Aliah slowly rolled out of the bed the following morning. She grabbed a duffle bag from the small walk-in wardrobe and threw in some clothes for the night. The bag already had a container which had her toiletries.
A cold feeling swept over Aliah. She left her bag on her bed and walked over to her window. It was gone so quickly Aliah could have sworn she imagined it. Within the second she spotted the movement, the shadow disappeared behind the tree.
She stared at the spot for a little while longer, waiting for the figure - or whatever it was - to return.
"Aliah?" her mother's voice came through the porthole.
"Yes?" Aliah said a bit harshly, still upset about going to her teachers place at night. She heard Julia sigh, then enter her room. She walked over and hugged Aliah from behind.
"I am sorry Aliah, but this is the only way,"
"I've stayed home before, I don't understand why I can't stay tonight," Aliah wiggled out of her grip and entered her wardrobe.
"Because - because, not tonight. I am your Mother, I do not need to explain myself to you,"
Aliah silently rolled her eyes. Julia gave her daughter a bone-crushing hug when she exited the wardrobe. She kissed Aliah's forehead.
"I love you Aliah. I will always love you,"
Aliah huffed and threw her bag down the hole to the hall. "I have to go to school mum, I'll see you tomorrow."
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Leaning her head against the glass window, Aliah ignored the screechy voice of her Math teacher. Pythagoras's theorem was not going to help her with her future aspirations.
A movement - that was almost impossible to catch - caused Aliah to focus on the scenery outside. She narrowed her eyes at the trees bordering the green oval.
A swish of black air caught her eye. Mrs Strega was standing side on of a thick tree, moving her lips. Aliah shifted in her seat to see who she was talking too.
Mrs Strega threw her hands up in the air - almost in annoyance. She waved her hands around. Defiantly annoyed, Aliah decided. She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the whiteboard, some stupid thirteen year - old probably got themselves into trouble again.
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"How wrong is it to murder your own parents?" Aliah wined as she leaned against the red bricks of the middle school building. They sat in the foyer, students of their age group either sat at desks to study or many were scattered on the couch for their lunch break.
"Aliah," Kora snorted, "is there anything that you don't whine about? A few days ago it was Joanna, and last month it was your grade,"
"Ok, one, Joanna is a bitch and needs to be put in her place-"
"You dislocated her shoulder," Kora exclaimed. Aliah shrugged her shoulders.
"She was picking on Elora,"
"Elora didn't ask for help. She is strong"
"Even the strongest of people need help," Aliah sighed. Kora reached over and placed her hand on her friend's knee.
"Is that a double meaning?" Kora raised an eyebrow. Aliah stayed silent before taking a deep breath and looked up to the ceiling.
"Do you believe in guardians? You know, someone out there watching your every move and keeping the worst away from you," Aliah said softly.
"If that were true, you wouldn't have gone through what you have been through. So no, I don't believe it. Why has our conversation suddenly turn depressing?"
Aliah chuckled. "You are going to think that I am crazy, but I have been seeing this shadow lately. Almost as if it wants to be near me, but something is holding it back," Aliah groaned and buried her head in her hands. "I don't know, I just want to believe that there is something more out there don't you think?"
"Aliah, you are probably just stressed about school and are still angry with your parents about tonight,"
"Yeah, I guess," Aliah shrugged. A loud screech turned every student's attention as Elora ran down the hall and basically collapsed into Kora's lap.
"HE DID IT! HE ASKED ME OUT!" Elora dramatically placed the back of her hand on her forehead and fell backwards onto Aliah's lap. Elora now laid with her feet in Kora's lap and her blonde hair sprawled out on Aliah's legs. She started to exaggerate the details of how her longtime crush finally asked her out.
Kora, being the mother hen of the group, listened and gushed over the details while Aliah was distracted. She couldn't shake the feeling of the shadow.
She couldn't have imagined it.
There was no way.
"Aliah,"
Aliah's head shot up to Mrs Strega's voice. She looked left and right but the old teacher was nowhere to be in sight.
"Aliah,"
Aliah jumped to her feet, Elora hitting her head on the carpet.
"Lia, what's wrong?" Kora asked wearily.
"I-I have to see Mrs Strega," Aliah grabbed her bag and started to walk away. "I'll catch up with you later,"
Aliah rushed out of the foyer and across campus, ignoring the angry glares of students as she pushed her way through the crowds. Not like anyone would voice their annoyance, they were too scared of her and what she could do.
She finally reached the door to the Italian room. She opened the wooden door to see Mrs Strega sitting at her desk, her long bony hands intertwined in front of her.
"Aliah, it's good to see that you received my message. My suspicions were correct," Aliah stood still, not knowing whether she had fallen asleep in one of her classes again or the old bird had finally cracked.
"Please, sit," Mrs Strega motioned her hand to the seat to her left. Aliah hesitantly took a step forward, but then retracted her foot. "Aliah, we need to talk,"
Slowly, she made her way to the seat and placed her bag to the ground.
"Did I really hear your voice in my head?" Aliah asked shyly
"Yes, I had to see if my suspicions were correct,"
"Suspicions?"
"That your powers have finally surfaced, whether they like it or not,"
"Signora, I do not understand. Are you ok?"
"Aliah listen to me. The feeling of when you touch the crystals, they feel like power don't they? That you are connected to them, understand that each and single one hold a power that is indescribable, unique,"
"H-h-how did you know that?" Aliah stuttered, slowly inching away from her teacher.
"An ex-student of mine once told me that. She was just like you,"
"Signora, what are talking about?"
Mrs Strega sighed and leaned forward.
"Aliah, you, my dear, are a witch."
YOU ARE READING
Blood is Thicker Than Water (REWRITTEN)
Fanfiction#1 in Aliah Snape Series Before the war of Hogwarts, Severus Snape was married and had a daughter. To protect his daughter, he had to send her away, no matter how cold and distant it made him. Aliah now lives in a world where magic is just a fantasy...
