On Tuesday evening Rachel stood outside the door to the potions classroom and waited. She had received a note at breakfast asking her to meet with Professor Snape at his office at 7:30 tonight. She hoped this didn't mean he'd changed his mind about giving her detention every night.
Gemma had looked at the note, when Millie had asked if that meant she had detention again. Gemma had said that it would have said detention in the note if Professor Snape had meant it to be a detention, but Rachel wasn't certain.
After a minute the door opened revealing Professor Snape staring down at her. "Come in," he instructed.
Rachel followed him into the classroom and found that two redheaded boys were working busily at scrubbing cauldrons.
"Keep working, I will be keeping my eye on you," Professor Snape said to the boys, then turning to Rachel. "In my office."
Rachel followed him into the office, aware that Professor Snape was watching her carefully.
"Sit down," he instructed, pointing to a chair. He pulled out his wand and a silvery shimmering bubble appeared around them briefly before disappearing. "A privacy ward, so we can speak, but I can keep the door open to watch those miscreants."
Rachel sat and watched as Professor Snape sat down behind his desk.
He paused and seemed to consider her before speaking again. "There is something I'd like to discuss with you. Given the results of your medical exam, the Headmaster and I have decided that you should no longer live with your relatives. As a result, I will likely be adopting you. It is not confirmed yet, but I wanted to make you aware of the proceedings. Did you have any objections or concerns?"
Rachel couldn't help but stare. She had a lot of concerns and possibly some objections. Why would Professor Snape want to adopt her? What did he want from her? Was this a usual thing in the wizarding world? Did that mean she wouldn't ever have to go back to the Dursleys?
"I understand that it is a big change. However, I believe it would be for the best," Severus continued when Rachel didn't respond. "What your relatives were doing to you was wrong. No child should grow up in such a situation."
Rachel blinked. How could Professor Snape have known what the Dursleys did just from a medical exam? How much did he know? Surely not everything or he wouldn't be offering to adopt her.
"It will be an adjustment, for both of us, but I believe we can make this work. Can you nod if you have an objection to the adoption?" Professor Snape asked.
Rachel considered it. It all came down to whether or not she thought Professor Snape was worse than the Dursleys. So far, all indications pointed to no, he wasn't. But she had only known him for two weeks. That wasn't much time to know what someone was really like.
Finally she shook her head no to indicate she didn't have an objection. She didn't want to return to the Dursleys, and she wasn't much of a believer in the devil you knew being better than the devil you didn't. She also got the feeling it wouldn't matter too much if she did object. And anyway, how much worse could Professor Snape possibly be compared to the Dursleys?
"Alright," Professor Snape said with a nod. "I'm glad you don't object. I will let you know when the adoption has been finalized. If you don't have any questions, you can go back to the common room."
Rachel did have questions, but they were nebulous and she didn't really have a way to ask them. She left, glancing at where the red headed boys seemed to be messing around with potions ingredients instead of cleaning cauldrons, and went back to her common room.
"Do you have more detentions?" Millie asked when Rachel joined her on one of the couches.
Rachel shook her head.
"Oh, well that's good at least," Millie said.
Rachel nodded and sat watching as people moved around the common room and studied and chattered. She had no idea what her life was going to look like now.
The next day Rachel sat down next to Millie at the study table near the windows in the Slytherin common room. The giant squid was visible today, with one of its tentacles stuck to one of the windows and its body blocking out the other. She had been alarmed the first time she saw the squid, but no one else had seemed particularly upset.
"Alright, first years," Gemma said as she joined them. "Open up your Charms books to chapter seven and we'll go over the information you need to write your essay on the levitation charm."
Rachel opened her copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade One and flipped to chapter seven. Her classmates did the same.
"Are we required to attend all of the study sessions?" Draco asked, his book still closed.
"Is your essay complete?" Gemma asked.
"Not yet," Draco said.
"Then you can stay. In the future, if you don't want to be part of the study session, bring your completed work and I'll excuse you," Gemma said. "Now while the history of the levitation charm is interesting, you don't need to go into the details in your essay. Mention that it was invented in 1544 by warlock Jarleth Hobart and keep going."
