Chapter 19: Are we friends or not?

"Sit there" Snape barked. Shona noticed the chair that had been assembled by Snape's impressive desk and sat down. Snape grunted before pacing the room, looking at a suit of armour that had been placed at the wall.

Shona could see that there was something deeply wrong about the potions master. She had expected precise planning and personal papers to be folded on the desk, not a rabble of sheets like the pacific ocean. There seemed to be something eerily floating in, what Shona would assume, a pickle jar. She zoomed closer and saw three olive like things bounce around. It was a shock to finally realise they where rats eyes. They stared at Shona and she looked away quickly. She could see Snape getting rather cranky, placing some books on back on the shelf without magic. She thought he was going crazy. He always used magic!

"Professor I can come back another time..."

"Stay McGuire!" He ordered, his masculine voice drowning the girl out. Shona felt something like hot water boil down her back as the teacher growled and murmured to himself, all the while cleaning up the room.

It was then Shona noticed the marauders map. Itching with excitement with why Snape had it, she foolishly snuck out her left arm and made a grab for it. But Snape was like a hawk. He bolted over at an incredible speed and snatched the thing off the teenager

"Do not touch anything on my desk McGuire!" He snarled, so fiercely Shona expected Snape’s saliva to froth and him to start barking. He slammed the marauders map back on the desk, his wand pointing at it with an edge of danger. Baffled, Shona sighed and sat in her chair

Shona felt an edge of insecurity as Snape prowled the room. Every time he went behind her to carry on something Shona turned in anxiety, as if something was going to happed. At long last Snape let out a menacing growl, teeth baring. Snape forced himself to give up and sat in his seat angrily

"Are you ok sir?" Shona asked

"I’m fine," he spat "there is nothing wrong"

‘Wow’, Shona thought. So this what the professor was like when he began stressed. And she thought he was bad when he was teaching (which was true, the whole class was afraid of the menace!)

He began to sort his papers by hand. He would bunch them together like a news reporter before stuffing them into an unforeseen drawer. Shona picked up some papers in help but Snape snatched them away quickly, giving her the most foul look she’d ever seen. Shona looked away at the mans glare, his eyes reminding her of dark tunnels with no soul in them left. Snape then busied himself in writing to someone, pulling out a quill and some ink. He did this in silence, only making the situation more awkward for the both of them. Snape wrote in more silence, only the sound of the tip drifting across the parchment could be heard. Shona couldn’t see what he was writing or who it was for, but she could tell that Snape had very pointy writing

Like his sharp behaviour, she told herself. A little bit smaller than a usual persons writing, 'but then again everybdoy is different', Shona told herself. Her writing had been described by McGonagall as unreadable, due to it's flowing like rushed state. Shona alowed herself to think about it, all the locked words no one could understand. The underestimate solution caved in a language only Shona could read. The library books she corrected collecting data that only the smartest wizard could crack… all because of her hand writing.

"So," Snape said blankly not looking up from his page "you wanted to talk about your powers. What bothers you about them?"

Shona jumped at the sound of his voice "well, they’ve been getting more..." She couldn’t find the words

"Spit it out McGuire" Snape moaned. Shona decided then shed get his attention

"They’ve kept me up all summer and all the nights at here, you know. These powers aren’t small professor,  there a big problem. It amazes me that I can just pick any mind and read it.  And person wouldn’t know a doo-alley"

The professor carried on writing, seemingly unimpressed by the matter, but secretly soaking up the words

"But I can feel really drained sometimes, like someone’s came out and taken my battery’s. Sometimes..."

"Can you read my mind easily?"  Sanpe asked coldly. Shona stopped her sentence and answered

"Well not really. When we were down by the black lake last year I could only pick out a dotted message, like a fuzzy radio. I had to guess mostly, which I have experience from"

Snape ignored the light hatred joke at the end, continuing to scribble down his thoughts "do you think you could train people so you cant read their minds?"

