The snow melted away from over the Hogwarts castle as the third month of the year approached. Nothing much changed for Seraphina ever since the last episode of Valentine's day , but there was still one question left unanswered to the Ravenclaw - the identity of The Half - Blood Prince . The Prince didn't make any other moves after the black roses, which bothered and relieved the witch at the same time. She felt relaxed on knowing the fact that he wasn't interested in her anymore, but what bothered her was the realization that she would not get a chance to know who The Half - Blood Prince was . Severus, on the other hand, was unaware of the fact that the girl felt fascinated by his nickname. He regretted his decision of sending her his decreased mother's favorite flowers .
Although Albus , Minerva , Filius, and Hagrid had acted as if they agreed with Severus' decision of not manipulating Seraphina into accepting a man 14 years older than she , secretly they all prayed to Merlin , that Seraphina would accept this cumbersome relationship .
Headmaster Dumbledore appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Christopher Smith Jr . Smith was a fine man of 40 with a medium frame, but there was nothing distinguishable in his personality. Miss Hudson - the History of Magic teacher , despite that fact, showed a great deal of interest in him . Soon, it became normal to observe the duo strolling together or sitting next to each other in the Great Hall , having deep and lengthy conversations .
Seraphina felt happy for the new pair. Only a little fraction of the reason for her merriment was Miss Hudson's new-found exhilaration , mostly she was contented to see that now at least the new teacher wouldn't mind giving her any special attention .
Severus, on the other hand, didn't mind the presence of the new teacher because his mind was already preoccupied with the thought of the Ravenclaw's reaction on knowing about the Curse of Forbidden Love . The young Professor worried that he might lose the most wonderful person in his life, but he didn't posses the courage to lie to her. Her dusky eyes always held a look of sadness in them .Warmth , mysteriousness , sadness and curiosity always played a playfully fluid dance in those eyes . It was impossible for the Potions Master to lie when she looked at him with those truth seeking orbs. It felt to him like he was betraying himself by lying to the girl who deserved all the happiness the world could grace her with . At first, the man who took down the Dark Lord was scared to like Seraphina, but now he was scared to cause her pain and suffering because he had started to like , admire, and adore her .
ልረልክ
It was the first day of March. After attending all her lectures the young witch didn't go to the library like she usually did in her normal routine. Instead, she walked down the corridor leading her towards the gargoyle of the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor of the castle .
Severus made his way towards Albus' office as well. He needed to talk to the old wizard about how they would tell Seraphina about the imprinting curse when his eyes fell on her delicate figure descending the staircase of the Gargoyle , lost in her own thoughts. She passed him without even noticing his presence . Severus hurried into the office without even bothering to ask for the Headmaster's permission .
" What happened to Miss Barclay ? " asked Severus at once.
" I thought we weren't allowed to intrude in her personal affairs ." commented Albus in a mirthful tone .
" Oh Merlin ! For once can you please keep your sarcastic attitude out of this, and tell me what happened to her. She looked lost," said the young Wizard impatiently.
" Nothing much to worry about, my dear friend. She just came to ask for my permission to leave the castle this evening," said Albus as if stating the obvious.
" And you gave a student - especially Seraphina , the permission to leave the castle?! She is a Merlin awardee for God's sake , Albus ! Didn't you see her? She looked so lost. I doubt you should have let her leave the vicinity of the castle when you know the remaining Death Eaters might be looking for her. They are thirsty for her blood," spat Severus in a mixed expression of anger and concern.
Albus silently listened to what the young Professor said. He was amused by the perturb he was exhibiting towards the girl .
" I don't remember clearly when you showed this amount of care for anyone , Severus . Does that indicate anything significant?" came a cunning reply from behind the desk . " And besides that, you needn't worry about Seraphina. She is very capable of handling her emotions and herself very prudently, " he added .
" Where has she gone?" asked Severus, ignoring the assertion put forward by the Headmaster.
" I promised Miss Barclay to not to tell anyone where she is going. It's something personal ." said Albus calmly.
" I have every right to know where has she gone . " said the Dungeon master. " Ok, listen Albus , although you are right that I have no right to ask you this, but please tell me where has she gone because my heart doesn't believe that she is in the frame of mind to handle herself," he added.
" Greenhaven Woodland Church, " said the man with crescent moon glasses.
" But..." the word left Severus' thin lips, but he was cut off by Albus before he could speak any further .
" Please forgive me , my dear Severus, but I cannot tell you the reason because there are some promises I am bound by," explained Albus .
Severus left the office at once without another word. His long legs carrying him as quickly as they could , towards the black entrance gate of the castle . Outside the black iron gate he didn't find Seraphina as he has expected . The raven yew-wood wand tightly gripped in his lean fingers , his mind concentrated on the location where the witch has went . Soon a opaque sphere of black mist encompassed his black figure, and eventually he felt his body being pushed through a tight and narrow rubber tube. The years of Apparating made him immune to the ill effects of the magical way of traveling long distance in no time . He didn't feel anything more than a tingle in his gut, and in a split second, that was gone too .
