Little Snake - A Black Legacy

Chapter Sixteen - a few daily favors

The first days of school after that weekend were hard for Hazel. Even with her Mental wall, behind which she closed her feelings during the day to be able to follow the lessons unhindered, and even with all the breaks she took, the curse did not leave her alone. In the first days, she had an attack in every lesson, but when it happened in the middle of the lesson, she only stiffened in her seat and forced the pain into the background.

Ominis had insisted on sitting next to her during the lessons. And as the direct heir of one of the school's founders, the teachers did not deny him this wish. Especially not after they knew what had happened to the poor girl and that she had not yet made it through. She often got regretful looks from the teachers, as well as from some of the students. She was tired of it. She kept hearing whispers about the poor girl whose family had tried to kill her, who had been hurt so many times and was now cursed. No one had ever said she was weak, but she interpreted the whispering that way and it didn't please her.

However, Ominis was the only one who always noticed immediately when something was wrong with her. He felt when she stiffened. He heard her heartbeat and breathing change. Noticed the subtle change in her scent next to him as she strained inwardly to keep the curse at bay. Sometimes he would simply ask the teacher to let him take her out for a short 5 minutes and then wordlessly drag her by the hand out into the hallway where, as soon as her breathing calmed, he would hold a potion right under her nose.

Each time Hazel laughed a low and embarrassed laugh as she reached for the potion. He knew she didn't like the attention when he pulled her out. That's why he only did it when these seizures lasted longer than a few minutes.

Sometimes Professor Black, her uncle, would show up in the classroom. Yes, even in the earlier years he had dropped by the classrooms randomly, but since Hazel was hit by the curse, they saw him more often. He was in one of the corners before class started and walked around the class for a few minutes during the lesson, as he usually did, but he kept glancing at Hazel. Ominis had a feeling Professor Black was trying to make sure his niece was getting along, even if he wouldn't have thought of him as a family man.

Ominis also heard whispers this week. Things that were said behind people's backs. Things that made him angry. Hazel was having a tutoring session of sorts with Professor Hecat, so he had sat down on a bench in the courtyard by the bell tower with a book - which he was reading with the help of his wand. He heard a group of students walk past him. Judging by the volume, they were Gryffindor. They were never particularly quiet or discreet. However, he had guessed them smart enough to talk more quietly about his girlfriend. But Leander Prewett was just simply Stupid.

Ominis knew that there were people who spoke well about Hazel and people who spoke badly about her, but he didn't expect that.

"You don't seriously believe all that bullshit? That she was attacked by a dragon and was injured, even survived and was put under the torture curse? And that with the troll?" Leander said in bewilderment.

Ominis didn't know how they came up with the topic, but he listened intently. They weren't standing particularly far away from him, after all, or being particularly quiet. "I say to you that Sallow clearly let her win in her first duel. She's the principal's niece!" he said snidely. "It's all being spread around to make the Blacks look good! You can see how she's being favored. Extra lessons, extra attention, I hear she even has a single room! Plus, she's allowed to leave classrooms - with the Heir of Slytherin, of all people - whenever she wants. She's arrogant, like all Blacks. You don't really believe that she threw herself in front of an Old Stranger and caught the Torture Curse. No Slytherin is capable of such a thing. And you don't seriously believe that someone who has only been doing magic for a year is capable of defeating a warrior troll! Ridiculous. And the Malfoys were even suspended for telling tall tales," he blurted out.