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Prompt: Without Much Hope (#391)

May 1992

Severus should have expected it, though a little more than a month had passed since the incident.

He hadn't really thought the girl had it in her, especially considering he'd already dealt with the perpetrators himself.

He was even further surprised that she'd dragged her best friend into her little revenge plot, but he supposed, that might just be Slytherin loyalty at work.

It was probably just as well, even though their plan was poorly executed enough that they got caught and he'd have to punish them.

The speech that he'd given to Slytherin House after the cupboard incident, about why it was important to present a united front and always looking after your own, berating them for their lack of unity, probably hadn't made as much impact as he would have liked.

With the girl's revenge, landing three of the four third year Slytherins in the Hospital Wing with varying degrees of rashes on their bodies- apparently the girl had somehow managed to get their sheets covered with a very abrasive form of itching powder- would perhaps send a very clear message to anyone else who thought to pick on her, that it would be an ill-advised endeavor.

Unfortunately, it did rather show a side to the girl that he found... troubling.

Violet Potter, he was sure even though he rarely saw evidence of it himself, was a sweet girl. He'd heard enough of it from Hagrid to know that the girl had a good heart.

But that she might have a resentful, grudge-holding streak as well... was not a good sign. It was a darkness, he'd rather she were not burdened with.

He hoped, even as he assigned the girls their detention, that though she refused to trust him and speak to him about what her home life was like- constantly denying allegations of being abused and refusing point blank to answer any of his question about the cupboard- that the girl wasn't yet hopeless. That her character wasn't so abused and broken, that she was completely lost.

It had been incredibly frustrating and disheartening at the time, though he'd forced himself to remain calm and patient, that the girl refused to divulge any information about her home life.

It was to be expected, really. After all, he'd dealt with abused children enough... had been one himself, to know that there comes point in the child's life, where they become so inured to their reality... losing hope in adults... that they believed that no one would ever lift a finger to help them... that they believed that no one would believe they were telling the truth, so why bother.

And perhaps... even more frustratingly, the girl was right.

Having taken his concerns to Dumbledore himself after the incident, he'd been shocked and infuriated to find the man unwilling to remove the children from whatever deplorable conditions they were forced to live with- claiming that the blood-wards was the only thing that kept them truly safe.

But staring into those emerald eyes, regarding him dully and with a slight spark of wariness, Severus knew he'd never be able to leave it at that. That protecting Lily's children meant more than protecting them from the Dark Lord and his followers.

Perhaps it was time that he question the boy. Though, he was sure the endeavor would be futile. After all, if the girl, who was in his House, could not be induced into divulging anything about her home life, he doubted the Gryffindor would. Besides the boy kept giving him those insolent and suspicious looks ever since Halloween.

XxX

The boy was staring at him, fidgeting his hands after he asked him to stay after class, looking both nervous and defiant and Severus had to press his hands on the top of his desk to keep from ringing the boy's little neck.

He wasn't exactly sure what it was about the male Potter, but everything about him seemed to grate on his nerves and push his restraint to the breaking point, without even trying very hard.

"I don't know what you mean, sir," the boy said, trying far too hard to look obtuse and innocent, even as his eyes became guarded.

"I found your sister," Severus spoke once he was sure he could keep himself from growling... once he was sure he could moderate his voice enough not to yell or snap. "In the midst of a panic attack, after a group of students decided that it would be diverting to shove her in a cupboard... she was in tears and mumbling... pleading not to be locked inside once more, promising to be good. Do you have any idea why Miss Potter would say such things?"

Severus at least had the satisfaction of seeing the boys eyes widen, his face paling with concern for his sister before he averted his gaze, frowning.

He hoped that this would push the Gryffindor boy into divulging something, anything. But apart from showing a lack of knowledge of the incident, suggesting that the girl had not told her brother of the occurrence, the boy gave him nothing.

Instead, he shook his head and looked up with a stubborn and determined look Severus had seen on his sister, when he questioned her about her home life.

"No, Professor. I have no idea," the boy spoke and Severus knew even as he dismissed the boy, that both Potters would prove as stubborn and determined as their parents, at least in regard to speaking about what their home life was like.

Severus rather doubted that even their best friends knew anything about it.

XxX

Violet hadn't really expected that her detentions would land her and Tracey, handed off to Hagrid. And she wasn't sure what she expected detention with Hagrid to be like, even after spending so much time in recent months with him.

