Enjoy! :)
The empty class on the west wing of the fourth floor was dark and silent, it's state could perfectly describe the mood of the two teens inside.
Harry was sitting on one of the chairs facing the window, Hermione sat in silence a few meters away. She seemed to understand without need of words that what he needed most at the moment was space.
Their redheaded friend was sent by her, to sneak some food from the Kitchens since they were skipping lunch at the hall. He suspected his female friend had asked him to go specifically to the kitchens so he would be held back by insisting, deligent elfs.
They must have been submerged in silence for half an hour, until Hermione deemed him calm enough to talk.
"What's going on Harry?"she whispered concerned.
He didn't answer, not because he didn't want to, he simply didn't know how.
"You've been hiding something" she continued, and at this he turned looking worried.
"I didn't mean to, I just don't know what's going on... How to... It's just..." He exhaled deeply frustrated.
"Okay... What about earlier? You said Nina did something to you", she asked gently.
"Umbridge was saying that there was nothing out there to threaten us... I was going to tell her off,... But Nina locked my jaw shut and kept it like that for the entire class." He scoffed the last part hurt clear in his features.
Hermione frowned pensive.
"I know I did wrong, but where does she get off doing that Hermione... I mean she was trying to stop me from speaking the whole time... and did you hear how she was talking to Umbridge, after everything she went through, after she spent two weeks with the Order, how can she just sit back and let that monster spout lies about Voldemort's return." He was on a roll, he stood up and walked in front of his chair.
"She watched people die, Hermione... Now what? She's just ready for the whole world to stay in the dark?" He exhaled and waited for his friend's response, she had listened, frowning to herself not saying a word.
He desperately needed someone to tell him that he was right, that the girl was in the wrong so he could swallow easier, the fact he had slammed her on a wall and almost lunged to choke her.
"Harry... What were you going to say to Umbridge?"
She asked carefully.
"That she's wrong, that Voldemort's really back... That we need to prepare, Hermione." He said frustrated.
She nodded "Harry... Don't you think she already knows that.. Dumbledore himself had been pushing the truth since the last trial, and at every turn he had been slandered..." He went to interrupt her and she hurried "...just hear me out..."
"Right now you could scream the truth in front of Umbridge and the Minister himself and they would still not believe you, because it's simply not their agenda at the moment. The only thing you would have accomplished is a detention with Umbridge, her watching you like a hawk and making your life miserable for the rest of the year." She explained.
"I don't give a shit about detention Hermione, the world is going to shit and everyone is calling me a liar...how can you expect me to keep silent?" He replied in indignation.
"Harry... You're not listening to me, speaking the truth at every turn only brings attention to you, how is that good for any of us. The Order itself works from the shadows; they don't go around the Ministry handing out pamphlets for the truth, they only spread the word to those they can trust, most of them fought in the last war. They're already calling you Dumbledore's parrot and puppet, how do you think it will reflect on Dumbledore right now if you do exactly what they expect you to."
"And what's the solution then? I just let people call me a liar for the rest of my life" he asked disbelieving stubbornness still present in his voice.
Hermione looked at him seriously. "It certainly isn't what you've been doing lately Harry. This is not just about Nina hexing your mouth shut is it? You've been losing your temper ever since you came back from the Dursley's, and every time it's about Nina it seems like everything escalates twice as bad."
This time the look of guilt on his face didn't go past his control. He hid his face behind his hands as he tried to hide from explaining further, it was proving to be difficult to pin the blame of everything wrong on anything other than himself.
His anger depleted from him quickly as the disgust that hit him when he watched her crumble came back with vengeance. How many times would he hurt her and blame it on his search for answers, or temper, or a difference in opinion.
Ron came in with the food and awkwardly smiled at him, probably not knowing if Hermione had bravely dealt with the burnt of his anger or if he'd had to witness it. Hermione moved to the contents of the basket and they left the conversation on hold to eat something.
Harry was at the middle of his sandwich when his courage took reign of him and made him break the uncomfortable silence.
"I think she's the secret Parseltongue, and I've been trying to find out some more proof." He said softly.
