Chapter 60 The Letter
Uneasy and intrigued, Senna carefully folded the mysterious letter and tucked it into a hidden compartment within her trunk. The weight of its secrets lingered in the air, but she decided not to burden Viola with it until morning.
The next morning, as the sunlight streamed through the windows, Senna woke with a sense of unease.
Viola, still asleep, stirred slightly as she silently slipped out of bed.
In the common room, Senna found a secluded corner and retrieved the letter. As she read it again, the words seemed to dance with an elusive meaning, leaving her with aching questions. The hinting of the prophecy and the impending convergence of paths left her mind whirling.
She decided to confide in Viola, knowing she would find out anyway. With the letter securely hidden in her pocket, she took a deep breath and headed back to the dormitory to wake her girlfriend.
"Viola," she whispered, gently shaking her awake.
As Viola blinked away sleep and focused on Senna's serious expression, she couldn't shake the guilt that their lives were about to be in danger again, and it was her fault. Her very existence was a danger to everyone around her.
Senna hesitated, torn between sharing the letter with both Viola and Tonks or keeping it to herself. The weight of the foreboding message felt like an anchor around her heart, but she had enough wisdom now to know that hiding the letter would cause more problems than it would solve.
She leaned into her ear and whispered, "Viola, there's something important I need to tell you. I received this strange letter last night, and I thought—"
But before she could finish, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What's that letter about? Who's it from?"
Senna swallowed, feeling the tension rise. Senna looked over her shoulder to make sure they weren't being watched. "It's from Struan. I wanted to talk to both you and Tonks about it." She said quietly.
Viola's expression darkened, and she crossed her arms. "Tonks? Absolutely not. You can't trust her with something like this. She's always been too impulsive, too unpredictable."
"Shhh!" Senna shushed her as the snores that surrounded them turned into stirring.
"No." Viola shot back in an angry whisper.
Senna frowned, surprised by her vehement reaction. "She's an Auror. Why wouldn't we trust her?"
She shook her head, frustration evident in her voice. "I've always had my doubts about Tonks. She's too involved in the Ministry, and with how stupid the Ministry acts, I don't want her meddling in our business. This letter could be dangerous, and she might make things worse."
Senna, caught between her loyalty to her girlfriend and her desire for transparency, sighed again. "We're not enemies of the Ministry. I want Tonks involved because she might have insights into this and what it means for us."
"Last time you tried to tell the Ministry you weren't their enemy, it didn't go so well, did it?" Viola's anger flared.
"I have nothing to prove to them. Let's do things the right way."
"No, Senna. I won't allow it. Keep this to ourselves. We'll figure it out on our own. We don't need Tonks getting involved and making things complicated."
The rift between them grew, and Senna felt the weight of a difficult decision. With the letter still clutched in her hand, she had to choose whether to respect Viola's wishes or do what she thought was right.
But their conversation could not continue as hushed conversations and rustling of sheets from the waking students began filling the dormitory.
As they made their way to breakfast, Senna found a quiet corner in the corridor, away from prying ears, and pulled Viola into it to share the contents of the letter.
"I need to talk to you about that letter," Senna began again, her voice low and earnest.
Viola, still visibly upset, crossed her arms and glanced around cautiously. "What if your stalker is watching us? I don't want Tonks involved."
She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the students in the distance, birds chirping outside, and the faint buzz of magic around her. "She's not here right now." She declared as she opened her eyes.
"How do you know that?" A perfect red brow raised in disbelief.
"I don't sense her." Senna told her honestly. But this was the wrong answer. Her green eyes grew cold, and her perfectly sculpted jawline tightened.
"So you two are that close now? You can just sense her presence?"
Senna nodded slowly, acknowledging Viola's concerns. Her mind flickered back to Viola's conversation with Tonks, which she wasn't supposed to hear, and she understood what was really going on. She was frustrated that Tonks was still a sore subject for her and wanted to call her out on it, but she knew that Viola had a lot of pride, and if she mentioned anything about jealousy, it would spell disaster.
"It has little to do with closeness as it does with being perceptive. Spending many years being hunted or in hiding gives you a knack for that sort of thing, you know that." Senna knew it was the partial truth as the words left her lips. She was indeed more perceptive than the average witch, even more so after her meeting with Death, but also knew she had become very familiar with Tonks' unique essence.
A flash of guilt quickly flashed through Viola's eyes and then disappeared. "I know." Viola sighed, relenting slightly. "I just don't trust her, Senna. But fine, tell me what you think we should do."
After pondering Viola's concerns about Tonks, she understood it was about mistrusting the Ministry and partly resenting the Auror. Tonks would find out eventually. With her orders to tail Senna at all times, it was inevitable. So Senna thought of going in another direction, one that would better suit her girlfriend.
