The next day I dreaded Group Session. Healer Phillips said that I was going to announce to them that I was getting married. Considering all of them but one were mad at me, I really didn't want to do it. The would probably steal my ring and hide it or something, it was hard to tell with them on one side, Chase on the other, and Gildy and I in the middle. Those numbers didn't look good: I would have to be on my toes.
Healer Phillips lead me into the room, and, as usual, everyone was already there. Except today, there were three people on the side I sat on, and only two on the other. William was sitting next to Chase. Something must had happened, and by something I mean he must have talked to Healer Phillips. Ivy and Jenna sat on the other side, looking annoyed and teary, respectively.
I bit my lip and headed towards my seat. Before I could get there, Healer Phillips grabbed my arm, stopping my. He cleared his throat, as I reluctantly stood still.
"Guys, Miss Snape has some wonderful news that she would like to share with you, if you will let her." He started, then looked over at me. I swollowed.
"Um..." I trailed off. Everyone was staring at me, even though the only one who probably cared about what I had to say was Gilderoy. I looked down.
"Go on." Healer Phillips pushed. I swollowed again, and then took a breath to try to make my heart stop racing.
"I.. Um... I'm getting married."
"Married?!" Gilderoy was out of the chair and across the room before I knew it. His arms were around me. I blinked a couple time. "Oh, Elle! You're getting married! To who?!"
"Please let go of me..." I quietly said. I knew he meant well, and usually I would let him hug me, but I was so anxious about tell thing I was getting married that I didn't need closed in with unwanted touching.
"Oh, sorry..." He let go, then took a step back. "To who?"
"Yeah, to who?" Ivy said the first thing to me in a long time. I shifted uncomfortably.
"Draco..." I answered, more to Gildy than to her. Chase straightened up.
"Malfoy? Isn't he your brother? Aren't they adopting you?"
"How did you know that?" I asked.
"The Prophet. " He shrugged. "All of thats in the news, except for your engagement. The press must not know yet."
"I'm still in the Prophet?"
"Yeah. Apparently the people on the 'outside' eat this stuff up. You know, niece of a famous face of the war with a tragic past, and even more tragic future. They find it entertaining."
"What?!" I felt anger creep up my throat at just the thought: People thought my life was entertaining. Not just that, but they were treating it like one of those stupid dramas that came on the radio. The ones that Narcissa listened to every afternoon at three o'clock. Most importatnly, they were publishing about me with out my permission, just like Rita Skeeter had.
"Now lets calm down, Miss Snape..." Healer Phillips put a hand on my shoulder. I brushed it off. The damage had already been done, and no amount of sweet talking could fix it. My feelings had already shifted to anger, and I was going to stay that way until my emotions decided to swing again.
"I don't want to have Group Session today." I quickly snapped and turned arouned. He followed after me as I went out the door.
"Miss Snape, come back! You can't just leave like that!"
"No! I don't want to be with them! All they do is read about my life in the Prophet and I don't want to talk to them! They hate me anyway!"
"Will you please come back here!"
"No!"
"What do you think you are going to go? You don't have any Floo Powder and you can't Apparate. You'e stuck here, wheather or not you go to Group Session!"
That made me stop and turn around to face him.
"Take me home!" I demanded. He shook his head no.
"You have to have some kind of therapy tonight. Don't you want to get better?" I stayed quiet. "So, you have one of two choices. You can be good and go back to Group Session, or, if you would like, I will go get Healer Fuchs to watch after you until Group Session is over. Which would you like?"
"You might as well get Mother Fuchs, because I am not going back there!" I yelled. He just tiredly nodded and took my arm.
"Alright, Miss Snape. I will take you to your room and go get her."
He led me by the arm to what had always been my room. Since I hadn't been in there for a while, it was dusy and had a slight muffled smell. He walked me to the bed and sat me down.
"Stay right there and try to calm down, and I will get Healer Fuchs. Here." He reached onto a near by shelf that held the stuffed cat that Sarah Beth had gotten me monthes ago. I looked at it for a moment, then threw it at he back of his head on the way out the door.
It wasn't fair. Why did people think they could write about me with out my concent. And what was it to them I was in St. Mungo's. What did it matter that Uncle Severus was my uncle? None of it was any of their business. But apparently my name could be used however because it wasn't copy writed. How stupid! My name was my name! No one should be able to use it unless I say! Why should-
Knock, knock!
A knock on the door interupted my now racing thoughts. I sat up a little straighter as a familiar voice came through.
"Miss Snape? May I come in?" It was Healer Fuchs. I didn't answer. "Please, Miss Snape? I don't have any Potions or anything, I just want to talk. Is that okay?"
"Yeah..." I mumbled. She must not have heard because after a couple seconds she question,
"Miss Snape?"
Annoyed, I got up, stomped across the door, and opened it. Healer Fuchs stood, gently smiling on the other side. I went back to the bed, leaving the door open. She closed it and followed me, sitting down beside me. I was now laying down with my face in the pillow. For a moment or two she didn't say anything.
"You are pretty angry, aren't you?" She asked, putting a hand on my back. I didn't move. "But you are doing the right thing. You aren't slamming things, or cursing, or getting into fights. You just left the room so you can calm down. That's good. That's really good. Is there anything you would like to talk about? I'm not going to make you talk, but I am here if you want to. Otherwise, I will let you lay here and cool off."
"I want to go home." I rolled over, but facing away from her.
"I'm affraid you can't until Group Session is over. You are welcome to go back there, though."
"No. I want to go home."
"I'm sorry, but sometimes you don't get everything you want. There are a lot of things that come with my job that I don't want to do, like paperwork and retrainings, but I have to do them so I can be allowed to do things I like to do, like helping you. If you be good, and talk things out, then it will help you later. Will you please tell me what made you upset?" Her tone was so sweet that I couldn't not talk to her. I sat up and put my knees to my chest.
"The Prophet keeps writing about me and they don't even ask me about it. I don't want people reading about me."
"I'm sorry, but there is no way I can help that, although I understand why it would make you upset. Look at it this way: People care enough about you to read about you."
"But they don't. They just use it as entertainment." I sniffed. She shook her head.
"I'm not not everyone does. What about your friends, what were their names? Sarah Beth? Gregory? And what about your old professors? I'm sure they are keeping up with you because they care about you."
"I doubt it."
"I happen to know a lot of the staff at Hogwarts, I know that they care about all of their students. Professor McGonagal? Professor Flitwick? Madam Pomfrey? They all care about their students. "
"I don't think so. They would ahve atleast written me if they did."
"Well maybe they are affraid to. Maybe they are affraid you don't want to see them. Perhaps you should write them. I'm sure they would love to hear from you."
"Yeah, right."
"They would. I will even help you write the letters. Would you like to?"
"You mean right now?"
"Yes, right now. Would you like to?"
"I..."
"You can't leave until Group Session ends, anyway."
"Fine." I gave in. She smiled and waved her wand. A book as well as some parchement and a quill flew over from the desk Lucius claimed for himself when ever we are here. She handed them to me, putting the book under the parchment so I had a flat surface to write on.
"There. Now, who would you like to write to first? And don't worry about mailing them, I will do that for you. All you have to do is write."
"...Okay..." I picked put the quill to paper and began without telling her anything else.
I would start with the Professor who helped me the most, and I spent the most time with. That's what would make the most sense,
Dear Professor Flitwick,
I started,
I wanted to let you know that I am doing well enough...