Chapter Thirteen: The Price of Silence - Part Two

"What do you mean, Adara?" The Headmaster's brow creased as he puzzled over her words.

She tapped the side of her head and smiled faintly, still unsure what to think. "There are no voices. I can no longer hear the whispering thoughts of others," she told him, disbelief in her voice. Then she laughed. At first quietly, then the sound grew to giddiness, and at last it was on the verge of being maniacal. "In all the years of my life, I have never known such complete and utterly overwhelming quiet!"

Albus sat there and stared blankly at her, apparently not sure what to say. Neither spoke for long moments, but the smile on Adara's face never faltered. At last the silence was broken.

"Do not be so hasty as to think this is a blessing, Adara."

"But, Sir! This is the first time I've truly known peace. It can't be anything but a blessing!"

"Let's hope so, my dear." He paused and whispered, "I hope so."

Adara all but danced through the hallways as she went back to her chambers. Occasionally she stopped, twirled in the middle of a corridor, despite strange looks from passing students, clapped her hands, then continued on her way.

"You seem unnecessarily pleased with yourself, Miss Sage."

Adara stopped in her tracks and looked around with bright eyes. "Why yes I am, Sir, and I have you to thank. Who would have thought that Professor Snape was capable of such a generous act."

The Professor's beetle-black eyes narrowed with displeasure. He glanced around suspiciously and responded in a sinister tone. "And what, pray tell, led you to believe that I would have something to do with your sickening glee?"

"Only the fact that I overheard you and Professor Graft discussing a potion that could silence a telepathic mind," she confessed cheerfully.

His expression was unreadable for a moment, but quickly turned to a freezing glare. "You were listening in on a private discussion?" he snarled. After another moment, he calmed and regained his composure. "Still, we could have been talking about anyone." Professor Snape crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

"Silly goose," Adara laughed without a thought in the world about who she was talking to. "Who else could you have been talking about? I heard you specifically say you weren't in the habit of taking assistants, and I'm the only Professors' Aide that I know of."

He blinked and stared at her. His lips moved and formed words, but no sound escaped him. Then, as if a dam had burst, a torrent of rage poured out. "You disrespectful, insubordinate, child!" Adara made to step back, perhaps even run, but Snape grabbed her arms tightly, completely disregarding her desire not to be touched, and shook her roughly back and forth, his eyes blazing with fury. "You have the audacity to patronize me? No one, not even the Headmaster himself, speaks to me in such a condescending tone! Did you honestly believe I would allow you the pleasure of getting away with it? You are no more than a pathetic little ingrate! Do you understand that, Miss Sage? You are both worthless and useless!" Just as suddenly as the outburst had started, it seemed to end. Until he leaned close and hissed in her ear. "If you ever presume to speak to me in such a demeaning manner again, I will do all that is in my power to find horribly new uses for that tongue of yours. I have many potions books, Miss Sage, with many interesting concoctions which require parts of the human anatomy I can easily, if forcefully, obtain from you."

Adara shuddered in his grasp. Before this, she had merely assumed the Professor to be a little unpleasant. Now, however, he proved to be a formidable enemy when provoked. "I-I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't think ..."

"I'm forced to wonder if you ever do." He released her then with a quick and powerful shove, turned on his heel and stormed down the hall, black robes rippling in his wake.

Her breath came in short, rapid gasps. She leaned heavily against the nearest wall, placed one palm over her speeding heart and the other upon her forehead where beads of cold sweat were forming. Adara remained poised there in fear and whispered a prayer. Her mind raced over possible ways for her to avoid Professor Snape for the remainder of the school year.

When she at last calmed herself, she stood straight and began walking toward her room once more, this time at a much slower and more melancholy pace. Her mind swirled about what had just occurred. How could a man with such a volatile temper be a Professor of children in Hogwarts? 'Perhaps he should have been born a Muggle. At least then he wouldn't have magic to use as a weapon.' Another shiver ran up her spine when she thought of what he could do with his wand given the opportunity. Her eyes nervously surveyed the hallway as she placed a hand over her mouth and quickened her pace.

