Early release, because I won't have time tomorrow (It's thanksgiving). Please review if you can.
Chapter 7:
Snape's POV:
"It's her, Albus." Snape arrived at Dumbledore's office out of breath. He had not waited for Dumbledore to look up from his parchment before blurting this out.
Snape waited, wondering if he had heard him at all.
Dumbledore did not stir. He was completely unperturbed by this news and continued to write his letter. "I assume you mean your niece?" The nonchalance of his voice made it seem like they were talking about the weather rather than the child of Lord Voldemort. "I am aware."
Snape blinked. He already knew? He wasn't surprised. There was little that went on within the walls of Hogwarts that the Headmaster didn't know about. Snape waited for him to say more, but he simply continued to write.
"What should we do?" Snape finally asked.
Dumbledore put his quill down and peered at Snape over his half-moon spectacles. "Is there something that should be done?" He returned the question as if Snape were a silly boy. This grated on Snape's nerves.
"She's the daughter of Elena and him."
"Indeed."
"The Dark Prince's sister."
"Yes."
"And she's here at Hogwarts." Snape was getting frustrated now. Somehow, he couldn't seem to convey the importance of the situation to Dumbledore. Surely, he understood what this meant.
"I see." He nodded cheerfully. "And?"
"And. And—"
Dumbledore interrupted him, answering his own question. "And she seems to be doing well. Flitwick tells me she is very good at Charms, and gets along well with the Hufflepuff students. Alastor tell me she is very skilled at defense against the dark arts—much like you were during your time here."
Snape stared back at Dumbledore. He didn't understand. This had nothing to do with situation. Why was there no concern in his carefree blue eyes?
"What if she finds out the truth? If she learns about her father… would she seek revenge on Potter? May she'll join Struan—"
"There are a lot of if's. But it's too early to speculate, Severus, she's just a teenager. There is no need to worry, but keep an eye on her if you'd like."
"She's anything but just a teenager."
Dumbledore gave a sigh. "That is yet to be seen."
Snape said nothing. Dumbledore stood and glided casually to the window and stared at the clear dark sky.
"But I do not recommend revealing this to your sister or nephew just yet." His voice was low.
"Of course not." Snape hissed.
The dark night reflected in Dumbledore's sparkling eyes, swimming like a murky lake. "Children are destined to become whoever it is they decide to be," He spoke quietly, "Ties of blood do not define who we are, but rather, give us a foundation to work with. Who or what she becomes will be a result of her choices."
Senna's POV:
Senna laid on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. She tried to immerse herself in Outsmarting the Dark Forces, but her mind would not focus. She must've re-read the same sentence a dozen times before she realized she just couldn't do it. So she sat here, wallowing in her feeling of loneliness.
I assure you, it is just a coincidence. He had said.
It surprised Senna that those words could make her feel more alone than ever. She told herself she wouldn't get her hopes up, that the chances were slim anyways. But she had hoped, hoped very much, despite her better judgement. The desire to find someone—anyone that might have cared for her, burned through her like a flame. And now that flame was gone, and in its wake was the feeling of emptiness.
It was stupid of her to think there was someone in the world that missed her, that would be happy to discover their long-lost child. It was stupid because, if that were true, she wouldn't have been at an orphanage for sixteen years, fighting guards to steal food.
But there was no one. There was no one out there looking for her. No one that loved her.
And that realization sent agony through her heart. The oxygen no longer satisfied the need in her lungs. Senna gasped for air, clutching at her searing chest.
She wanted to scream. Wanted to draw her wand and burn down the room with all the girls in it. The same girls who wouldn't even look at her. And when they did, they looked at her with terror and disgust, as if she were an infectious disease. They whispered behind her back, and through her legilimency, she could hear what they thought of her. A freak. A mentally unstable lunatic, too dangerous to get near. A street-rat from the grimy alleyways of Pawtucket, someone you could catch diseases from. And whenever someone would be kind to her, they would swoop in like a hawk and inform the person of her abnormalities, and insist they should stay away for their own safety.
They were the reason Senna could not make a single friend at Brownwell. They were the reason that Senna was completely alone.
They set the whole school against her. They made everyone fear her.
