home (reader at hogwarts)

twenty

the carriage ride is short, just a quick trip through the woods and around a huge dark lake to reach hogwarts.

severus answers most of aurora's questions, answering many of yours except a few of the shorter ones.

"what are you most excited to learn at hogwarts?" she asks.

you reply with a vague. "i'm just excited to get into everything."

"you wont have me for a while." she tells you just as the carriage slows to a stop. "but you are always free to pop up to my tower to talk about the stars over some tea."

you nod, smile and say you look forward to it and both severus and yourself wait for her to be out of sight before getting off of the carriage as well.

"how did i do?" you ask.

"brilliant." severus replies, a hand on your back, signaling to follow after the crowd of teachers walking to the great stone steps of hogwarts.

you'd been to the castle before, of course but the sight of it from the outside made your breath catch in your throat.

severus' hand guides you forward and a few professors look at you groggily- probably wondering whether or not you were a child or just a small teacher.

flitwick however, looks up at you and smiles and you can't help but smile back.

"a new student, severus?" asks the short man.

"yes, fillius. now keep moving." he grunts and the short man blushes before jogging to keep up behind the crowd.

you hit severus in the shin with your trunk and he scowls at you.

"what was that for?"

"don't be mean." you scold.

"oh i do think you're talking to the wrong person." he chuckles darkly, before grabbing your hand again and leading you inside the castle.

"do you remember the way around this place?" he asks.

"not really. i only went to dumbledore's office, and then through the great hall to the kitchens."

"we'll take you to the great hall." he says. "we're all meeting albus and minerva there. they'll let us eat, a lunch time feast- for which you will sit next to me-"

"okay." you nod.

"and the teachers may ask you who you are. albus and i haven't actaully discussed this yet, but the man is clever enough to speak for you. if not we can always-"

speak to you like this.

your eyes widen.

severus' mouth hadn't moved but you heard his voice loud and clear.

"legillemency." you whisper. "c-can i think back?"

"we could read your thoughts with occulemncy and respond to them."

let's try. he thinks,

hello? can you hear this? you think back.

yes, i can. severus thinks. you don't need to scrunch your face up.

oh okay. you think, relaxing.

"you two!" bellows a loud voice, northern voice.

you turn around and gasp.

a huge man, a half- giant to be precise, with raggedy hair and a giant over coat with a hundred pockets and buckles -squints his eyes at you.