Severus appeared on a cement pavement. Subsequently, he realized he landed on the pavement of a Muggle street. On his right sat a line of seventeenth century two-story buildings with numerous shops on the lower floors . On his left was a large field with a building standing by itself. Up high there was the purple-gray spire of a church and the irregular form of an old building. The building before him was beautiful, old stone and stained glass . Besides the lonely building there was nothing but a huge field.
The Muggles walking down the street eyed him suspiciously because of the Wizarding robes he wore . He scanned the street for a barren or isolated alley, and successfully found one close to his right. Briskly, he entered the dark alley and pulled out his raven wand. With a flick , a downpour of bright golden light encircled him, and the next moment the frock coat was transfigured into a long overcoat, and his cloak was refashioned into a jet-black scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. He cautiously left his trousers and shoes the way they were .
Severus paced out of the dark alley he was standing in , noticing the windy weather outside the eerie alley. As the young Professor walked towards the grandiose iron gate of the church , his black orbs fell on a figure known to him. He saw Seraphina descending down the staircase of a flower shop with a beautiful bouquet of white tulips held in her delicate hands. She still looked lost and sad to him . The Ravenclaw meandered towards the church with a lost look on her face. Severus didn't want to stalk the witch, but the curiosity of knowing what a young girl such as herself was doing in a church filled him, and he was certain that only here he would get the answer to his question of why she was sad. Reluctantly he followed .
Seraphina didn't walk on the sandstone path laid past the grass of the grounds , directing towards the church building. Instead, she ambled towards the multitudinous graves that stood erected on the field. Eventually she reached her destination, as she belayed near one such stone grave, placing the white tulips next to another bouquet of white flowers in front of the erected stone. She kneeled on the ground then folded her hands in front of her chest and intertwining her thin fingers. After muttering something under her breath, she stood back up .
Severus contemplated her every move from a distance, but an urge to go near her was growing inside him. His attempts to suppress it had penurious results . So, he walked up to the position to be within earshot. Now he could hear what she said without attracting any attention to himself.
" How are you, Mum " the voice of Seraphina erupted out of the blue . Her voice was filled with compassion and warmth as always . " I miss you. Even Daniel misses you . You know the Ministry awarded me an Order of Merlin , First Class, but I still don't know if I deserve that . I went to Hogwarts as you asked me to, and thanks for making me go to that amazing place. I don't know if I would have liked it at Beauxbatons. I surely wouldn't have found friends like Luc, Eley and George there . Well, at last I met Professor Snape in person , but I still don't know why you didn't let me meet him earlier . Well let's put that aside , I want to tell him that I am luckiest girl on this Earth, Mum. You know who took me to the Yule Ball? Well, it was Professor Snape," said the girl with a chortle .
" Mom, although I am not upset with you for leaving me so soon, was it necessary to leave your little Seraphina alone all by herself? Of course as you always said, everyone has their own angels in life. Daniel is mine. " The witch sniffed as she unsuccessfully tried to hold back the tears from falling .
" Why did you leave me? First Dad, then you. Why ? Am I so bad? I don't know how I will be able to keep myself sane if all these things keep happening to me . " The words left her lips in no more than a whisper as she wept , but soon she composed herself and wiped the tears from her cheeks .
"Never mind. I am such a crybaby at times . Well, thank you for being such an amazing mother . I love you, " the witch told her as she stood there rooted in place for a few moments before walking off towards the longevous church .
Severus watched the girl with a lot of uncertainty. He didn't know why he hadn't gone to console her when she cried in front of that grave . Maybe, deep inside his heart he knew that his presence would only constrict the pain Seraphina was letting out .
Habitually, everyone saw Seraphina as the girl who never suffered, and the girl for whom life was far more easy than others, but in actuality, the girl had gone through as much suffering as any other person had gone through. Maybe even more. The only difference was that others mourned publicly over their misery so the world knew theirs, but this girl kept the distress to herself and tried to spread as much happiness as she could . Severus felt it right to let the Ravenclaw let out her pain .
The lovely witch was in no condition to notice the presence of any living being, especially her formidable Professor, even more so when he was wearing Muggle clothes , so she walked past him without realizing who he was . She briskly strolled up to the church and walked into the old structure. Again, Severus hesitated to follow her up, but something inside him forced him to against his will. Moving into the passage, he wondered whether this quiet air, filled with the scent of incense , candles, and the more solidly anglican smell of musty prayer books, metal polish and flowers and the brightly lit passage with it's floor of encaustic tiles and its white-painted walls ran the whole west end of the church.
As the Dungeon Master's eyes fell on the far end of the praying hall of the church, he saw no one except the fragile figure of Seraphina kneeling on the step near the large statue of the Lord Jesus hung by a wooden cross . Something invisible was pushing him towards the girl as he reluctantly took every step towards her. Before he could have realized it, he was standing near the praying figure of the young witch.
" God won't judge you no matter what you ask him for , my child," a voice whispered in his ears as he turned to face a middle-aged man in black robes .
" But I don't know what to pray for, " replied the young Wizard in whispers .