She could give them something to fear.
A real reason to be afraid of her.
It would be so easy. She knew how to hurt people. She knew every hex and curse that could make them all wish for death within five minutes.
The rage and pain scorched her, until all that remained was an empty puppet. But her body stood, the rage still swimming in the emptiness, pulling the strings. Senna walked out from her corner to where the girls giggled in the lobby, her wand drawn. They did not notice her approach.
This consuming rage was not new, it had been brewing for sixteen years, growing until Senna could not possibly contain it for any longer.
She was directly behind one of the blonde girls now. She was talking about some of the cute boys at Durmstrang. The girl across from her saw Senna first, and her facial expression shifted immediately. Her smile faded, her eyes widened with horror, and the blood drained from her face. Perhaps Senna's demeanor reflected the rage pouring from her soul. Perhaps her icy stare conveyed exactly what she wanted to do to them.
Wondering about the change in her friend's mood, the blonde girl turned around to see what she was looking at. When she saw Senna, her expression did the same. Senna was surprised to see such fear there. True, blood-chilling fear. Was Senna's expression that terrifying?
Good.
Instead of feeling annoyed at their fear as usual, she felt exhilarated. The hollowness in her chest filled with a sweet satisfaction. The sudden pleasure made her want to laugh out loud. But she didn't laugh, she smiled. She saw the smile through their thoughts, it was a beautiful but terrible smile, cold and uncaring. She looked like an angel of death. The girls went very very white.
Senna's wand itched in her hand, begging to be used. Senna was more than willing to comply. A dozen different curses flew threw her mind, but which to use?
There was a voice in the back of her head, telling her that she should stop. It begged her to see reason, told her that hurting them wouldn't make the pain stop. Once she hurt them, there was no going back. But Senna wasn't sure. She could feel the relief already, it was only a flick of the wrist away…
For a moment, the blonde girl's face resembled something else. Hannah Abbott's face, but instead of her kind smile, she looked scared and defenseless.
Senna's hand automatically lowered. She shook her head. It wasn't Hannah, it was that Brownwell bitch. But it had shaken her enough to force her back to her senses.
Hannah, Susan, Justin, Ernie, Tonks, and even Lee had been kind to her. They spoke to her even when the Brownwells avoided her like the plague. Perhaps they were her friends. She owed them better than this. The hollowness in her chest ebbed, and she could feel the rage receding.
She was back in control now. The monster inside her was locked up in the darkest place of her soul. But she couldn't stand to be there in the room full of frozen, terrified girls. So she ran, bolting out of the dorms, and fled into the dark night.
Tonks's POV:
Tonks cursed at herself. How could she have nearly lost control of herself? How could she let herself be so flustered by a teenage girl? She was an Auror, she had a job to do, and could not and afford to be distracted.
Tonks was on patrol tonight, walking the perimeter of the castle, keeping an eye out for suspicious Death Eater activity. Her boots squeaked noisily on the wet grass.
She couldn't keep that girl off her mind. The way she strode with confidence, the ruthless look in her eyes, and magic she was already capable of, all made her seem much older than her years. Maybe that was why she was attracted to her. And Tonks could tell that it may be mutual.
When Tonks had made the mistake of pushing her against the wall, she saw her own lust mirrored in her eyes. She swore she had wanted it too. And when Tonks pulled away, she saw a hint of disappointment.
This made it harder to resist. Even if that beautiful girl somehow wanted her too, she could not pursue it. She was probably underage. And let's face it—she was incredibly hot, but what else did she know about her? She was still a stranger. It would be best for her to stay away.
A quick precession of footsteps echoed in the distance. Tonks froze, immediately entering Auror mode. She closed her eyes and listened. Someone was running to her West, and the sound was fading quickly. So Tonks moved, drawing her wand and chasing after the footsteps.
The wards around the castle had not yet been disturbed—she would know. Or had Death Eaters found a way in without touching the wards?
She turned a corner and entered the castle. The footsteps were on stone floor now, easier for her to track. She turned left, and then right, and caught a glimpse of the intruder. A flash of black night gown disappeared around another corridor. Tonks stood confused for only a moment before continuing her chase. A girl? Long black hair? This better not be Senna. Again. She warned her about wandering the castle at night. She would have to report her this time.
