The staff slowly followed as Sybill Trelawney had been escorted out of the staff room by Dolores Umbridge.
Dolores happily led the divination professor out into the courtyard where Filch had rudely dropped Sybill's trunks into the puddled pavement from mornings rain.
Eleanor stopped in her tracks. It seemed to be the same reaction with the other professors as they stood on the outskirts of the courtyard with troubled expressions.
Eleanor was speechless, it was just moments ago when Dolores had told them that one of them would have lost their job. She was confused as it is knowing that it hadn't been her, but she was astonished to see what had happened before her own eyes. Seeing Sybill on the cold wet pavment with her luggage scattered around her, the scene itself looked like a public execution if it was out of context.
She saw the same fear inside Trelawney's thick glasses as she had once seen in her own.
"She can't— she isn't allowed to do this... right?" Eleanor had asked outloud.
Severus, who had been standing beside her whispered in reply, "Not without Dumbledore's clarification, she's not. I'll be back, make sure Trelawney stays put."
Eleanor nodded her head as she watching him walk back into the castle to seek out the headmaster. Soon enough students began to curiously stand around the courtyard to watch the out break happen before their own eyes.
Mcgonagall on the other hand began to run over to sybill who sobbed on the cold wet pavment ground with her face buried in her hands.
Umbridge stood still like a statue with a pressed lip smile across her face, "Something you'd like to say?" She asked with a pitched tone.
"I wish to say many things!" Mcgonagall raised her voice at the woman. "You should be ashamed!"
Umbridge raised her thin eyebrows, "For following my orders from the ministry? Are you questioning their standards, Minerva?"
"Oh, Bug off! You know exactly what you're doing! You can't treat people like this!" Eleanor had heard enough, she quickly walked in front of Trelawney to shield her as she continued a directing harsh glare towards Dolores.
"I'm doing my job."
"—bloody hell if it's job!" Eleanor snapped back. "You should be reported!"
"Eleanor—" Minerva whispered harshly, Eleanor turned to the transfigurations professor who pulled her aside, "We've got our hands tied behind our backs, please— we don't need you being sacked as well."
Eleanor looked back at Umbridge who had a wicked smirk still spread across her face. "Anything else you'd like to proclaim your opinions about, Ms Adler? Or may I continue?"
The brunette woman shook her head, "She's not leaving."
"I'm afraid she is." Umbridge tilted her head, "Unless you wish to join her."
"I'm afraid she isn't, Dolores." Came a voice. "Neither will Professor Adler."
Umbridge turned around to see Dumbledore standing directly in front of her along with the potions teacher who walked over to stand with Adler.
"Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms of educational decree number—"
"You have the right to dismiss my teachers. You do not however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the headmaster." Dumbledore looked around, "And the last time I checked, that would be me."
"For now, headmaster. For now." Dolores hummed before turning her attention back to Eleanor, "You know one of these days your mouth might just slip, or perhaps my own."
Eleanor said nothing as she watched the Umbridge turn on her heal and walk back into the castle.
"Mcgonagall, would you be so kind to head Sybill back into the castle?" Dumbledore asked
"T—thank you!" Trelawney pleaded as Dumbledore gave her a small smile before giving the same smile to both Eleanor and Severus.
Dumbledore left.
Eleanor took off her ochre coloured cloak and wrapped it around Sybill who was shivering from both the cold and relief.
In response Trelawney gripped Eleanors hand to turn and thank her, but it wasn't the response she had gotten.
Instead Trelawney gasped and immediately retreated her hand from Eleanors.
She acted as if her hand had been burned by touch.
She saw something. A vision. Something terrible.
The woman began to stutter as she stared up at Eleanor in fright,
"Oh no...I'm so sorry...you poor thing—"
A sudden change of expression had crossed Eleanor's face.
"W-what?" Her voice broke
Eleanor could only think of the worst, her thoughts immediately directed to Harry's own safety.
"Let's get you some rest dear," Mcgonagall pulled her along to come inside, but a pair of starling blue eyes continued to look back at Eleanor as the older woman was escorted away and into the castle.
"Wait! What did you see?!" Eleanor chased after her, but as she entered the castle she had once again faced none other than Dolores Umbridge.
She purposely blocked her way.
"Please move." Eleanor said as she tried to get around her, but the toad followed her movement.