His friends were clearly stunned enough that he could see the half chewed sandwich in Ron's mouth, and hear Hermione's struggle to not choke on hers. It wasn't the best moment to drop the bomb on them but if he had waited any longer he would have never gotten the courage to.
Hermione was the first to recover, "Harry... What makes you think that, she's a.."
"Please don't say she's a Hufflepuff..." He cut her off. "I speak Parseltongue and I'm not a Slytherin either."
"Okay, I see your point. But you must have found out something to make you suspect her, right?" She said carefully.
He breathed deeply "She has a large scar in the same place Crouch Jr gripped me to feel mine, the exact spot where he had the dark mark, and I know it was a girl."
"Wait what, a girl? You never said anything about it being a girl" Said Ron scandalized.
"When we were following her,... Fake Harry, Professor Dumbledore and Snape attacked, Snape threw a cutting curse and it hit,... There was a scream, and it sounded like a girl's." He explained.
"Why not say anything, though?" Asked Ron perplexed.
"I don't think Professor Dumbledore realized I heard, He didn't speak about fake whoever it is from then on, just that I should never deny being at the maze. And he didn't even look at me at the trial, I don't know what is going on Hermione. But Nina is right in the middle of it, I can feel it, I just have to find out how."
"Is this why you've been trying to keep her close all this time, asking about Death Magick and practically interrogated her before potions?"
"What, no... I... It's... It's about" he puffed air from his lungs and tried again "I stole a Notebook from her trunk at Grimmauld place and ... She's... She... didn't take it well."
Hermione hit him several times with the potion book innocently laying at the table just a second ago.
"Harry Potter, I cannot believe you! ... Did you just admit to stealing someone's diary?" Practically screamed.
"I didn't read it Hermione, It's in another language."
"That is not the point" she said as she hit him one last time in frustration.
"Did you use the linguae charm then? Ron spoke as Hermione was collecting herself. She turned at him then with a screech "RONALD"
The boy moved his chair further away from her lest she attacks him with the book too.
"I tried," said Harry as Hermione groaned, he continued. "I might have messed up the charm, it kept translating everything into random consonants and vowels."
"Wait, why did you say she didn't take it well, does she know you stole it?" His heart sunk as his wish for his friends to overlook that part of his sentence jumped off the window.
"No... No she doesn't know... and I know how this sounds but, I don't know what I was thinking, I just... Ever since I saw the scar on her arm there's been a scratching in my head to find out more..."
They gave him some seconds to collect his thoughts.
"I followed her when she was going to pack and I saw her find the Notebook missing... I know it was wrong Hermione, believe me I know, I never want to see someone like that again, but her reaction was ... She was losing it ... And I hate myself because I did that, she was crying, could barely breathe, she was freaking out... I took the thing hoping it could be a diary but I think it's much more... Now I just don't know what to do." He was at the verge of tears and Hermione saw it.
His friend hugged him tightly and sat him down back on his chair.
"Harry... What you just described was a panic attack... the Notebook could be very important to her. Are you a hundred percent sure she could be the secret Parseltongue?"
"I hope to God she's not, I want to make sure.. Hermione, and I don't know how, everything I do ends up exploding in my face". He said features twisted.
He truly wished she wasn't, because then he could just go back to liking her and not worrying about anything else.
"Okay... We can make sure she's not the secret Parseltongue." Ron said, determined looking at Hermione "right?"
"You have a plan?" Asked Hermione astonished.
"Why the tone of surprise?" Ron asked and turned to his friend shaking his head. "Just leave the poor girl be until we know more, it's not pretty to slam a girl into a wall."
"Fuuuuck" he groaned, hiding his face again as Ron patted his back in comfort.
It had taken her a two hours nap to recharge her battery to function like a human being for the rest of the day. She skipped lunch having absolutely no wish to speak or see Harry Potter for the rest of the day. She changed out of her uniform and went straight to the library after she woke up, and got started on the mountain of homework they dumped on them.
She found some useful tomes on Moonstones and spent a few hours outlining what she would be writing on her essay, she'd leave the writing to when her brain wasn't exhausted.
She then proceeded to make up some of the dreams for Divination, weaving some real details with the lies and wrote two weeks ahead. She also made sure to finish History of magic and then closed her books with too much force.
