It turned out that Professor Snape had been patient enough to wait a week before demanding answers. Heather had briefly contemplated the idea of simply not turning up that Wednesday, but that felt too much like running away. She wasn't a coward.
Which was how she found herself sitting opposite the stern wizard as he bore holes into her with his gaze. He hadn't said anything beyond 'Enter'. He was looking deeply into her eyes, seeming to search for something. Oddly enough, her thoughts kept trying to drift towards her dismal upbringing. She pushed the memories away firmly and focussed on the present.
Narrowing his eyes shrewdly, the Professor snapped out of the staring contest he'd initiated. She wondered what he'd gleaned from that.
Severus Snape could not help attempting a silent Legilimens on the stubborn girl. It was a weaker one, given that she had hardly any mental defences. He had expected to cut through her mind like a hot knife through butter - and he had. It was when looking through her memories that he had encountered a problem. Nudging her subconscious to bring up thoughts of her childhood should have been simple for an untrained mind. Naturally, he was thus shocked by the resistance he met in the form of her sheer focus. It was plain to see that Heather Lyra was untrained in Mindmagic. However, to be able to resist an attack from a proficient Legilimens, even one not at full power, spoke of a strong mind indeed. Or, perhaps, an inordinately obstinate one.
"You and I both know that the little act you have is merely that - an act. I shall not waste our time by asking questions. Explain."
The girl drew her shoulders slightly inward in an attempt to shield herself. She was highly uncomfortable with this conversation. Good, so was he. Her lips firmed and he thought he would have to attempt to persuade her. Then she spoke.
He listened carefully as she told him, not everything, but more about growing up with her relatives. She spoke of cold nights in a cupboard and aching hunger. Of physical and emotional beatings. When she was done, she heaved a large sigh, almost seeming to deflate with her exhalation. But then she straightened her spine and looked right into his eyes. There was no victim in that gaze, no weak child. Instead, she looked proud of herself. As she rightly should.
It was then that Severus realised that he had no real need to know all this. The standing reason for wanting to investigate further had been to ensure the girl and boy received the proper aftercare needed for such situations. Clearly, that was unnecessary. The girl and boy had both emerged as mostly healthy and well-adjusted individuals. Heather Lyra, independent as she was, had rescued herself and her brother from their distasteful circumstances all the while maintaining a wholesome state of mind. It was little wonder that they had hidden all of this when experience told them that adults were untrustworthy. Why accept help from adults when none had provided aid when truly needed? Unfortunately, he was well-acquainted with their frame of mind.
"Do you wish for the Dursleys to be apprehended?" he asked, as per procedure. Whichever answer she gave, Severus would see to it personally that they got what they deserved. Not only for Lily, but for Heather Lyra and her brother as well.
As expected, the girl shook her head decisively. "We no longer have anything to do with them. Not since summer of last year." Her green eyes darkened dangerously, and Severus knew there was context hidden there that he was not privy to. "It is enough."
"As you deem fit," he said placidly. If not imprisonment in Azkaban, there were various other means to punish them. "We will be brewing Wolfsbane next week," he commented offhandedly, then returned to his marking.
He sensed the girl stare at him quietly before leaving with a soft click of the door.
His occlumency barriers finally broke and his fury rushed forth in torrents. Striding quickly to a warded door in the corner, he nearly broke it down in his rage before locking it tight behind him. Launching violent curses around the training room, he imagined the practice mannequins were the disgusting creatures that called themselves human. An Entrail-Expelling curse for the man. Another Blood-Boiling curse for the boy. And several Sectumsempra specially for that unworthy sister of Lily's.
It would be a long while before he left the room.
~~~
Heather slumped against the closed oak door. Closing her eyes, she breathed rhythmically. In, out... In, out...
'Cease your wool-gathering and comport yourself! You call yourself a Slytherin?' her inner Prince's annoyed voice said. Come to think of it, he sounded quite like Professor Snape.
She smiled wryly and collected herself. Slytherins passed their Head of House's office frequently and she didn't want any of her year mates catching her in this state. They would pounce on her weakness like sharks scenting blood. Tolerant of her they may be, they were still wary of her seemingly Gryffindoric inclinations. She could really only count some of the younger snakes as friends and even that was borne only of her willingness to tutor them.
Schooling her expression into neutrality, she walked towards the dorms. Internally, however, her mind was churning worriedly. She'd gone and told the Professor. Nothing too detailed, but more than she'd ever told anyone - Fred and George aside. She'd been even more anxious about telling him than the twins.
A part of her had felt almost inferior about admitting to the-the abuse. (There, she'd said it.) It was like showcasing her weakness to the powerful wizard. Professor Snape was just so...formidable. Like none could touch him. Her worries had been incessant. Would he decide she wasn't worth his time and effort? Would he sneer at her like he did at the incompetent - spineless - DADA Professors?
