Chapter 14

Unfortunately within ten minutes of their date, Alli and Fred both realized they were overloaded with homework and couldn't focus on anything other than that. Just to have a bit of fun before plunging into the boredom of paper and spells, the couple ran through the halls racing to the common room. Alli was winning until she turned a corner and knocked over Professor Quirrell . She scrambled to her feet and then assisted the professor up while Fred gathered his papers that had spilled across the floor. Quirrell held onto Allestra's hand which made her feel uncomfortable so she slowly slipped it out of his grasp.

"I'm sorry Professor I wasn't looking at where I was going." Alli readjusted her one shoe which had slid off her heel.

"QQQQuite allllrrright MMMMiss Alli" Professor Quirrell seemed to have to force a smile as he accepted the papers from Fred. An awkward silence passed between the group until Alli said, "Well we'd better go finish our homework. See you in class Professor."

They began to hastily walk down the corridor when Quirrell called after Alli. "Sorry Miss Alli your ring fell off in my hand." He place the elegant ring with a cloudy stone into the center of Alli's opened hand. She stared at it flabbergasted and mumbling a thank you darted again down the hallway but did not wait for Fred. She could hear him behind her yelling for her to slow down but she was actually trying to lose him in the maze of corridors. After several turns a bit of doubling back, Alli finally was no longer able to hear Fred pursuing her but she kept up her pace until she burst through the door of her uncle's office.

"It came off!" She believed due to the hour that her uncle would be alone in his room reading but she was met with the surprised eyes of Adrian who was seated in front of Snape's desk. He was writing on a student's desk and her uncle was nowhere in the room.

"I'm… I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would be in here with Professor Snape at this hour." Alli composed herself and got ready for a fight that she assumed would ensue the next time she met Adrian without Fred near.

"Clearly, though you are very brave burst through his office door. Most students are terrified to just walk pass the door." He rose and started towards her but Alli stepped back until she was up against the closed door. "I'm not going to hurt you Alli. Your boyfriend and his brother would be coming after with their faulty potions if they found out I even talked to you." He snickered and Alli just wished Fred had not given up in his chase of her.

"Where is Professor Snape? He would never leave a student in his office alone." Alli tried to sound strong but inside she was shaking.

"He just stepped out for a moment to get an ingredient from his personal storage. I have the pleasure of spending detention with him this evening. Got caught in the restricted section of the library so now he has me coping potions recipes." He leaned against the back of the chair he had previously occupied. "Now what was it you were saying when you came in here? Something about something coming off?"

"It's nothing just a spell gone wrong and got a stupid ring stuck on my finger. Professor Snape was hoping it would stay on there forever to teach me a lesson but today I finally got it off. You should probable finish your assignment, Snape will throw a fit if you are not working when he comes back." Alli opened the door to leave but almost hit her uncle as she walked through it. He looked just as surprised to see her and could see in her eyes that there was something important she needed to tell him.

"Mr. Pucey I believe that is enough for tonight. You are excused, now off to bed with you. Ms. Jerrings I hope you have a good excuse for disturbing me at this hour." He stepped aside so Adrian could pass but before he left Adrian gave Alli a flirtatious wink and grin that made her cringe. Alli waited a few moments to make sure Adrian could not overhear parts of their conversation as he left. She peaked into the hallway to make sure he wasn't snooping and, satisfied they were alone, she flopped into the armchair and let her arms and legs dangle like the limbs of a rag doll.

"So what do I owe this pleasure, Alli" he collected the assignment Adrian had been working on and put it in a draw of his desk.

"It came off uncle, the ring came off." She held out her hand to show him and took the ring out her pocket with the other hand. Snape came to her side and examined both her hands.

"How did this happen." He took the ring but continued to hold her left hand.

"I don't know. Fred and I were racing through the halls and I ran into Professor Quirrell. I helped him up and the ring came off in his hand. Then I immediately ran here." Alli was feeling the effects of her excessive amount of running, she was tired but thankfully she had paced herself enough that she didn't have an asthma attack because her inhaler was all the way in Gryffindor tower. Her uncle seemed to instantly turn from concerned to angered.

"Alli you're going to sleeping here tonight. There is a set of extra robes and clothes for you in the second draw of the wardrobe. I want you to get ready for bed and go to sleep soon, I may be out late tonight but I am going to ask Professor Mcgonnagal to come down and make sure you are doing as you are told." He stood straight and spoke with his stern voice that her mainly used to frightened the kids so Alli knew she had to obey him. He marched through the door and Alli went into his room to find her clothes; she knew he kept extra clothes for her when she was younger but did not think he continued the practice. She changed into her pajama pants and left her blouse untucked and was reading a book on the couch when Professor Mcgonnagal knock on the door.