At the end she had spent nearly four hours doing homework, it was almost six and the sky was already a mix of darkness and soft orange tones.
She signed the books out to take them with her and placed everything on her brown leather backpack, since knowing the spell existed she had made sure every bag trunk or box she owned, had an Undetectable Extension Charm.
It was perfect for days like her current one, where the last thing she wanted was to talk to anyone, certainly going back to the Hufflepuff common room would have resulted in that. It didn't escape her notice the way Dalia had looked at her, a mix of surprise and worry, it was just her luck that fucking Macmillan was right in front of her. No doubt he had heard Dalia whisper to Laurel what happened in Defense with Harry. They were nice to her but my God sometimes it felt like they lived for the gossip.
She came near the entrance hall and waited until Madame Pomfrey went inside, to sneak out of the castle. It wasn't particularly late, or forbidden, but still, it was better no one knew she liked to go swimming in the lake.
She ran to the edge of the forbidden Forest rounding it to be hidden from sight by its lush trees and followed the trail to the lake. She stood for a while listening around for someone sneaking around like her, and when she heard nothing, she removed her clothes staying in her one piece black swimsuit, activated her runes and went in head first.
Her frantic heart slowed after a few minutes and everything was right in the world again. There were no Dark Lords underwater, no Harry Potter, no one who'd call her a squib, no visions that mattered, or flashbacks or creepy red stones, or past lives or family dramas. There was only water around her, small creatures and big creatures and strange creatures going about their lives, only the glow of life outlining everything.
She swam deeper avoiding mermaid territory, usually, she swam beyond Hogwarts borders, but she suspected Professor Dumbledore must have put some strong nasty protections giving the current situation.
She swam near Hogwarts structure instead, watching the deepest parts of its walls buried into the mountain deep underwater. The castle was fascinating in all ways, she wished she could have seen it's creation. She swam deeper, touching with her hand the rocky edges of the mountain merging with Hogwarts walls in sheer curiosity, trying to see if her hand would be able to feel any difference between the mountain and the walls of the Castle.
She realized she was getting too close to the dungeons, where Slytherin's common room had it's crystal walls with an underwater view to the Black lake, and edged the familiar building from the right side to go deeper in.
Something moved at her right and she turned just in time to see a giant tentacle swat at her, she evaded and swam faster, playfully surrounding the tentacle never letting it touch her, as the giant squid tried to catch her, or probably just go about it's quiet life.
She followed the giant creature for a bit swimming in between his tentacles evading this way and that until it went further to its destination she stopped annoying him and went back to see if she could find the end of the castle and swam deeper still.
She swam slowly since it was a part never explored by her before, and got a bit nervous when she realized there was something wrong. The large water plants directly below her were supposed to house a colony of Grindylows, but her glowing eyes could not make out even one demon water figure.
This deep in the black lake they were supposed to grow smaller due to water pressure, but not enough that she wouldn't be able to see them.
She decided to take herself back to safer waters and just when she was about to swim up she saw the deadly spiked tail of a mermaid guard.
She gulped almost inhaling water, and pushed with her magic to go faster, the mermaid looked pissed off and it followed her with a rather sharp looking spear. She suspected the mermaid guard was probably just running her off because she knew for a fact mermaids could go faster than this guard was swimming.
The guard stopped suddenly and she turned worried, praying the chase was over and it was only a warning for intruding. She floated in her place as the guard watched her from afar, probably appointed along with many others to make sure nothing went in or out the Black lake.
She swam slowly near the dungeons again, making sure the guard was on sight and herself hidden from Slytherin's common room, and slowly went up to call it a day.
She poked her head slightly out of the water to make sure no one was out there and when she deemed it okay she got out.
She dried and warmed herself immediately with her wand, cool temperatures already forming, the night air was crisp and sharp, it wouldn't be long before the first snow came to Hogwarts, and the cold snowy season would unfortunately leave her out of the Black lake for a long time.
Hands glowing, she brushed her hands through her hair from its roots to its tips, two times until she felt it dry enough. She found out early on, drying charms directly to the hair was a sure way to make a static mess of dry fuzz, certainly not hair.