Rachel quickly took notes and noticed Millie copying her. Rachel didn't mind. Millie didn't seem really sure how to take notes in class and in study sessions.
"Would Professor Flitwick mind if we talked about the invention of the charm, considering it relates to one of the major drawbacks?" Theo asked, looking up from his own notes.
"In a longer essay you could make mention of it, but here you only have twelve to fourteen inches so it's important to be concise. When a professor asks for twelve inches, they really only want twelve inches, not two feet," Gemma explained. "As for mentioning the drawback of not being able to cast the levitation charm on human bodies, you could include that this drawback was discovered during the invention of the charm."
Theo nodded and wrote that down.
Rachel frowned and wondered why that was. You could levitate animals with the levitation charm and weren't humans just really complex animals?
"Now it's also important to mention the etymology of the spell in your essay. If you'll remember from the last time we studied, etymology is the origin and meaning of words. Does anyone know where any of the parts of the spell come from?" Gemma asked.
"Wing from Wingardium could be like a bird's wing, for flying," Blaise suggested.
"Good," Gemma said. "And arduus is latin for tall or steep."
They all quickly wrote that down.
"For Leviosa, levis means to make a weight light in latin," Gemma continued once they'd finished their notes. "So the spell means to fly tall and make light."
They spent the rest of the study session discussing the precise pronunciation and the wand movement of the spell.
"Now, if you'd like me to check over your essays before they're due, bring them to me by tomorrow evening," Gemma said as they packed up.
"When do we actually get to do the spell?" Daphne asked.
"In class, it will be another week or two while you go over the theory. In here, we'll practice next time we have a Charms study session," Gemma said.
Rachel frowned. They had yet to cast spells in Charms, but so far in Transfiguration she'd yet to get any of the non-verbal magic to work. She'd finished reading one book on non-verbal magic in the library, but it hadn't really helped. She supposed she'd have to look for another book.
The week passed quickly and on Saturday afternoon Rachel stood in front of the potions classroom door and tried to gather the courage to knock. Professor Snape had sent her a note saying that he was taking her to Saint Mungo's today for an appointment with a Healer.
Rachel did not want to go to wherever Saint Mungo's was and did not want to see a Healer. Wasn't it bad enough that he'd taken her to see Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing?
On the other hand, she didn't dare not show up. Professor Snape was her Head of House and he might actually adopt her. It was definitely a bad idea to run off and hide from him when he expected her to be somewhere. Trying to run from Uncle Vernon had always made things worse.
The door opened before Rachel could knock on it. Professor Snape was not in his usual black robes, instead he was wearing black trousers and a very dark blue buttoned shirt.
He looked down at Rachel and frowned. "Do you have clothing other than your uniform?"
Rachel didn't want to lie by shaking her head no, so she shrugged instead.
Professor Snape sighed. "Show me your wardrobe and trunk and we will see if you have something else to wear."
Rachel hurried to follow him down the hallway to the entrance to the Slytherin common room. The door appeared for him without him saying the password. They went inside and the room slowly went quiet as students realized Professor Snape was there.
"Professor Snape, we didn't realize you were planning to join us in the common room today," Leander said as he hurried over to them.
"I'm only here briefly," Professor Snape said as he looked over the room and then turned to Leander. "I will be away from the castle for a few hours today so the prefects will be in charge of the House."
"Yes sir," Leander said quickly. "Everything is under control."
"See that it stays that way," Professor Snape said, nodding once and then walking across the common room to the hallway where the girls dormitories were located.
Rachel followed and then knocked on the door of the first years girls dorms just in case anyone was changing inside. When there was no response she opened the door and stepped inside, Professor Snape following her.
"Rachel, that was fast," Millie said, looking up from where she was reading on her bed. "Oh, Professor Snape!"
"Miss Bulstrode," Professor Snape said. "We won't be long."
Rachel opened her wardrobe doors and stepped aside so Professor Snape could see inside. She had her uniforms and robes hanging up and her books and notes resting on the bottom of the wardrobe, right above the drawers.
