Chapter 5: A New Belonging
When Snape returned, Ellexia had changed into a pair of blue jeans and a black, long sleeved t-shirt. When he had seen this, after entering the room, he was relieved. It was getting harder and harder to control himself around such beautiful bare flesh. "Are you about ready? We should get you to Hogwarts as soon as possible; Professor McGonagall will want to see us right away." Ellexia had a worried look upon her face. Snape noticed, and expressed, "It will be alright, you have nothing to worry about right now. You should wear your robes it will be colder there."
Ellexia walked from the bed, back to her trunk and retrieved a set of robes. She slipped them over her clothing and pulled them tight around her. She felt much more comfortable in the black robes she was to wear at Hogwarts than her previous robes. Her previous school uniforms consisted of bright blue robes, white blouse and knee high stockings, just below the knee length navy skirt, and a horrendously floppy large navy bow tie. Just the thought of them made her want to gag. She turned and looked to her professor. "I guess, I'm ready," Ellexia replied anxiously.
Professor Snape walked across the room, to her trunk and put a Reducio Charm on it, (shrinking it down to roughly the size of doll house furniture) and placed it into a pocket on the inside of his robes. Then he turned and looked her in the eyes and explained. "It will be fine. I will make sure of that. Come grab hold, we will leave now."
Ellexia walked over to him, first reaching for his arm. Then thinking about her anxiety and taking a chance, she gazed into his eyes, slowly reached her arms around his chest, watching for signs of him stopping her, but they never came. She locked her fingers together behind his back and squeezed her arms firmly around him, feeling safer than she ever had before. Snape stiffened with her grasp on him, but also smiled slightly, and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He liked that he could instill comfort in her, and also liked the firmness of another body against his. With a quick twist and a subtle pop, they had vanished, and reappeared in Hogsmeade, in front of a decrepit old shack.
Even with the support of Snape's body, Ellexia still bent at the knees when they arrived, throwing them both a little off balance. Snape stepped back slightly away from her and looked down at her face, "Are you okay, Ellexia?"
Ellexia's knees felt even weaker at the sound of his voice speaking her first name. "I'm okay." she replied, with a sheepish grin on her face, then released her arms from around his body. She could not see it through his robes, but she had felt the firmness of his muscles throughout his body, and could tell that he was indeed very toned.
A chilled wind howled around them. Ellexia's body shook, from the weakness in her legs, and also from the drastic drop in temperature. Snape noticed her shaking and asked. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need another calming drought?"
"I'll be alright, just cold, and a little nervous." Ellexia replied, hoping her answer was true and all would be well once inside her the castle.
Snape looked deep into her eyes, as if not believing her words, then prompted, "Let's hurry in then. Here take my arm." Ellexia took his arm and relished in the fact that she didn't have to deal with everything on her own, like she had for most of her life. They walked in silence, huddled together for warmth, and trudged their way up to the castle.
Once they had reached the gate into the Hogwarts grounds Snape muttered indistinguishable incantations, and the gate opened. Upon seeing the vast grounds and daunting castle before her, Ellexia froze to the spot where she stood. "This is amazing," she spoke, in overwhelming disbelief. Snape gently tucked his arm under hers and guided her toward her newfound inhabitance.
Ellexia found herself in utter speechlessness all their way through the amazing school. She could hardly believe that what she was seeing was real. The inconceivable moving staircases in the entrance hall, miraculous paintings, and stark silence of the studentless castle were all too much to take in at one time. Suddenly they came to a stop at a large stone gargoyle. Professor Snape uttered, "Phoenix tears" to the statue. The gargoyle then moved aside allowing entrance into the passage behind. Inside the passage was a narrow spiraling staircase lit by torches. Still unable to speak, Ellexia followed Professor Snape up the staircase to a door, upon which Snape knocked.
"Enter," a voice announced from within.
Snape turned to face Ellexia and instructed, "Wait here just a moment while I have a quick word with the headmistress." He then turned and entered the office, shutting the door behind him. Inside, Professor McGonagall was sitting behind her desk, as Snape entered she looked up from the parchment she was writing on and gave him a concerned look.
"How is she?" McGonagall questioned, "Did she make it here okay?"
"Yes, Professor, she awaits just outside," he stated pointing toward the door, "in as good a condition as one could expect after her earlier episode. I don't believe she is in a state to handle all of tonight's events."
"I have considered that and made a few arrangements. But first I need you to go back to Diagon Alley and take care of a last minute errand." McGonagall ordered.
"What will you have me do now?" Snape expressed his concerns. "Keep watch over a distressed boggart?" he added with much sarcasm.
"No, but I'm quite sure you will not like it much better." McGonagall stated with a slight sneer.
"Oh, bloody hell, what now?" Snape complained.
"Well, I have noticed that tomorrow is Ellexia's seventeenth birthday, and I assume she will receive very few presents. Considering all that she has gone through, and the major adjustments ahead of her, I thought she might take well to a companion." Snape looked at her slightly confused, and knew whatever she meant; he was going to be doing something unpleasant. "I thought, perhaps a cat would be a helpful gift."
Snape looked at her, clearly unpleased, but figured there had to be more. "And when shall we be presenting her with this...gift?" He asked with an air of disgust.
"You can surprise her with it tomorrow evening at her meeting with you, to discuss the events of her first day, and any other things that may be troubling her. The cat may stay in your quarters for the night." McGonagall answered with a hint of a smirk.
"I assumed as much, anything more you wish to pester me with?" Snape spat.
"That shall be all for now. You must hurry, there isn't long before the feast. You may send Miss Baine in as you leave." McGonagall ordered.
Before turning to leave Snape had a concern he wanted to deal with. "Are you sure I am the right person to be helping her? Don't you think another girl would have more of an effect on her? I just don't think there is anything I can do to help."
