone else or by herself, stayed with her forever.
Melodi woke up when she realized someone was talking to her. "I'm sorry what Harry? I didn't hear you." She said when she noticed him looking at her expectantly.
"I said, how do you like classes so far?"
"Oh, well, seeing as how I have only had the one so far, it's not bad at all. I didn't take as many notes as I had hoped, but I suppose I can remember most of what was told to us today. Professor Flounce has a different teaching style than I am used to, my private tutors never told personal stories, but it was enticing nonetheless." She smiled at Harry who seemed overwhelmed by her response.
"Oh, ummm. well good then." He replied, walking ahead of Melodi and Hermione. Hermione started laughing when Harry was out of earshot.
"Wow, you really confused him. I think he was expecting a simple yes or no answer" Hermione said, her laughter flashing in her eyes. "Harry is smart, but he is easily overwhelmed."
"I didn't mean to overwhelm him, I was just simply answering his question." Melodi tugged at a piece of her long hair, angry at herself for upsetting a friend.
"Don't worry about it Melodi. He'll be fine. He's just not used to anyone but me worrying about their studies and such. It's actually a relief to know that I am not the only girl around here who cares for her academics." Hermione nudged Melodi's shoulder and grinned at her. "Besides," she added playfully, "boys are stupid twits anyway." Melodi laughed and the two girls entered their next classroom, heading towards the seats Ron and Harry had saved for them.
An hour later, Melodi was finishing packing up her books as her three friends waited for. History of Magic had been, unappealing, to say the least. She learned things that her tutors had covered almost two years ago. Melodi sighed in her head and followed her friends down to the Great Hall. Just before she could pass through the door, however, she heard a deep familiar voice call her name.
"Miss DeRowane, may I please have a word with you, in private?"
The four students turned around to see Professor Snape looming over them, clad in his usual black robes and sour expression. Hermione, Harry and Ron were all stunned. They had never seen a student get in trouble before even going to Snape's class. Melodi turned to her friends and whispered "I'll be back in a minute." The three students scurried off as Melodi followed Snape to a private hallway.
"Uncle Sev!" Melodi practically shrieked as she threw her arms around him. A smile lit up her face as she hugged the uncle she thought she would never see again. However, her happiness died down when she realized that he was not returning her affection. She pulled back and looked up into his blank face.
"Miss DeRowane, seeing as how I am now your Professor, all acts of affection will stop henceforth. You shall address me as Professor Snape and nothing else. Is that understood?" His words were like icy daggers in her heart and she swallowed the urge to cry as she shook her head in acceptance. "Good. Now that that problem is out of the way, I wanted to have this short discussion with you so that when you saw me in the classroom, you would not put on the show you just did. I also wanted to inform you that your mother has put me in charge of you for the whole time you are at Hogwarts. Therefore, any money you need will be given to you with my permission and your holidays will be spent here at Hogwarts. Understand now that it is only out of love for your mother, my dear cousin, that I do this for you. I want nothing more than to add 'babysitter' onto my list of things to do. You are almost 19 years old and I expect you to take responsibility for all that you do. That includes choosing your friends wisely. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are notorious for rule-breaking, if I even get word of you joining in their little escapades, I will send you straight home- making you the first and last transfer to ever grace Hogwarts doors. Do I make myself clear?"
Melodi shook her head, still absorbing the whole situation. Her uncle had changed from what she remembered. He had never, in all the time she knew him, spoken to her in such an angry, scornful manner. Melodi's eyes stung with unshed tears as she finally spoke. Her voice came out empty of emotion, her own inherited imitation of his tone- "Professor Snape, I fully understand the predicament that my family has placed you in. However, please do understand that I am capable of taking care of myself and intend to do so without your help." She made her words full of hate and venom as she continued on, " I appreciate your kindness in taking me into your loving arms, however, as you said previously, I am almost 19 and can be in charge of my own life. As for my financial position, all the money in my account, shall stay in my account. And the only permission I need to withdraw funds, is mine. I set up my own account when I turned sixteen. However, being that you weren't there, you did not know about that. So whatever money my mother has given you, please accept it as my gift of thanks to you and spend it on whatever you wish." Her violet eyes clouded over and her pupils started leaking over her irises, coloring everything black. Snape looked down at his niece, acting as defiant and cold as her father. Her words sent spears deep into his mind and when he looked at her again he was startled to see her rare amethyst eyes shifting black. Snape had never known anyone in his family to have that ability, and he fervently hoped that it was the shadow of the hallway playing tricks with his eyes. Deep down inside, he knew it wasn't the shadows at all. His niece had one of the covenanted abilities of The Powers of Morpheous. He kept the shock out of his face and listened to her words, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity building up inside of him. "Do know that I can choose my friends on my own accord and whether or not they are rule-breakers, as you say, they are my friends and only I shall decide otherwise. Now, before I miss the entirety of lunch, I bid you another thanks for your exceeding generosity and a fond farewell. See you in class, Professor." The last word was bitten off, acid and stinging. She turned on her heel and marched away from him, leaving Professor Snape without words, for the first time in his life.