"And the drawers?" Professor Snape asked.
She opened the drawers one at a time, showing him where she kept her assorted school things such as quills and parchment, and then the drawer where she kept the clothes she slept in and her underwear. She could feel herself starting to blush as she quickly closed that drawer when he nodded. She was aware that Millie was surreptitiously watching them.
"And your trunk?" he asked.
Rachel got down on her knees and dragged her trunk out from under her bed. She opened it and stood back to let Professor Snape look inside. The only things she'd left in there were the clothes she used to wear at the Dursleys.
Professor Snape reached down and examined the pieces of clothing one by one before setting them aside on the floor. "Do you want to keep any of these, provided you are supplied with suitable replacements? Do they have sentimental value to you?" he asked.
Rachel shook her head.
"Evanesco," he said, pointing his wand at the small pile of clothing. It disappeared. "Put your trunk away and we'll go."
Rachel did as instructed and waved to Millie on her way back out of her dorm. A short walk later and they wound up in Professor Snape's office.
"Have you ever used the floo before?" he asked, gesturing to the fireplace.
Rachel shook her head. She didn't know what a floo was and given the way he was looking at the fireplace she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
"The floo network is a connection between fireplaces that allows for communication and travel. It's quite simple to use. Simply throw the floo powder into the fireplace, say your destination, and step through while the flames are green," Professor Snape explained.
Rachel stared at him, hoping that he would see the problem before he actually shoved her into the fireplace.
Severus stared back for a moment and then nodded. "Of course. In this instance I will say the destination and you will step through. When you arrive at Saint Mungo's step aside and I will arrive shortly after. Do not wander off by yourself. Try not to move around too much while you're going through and keep your eyes and mouth closed. Understood?"
It was a lot to keep in mind and she definitely had questions about what could go wrong if she moved around too much. And how much was too much, and what would happen if she opened her eyes or mouth? She nodded anyway, because what else could she do?
Severus took a jar off the top of the mantle and took a handful of sparkly green powder from within and threw it into the fireplace. "Saint Mungo's," he said firmly.
The flames turned green. Rachel took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stepped into the flames. She didn't know what being on a rollercoaster felt like, having never been on one herself, but she had the feeling that this might be similar. She tucked her arms tightly against her chest as her left elbow banged against something and a moment later she came sprawling out onto the floor.
She opened her eyes and found herself in what looked like the entryway to a hospital, if that hospital was magical of course. She got to her feet and dusted the soot off her clothes while looking around. There were quite a few people here, some looking perfectly ordinary - for witches and wizards at least - and others less ordinary. There was a man with tiger paws for hands who kept growling, a woman with purple spots, and a young boy who had what looked like a mermaid's tail instead of legs and feet being carried by his mother.
There was a whooshing sound and Rachel turned in time to see Professor Snape smoothly stepping out of the fireplace.
"Come along, your appointment is soon and I'm not sure where Healer Widgeton's office is," Professor Snape said, motioning for her to come with him.
They joined a short queue in front of a desk with a sign over it that read 'Inquires'.
While they waited in line Rachel read the floor guide with fascinated horror. She never realized so many things could go wrong in the magical world, and yet she didn't see anything about the normal illnesses or injuries that she'd expect to see in a muggle hospital. Maybe they went to a different hospital for those problems?
"We have an appointment with Healer Widgeton," Professor Snape said to the witch behind the desk when they reached the front of the queue.
"Fourth floor, room eight. Wait in the chairs in the hallway outside his office and he'll come collect you when he's ready. Lift is to the right," the witch said, sounding bored.
Rachel followed Professor Snape to the right and they waited for the lift. The lift came a few minutes later and they were joined inside by two witches in lime green robes consulting over a clipboard and a man with antlers growing out of his head.
On floor four they ducked past the man with antlers and followed the hallway down to the side until they found chairs in front of a door marked with the number eight.
After a few minutes of waiting the door opened and a man with white hair wearing lime green robes stepped out. "Professor Snape and Rachel Snow, I presume?"
"Healer Widgeton?" Professor Snape asked.
