WOOT!
Go ahead and tell me what you know you're dying to say.
'Oh, MagicsPet, you updated twice in one day! Here, have some chocolate frogs! Have some sugar quills!'
Disclaimer: My lovely readers know the drill, right? I don't need to embarrass my poor, squat-owning self? Good. (cuz I didn't feel up to it anyways today...)
Anyways, the last story was a cliff-hanger, the final words being:
--- Mannie did not even blink.
"Liar."
The Seelik smiled even wider. When he spoke again, Harry was not even sure of what he was saying. He was only aware of a hissing, shrieking sound.----
Yup. So anyways, on with the show!
"I'se no liiiiiiarrrrrr. I'se cannnnn ssssppppeeeeak to deeeead peeerrrrrrsonnnns. Liiiiike your mummmmyyyyyy, the witttchhhhh Zeeeeeeennnnveeeeivaaaaa."
Mannie's face transformed into one of horror and fury in a twisted combination.
"Liar! You cannot speak with the dead. My mother was a well-known witch! It would be easy for you to know that I am her child! You cannot speak with her!"
The Seelik smiled still wider,
"Yeeeessssssss. What isssss it you wannnnnt to knooooowwww? Let Vatiiiissss freeeeee, and I'se teeellll you what you wannnnnt to knooooooowww."
"That is your name, Vatis?"
"Yesssssss, cleeeeveeerrrrr girrrrrrl, smarrrrrt liiitlllleeee witttttchhhh."
"And if I set you free, you will communicate between my mother and me?"
The Seelik grew more excited,
"Yessssss! Seeeeetttt Vatiiiisssss freeeeee, I'se teeeelllll you allllll."
"I don't believe you."
The Seelik was shocked and angrily paced within the circle of fire.
"You'se maaaaakingsssss fooooools of Vatiiiiisssss, I'se telllll you nothiiiiing!"
Mannie narrowed her eyes.
"I want proof that you can speak to the dead."
"Prrrroooooof? I'se have prrrroooof pleeeentyyyyy. Your mummmmyyyys name foooorrrrr you was Mannnnnniieeeeee Deeeeeaaaaaresssssst."
-----
The blood drained from Mannie's face as she fumbled with her wand. Harry was in shock as he watched her raise it at the Seelik.
"MANNIE! DON'T!"
-----
Snape ran down the hall, and turned the corner just in time to catch Harry fall down, and the girl to begin chanting. She had her wand raised at the Seelik that the first-years had hysterically told him about, and was opening her mouth in preparation to chant. Snape could feel her magic emanating from her all around the room. It was extremely potent, and made the hairs on the back of his neck raise uncomfortably. He walked up to her and grabbed her wrist forcefully. She looked up at him, and Snape could see the filmy remnants resting on her eyes from being hypnotized. Snape shook her roughly, but she only continued to look at him with an empty, stupid expression. Snape looked at Potter.
"Potter, what did he say to her?"
"I don't know! He was talking at first, and then it just turned to snorting and hissing and stuff."
Snape rolled his eyes. Potter was unbelievably stupid. The Seelik had been talking in its native tongue, obviously. Snape held the girl with one hand, and slapped her across the cheek with the other. Just hard enough to hurt, and wake her up. As Snape expected, she shook her head, and looked up at him with clear eyes. Then her eyes widened, in shock.
"He hypnotized me didn't he?"
Snape muttered to himself about how in the world he got himself surrounded with such idiotic students, as he reversed Potter's spell, and then propelled both students into his room at the end of the hallway. Albus also appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and Snape motioned down the hall.
"He's safely in a ring of serpent fire."
Albus nodded, and rushed off to transport the Seelik back to where it was supposed to be. Snape ushered both students into his classroom, and seated them down at a desk. He paced for a moment, trying to control himself. He failed miserably.
"Without a doubt, you are both the most stupid students it has ever been my misfortune to have!"
Snape watched Potter stand up in anger.