'Her eyes bled black!' Snape thought to himself as he walked towards the dungeons at a faster pace than normal. He had to check his books on The Powers of Morpheus. He was sure that was one of the first signs of the . unusual powers the book discussed. Snape almost shouted his passwords in his hurry as he entered his rooms. A thick dark red book sat on the very top shelf of his bookcase. He picked it up and flipped through the pages, stopping to read a passage. After a few minutes he gasped, despite himself. The passage read:
" For decades, many have yearned to learn about the rumored Powers of
Morpheus or the Skills of Dreams. It was foretold that Morpheus, God
of Dream Visions, would bare forth an heir only once in the far and
distant future. And to this heir he would grant his powers. The Powers
of Morpheus are a rare and almost unheard of gift. Only one witch or
wizard shall posses these rare talents.
The heir of Morpheus's will not know she has acquired said powers
until late in her adolescent life. When her eyes bleed black, it is
the first sign of transformation. Soon to follow will be an
unmatchable strength of arms and mind, a piercing defense that will
render enemies helpless, the ability to shift forms both animate and
inanimate, and the power to disappear. However, with this prophecy
comes a word of caution: 'Ye who inherit the dreams must seek the
light or else darkness will swallow the world.'" Snape snapped the book shut, his mind spinning. It just couldn't be! His niece was the one and only fabeled heir of Morpheus!
Melodi stomped into the Great Hall and sat herself next to Ron, who had saved her a seat. Harry looked up at her, he opened his mouth to ask her how her meeting with Snape went when he tilted his head and looked at her weird. Melodi, turned to him, noticing his odd stare. "What?" she asked, reaching for her goblet of pumpkin juice. Harry blinked and then opened his mouth to speak.
"Melodi, your eyes.they're completely black!" Ron and Hermione looked up, both stared at her, startled expressions on their faces.
"What? What are you talking about?" Melodi searched around for a plate or spoon so she could see her reflection. She finally found an empty plate and held it up infront of her. Sure enough she saw her face, but instead of her violet eyes with their white surroundings, all that was there was black. Deep, shapeless black eyes that were blinking in time with her own body. Just as a scream rose in her throat, the black started receding, almost like water, going down a drain and into her pupils. Soon her eyes were back to normal, and Melodi couldn't put the plate down. What had just happened? 'I must be losing my mind!' she thought to herself. 'But they all saw it too. Not just me.' Finally, Melodi placed the plate back on the table and looked at her friends. "I don't know what that was." She shook her head and stood up. The next thing she knew she was running out of the Great Hall and towards the Gryffindor Tower. She needed to be alone, to figure out what was happening to her. Draco looked up from his lunch to see Melodi starring at herself in a plate. He lifted an eyebrow at her action and then noticed that the Golden Trio were all looking at her in a very odd fashion. He watched as Melodi put the plate down on the table, said something and then bolted from the hall. Draco stood and left the hall after her. He figured she would go to her Tower and took a back hallway to get there faster. He didn't know why he seemed compelled to see if she was alright. 'It's not that,' he thought to himself. 'I just want to see if I can make fun of her for anything.' The excuse sounded dumb even to himself. He shrugged it off and found himself standing outside the portrait to the Gryffindor Tower just as Melodi came rushing straight into him, knocking both of them over. Draco opened his eyes and became very aware of the soft body that lay on top of him. Black hair was sprawled across his chest, an arm was wrapped around his leg and a head was lolling around on the stone floor next to his right hand. "Bloody hell, woman!" he yelped, rolling her over and sitting her up. "You could've killed us with the rate of speed you were traveling. What the hell is the matter with you?!" Melodi heard his voice and felt him moving her around. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw him, looking down at her, an undistinguishable expression on his face. Instead of crying, like she thought she would have, anger rose up inside of her.