" So, just thank God for all he has graced you with, " whispered the priest and strolled away as mysteriously as he appeared.
Severus didn't kneel down to pray. He wasn't sure what he would ask thanks for. Lily had chosen James above him , his parents had died before he had even turned old enough to sustain himself ,then the curse by Lord Voldemort had caused him to imprint upon Seraphina, whom he didn't deserve .
But he was thankful to Him for sending friends like Minerva, Albus , Filius, and Hagrid into his life, and Seraphina was probably the best thing that had happened to him . The Professor wordlessly sat on the rear wooden bench. He didn't know what he was supposed to do next. He didn't want to stalk the Ravenclaw witch anymore, but he wasn't sure whether she should be left on her own or not, because he still feared the Death Eaters would attack her .
" Oh, Professor Snape ! I didn't knew you were here, too," a soft , warm voice fell on his ears, tugging him out of his ocean of thoughts. He raised his head to see Seraphina standing near , her eyes puffy and her cheeks stained from tears .
" You aren't the only one who has permission to leave the castle , Miss Barclay, " he replied calmly .
" Well, I know it's very impolite to ask, but what are doing here - in a church ?" asked the witch with a hesitant tone.
" Student's safety is Hogwarts first concern , Miss Barclay . You may not care for your safety and status , but it might have escaped your notice that there are people who care for you and your feelings ," said Batman . " But I should be the one to ask what are you doing here , Miss Barclay?" questioned Severus.
" I...I...I...just came... for some... enlightenment, " she stuttered .
" And what was your enlightenment? " he questioned. " Lying is something you perform very poorly," he added without giving her a chance to answer.
A long pause of silence came over them. It was Severus who broke the fragile silence with his cavernous voice.
" I hope you have paid your homage to your mother ."
The girl wordlessly nodded in her reply .
" What did you asked God for ?"
" Nothing. I just thanked him for everything." She eyed him speculatively. "So, you mean to say that Headmaster Dumbledore sent you to keep an eye on me. " said the adolescent witch without looking at him .
" Miss Barclay, I know some matters are personal and require your and only your presence there, but I must express my disappointment on you . A student such as yourself isn't expected to act so ignorantly when you know there are Death Eaters who want to see you beheaded for getting 11 of their members arrested . And I doubt you want another photograph of yours on the front page of the Daily Prophet with another silly made up faux story," said the Potions Master with a visibly disappointed look on his slender , pale face . He stood up from the wooden bench to face the young witch.
" I doubt I need any security , sir . I am capable enough to keep myself safe from any threat, " said the witch sternly . " But why would the Daily Prophet be stalking me ?" she asked with an astounded look on her face .
" I think you should say yes," another voice made itself heard. Severus recognized it as the voice of the priest who suggested him to pray earlier. The duo turned to face the old man mirthfully smiling at them .
" May I beg your pardon, Father, " said Seraphina.
" It's rare to see a couple proposing in church , my child. I think you should say yes to the young man," declared the priest as he walked up towards the pair . Seraphina turned as red as she could get. The comment was awkwardly funny and utterly embarrassing .
" I am speechless at your interpretation, Father. Forgive me for I need to excuse myself from the company of you gentlemen," exclaimed Seraphina hurriedly as she paced towards the large door which had been wide open from which streamed the fading sunlight of the sunset.
" Ah... Father...it is nothing like that . I...we...there is nothing like that between us, " Severus muttered quietly.
" Lord, forgive me ! I just misinterpreted the whole scene . Forgive me, my child, " pleaded the priest . " Please ask for her forgiveness on my behalf, young man," he added as he turned to walk away.
Severus stood there for a few moments, dumbstruck by the comment of the priest but soon he followed Seraphina's path and exited the old structure. He saw the young girl standing near the iron gate all by herself, her face was still red from embarrassment .
" He said sorry to you , Miss Barclay, " said Severus as he approached the girl .
The Ravenclaw gave him a long look. Her visage was stony. Abruptly she broke into fits of embarrassed laughter. Her Professor joined in, but they both didn't uttered a single word about the incident. Subsequently, the Potions Master composed himself and extended his hands towards her which received him a look of bafflement from the laughing girl.
" We need to Apparate back to the castle , Miss Barclay, " he declared solemnly.
Seraphina too, composed herself and held her Professor's hand delicately. Soon the mist formed, and in the blink of an eye, they were at the iron gates of Hogwarts castle . Severus narrowly eyed his companion who had a sick look on her face.
" Are you okay, Miss Barclay ?" inquired Batman .
" I think so, " replied the witch .
Seraphina was lucky that this time Apparating hadn't made her vomit. She felt relaxed after a few minutes of nausea . Once inside the castle, they both parted ways with an unspoken promise to keep the priest's comment a secret .
While Severus was on his way to the Dungeons, he saw Albus climbing the stairs directing towards the Dungeon . His old face gleamed at the sight of his young colleague .
" Oh, Severus, did you find out why Seraphina went to the graveyard? " asked the old wizard.
" I am sorry Albus, but I am not a stalker " spat the young man .