"Sir, we were-"
"Potter, if you do not stop now, I will make sure that you clean the Potions lab with a cat whisker until it shines like a Galleon!"
Potter sat down with a huff. The girl looked at him impassively, with her arms across her chest.
"Honestly, it doesn't surprise me that you nearly managed to get yourself killed this early in the year, Potter, but Miss Mortacrin, may I inquire as to what you were bloody thinking, if anything, that is?"
The girl opened her mouth, but then shut it quickly, and looked away.
"Well?"
She looked at him with a look of restrained frustration, and severe exhaustion.
"I do not trust myself to answer you civilly, sir."
Snape was taken aback by this statement, but kept his face free of any emotion, as he coldly regarded the both of them.
"A lesson Potter could no doubt profit highly from."
He turned and massaged his temples. These unruly students would drive him to St. Mungo's. He stood with his back towards them for a moment before sighing heavily.
"Get to your rooms, please."
He could sense Potter's whiny voice before he even heard him speak.
"What? You're not going to punish us or anything?"
"If Potter wants to scrub the dungeon floors, he is most welcome to, but I however, have had enough of all of you for today."
Snape listened with a satisfied ear as both students quickly marched out of his classroom. Potter was out of his classroom in an instant, but before the girl could leave, he called after her:
"Miss Mortacrin, you have not gotten out of a detention by any means. You will serve it on Tuesday of next week."
Snape was sure that she was glaring at him, but all she said was a quiet "Yes, sir." And with that, she ambled out after Potter.
-----
The rest of the week, and the weekend passed without much ado. Mannie was finding herself plagued by even more dreams about her mother, which had particularly nasty endings that always caused her to wake up in the middle of the night panting, and drenched in a cold sweat. Her classes were going well, and she was getting top grades, but she was very tired every morning, and every evening she dreaded going to sleep. Snape had continued to be rather unkind, but for the most part had not engaged her in a head-on argument. Tuesday came quickly, and at the end of the day, Mannie found herself walking to his class as slowly as possible. She was feeling rather grumpy today, on account of begin tired, and also because the Seelik had brought to the surface so many confliction feelings, and emotions, and she was so tired of holding them all in. She opened the door to the Potions class. Snape was seated at his desk writing. Without looking up, he addressed her,
"Miss Mortacrin, you are late."
"I apologize, sir. I was…delayed in the hall."
"By a teacher?"
"Um, no. By a friend."
"Miss Mortacrin, I do not tolerate tardiness. You were supposed top be here ten minuets ago. You will serve another detention tomorrow to make up for the first ten minuets you missed in this one."
"What!"
"And now, you will sit and compose an essay on manners, because for some reason yours are inexcusably rude whenever you are alone with me."
"I am not!"
"Which I find to be insulting, and rude at the very least. Do you treat your other teachers in this way?"
Mannie glared at him. She could feel her arms shaking, and she gritted her teeth in vain.
"Stop it."
"In addition to this, you will also wash the vials we used this afternoon in the first-years class. Hopefully you will be able to control yourself enough to accomplish that simple task."
"I said stop it!"
"Miss Mortacrin, do not interrupt me."
Mannie could feel herself going into a rage. The difficulty of keeping her crying in for the past year and more, and the pain of losing her mother, but seeing her in her dreams at night, and the anger that Snape thought she was incompetent and rude and couldn't control herself, burst out in the form of a horrible tantrum.
"Oh, shut up! I hate you! What do you know about me? Ever since I came to this school, you've been out to get me, why?"
"Miss Mortacrin, stop this immediately!"
"Stop it! Just leave me alone, dammit!"
"Do NOT use that type of language here-"
"I will use whatever kind of bloody language I want!"
Snape stood and loomed over her.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!"
Mannie shook with fury, and her hands shot out at Snape. He flew back against the wall. Mannie looked down at herself. Fire was burning her clothes, licking at her skin. She was on fire. She was on FIRE! She screamed, and tried to put the flames out but only succeed in making them bigger.