"What the hell is the matter with me? What the hell is the matter with me?!" her voice started out as a hiss-like whisper that rose in volume as she stood up. "I will tell you what the matter is with me Malfoy. I am sick of being accused that there is something wrong with me. What the hell is the matter with you? This isn't even your tower, so what are you doing here? Explain to me please why you feel it necessary to make a pest of yourself everywhere you go. This would never have happened if you had been somewhere else. This is your fault! I can take care of myself, and there is nothing the matter with me! I am fine, perfectly fine!" Melodi knew she wasn't making sense, but all the rage at her uncle, the fear of what had happened to her at lunch and the fact that Malfoy was blaming her for their tumble made her temper volatile and explosive. And right now, she didn't care that she was taking all her frustrations out on someone who didn't exactly deserve it. Malfoy stared at her, mouth agape. No one had ever shouted at him, with the exception of his father. He didn't even know what she was talking about, and his own fury started to raise. "Now you listen here Sing-Song, I haven't done a damned thing wrong. And why I'm here is my business and my business alone. You got it?" Malfoy had grabbed her by the robe and pushed her roughly into the wall. He stared at her then, watching her purple eyes bleed black. 'Now you've done it Malfoy. You've gone and internally injured the girl. Nicely done.' He chided himself. He started to let her go when he felt her hand cover his. Before he knew what happened, she held Malfoy over her head, his feet dangling at least 7 inches off the ground. Malfoy stared down at her, fear blatant in his blue eyes.
"Now you listen hear Malfoy." Her voice was rising in pitch, almost like a sick twisted song. "Don't you ever try to push me around again. I don't give a flying hoot if you are Voldemort's son, you touch me again and you won't live to regret it." Her voice was now a high-pitched whistle. Malfoy grew dizzy and his vision blurred. He was quickly becoming sick to his stomach and he regretted having the extra slice of ham for lunch. Before he could vomit all over himself, he found himself on the ground. Standing above him, Melodi looked shocked. Her hand was still in the air, but she was looking at it in fear. She turned her gaze to him, black eyes swallowing him. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened." She said for the second time in the past hour. With that she murmured the password to a very frightened fat lady and slammed the door behind her, leaving a stunned Malfoy on the floor just as Harry, Ron and Hermione rounded the corner.
Mucho mucho thanks to my beta reader and all who reviewed. Just remember- the more reviews, the faster I type! ( - Kris
Chapter 2: Hidden Depths
The next morning, Melodi's alarm clock rang, dragging her out of a wonderful dream. 'Stupid bloody alarm clock!' She thought to herself as she pushed the curtain aside. Her roommates were still sleeping as Melodi grabbed a towel and a fresh pair of robes and headed toward her shower. The hot water was invigorating as it sprayed down her body. She quickly lathered shampoo on her hair, rinsed and washed herself with Cinnamon smelling soap. She turned off the hot water, toweled herself dry and changed into her robes. It was her favorite pair of robes, a midnight black color that gave the robe a blue tint with a purple satin lining on the inside. Melodi quickly brushed her teeth and cast a drying spell on her long black hair. Then she cast a styling spell that made two braids, connecting together in the back, like a crown around her hair. She smiled at herself in the mirror, ready to face the day and headed out to grab her books and meet Hermione in the Common Room. Lavender and Ginny had just woken up as Melodi grabbed her stuff. "Morning Ladies!" she said cheerfully. The grunted in reply as they too headed to take their showers. Apparently, they were not exactly morning people.
Melodi was full of nervous anticipation as she walked quietly down the hall and to the stairs. Hermione, Ron and Harry were all sitting in chairs, ready and waiting for her. "Morning you guys!" she said as she approached them. The three friends looked up, smiling at her.
"Morning Melodi!" Ron said enthusiastically.
"Ready for your first day?" Harry asked. Melodi took a deep breath and smiled.