McGonagall replied, "For now, I think you are the only person who can really relate to her at the moment, and by the fact of you getting her here as well as she is says that you are doing her some good. If things get out of hand, and you don't think you can handle it, come back to me and I will make alternative arrangements. But I have already arranged for her to spend some time with our new Head Girl, hopefully that should help some too."
Snape turned on his heel and with a low grunt, left the headmistresses office letting Ellexia in as he escaped. "She will see you now," he said grouchily as he passed.
Ellexia entered the headmistress's office with trepidation. Looking at the headmistress, seated behind her immaculate, large oak desk, trying to gage her expressions for a hint of what was to come. Professor McGonagall was looking at her with soft, concerned eyes, "Have a seat please." She said while pointing toward a high backed chair in front of her desk. "I must tell you, Miss Baine, that you have made Professor Snape and I very worried about you," she stated.
"I understand if you do not want to accept me here anymore." Ellexia mumbled staring down to the floor. "I just... I don't know... I guess I just felt hopeless. I don't know why I do those things; I don't even know who I am anymore." Tears started making faint tracks down her cheeks; she was trying her best to keep all of her mixed emotions locked inside.
"Miss Baine, do you think we would go through all of this trouble just to abandon you now? You belong here at Hogwarts. But before I try to convince you any further, I have someone I want you to meet." Professor McGonagall looked away from Ellexia and up to a portrait on the wall. "This is Professor Dumbledore. He is the reason why I was able to accept you here, even with your lack of funds." Ellexia looked up to the portrait and saw a very old looking wizard with the most brilliant blue eyes she had ever seen. He looked at her with such a kindness and gave her a little nod. "Hello, Miss Baine" the portrait spoke. McGonagall continued on before Ellexia could get a word in."You see, Professor Dumbledore was the previous Headmaster here until he was killed, during the war, over a year ago. When he was still alive he set aside some of his own money, so that after he died, it would go to the school to help exceptional students such as yourself, who would otherwise not be able to attend here because of financial means, get an education and make sure they had a chance to excel. Under the circumstances you had to leave your previous school and with all you had dealt with there and in other parts of your life, it was quite amazing that you did so well in your studies." McGonagall explained.
"All I could really do there was study, I had no friends to distract me, it was almost the only thing keeping me somewhat sane." Ellexia admitted.
"Well I wish we could go on discussing your acceptance now, but there are other focuses we must move on to." the headmistress interjected. "First of which, is the sorting. You see, here at Hogwarts we have four houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each named after one of the four founders of the school. Each house has certain traits that characterize the students within. I would get more into the whole process of sorting and the differences between the houses, but I must say that the train with the other students will be arriving shortly and we are little yet prepared." The headmistress stood up from behind her desk and retrieved a very old and tattered hat from the top of a bookshelf. She then handed it across her desk to Ellexia and took her seat again."Place this on, Miss Baine."
Ellexia looked at her with puzzlement, but did as she was told. She placed the old hat upon her head, then startled when she heard a voice in her ear. "Hmmmm... Very intelligent, this one, indeed. Much potential in any house, hmmmm... Lack of self-confidence, but also much courage held deep within, would be good Gryffindor material. Also, a lot of darkness... deep seeded anger, not quite Slytherin blood, but also would be great there. But, no, neither could really suffice. Well... I'm must finally decide... Ravenclaw." The hat had spoken the last word aloud to the room. Ellexia sat there feeling a little disturbed that something had looked so deeply into her mind and soul, and quickly removed the hat before it could invade her any further.
"Well," Professor McGonagall announced, "not unexpected, but I had a little hope that you would end up in my former house of Gryffindor. But I must say that you will do very well in Ravenclaw, very well indeed, if you continue with your studies even better than in the past. Do you have any questions about the sorting?"
Ellexia sat silent for a moment, pondering what had just taken place. "Yeah, ummm..., does the hat always take that long to decide?"
"It varies, from student to student," McGonagall replied, "with some it takes a few minutes, others it may hardly even touch their head."
Then, suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Ah, just in time," the headmistress stated, and then directed her next words toward the door, "You may enter."
The door opened and in walked a girl about the, same age as Ellexia, with long, fire red hair. The girl spoke, "You wanted to see me, Professor McGonagall?"
"Yes, dear, I would like you to meet a new transfer student from America, this..." McGonagall pointed toward Ellexia, who was still seated and feeling quite uncomfortable meeting more and more new people. "Is Miss Ellexia Baine, she is starting her sixth year, and has been sorted into Ravenclaw."
"Hello," said the girl, with a smile.
"Miss Baine, this is our head girl, Miss Ginny Weasly," McGonagall stated, "she is in Gryffindor house." Ellexia looked at the girl and gave her a slight nod, before the headmistress continued. "Now, Miss Weasly, I would like you to show our new student here, down to the Great Hall for the feast, and along the way, help her start to get acquainted with the layout of the school and how things work around here. She can also sit with you at the Gryffindor table until she has a chance to get to know more people in her own house." Ginny nodded in understanding, and Professor McGonagall looked at Ellexia, "are these arrangements alright with you Miss Baine? I assure you, you are in good hands with Miss Weasly here."
Ellexia answered, "Sure." then looked at Ginny with a hopeful, but weary expression.
"The feast begins soon so I must hurry. I wish for you both to stay back, in the Great Hall, after dinner and we shall discuss further arrangements." McGonagall walked toward the door and opened it, implying it was time to leave. Ellexia stood from her chair and followed the red haired girl out of the headmistress's office and down the spiral staircase.
AN: I am taking this space to congratulate myself on reaching over 10,000 words. I don't think I have ever written this much for one purpose in my life. Go me!
(pats self on back)
This is a big accomplishment for me.