"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please." Professor Mcgonagall's voice echoed through the corridors.
"Shit." Cursed Eleanor who was quick on her feet from the courtyard and began to run inside into the staff room where other Professors had raced her there as well.
Eleanor was puzzled along with the rest of the staff, she wondered who was petrified this time.
Among the teachers, Snape had been right aside a panicked Eleanor behind the black wood table that centered the small room.
Mcgonagall had finally walked in looking very pale. "It has happened," she announced, "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."
Eleanors heart felt like it had dropped, she cold feel her blood cold and pasture still. All of the other teachers seemed just as shocked.
"How can you be sure?" Snape questioned
"The heir of slytherin left another message. Right underneath the first one." Said Professor Mcgonagall
Everyone could hear Flitwick burst out in tears.
Eleanor felt she could do the same.
Madam Hooch who stood in the corner of the room had asked the same question everyone had been thinking, "Who is it?"
"Ginny Weasley."
That was it. That's when the sound of Eleanors body fell from standing had hit the floor in dispair. With the help of Snape who was by her side supportivly had set her by the wall with a pillow behind her, though for Eleanor comfort was the least thing on her mind.
Professor Sprout had also walked over to Eleanor to give her a a giant hug as she herself had tears running down her face.
"We shall send all the students home tomorrow, this is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said—" at that moment the staffroom door slammed open revealing a beaming Lockhart who looked around questionably.
"What have I missed?" He asked than his eyes looked to Eleanor who had her face covered by her hands. "Dear Adler... when is it you're not crying?" He asked but received a pillow being aggressively chucked at him from Eleanor.
Before anything else was thrown at the Professor, Snape had stepped in front of Eleanor shielding her, "Well, it seems to be the man of the hour." His icy voice had all the Professors confused. "A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the chamber of secrets itself. Your heroic moment has come at last."
"Oi," said Professor Sprout understanding where Snape had been getting at, "That's right, weren't you just saying last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the chamber of secrets is?"
Eleanor looked up from the ground seeing all these Professors chipping into the conversation. Her eyes met with Snape who turned to her and sent her a wicked grin and cocked brow which she smiled softly to.
As Lockhart struggled to neither confirm or deny all these allegations, Snape began to pace over to the overwhelmed Lockhart who for once for the entire year did not have a beaming grin, but a nervous frown. "I however, certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested. Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"
That caused Lockhart to stare at his colleagues with a frozen face and dripping of nervous sweat.
"Than it's settled, Lockhart will go fetch the monster and bring it to justice." Mcgonagall comments
"Yes, well, let me go to my office where I shall begin my journey!" Said Lockhart who than left the group of Professors
"Now that he's out of the way, I assure that everyone shall go back to their dormitories and inform your students the news." Mcgonagall had said which everyone agreed to.
One by one staff had left the room, Snape extended a hand to Eleanor who still sat against the wall with her knees to her chest, she gently took his much larger hand as he effortlessly pulled her up before they left the room.
"That was very slick of you, of what you did back there." Eleanor comments as they walked the empty halls. She crossed her arms and kept her eyes glued to the polished floor.
"Well, if one of the Professors must get eaten by a monster, it has to be him." A chuckled laugh came from him slightly before it died, the look on Eleanors face was saddened due to the recent news.
"Why dont we have a drink?" He finally asked, "Just to talk."
Eleanor looked up, "shouldn't you inform your house what's going on?" Eleanor asked, but Snape shrugged a bit.
"They can wait." He says and lead Eleanor toward his own sleeping chamber.
Eleanor analyzed his room as she walked in. The room itself was cluttered with books, empty and full vials of liquids or ingredients from potions scattered along the room and a bed was centered in between bookshelves.
"Sorry about the tight space." He said walking into his room and pulling a bottle out if a cabinet.
Eleanor didn't say anything. Instead she eyed all the things that surrounded the room. All of the books were old, some had written quill written withing them. The room was expected to be a potions masters room.
Within a few moments Severus came around from behind her with a glass of red wine.
Without a second thought Eleanor took it as he guided her to an armchair to sit.
"I can't believe it's over, so soon at that." Eleanor broke the silence.
Severus looked up, realizing she was talking about the end of Hogwarts.
"I know, I really was expecting more chaos than this." He spoke quietly
Eleanor looked up to him, "What do you mean?"
His eyes flicked back to her, "All I'm saying is that it could have been a lot worse."
Taking in his words, she nodded softly.
"So, now that you're without a job, what are you going to be doing?" She asked him
Severus looked as if he was thinking of it, "I'm not sure, I've been teaching here for the past decade... but I'm sure I can manage to land on my feet. What about you?"
"I only had one purpose here. Harry already knows I'm his aunt, but I'm probably going to be back home." Her hazel eyes gazed into her half empty glass. "Maybe I'll be allowed to pay Harry visits from time to time if I'm careful enough."
"I'm sure he'd like that." He said
The awkward silence was cut short due to Eleanor speaking up, "We're friends, right? You don't hate me or anything?"
"Oh no," he said sarcastically, "That's why I've poisoned your drink."
Eleanor smiled in a thin line, pushing his shoulder playfully, "I was just making sure."
"Yeah, we're friends." He smiled to her, there she was looking more perfect to him than usual, and here he was being in the friend zone for what seemed to be the hundredth time. To that realization his smile slowly vanished from his face, clearing his throat he drowned it with the rest of his wine.