Riley wasn't sure where her feet were taking her. All she knew was to put one foot in front of the other and put as much distance between herself and the Gryffindor common room.
She slowed to a walk as she got further and further away. It was a good thing too as the next second she collided straight into a stone wall. Riley was confused. She didn't remember there ever being anything there. She stood staring for a moment before she heard a voice behind her.
"Are you alright?" Asked Devon.
"Yeah, I just.. ran into the wall." Riley said slightly embarrassed.
"I thought I heard a thud come from down here." Devon chuckled.
"I was not paying attention, I don't remember a wall being here?" Riley questioned.
"That's because you've been with a Slytherin every time you've come down here, the stone wall requires the password for it to open and lead you to the common room." Devon smiled.
"Oh. I guess that shows how much attention I pay." Riley felt silly.
Devon laughed and moved closer to the wall.
"Ambitious." Devon said and winked at her. Riley was slightly confused but then from behind her she heard stone moving.
"Keep that between us, Riley." Devon said as he left to go back to prefect duty.
Riley felt her breathing go slightly erratic. Everything from the past half an hour rushing back to her. Remembering why exactly she had run straight for the Slytherin dungeons.
She made her way forward, confidently. As she left the long corridor her eyes were welcomed to most of the older Slytherin's still up playing gobstones. They were all very into it as well. There was a lot of hollering and laughing going on.
Riley saw Elanora's back and advanced on the woman. Max saw her before anyone else, causing Elanora to look behind her. She looked slightly confused but smiled non the less. When Riley got to her she grabbed the witches hand and pulled her along to the other witches dorm room.
"Riles? Did something happen?" Elanora asked.
Riley stayed quiet, she reached Elanora's room and was thankful that Slytherin thought his students deserved more than anyone else and made sure that years 3 and higher got their own bedroom. Their had to be some serious magic going on to make enough room for them all to fit, Riley's head always spun trying to figure out the magic that was Hogwarts.
Riley pulled Elanora into her room and shut the door behind them with more force than necessary.
"Rile-" Elanora's words were cut off by Riley's mouth on hers. Elanora couldn't shake the feeling like the kiss was desperate, too desperate. Sure they'd both had moments where things got a little too heated but it hadn't been like this before. Something was wrong and Riley was trying to drown whatever it was out by throwing herself at Elanora. Elanora kissed the witch back, pushing her up against the door. She used her leverage and held Riley there as she broke the kiss apart, she didn't let go of Riley's face. Breathing heavily Elanora tried to talk to Riley. "Love, what happened?"
"Can't I just want you?" Riley said back a little too stiffly.
"I'm not doubting your want. I know you. I know us, we are not ready, not yet love." Elanora kissed her slowly.
Elanora saw pain shoot through Riley's eyes.
"You don't want me." Riley stated
"I've never wanted anything more in my entire life. I will want you until my dying breath. My want for you goes beyond sex. It goes beyond the breath in my own lungs. I love you with every fibre of my being. But I am not ready for this, especially not when you are like this. Hurt and shrouded in alteria motives." Elanora laid her heart out.
"There's no alteria motive, I just wanted you." Riley said in a very quiet voice.
"Why?" Elanora asked.
Riley looked at her confused.
"And don't say because you want me and love me, Why?" Elanora was stern.
Riley didn't want to admit just how scared and alone she felt but she did not want to lie to Elanora. She took a deep breath in and exhaled before she spoke.
"Because I needed you, not necessarily in a physical way.. I just needed to feel your love. I was scared and alone and I didn't know how else to feel it. I-" Riley wasn't sure exactly how to explain what was going on in her head.
"Did Teddy do something?" Elanora asked although she was positive at this point she knew the answer.
Riley looked at Elanora. An idea forming in her head. Riley held out her hand.
"It's easier if I just show you." Riley decided.
"Dumbledore!"
The two witches made their way up to the Headmistress office.
"What are we doing exactly?" Questioned Elanora.