"I am now. Lead the way!" she replied. The four students walked down to breakfast, laughing and talking about what the day would bring. As they entered the Great Hall, the scent of breakfast foods filled Melodi's nose, making her stomach growl softly. She took a seat at the Gryffindor table, Ron sat beside her; Harry and Hermione across the way. Soon other students filtered in for their morning meal- Lavender, Ginny and Parvati all came walking in together. Breakfast had been under way for a few minutes and Melodi's nerves had calmed down when she heard the already familiar voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Morning Potty, Weasel and Mudblood." He sneered at the group of friends. Melodi felt somewhat hurt that he hadn't added her into his list of nicknames. 'Like I'm not even here,' she thought sadly. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned away, completely ignoring Draco's antagonizing. Harry mumbled something under his breath and went back to his food, following Hermione's lead, but Ron turned around, his face red with anger.
"What do you want you dumb ferret? I can't wait for the day when I don't have to see your ugly face and hear your loud, obnoxious voice." Draco looked down at Ron, never missing a beat, as he said,
"And I can't wait for the day when the Weasley's stop populating the earth with their poor, filthy genes." Ron's face grew even redder and he tried to lunge at Malfoy, but Harry was one step ahead, reaching over the table and grabbing Ron's shoulders.
"Ron, it's not worth it. He's not worth it." Harry said in his friend's ear. "Just ignore him. He wants you to get angry so we'll lose House points. Just let it be and finish your breakfast." Ron shook Harry off and stomped away.
Melodi had watched the whole thing out the corner of her eye, never saying a word and never showing that she was paying attention. Soon, the weight of the bench changed as Draco sat down next to her.
"Not even going to say good morning to me Purpaidhrosg?" he whispered into her ear. Melodi felt shivers go down her spine at his words- purpaidhrosg or translated roughly, purple eyes. He spoke Gaelic! She had never met anyone else who spoke Gaelic. She turned to look at him, the disbelief and wonder obvious in her large violet eyes.
"What did you call me?" she said, bewildered. Draco smirked at her, winked his eye and walked out of the Great Hall. Melodi stared after him, mouth agape and nerves buzzing.
"Melodi? Melodi? Are you okay? What did he say to you?" Hermione was calling her name. Melodi turned to her friend, gathering her composure.
"Nothing. It was nothing. He was just being gross is all. You know how he is." Melodi tried to shrug off the fact that Draco had startled her. Hermione seemed to accept her answer with a wary look.
"We should be off to class now. You don't want to be late on your first day." Hermione stood up, Harry and Melodi followed suit and the three friends left the hall, heading toward Defense Against The Dark Arts.
Draco watched from the shadows as Potter, Mudblood and Melodi all left the Great Hall. He snickered to himself; he just loved playing with people's heads. He had overheard her this morning when she was walking to breakfast with the Golden Trio. She had dropped a book and muttered to herself in Gaelic. She had said 'Gabhaibh mo leisgeul' which means 'Excuse me'. Draco remembered hearing his distant Scottish cousins murmuring that every time they were chided by their parents. He had been taught some Gaelic when he was younger; his mother had been eager for him to learn a basic understanding of many languages and he was incredibly multi-lingual. After he heard her speaking the language, he knew he had to say something to her. He didn't know why, but ever since he had first seen her in Potter's tramcar, he had been intrigued by her. Maybe it was her dark raven hair and amethyst eyes. Maybe it was the fact that she never had anything to say, unlike the whiny Mudblood who always had an opinion to put in.
No matter what it was, Draco had not been able to get her out of his mind. She had even been in his dream last night. He smiled to himself as he walked to class, remembering his erotic dream. She had been dressed rather provocatively, wearing a short black strapless dress and knee high boots. What happened from there, he shook his head from remembering the rest of his fantasy. He had already had to deal with one erection this morning, no need to make it two. Draco walked into the classroom and took his seat when a loud, shrill voice filled the air "Drakey!!" Draco rolled his eyes and swallowed o keep his breakfast down. He turned just in time to see Pansy Parkinson, in all her gracelessness, stomping her way toward him. She took the seat next to him, cradling his arm in hers. "Oh Drakey I missed you so much over the summer. You were supposed to come visit me, what happened? Oh well, we have all year to catch up. Isn't that exciting?" she squealed into his ear, making Draco recoil unconsciously.