"I’m not sure. You might be able to, but most of your brain would still be vulnerable to me"

Snape pondered for a second before continuing his writing, his mind into its complicated yet genius scanning mode. He was half glad McGuire wasn’t reading his mind right now

"I know right?" Shona said casually. Snape looked up at her, his pale face looked as if he’d just seen his daughter kissing Fred Weasley "damn! I did it again I cant help it sometimes, they just jump at me. As I said earlier, using my other powers can cause me to feel weak to"

Snape stopped writing instantly. Abruptly so that he didn’t even finish the word he was on. Snape looked up at the blue eyes, replying what the girl had just said

"What other powers?" Snape asked curiously. He was now fully intrigued in the talk

"Well I can seemly mind read whenever I want to. And I recently have been able to talk to my dog, Bruno. And I can now sense people in rooms. You know, like I know if someone’s behind my back. I know how many people there are in the room and I can tell how they’re feeling. But that one only gets triggered when there something big going on."

"I see" Snape murmured. He’d placed his quill down and had sat back in his chair, thinking hard. Their was an amusing puzzled look on his face, but it soon dimmed as he realised Shona was looking "those aren’t ordinary wizarding powers"

"You say they collect your energy" Snape corrected. Shona nodded and scratched her head. Snape tried to sound calm and normal, but there was a slight tingle in his voice

"No," he said slowly "there must be a reason for it. Probably the more you panic about it that other power will kick in and drain you more. As for those other powers, I will have to inquire Dumbledore, unless you don’t want me to"

"Just keep it hushed ok. Because then it will be another thing to add onto the list off bully Shona" she said quickly. She shut her mouth quickly as Snape stared at her. He frowned at her and Shona changed the subject "what happens if I get out of control with these powers?"

"You wont" Snape said simply. Shona took the words in slowly, noticing it had more than one meaning "we both know that"

Shona stood up and Snape copied her. She looked panicky at the realisation that she was telling someone about one of the most powerful things she had ever had

And she was talking to Snape

"What’s wrong?" He asked calmly, as though it was an ordinary day

"There was this time" Shona started, Snape slowly edging away from the desk and round its corner "this one time. It was summer and there where some ‘boys’" she pronounced the words like venom

"I take it there not your friends then?" Snape muttered sarcastically

"No of course not" She said darkly as though Snape knew who they where "well, we had wound each other a lot and I was just so angry. My powers where just doing whatever and I was feeling really weak, I could have collapsed but..."

"But what?" Snape said eagerly, approaching round the tables corner

"Well their was just this enormous rage," Shona told him "a massive rage and it welled up inside of me. I thought I was going to explode. My heart was burning and I kept on thinking dark thoughts. Anyway, I attacked them and they screamed away, as if they’d seen something horrific. I didn’t actually hit them or anything but whatever they saw... There not the type of kids to chicken out over nothing"

"What happened then?"

"I dragged myself to the park and lost unconscious. Woke up three hours later. Dad was furious"

Snape didn’t like the sound of this at all. He could imagine those kids screaming. But then he realised that there as something dark involved in the powers. Another power that caused absolute chaos

"Don’t panic" he told her, fearing she’d run away "just keep calm and try not to use them. You don’t seem to use them that often I feel, maybe using them too much causes the problem" he quoted aloud. Shona nodded sadly and made her way to the door

"Is that it?" he asked

"Yep" Shona sighed as she reached for the door.

"McGuire you cant go now, the dementors will probably be searching the grounds at the moment"

"How long will that take?" Shona moaned

"Ten minutes," Snape said in a gruff voice "I guess your going to have to stay here for a minute"

Snape sighed and showed Shona a seat. She sat calmly as he went to the kitchen

"Don’t worry, I’m not happy either. I’d prefer to be back in Gryffindor common room now. But ill wait" she said, knowing they’d both equally relished each other. Shona heard the clatters of some plates and the footsteps of Snape walking around the miniscule kitchen. Shona stomach rumbled loudly and she flinched. Snape didn’t hear the sound she thought until she saw his head poke round the door

"Hungry are we?" Snape said sarcastically. Shona clenched her fists at the sarcasm

"Haven’t eaten anything since this morning, dementors breaking an entry and all that" Shona replied sarcastically in return. Snape had an idea to clip the girl round the ear, but then remembered his speech.