Riley pulled out her wand and walked around to the side of the Headmistress desk. She tapped the top of what seemed a lid of something and floated the lid onto the desk. Riley looked at Elanora not sure if she was confident enough to say the words that came to her. She sighed.
"Nora, my grandmother died while I was at school first year. I found her when i returned home for the summer. I apparated to bury her and splintched most of my body in the process. Once I buried her I got the knight bus to take me to St mungos. McGonagall said I would have a home at Hogwarts and from that day on I never looked back. I made my own little family here with McGonagall and Winky. They would both tell me stories of their pasts and I did the same. I was hiding one morning during holidays second year and I stumbled upon this, a pensieve. I saw the water dancing and I watched. It pulled me in and I saw a story I had heard before. It was of Minerva's first love. I told her about it and she thought it funny how intrigued I was so she would tell me stories and then every so often would show me them. It was really cool." Riley finished.
"I had only assumed about your grandmother, I'm sorry." Elanora said quietly.
Riley gave a small smile before tapping her wand to her temple. Blue and white whisps were coming out the end as Riley pulled. She dropped them into the pensieve and ushered Elanora closer.
"Look." Riley said. And so they did.
Elanora watched as Agertha, one of Riley's Gryffindor classmates stopped and crossed her arms. She declared she wasn't leaving without Riley. Elanora heard Riley sigh. Telling the girl she would follow shortly. Agertha looked like she wanted to protest but the look on Riley's face told her to leave.
"I didn't want her getting hurt..." The Riley from her time said from beside her. "I wasn't sure what was going to happen but there was no point both of us getting hurt."
They both watched on as Riley asked for their audience to leave.
Elanora felt like if she shot a curse at that arse of a human Teddy Lupin she may be just angry enough for it to travel through the memory and get the bastard. She felt Riley squeeze her hand. The world started spinning as she watched her sweet Riley run from the common room, crying. The next thing she knew she was swaying in Mcgonagall's office.
"I'm going to rip him limb from limb." Elanora said deathly quiet.
"He's not worth It, Nora." Riley sighed.
"I don't care. He has no right to say those things. He has no right to treat you that way!" "Doesn't he?" Riley shrugged.
"I don't know what happened to the boy you called your best friend but that, is not him. He has taken this too far. You are none of the things he says. You are loved, Riley. I have never been more certain of anything." Elanora proclaimed.
"No, I'm not. I'm nothing! I'm the daughter of a deranged lunatic! She tortured and killed people! I'm not good!" Riley screamed tears running freely.
"Look at me-" Elanora took Riley's face in her hands and looked into her beautiful forest green eyes. "-you are loved. My heart is yours. McGonagall loves you like a daughter. Winky, I've heard the stories about her. The house elf who was disowned by her masters father for trying to save her master. Drunk every night. Until you, Riley. You came along and she found a purpose again. To be your friend and your family. She loves you." Elanora said proudly.
Riley put her hand over Elanora's heart and smiled sadly.
The witches heard a struggle going on behind them. Although it was only the sound of one portrait, it seemed to be grunting, mummbling and debating amongst itself.
"Professor Snape?" Elanora asked.
"Yes, Miss Killick?" Severus said rather annoyed.
"You sounded.. in pain. Are you okay?"
Severus looked from Elanora to Riley.
"You are loved by more than you know." Severus Snape said, still battling with something internal.
"Where did you bury her?" Asked Snape.
"Sorry?" Riley asked extremely confused by the situation in front of her.
"Your grandmother, where did you bury her?" He asked again.
"...In the forest she took me to when I was younger. She never told me the name of it. I knew it in my head so I knew I could apparate there. Why?" Riley was curious.
"Grizedale." Snape had a small smile on his face. "Where the forest meets the lake." Severus said knowingly.
Riley's eyes bulged as she turned to look at Elanora. They both knew those words had meaning. It's where Riley first went to escape the loudness of the castle. It eventually became their spot. If either of them had something they needed to get off their chest that is where they went. To the edge of the forest where it met the lake.