She took her backpack and sneaked back into the castle right when some late students were getting out of the hall, looking sleepy. The smell of food hit her hard, stomach protesting way too loudly, she changed her mind and walked in to see if there was anything she could get, going to the Kitchens would take her too long and she was already in that blissfully sleepy state.
The hall was almost empty; only a few remained. She sat down and immediately a steamy plate of beef and vegetable stew appeared in front of her. She ate slowly not wanting to hurry lest she disturbed the peaceful state she had reached and just when she was almost finishing, a black figure abruptly stopped at the entrance, at the edge of her vision. She looked up to see what was going on, spoon in her mouth, Professor Snape was glaring at her from the entrance.
Her face went bright red, and she struggled trying to empty her mouth, because she probably looked like a bloody chipmunk at the moment.
He came in, with his long hostile strides, and she felt her whole body try to move away from the table to a safer space.
Alas he stopped in front of her, glaring like a thousand suns and uttered in a languid whisper, his deep voice completely off from his body language.
"Detention, Ms Morgenstern, six o'clock Friday "
He looked like he was about to jump the table and throttle her not even a second ago.
She didn't say a word back, but she felt her eyes go round in astonishment. The man looked like he was waiting for a retort or something, but her full mouth stopped her from doing anything but breathing. He turned abruptly making her jump and his robes followed him swooshing like a Villainous Disney Character.
Looking around her in disbelief, a thought sprung in her mind. Detention the first day back to school from Snape no less, she had never even gotten a detention before. What in the hell was happening?
This had to be Potter's fault, oh yes, it couldn't be anything else. The boy had the most horrific luck ever to grace the earth, and he proved it day in and day out, one only had to watch him a day at school and it would be proven. He must have rubbed his bad luck on her.
Harry bloody Potter.
By the time she reached her room, she had somehow gotten her mind and body back to that perfect post swim blissful peace.
The other girls were busy in the common room, where the Hufflepuffs always gathered the first night to catch up with each other. It was a casual first day of school 'how are you doing', the real get together would be happening a couple of days later, what she called Loud Friday, where most had no obligations, and homework was still relatively light.
She went up to her room undetected and went straight to bed.
Next morning she was perfectly awake before Mr Potato came and gave her a good morning kiss. Dalia groaned at her for opening her trunk with too much force and she winced at herself, too much energy today.
She went for breakfast and only remembered what happened last night when she saw the man having his tea and reading the Prophet with his usual stern look.
She avoided eye contact and decided, she would rather just go to detention instead of subject herself to the nerve wreck that is basically demanding he tell her why a detention. No thank you.
There were few people in this world she never wanted to cross, and the two at the top happened to be great geniuses with amazing occlumency abilities.
She realized, after breakfast, her day would be a Potter free day. Not once did Hufflepuffs share class with Gryffindors today, and that suits her just fine.
Double Transfiguration and Double Charms were much the same, speeches about the importance of O.W.L.s and straight to class, and of course they both gave a load of homework.
Herbology started much the same with its speech and unfortunately, the joy and love Hagrid showed for magical creatures every step of the way, was sucked right off the class.
The woman wasn't bad, on the contrary she was professional and very theory centered, which was important when it came to academic goals. But she had two years of classes where the subject was essentially Care of creatures that happened to be magical, and she loved the way the kind man made sure they understood why he treated whatever animal they were dealing with, explaining what the creature understood and felt.
His priority was to his animals and it showed. He did not tell them to do things because otherwise they would get injured, he did so explaining what drove the animal to attack.
She loved it because it drove deep the idea that magical creatures did not attack mindlessly, they did when we, wizards and witches mess up.
She missed him already.
She went on for lunch with Dalia and Laurel and it looked like she was safe from questions until Macmillan opened his big fat mouth.
"So what was yesterday about, Morgenstern?"
He said as several friends of his snickered.
"You mean, you almost choked on air by your lonesome?" She asked innocently.
He grew red in the face, and stumbled "No you... You did the thing to Potter too... " He said as he pointed with his finger.
Merlin's fucking underpants.
Harry's name created a hush on their table and the Ravenclaws turned their heads to the Hufflepuffs full attention on the badgers table. She didn't need this damn it. He was probably sitting two tables from her, what in the hell was this asshole's problem?
