antidote - sirius black

one

Vera always knew when she was being stared at. Which was constantly. Just because she acknowledged it, did not mean that she enjoyed the attention. Because Vera White hates being the centre of attention. She would much rather hide in the background and just do her thing without the watchful eye of everyone at Hogwarts. That, however, was not in her cards.

Still, she came up with excuses for people to stare at her, besides her entrancing beauty. Maybe they think the colour of her copper red hair looks like a dirty penny. Or that her amber eyes look like they belong to a vicious creature of the night. It could be something on her shirt. She could even be wearing the wrong houses tie. The excuses were becoming futile. Yet she denied the fact of people actually liking her, seeing the worst in people was what she did best

It was in potions that Vera felt at home. In the dark and grotesque dungeon, she felt at peace. It was a favourite pass time of hers to go down to the potions classroom when no one was around during her free period. She loved to experiment (safely of course, with the proper protective spells surrounding her pot and even more around her) when she was by herself. When at her calmest and most serene she could even find herself humming the lullaby Winkle used to sing her to sleep. A muggle tune that she had heard when doing her chores as the only one of the White residence to regularly leave the manor. So Vera would make potions, hum to herself, and smile.

Daily she would venture down the potions classroom, with Professor Slughorn's permission of course. It felt like her hideaway, she was one of the few who would go down to the potions classroom willingly and she took advantage of that. The knowledge that she spent her spare time in the dungeons were only privy to Vera herself, Dumbledore, Professor Slughorn and Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts who she was quite fond of.

Her and Argus had a nice acquaintanceship. For she was one of the only students to respect him and always had treats for Mrs. Norris. Not known to Vera, Filch always checked in on her when she was down in the potions classroom all alone. Making sure she was okay and that no potions had gone awry. They were not friends. Not only was Vera uncomfortable with that label but so was Argus Filch. Because of that similarity, they fit together as both being a tad bit emotionally constipated.

Vera White grew used to the stares by her sixth year. She didn't question why someone was gazing at her and whispering to their friends. She accepted the fact that she was a walking zoo attraction. And if she was liked superficially it only added to the mindset that what she was like inside was not likeable or worth it at all.