"That's me. Come on in," Healer Widgeton said, leading the way inside. "I got the file from Poppy Pomfrey. Beware, she's a good Healer and Director Marsh is recruiting."
"I don't think Poppy would willingly leave Hogwarts," Professor Snape said.
"Doesn't stop Marsh from trying though," Healer Widgeton said. "Now, Miss Snow, if you'll hop up on the table here, we'll take a quick look."
Rachel used her hands to boost herself up onto the exam table and watched as Healer Widgeton drew his wand from his robes.
"You're going to feel a little tickle, this is just a general diagnostic spell," Healer Widgeton said, waving his wand in little swirls.
It did feel a little bit odd as he moved his wand from place to place and then turned to look at where a quill was taking notes.
"When's the last time the prescription on the eyeglasses was checked?" Healer Widgeton asked.
Rachel hadn't had her eyes examined since she first had gotten glasses her second year in school.
"Likely it's been too long. I will make arrangements," Professor Snape said.
"Good good," Healer Widgeton said, mostly to himself. "I understand she's regularly taking a Nutrient Restoration Potion?"
"Yes, once a week," Professor Snape said.
"Alright, that seems in order. Let's take a closer look at your throat. Now this one is going to feel like a light pressure inside your throat," Healer Widgeton said, turning back to Rachel.
This spell felt even odder and Rachel couldn't stop herself from swallowing.
"That's right, swallow one more time if you would?" Healer Widgeton asked.
Rachel did as instructed and after another few moments the sensation went away.
"Alright then. Professor Snape, if we can step into my office and have a word?" Healer Widgeton asked as he put away his wand and picked up his clipboard.
"Stay here," Professor Snape said to Rachel.
She watched as they went through a door at the back of the exam room and then shut the door behind them. She wished she knew what they were saying about her.
Severus watched the Healer as he sat down, setting his wand carelessly on his desk along with his clipboard. Severus eased his hand away from his own wand now that he knew the Healer was likely harmless.
"Please, take a seat. I just wanted to check a few things with you and thought it was best we didn't discuss Miss Snow so frankly in her presence," Healer Widgeton said as he looked through his notes. "Now, I noticed that Poppy recommended an investigation and potential removal from her home. Is that still proceeding or would you like me to make a report to Wizarding Services requesting their involvement?"
"We've already made arrangements with the Ministry so no report is necessary. We're keeping this on a need-to-know basis given Miss Snow's status," Severus explained, wondering if he needed to obliviate the Healer after their meeting.
"Not a problem, I had figured Dumbledore would have his hands in things. As to her throat and the scar tissue. As far as I can tell the scar tissue probably does not prevent her from speaking physically, but after the trauma of the event she may have simply never started to speak again. Whatever potion she swallowed was quite corrosive and it's clear from the scarring that she didn't see a Healer afterwards. She would have been recovering from this for several months after she swallowed the potion," Healer Widgeton said, pausing to make another note.
"Is there anything that can be done about the scar tissue?" Severus asked.
Healer Widgeton turned and pulled down a thick book from his crowded bookshelf. "Yes, we've got a potion that is ingested that works on healing scar tissue on internal injuries. You are a Potions Master, I believe?" he asked as he flipped through the pages.
"I am," Severus said, unable to prevent himself from curiously gazing at the book. Medical potions, beyond the basics that he stocked for the hospital wing, were not a specialty of his.
"Then this should be no trouble for you to brew. She'll need to take it four or five times, with a week in between each dose to give the potion a chance to fully work," Healer Widgeton said. He set the book open on his desk, pulled out a blank piece of parchment and set a quill standing upright on the parchment. He pointed his wand at the quill, twirled it and said "Photostaticum." The quill began writing on its own, copying the text from the open book.
"If the scar tissue is not preventing her from speaking, how do we get her to speak again?" Severus asked, hoping the Healer had suggestions other than giving Rachel more detention.
