Times Of Her Blood

Twenty One | Quirrell

Returning to school is always the worst. After a nice holiday with genuine people, going back to a place where an entire house despises her isn't something she was too keen on.

Once she'd found Lee, everything seemed to go smoother. The twins had disappeared to chase after some poor first year who stole Fred's potato of his plate, and the other two had chosen a spot at the Slytherin table (god forbid) and were receiving some interesting looks from even the teacher's table.

She didn't see why. It was her house. She had a right to sit there, and Lee was her friend. He had a right to sit with her, too.

But it didn't get to her. It never did. Letting things like that get to her would be stupid and would only let them win.

She would not let them win.

She dragged her eyes up to the teacher's table when she felt someone's eyes on her again, expecting Snape, or perhaps Dumbledore.

Instead, she found Quirrel peering over at her, looking deep in thought.

She frowned, hand going up to her neck when a jolt of pain shot from it. She pressed her fingers through the cotton, digging into the skin around it.

She dragged her eyes back up to Quirrel, who still hadn't looked away.

There was something about him that she couldn't place.

Why would it be hurting? It doesn't even make sense...

It might not be him, perhaps just a coincidence.

It hasn't hurt like this since he arrived.

Impossible.

She focused on the pain, slowly turning it as though someone was struggling with a knife pointed at her throat.

Slowly, she turned the figurative knife around on him, jabbing him with his own weapon

She didn't expect it to work. It couldn't be him doing that, causing so much pain to that particular scar-

He flinched, immediately drawing the attention of the other teachers.

Whilst having him unfocused, she didn't hesitate. Normally, she would have been scared about tearing through his brain.

Somehow, she didn't feel bad about doing it to him.

At first, his defences were strong. Normal for a DADA teacher to be skilled at that sort of thing...

And then... pain. Pain, anger... unhinged memories.

They weren't all his, she realised. Someone else's... but still somehow a part of him, or perhaps he was a part of it-

He stood up suddenly, excusing himself from the table hurriedly.

Suddenly, she was slammed out of his brain, clutching her head slightly.

"You alright?" Lee placed a hand on her arm, and she flinched, ripping herself away.

"Sorry," she muttered,'moving closer to him, "I just-"

"Flashback?"

"Something like that," her eyes followed Quirrel as he hurried out of the Great Hall, "I'll be back in a minute. You go to the common room, actually. I might be a while..."

He nodded, "Take all the time you need, Loz," he said softly, "If you want to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks," she smiled down at her friend, before standing, smile disappearing.

There was something about him. Something seriously wrong.

Why hadn't she noticed before?