"Viola," She began, her voice thoughtful, "The letter from Struan says he's going to visit me soon..." She paused. "I understand your reservations about Tonks. What if we confided in Professor Snape instead? He might be able to shed light on Struan's plans."
Viola considered the suggestion, her expression softening. "Professor Snape? Really?"
Senna nodded. "Yes, really. He knows more about Struan than anyone else here. If there's something he's planning, he might have insights."
Viola sighed, realizing the merit of Senna's proposal. "Fine, let's talk to Professor Snape. But we keep this between us. No Tonks."
She agreed, grateful for Viola's willingness to find a compromise. "Agreed. Now Listen..." Senna dove into summarizing the letter, and as Viola listened, her brows furrowed.
"Wow, he doesn't give up, does he?" Viola commented.
Senna just sighed. "When he does, it'll be my lucky day. Come on, let's get to breakfast."
As they headed to breakfast, she saw that the compromise had relaxed Viola, so Senna thought it safe to take her hand. Tentatively, she reached out and took Viola's hand in hers, feeling her fingers interlace with her own. The warmth of her touch spread throughout her body. Viola's grip tightened around hers, and Senna was relieved to see the anxiety and tension melting away from her face.
As the lesson began, Viola's attention was fixed on Professor Moody. She watched his every move, taking in his grizzled appearance and the magical eye that seemed to rove over the classroom, scanning for any signs of trouble.
As he demonstrated a spell, they followed his movements intently.
Throughout the class, Viola asked thoughtful questions and made astute observations, but her eyes were cold and calculating.
As the class drew to a close, they packed up her things and headed out of the classroom.
"He's weird, that's for sure. But that doesn't prove that he's a Death Eater."
"No, it doesn't." Viola sounded disappointed. "But someone on the inside had to deliver that letter to your bed."
Senna nodded.
The day passed slowly, the weight of the letter still lingering in the air as she tried to attend classes as normal. Though she tried to push the unease to the back of her mind, it was a constant presence, hovering just beneath the surface of her thoughts.
As she sat in class, Senna found herself struggling to focus on the lesson, her mind wandering back to the enigmatic words of the letter. She couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming, something that would change everything.
Viola was faring well, she appeared to be focused and well-composed despite the imminent threat of Struan.
The day dragged on, each passing hour feeling like an eternity as they waited for the opportunity to discuss the letter with Professor Snape. But the fourth period came, and they made their way to Professor Snape's office. Snape looked up from his desk as they entered, his expression unreadable.
"What brings you here, Miss Richmond, Miss Snape?" Snape asked, his voice cold and clipped as he shuffled through papers.
Senna took a deep breath. "We wanted to talk to you about something, Professor. It's about a letter I received last night."
Snape raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Go on."
Senna pulled the letter out of her pocket and handed it to Snape.
He scanned it quickly, his eyes narrowing as he took in the swirling Parseltounge script.
"I can't read this." Snape said with a frown.
"That's because it's in Parseltounge. It's from Struan."
"That is a very concerning development," Snape said. Alarmed, he handed the letter back to Senna. "What does it say?"
Senna translated the letter word for word. Viola scoffed at certain points while Snape listened intently, his face unreadable.
When she finished, the office was silent except for the sound of bubbling cauldrons in the background.
Finally, Snape spoke. "You must be cautious. He's keeping an eye on you. Do you know how this letter ended up on your bed?"
Viola spoke up instead, her voice low but determined. "No, we don't. That's why we need your help, Professor."
Snape looked at them both, his gaze intense. "I will do what I can to help you." He said finally.
"What I don't get is what he wants from me now." Senna let out an exasperated sigh. "He knows I don't want to be his queen. And now he thinks sending me a creepy poem will make me change my mind?"
The three of them exchanged glances at each other.
"It is possible..." He said in a low voice, "He hopes that after defeating the top person in Great Britain, you will see the favor has fallen on the side of Dark and join the winning side."
She rolled her eyes. "Not gonna happen."
"The Prince is obsessive, much like his father. He will keep trying until you are on his side... or dead."
A shiver crept up her spine, and when she turned to Viola, she seemed a bit paler than before.
"I need you to keep this matter strictly confidential," Snape continued, his eyes locked on theirs. "No one else can know about this. The fewer people who know, the better."
"You're forgetting that Scrimgeour is having me tailed by an Auror all the time."
Snape exhaled and reflexively scanned his office. "That's all the more reason to keep quiet. Don't mention it once you leave this room."
"Thank you, Professor," Viola said, feeling relieved that she had someone who felt the same way about Ministry employees.
Snape nodded curtly. "You may go now. I'll investigate this. But remember, you must be cautious."
They turned to leave Snape's office.