Shona stood up and decided she’d walk around for a bit. Shona thought of it as a crime scene, since her dad used to be in police business. She strolled around and to a small bookshelf. Where many different coloured books, all shapes and sizes. Most of the where tattered and broken but looked good. Shona then gazed up to see the trinkets balanced on top. There was a broken clock, and a bird half poking out. She saw next to them some dull metal soldiers. Why the hell would Snape have them? She looked carefully and saw they where dressed in a tattered state. She placed her hands on the desk and peered closely at them. A cannon stood behind the four men, collecting dust for what seemed like a century.

"Get away from there" Snape barked. Shona turned to see the teacher looming over her. He dragged her away and sat her in a seat. Snape took his leather chair and took out the daily prophet. He fluttered it and began to read 

'How many times has he read that paper?' Shona thought. She could see him walking around with it everywhere, not peering up from it or letting it go. Snape was with it on the sofa, when he was eating and a large image flashed in front of her, when he was giving out detentions. She laughed as she imagined the teacher sitting with it on the toilet. Snape frowned at her and she quietened instantly

 Snape hid a dark look behind his paper and started to read an article about weasels and their acute sense of table manners.

"Tunnels" Shona said blankly. Snape looked up at her in annoyance, the paper crinkling and sat on his legs

"What?" Snape uttered

"That puzzle on the back. You seen to have half finished it I think" Shona replied. Snape grabbed the newspaper in annoyance and turned it round. He saw the crossword he’d tried to finish earlier. He frowned as he realised McGuire was right. The question was:

'I’m dark but always have a light, I drive you round the bend but i’m never caught. What am I?'

Snape had been cheeky enough to try and fit the words McGuire, but alas, the other words didn’t fit the other crossovers. Snape made no gesture of thanks towards her. He looked at her gruffly before picking up a quill and writing the words.

"So what’s this then"” he asked sarcastically. Shona saw the teacher looking arrogant and walked down towards him. He pointed towards another question

“Are you being serious?” she asked. She died down when she got another look from Snape. He turned back to the cover, showing her the question.

"Oh its sign" Snape sighed, not giving Shona enough time to figure it out. He smiled sarcastically, Shona pulling a disturbed face

"Sir," Shona asked. Snape had had his fun and went Serious again "what are those figures over the? By the bookshelf?"

Snape slapped his paper down and looked over. His snake like stare broken as he stood up slowly. Snape was one of those people that could hide his emotions. He could cry inside but he could look like he’d just won the lottery, but I dot that would make Snape smile. He strolled over, briefly checking the clock. Five more minutes.

"They are the attack men, from the game truth yard," he replied "have you ever heard it?"

Shona shook her head and step closer to them "no sir"

Snape seemed to make a slight noise and make a slight moment in laughter, As if he found it humorous that she didn’t know. She picked up gently and showed it to her. Shona could see it was about a centimetre in length, made entirely out of metal.

"This is an attack man. Used in the game truthyard. Truth yard was a very famous battle game, involving all types off different war model from different years. It contains of over fifty characters each. They attack and the winner is the general that takes the opponents flag or kills all the people. You’d like it" he told her as he turned. He handed her the playing piece.

But why was it on Snape’s shelf?

"Sir, can I ask why its on your shelf?"

"They hold memory’s of a place called rose youth cottage" he replied, not letting anything away. Like the flick of a switch, not realising that they where being polite to each other "a place my mother would take me in the holidays, used to play this game a lot. Not as much as fvdk’sdv , but still a good game"

Shona nodded mean fully "you have a lot of books there professor" she said pointing to the shelf

"Oh, well i’ve have more at home, remember?" Snape asked her. Shona nodded and then remembered the dark attack. Suddenly Snape realised it was ten fifteen. Shona realised what the time was and sighed with relief.

"Can I go now?" She asked. Snape took one last look at her before making a radical decision.

"I’ll escort you"

Shona looked bewildered "surely i’m not that special professor!" she said dramatically. Snape growled and opened the door sharply

"No, but I bet the dementors would treasure you" he whispered darkly. Shona understood the words and walked out, the teacher swooping out like a bat and slamming the door, causing Lucy Snape to awake. Startled, she looked at her clock and seeing it was nearly twenty past ten.