" Then why are you wearing Muggle clothes, my dear Severus? " added Albus cunningly.
Severus realized too late that he was still wearing those transfigured clothes .
" Okay, I went after her , but it was just for her safety. My heart wasn't convinced that she would be all right by herself, " he replied defeatedly .
" Well my plan worked well , I assume," declared Albus with a mirthful smirk.
He knew Severus would have followed up with a question so he continued without giving the young Wizard a chance to speak.
" I am as much concerned about her safety as you are . So, I just lied to you about not knowing her intentions. I was sure that you would have gone after her and hence, both my purpose were served . I ensured that she was safe with you, and you got yet another chance to know who Seraphina really is, " he added.
Severus was mute for a brief moment .
" Why is it that you feel that you know what is best for everyone , Albus? What was the need to lie to me? You could have asked me to follow her directly; I would have never said no to you," fumed the Dungeon Master.
" She would have never agreed to the proposal of going to her mother's grave under a teacher's surveillance , Severus . And you would have never been able to see her real pain if she would have had the knowledge of your presence," replied the Wizard with the crescent moon glasses.
Severus acknowledged the fact that every word he spoke was right, but still a small part of his heart was still annoyed by Albus' acts.
" You shouldn't have told her that the priest asked for her forgiveness, " the fading voice of Albus fell on his ears .
" How did you know about that, Albus ?" questioned the young man as he turned towards the robes that were swaying behind the old Wizard. " Please tell me you weren't behind that also?" he pleaded.
" Listen, Severus, I promised you I would do whatever I could to spark things between you two, and that was all that I did there. Why don't you understand that you two look adorable together?" said the old wizard.
" We talked about it Albus: nothing before she graduates from here, " added Severus with the slightest hint of frustrated in his tone.
Neither of them uttered another syllable, and both went on their way because both knew it was an endless and futile debate.
ልረልክ
The promise was sustained faithfully by the Ravenclaw Prefect and the Dungeon Master. The days passed by like the bristling of leaves and soon only one night was left before Seraphina's birthday, but little did the adolescent girl know that the night would change her life forever. The witch was ignorant to the fact that her already topsy – turvy life would get shattered in a split second, but she would also find the one who would help her glue back every part .
On the night of the 9th of March, the young witch was on her way to the fourth floor corridor of the west wing as a part of her patrolling duty . Her headphones were tucked into her ears as she strolled down the corridor humming the lyrics of the songs playing on her iPod . While striding along leisurely, her eyes fell upon the door of a classroom that was half open. She peeked in to ensure that it was empty but to her surprise inside the empty classroom was standing Batman in front of a very large mirror . His face was fixed at the reflection in the mirror. He raised his left hand and caressed the reflecting glass as if he was caressing a person. His slender, pale face had a saddened expression on it.
Why was Batman sad to see his own reflection ? Many more questions erupted in Seraphina's mind. She tried to figure out the reason for his distress . The picturesque memory of the page of a book – " Magical Creations " came to mind. She remembered reading from the book in the Restricted Section of the library , about a mirror showing the person his greatest fears . The thought stuck her that it might be the same mirror, but still uncertainty overshadowed her .
Finally, she decided to do what she hated to. She would be entering Batman's mind to see what was the reflection showing him . Seraphina relaxed her mind, and in no time her raven orbs started fading, and the crystal blue color took their place. Her whole body was fading and the sight looked like she was being sucked into oblivion. Everything around her turned shiny white , then all of a sudden, everything surrounding her started to turn misty and dark. She was inside Batman's brain now . In front of her was the same room she was peering into previously, but now she was standing nowhere near the door. Instead, she was standing near the stained window of the barren classroom. in front of her stood the misty figure of Professor Snape. A sad feeling came over her out of the blue - she was feeling what her Professor was feeling right now .
Pushing the distressed feeling aside, the girl stepped towards the mirror, but the sight which greeted her left her in a state of utter shock . In the reflection of the mirror, Professor Snape wasn't alone, but a girl stood there in front of him. His robes were also different from what he was actually wearing . The image in front of her wasn't stationary , neither was it obeying any laws of reflection the young Ravenclaw had studied about. On the contrary, the image in the mirror showed a whole other scene – a scene one could fantasize about .
Batman's reflection was wearing a white silk shirt and black trousers, while the girl standing in front of her just had a black silk bedsheet loosely draped around her rather skinny form. The sheet covering her was so loosely draped around her breast that the silk dropped low near her back , showing her attractive and aesthetic back on exposition. Batman's eyes were inundated with compassion . Eventually, the tall figure of Batman wrapped his muscular arms around the delicate figure of the girl, pulling her closer to himself , his hands caressing the soft waist of the female. Then he leaned in so that his lips was caressing the girl's. The girl draped in black silk reciprocated his caress. In a delicate manner, the lady in black raised her hand and pulled her fingers slowly through Professor Snape's jet black hair, and they both shared a passionate kiss . Seraphina felt awkward entering her teacher's mind and seeing such a personal and vulnerable memory of his, making her regret her decision , so, she turned her back towards the mirror and focused her mind to prepare herself to retreat from his mind when a very known and similar voice fell on her ears. It sent goosebumps down her body .
