By the time of dinner, Skyler slowly starts to walk to the Great Hall. Darkness is making its way over the grounds and the sun is going down. Skyler cleans her cheeks from tracks of tears. How long had she been in that tree? Five hours? Maybe even eight. After hours of crying and trying to get her mind back on the road, Skyler lost the track of time. 'It can't be too bad, I mean, if they're worried, they would've looked for me...' Skyler thinks positively, shrugging that worry of her shoulders.
Entering the Great Hall, dinner hasn't even started yet. There are a few people, who are just talking and laughing. Skyler takes her place at the Slytherin table, waiting for dinner to begin.
"Where in the name of Merlin's beard were you?!" A voice roars from behind her. Skyler casually turns around, seeing Blaise Zanbini standing there, and he doesn't seem happy.
"I've just been clearing my mind for a while. Nothing to worry yourself about." She answers, calmly but stern.
"I've looked everywhere for you! Unbelievable! Running out of class and don't show up for any other class for the rest of the day! That's not something I'd see you do." Blaise exclaims loudly, causing the entire Hall to look at them, even the teachers. Not that Skyler cares.
"I couldn't handle it, Blaise! What happened, it got up some nasty memories. I don't want to talk about it - certainly not with any of you." She hisses, looking from Blaise to Draco, Nott, Crabbe and Goyle. Draco had already opened his mouth, but closes it now.
"Yeah, I mean, why would you talk to us? We're only your friends." Blaise scoffs, again, speaking loudly. Skyler sees how Snape sighs and stands up from the Teacher's table. Skyler narrows her eyes at Blaise.
"If I don't want to talk, I mean that I do not want to talk! Ever imagined that?" She hisses, rising from her seat too, looking Blaise straight in the eyes.
"What - if I may ask - is going on here? You are causing a scene." Snape says from behind the fighting friends.
"Nothing, professor..." Skyler answers innocently, already calming down. But Blaise isn't.
"No, actually, it's not 'nothing'. Skyler here, ran out of our second class of the day, and didn't show up for the others. I demand to know why." Blaise explains, his eyes twinkling with a certain cruelty. Snape raises an eyebrow at Skyler, surprised.
"Ms Foster, may I have a word with you in my office?" He asks politely.
"Sure, I'd be glad to explain things, as Blaise is just a dumb, reckless oaf-"
"Now, Skyler." Snape insists sharply. Skyler groans and goes ahead to the dungeons.
∞∞∞
Snape shuts the door loudly. He seems angry. Walking towards his desk, Snape takes place in his seat.
"Alright, Skyler, what is going on?!" Snape thunders.
"Well, ask Moody, I should say." Skyler answers boldly.
"And why should I?"
"He showed us the Unforgivable Three." Skyler answers again.
"So? What's the problem with seeing an insect dying?" Snape comments, carelessly.
"Because, I get flashbacks, when I see an innocent being tortured or killed, right in front of me! Do you know what it feels like to be taken back to a horrible moment, professor? I hear the screams of fear and grief, every time! I relive New York! And only b-because - I..." Skyler's voice trails off, not able to finish that sentence. Snape's face is plane and only shows one emotion: curiosity.
"Because you what, Skyler?"
"Because I used Avada Kedavra in the Battle of New York!" Skyler exclaims, her anger taking over. A thunderstorm is released on Hogwarts and the lightning even reaches to light the dungeons. Again, Snape doesn't really seem surprised.
"Who else does know?" He simply asks.
"No one."
"And I suspect you used it on the Leviathan you killed?" Snape states.
"Yes."
"Then you have nothing to be sorry about. That creature was merciless and cruel. You did it a favour by killing it with the Killing Curse. I know curses that could have made it die slowly and painful. You did neither of that. There's nothing wrong with using an Unforgivable, Skyler, sometimes, everyone is forced to do something they're usually against." Snape tells her.
Skyler exhales, feeling calmed down.
"Can I go back now?" She asks.
"Dinner is going to start any moment, so yes, you may go back." Snape says, and so, Skyler walks back to the Great Hall. She takes place next to Draco, who doesn't question what happened. But clearly, Blaise still needs an answer.
"Well, are you going to tell us your reasons for skipping classes?" He barks hatefully. Skyler narrows her eyes at him and swallows her food.
"One word, Blaise: flashbacks!" With that, Draco and Blaise both drop their cutlery on their plates. Skyler, who doesn't has any appetite for anything, stands up and marches to her dormitory.
"Skyler! Wait!" A voice says from behind her. Skyler spins around and looks into the eyes of the one and only Cedric Diggory.
"Hey, Ced. How was your summer?" She asks dryly. Cedric laughs.
"Yeah, sorry for the silence, but I had some things to figure out." He shrugs. Skyler waves his apology away.
"Doesn't matter, anyway, are you in for a walk? I really have a lot to tell and I need someone who actually cares." Cedric nods and offers her his arm. Skyler chuckles and takes it gladly. Smiling, she tells Cedric everything that happened to her over the summer. She tells him about the jokes she pulled on Tony, she tells him about her trip to Asgard. And he tells her about his summer in return. How he travelled to the World Cup with the Weasleys through a Portkey. How his father and Stephanie gave him a new broom in honour of the World Cup. Skyler looks at her watch when a silence falls.
"Blimey! Is that the time?! I need to get to my dormitory, or else Blaise will definitely kill me!" She says with a chuckle.
"Well, I think I'll see later, then." Cedric says as they walk back to the castle.
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What did you think? Hope you liked it? -x