𝑨 𝑻𝑶𝑼𝑪𝑯 𝑶𝑭 𝑫𝑨𝑹𝑲𝑵𝑬𝑺𝑺

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟕: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲

HOGWARTS REMAINED UNSCATHED. In fact it remained entirely oblivious to all that happened in and around it. Lilith had returned from one reality to another and quite frankly the transition had taken a greater toll on her than she had anticipated.

Final farewells to the Jennings had been a major component contributing to her feelings of despair. It felt as though she was constantly saying too many goodbyes and not enough welcomes to the people she so dearly loved. And although she felt she was in a strong position within her life, she held greater guilt over the fact that she could hardly recognise herself. Her identity seemed to relentlessly crumble with each passing day and yet she forced herself to move on with it, not necessarily acknowledging it but not entirely dealing with it either.

Ultimately she was Lilith Arcane. But within the syllables of her name and entangled with each letter was a significant amount of conflict as to what that actually meant. Was she Lilith Arcane, the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor? Lilith Arcane, the Death Eater? Maybe even Lilith Arcane, the woman so hopelessly devoted to Severus Snape? Was she actually anything other than her name?

Returning to Hogwarts had grounded her in a sense as life would return to its form of normality. Her routine could ensue itself and her days would hold something more to look forward to. But in that same sense, she despised how all aspects of her life couldn't fall into the same place. Parts of her were scattered without any real formative placement and therefore how could she ever feel truly whole?

Severus seemed to understand her internal conflict and had been distinctive within his choice to leave her be, to not press further on a matter that didn't exactly concern him but also not dismiss her as a whole, as though her struggles meant nothing to him. They did, of course.

Lilith's struggles meant more to him than his own because he knew that he could overcome his struggles but he never quite knew if Lilith could overcome hers. She had been strong with just about everything and in his mind seemed as though it wouldn't be long until she would shatter in some way. And he would be there for it, optimally directly by her side or at furthest, a mere room away from her. Either way he would be there.

He had reluctantly left Lilith to visit Dumbledore, to alert him not only of their return but also the build up of everything that occurred before. The words on the note that Lilith had taken from the basin remained strong in his mind. They had remained so from the very same night she had told him. He had no further understanding as to what the words directly meant but he hoped that Dumbledore could perhaps shed some light onto it. Simultaneously he hoped that Lilith would come back around, hold an expression with sightly more awareness as opposed to the ghostly look of isolation that rested on her face.

Lilith however, had returned to the comfort of her empty classroom. Though that comfort was still limited by the fact it wasn't filled with her students but at that moment she thought to have preferred that silence. Parts of her felt fraudulent for the fact that she hadn't even thought about visiting Beatrice or Minerva after not seeing them for so long.

"Lilith? I thought I heard you!" Minerva squeaked with excitement as she stood in the doorframe of Lilith's classroom. She smiled at Lilith before tipping her head out of the room and sighing. "For heaven's sake Beatrice, will you hurry up? I told you she was back!"

Minerva clasped her hands together as she walked over to Lilith's desk, embracing her in an hug that Lilith openly fell into. Minerva pulled back and gripped her shoulders as her face suddenly fell concerned.

"I ought to think that you would have come to us first instead of... well, here."

By that point Beatrice had also entered the room, a plate of pie resting in her left hand and a fork firmly gripped in the other.