Please forgive any mistakes, this is un-beta'd. I'm trying to get as much written and posted as possible before my wifi gets turned off. Thank you all for the reviews, they are VERY much appreciated!
~J.
Sadly, the girls destroying her things and cursing them was not the last of the trouble from her fellow Slytherins. Several times, Allyna was followed into the restrooms and harassed to the point of leaving without being able to relieve herself. She was incredibly glad that the room Dumbledore had graced her with had it's own private bathroom; she'd discovered it the morning after she'd been delivered to the room by Professor Snape.
She had been rather surprised when she'd found it, and then stunned. The bathroom inside was quite a bit more opulent than she would have expected after having seen the accommodations of the Slytherin girls' bathroom. The personal bathroom had a large, deep bathtub in beautiful green marble streaked with gold and white. A shower stall was surrounded by stained glass depicting a snake motif, as befitted Slytherin. The sink was deep and there was an enormous counter space that it was set into, also of the beautiful green marble.
This morning, she'd been stopped by Draco Malfoy again, with his goons Crab and Goyle. He had refused to move aside and let her pass until she'd heard him out. Allyna had sighed and waited for him to speak. He had grinned and moved closer, running a hand lightly down her arm, making her shiver in disgust. He'd taken it as a shiver of lust and his grin had become more feline and he'd started to move his hand closer to Allyna's breast. She finally had enough and slapped him. He'd looked so shocked she'd nearly laughed. "I told you before that I want nothing to do with you, Draco. I know how very popular you are with the other Slytherin girls. Take yourself off to Parkinson or someone. I'm not interested."
He'd growled at her in anger and pushed her back against a wall, Crab and Goyle holding her there, out of the view of any other students. "What makes you so special, bitch? What's not to like about me?" he grinned as he said it, running his hand along her cheek as though expecting her to lean into his hand and enjoy the caress.
Allyna snorted. "Well, for one, you have absolutely no interest in me except as a conquest. Girls kind of take exception to that. Also, you are younger than me. I know not by much, but I've always preferred my men to be older. You're also manipulative and kind of a slut. Sorry. Not my type at all." Allyna said, shrugging.
Draco looked at her, surprise clearly on his face. He couldn't think of a time when he'd been so clearly turned down. His face grew dark and angry and he slapped Allyna as hard as he could. She didn't even try to stop him, but he saw that her eyes went blank, dead of emotion. He slapped her again on the other cheek, his hand prints standing out clearly on her pale skin. He raised his hand to hit her again when he was blasted back against a wall. Looking about in surprise, he was stunned to find his own godfather, Severus, standing there. Snape's wand was still pointed at Draco, who went pale, knowing how deadly his godfather could be.
Severus held Draco against the wall for a few minutes, letting the little brat worry whether or not Severus was going to do him injury or not. Finally, with a look of disgust, he dropped the boy to the floor. "I suggest, Mr. Malfoy, that you and your friends head towards the Headmaster's office now. I'll be along in a few moments to explain to him how you all had a student pinned against a wall and were assaulting a member of your own House. I assure you, the Headmaster won't take it lightly." He watched as Draco scampered off, Crab and Goyle plodding along quickly in his wake.
Severus glanced at Allyna, who was still simply looking ahead. He gently took her face in his hands and hissed in shock when her emotions ran through his system. Anger, fear, helplessness, all of them a tumult of energy. "Miss Wilson, I need you to wake up now," he said softly, none of his usual scariness in appearance.
Allyna's eyes closed and then opened again, looking normal, clear, again. She blinked in surprise. "Professor Snape?" She looked around for Draco, but he and his friends were long gone. He noted that she looked exhausted, as if the trance she'd put herself into had used up most of her energy.
"Come along, Miss Wilson, I'm taking you to Madame Pomfrey and then going to Dumbledore's office to deal with Mr. Malfoy and his 'friends'," He gripped her upper arm and began to march to the infirmary, but stopped with a sigh and slowed his gait when he realized how weak she really was. He was half-tempted to pick the girl up and carry her, but something, perhaps her innate sense of dignity, kept him from doing so. If her empathic ability wouldn't have given her away, she'd have made a fine spy for the Order, he thought. He wondered if she knew what it was that she could do, making others feel her emotions.