Slytherins snickered loudly and kept whispering 'who did the thing to Potter?'
"That sounds weirdly sexual Macmillan, I know Defense was a bit boring but damn what have you been dreaming?" She looked at him
"It wasn't a dream, I saw you... You..."
"In class...with everyone present.. well if you say so... Sure buddy" she said sceptically.
Slytherins and some Hufflepuffs were laughing full on by now.
Soon after he simply shut up and went back to his lunch. When they finished Dalia took her by the arm and led her to the Library. She was going there anyway so there were no protests from her.
But she knew what the giry was fishing for.
"So what's with you and Potter, are you his girlfriend?" She asked seriously
Okay, that was absolutely not what she expected, her stunned face said it all.
"Woah, where did that come from?"
"Don't act like I'm making it up, you came to the station with him and the Weasleys and he suddenly just happens to save a seat for you at Potions and Defense."
" I didn't sit with him at Potions"
"Did you guys spend the summer together?" Asked Laurel, shiny eyes focused on her, the prospect of romance making her glow herself.
"Oh my God no... Merlin's beard ... It's nothing like that... I just happened to be in London and we met. You know I was planning to travel around muggle style on my own, and the Weasleys were kind enough to offer a ride, when they saw I was indeed, alone."
"So you guys aren't dating?, That's a bummer, I kind of prefer you to that Chang bitch."
"Whoa, Merlin Laurel what did she ever do to you."
"Oh You haven't heard, of course you haven't, she's been on and off with Cedric through the whole summer. I think he should just get rid of her at this point, if you ask me. And now that she's back to school she's all sweet and fluttery around Potter, do you see a pattern here, Nina. Come on, you're smart."
"I am? yeah I doubt that... What pattern am I supposed to see again? She asked skeptically.
"Nina" whined Laurel loudly warranting a hush from a seventh year student.
"She's fame who..." " Dalia come on?" She cut her off. "Everyone knew she was interested in Cedric before we even knew there was a Tournament", she continued.
"And he was popular even then, don't you see. Cedric lost to Potter, and everyone knows, hell everyone has just forgotten about the tournament entirely." Explained Dalia.
"Yeah, everyone just talks about Potter all the time"
Continued Laurel.
"So what, that automatically means she's jumping ships?" She asked, still not convinced.
"No you silly, this has been in the works for a long time. And I think Potter liked her too,...did you know he asked her for the ball?" Asked Laurel.
"Okay... So she has stopped dating Cedric, and is now moving onto Potter, or so you say."
"It is" they both replied.
"So what's wrong with that? I mean if they're unhappy together, shouldn't she find some other person who likes her?"
"Ughr... It's like she's not even listening I swear..." Exclaimed Laurel.
"She hasn't completely stopped dating Cedric though, and she's been seen going out of her way to find Potter and have a moment with him."
"Wait... I think I get it now. You guys are pissed off, because she's giving hope to Potter but still hasn't cut off the relationship with Cedric. Is that what you mean?". She asked, trying really hard to get what the hell kind of mess that was.
"I mean maybe she's just being friendly, you guys know how messed up those trials were. Not even Cedric freaking Diggory came out of it unscathed, besides Potter isn't having the best year exactly, he kind of needs it. She continued.
"You just don't like trash talking people don't you?" Asked Laurel disappointed.
"Excuse you I trash talk people just fine... There's stupid Macmillan, Parkinson, Malfoy and Crabb and Goyle." She listed
"Those are the usual suspects... It doesn't count.."
"Wait, so what did you do to Harry in Defense, he looked ready to murder someone." Asked Dalia remembering the incident.
She went to say 'nothing' and Dalia interjected, "Don't lie, I saw you", "Well why ask me if you saw then" she said annoyed.
"Okay, my bad why did you do it?" She asked instead.
"He was about to dig himself into a hole with the pink monster, that's all." She said vaguely.
"Awww... Nina, you were saving him?" She squealed loudly, prompting the seventh year student to shush them harder this time.
"No it wasn't like that... And don't you two dare go about saying that to anyone, he's already pissed at me" she muttered.
"Oh my God Nina!" Laurel exclaimed in a whisper.
"What is it?" She asked, looking around expecting Potter to emerge from nowhere, angry again.
