To Love is to Die (Severus Snape×OC Indian)

Being Her Protege

"You can sidelong apparate I presume, Miss Haimi?" asked Professor McGonagall sternly.

"Well professor, I believe the last time I was squeezed into an imaginary tunnel, I made out alive."

" Very well then, get hold of my hand." And they too disapparated away.

This time she felt way better than her previous experience. Maybe because Snape didn't give her much time to adjust. She was starting to feel that her potions professor just loathed the idea of her being anywhere near him everytime she was with him.

When she felt her feet touch the ground, she found herself standing in Hogsmeade but in a place little away from the buzz of the market. Infront of her stood a cottage made of stone with roof slates. There were similar cottages on either side of it. They all looked well maintained and merry while her Professor's house looked somewhat unattended to even if McGonagall would come by once a year.

Svadhina went after her who had already entered the cottage through a crooked wooden door which McGonagall quickly transfigured into a new one. Svadhina was in awe at the transfiguration skills of her professor. Gods it didn't take her five minutes to bring the entire interior to its usable form. She threw some powder into the fireplace which she recognised it to be a floo powder. Bright red flames burst into the fireplace and then vanished away.

"Uh Professor, did you just activate the floo network ?" Svadhina asked McGonagall curiously.

" Indeed. If your professors come by the floo network, they wouldn't want to be stuck in between." answered McGonagall while dusted away the sofas with a flick of her wand.

Svadhina thought to leave her professor who was busy restoring her house. She felt she should only assist her, so she went outside to the abandoned garden.

The garden had uprooted plants which had gone dry, the soil was unploughed and strewn all over the place. Svadhina decided to give it a makeover. Besides, she felt she should use her wand more often inorder to get used to it. She had read about the advance version of a basic charm about restoring gardens on a poster in Diagon Alley. And hence she decided to try it herself. This would be her first attempt to do magic all by herself as her classes were still due the next day. Svadhina had no idea what she should do besides just speaking the spell. She wasn't even aware of the wand movements involved.

So she tried to do something which she felt stupid. She wished for a bed of flowers and thought to cast the spell.

She pointed her wand at the soil and murmured the incantation.

"Herbivicus"

Nothing happened. Indeed it was a stupid idea.

"That will definitely work, if you use your hands, Miss Haimi. However, you need to use your wand first and then proceed to wandless magic. Try to make a wave with the wand whilst you cast the spell."

Svadhina did as she was told. Firstly she calmed herself, then she thought the intention to grow a bed of flowers. She made a wave as she said

"Herbivicus"

Balls of bright green light emitted from her wand tip and got connected in the soil. Then all kinds of flowers that Svadhina had imagined came into view. McGonagall was right, wand movement was necessary but so is intention.

"It worked Professor, but I believe intention instead of just wishing is necessary. It has always worked for me. I mean I intended to revive the bird it happened. I did not cast any spell just presented an intention in my mind. Well do you like it Professor ?"

McGonagall gave a little smile as she looked around. There were all sorts of muggle flowers imaginable in her garden.

"This is beautiful piece of magic, Haimi. You've saved a lot of my time."

Svadhina smiled in response. McGonagall signalled her to come inside, so she followed her.

"Miss Haimi, the sooner you settle the better.....your room is by that end of the corridor, the washroom is attached. My room is just about the right end. I'll be there should you need me for anything."

McGonagall had used extensible charms in her cottage as it didn't look big enough from the exterior. Svadhina still needed to let it sink that she wasn't in a muggle household anymore.

She found her bedroom quite big for her. There was a master bed with maroon duvet and curtains, brown plush sofas with a centre table, a fireplace and a wardrobe huge enough to keep belongings of three people atleast.

Svadhina quickly stripped of her clothes and entered the bathroom, which too was beautiful. She noticed a flower vase by the frosted glass that was charmed to give fragrance. She stepped into the shower and took a much needed bath. When she came out, she realised that she forgot to take her trolleys back from Snape. There were no clothes for her to wear but luckily, there were some summer dresses in the wardrobe. She chose to wear a yellow, floral dress; dried her long hair as much as she could and hurried out of her room when she heard her professor call her for dinner.

The dinner was served with chicken, sausages, scrambled eggs, soup and pudding. McGonagall was already seated and asked her to sit beside her. Someone pulled a chair out for her; she noticed a tiny house elf in a beautiful floral dress like hers.

"Oh dearie, thank you. Are you Winky ?" asked Svadhina as she sat down

" No Miss Haimi, her name is Tinkle. Winky is now working at Hogwarts after her master passed away."

"Oh...."

They started having their dinner. Svadhina practically broke into her food. She was hungry and tired from her travel. She thanked her professor for the dinner.

"Listen Haimi, stop thanking me every now and then. We're responsible for you and that's not a botheration at all. On the contrary, I'm rather enjoying your company here." McGonagall explained.

"Uhm yes. You see professor I'm not really accustomed to teachers really looking after their students. Muggle teachers are just not into all of this; their help is limited to the institute only."

"Then you've realised that you're better off here."

"Indeed"

"Now of to bed Haimi, you've got a lot in your list."

"Sure professor....goodnight to you."
She said and went to her room. She fell fast asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.

At around ten when McGonagall came to check her, she found Svadhina lying on her stomach on the bed. Her hair was all about her face which huffed with every release of her breath.

McGonagall chuckled mentally. She knew that her hair was something different from normal. Her long hair fell from the bed and touched the floor. She pulled the hair away from Svadhina's face; tapped her wand on her head. Her hair gave out a tiny white spark and then got twisted in a thick, long braid.

"That's more manageable, Haimi." McGonagall murmured and left the room.

*****
A quick update guys.....
Sorry for being late.....was quite busy with marriage in my place.

But anyways, now that's successfully over I'll try to update timely.

Most of you may be wondering if this is a McGonagall story 😅 As I really put quite an emphasis on her. But believe me, she plays a vital role in Snape's and Svadhina's life. Moreover, I believe that she's all soft and caring under a strict exterior. McGonagall personally is one of my favourites so you'll see a lot of her.

But still plz keep reading and share your thoughts in the comment section. They're always welcome.

Until next time.... bye bye..