When they finally arrived at the infirmary, Severus was truly worried about the girl, she was practically collapsing as they walked through the door. When she nearly collapsed to the floor, he cursed and did pick her up, placing her carefully on the bed and calling for Poppy. The matron came bustling out of her office and gasped in shock as she looked the girl over. She cast quickly, a spell to diagnose what exactly was wrong. She tsked softly and headed towards the medicine cabinet.
Severus approved when he saw that she'd grabbed some Pepper-up potion and Dreamless Draught from her stores. Allyna woke up enough to take a dosage of each and fell right back to sleep. "I'll be back later to collect her and escort her to her room. Don't let her leave here alone, Poppy." Surprised, but agreeing, Madame Pomfrey nodded and closed the curtains around the bed where Allyna slept.
His face growing grim, Severus sped to Dumbledore's office. He wasn't surprised when he was granted entrance immediately. The Headmaster's office door was open and Dumbledore was frowning deeply at the three youngsters in front of his desk. "Severus, will you please explain what you saw? The stories all three boys told me privately and one at a time don't seem to add up."
Severus glared at them, and even Draco shrank back from his godfather's stern gaze. "It seems that when Miss Wilson turned Draco down for an intimate get together, all three boys pinned Miss Wilson to a wall and began to assault her." He quirked an eyebrow at them, daring them to reject his words. Though he looked angry, Draco just glared and then stared at the ground under his feet. The other two dunderheads simply looked confused.
"So, it seems as if there is a quandary here. You are all well aware of the rules here. Physical assault is forbidden and may result in a penalty up to and exceeding expulsion. Now, while I know that you three are young, I don't wish to bring in the Ministry to this. However, you will be watched, quite carefully, for any more transgressions. Miss Wilson will be given a charm to carry, if any of you lot come near her except in passing during class times, you will be punished severely. Is that understood?" Dumbledore said, an unusual fierceness in his voice. Severus wondered briefly why he was taking such an unusual interest in the Miss Wilson.
"You are dismissed. I suggest you go straight to your next class while Professor Snape and I discuss your punishment." All three boys nodded and almost ran from the room. Dumbledore sent a formless Patronus to Professor McGonagall explaining the boys' tardiness.
Severus sat down in the chair across from Dumbledore. "How is she," the Headmaster asked softly.
"She put herself into some kind of trance when Mr. Malfoy began to strike her. Whatever it was, it used up much of her energy. I took her to Poppy; Poppy gave her a dosage of Pepper-Up and Dreamless Draught. She's sleeping peacefully for now. Did you know she was an Empath, Headmaster?" Severus asked, a bit disturbed. Empathy was an unusual condition in Muggles or Wizard-kind.
Dumbledore nodded. "I had my suspicions, but was unsure. When I touched her yesterday, I was certain. I'm not sure if she realizes her gift. Her former teachers mentioned nothing of it. I believe it may have been well hidden, or it may be getting stronger as she gets older. In any case, we will have to keep an eye on her. Take this to her, please, Severus," Dumbledore said, holding out a small silver pendant. It was a tiny circle about the size of a penny, engraved with a flower and a bumblebee. "The charm I promised for Miss Wilson. It will sense if she's in danger and will send a warning to whichever teacher is nearest, as well as to you, her head of House."
Severus nodded, it was a rather brilliant idea. With as enhanced as Allyna's emotions were, the charm would pick up on it. If something scared her or made her fearful, it would send a distress signal to Severus. He was surprised when Dumbledore said his name again, softly.
"Severus, I know we spoke of it before, but I would like very much if you were to perhaps allow Miss Wilson to spend time with you in the evenings preparing potions. You said yourself that she was quite good. I received a letter from her father today, asking that she be granted time with you, our Potions Master, outside of class to learn."
Severus frowned. This again? He agreed that the girl had much promise, but why should he give up the peace and solitude granted to him during the evening hours after the dunderheads had gone to their rooms or the library and then to bed. Dumbledore still stared at him and he sighed. "Very well, Headmaster. I'll allow the girl two hours in the evenings for Advanced Potions tutoring. But if she misses even one session, I'm done and I wash my hands of it." With a curt "Good day!" he strode from the room.