"Exciting indeed." Draco replied dryly. Pansy continued to talk away as class began and Draco's mind soon wandered back to Melodi and her look of astonishment at breakfast. He smiled to himself, 'Exciting indeed.'
Melodi didn't have much time to think on what Draco had said to her, classes kept her mind busy all morning. During Defense Against The Dark Arts, the new instructor, Professor Flounce, regaled them with stories about hunting grindylow's in random pools of water around England. He bounced around the room as he told his tales, acting out the battles and doing different voices for each character. Melodi tried to take notes, but was too wrapped up in Professor Flounce's performance. Before she knew it, the bell had rung and class was dismissed. Melodi followed Hermione, Harry and Ron out the door and into the hallway.
"Wow! He is an awesome teacher!" Ron laughed. "Did you hear the part about how the grindylow grabbed the guy next to him and Professor Flounce cut off the arm and then the grindylow grabbed his sword and." Ron was waving his arms about all excited.
"Ron! We were listening to the story also." Harry shook his head at the red head, a smile on his face. "We heard all about it.the first time." Ron turned beat red and the friends all laughed. It had been an interesting class, Melodi thought to herself. But she hadn't gotten a single page of notes to study from. Not that it was such a big worry, Melodi never really had a need for notes, her mind was exceptionally quick when it came to remembering things. She remembered when she was little, she would listen to her mother and Uncle Snape talk about potions and charms. Just by resting her head on her uncle's chest and closing her eyes, her mind would absorb everything they said. Later that month, if she closed her eyes and concentrated she could remember every single thing they had discussed. Her mind was like a sponge- taking in anything and everything. She supposed she was lucky for that, but it did come with a certain stipulation. Every bad thing that had ever been said to her, by someone else or by herself, stayed with her forever.
Melodi woke up when she realized someone was talking to her. "I'm sorry what Harry? I didn't hear you." She said when she noticed him looking at her expectantly.
"I said, how do you like classes so far?"
"Oh, well, seeing as how I have only had the one so far, it's not bad at all. I didn't take as many notes as I had hoped, but I suppose I can remember most of what was told to us today. Professor Flounce has a different teaching style than I am used to, my private tutors never told personal stories, but it was enticing nonetheless." She smiled at Harry who seemed overwhelmed by her response.
"Oh, ummm. well good then." He replied, walking ahead of Melodi and Hermione. Hermione started laughing when Harry was out of earshot.
"Wow, you really confused him. I think he was expecting a simple yes or no answer" Hermione said, her laughter flashing in her eyes. "Harry is smart, but he is easily overwhelmed."
"I didn't mean to overwhelm him, I was just simply answering his question." Melodi tugged at a piece of her long hair, angry at herself for upsetting a friend.
"Don't worry about it Melodi. He'll be fine. He's just not used to anyone but me worrying about their studies and such. It's actually a relief to know that I am not the only girl around here who cares for her academics." Hermione nudged Melodi's shoulder and grinned at her. "Besides," she added playfully, "boys are stupid twits anyway." Melodi laughed and the two girls entered their next classroom, heading towards the seats Ron and Harry had saved for them.
An hour later, Melodi was finishing packing up her books as her three friends waited for. History of Magic had been, unappealing, to say the least. She learned things that her tutors had covered almost two years ago. Melodi sighed in her head and followed her friends down to the Great Hall. Just before she could pass through the door, however, she heard a deep familiar voice call her name.
"Miss DeRowane, may I please have a word with you, in private?"
The four students turned around to see Professor Snape looming over them, clad in his usual black robes and sour expression. Hermione, Harry and Ron were all stunned. They had never seen a student get in trouble before even going to Snape's class. Melodi turned to her friends and whispered "I'll be back in a minute." The three students scurried off as Melodi followed Snape to a private hallway.
"Uncle Sev!" Melodi practically shrieked as she threw her arms around him. A smile lit up her face as she hugged the uncle she thought she would never see again. However, her happiness died down when she realized that he was not returning her affection. She pulled back and looked up into his blank face.