An expedition into the Forbidden Forrest, long after curfew, certainly hadn't even crossed her mind. Much less that she'd be serving detention with, not only Malfoy, but Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and her brother.

"Why are we doing this at night? Wouldn't it be safer and much easier to spot the Unicorn during daylight?" Tracey asked Violet, her anxiety about trekking into the Forbidden Forrest to find an injured unicorn rendering her irate. "And how does it make any sense that we should split up form the only adult on this expedition?"

Violet couldn't really blame Tracey, though she didn't have any answers herself. As it was, she felt even further tensed by the fact that they were now wandering into the forrest with both Malfoy and her brother, and with Fang for protection, after the first grouping had to be rearrange (herself, Tracey, Malfoy and Neville) when Malfoy decided it would be a good idea to scare Neville, who'd sent up red sparks forcing Hagrid to come for them and rearrange the grouping.

It would have been just herself, Harry and Malfoy, had not Tracey been adamant about staying with Violet. Perhaps out of that same sense of loyalty, which convinced her to go along with Violet's revenge plot, even though it had landed her in this very detention.

"Well this really would be Hagrid's idea of fun... you know, excepting for the bit about the injured unicorn. And maybe, since there are so many trees, it wouldn't really matter if it were daylight or not. It would be dark in here anyway," Violet tried to propose as they moved forward on the lookout, while Malfoy stuck close to Tracey's side. Violet rather suspected that Malfoy was afraid, and that the only reason Hagrid hadn't taken him along, was because Malfoy could be downright annoying. "Safety in numbers too, and all that."

"You know... this is the perfect opportunity for you to talk to your brother," Tracey suddenly whispered to Violet as they continued to walk, nudging her friend and motioning to where Harry was walking, no more than five feet to Violet's left.

Violet scrunched her face into a scowl at the moment. Though a part of her had dearly missed her brother, she couldn't help a part of her being angry at Harry too.

She'd wanted to give Harry time and space to get over the hurt about the things she'd said to him back in December because of that stupid mirror. And she'd missed him so much over the past several months, that it really did hurt that Harry never even made an attempt.

Maybe he was angry and hurt still, and maybe he had every right to not want to talk to her. But... Violet had hurt too.

She hadn't wanted to say those things... she hadn't wanted to hurt Harry, but she needed to protect him and sometimes, the truth wasn't fair or good. Sometimes it just hurt and sucked, but it was better than futile hope.

How could he not forgive her for that? How could he forget her and not miss her? How could he not know that she would never intentionally hurt him?

"If he wants to talk to me, he can bloody well come to me," Violet nearly snarled, glaring at the floor, her voice low and angry, filled with all the hurt she harbored for so many months, congealing inside her into something thick and foul.

Tracey made a sound of impatient disagreement, but before she could say anything, Harry was pointing something out to them. For a while longer, they followed what looked like splashes of blood along the path, which was becoming harder and harder to distinguish as the trees around them seemed to be closing in.

It wasn't long before Harry came to a stop, holding out a arm to halt all of their progress as he pointed out the large, white thing that lay on the floor in a clearing no more than fifteen feet away from them.

"Is that-" Tracey started to ask, her voice choked with both fear and sadness.

"I think it's the unicorn," Harry responded, turning to them with a grimace before turning back around, moving to step forward.

Violet's hand shout out then, grabbing hold of Harry's arm and stopping him as the hairs on her neck started to stand on end. It was pure instinct that drove her, but she pulled Harry so that he was closer to her as her gaze whipped around.

"There's something out there," Violet whispered. They all jumped and Tracey grabbed hold of Violet's shoulder in fear as they all heard a very strange, and spine-chilling slithering sound. Like something was dragging itself in the underbrush. A strange thing, that suddenly emerged and inched towards the dead unicorn, bending over it.

Malfoy screamed then, making them jump again before he bolted with Fang trailing after him while Tracey's hand tightened about Violet while she pressed her body closer to her friend.

With her heart racing, her own hand clenched onto Harry, she took a step back, steering her brother and trembling friend along with her as the thing looked up, it's hood hiding all it's features as he stood and started to approach them.

Distantly, Violet could hear the sound of approaching hooves, but that didn't stop the instinct she felt to raise her wand even as Harry's retreating steps knocked both Violet and Tracey and him to the ground while he screamed in pain.