"How do you know that?" Riley demanded.
"She would take me there too, as a child. We lived in a poor, run down area. It was our escape. We would-" Severus started.
"-Pack a picnic. Muggle style. She told me it would be wise to learn as much as possible about muggles." Riley cut in. Her heart was racing, what the heck was happening.
"She was a kind, strong woman. No doubt that is where you got your Gryffindor traits from." Severus said.
"You told me my father was a coward." Riley accused.
"He was. He made so many wrong choices." Severus sighed.
"Grandmother said he was brave in the end. What did she mean?" Riley asked.
Severus Snape didn't know how to answer.
"Please. Be brave now, for me. Please." Riley begged.
Elanora's brain finally clicked as to what was happening.
"You? You are her father?" Reality dawning on Elanora.
"I am merely a portrait that holds memories and knowledge of Severus Snape. But yes, in theory. Severus Snape is Riley Alton's father. The woman you knew as Lee Alton was in fact Eileen Prince. My father was not kind. He made us both worse. I lost contact with them after I left Hogwarts. Once my father died I visited my mother on occasion but I had to keep her hidden and assumed dead. I could not let the Dark Lord know of her existence. I couldn't have any weaknesses." Severus looked at Riley with guilt in his eyes.
"Like me." Riley confirmed.
"Yes. You were born premature. Bellatrix took one look at you and demanded you be fed to the dogs. I couldn't. I made it look like I had but really I took you to my mother's, changed her name and identity and asked her to raise you. I knew my time was coming to an end. You know most of my story I'm sure, Harry even named one of his sons after me. I didn't deserve it." Snape said defeated.
"Bellatrix? Did you love her?" Riley had to know.
"No. We despised one another. Her husband, Rodolphus couldn't produce children and the Dark Lord was adamant his Death Eaters reproduce. We were forced together. I am sorry, sorry for both the parents you ended up with." Said Snape.
"You sell yourself short Professor Snape, if it weren't for you Voldemort very well could have won. Your sacrifice cemented Harry's victory." Elanora said in his defence.
"That's why they could hear me! You were an extremely powerful legilemens! I got that from you!" Riley yelled delighted.
"Yes. It would seem you do portray signs of a strong legilemens, if you can control it and wield it." Snape said, back in his element.
"Can you teach me?" Riley asked.
"Only so much, I can not entirely posses your mind without a wand therefore you would have nothing to fight back against but maybe we can find you someone to train with and against." Severus said. "No." Snape said for some reason.
"What?" Riley asked.
"Miss Killick here was thinking about offering herself to train with you. I said no."
"But why?" Asked Elanora.
"Seeing into someone's mind is very different to knowing somebody. You would see and feel things Riley herself might not subconsciously know. You could damage your relationship. I will not allow that." Snape said defiantly.
"So a stranger?" Riley enquired.
"I think, Mr Lupin might be a good option." Severus said calmly.
"You're joking right? Do you know the damage he has already caused? How much more he could do seeing into her mind?!" Elanora lost her cool.
"I am well aware of what Mr Lupin has been up to, Miss Killick. That does not diminish the fact that he would be suitable to train with. When the two of you have sorted out your difference come and talk to me. Until then." Severus tilted his head and retreated to his mirrored portrait.. wherever that may be.
"Wow." Elanora stated. "He's quite abrupt."
"You know I should be surprised but I'm not. I think I knew. He always called me by my first name which he did to nobody else." Riley shrugged.
"I expected a bigger reaction to be honest." Elanora admitted.
"I know what you mean, it's weird for sure but my heart knows it makes sense. My hearts known for a while. McGonagall would always defend him for the weirdest things. Like she didn't want anyone tarnishing my opinion... McGonagall! I've got to go apologize!" And with that Riley ran out of the office leaving a stunned Elanora behind.