"Miss DeRowane, seeing as how I am now your Professor, all acts of affection will stop henceforth. You shall address me as Professor Snape and nothing else. Is that understood?" His words were like icy daggers in her heart and she swallowed the urge to cry as she shook her head in acceptance. "Good. Now that that problem is out of the way, I wanted to have this short discussion with you so that when you saw me in the classroom, you would not put on the show you just did. I also wanted to inform you that your mother has put me in charge of you for the whole time you are at Hogwarts. Therefore, any money you need will be given to you with my permission and your holidays will be spent here at Hogwarts. Understand now that it is only out of love for your mother, my dear cousin, that I do this for you. I want nothing more than to add 'babysitter' onto my list of things to do. You are almost 19 years old and I expect you to take responsibility for all that you do. That includes choosing your friends wisely. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are notorious for rule-breaking, if I even get word of you joining in their little escapades, I will send you straight home- making you the first and last transfer to ever grace Hogwarts doors. Do I make myself clear?"
Melodi shook her head, still absorbing the whole situation. Her uncle had changed from what she remembered. He had never, in all the time she knew him, spoken to her in such an angry, scornful manner. Melodi's eyes stung with unshed tears as she finally spoke. Her voice came out empty of emotion, her own inherited imitation of his tone- "Professor Snape, I fully understand the predicament that my family has placed you in. However, please do understand that I am capable of taking care of myself and intend to do so without your help." She made her words full of hate and venom as she continued on, " I appreciate your kindness in taking me into your loving arms, however, as you said previously, I am almost 19 and can be in charge of my own life. As for my financial position, all the money in my account, shall stay in my account. And the only permission I need to withdraw funds, is mine. I set up my own account when I turned sixteen. However, being that you weren't there, you did not know about that. So whatever money my mother has given you, please accept it as my gift of thanks to you and spend it on whatever you wish." Her violet eyes clouded over and her pupils started leaking over her irises, coloring everything black. Snape looked down at his niece, acting as defiant and cold as her father. Her words sent spears deep into his mind and when he looked at her again he was startled to see her rare amethyst eyes shifting black. Snape had never known anyone in his family to have that ability, and he fervently hoped that it was the shadow of the hallway playing tricks with his eyes. Deep down inside, he knew it wasn't the shadows at all. His niece had one of the covenanted abilities of The Powers of Morpheous. He kept the shock out of his face and listened to her words, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity building up inside of him. "Do know that I can choose my friends on my own accord and whether or not they are rule-breakers, as you say, they are my friends and only I shall decide otherwise. Now, before I miss the entirety of lunch, I bid you another thanks for your exceeding generosity and a fond farewell. See you in class, Professor." The last word was bitten off, acid and stinging. She turned on her heel and marched away from him, leaving Professor Snape without words, for the first time in his life.
'Her eyes bled black!' Snape thought to himself as he walked towards the dungeons at a faster pace than normal. He had to check his books on The Powers of Morpheus. He was sure that was one of the first signs of the . unusual powers the book discussed. Snape almost shouted his passwords in his hurry as he entered his rooms. A thick dark red book sat on the very top shelf of his bookcase. He picked it up and flipped through the pages, stopping to read a passage. After a few minutes he gasped, despite himself. The passage read:
" For decades, many have yearned to learn about the rumored Powers of
Morpheus or the Skills of Dreams. It was foretold that Morpheus, God
of Dream Visions, would bare forth an heir only once in the far and
distant future. And to this heir he would grant his powers. The Powers
of Morpheus are a rare and almost unheard of gift. Only one witch or
wizard shall posses these rare talents.
The heir of Morpheus's will not know she has acquired said powers
until late in her adolescent life. When her eyes bleed black, it is
the first sign of transformation. Soon to follow will be an
unmatchable strength of arms and mind, a piercing defense that will
render enemies helpless, the ability to shift forms both animate and
inanimate, and the power to disappear. However, with this prophecy
comes a word of caution: 'Ye who inherit the dreams must seek the
light or else darkness will swallow the world.'" Snape snapped the book shut, his mind spinning. It just couldn't be! His niece was the one and only fabeled heir of Morpheus!
Melodi stomped into the Great Hall and sat herself next to Ron, who had saved her a seat. Harry looked up at her, he opened his mouth to ask her how her meeting with Snape went when he tilted his head and looked at her weird. Melodi, turned to him, noticing his odd stare. "What?" she asked, reaching for her goblet of pumpkin juice. Harry blinked and then opened his mouth to speak.
"Melodi, your eyes.they're completely black!" Ron and Hermione looked up, both stared at her, startled expressions on their faces.
