𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 | S. SNAPE ✓

━ four, the tears of a freak

FREAK
act one, chapter four
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━ VIOLA WINCHESTER
1991 ━
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𝗪hat was happening to Viola Winchester in 1991, October 30th? She didn't know. She was sure she was crazy because James was everywhere and she had conversations with this James Potter phantom. She didn't tell anyone about this, even Severus because she was scared they'll think and say that she's just crazy. She started the day with Herbology, trying to be happy, and she had conjured up a record player, blasting The Weird Sisters. Professor Sprout seemed a little angry, but all her anger disappeared when Viola spun her around, singing horribly. ❨ It was then decided that no one needs to know about how Professor Sprout nearly twerked on the table. ❩ Transfiguration was next and Viola beamed when she noticed she had third years, her grin growing wider when she noticed Cedric Diggory and the Weasley twins. She didn't know why, but she's taken a liking to Cedric and the twins. They somehow made her day better, always. Plus Viola was tutoring Cedric at Herbology and Charms and she always made him smile before leaving the study hall, and he too made sure she never left with a smile.

She was now in Defense, for the first time since school began and she found that she was in the fifth year territory. Viola knew that at this stage, teenagers could be mean, they could be judgy and bitchy beyond belief, so she sat next to Quirrell, telling him to duck just in time before a chair whirled past him and she apologized many times.

"I'm really sorry Professor!" Viola apologized. "How can I make it up to you? Honestly, you've been my target for these two past months and I'm so sorry."

Quirrell blushed. "You don't h ━ have to do anything M ━ Miss Winchester." He replied and Viola frowned but let it go. If he didn't want to do anything, she won't force him to do anything. Quirrell noticed her frown. "Please d ━ don't take any ━"

"Oh no, it's fine Professor." She shrugged and let him carry on with his lesson when fifth years piled in, Viola noticing James lagging at the back. She slowly turned to Quirrell, only to see him happily greet his students and Viola did so too, eyes still trained on James and his sad smile.

At some point Quirrell latched into the subject of how vampires nearly killed him and Viola didn't mean to snort so loudly and everyone turned to her. She had burned a red, then ducked the glass of what seemed like a still developing baby giraffe. ❨ Seems like she already knew what she's going to have nightmares about tonight. ❩

"Sorry Professor Quirrell, can I add something? It's why I'm here anyway." Even though Quirrell didn't nod, Viola went on anyway. "Vampires, like Professor said over here, are real and they do drink blood. But there's no real reason to fear them or even to carry around garlic," She sent a soft smile towards Quirrell, who blushed heavily and Viola saw his right eye twitch. Weird. "They stay away from humans because they fear us more than we fear them. I mean, I'd fear me if I were a vampire. I'm telling you lot, I'd accidentally stab myself with a stake through the heart, or somehow just disappear in a pile of ash."

Children laughed a little and Viola smiled victoriously. "Professor Winchester?" A boy with brown hair and hazel brown eyes asked, raising his hand into the air.

"Yes, Mr...?"

"Oliver Wood, Professor."

"Right, Mr Wood." Viola smiled.

"Who is that man? He's been just standing there." Viola nearly fell down because a, Oliver saw him too, b, she wasn't going crazy and c, Trelawney was right, that old crazy hag.

"It's James." She whispered. "I don't understand, can you all see him?" A chorus of yes rang out and Viola had to grip the table to not fall down and she saw Quirrell move towards her, placing on hand in her upper right arm and the other on her back. "I ━ I thought I was going mad."

James snorted. "You were always mad, Mad Hatter."

And that's when the river of tears spilled down her cheeks and the first thing she did when reached his side was poke him to make he's real and when she hit his solid arm, she engulfed him in a hug.

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𝗩iola had left James in the kitchens when it was time for her to go to Divination and she was utterly tempted to just skip it, so she sat there bored, listening to Trelawney talk about the third eye and the palms and something about auras. Viola had sat down next to Oliver, because at this rate, he was the only one she knew in this class and plus he was a Gryffindor. ❨ House pride okay? ❩

"Miss Winchester!" Trelawney suddenly boomed and Viola jumped, not expecting it as she was starting to dose off. She did have two cups of coffee this morning but it seemed liked they weren't doing much. "The cards, Miss Winchester!"

"Relax your third eye ma'am." Viola muttered under her breath and everyone mistook Oliver's chortled chuckle for a cough. "Here, am I going to be forced to participate again?"

"Forced? I didn't force you Miss Winchester ━ but yes, you are forced to participate." This time, no one mistook her groan. "The card is like the wand, it chooses the wizard."

"That's a load of crap if you ask me Wood." Viola snorted and cursed when Trelawney came up to her first and Viola had to try and not scream when her card spelled out DEATH. She glanced at Oliver's and was tempted to nick his FIVE OF RINGS.

"Miss Winchester! You've seen it haven't you?" Trelawney gasped. "The black dog?" Then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and Viola dropped all games there and rushed to her side, catching her just in time before she hit the ground. For a fraud, you sure are dramatic. "He speaks and walks like him, but beware of the evil lurking beneath him. There will be three, one will try to kill you, one will try to protect you and the other will manipulate you."

Viola shook Trelawney by the shoulders. "Trust a fraud to pass out in your arms." She muttered, shaking her head. Come on, come on ability, work with me here, please. Just levitate Trelawney. But as suspected, Trelawney just laid there in her arms and she cranked her neck at Oliver. "Mind throwing me my wand there Wood?" It smacked her right in the face and she rolled her eyes. She quickly levitated the Professor and told the children she'll be back.

Once she did return, Trelawney now in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey tending to her, Viola sighed and faced the children. "Look, I don't get Divination and I never will, I hate it and I'm pretty it hates me back because I got the Death card and I'm destined to live for at least three hundred years so don't let Divination tell you otherwise." Only Oliver grinned at her speech. "Now how about we just drink tea without trying to see if the tea leaves will tell you if your butt is going to fall off when you're fifty and have some biscuits, preferably not those."

She pointed to a batch of Hallucinating Cookies and everyone agreed. They spent the remainder of the class asking Viola questions about her rare gift and her school life and if the James they saw was James Potter and if she ever liked in in that way. Viola happily answered every one of them, until they asked her about her love life and she accidentally let it slip that she has a crush on Severus. This time, the children fainted but not from Trelawney's Ghost Smoke.

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authors note.               yes, Viola Winchester and Oliver Wood are friends so what, and she and Cedric are already becoming friends so what.... Also, Merry Christmas 😂✨