"Ah, yes, I have something for that too," Healer Widgeton said. He opened a smaller book and began searching through it. When he reached the page he wanted he stopped and wrote out a few words on a small piece of parchment. "This is the name and address of a Mind Healer. She's in London and she works with children and young adults. She's studied both Mind Healing and muggle psychology, and she works with both wizards and muggles. That's not a problem is it?"
"No," Severus said, reading the piece of parchment, which contained the name Dr. Torey Halls and a London address. "You believe she can get Rachel to speak again?"
"If anyone can, it would be her. Write to her and make an appointment for yourself. You can ask her your questions and see if you think she'll be of help," Healer Widgeton said. "Ah, here we go. Any questions for me?"
Severus accepted the parchment with the potion instructions written on it and nodded. It made sense to him that they were using dittany and wormwood for slowly healing internal injuries over time, and brewing the potion in a glass cauldron would allow light to enhance the healing effects. "No questions, thank you," he said as he stood up. He folded the pieces of parchment and placed them in his pocket.
Back in the exam room Severus found Rachel exactly where he'd left her; sitting on the exam table looking worried.
"It was nice to meet you, Miss Snow," Healer Widgeton said, bowing slightly to her. "And you as well, Professor Snape."
"Likewise," Severus said, inclining his head slightly. "Let's go."
Rachel followed him from the exam room and they went back down the corridor to wait for the lift.
"Have you ever apparated before?" Severus asked. They had exited out the front entrance of Saint Mungo's and were now walking to a nearby alley.
Rachel shook her head.
"Very well. It is quite a discomforting experience, but it's a convenient way to travel. You will hold onto my arm. It is very important that you do not let go. Do you understand?" Severus asked, looking down into Rachel's eyes.
Rachel nodded.
They walked to the back of the alley and Severus held out his arm. "Take hold of my arm."
Rachel looked uncertain and she lightly grasped Severus' arm.
"Tightly," Severus said, waiting until she had a tighter grip before apparating them to an alleyway near Oxford Street that had muggle repelling charms on it. The Ministry had set up many little areas throughout London to allow people to apparate in and out without being noticed by muggles.
Rachel was still clinging to his arm and looked pale.
"Take a few slow breaths, the feeling will pass in a moment," Severus advised, hoping she wasn't about to be sick.
Rachel did as instructed and let go of Severus' arm a moment later.
"Alright?" Severus asked when she looked a little more steady on her feet.
Rachel nodded.
Severus led the way out of the alley and out onto Oxford Street. It was busy, given that it was a Saturday afternoon, and he looked around to orient himself before he saw the sign on the building that read John Lewis. Severus had occasionally traveled into downtown London on his summers off and done some shopping. Some things, like clothes that weren't robes, were pricier and more difficult to find in traditional wizarding shops. He was familiar enough with shopping in muggle stores from his childhood, though he couldn't have afforded to shop at a department store when he was younger.
Rachel followed him into the store and they stopped by the store directory. Girls' clothing was on the second floor.
They rode the escalator up and walked toward the back of the store until they found the appropriate section. There were racks and racks of clothes and Severus was a little surprised by how many options were available.
Severus looked down at Rachel, who was still standing by his side, and she looked back up at him. "We're here to buy you some clothing so that you have something to wear on weekends other than your uniform. You need to pick some things out."
Rachel looked out at the clothes and then back at him.
He tried not to sigh and reminded himself that given the state Rachel's clothes were in before he vanished them this was probably a new experience for her as well.
"Hello, can I help you with anything?" a shop attendant asked as she came up to them.
"Yes," Severus said, relieved. "My student needs some new clothing. About three complete outfits, ideally with at least one pair of trousers and one skirt. She also needs undergarments and socks."
"What is your budget?" the shop attendant asked.
"Around two hundred pounds," Severus said, having exchanged money at Gringotts earlier in the day in anticipation of this trip.
"Okay, do you have any color or fabric preferences?" the shop attendant asked Rachel.
Rachel stared at her and then shook her head.
"That's alright. Why don't I show you a few things and you can decide what you want to try on?" the shop attendant asked.
"That would be fine," Severus said when Rachel didn't respond.