"You actually like him.. I mean I should have guessed you never ignore him and you always say hi to him and you asked him for a dance at the ball when he was miserable."
"Okay... Laurel, I think you need to stop reading magical romance, because you just described a polite person not someone infatuated."
"No no no ... Your very reserved Nina, you wouldn't go all the way out, right Dalia? You'd just be polite and test waters first." Continued Laurel heatedly.
"You know what, that's enough of you too, we have way too much homework to be gossiping and psychoanalyzing teenage romance... And no, I'm not going to date Potter."
They went back to their homework, until their brains felt like mush.
Friday came around the corner rather fast, even with the heavy load of homework and heavy double classes, and her turn to patrol corridors with stupid Macmillan. She didn't have time to worry about detention with Snape and she just resigned herself and thanked God it wasn't a detention with the Pink Monster.
The girls had commented about it at lunch a few days ago. Apparently, people in her classes were landing detentions left and right, most of them small firsties.
She didn't want to think about Harry, but the worry of what he could spout when she wasn't there to stop him was real. He had been successfully avoiding her at all costs, they didn't lock eyes not even once . She supposed the progress made over at Grimmauld place has evaporated like steam in one double defense with The Pink Monster.
Before going to Snape's office, she changed out of her uniform and promised the girls she'd try and make it in time to their Loud Friday get together.
She was there three minutes early and after a mini freak out on what to do, she knocked and tried to stop fidgeting.
The door opened, Snape holding it for her as he glared. She went in and as he closed it, she stood near the door watching him.
He turned expecting her to have moved inside, and instead found her right in front of him.
"Perhaps you require a further invitation Ms Morgenstern?"
"No, sir" she answered, following him to his desk looking around. She had never been inside, the place was dark and closed on all sides, there were several vials of strange substances and questionable things. She spotted a jar with eyes floating and her face made a grimace, rapidly smoothing her features as she remembered she wasn't alone.
He went to his seat and stood looking at her again glaring, she realized she was supposed to follow and sit her ass down in the chair in front of him, instead of standing there.
She sat down as he did the same, and he continued glaring at her, a few seconds later he looked like he was about to fume.
"Are you aware Ms Morgenstern as to why your detention today came about?" He asked.
"No sir" she answered genuinely confused.
"And you did not feel the need to ask?" He continued. She really didn't know where he was going with this.
"I supposed you would inform me, eventually...sir"
He stood up abruptly and she just about held her voice from squeaking ridiculously.
"Follow me Ms Morgenstern," he said looking down at her.
She followed as he took her down some spiral stairs to what she could only guess was his storage room for special ingredients and not the future spot of her murder.
She formed her golden ball of light in her hand after she dangerously stumbled on the steps several times.
He stopped in front of a wooden thick door looking at her and her light simultaneously, and then he proceeded to open the door and stepped in.
"I hope I don't have to issue another invitation Ms Morgenstern." He called when she hesitated too much.
She went in and her mouth hung open in sheer horror and mortification. Her brain filter stopped working and she cursed "Oh Bloody hell"
"Another day of detention for filthy language Ms Morgenstern". She groaned and hid her face in her palms, the ball floating up around her.
She looked at the wall in front of her again and went closer, as she noticed a ridge that had no business being there. Looking back at Snape silently asking permission, she went closer when she realized he wasn't extra pissed.
The brick wall in front of her was transparent, giving a direct view to the Black Lake. She touched the wall and felt the coldness of the Lake seep in, she chuckled softly in genuine wonder, she touched the wall until she came upon the symbols she was expecting to find.
"They're new, just a few months" she whispered
It was the only way he would have been able to make this majestic piece of magic. The walls of Hogwarts were created by magic, strong magic, every brick of its walls was filled with energy. He couldn't have simply charmed the wall into being invisible and lowered the temperature. No. He needed runes to achieve the results he needed.
Her ball of light came closer to the part of the invisible wall she was interested in and it's symbols glowed a pretty green.
She chucked as she realized it was a rather simple set. A conduit rune linked to a rune for cold at the bottom and a third for sight at the top, to make a rather beautiful triangle, view directly to the deep part of the lake. The one she was swimming a few nights ago.
