Elladora understood completely on what Severus had said about teaching: "an art of having to put up with children who have no sense to learn it themselves." He had once told her when she had to be forced into hiding in 1980. Some of the students she taught where indeed, arrogant but some where sweet and others, there to learn.
She always thought it her goal to teach others what she had learned and mastered throughout the years. But some students who wished to become an auror where unbearable. Sadly, she had to say her favorite student was a slytherin, yes she was about twelve years of age and she did not teach her. But none the less she had seen her in the hallways. She had only taught to children who wished to become an animagus, the opening feast hadn't even been announced, but some younger students and prefects had came early for animagus training, if some where even capable.
So far only one student was capable of becoming an animagus, the feast was starting in an hour. She promised herself she wasn't going to be late this time, "or any other time!" A voice in her head said. She didn't want to embarrass her self or her fellow staff in that matter, she stood up from her seating corner in her chambers, remembering the night she had scared Severus, dear Merlin she hoped he wasn't still mad at her. "He'll just have to deal with it." She said aloud and pulled a black comb through her dark hair. She swore under her breath and grabbed a piece of parchment, she had forgotten to write to her father, for the first time. She had been so busy lately.... she began to scribble down somethings....
Dear
Father,
I have wrote to you to remind you I am doing perfectly fine, all is well. You need not worry about me even in these times. I have found a fondness for a student even when the school hasn't started. Yes, I know what you are thinking, yes, Minerva has been keeping an eye on me, even if she does be bothersome at times. I will be very busy I remind you, so I may not write back right away.
Best wishes,
Elladora Mcgonagall
She signed her name and attached the parchment with a string to Her owl's leg. "Thank you, Astrid." She said to the owl and decided to pick out her dress robes for this evening.
She had always favored the color red, preferably dark red. Most of her wardrobe seamed to consist of many shades of red, some dark then others, light. She spotted a dark rouge dress with sleeves that went to her middle finger in a triangle shape. Her favorite dress, given to her by her father on her last birthday. She put on her favorite red cloak, brought in diagon alley , her brother had enchanted it to make her a bright yellow a time ago.. She sighed at how much she missed those memories. She of course disenchanted it easily much to his dislikeing.
It was about five minutes to the welcoming feast and she made her way down the halls quickly, wanting to be early. How embarrassing would it be for her to be late to the welcoming feast? Luckily she arrived just a minute before the feast started. She cursed at herself under her breath when the only open seat was between Lockhart and Snape. She went to the empty seat, prompting a glare from Severus and a smile from Lockhart. She finally sat down just as the sorting started and names started being called. She smiled at every gryffindor student added to her own house.
When all the students where sorted, Dumbledore made his usual speech about not going into the forest and the rules. During this speech Elladora glanced at her favorite student, Rin Faircastle and shared a small moment. She saw her turn to talk with her friends, then all of them turned to look at her, she turned away from the bright eyed slytherins.
She didn't realize she turned right to Severus Snape who scoffed at her rudely and continued to glare at her which she returned with a smirk. They kept looking at each other like that for a number of minutes until dumbledore cleared his throat as to warn them. Elladora wasn't going to be the one to turn away first, then he would think he had the upper hand. Severus turned away first, to Elladora's delight and she continued to eat off her plate. "I really did think you would be more fond of the fish." Severus growled sarcastically. " oh?" Elladora turned to him, innocent look on her face."No idea how you would make that assumption, Severus." She said concealing a smile. "No obvious reasons." He growled back. "I hope you don't mea-" Elladora started when Minerva raised an eyebrow like a mother, scolding a child. This was Severus's turn to smirk and Elladora's turn to glare and turn away. But, one thing Elladora forgot that a one Gilderoy Lockhart was on her other side. She cursed to herself again and turned forward, sneaking a glare at Severus. She then turned her attention to Albus and Minerva, engaged in a conversation. She then heard Albus laugh and left Minerva blushing slightly. Elladora then smiled to herself and turned to her plate.
Her classes of the day, which where longer than the usual classes, in the middle of her last class she got an owl that she recognized as her fathers. She put the letter on the edge of her desk, ignoring it. After her classes where over and done for the day, she rushed to her quarters for some needed rest. She completely forgot about the note from her father.
She woke up the next morning, forgetting the note and heading straight for the great hall, seeing Mcgonagall wasn't there. "Where is professor Mcgonagall?" She asked professor Flitwick. "Didn't you hear? I thought you out of anybody would know, Her brother has passed away." "Which one..?" She asked, voice shaking. But Elladora didn't wait for his response and ran to Mcgonagall's quarters, not caring that the students looked at her oddly. She knocked on the door rapidly, no response. She ran back to her classroom, looking for the letter everywhere and found it no where. "I swear to Merlin if peeves touched that letter..." she began to break down slowly, running around the castle looking for her aunt. In between the tears and frustration she had a brilliant idea.