The older woman's beady eyes narrowed up at Eleanors own, she looked towards both ways of the corridor to see if there were any witnesses, "You know, I've just about had it with you."
"I could say the same. Now move—"
Dolores got in the way again, but this time her wand was out and near Eleanors face, "Threaten my profession...I will threaten you." A grin formed on her face, "And I'd love to have you sacked as much as the next inconvenience, if it wasn't for Dumbledore you would have been."
Eleanor raised her eyebrow at the woman, "So that's why I wasn't fired? You weren't allowed to."
Umbridge frowned, "I have my ways."
"Apparently not." Eleanor shifted her gaze to the tall figure that approached the both of them.
Umbridge looked to her right to see the potions teacher standing there with his own eyes narrowed down at Umbridge's wand that had been pointed at Adler.
She quickly put it away.
"Smart move." Snape commented
Umbridge looked between them, but than mostly to Eleanor, "This is your only warning." She said finally before leaving.
Eleanor glared at her before she continued to walk where Sybill had been taken, but Severus had caught up with her.
"Where are you going?" He asked
"Did you not see the way Trelawney reacted when she touched my hand?" Eleanor asked up at Severus.
"Well, Years ago she did one of those hand readings on me and mentioned that I would encounter a bear— I have yet to encounter one." Severus shrugged. "Do you know how many times I'd thought to prepare myself for a bear attack every time I stepped into the woods?"
They both stopped in their tracks.
Eleanor narrowed her head down before looking back up at him, "So, you think it's nothing to worry about?"
There was a moment of silence between the two. Severus's brown eyes stared down into her own Hazel orbes. He pressed his lips in a fine line as he continued to look around her face, "It's okay." He nodded, "You'll be okay." He said truthfully along with a reassuring soft smile.
"Thank you, but it's not me that I'm worried about." Her whispered before she continued to walk away.
Severus stayed put as he watched her leave.
"You're all I worry about." He muttered before heading the other direction.
Later that night Eleanor found herself laying on her side as tears slid down her face.
She couldn't stop thinking about what Trelawney had said, she couldn't stop thinking about all the possibilities of things that woman saw that could happen.
What if Harry dies?
What if she can't save him in time and it would have been her fault?
She didn't want to loose Harry like she lost her brother.
"Darling, you in here?" Said the voice of Sirius Black
Eleanor immediately turned around to see his face appearing through the sudden burst of flame.
She got down to the grown and sat in front of the fireplace.
"Hi." She smiled as she whipped away any tears that could have been visible. "I'm so happy to see you."
His eyes searched her face, "I sense distress, everything alright?"
"Yeah." Eleanor lied
Sirius's face stayed still as he gave her a look, "Who hurt you?"
"Nobody, it's nothing."
"Was it that bitch Dory?" He asked
"Dolores," Eleanor corrected as she smiled, "Um, well yeah she's done her usual amount of harassment today."
Sirius frowned, "I'm sorry love, is there anything I can do?"
Eleanor shrugged, "I miss you and I can't wait to see you for Christmas break."
Saying that had put a huge grin of Sirius's face, "I love you so much. I miss you and Harry both, this will be our first Christmas together you know. As a family."
A soft smile spread on her lips, "We should ask Molly to make us three matching sweaters."
"I'd love that!" Sirius laughed, "I know what I want for Christmas."
Eleanor hummed.
"You." He winked
A blush spread across her face. "Anything else?"
"How about that thing we talked about." Sirius cleared his throat.
"Not until all this is over, Sirius. You know I don't want our child born into a world that isn't safe." She pressed her eyebrows together.
"I understand," He said calmy, "I just don't want us to waste the time we have together fearing for our lives instead of enjoying it."
A silence filled the room.
"I hope I didn't upset you..."
Eleanor shook her head, "No, not at all. we'll talk about this later... I'm rather tired anyways." She muttered
Sirius nodded, "Of course, would you like me to stay until you're asleep?"
"I'll be fine." Eleanor gave him a smile, "I love you."
"I love you, I'll be dreaming of you tonight."
Eleanor grinned as she watched his face slowly vanish from the flames.
Once she knew she was alone she looked back down at her engagement ring. She kissed it before she had gone to bed, hoping that what Trelawney had said was out of context.
AN: ❤