The shop attendant led them through the racks and started showing Rachel different styles of trousers. Rachel nodded occasionally but mostly shook her head. Severus stayed a few steps behind, watching and waiting.
"How about this jumper?" the shop attendant asked, pulling out a pink jumper with white around the collar.
Rachel quickly shook her head.
"Okay, how about something in green? This would go well with your complexion," the attendant said, pulling out a different jumper in a forest green with a wavy pattern around the middle.
Rachel nodded at that one.
It was weird to be going clothes shopping. She'd never been with Aunt Petunia. At the start of each school year Aunt Petunia would buy her some clothes from the second hand shop and then she was stuck with whatever Aunt Petunia had seen fit to purchase.
It had been weird when Professor Snape had vanished her clothes as well, but he had apparently felt the same way about them as she did - they were too awful to be worn at Hogwarts.
"Alright, let's get you a few t-shirts you can wear under these when the winter comes," the attendant said, moving over to another rack. "You seem to like blues and greens. How about this purple?"
Rachel nodded again.
"Okay and a sky blue maybe?" the attendant asked.
Rachel nodded.
"How about you try these on and see what fits," the shop attendant suggested, switching the clothing Rachel had nodded at to her other hand. "Fitting rooms are just back here."
Rachel glanced back at Professor Snape, who had been watching them as though he was watching a group of students make potions in class. Professor Snape nodded and they followed the shop attendant to the back corner.
"Okay, I put everything in the fitting room. Bring things out to me that don't fit you," the attendant said.
Rachel went into the little room and decided that this was weird. Surely you could tell if something fit just by holding it up against you. She tried on the trousers and skirts first since there were fewer of them than shirts.
The jeans almost fit and were just a little bit too big, but she figured that was okay because she was still growing. One pair of green corduroys were also too big, but they felt like they'd fall down as soon as she tried to walk. The skirts both fit okay.
She dressed back into her uniform skirt and brought the green corduroys out to the shop attendant.
"Too big?" the attendant asked.
Rachel nodded.
"I'll go get these in a size smaller. Try on the tops," the attendant said.
Rachel did as she was instructed and found that most of the tops fit her, except one jumper that was too tight around her neck. She startled when the shop attendant held a new pair of corduroys over the door, but quickly recovered. After she was done trying things on she settled on the jeans, the corduroys, and a plaid skirt, as well as two jumpers and two t-shirts.
She emerged from the small room and brought the items over to Professor Snape for his approval.
"All of these fit?" Professor Snape asked.
Rachel nodded.
"Here is a package of underpants in her size and a package of socks," the attendant said, placing the packages on top of the items Rachel was holding.
"Thank you, I think that's everything we need," Professor Snape said.
"Come with me and I'll get you checked out," the attendant said, leading them back through the racks of clothes.
Rachel felt a little bit weird as she watched Professor Snape pay. Was he doing this because he planned to adopt her or was there some other reason? Even if he was adopting her, he didn't really need to buy her new clothes. Rachel had money now in her Gringotts account. Professor Snape probably didn't know about that. Maybe she could send him a letter telling him she would repay him once she could go to Gringotts and get the money.
As they left the store Professor Snape discretely used his wand to shrink the bags and he placed them in his pocket. "We're likely about to miss dinner. Why don't we eat here in London, there's a diner nearby," he said.
Rachel nodded. She was hungry and Professor Snape seemed to want to eat too. It was just another weird thing on an already weird day in the weirdest month of her life.
They walked three blocks west to a diner that had changed in name but not in appearance since the last time Severus had been there.
A server showed them to a booth. "Would you like anything to drink?" he asked once they were both seated.
"Tea," Severus said, looking at Rachel. She nodded. "For both of us."
"Here are your menus, I'll be back shortly with your tea," the server said.
Severus noticed Rachel covertly watching him. "Pick something you'd like from the menu and point it out to me, and I will order for us," he said, looking pointedly at the menu in front of Rachel.
Rachel nodded and turned her attention to the menu.