" I love you , Severus," the possessor of the voice said breathlessly. The voice seemed unnaturally similar to her own - for once it felt to the adolescent witch as if it was her own voice, but she also knew it was impossible so she turned back to face the large mirror, and what she saw anaesthetized her mind .
For the first time ever since she had entered the teacher's brain did she intimately espied the features of the girl . Her hair was as black as the most pure of velvety nights with a slight wave at the tail end falling on her shoulders. A pair of black glasses was placed on the top of her nose , the short round face resembled her own was outlined by the effervescent moonlight falling into the room from the stained glass . Although it was impossible to believe, the reflection was unquestionably hers own .
" I love you too , Seraphina, " the deeply enticing voice of Severus Snape made itself clear.
The couple was still inches from each other . Professor Snape couldn't see something like this in the mirror . It wasn't possible. He didn't like her - no he couldn't like her. Uncountable similar thoughts raced through her mind as she hastily escaped Batman's brain . Once she was not in the world of his memories , she ran. She ran as if Lord Voldemort himself was after her life, and she was obliged to run for her life like a poltroon , instead of dying like the brave warrior she was. It felt to her as if she heard a fading sound of her Professor calling her from behind, but she had lost the courage to face the man she had admired her whole life.
He had promised that he would never hurt her, but his desire to kiss her – a 16 year old school girl , narrated a different story . Seraphina ran outside the castle straight into the dark , menacingly eerie forbidden forest . The memories from a few days prior flashed in front of her. Something very similar to this had happened with her. Lockhart - a teacher--confessed his love for her, and now another Professor was seeing a reflection of himself kissing her . The witch's brain was numbing at an alarming rate, but she couldn't afford to let the emotions take over her mind. She needed to compose herself and ready herself for whatever unknown would come in her path . The Prefect decided to report this incident straight to Headmaster Dumbledore, but before knocking on the door of the Headmaster's office she needed to quell the volcano of emotions that had erupted inside her .
Diverting her mind away from Professor Snape was important. His face, which was constantly coming in front of her eyes , was sending a throbbing pain down her chest. How could the man she assumed to be the most noble man she could have crossed paths with , think like that of her? Why was she the only one men found worthy of their attention and lust? There was nothing special about her; neither did she possess a beautiful face, nor was she the most attractive girl in the whole school. Her dressing sense was more elegant than bold. First Noah , then Lockhart and now Professor Snape. The last one was not even someone the young witch had thought would do something like this to her . Why was life being so cruel to her? Seraphina feared she would not be able to keep herself composed any further now that the same thing was happening to her the third time .
Seraphina was too late to realize that her aimless sprinting brought her to the middle of the menacingly dark forest. She was surrounded by a layer of thick forest filled with treacherous and savage creatures on all sides . She paled as if she'd been painted with white-wash. Even her lips were barely there. Then with one step backwards, she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings on the dirt covered ground .
ልረልክ
The Mirror of Erised was a creation of Wizards that showed you your greatest desire . The Mirror of Erised was an ancient, ornate mirror. It had clawed feet and a gold frame inscribed with the phrase " Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." The mirror showed the most desperate desire of a person's heart; a vision that has been known to drive men mad. Mad wasn't the most appropriate word, but the mirror did give him the only ray of hope he had in his darkened world – Seraphina.
Severus was making rounds when he saw the poltergeist - Peeves bursting out of one classroom with tears falling from the eyes . The sight was rare. Peeves was usually the creature that caused others to cry, but seeing the Poltergeist cry made the young man curious to know what caused him to shed it's tears. He entered the classroom which had a large mirror kept in its center . He knew about the Magical phenomena which caused many great Wizards and Witches to destroy themselves because they had lost the will to live once they had tasted the fantasy of living in their dreams .
But what was his own deepest desire ? The question intrigued him. He walked up to the mirror to get his answer , but what the reflection displayed saddened him . It wasn't a lie that his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection, but he knew that was far from happening. Why would she choose him over the charismatic boys out there who would give everything to have her as their girlfriend . But the reflection consoled him at the same time. Maybe not in the real world, but at least in the world of the Enchanted mirror he would be graced with her .
The whole world went black for Severus as his eyes fell on Seraphina's figure standing near the half-open door of the barren classroom , her eyes unnaturally crystalline blue instead of the natural raven color of it. He realized what was going on. Seraphina had entered his mind and had seen what the Mirror of Erised had shown him--his greatest desire was Seraphina's affection and acceptance . Seraphina's eyes returned to their authentic dark color and in the blink of an eye she was running away from him. He called for her to tell her the truth, but she was gone. Severus wanted to follow, but his body wasn't coordinating with the mind . Everything collapsed in front him. He felt cold as fear augmented inside of him. He could see the clear vision of Seraphina fixing him with a loathing look and then, out of blue, she disappeared, leaving his world barren and dark .