Dumbledore.
She rushed to where the entrance to his office and said the password, or what she thought was the password Elladora wasn't good with passwords, or names, people, being normal... she watched the enchanted stair case go up and climbed the stairs, thinking the worst, but hopping for the best. She knocked on the door, waiting for a response. "Come in Elladora." Her eyes widened to see a familiar tabby cat asleep on Albus's desk. She pretended not to notice Mcgonagall, for she didn't want to face her, Albus could tell her everything. "I believe Peeves stole a letter of mine.." she started, eyes still on the grey tabby cat. "I'm afraid it was someone else who took your letter." The cat suddenly woke up, and narrowed her eyes on Albus, scolding him." Hello professor." Dumbledore said smiling at the Cat "a nice nap?" Mcgonagall narrowed her eyes even more. " I've never seen a stricter Tabby Cat in my life." Elladora added snickering slightly. The tabby cat turned her attention to Elladora and her eyes grew sad. She transfigured to her normal self again."Elladora I apologize... and I took the letter... I didn't want you to be hurt..." she said sadly "I'm not eleven anymore!" Elladora almost shouted at Minerva. Minerva's face turned surprised and looked at her niece "Elladora I am-" "I know!" Ella choked out, holding back tears. Minerva winced in pain, mental pain rather than physical. "Ella-" "I'm Fine!" Elladora demanded and fled out of the room, holding onto her necklace dearly.
Walking into her classroom, she could barely see through the tears and her horrible eyesight. She walked to her desk, not being able to hold back her tears. She picked up her large round glasses, trying to distract herself from the hurting pain in her chest. Elladora bent over on her desk, resting her arms upon the desk. She looked down, not realizing the tears where rolling down her face, leaving her face splotched with red on her cheeks. She had placed her glasses on her face, not hearing the door creak open to some witch or wizard entering her room. Wiping the tears from her eyes and not bothering to fix her fallen dark black hair, which had placed itself along her back and shoulders, looked up at the door and realized someone had entered. She cursed at herself and looked around the room finding no one there. Sensing a presence she stepped backwards onto someone, causing them both to fall. They both went tumbling to the floor, the stranger clutching onto her for some unknown reason.
Elladora quickly looked for her glasses, for she could barely see without them. She felt around for them, streaks on her cheeks from where the tears once had been. Her glasses found, she quickly put them on and looked up at the black blob she saw. "You've been crying." A familiar voice said. "N-no." Elladora said standing up, touching her necklace her father had given her. "You always do that when you lie." Severus Snape said bluntly as Elladora's eyes widened as she straightened her glasses. Ella then fixed her hair into a tight ponytail with a flick of her wand. "Don't you Slytherins know how to knock?" "Don't you Gryffindors know how to walk?" Snape said mockingly. "I'm not in the mood for games. What do you want?" She replied dryly. "I was sent to see if you where alright." He lied. "Oh?" Elladora raised an eyebrow as she went over to a cabinet, standing on her toes to help her reach the top of the cabinet where she kept a small box as Severus watched her, a smirk on his face. Elladora went to the front of her desk again, opening the small box which began to play an old Scottish tune softly. She looked at the contents of the box: an old button, a photograph, a pendant which was her mothers, a green tartan ribbon,and a black lace onyx necklace, her mothers as well. She didn't notice Severus edging closer to her to see what was inside the box. She picked up the photograph and saw her brother, mother, father and herself. All of them where dead except her, her mother and brother had been killed by death eaters in 1980. Her mother was smiling gently at her, she was focused on the picture she didn't notice Severus was still near her. She turned around to face him, Snape closer to her now that before, her eyes like the forest after fresh rain.
"Why are you actually here?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly. Severus smirked slightly, but with no reply much to Elladora's dislike. Her eyes narrowed into slits and stepped closer to him boldly. "I believe I asked you a question." She repeated trying to get an answer from the dark man. Still no reply. "Severus, I asked you a question." She repeated and edged closer, trying to intimidate him. Elladora was almost as tall as Severus, but only up to his neck, she liked to think she was intimidating since it was almost as her force field. She, unlike Severus, didn't let her past effect her teachings and kept most of her feeling bottled up inside her. All of her feelings except anger, she couldn't keep that in for the life of her. One of her friends had said it runs in the family. She hexed her quickly after that, never talked to her again. You could insult her, but never her family. Severus was just smirking down at her, not saying a word. Elladora wanted to punch him so hard at that very moment, harder than she had ever hit someone. Her Forest green eyes locked her soul, locked her heart under her eyes like the ferns in the spring, she liked it that way. No one could hurt her that way, she was safe that way. That's when she hit him, hard. Elladora gryffindor, prim and proper Mcgonagall had just punched Severus Snape, except he had caught her wrist, Both of them. He had put them at her sides but didn't let go, he just stared at her. She tried to pull her wrist away, but his hands wouldn't move, they just tightened.