After arriving at her bedroom, closing and locking the door and making her way to the window, Adara sat down on the floor and stared out over the grounds. "What have I gotten myself into? I'm such a fool."

WhiteBlaze rose from the bed where he had been sleeping when she entered the room, yawned, stretched, then hopped down and sauntered over. He nudged her hand with his nose and looked up with his gold-green eyes that always seemed to know something she did not.

"Ah, mon cher, at least you are usually around to offer me solace." With long, smooth strokes, she pet his soft, silvery coat. In response, he purred contentedly and lay on her lap. Adara smiled down at him and shook her head. "Always tired too. Don't you get enough sleep in one day?" The cat purred a little louder as if to say 'no', then settled again and went to sleep.

Her eyes ventured to the window once more and she sighed to herself. "It will take some time for me to get used to not hearing other people's thoughts in my head. I am glad to be rid of the ability, though. It was more of a curse than anything else. I could never make anyone understand that torment. So many times I thought the voices would drive me mad. The silence is pure bliss."

After a few moments passed, Adara carefully took WhiteBlaze up in her arms, stood and readied herself for bed. She pulled back the covers, waved a hand to dim the candles, and slowly drifted into a fitful sleep.

Adara jerked awake in the night. She sat up, looked around, then waved her hand to light the sconces on the walls. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the light and she again glanced about her room. "I could've sworn I heard something. It sounded as though someone was calling my name."

'Adara ...'

"There it is! WhiteBlaze, do you hear it?"

The silver tabby opened one eye sleepily, looked up at his mistress, yawned and turned away. Not even his ears perked up.

"Oh please tell me I'm not hearing people's thoughts again." Her fingers moved to her temples.

'Adara ...' The voice was becoming more faint.

"I know I heard someone ... or something." Adara forced herself to get out of bed, dress, and leave her room. All the while she continued to concentrate on that whispering voice that only she seemed to hear. "Where is it coming from? Which direction?" She looked each way down the corridor, but could see nothing.

'Adara, come to me ...'

She turned right and began walking. "I'm coming. You must speak up, though. I can barely hear you. What's your name? Are you in danger?"

'Come, please, Adara ...'

"I am, but where are you?"

"Who are you talking to, Miss Sage?"

Adara turned to face an exhausted looking Professor McGonagall. "Couldn't you hear it, Madam?"

"Hear what exactly?"

Adara sighed and looked down the hall in the direction she heard the voice coming from. "Someone was calling me. Their voice was becoming softer though. I could barely hear them."

The two women listened carefully.

'Please, Adara ...'

"There! Did you hear it?"

McGonagall shook her head and looked somewhat annoyed. "I hear nothing but sleep calling me, Miss Sage. I suggest you find your bed as well instead of waking up the whole of Hogwarts in your efforts to locate the source of phantom voices." The female Professor yawned and disappeared into her room again.

Adara stood in one place for a moment and frowned, muttering to herself. "I know I heard something." She tilted her head to the side again, trying to hear the voice, but there was nothing more. With a sigh and a shrug, she made her way back to her room for the rest of the night.

In the morning sunlight Adara blinked her eyes and wondered if she had dreamt the voice. "It seemed so real ..." Eventually she convinced herself to get out of bed and have some breakfast in the Great Hall. Sundays were usually quite relaxed, and there were generally fewer people present during the morning mealtime. Something she always looked forward to. When she was dressed and ready to leave she looked back at WhiteBlaze who was still asleep on the bed. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you do anything other than sleep." She shook her head with a smile and quietly shut the door as she left.

There were indeed very few people in the Great Hall that morning. Only the Professors were present, and all but one bore expressions of concern when Adara entered the room. Snape didn't even look up from his plate. When she arrived at the table, she looked over each face with confusion. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, Adara," answered the Headmaster quietly. "Please, sit down. There is something we need to discuss."

She curtsied politely and took up her usual seat looking at Dumbledore with curiosity. "What is it, Sir?"

"Tell me, my dear, are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, Sir, I'm feeling quite well, thank you."

Her puzzlement only grew after his question.

"Then perhaps you wouldn't mind explaining to me this voice you heard calling to you last night."