The young Professor stood still for God knows how long. It felt to him like he was losing the will to live. He was supposed to love Seraphina for his entire life. From the beginning it had hardly a chance of working out, but now it was impossible , seeing that the lovely witch would never accept him . The sadness that had come over him was sending a stinging pain down his chest as if he was being repeatedly stabbed by a sharp dagger .
Suddenly the sound of wing flattering tugged him out if his deep thoughts. The sound came from an owl hovering above his head. The brown owl dropped a piece of parchment near him and flew away . Severus picked up the parchment. It was from Albus, and it read -
Severus I want you in my office this very instant. We need to tell Seraphina everything .
Albus
The stinging pain in his chest proliferated as he read the last line of the note , but he knew it was important to do so now that Seraphina has seen something she should have known a lot earlier.
Sighing heavily, he made his way towards the office of Headmaster Dumbledore on the seventh floor . Before knocking at the door of the office he hesitated, but neither could he change what would happen nor could he keep this a secret from her anymore. Knocking on the door softly, he entered the office which was crowded with his friends and a figure sitting in front of the fire, a warm red quilt loosely wrapped around her. Her gaze fixed at the riotous flames of the fire .
Minerva stood near her protectively . No one in the room looked impressed or merry , neither were they disappointed or angry . Everyone in the room looked disquieted except for Seraphina. Cold contempt overshadowed her delicate face as her dead eyes tried to ignore the newly entered man in the room.
" Seraphina , there is something we need to tell you about . It's very complicated, and we won't blame you if you hex anyone of us or express your anger. You have the right to do so ." the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore filled in the room from behind his desk.
Seraphina shifted her gaze from the flames to the old Wizard. Her eyes were empty and her face stony.
" I know he is a Order of Merlin and a friend of yours, and you care for his respect . Headmaster, I am not asking you for any favor like firing him or anything similar to that . I simply wanted to inform you of this, and I would like to leave Hogwarts once and for all. I cannot keep myself sane if things keep repeating themselves, " declared the Ravenclaw in an emotionless voice . " And now that someone whom I trusted and admired my whole life has other expectations from me , which I cannot agree with, I would like to stay isolated from the Wizarding world," she added .
" I understand your anger, Seraphina, but please give us a chance to explain this situation, for once . Things aren't the way they seem to be. Severus doesn't lust upon you – he is a man of honor , my dear " interrupted Minerva . The girl shot her a cold glance .
" Whatever the Patronus-like thing of the snake said to you was not a joke by Peeves; it was the truth that we have kept secret from you, and the Patronus-like thing was sent by the Dark Lord," declared Albus in a stern voice.
Seraphina's raven eyes widened at the statement of the old Wizard. How could that be possible? The Dark Lord had perished ten years earlier. How could he send anything resembling a Patronus? What would the darkest wizard ever born want from a invaluable girl such as herself?
" Ten years ago when Severus killed the Dark Lord , Riddle hexed him with a curse called the Curse of Forbidden Love before dying . Poor Severus was forced to imprint upon one that Lord Voldemort would choose for him," said Minerva rigidly .
" And you were the one You - Know - Who chose for him . Severus cannot control this, otherwise he wouldn't have done it . It's not his fault," added Filius dejectedly .
Headmaster Dumbledore narrated the whole tale for her . What she heard gave her an insuppressible urge to hex anything around her or punch something hard .
Seraphina fell on the armchair kept near her. She couldn't believe what her teachers were saying . Professor Snape had imprinted upon her the day she came here … Lord Voldemort had chosen her to cause hurt and sadden Batman … She had heard the name of the Curse of Forbidden Love from her mother once or twice, but she never knew this would happen to her .
Finally, she rose from the armchair and stepped towards her Professor clad in black , her wand tightly gripped in her delicate hands as if she was ready to hex the man standing in front of her .
" I want to..." she mumbled weakly, but before she could have completed her statement, Batman cut her off.
" Yes, " he simply said. The Ravenclaw nodded in reply.
Things were repeating themselves. She was again fading, and it seemed like she was being sucked to oblivion. Soon everything surrounding her turned dark and misty . She was no longer in the Headmaster's office, but inside a small attic room which was dark and shabby. A small bed was placed at the far end of the room where a little boy with long black hair sat with a torn book. His clothes were worn and his eyes were cast down with sadness . Abruptly, a loud shriek filled the room , scaring both Seraphina and little Severus. The scared boy ran towards the door. The witch followed. The shrieking noise was coming from downstairs where a man had pinned a woman who resembled Professor Snape, against the wall. Both the younglings peered down from the top of the spiraling stairs. The man shouted something inaudible, and then the sound of hitting , slapping and punching was followed by the sounds of a pleading woman. Little Professor Snape gasped and ran back to his room , fear shadowing his innocent, childlike face .
Seraphina also felt scared, but she wanted to stop the man from assaulting the woman, and she also wanted to confront the little boy. Sadly it wasn't possible as she was inside her Professor's memories, and nothing could be changed here.