"S-Severus what are you doing?!" She said pulling at her wrists again. Her eyes showed angry and confusion almost like a storm at an emerald palace, doors locked forever. Her eyes where the kind you could get lost in. Eyes that you would hold onto until your last moment, eyes that you could remember forever. Eyes you couldn't bare to loose, eyes that you didn't want to loose. You wanted to keep them forever, in your mind, your heart, your soul. Severus continued to tighten his grip on her wrists. "S-Severus y-your...hurting me." She said pulling at her wrists again. This time they where released, leaving red marks on her naturally light tan skin. He continued to look at her while she was rubbing her wrists gently and then looking at him with her emerald eyes. "I ask for the last time, Severus. It is a very simple question. Why are you actually here?" She said regaining her voice and courage. "I heard what happened to your father." He said dryly, Severus Snape wasn't one to show feelings, especially care and love. Towards anyone. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow "Oh?" She asked plainly. He smirked at her "Was I supposed to bring flowers?" He teased. "Yes, actually." She smiled moving over to the cabinet and putting up the box. In mere seconds Snape had somehow managed to get hold of her glasses from her face and now Elladora was chasing him trying to get them.
"What glasses?" He began to tease, hiding the glasses behind his back."My glasses you Git!" She yelled almost stumbling to get to his hands. "I haven't seen your glasses." " they are in your hand you...." she then jumped on him, both toppling to the floor she landed square on top on him. "Give me my glasses! Now!" She said, angry. "Only if you'd get off of me first." He teased and looked at the women on top of him. She hit him on the arm " You always take things the wrong way!" "Well, you are the one always tackling me. Not to mention landing on me." She got off of him, brushing herself off, her hair had fallen again and turning the opposite direction of him, holding her hand out for her glasses. He slowly turned her around and placed the glasses in her hand. She put on the glasses slowly and looked up at him. "Maybe I like landing on you. You are very comfortable." She said, not noticing her hair had fallen down. "Oh am I?" He teased raising an eyebrow and putting his face closer to hers in mock. Her face flushed and noticed the door was still open, a girl peaking into the classroom, wide eyed and a blushed face. Snape also directed his gaze to the door, his face went cold. "Violet's child.." she whispered to him. " Emmeline Hopkirk." She called the girl into her room, Emmaline looked about seven years of age, her mother a hufflepuff helping in the hospital wing. The young girl nodded and stepped towards them, in the classroom. She then placed herself in front of the two teachers, looking up at Elladora with bright blue eyes filled with joy. "Hello. Your Pretty." Emmeline said shyly to Elladora. "You do realize you-" Severus started, angrily but being stopped by Elladora's hand on his wrist as to warn him.
The young girl then looked down "I am truly sorry, I didn't mean to..." "It's quite fine, we weren't doing anything wrong" Elladora said turning to look at Severus "At least I wasn't." She said smirking. " Why is he dresses in black? Is he going to a funeral?" The girl asked innocently. Elladora contained her laughter as Snape's face twisted in rage. "No, dear. I believe he just has a certain liking for the color." She then bent down to the girls level, her hair framing her face gracefully. "And not to mention he is grumpy as well-" "I believe your mother is looking for you." Snape growled. "I agree." Elladora nodded, standing up straight again. The girl exited the classroom quickly, Elladora following her out the door to make sure it got closed. "May I ask why you closed the door?" "So no more big nosed potions professors walk into my classroom, without knocking." She then sat at her desk, looking through the papers on her desk. Snape put a hand on the desk, raising an eyebrow and glanced at her eyes, moving across the papers, grading the papers quickly. She looked up at him, elegant eyebrow raised "Yes..?" Her eyes examined his eyes, searching for what he wanted. Snape suddenly turned away from her, for unknown reasons. Elladora shook her head, standing up to get the box again. The music started to play again, a sweet tune of grace and innocence. "Did you need something?" He exited the room swiftly.
She quickly fixed her hair into a strict ponytail and began to think: wait. Did he try to catch her...? How did he know? What was he doing here? Why was he there? In her classroom Did he care? Wait. Did he care? Was he just playing with her? Why did he look at her that way? Why did she look at him that way? Was he trying to comfort her? Oh.my.merlin. All these thoughts where flowing through her head so quickly. Her father was dead. She began to break down slowly again, she had been so distracted... she needed rest.