"What were you and Professor Snape doing in the broom closet?" Umbridge asked me the next day.
"What do you mean Professor Umbridge?" I replied innocently.
Umbridge slapped me across the face.
"Tell me." Umbridge said sternly.
"We were discussing something private." I replied quietly as I rubbed my cheek.
"Then why did he carry you away?" She said with a glare.
"I suddenly felt weak." I lied.
"Where did he take you?" She asked.
"To his classroom." I answered.
"And?" She said wanting me to continue.
"He gave me a potion and I felt better." I replied.
Umbridge glared at me.
"If I find out that if any of that is a lie, I will have you severely punished." Umbridge finally said.
I nodded and turned away from her. I never wanted to harm someone more than I wanted to harm her…
"Thing are out of control Severus." I said as I paced his bedroom.
"I know." Snape replied.
"She's got me running around doing insane tasks for her, sitting in on detentions and constantly putting me on hallway duty." I continued.
"I know." Snap repeated.
"I'm exhausted, I haven't gotten more than two hours of sleep a night." I said as I sat on the edge of his bed.
"We're all exhausted; we're all running around doing insane things, in impractical ways." Snape snapped.
I stood up.
"Oh, so you think you're dealing with much more than I am?" I asked angrily
"I'm not saying that at all, I'm just saying that you're not the only one affected by Umbridge's rein of terror." Snape replied.
I was furious; Snape didn't even understand what I was going through.
"We all have to deal with long hours, extra detentions and hallway duties, even watching her discipline the students with those pens." Snape added.
I walked to his door.
"Where are you going?" Snape snapped.
I turned back to face him.
"You may have to witness her punishments, but I have to endure them." I said as I touched my cheek where Umbridge slapped me earlier that day.
I slammed his door shut as I left. Heading back to my bedroom.
I was tired. Night after night of doing detentions with Umbridge was tiring me out. I was growing more irritable and cranky as every hour passed by. I haven't spoken to Snape in three days. Not since I our fight.
I stumbled down the hallway, not moving exceptionally fast. I headed towards my bedroom
"Kate!" Reia yelled from behind.
I turned around.
"What?" I replied with an eyebrow raised.
"Come with me." Reia smirked.
Before I could argue she grabbed my hand and began pulling me back down the corridor.
"Reia, where are you taking me. I'm tired." I complained.
"Oh, trust me. You'll want to see this." Reia assured me.
We headed up a couple of flights of stairs.
"Yeah, just what I need after spending ALL day with Umbridge. A cardio work-out. Why don't you just point your wand to me and kill me?" I whined.
"Oh shut-it. You're going to freak when you see this!" Reia replied.
She finally led me to a room filled with awards and accomplishments.
"What is this?" I asked.
"The trophy room, it looks like, but take a look at this!" Reia said and she pointed threw one of the glasses cabinets to a picture hanging up.
I looked closer. It was a picture of Snape, but he was younger, with this red headed girl. She looked familiar.
"Reia, that's the same girl I found a picture of in one of Snape's books!" I explained.
"No way, look at the name!" Reia replied.
I squinted and read below the picture.
Severus Snape & Lily Potter - accomplishments in Potions and Defence against the Dark Arts.
"Lily Potter… like Harry's mum?" I asked.
"Is there any other Lily Potter that you know?" Reia asked.
"Do you think that Harry is their love child?" I asked Reia.
"No, Harry doesn't look a thing like Snape and looks 99% like his dad." Reia replied.
"How do you know what he looks like?" I asked.
"Sirius showed me around the house and he had some pictures." Reia smirked.
"Oh god, ending this conversation right now." I said.
Reia wrapped her arm around my shoulder.
"So, how awesome is it too see a picture of young Snape. He was actually, a little bit cute when he was around our age." Reia commented.
I shot her a glare.
"I said back then, not now!" Reia commented.
I rolled my eyes and I looked back at the picture of Snape and Lily.
"She must have meant something too him. Even the password in the dungeon bathroom is Lilies." I recalled.
"I think it's weirder that she almost looks like you. Red hair, green eyes… It's a little creepy if you ask me." Reia replied.
"Do you think he only feels this way about me because I look like her?" I asked glaring at the picture.
"I don't know." Reia mumbled.
I turned and walked out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Reia asked as she chased after me.
"To find out." I replied.
"Jesus Christ Kate, its 11:00pm. The whole castle is sleeping!" Reia explained.
"I need to know. If I want to continuing loving someone, I want to know if they are loving me, or loving me because I look like the person they really want." I said as I moved swiftly down a couple flights of stairs.
"Kate, what if it all just is a coincidence?" Reia asked.
"I'm about to find out right now if it is or not." I replied.
"Kate at least wait until the morning!" Reia pleaded.
I stopped in the middle of a corridor. What if my anger right now is a reflection on my lack of sleep and the fight we had or is it a real emotion. I mean after all Lily Potter is dead. But what if he's with me to hold on too that memory?
"Kate, come on, let's go back to the room and go to sleep." Reia said as she grabbed my hand and started pulling me backward towards the direction of our room.
"This is so confusing." I groaned.
"I agree. That's why it will be best if you at least sleep on it." Reia replied.
"I suppose you're right." I grumbled.
We finally reached our room. Chance was already curled up on Reia's bed sleeping.
"Traitor cat." I mumbled.
I collapsed on my bed and closed my eyes. I was even too tired to take off my robes. Reia turned off the light and climbed into bed.