Subsequently the mist changed its form to another scene of Batman who looked in his early twenties . The surroundings transfigured into a room similar to Professor Snape's chamber , but the difference was it was very untidy and smelly . The door thudded open, and a visibly angry man stomped in. With the entry of the man, Seraphina felt a rage of anger flowing inside her . The younger version of Professor Snape threw his frock coat away and rolled up the sleeves of his white silk shirt revealing the Dark Mark. threw a bottle of Firewiskey and picked up a large piece from the mess of shattered glass he had created. He stabbed it into the Dark Mark , slitting every part of the visibly black tattoo . The adolescent Ravenclaw felt a stinging pain in her left arm .
The mist clouded again. It now took the shape of a forest covered with snow. She realized she was seeing Professor Snape's battle memory . The young Professor stood facing Lord Voldemort, both their wands pointed at each other . Suddenly, the Dark Lord started screaming in agony, but before falling to the ground, he pointed his wand at the man standing in front of him and a wave of blue light flew out of his wand, taking the shape of a snake . It was a rather beautifully carved Patronus of a snake with large eyes and a very precisely scaled body . The snake formed high above the ground, it's body doing a dancing motion in the open sky. It suddenly shot a glance at him, and the hissing words poured out as its thin mouth opened and spoke something Seraphina understood completely. She was also a Parselmouth after all . The snake hissingly declared that –
Severus Snape, you have been cursed by Lord Voldemort to imprint upon a girl that will give you the pain you deserve.
She saw uncountable memories, and they only gave Professor Snape distress and nothing else.
It was enough pain for Seraphina to handle at the moment when she herself was going through unquenchable distress . Her body was fading and the mist was dissolving itself, and soon she was outside Batman's brain and back in the Headmaster's office . In front of her stood the man she had vowed not to see the face of a few hours before, but now she felt sad for him. Still, she didn't know what she was supposed to feel: anger , frustration or understanding towards the complexity of the situation . So, had it meant that he saw her reflection because of the curse ? After a long moment of rumbling thoughts , Seraphina decided what to do. Reluctantly, she stepped towards the Potions Master.
Albus and Minerva gasped audibly as the girl stepped closer to her Professor , the Aspen wood wand tightly gripped in her hand , indicating her readiness for an attack . Their fear was unraveling itself , Seraphina wasn't convinced of the fact that it wasn't her Professor's fault that she had been imprinted upon.
Severus saw her raven eyes restoring to their original color and that she was stepping towards him. He knew why she was coming closer – to slap him hard . He deserved that after all, how could he expect a sixteen-year-old to understand the complexity of this situation ?
In actuality, the amount of maturity and understanding Seraphina had showcased at times had Severus hoping that she would understand this scenario, too , but unfortunately he had been mistaken by his own trust in Seraphina . The Dungeon Master closed his eyes. He had lost the courage to see the hate for himself in those eyes. He felt the collar of his coat being pulled, but he didn't opened his eyes to see the onerous hatred in those black orbs . The few minutes felt like forever to him. To his surprise, neither came the slap nor a question. What came left Severus wordless and flabbergasted . Severus felt a small and fragile figure pressed against his own frame. A pair of delicate arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a tight, comforting embrace . The young Professor's eyes opened wide to see Seraphina pressing him into a warm hug . Her embrace wasn't seeking any comfort, instead it radiated a sense of protection. He felt as if no one – not even the Dark Lord himself--could hurt him now that the girl was with him , near him .
" When was the last time you got hugged , Half - Blood Prince ?" she whispered into his ear.
Her voice was at the verge of cracking , but despite her endless efforts to control herself, a tear rolled down her cheek. Severus didn't reply. He simply didn't know what he was suppose to say. Maybe he should thank the girl for understanding his unexplainable situation , but his mind didn't want to get entangled in the words , so he simply wrapped his muscular arms around her , pulling her even closer to himself .
Eventually, Severus' muscles relaxed, and he melted into her arms. Never before in his life had the young man felt so comforted . They both stood in each other's arms for a long moment before Albus cleared his throat to tug the duo back to reality. They pulled apart , red-faced as they realized there was an audience spectating the view . The overwhelming feeling caused them to forget that they were standing in the room with four other people, too.
" I am sorry . I crossed my limits. I shouldn't have let my heart control my mind, " mumbled Seraphina, her head bowed low with embarrassment.
" Seraphina, don't feel sorry for relieving us from our biggest dilemma," chortled Albus .
Seraphina gave him a puzzled look .
" We were scared that you might not understand this situation, but it seems now that you are pretty much sure of what you will do ." explained Minerva.
" I don't know the reason for keeping such information secret from me, but I would like to make a promise to you all, and especially to you, Professor Snape . I don't know how this will work out. I don't know if we both will be able to… know …love …each other , but I will be by your side whenever you need me ," said Seraphina emphatically." But there are a few things I want to clear up before anyone of us leave this office," added the witch.
Albus indicated for her to get seated and then speak. Seraphina obeyed and seated herself on the armchair.
" I don't know what to feel at this moment, I am not sure of the reason why Lord Voldemort chose me to hurt Professor Snape, because I cannot even in my dreams think of doing something to disappoint him . But I want a favor from you, Professor Snape, and from you all , too, " said the young witch while glancing at the four friends of her destined life partner .