"What? What are you talking about?" Melodi searched around for a plate or spoon so she could see her reflection. She finally found an empty plate and held it up infront of her. Sure enough she saw her face, but instead of her violet eyes with their white surroundings, all that was there was black. Deep, shapeless black eyes that were blinking in time with her own body. Just as a scream rose in her throat, the black started receding, almost like water, going down a drain and into her pupils. Soon her eyes were back to normal, and Melodi couldn't put the plate down. What had just happened? 'I must be losing my mind!' she thought to herself. 'But they all saw it too. Not just me.' Finally, Melodi placed the plate back on the table and looked at her friends. "I don't know what that was." She shook her head and stood up. The next thing she knew she was running out of the Great Hall and towards the Gryffindor Tower. She needed to be alone, to figure out what was happening to her. Draco looked up from his lunch to see Melodi starring at herself in a plate. He lifted an eyebrow at her action and then noticed that the Golden Trio were all looking at her in a very odd fashion. He watched as Melodi put the plate down on the table, said something and then bolted from the hall. Draco stood and left the hall after her. He figured she would go to her Tower and took a back hallway to get there faster. He didn't know why he seemed compelled to see if she was alright. 'It's not that,' he thought to himself. 'I just want to see if I can make fun of her for anything.' The excuse sounded dumb even to himself. He shrugged it off and found himself standing outside the portrait to the Gryffindor Tower just as Melodi came rushing straight into him, knocking both of them over. Draco opened his eyes and became very aware of the soft body that lay on top of him. Black hair was sprawled across his chest, an arm was wrapped around his leg and a head was lolling around on the stone floor next to his right hand. "Bloody hell, woman!" he yelped, rolling her over and sitting her up. "You could've killed us with the rate of speed you were traveling. What the hell is the matter with you?!" Melodi heard his voice and felt him moving her around. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw him, looking down at her, an undistinguishable expression on his face. Instead of crying, like she thought she would have, anger rose up inside of her.
"What the hell is the matter with me? What the hell is the matter with me?!" her voice started out as a hiss-like whisper that rose in volume as she stood up. "I will tell you what the matter is with me Malfoy. I am sick of being accused that there is something wrong with me. What the hell is the matter with you? This isn't even your tower, so what are you doing here? Explain to me please why you feel it necessary to make a pest of yourself everywhere you go. This would never have happened if you had been somewhere else. This is your fault! I can take care of myself, and there is nothing the matter with me! I am fine, perfectly fine!" Melodi knew she wasn't making sense, but all the rage at her uncle, the fear of what had happened to her at lunch and the fact that Malfoy was blaming her for their tumble made her temper volatile and explosive. And right now, she didn't care that she was taking all her frustrations out on someone who didn't exactly deserve it. Malfoy stared at her, mouth agape. No one had ever shouted at him, with the exception of his father. He didn't even know what she was talking about, and his own fury started to raise. "Now you listen here Sing-Song, I haven't done a damned thing wrong. And why I'm here is my business and my business alone. You got it?" Malfoy had grabbed her by the robe and pushed her roughly into the wall. He stared at her then, watching her purple eyes bleed black. 'Now you've done it Malfoy. You've gone and internally injured the girl. Nicely done.' He chided himself. He started to let her go when he felt her hand cover his. Before he knew what happened, she held Malfoy over her head, his feet dangling at least 7 inches off the ground. Malfoy stared down at her, fear blatant in his blue eyes.
"Now you listen hear Malfoy." Her voice was rising in pitch, almost like a sick twisted song. "Don't you ever try to push me around again. I don't give a flying hoot if you are Voldemort's son, you touch me again and you won't live to regret it." Her voice was now a high-pitched whistle. Malfoy grew dizzy and his vision blurred. He was quickly becoming sick to his stomach and he regretted having the extra slice of ham for lunch. Before he could vomit all over himself, he found himself on the ground. Standing above him, Melodi looked shocked. Her hand was still in the air, but she was looking at it in fear. She turned her gaze to him, black eyes swallowing him. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened." She said for the second time in the past hour. With that she murmured the password to a very frightened fat lady and slammed the door behind her, leaving a stunned Malfoy on the floor just as Harry, Ron and Hermione rounded the corner.