Severus couldn't help but wonder if eating out was as new of an experience for her as going clothes shopping had been. Strangely, watching the stop attendant with Rachel had given him some ideas on how to communicate better with her. He hadn't needed to tell the shop attendant that Rachel didn't talk and they had picked out clothing smoothly enough with Rachel shaking her head and nodding.
He was already planning to ask the other professors to stop taking points in class when Rachel wouldn't answer a question or perform an incantation, at least until he spoke with the Mind Healer that Healer Widgeton had recommended. Maybe he could convince the professors to ask Rachel yes or no questions, or true or false, so that she could still participate in class.
"I'll make an appointment with an optometrist soon. It appears you need an eye exam, and likely new glasses," Severus said. "Do you have a hard time either seeing the board in class or reading your books?"
Rachel hesitated and then nodded.
"Seeing the board?" he asked. Based on the essay she'd handed in, he didn't think she had difficulty seeing things that were close to her.
Rachel nodded again.
"Alright, we'll get that taken care of," Severus said. "Do you know what you want to eat?"
Rachel pushed her menu across the table and put her finger down on one of the entries. Waffles with bacon and eggs.
Severus saw that she again looked worried. "That's fine," he told her.
She gave him a small smile and took the menu back.
The server returned with a pot of tea and two cups. "Are you ready to order?"
"I'll have the shepherd's pie and she'll have the waffle breakfast," Severus said, handing the server his menu. Rachel quickly handed hers over as well.
"Shepherd's pie and waffle breakfast," the server repeated as he made a note on his pad. "We'll have that out as soon as possible."
Severus found himself curious about Rachel. She was looking around the diner, seeming to drink in all of the different sights and sounds, though her eyes darted back to check on him every minute or so. To Severus it was an ordinary and slightly run-down diner in London, to Rachel it seemed to be fascinating.
Albus had said that the adoption process was moving forward and as time passed Severus was coming to terms with what he'd signed up for. Although he'd been Head of Slytherin House for many years now, this was different. In a few weeks' time he would be solely responsible for Rachel, and yet he knew very little about her.
She seemed competent in class - both of the potions she'd brewed so far had been above average in quality for a first year student. Her essays were reasonable - again, for a first year student - and her handwriting was nearly legible. Other than the fact that her relatives had mistreated her, he knew almost nothing about her other than that she didn't speak.
"Do you like Hogwarts so far?" Severus asked.
Rachel turned her attention away from where she'd been watching a family seated across the diner and looked back at Severus. After a moment she nodded.
"I'm glad. I understand that it is a lot to adjust to, coming from the muggle world," Severus said. He paused, hesitating over what he was about to say. "My father was a muggle and my mother a witch, so I grew up with some magic in my life, but mostly in the muggle world. It wasn't until I arrived at Hogwarts that I learned how integral magic is to the day-to-day life of a witch or a wizard."
Rachel nodded again.
"Are you getting along well with your classmates?" Severus asked, uncertain how to carry on the conversation.
Another nod.
"You seem to be developing a friendship with Miss Bulstrode," he said, remembering that they partnered together in his class.
Rachel nodded again, with a small smile this time.
"I'm glad. It's important to have friends," Severus said, trailing off. He didn't want to go into an explanation that it was necessary to have friends to protect yourself in the halls of Hogwarts when you were a Slytherin. Either she already knew that or she would soon enough. "Has anyone been giving you trouble or bothering you?"
She shook her head no.
"Good. If someone does-" Severus paused, trying to think of a way that Rachel could tell them. "I'll ask you that question from time to time, so that way you can tell me if someone is bothering you."
Rachel nodded once and looked away.
They sat quietly until the server brought their food.
Severus noticed how happy Rachel seemed digging into the whipped cream on her pancakes. It was good, he decided, that she could find happiness in such simple things.
Once they reached the dungeons, after another terrifying go at apparition and a long walk from the gates that led onto the Hogwarts grounds, Professor Snape unshrank the shopping bags and gave them to her. "You'll be taking another potion on Thursdays in addition to the Nutrient Restoration Potion. I will let you know when you have an optometrist appointment," he said, coming to a stop outside a doorway.