"Hey Reia…" I mumbled.
"Yeah Kate." Reia replied.
"How did you find that picture?" I asked.
Reia giggled.
"I was up there making out with the ancient ruins teacher." Reia replied.
"That's horrible." I said weakly.
Reia chuckled softly and I drifted off into a deep sleep almost instantly.
I woke up to the sun shining in my face. It was warm and comforting. Until I realized that I never wake up to the sun in my face. I quickly sat up in bed and looked at the time. 9:04.
"Oh god, Umbridge is going to kill me!" I exclaimed as I jumped out of bed.
Reia stirred underneath her blankets.
"Reia! Wake up, we're late!" I said in a panic as I hopped around trying to put on my shoe.
Reia lifted her head up a bit to look at me.
"Kate… It's Saturday. There is no school." Reia mumbled.
I dropped my other shoe that was in my hand.
"Oh, really?" I asked.
There was a knock at the door. Reia slumped back down and pulled the blanket over her head. I answered the door.
"Oh good you're already up Ms. Black. I need you to cover my detention this morning. I have a meeting with the Minster of Magic." Umbridge said with a smirk.
"Yes Professor." I replied in a monotone voice.
"Excellent. It will start in 10 minutes in the great hall. More lines for those who choose not too tell the truth." Umbridge said with a sick smile on her face.
I bet she licks all the pages they write in detention because she likes the taste of children's blood.
"I'll be there." I replied.
Umbridge smirked and left. I closed the door.
"Why do you talk like that with her? All nice and crap" Reia asked me from underneath her blanket.
"I don't want to get fired. I want to be here with you and Snape." I replied.
"School is almost over… I'd say 'fuck it' and leave the school." Reia said.
I've thought about it… but I needed to think about my future at Hogwarts next year. What if Umbridge is still in charge?
I sighed and put on my other shoe.
"I'll see you later." I mumbled to Reia as I left the room and headed toward the great hall for detention.
The students were already waiting for me in the great hall quietly talking with each other.
"Quiet down, I will be supervising this morning's detention; Professor Umbridge is in a meeting." I said as I walked threw a row of students.
I turned to face them at the front of the rows of desk.
"I'm sorry, but I have to follow through with this detention." I sighed as I looked at each hopefully face.
They groaned as they picked up there red quills.
"Begin." I said as I bowed my head.
I heard the sound of quills being scratched on parchment paper, and little whimpers of pain. I looked up when I heard a Ravenclaw girl's sob. I walked to her desk as she rubbed the back of her hand. She's been in detention before.
"Please, it hurts." The girl cried.
I grabbed her hand and looked at it. The words in her hand were cut so deep.
"Go to the hospital wing." I told her.
She just looked at me with her teary eyes.
"Go. Now." I said again.
She slowly got up and walked at a fast pace out of the Great Hall. I slowly sat down in the desk she was just sitting at.
Umbridge would punish me if this didn't get done.
I picked up the quill. I heard whispered echo threw the Great Hall. I looked up and saw them staring at me.
"If anyone needs help with there lines, I will take over." I informed them as I looked back down at the parchment paper and continued writing her lines.
At first it didn't hurt. Just a little scratching at the surface of the skin. The only noises that came from the Great Hall were the scratching of the quill on the parchment paper and the small noises that came from the students. The scratches on the back of my hand scratched deeper and deeper, but I fought hard to get enough lines on the parchment paper to satisfy Umbridge.
"Professor Black." An older Hufflepuff student said.
I looked up from my parchment paper.
"Yes?" I asked.
He lifted up his hand and I saw drops of blood starting to slowly bead down his hand then down his arm. I stood up from the desk and walked over to him. He was shaking like a leaf. I drew out my wand and he flinched.
"I'm going to try and heal it." I explained to him.
"You can't" Another student said.
I turned to see that it was Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's friend, who spoke.
"Why not?" I asked.
"It's something to do with the magic in the pen. It will make it worse." She explained.
I looked back at the Hufflepuff boy. I grabbed his piece of parchment off of his desk and walked up to the front of the class.
"Take a break; I'll continue your lines." I told the Hufflepuff boy.
I pushed the quill to the parchment paper and continued writing the boy's lines.
I kept writing, anything to help these kids. An hour went by so slowly, it seems like it was almost a bewitched clock. I helped a few students with there lines, but most didn't want to bombarded me with too many lines.
The door to the great hall opened and the Ravenclaw girl I sent to the hospital wing came back, I saw panic in her eyes.
"Umbridge! She's coming!" She said franticly.
"Take your seat!" I yelled as I quickly ran to place parchment with lines on the appropriate desks.
"Kate, your hand." Harry pointed out.
I looked down at my bleeding hand. I quickly shoved my hand into my robe pocket just as Umbridge entered. I casually walked down the rows of students as they continued writing there lines.
Umbridge slowly walked towards us. Her heels clicking on the stone floor. She glanced over at everyone's lines.
"Good work Ms. Black." Umbridge said with a smirk.
I nodded.
"Alright children, detention dismissed for today." Umbridge said cheerfully.
Something wasn't right. She was too happy.
I filed out with the students.
"Try not to get into anymore trouble!" I called out to them as they took off into different directions.
I looked down at my hand that was raw and red and bleeding slightly. I gently rubbed the back of my hand and headed back towards my bedroom for an afternoon nap.