She made that final turn and then stopped. It was quiet. Too quiet. No more footsteps to track. She slowly turned around, and saw her. Senna had her back pressed against the wall, breathing much too calmly to have just ran about half a mile. She wore a black night dress that reached her upper thigh. Tonks looked up before her mind could wander too far.
"What are—" Tonks started to drill her but stopped. Something in Senna's expression made her choke.
Senna's dark eyes were tormented and half-crazed.
"What's wrong?" Tonks asked her, taking a step towards her.
Senna's tormented eyes did a once over on Tonks's body before meeting her gaze. Senna took a deep shuddering breath. "Sorry," she mumbled, "I know I'm not supposed to be out…" She paused, biting her trembling lip and looking away.
Tonks's heart squeezed painfully. It was such a heartbreaking expression.
Before she knew what she was doing, Tonks stepped forward again, and embraced her. Senna stiffened in her arms, unsure what to do. But after a moment, she relaxed into Tonks's arms. Tonks couldn't help but relish the feel of Senna in her arms, even when it was very inappropriate. She was warm, well-toned, and smelled like sweet lavender.
"What's wrong?" Tonks repeated softly.
Senna shook her head against Tonks's neck. Tonks did her best to ignore the sensations it caused. She was very concerned now.
"Did someone hurt you?"
She shook her head again.
She sighed and held her for a moment longer. She began to pull away, but Senna held on, wrapping her arms around her waist. Tonks almost groaned in pleasure. All the more reason to pull away. Tonks didn't have the best self-control when it came to Senna.
"Senna," she spoke with the most authoritative voice she could muster, "You really need to get back to your dorm."
Senna responded by squeezing her tighter, and her arms begun to tremble. This made Tonks's heart squeeze harder. In addition, she could feel Senna's breasts through the thin material of her night gown.
She was an Auror. One of the Aurors stationed here to protect the school from Death Eaters, not a therapist. She needed to be professional. It wasn't her job to console an emotionally distraught teenager. She had to be firm, tell her to return or she would report her.
But she just couldn't bring herself to send her away. The trembling girl in her arms cemented her to where she stood.
"Senna," Tonks was pleading now. She was losing her own internal battle.
Senna stepped away with tears in her eyes and looked apologetic. "Sorry if I am creeping you out. I'm not usually weepy." She dabbed at her eyes.
Tonks was still concerned, wondering what in the world could make this fierce girl cry. But it didn't look like Senna wanted to talk about it.
"Pft," Tonks laughed, "You're not creepy at all."
This seemed to genuinely surprise her. Senna looked at Tonks, her eyes wide with disbelief. Had she said something wrong?
"You don't think I'm scary?"
Tonks stared at her. Was she joking? After a moment of looking into her sincere eyes, Tonks began to laugh. Senna? Scary? Sure she was intimidating, but she certainly was not scary.
"I know you're out there." A gruff male voice came from another corridor. It was Filch, the caretaker. "Show yourself!"
"Quick!" Tonks grabbed Senna's arm and took off down the hall. Why she was helping her escape, she wasn't sure. The right thing to do would've been to turn her into Filtch. But Tonks had never been the one for rules, especially during her time at Hogwarts. She had hoped that Auror training had changed her, turned her into an obedient member of the ministry, one worthy of praise. But here she was, running through the corridors with a foreign-exchange student after dark.
They turned one last corner, and entered an empty classroom, closing the door shut behind her.
"There," Tonks huffed, "I thing we lost him."
Senna giggled.
Tonks turned around to see her smirking at her. She was relieved to see her in a better mood.
"You're good at this. Had much practice?"
Tonks rolled her eyes. "You bet I had."
Now that she was no longer crying, she could really appreciate her appearance. The lacey top of her night gown revealed a teasing amount of cleavage—which led to a swell of nicely shaped breasts. Senna's nipples were hard under the thin material, and it made Tonks's mouth water. If only she could have a taste…
Tonks shook her head to clear it. "What happened back there?"
Senna's expression fell. "Just a breakdown. That's all."