Rachel nodded. She guessed that's what Professor Snape and the Healer had discussed when they'd left her in the exam room. She didn't know why they couldn't have said that in front of her.
"Write your name on the tags of your clothes so they come back to you after the House Elves wash them. Let me know if there's anything you need," Professor Snape said.
Rachel nodded again even though she didn't really have a way of doing that. She wished she could tell him thank you for the day out.
Professor Snape went into his office, though how both this door led to his office and the door in his classroom she couldn't begin to understand given they were quite far away from each other.
She walked down the corridor for five minutes and came to a stop in front of the portrait of Curbin the Brave. She knocked on his frame and he opened his eyes and got to his feet.
"Well Miss Rachel, do you want to go into the common room?" Curbin asked.
Rachel nodded. Gemma had gone to Professor Snape to set this up as an alternate way for Rachel to access the common room after Rachel had gotten stuck in the hallway after a detention.
"Go ahead and touch your wand to my shield," Curbin said, holding his silver shield out.
She pulled her wand from where she'd been keeping it in the long pocket in her skirt and placed the tip of her wand against the shield.
"Ah yes, you're still you, Miss Rachel. Go on inside," Curbin said as he settled back onto his stool.
The door to the common room appeared and Rachel went inside. Someone was playing records on the gramophone, though Rachel didn't recognize the band. A few people were dancing nearby. A pair of sixth years were kissing in a chair by the windows. Apparently someone had snuck in to get food from the kitchens, as one of the study tables was laden with all sorts of treats.
Rachel slipped through, not minding that no one seemed to notice her, and made it to her dorm room. Millie was inside, sitting on her bed and hunched over some parchment.
"You're back!" Millie said, smiling brightly. "And, you went shopping?"
Rachel nodded and put her bags down on her own bed.
"What did you get?" Millie asked, coming over to see.
Rachel opened her bags and pulled out the clothes so that Millie could see. They laid them out over the bed and Millie looked at each piece.
"This is great. I can't believe Professor Snape took you clothes shopping," Millie said. "I mean, he kind of had to after he vanished your other clothes, but still, I've never heard of a professor taking anyone shopping before."
Rachel shifted uncomfortably and went to fetch her quill from her bag. She had kind of guessed that professors didn't usually take their students shopping. Maybe it was just because Professor Snape was planning to adopt her?
"At least you have clothes you can wear on the weekends now," Millie said, undeterred by Rachel's lack of attention. "Did he take you to Diagon Alley?"
Rachel shook her head and started writing her first initial and last name on the tags in the clothing. She'd have to use her potion's knife to remove the price tags since she didn't have a pair of scissors.
"Did he take you to a muggle store?" Millie asked, looking at the tags on one of the shirts.
Rachel nodded.
"I would have thought that Professor Snape wouldn't know how to shop in muggle stores," Millie said thoughtfully. "Most pure-bloods don't use muggle establishments."
Apparently the fact that Professor Snape had a muggle father wasn't well known. It was kind of like he had told her a secret. That was a little bit weird too.
Rachel shrugged and began to hang up her new clothes in her wardrobe. It was nice to think that she wouldn't be wearing her uniform every day, even though it wasn't bad. She did prefer wearing trousers to skirts.
"Hermione talked to me before dinner. She wanted to know if we were going to study with her in the library tomorrow. I told her I'd ask you," Millie said.
Rachel nodded in a way that she hoped conveyed that she would be spending some time in the library and that Millie was welcome to join her.
"Okay. We can see her at breakfast tomorrow and figure out what time. Tilly is doing a study session for Defense at ten, but otherwise we're free tomorrow," Millie said. "Do you want to play Gobstones? It's not late yet."
Rachel came to the abrupt realization that Millie had been lonely while she'd been away for most of the day. It was weird to think that someone actually liked her presence enough to miss her. She wasn't a particularly big fan of Gobstones, but she nodded anyway, wanting to spend more time with Millie.
"Let's play in here, it's kind of wild out in the common room," Millie said, going over to her nightstand to get her Gobstones set.
Rachel shut her wardrobe doors and went to join Millie on the floor to play the game.