A red beam of light shot from her wand, Violet's instinct to get the fast approaching thing the hell away from them, propelling some unknown force and blasting the thing right in the chest at the same time as a centaur leapt over them.

As Violet got her bearings, she looked wildly about, noticing the thing was gone, even as the centaur that had helped drive it away turned towards them.

"Are you all right?" Violet asked Harry, focusing all her attention on him, her hands reaching out and smoothing back his hair.

Harry nodded, even as he touched his scar before crushing her in a hug.

For a while, the twins merely held onto each other, forgetting all the world, merely grateful that they were both safe.

Harry pulled back, offering Violet a small smile which she returned, her heart aching.

"Are you okay?" Violet asked Tracey while Harry got to his feet and started to talk to the centaur.

Tracey nodded as she and Violet helped each other to stand.

XxX

Violet's head was spinning from all the Centaur said, and all that Harry had revealed to her when she questioned what they were going on about.

The sorcerer's stone? Voldemort?

Violet frowned, not really knowing what to make of it. Not knowing what to think about the fact that Harry had bothered to look into any of this in the first place. Or what the other centaurs and Firenze hinted about Harry or perhaps even herself.

"So you think... what, one of the teacher's is trying to steal the stone because he's helping You-Know-Who to come back?" Tracey asked as they continued to walk along with Firenze to meet the other's. Though she didn't sound as if she completely doubted everything about the Stone or Voldy-thing, or even that a teacher might be involved. She sounded slightly scared, but also incredibly determined about getting to the bottom of things.

Tracey, perhaps because her father was an Auror, couldn't help but being drawn to mysteries, or tramp down the desire to solve them.

Harry, who had been reluctant to share in front of Tracey, looked to her and nodded, having at least trusted Violet when she said that Tracey could be trusted. Maybe because Violet never really trusted anyone and Harry trusted her judgement where other's were concerned as she seemed to be right about the characters of other's. Most of the time.

"Who?" Tracey asked curiously.

Harry looked reluctant, biting his lip, but shared at last after a few moments.

"Snape."

Tracey's eyes widened and her mouth opened, though no words came out.

"It's not him," Violet spoke quietly, not certain why she was so sure of that, but knowing it deep inside herself.

"But he was bitten by Fluffy, and I saw him threatening-"

"It isn't him, Harry. I just... I know it," Violet spoke heatedly, turning to look at her brother.

"I think Violet is right. Snape's not very nice... and if anyone looks evil it would be him... but it seems just too obvious and easy- I mean if I'm going to steal something, I'd try not to call that much attention to myself by being so nasty and... hate-able," Tracey threw in logically.

Harry looked doubtful. "But if not Snape then who?"

"Who did you see Snape threatening?" Violet asked, tilting her head towards Harry, not sure why she was still going along with this... but her curiosity wouldn't let her stop. Even though there was a heavy feeling in her stomach... like bad things were about to go down...

"Professor Quirrel. We think he's one of the Professor's protecting the stone and that Snape hasn't figured out how to get around his bit of magic."

Violet stopped walking then, feeling her stomach twist then even as she was struck with the wild notion that, it was Quirrel.

Something about Quirrel had always crept her out... there was something... weird about him. Something not quite right.

And the way she'd seen him looking at her sometimes... it always made her hair stand on end. It was... not a perverted look- like those men who Aunt Petunia had warned her about when she was little who liked to touch little kids- but it was still a look that made her feel like something foreign and slimy was crawling around under her skin.

"Well... Violet hit them with a very powerful hex, sent him flying and crashing into a tree... whatever she hit him with is sure to leave bruises, if not something broken. So if we see someone moving differently than usual, then it's probably them," Tracey was saying, just as they finally heard Hagrid moving towards them and calling out to them.

"Are you coming Violet?" Harry called, stopping and turning to look at his sister.

Violet didn't say anything as she moved towards Harry about her suspicion, afraid her brother would do something stupid and try confronting Quirrel by himself.

Instead, she looked at Harry sadly, realizing somewhat belatedly that Harry had been gathering all this information for months and never said anything...

"I wish... you wouldn't shut me out like this, Harry," Violet whispered sadly, looking down at her feet as the hurt once more blossomed inside her forcing her to move away lest she start crying then and there all the while she wondered, how could they have drifted this far apart and when exactly that had happened.

TBC...

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