Chapter Twenty Two

Elaine was sitting in the corner of the staff room when Minerva entered. The older woman saw her seated there and froze, her grip on the parchment she was carrying slackening. The papers dropped to the floor but the woman still stared.

"Hi Minerva," Elaine said softly, knowing quite well what the older woman would think of her. Indeed, the transfiguration professor turned her head away, coughed, and bent to pick up what she'd dropped.

"Good evening, Professor Davies," was her cold response, and once her parchment was safely in her arms, she marched back out of the staff room.

Severus and Elaine had been back at Hogwarts for two days. The school year was to start in two week's time, and while the teachers were prepping, Elaine found herself with, again, nothing to do. At least at Hogwarts she had access to the vast library, and so that's where she spent the majority of her time.

The Prophet came every morning, and every morning found her scanning the papers, making sure there was no news of Harry or any of his friends. There'd been a brief mention of one of the Weasley's, Bill's, wedding getting interrupted in a search for Harry, but they hadn't gotten him.

Elaine was just about to leave when the Carrows entered, and, upon spotting her, both grinned widely. "Why, it's Mrs. Davies!" Alecto crooned. "How's your husband doing these days? Oh, wait!" She cackled again, and Elaine, staring at her coldly, gathered her things. "Where are you going?"

"I have a meeting to get to, thank you. Have a good evening, Amycus, Alecto." She marched out, leaving the duo behind, and she made her way through the castle up to Severus's new office.

How the staff hadn't understood that Severus was accepted by Hogwarts as headmaster, Elaine couldn't figure out. It was well known that the gargoyles would not open to a false headmaster, as they hadn't done when Dolores Umbridge during the brief time she sat as headmistress. Minerva had told Elaine that, but the transfiguration teacher was so blinded by her hatred for Severus that she hadn't realized.

She gave the password to the guardians and walked up the spiraling staircase, knocking quietly on Severus's door. She waited until his quiet enter, then sank into the chair across from him. "Minerva hates me," she blurted.

Severus looked up from what he was writing. "And you're surprised?"

"Yes!.. Well, no." She sighed, peering at the letter. "Is that-"

"The dark lord has requested that Hogwarts attendance is mandatory for all witches and wizards in Great Britain," Severus said softly, dipping his quill in the ink and continuing the letter. "I am to report back to him all students who have yet to confirm that they will be attending in September."

"What will he do to them?" Elaine said softly, reading the list upside down. Severus's eyes met hers. "Oh," she said softly. "And there's nothing-?"

"That I can do? No, not without alerting the dark lord to my allegiance." He continued writing, every now and then looking up at her. She watched him, sadness building in her heart. How could the dark lord make him do this? Of course she knew the answer to that; he was heartless and didn't care about the lives of the people around him. Who knew if he'd ever known love, or friendship?

Elaine stood up, and Severus looked at her. "Are you leaving?" She just shook her head, going to stand behind him and resting her head on his shoulder as he worked.

"I love you," she said softly, and he looked back at her in surprise. She took a deep breath. "It took me awhile, and I'm sorry. But I do love you."

Elaine sat next to Severus at the head's table as the Hogwarts students began filing in. Despite it being mandatory for them to attend, there were less students than usual, with none of the muggleborns there. It broke Elaine's heart, for just a year ago she wouldn't have been able to be here due to her supposed birth.

Though Severus had taken quite delight in informing Dolores Umbridge, who was running the muggleborn registration committee, that while Elaine's mother's side had muggles, her father's was as pure as they come, despite her father's - condition. The woman had given Elaine a disgusted look, but she was left alone.

Unlike so many others. Elaine had lost track of how many people had been sentenced to Azkaban for "stealing magic," a thought so absurd even some of the purebloods were second guessing their beliefs. After all, if magic was so easily stolen, why did squibs exist?

This thought had her glancing toward Argus Filch, the Hogwarts caretaker. He was seated next to the librarian, locked in conversation with each other. There had been rumors for years of their relationship, and only the Hogwarts staff knew the truth that they were.

The students were all seated, and the first year students began trickling in. The sorting hat was placed on the stool, and they all waited.

Nothing.

The sorting hat sat silent, appearing to watch over the students, but the usual song was not there. After a long while, McGonagall finally stepped forward and began calling out names. Each student came to sit upon the stool, were given a house, and went to join their new housemates. Elaine sat in her seat and watched the sorting, feeling detached. She'd been so excited at age eleven, to come to Hogwarts, but most of these students had looks of fear on their faces. She didn't blame them. Most of them believed their headmaster was a loyal follower of the dark lord, and if she'd had to face that at eleven she would have been terrified too.

When Severus stood up, the hall went silent, thousands of eyes looking up at them. "This year," he said, his voice ringing in the hall, "things here at Hogwarts will be different." As he spoke, Elaine found her eyes drifting to the people she knew. Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley - all had the same face on, one of determination.

Draco Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table, his normally pale face exceptionally so. He wasn't looking at anyone, instead staring blankly at the Slytherin banner on the wall. Elaine wondered what was going through his mind as he sat there, Goyle and Crabbe on either side of him. Theodore Nott was there too, looking straight at Severus as he went on with the speech he'd been preparing and editing for a week now.

"And above all, there will be no harbouring of those the ministry feels - unsuitable to an education here at Hogwarts. This will, in fact, earn you a trip to the wizarding prison, Azkaban."

Elaine closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself, reminding herself that most of these words were not Severus's own. Minerva, however, clearly believed that they were; the older witch stared at Severus as if she were imaging casting the Avada Kedavra at him.

"You are dismissed." Benches scrapped against the floor as the students got up and left, and most of the staff, too, but Severus sat there, watching the doors until the last person had gone out them and it was only him and Elaine.

"They'll understand someday," Elaine said softly, laying her hand on his arm. But Severus pulled his arm away and left the Great Hall, leaving her sitting at the table by herself.