Tonks walked up to her, looking directly into her dark eyes. "Why?"
Senna sighed and deliberated. After a painfully long moment of staring, Senna spoke. "You know my name, right?"
"Senna."
"And the rest of it?"
Tonks raised an eyebrow. She couldn't see how this had anything to do with her breakdown.
"It's Senna Severus Snape."
Tonks gaped at her. Senna Severus Snape? And then she frowned. She had Snape for potions during her time at Hogwarts—and it was the worst period of the day. He was absolutely atrocious. She could see why Senna would not want to be related to him. "Are you—?"
"Related to Professor Snape? I had hoped so."
Tonks grimaced, "You want to be related to him?"
Senna exhaled in frustration, "I don't know, I just kind of want to be related to anyone really."
Tonks stared at her, uncomprehending. The torment was back in her eyes.
"I spent my entire life in an orphanage." Senna blurted out. There was a pause. "And I thought, I thought—just maybe I had found someone," Senna's voice shook, "But I was wrong. I don't have any one."
And then she understood. That's why she was so early for his detention. She was eager to meet the man that might be her father. And it wasn't Snape. That understanding tore at her heart like claws. This poor girl…
Tonks embraced her again, wrapping her arms around her. Senna did not resist this time. She melted against Tonks's body, nuzzling her face into her neck. And to her surprise—Senna moaned. Tonks tried not to let that sound stir her arousal. But feeling Senna's hard nipples pressed against her made it very difficult. She was trying to be comforting, not sexual.
So they stood, Tonks embracing the girl tightly, savoring the warmth and feel of their bodies pressed against each other.
Senna took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. "Mmmm." Senna murmured. Senna moved her hand, and placed them on Tonks's hips. She gripped them tightly and pulled her closer.
A hot bolt of arousal shot through her. Tonks ignored it best she could.
Then, Senna's thumb grazed the skin of her hip under her shirt. Tonks shuddered.
"Fuck." Tonks cursed.
Senna looked up at her, her eyes wide with innocence.
Tonks growled at her, suspicious that she was faking that innocence. "You're going to get me in trouble."
"Not if we don't get caught." Senna said in a husky voice, all innocent pretenses forgotten.
"Get caught doing what, exactly?" Tonks challenged, raising an eyebrow at her.
But Senna did not say anything. She seemed at loss for words.
"Well," Tonks huffed, "If you're feeling better, you should head back to your dorm." She suggested.
Senna made no effort to move or let go of Tonks. She simply stared at her, looking deep into her eyes.
Tonks stared back at her, willing herself not to falter. She would not succumb.
"Do you feel it?" Senna asked in a whisper.
Tonks gulped. "Feel what?"
Senna broke their staring contest to look down the length of Tonks's body with hungry eyes. Tonks shivered, feeling hot under her stare.
"This—this—" Senna seemed unable to put it into words.
Attraction? Tonks thought to herself. She sighed. Senna was quite innocent after all. The fact that she didn't understand what she felt made her realize this. It would be a bad idea to tell Senna that what she was feeling was probably attraction. It might make her pursue Tonks, and Tonks could not afford that distraction.
Senna continued to contemplate this, staring at Tonks's body. She should send her to bed now. She didn't know how much longer her self-control would last with Senna staring at her like this. Her center was already throbbing unbearably. But Senna spoke before she opened her mouth.
"What does this feel like to you?" Senna asked in a whisper.
She was about to ask what she meant, but was silenced with a kiss. Senna's lips pressed softly against hers.
And the touch of her lips sent a current of electricity down her spine. My god, her lips were soft and very sweet…
And then it was over, much too quickly.
Senna had propped herself away from Tonks, looking up at her with determined eyes. Her cheeks were red, but she did not look embarrassed, she looked steady and resolute. It was strange. Senna had seemed shy when they first met. Where did this confidence come from? But she was able to answer her own question when she saw her own eyes reflected in Senna's. Tonks's eyes were filled with hopeless desire.
Senna was confident because she now knew, for sure, that Tonks wanted her. And that gave her power over her. Tonks's heart sank in shame when she learned that she no longer had the upper hand.
How will the night end? Stay tuned for Chapter 8.