" I propose that nothing will happen between Professor Snape and me until I am a student here . I would prefer to share the relationship Professor Snape and Miss Barclay used to shared . My reasons are not personal. I proposed this keeping in mind the social status either if us posses, and the reputation of Hogwarts which we should avoid affecting. I don't want anyone to question Professor Snape's morals or sanity because of someone so trivial like me , but if you want it otherwise I will not go against you. And yes, please, no other efforts for sparking things up between the two of us," vocalized the witch as she passed the old Wizard a weak but sly smile.
She shifted her gaze to the young professor standing near her.
" And for me , I know I am not suited to you, and forgive me for that, but happily, Lord Voldemort clearly made a huge mistake by choosing me for a great man like you. I know it might have disappointed you upon learning that I was the person you were to imprint upon. Can we fall in love? I don't know the answer to that question, but I believe we both could start ...this… with a friendship, then maybe..." Seraphina found herself at a loss of words, but even after being in such an awkward position , she was able to make herself clear .
Severus walked up to her and kneeled on the floor of the office , making himself level with her. He took her shivering hands in his slender fingers and fixed her with a look of compassion .
" I am the one who is unsuitable for you , Miss Barclay . You accepted me, but it took me a lot of time to accept the fact that God has graced me with the most wonderful person on this Earth . I will never in my life do anything that you are against. I respect your decision, and no one - not even my Cupid friends - will force you to do anything against your will, " said Severus in a soft tone , his voice like melted chocolate.
" I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you anymore," whispered the lovely witch softly with a warm smile . Batman raised her hands and caressed them with his this lips.
" I thought you both were just friends, " commented Filius with a mirthful smile.
Severus and Seraphina looked at the four Wizards who were giving them mischievous glances.
" Professor McGonagall, thanks for giving me the best prom partner ever, and Professor Dumbledore, I thought that was very bold of you to send me to Professor Snape's chambers , but thanks for being so thoughtful," she spoke with a sweet smile playing on her lips.
The clock chimed as the hands showed twelve. Seraphina's birthday arrived with the most unusual gift she could have received . She met the one destined for her on her seventeenth birthday, and it was no one other than the formidable Professor Snape who had a vulnerable heart that needed compassion and care, but this gift brought a lot of responsibilities with it.
" Happy seventeenth birthday, Seraphina, my dear," declared Albus cheerfully as he rose from behind his desk.
" Thanks, Headmaster Dumbledore," said Seraphina shyly .
Everyone in the room wished her a happy birthday.
" I suppose you two friends should leave for your chambers , it's already midnight, and we have a busy day tomorrow," Dumbledore added.
The duo agreed and left the office, walking silently towards the Prefect's dorm . Once they approached the painting of the young maiden, Seraphina turned to face her Professor. After a long moment of silence, Seraphina spoke.
" I think I should leave . Good night, Professor Snape," she said awkwardly and turned to leave, but before she could have walked off, she felt his hand grab her arm and pull her towards him. The next moment, she was pressed against the muscular chest of her Professor . Her delicate face buried into the chest. She could clearly hear his heart which was throbbing thunderously .
" I don't know how I could ever thank you for accepting me despite the odds . Thank you for bringing happiness into my life ." The chocolatey voice of Batman whispered in her ears.
It sent goosebumps down her body as her eyes widened . She awkwardly patted his back and waited for him to release her from his grip. Eventually he let go of her fragile figure .
" I...I...don't know what to say . Sir, you are the best man I have ever met in my life, but I just want to say that we shouldn't do anything questionable while I am here as a student - it's just for your sake. I don't want students going around gossiping about you..." Seraphina tried to explain herself as she blushed deeply.
" I appreciate your concern, and I respect your decision , Miss Barclay. Forgive me, for I just crossed my limits because of the overwhelmed feeling I felt on hearing your response, " Severus explained before she could have completed her words.
The young witch nodded shyly . She vanished inside the entrance hole as Severus left for his Dungeon chamber.
Seraphina moved to her chamber's bed and sat down , her head leaning on the bedpost . How would she be able to love her Professor Snape ? Never had she ever thought in her wildest dreams that the smart , handsome , logical, and intelligent Batman was the man destined for her--to love her and care for her . Severus Snape was encompassing her thoughts at that moment. But one thought bothered her – would she ever be able to match his personality? There were so many differences between them: he was a man of class ,his Victorian dressing style , the way he presented himself, and the unconventional attractiveness he possessed . She, on the other hand, was a geeky book worm who wore Muggle clothes , always kept her nose buried in a book, and her glasses covered more than half of her small face. She felt as if he deserved someone elegant , alluring, and someone who was not geeky like her.
While Severus on the other hand was lying on his bed , a smile plastered on his thin lips. The lovely , smart , elegant, and unconventionally charismatic Seraphina filled his mind, and he couldn't have felt any more jovial .
One thing was certain for the unconventional duo - they both wanted to see a smile on the other's face.