"Good evening Miss Alli, I see your uncle had no reason to believe you would disobey him." She sat at Alli's feet as she set her book aside.

"He seemed pretty upset and I know when to listen and when I can get away this going against him." She laughed. "But what I don't understand is why I have to sleep here tonight, wont the other students wonder why as well?"

"Well this was actually planned earlier this evening due to the discovery that you walk in your sleep. You will be spending a number of nights with either your uncle or myself to be sure you are not in any danger if you remain in the dormitory. If we feel that you won't be able to stay in the dormitory than other arrangements will have to be made."

"Great another thing to make me different from the rest of the students." Alli pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.

" Oh now Alli, we don't even know if we will have to change anything. You may just be an ordinary sleep walker and in that case your uncle can give you a potion to keep you in your bed." Mcgonnagal moved closer to her.

"I guess you're right." Alli relaxed and looked around the room. "I wish I had been given more warning about this, I could have brought my school books with me. I have so much homework to finish for tomorrow but promised Uncle Severus I wouldn't leave."

Suddenly there was a loud pop and an angry looking elf standing in the middle of the floor. Alli and Professor Mcgonnagal both let out a short scream but then realized it was simply a house-elf. They did not recognize it as one that worked in the castle but it walked right over to Alli.

"Who are you?" Alli asked as nicely as she could since she noticed it was still dressed in rags and a servant to a particular family; she did not know how his or her family has treated them but she hoped it was better than her aunt and uncle treated their house-elf.

"I'm Kreacher, Mistress, servant to the house of Black. You call Kreacher and I come to serve you. You are his daughter, the daughter if the Dark Lord. Kreacher is lucky to be serving you." He bowed at Alli's feet.

"Um…" Alli shifted her eyes to the Professor who could only shrug her shoulders because she was not sure what to do as well. "Um, thank you Kreacher but I think there has been a misunderstanding. I do not have a house-elf."

"Kreacher heard you ask for your school books. Kreacher will get them for his mistress."

Then there was another loud pop and he was gone. Alli stared at the spot where the creature was standing. Professor Mcgonnagal seemed just as stunned as she was and they were in the same positions when the elf returned with her books and asked if she needed anything else.

"No, no thank you I have all I need now." She took her supplies and the elf bowed again.

"Kreacher will return to the house then, mistress, and return when he is needed." Another pop and he disappeared again.

Alli looked at Professor Mcgonnagal with a dropped jaw. The Professor's shocked expression had disappeared and she seemed uncomfortable. Suddenly she stood up and excused herself by saying she had to go speak with the headmaster, before Alli could form a syllable the door closed and she was alone in the dungeon again.

Alli no longer cared about getting her homework done and left her books on the sofa. She found her uncle had dressed her bed in his room like she was still a little girl. It was a twin sized bed at the opposite end of the room from his; on it was a green polka-dotted bedspread with ruffles around the edges and matching pillowcases. The color was the first thing anyone walking into the room would see since all her uncle's furniture was a dark mahogany wood and his blankets were gray. Alli giggled and wondered if her uncle would tuck her in and kiss her forehead like he did when she would come to him scared when she had first come to the school. Resting against the pillow was her stuffed lion toy that she remembered leaving on her bed at home and thinking about packing it at Christmas break. She shimmied under the covers and brought the animal to her chest. Slowly her eyelids descended and she was asleep; she heard her uncle return and sure enough he came over to her bedside and kissed her forehead then gently pressed his hand on the top of her head. She heard him get into bed and soon he was snoring; Alli smiled at the memories of curling up next to him and hold his nose to see if it stopped the sound. She rolled over and was able to drown out the snoring enough to go back to sleep.

"Allestra, time to wake up."

"Eeeerrr, ten more minutes Uncle Sevy." Alli whined as she pulled the blanket over her head. Abruptly the comforter flew up into the air and a bright ball of light was hovering over her headboard so when she picked her head up Alli was nearly blinded. "Alright, alright, I'm getting up. But please make the room dark again like its suppose to be." She could hear her uncle chuckle as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Her uncle left for breakfast while she got ready and, since she was running late, Alli only had enough time to grab an apple before she had to return to the dungeons for class. Noticing she was tired, her uncle kept her after class and allowed her to have some coffee which he knew Diane never allowed because she thought Alli was hyper enough. The rest of the day passed as boring as ever other day of classes and Alli received a note telling her to report to Dumbledore's office after dinner; she hoped that at least a few things would be answered and that no more questions would be raised, her brain just couldn't take any more confusion.