"Ms Morgenstern, perhaps you'd wish to explain your sudden need for swimming with the giant squid, and disturbing mere people."
"Oh..." She just realized he had basically watched her for God knew how long. "There was no disturbance sir they... Umm... they're.." she shut up abruptly trying to avoid digging herself into a deeper hole.
"They're what Ms Morgenstern ?" He said, eyebrows climbing higher on his face.
"Umm... They ...they know me" she whispered
"Is that so?, I'm assuming your nightly escapades had been a critical part of them ... Knowing you" he said mocking tone heavy in the last two words
" No sir , I... I mean they're used to me exploring the lake, the guards simply run me off and mark the place so that I don't trespass again... The guard must have dispersed its patrol wider this year and... Umm.. I didn't know." She explained finally, resigned to tell it as it was.
He looked at her in silence, impassive, she didn't know what kind of punishment she'd have. A cold sweat set in along her spine as she imagined the worst ever punishment. Expulsion.
She gulped and cleared her throat. "Sir, does this... Does this warrant expulsion?" She asked him.
He turned abruptly and waited for her at the door, closing it, he led the way up the stairs again to his office. Instead of going back to his seat though, he stood near what looked like his work table and explained "Your punishment is to clean these utensils, with the utmost care, Ms Morgenstern."
She couldn't hold her tongue again either "That's it sir?" He arched his eyebrow and replied "No Ms Morgenstern, no expulsion for you today, unless it is what you wish."
"No sir, cauldrons are cool... Umm I mean good" she said red faced and hurriedly.
And that's how they spent three hours, she took several stops to drink water from the bottle on her bag, when her hand started to get numb.
She didn't know why everyone dreaded his punishments, they were pretty normal for punishments, better than lines, those would have put her to sleep.
When the three hour mark ended she left everything in organized piles for the next day, cleaned her hands and waited in silence for his dismissal, he was busy scratching on a paper and she wouldn't dare interrupt him.
When he finished, he reminded "Ms Morgenstern, tomorrow at six will be your next detention, I don't tolerate tardiness."
"Sir, is ... Is swimming in the lake strictly prohibited?" She asked wishing she hadn't overstepped, she genuinely just wanted to know if she wasn't allowed to swim anymore.
"No Ms Morgenstern, It is not forbidden to Swim in the Black Lake but it is prohibited to disturb Mere people the giant squid and swimming beyond Hogwarts borders."
"Right sir, Good night" she said.
"Good night, Ms Morgenstern," he said .
She never thought she'd get out of a detention smiling. His last words were very clear, it was only prohibited to disturb them, and since she was no stranger, she wasn't a disturbance at all, she could still swim the Black lake. She almost skipped to the hall for dinner.
Taking a corner though, she heard some sniffling and her happy smile turned into a frown, when she saw a first-year from Ravenclaw clutching to his bleeding hand.
"Hey, what happened to you? Did you hurt yourself?"
The kid was barely able to talk in between sobs and said two words detention and Umbridge. She looked around and realized they were too far from the infirmary or Madam Pomfrey's quarters.
She went back from where she came from, this time holding the bleeding kid's hand and trying to calm him down and reassure him that he was going to be okay.
She knocked on Snape's door. And he looked angry until surprise took over for a second and then just impassiveness. He inspected the boy's hand, went into his cupboard, and brought an ointment with him.
"Your hand Mr...?"
She answered him instead, "Mr Glockrow"
He nodded and applied the grey foul smelling liquid. "It will calm the pain, apply water only after three hours, Mr Glockrow"
The boy nodded and thanked him, eyes huge and scared.
When she went to leave, Snape stopped her.
"Ms Morgenstern, I advise you to tread carefully when it comes to Professor Umbridge, and any other ailments of this sort, come to me first."
"Yes sir, thank you" she said genuinely grateful.
The bitch had her claws even in Madam Pomfrey's infirmary apparently, Hogwarts was worse than she thought.
Author's Note: I'm sorry guys, I think I messed up British lunch and dinner time. I wrote it as if Hogwarts was spanish, Lunch (after classes) at 15.00h, free evenings, and Dinner at 21.00h, I don't remember if the books ever mentioned it, but let's just go with it.
