Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-18-

Remus left Hogwarts way faster than I had imagine. Good thing I even had the time to say proper goodbye to him. Now the school feels so... Empty without him. He was my closest friend in here after all. Not that we won't see each other ever again, but it certainly makes it difficult. "Alright! Class's dismissed, don't forget to study for the test tomorrow." I inform the whole class. All of the fourth years groans at the same time and leaves the room. Right when I get behind the desk, the Transfiguration Professor rushes to me. "Minerva! What brings you here?" I smile. She looks little bit troubled:"I... Uh...". "What's wrong?" I get worried. "I'm afraid we have a problem." she folds her hands neatly in front of her. "A problem? What kind of a problem?" I ask. "There are two of our students, a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff, who were misbehaving in my class." she informs. Little bit surprised to hear that:"Oh, what did they do?". "...You better come and look." she mutters and we leave the room. What's going on?

Couldn't believe what I'm seeing as we enter to the Hospital Wing. "Dear, Merlin..." I gasp when I see a Gryffindor student who has aged to the same age as the Headmaster himself. He's sitting on the hospital bed, looking all embarrassed and defeated. "What transfiguration spell is this?" I ask while staring at the student. "Ageing potion. Professor Snape came in to check up on him earlier today." Minerva explain. Then I turn to her:"Where is she?". It was told one of my students had done this to the poor Gryffindor and ran away. So, as the Head of the Hufflepuff's House, I need to speak with the student. This is the first time anything like this has happen when I've been here.

After looking for her fifteen minutes, I finally found her sitting on the edge of the dock at the Boathouse. One of the windiest places on the castle on a snow day like this. Brilliant... "Miss Vivian Wallnut?" I call her calmly. The girl's head snaps right at me, looking so frightened. "It's alright, I just came here to talk." I reassure. Tears fills her eyes and she looks back down to the water. Slowly, I approach her and stop right beside her:"Is it alright if I sit here?". She gives a slight nod. I chuckle:"You put quite a show in the Transfiguration class, I heard.". "Derek started it." she spit out. I raise an eyebrow:"How so?". Miss Wallnut pauses for a moment, wondering if she should tell me or not. "A week ago, he called me a Mudblood." she confess. "Oh, boy..." I roll my eyes. Not because I'd be mad at her, but because how cruel some kids can be for no reason.

Miss Wallnut then told me all about how Mister Davies has bullied her for the past few weeks now. It has all been done verbally. The last straw was when he laughed at the end of one of their Transfiguration class, something about 'wonder if we could turn you into Pure Blood' - type of thing. She wanted to revenge, so she came up with the Ageing potion. Knowing that Mister Davies loves to play Quidditch and is about to attend the team. She thought, this way he will certainly fail the trails. Smart from a second year, I must admit. It makes my blood boil when people are separating others by their blood type or what House they have been sorted in. No matter what age. "Don't worry, Miss Wallnut. I'll handle this and make sure he won't bother you ever again." giving her reassuring smile. Those teary eyes looks up to me with full of hope:"Thank you, Professor (Y/L).". Then we both just watch how the snow slowly lands on the lake.

I told Minerva everything. Luckily, she is on my side on this, and had a little talk with Mr. Davies privately, Headmaster being there as well. His parents are going to hear about this, no doubt. Same goes to Miss Wallnut. As her punishment for using the potion on a student like that, she needs to help me after the classes to clean up and help with the garden for two weeks. Not too bad for my opinion - then again, she was the victim here... Who said it is easy to be a professor in the school of Witchcraft and Wizardly? There has happen so much lately, it's hard to keep up! Even Professor Sprout had write me and Dumbledore a letter, where she informs she has to push back her arrival even further, probably she'll be gone rest of the semester. Apparently, having a hip surgery in the Muggle world isn't going as smoothly as we all hoped.