"And what is wizarding royalty doing at Hogwarts?" -SS
"Come now Severus... Princesses love castles" -AD
Severus Snape was like an abandoned castle; cold and secluded. That was the way he liked it. He'd long since accepted the fact that he would be...
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"You're selfish Caledonia! Living in a world where you must marry for status, for protection. And you refuse. You refuse to create a strong ally and protect our family! You refuse to marry and give our family a chance at continuation. It's as if you do not care at all! We are your family Caledonia, and you are selfish and you are immature"
Caledonia Merlin stared intently at herself in the mirror that hung in her room, taking in the curls around her face, those that fell over her body in a blanket of protection. The longer she stared, the more she shook despite her attempts to calm herself. Her body rocked with the desire to cry, chest tight and throat pained. When a tear did fall, she wiped it away furiously, angrily. She did not want to give anyone the pleasure of having made her cry.
Caledonia Merlin was a strong woman. That was what she told herself as she stared into the mirror, demanding her eyes to stop their incessant watering. It didn't matter that Caledonia had been raised in relative seclusion, she had experienced her fair share of pain in her life.
From the very first time her father struck her across the cheek, Caledonia vowed that she would be strong in this world. And from the very first time her 'suitor' Magnus Avery had placed a hand on her body without permission, she had vowed that any and every interaction she had with a gentleman from then on... Would be on her terms. Caledonia knew that people had it worse, she knew that she was troublesome and selfish, she knew she was childish... But she hated to hear it. She hated to hear the things that she already hated herself for, coming out of another person's mouth.
She had tried, tried to follow through with what people wanted from her. She wanted to marry Magnus Avery, in all his vile and angry being because that was what her parents wanted. That was all they had ever asked from her, in her life. They'd given her everything, in return for her marrying... But when the time came for her to court her future husband, she could not even bear to be in the same room as the man that had ruined her at the age of fifteen. And that was all, that was the end of the sweet innocent princess because from then on, she had to do whatever it took to protect herself, to stop herself from ever feeling pain again. And it never worked.
After staring at herself for an immeasurable amount of time, into which she promised her reflection that she was strong and okay a hundred times over before she firmly fixed her makeup and clothes and ghosted off to the Great Hall, painting a smile on her face. She wouldn't let him see that she had agreed with every word he spoke. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her pain. Even if it made her seem arrogant, arrogance was better than weakness.
Taking a seat at the teacher's table, she slowly filled her plate, aware of the man sat close beside her but not giving him the pleasure of looking into her eyes for even a moment. She may have been wrong, but as she asked him to hand her the jug of pumpkin juice in a hollow tone, she seemed to see his guard slip for just a moment, guilt glittering his dark eyes before it vanished altogether. Perhaps she was hallucinating, wanting hopelessly for him to take back what he had said about her. It was hard thinking negatively about yourself... But it hurt even more when people confirmed it.
"Caledonia" the voice of Albus questioned from the other side of the potions master and she leant back to look at him around the man. Dumbledore smiled gently at her, glad to see that she was passed her initial fit of rage and anger at being in the castle. "A letter" he stated, handing it to her. "From your brother."
"Marvellous, Thank you very much." she smiled and pulled it close to her, blinking at her brother's perfect calligraphy which was almost identical to her own. The two Merlin children were incredibly similar in many ways. Vaguely, she was aware that it was dinner time- the wrong time for mail. But she didn't question is as she turned it open with a sigh, pulling the Merlin wax seal off and opening the letter, unfolding it while rubbing her eyes tiredly.
Dear Sweet Calla,
I hope you are well, at the school for the kid wizards. Somehow, in just a matter of weeks, I have both good and bad news I must present to you, I hope they both find you well and I will soon be able to see you to discuss them. I am hoping that by Christmas, you will be able to visit us. I say it in this way because mother and father have been taken to St. Mungo's, in the coming weeks they are to return here and it truthfully just will not be safe for anyone to be in the vicinity when they do. You know mother and father, always so uppity, they would hardly stay in a hospital for long. A few days ago, a bright green and purple rash appeared for the both of them, sneezing sparks throughout the night. As I'm sure you're aware, from all that time you spent wanting to be a mediwitch, that's the symptoms of Dragonpox. They've been taken in and have gotten worse but Magdalena and I are yet to show any of the symptoms ourselves. in fact, that is where the good news comes it, perhaps it will be slightly dampened by what I previously wrote or maybe- hopefully- it will lift your spirits. Magda and I are expecting, isn't that marvellous? You would think, ten years of marriage, it wouldn't come as much of a shock that we are going to have a child but I am positively thrilled myself. Terrified, of course, I'm partially still a child myself, you could say, you know what they say about us Merlin children, childish until our deathbeds. Regardless, I am hoping that by the time our child arrives, you will be back home with us and not up in that dreaded castle. I assume you realise you can return at any time, of course, that would require you to agree to marry Magnus, he's just as obsessed as ever. Though, in light of recent information, both bad and good, it might be worth considering. I hope you're not too lonely there, that you have gained some friends, I know they don't come naturally to you but I hope at least one of those smart teachers can look through and see the good in you sis.