Her anger and frustration grew, and with it the fire leaped higher and higher, until she could not see the room anymore, as she was engulfed in flames. Suddenly a memory of the exact same thing happening years ago sprang up in her mind. Her mother had held her to herself, as the fire burned itself out. Mannie desperately tried to remember the incantations her mother had used to calm her, but couldn't, and clawed at the inferno surrounding her. She put her head back and tried to scream, but only a hissing sound came from her throat.
This is how it was going to end. She couldn't think about anything. Her mind was foggy and blank.
Suddenly, a hand shot out from the ring of fire, and she was pulled against a chest that enfolded her. She felt strong arms go around her, and a cloak swirl around her body. Against the warm body, Mannie grasped the shoulders in her shuddering hands, and let the pain drain out in her tears. She felt long fingers support her head, and pull through her tangled hair as the fire died out. In the quiet room, Mannie could hear her own broken sobs muffled against Snape's chest. Snape quietly murmured soothing words, as Mannie let frustration and sorrow and loneliness rip from her lungs. She didn't feel him softly lift her, and move to the bench off to the side. She didn't feel him wipe her tears like one would a little kid as she sat beside him, softly weeping. All she felt was his heartbeat underneath her cheek that seemed to beat with hers.
Mannie let out a shuddering sigh. She was so tired. She had been waiting for more than a year to do that, and she felt so much better now that she had. Snape rubbed her back in little circles.
"Mandara, when was the last time you openly expressed your emotions?"
"I-I…d-don't know."
"I think you do."
"M-more than a-a year?"
"Are you asking me, or telling me?"
"T-telling…"
"That's extremely unhealthy, you know."
"I d-don't care. It's better than looking like a-a, a l-little cry baby."
Snape looked down at her sternly.
"Real strength, is knowing when it's alright to express emotion."
Mannie was embarrassed, and all she could do was stare at her hands. She saw herself absently playing with the edge of his cloak.
"My mother told me to be strong before she…d-died."
Mannie gripped the cloak in her fist.
"S-she left me all-l a-alone!"
Snape held her against him, as a new onset of tears ran down her face.
"And now I have to go live with a guardian I've probably never me before. He'll be horrible."
"Oh, for Merlin's sake. How do you know that?"
"B-because all of my father's f-friends were like that."
"Well, stop your pity-party, because I'm you guardian."
Mannie pushed up.
"What?"
"Miss Mortacrin, stop saying that after you know perfectly well what I said."
"You're my guardian!"
"That is what I just got done saying, Miss Mortacrin."
"What if I don't want you as a guardian?"
"Its neither your choice, nor mine. Do you think I want a bratty, disrespectful little witch running amok in my house? By the way, that attitude as got to go."
Mannie sat glaring at Snape, and he returned her look with a scathing look of his own. Their staring contest continued for a full five minuets before Mannie groaned and leaned back against his side. She mentally kicked herself for doing so, but he was warm, and she was tired, and all she could think was that she wanted to fall asleep against him.
"If you're my guardian, how come you're so mean?"
"If you're my ward, how come you're so rude?"
"I hate you."
"That's fine. As long as you treat me with respect."
Mannie rolled her eyes. Snape caught it and spoke again.
"Miss Mortacrin, if you continue to do that, I will take your eyeballs out and use them ina potion."
She humphed at this, and Snape narrowed his eyes at her.
"Miss Mortacrin, one thing you will find, is that it is never wise to test me. I will punish you if there is a need."
Mannie narrowed her own eyes, and then looked down at her hands.
"I don't want you to tell anyone. I'm going to tell them when I'm ready."
"Fine. Do we have an understanding?"
Mannie looked up at him, and felt a little tug at the corner of her mouth, but stubbornly ignored it.
"Fine. Deal."
Snape stood.
"Good. Now, get to work on that essay, please."