But he hadn't. He'd treated her normally, even. He hadn't trivialised it, no. His sincerity when offering the arrest of the Dursleys as a possible recourse was perceivable. He had, however, not allowed the revelation to change his treatment of her. He hadn't dealt with her like she was made of glass. Nor had he looked down at her. Instead, he had accepted the information and then arranged for their next meeting. There would be a next meeting.
In a way, that had been more liberating than Mrs Weasley's constant coddling. Like with her Prince, Professor Snape made her feel like her terrible upbringing did not define her as a person. It was simply an experience she'd had to go through, not who she was.
Lost in her thoughts, Heather missed the looks she got due to the blinding smile she sported.
~~~
"-and then the crazy bat says that I've got a Grim in my cup!" Hadrian said, waving his hands frantically. "Now even Ron's paranoid that I'll face imminent demise."
Heather frowned in exasperation. "Professor Trelawney does that every time! In my year, it was Alicia Spinnet - said she had a Scythe. Spinnet's as hale and hearty as ever. That woman's Spiritual Eye is fogged up from all that incense she uses!"
"Yeah, that's what Professor McGonagall said," he said, nodded. "I don't believe it, and neither does Hermione. Can you believe she's actually thinking of dropping the class?"
Heather smiled in amusement. That even the most studious girl in the school took issue to the Professor said a lot. "She's taking all the classes, right? She can more than afford to have one less."
"I don't know how Hermione is coping with all this." Hadrian shook his head in confusion. "Most of her elective classes overlap! I only have three electives and my schedule's packed to the brim!" Rian was taking Ancient Runes, Divination and CoMC. The same as Heather, excepting Arithmancy. He hated math.
"Maybe she's doing self-study in some classes. Like I am for Ancient Runes and Divinations." Heather's own schedule would be too full otherwise. Since she was so ahead of Runes anyway, Professor Bathsheda had allowed her to do so as long as she handed in her work. Professor Trelawney likely hadn't even noticed her absence in class. Heather could perform the occasional scrying, but most other predictive methods were beyond her. She wasn't much of a Seer. She would probably drop the class soon. "Anyway, how about your other classes? Heard about Malfoy's accident the other day."
Rian chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, he was probably jealous that I got to ride on Buckbeak - the hippogriff."
"Really? How was it?" Heather asked animatedly. They both shared a love for flying.
"Amazing," he enthused. "It was different from being on a broom and I had less control, but Buckbeak few so much faster than my Nimbus! He's probably even faster than that new Firebolt."
"I wish Hagrid had been our Professor when we learnt about hippogriffs! Speaking of which, how did you find Professor Lupin?"
"Much better than the previous two. Though they're not hard to beat, are they? One thing though: when Professor Lupin let us try to fight off a boggart, he didn't even let me confront it!" Hadrian said indignantly. "Does he think I'm not up to it? It must be because he saw me pass out on the train!"
Heather tried to soothe her brother's ruffled feathers. "Rian, I'm sure the Professor didn't mean that. Think about it, what would he think your greatest fear is?"
He looked confused.
Sighing, she said, "Voldemort. He thinks your boggart will turn into Voldemort." And a good guess it was, too. "That would have caused lots of panic."
Hadrian frowned pensively. "Actually, I was thinking more of a dementor."
Heather stiffened. She remembered his last encounter with one of those dark creatures. "A dementor?"
He nodded. "It was like I couldn't control my body. All I could hear was a woman screaming in anguish." He paused. Heather felt a sense of dread. "And I could see green light."
"Green light..." she whispered in horror.
"What is it Heather?" her brother asked worriedly.
"You remember?" she said desperately.
"Remember what, Heather? Who was that screaming? And the green-" he cut himself off. Realisation dawned and his face screwed up in grief.
"...Mama," he said in a tiny voice.
Heather nodded tightly. "You were in the room when Voldemort attacked. Mama had hidden me in the wardrobe earlier. I suppose it had been too much to ask for you to have been asleep."
Taking some time to absorb the information, he finally questioned softly, "That's what all your nightmares are about?"
She startled. "You know about them?"
He gave her a reproving look. "Give me more credit than that. We slept in the same cot for eight years!"
"You never let on," she said sheepishly.
"I sensed that you wanted to keep it from me."
"I did."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you didn't need to know. I never expected you to have memories of it. You were so young." Too young. "And how would I have told you?" How did you tell your brother about witnessing their mother's murder?
Wordlessly, Hadrian wrapped his arms around her and held on. After his shaking had finally subsided, Heather said, "I'll teach you the Patronus charm."
"Isn't that really advanced?" he said wetly, "Like apprentice-level hard?"
Whispering deviously, she said, "I learnt it in third year."
Hadrian chuckled weakly, glad for the subject change. "Well, I happen to know a third year."