The Sacrifice // Severus Snape X OC (Sequel to Spiteful Beginnings)

5 - A Mother's Love

It was not particularly in Kalina's interest to go to Diagon Alley a few days later but after receiving a letter from Hogwarts and although she was overjoyed that Professor Sprout was coming back to start teaching Herbology again, this meant she was going back to teaching some lessons a week instead again. Somehow, this meant that Kalina had to go and grab some different herbs and seeds from a few shops.

The weather outside was quite bleak but so was her mood. She did not think she would miss Severus this much and it had only been a few days and she could already feel herself get more miserable without him.

She inhaled the cold air and squeezed past a family of wizards as she walked out of Gringotts Bank, getting enough money for her small trip, and stopped to scan down at the list of things she needs.

"Fertiliser for Devil Snare..." She read quietly to herself, slightly frowning at the cursive writing on the piece of parchment. She huffed, folding the parchment up and stuffed it into her pocket and walked towards the only place where she knew where she could get such an item: Knockturn Alley.

As she came to the entrance, she stared down the long dark and narrow alley. It looked darker than usual due to the sun hiding behind the clouds which made a tingle shoot up her spine. She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder, securing the position before taking some small steps into the alley, getting further and further away from a somewhat normality of the wizarding world she was used to. As she walked, the quieter and eerier it became. The excited chatter from Diagon Alley had simmered down in the depths of they cobbled and dim alley. The shops were dull and laced with spiderwebs in the doorframes, a complete contrast to the bright colours she was so used to seeing elsewhere.

Kalina came across a small archway and stood under was a pair of old and scrawny looking witches, the types you would read in a child's fairy-tale book. Pointed hats, warts on their nose and nails as black as the night and cackling about something or other.

As she walked past, she managed a very weak smile towards the witches who had instantly turned their attention to the younger witch who came into view, their voices lowering as they analysed every movement she made. Her grip on her black cane tightened, ready to use it as a weapon if necessary.

Obviously not wanting to stick around, she quickened her pace, her red cloak almost falling from her shoulders as she shimmied her way through the tight winds and turns Knockturn Alley presented itself with. She didn't even realise she was holding her breath until she found the shop she was looking for and upon entering, she let out a low shaky breath.

The shop itself was dismal looking. Inside, the walks were covered in moss and long vines had stretched out to each corner of the store on walls. There was a strong smell of acidic liquids lingering as she scanned the shelves, the concoctions all near enough being labelled as 'extremely dangerous'. As she looked around, she came to realise that there didn't seem to be anybody in the shop at all, not even the shopkeeper from what she saw. But, she kept looking in the hopes that they were just at the back of the shop.

When she found what she was looking for, she instantly tensed up when the bell above the door chimed, signalling that someone else had just entered the box shaped shop with her too.

She kept to herself, pretending to look interested in a jar of decaying poisonous flowers. She listened out for the other persons footsteps, hearing that they were not far from the left of her and out of curiosity, she spared a quick glance and was somewhat relieved to see that the woman who had entered also was not looking in her direction.

"Is there anybody there to assist me or must I wait all day?" The woman had walked straight to the counter, their fingers strumming impatiently along the wooden surface.