Lucy crept out her hand and curled her hand around her wand, lying innocently on her desk. It was brown and as Lucy picked it up she felt the stone cold wooden handle around it press against her. Lucy crept out of bed and inched towards the door, dragging her invisibility clock along the gorund.it made a sweeping like noise and Lucy picked it up as she reached the door. She put it on and placed her wand in front of her.

"Alohamora" she whispered and her door creaked open. Lucy’s feet where full of pins and needles as she crept out, and waited for any sounds of burglar.

Nothing.

‘What the hell am I doing?’ Lucy told herself off for being so foolish. She walked downstairs in a normal fashion, giving anyone who could have been downstairs the creeps. I mean, would you be scared if you head footsteps but couldn’t allocate the body?

Realising her father had gone; Lucy whisked the cloak off with ease. The chill that was in the air suddenly struck her and she whisked her wand in front of her again. Sensing something strange, she heard a gruesome moan enter the building. It rung in and deep into her ears and engulfed her brain. It was like smoke and the words slivered around. Lucy felt Goosebumps appear on her skin and Lucy could feel something ghastly roaming outside the castle walls, something evil lurking outside. Lucy screamed as the door butt opened again...

"Lucy what are you doing?" Snape growled madly. Lucy stammered and pointed to a brick wall where it seemed oddly cold

"There’s something there, something dark" she stammered as she gazed at the wall. Snape looked coldly at her and swept to her side in protection. Suddenly the voices started again and pierced Lucy’s eardrums fearlessly. Their blood ran cold and ice pulsed in their veins. Snape glared as the moans circled and cracked the cement like air. It circled them and a sense of dread filled Lucy.

"Dementors, there outside the castle" Snape said coldly. Lucy froze and turned to Snape

"What?"

"The ministry have allowed the dementors into the grounds since the sightings have grown stronger"

"What?"

"Don’t be rude Lucy" Snape barked at her. She looked at him scared and caught his attention. "don’t worry, they cant get in, go back to bed"

"But I do worry dad," Lucy sniffed "last time they said the dementors weren’t allowed in the castle one came in and..." Lucy scratched her neck. Snape noticed this and placed her hand back at her side

"Don’t scratch it, it wont heal properly"

"But its annoying" Lucy sniffed

"I know, any injury big or small to the neck is seriously painful, I was surprised you didn’t scream"

"I was to gobsmacked to scream" Lucy admitted, looking into the professors cold eyes. But for once the professor wasn’t glaring at her uncomfortably, as he did for many of his students. Instead he had a look of concern, rare for such a nasty being. He took her upstairs in silence and Lucy trudged to her bed. As if looking out for someone, Snape watched the door before siting down and whispering to his daughter

"If you see anything you came find me, is that clear? You have your wand as well if need be. You know i’m just down the hallway" Snape stroked Lucy’s head and walked out, not as the usual caped man he was usually but like a silhouette into the hallway light. Looking more human, Snape shut Lucy’s door and let her sleep peacefully. He heard the lock click and another soft moan. Suddenly he rolled his neck as if someone had jabbed him there, and a fragment of imagination scrawled across his eyes…

"Well that was interesting..." Lady Maiden muttered, Snape looking up at her, eyes musky

"Really?" Kingston said

"No, but there’s a lot of pain in his soul, so when where done with him there’s a lot of ways I can use his mind against him"

"Will it hurt?" Kingston asked, his eyes gleaming

"Of course it will" Lady Maiden smirked. The two of them laughed uncomfortably, making the dream Snape squirm in fright.

"What shall we do with him first?"

"Well I was thinking we could sent him to Lord Zuc and say that one of his half brothers followers has landed at our doorstep. Then ill send him to Mr Yu"

"Mr Yu!" Lady Maiden screamed

"Why not, he'll collect the blood and Mr Yu can have his body"

"What does he do with the bodies?" lady maidens voice floated away as Snape saw black. The last words of Kingston woke him up and he found himself staring at the floor

"I don’t know" Kingston chuckled in Snapes mind.

And that was it. Snape rubbed his forehead and ran his white fingers though his greasy hair. He opened the door to his bedroom and slammed it shut, thinking no more of his memory but of the cloaked ghouls outside.