Sanare
Aquila was trying.
She tried her best...
But it wasn't enough.
Her colleagues noticed the slight change in her behaviour - she had become silent, only speaking when needed.
"Say, Aquila, you alright?" One colleague, Alianna, asked.
"I'm fine." Aquila replied dully.
Nothing worked. She was experiencing the agony of unrequited love.
She knew she was being silly, letting her heart get taken away by a fictional character.
That night, she lay in bed, thinking that in her desired reality she would be cuddling with Severus, an image swam into her vision.
She didn't know if it was a dream or not; she did feel his touch.
"P-p-please, s-stay?"
"Alright."
Huh, they were cuddled together?
Wait...
Wasn't this her desired reality?
Aquila shot up and gasped.
She had shifted successfully - for three minutes.
Then she gasped and doubled over. Her chest, no, soul, hurt. Aquila wheezed and gulped for air, clutching her heart. What happened? Did her alternate reality self hurt herself?
She didn't know.
No one did.
Severus blinked his eyes open blearily. He was vaguely aware that his arms were wrapped around someone. Wait, red hair? He froze.
I am sleeping with my apprentice, a student.
No, this was wrong. Very wrong. He slowly removed his hands from Ophelia, and got up. As much as he wanted to stay, he couldn't. It was against the rules. Salazar, she wasn't even of age.
Did we do something else?
No, we didn't.
Ophelia was crying, remember?
Severus sighed inwardly. He couldn't deny that he didn't like Ophelia in a romantic way, but it wasn't allowed.
He cast a quick tempus charm. 4:48am. Great, now I've woke up too early.
He wanted to reach out, to caress her serene face, to kiss her...
No, Severus! You can't!
He sighed, and went back to his office, scribbled a note and left.
He couldn't risk it.
They couldn't.
Ophelia stirred as she felt the sunlight caress her face, her hair as if on fire. She stretched out and yawned, sitting up. Where am I?
Green bedsheets?
Black walls?
She was in Severus' bedroom. Then where was he?
Ophelia looked around.
Gone. I'll go to classes then.
The delegations from Beaubatons and Durmstrang arrived and the Goblet of Fire had somehow chosen two champions for Hogwarts — Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory. Most people said that potter was a cheat, but Ophelia didn't think that—he was obviously underage.
On the Sunday morning before the first task of the tournament, Ophelia was sitting in an armchair in front of the fire in the Hufflepuff common room, leafing through a book on potions.
"Um, hello, Ophelia?"
She looked up. Diggory stood in front of her, looking awkward.
Hello?
"Are you free today and tomorrow?" Diggory asked, looking awkward.
Yes?
"Could you please tutor me on how to transfigure a rock into a dog successfully?"
Why me? Not professor McGonagall?
"I asked her, she said that you were the top of your year and told me to ask you. She also said that we could use her classroom."
Alright. When do we start?
"I've got to finish perfecting that spell before tomorrow afternoon."
Ophelia nodded, and promptly stood up.
"Where are you going?"
To practice, you nitwit!
They repeated the spell for a few times, Ophelia waiting for Diggory to get the hang of the spell.
"Why do you not speak?"
Ophelia froze. They had been idly chatting in-between Diggory's tries.
I don't.
"Alright. Oh, and call me Cedric."
Ok, Cedric. Ophelia smiled. She had finally made a friend.
Ophelia didn't go to the first task. Cedric wanted her to, but she refused, saying that she had something else to do.
She did, she had to go to the library to do some research on why her chest hurt sometimes.
She browsed through shelves, taking out books relevant to chest pains, souls and soulmates.
There was a window seat overlooking the tournament arena, and Ophelia settled down there. She could always look up and watch Cedric's performance without being in all the noise — even though she had human ears, they were still morphed from her original elf ears — which were very sensitive.
She flicked through the books, scanning the pages of the book she currently held: Magical Maladies. I don't have a magical malady, why on earth am I reading this? She asked herself.
Then she felt it. The chest pain. Ophelia knew it wasn't her soul this time.
Painful wracking coughs shook her as she covered her mouth, feeling something soft and something wet land in her hand.
The coughs stopped. She removed her hand and her eyes widened in horror as she stared in disbelief at both her hand and the book.
The book was flipped to page 407, titled "Hanahaki Disease"
Symptoms of Hanahaki include:
Coughing up flower petals and/or thorns (i.e. lily petals, rose petals, rose thorns)
Coughing up blood
Chest pains
Soul pains
"NO!"
Everything went black.
Severus sat on the bleachers along with the rest of the teachers.
"Minerva, have you seen Miss Ophelia?" Pomona Sprout asked.
"No, I haven't. Isn't she your apprentice, Severus?"
Severus grudgingly nodded. "I will see if I can find her."
with that he strolled into the castle, searching for possible places in which his insufferable yet adorable—wait what am i thinking? That's inappropriate! She's your student, Severus. — apprentice.
Then he stopped abruptly. He had heard it. Someone was coughing.
"NO!"
Severus promptly rushed towards the sound. He hurried through the doors of the library, hurrying between bookshelves, when the scene in front of him made him fall to his knees.
"No, I will not let this happen again!"
His voice trembled.
Ophelia looked so similar to Lily, with the same fiery hair and energy, but the terrifying posture she was in shook him.
She was hunched over on the window seat, a book spread open on the floor, presumably fallen from her lap. Her head was resting in her chest, her hand on her lap. Blood and two lily petals swam in the red pool.
Severus reeled.
The book was about Hanahaki disease.
Ophelia had it.
Ophelia was vaguely aware of someone saying that "I won't...happen!" and someone lifting her into their arms. They smelt of black coffee, books and wood.
"...fainted...library..." She heard. Was that Pomfrey? I'm in the Hospital Wing?
Ophelia felt a sudden burning in her head, and grunted slightly.
"Rest, Ophelia." She heard.
And so she succumbed to the darkness, letting it caress her.
Madam Pomfrey let her go the next morning, saying that she had simply fainted of exhaustion. Ophelia knew that wasn't the case. She had Hanahaki because of an unrequited love.
But whom? The only person i find handsome in this school is Severus, and I only admire him, not love. Maybe it's my other half.
Ophelia sighed as she trudged wearily to the greenhouses.
"Hi, Ophelia! Did you see how the dog worked during the First Task? Thanks for teaching me, you're the best!" Cedric came up and swung a hand around her shoulders. "Where were you yesterday night? You weren't in the common room."
I was in the hospital wing, apparently I was over-exhausted and fainted.
"Oh, i see, are you feeling better now, sis?"
Sis?
"Oh, you're like a sister to me so...is that okay?"
I guess.
Interesting. I've got a brother now.
"Oh yes, Ophelia, you remember the egg in the tournament i retrieved? I opened it in the common room and it screamed."
Yeah, wait what? It screamed?
"Yeah. What d'you think it is?" Cedric asked as they headed towards Flitwick's classroom where they had been told.
Screaming egg...I swear I've got knowledge on this...
Wait, let me think.
My other half...my other soul...what's the screaming? It's about the lake...what's in the lake? Mermen and mermaids...
Cedric, the second task is about the lake...the screeching, or screaming, I gather, is the mermaids' singing.
"So...you mean I have to listen to it underwater?"
"Mr. Diggory, Miss Ophelia, will you pay attention please?" Professor Sprout said. "I have something to say to you all. The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Tri-wizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite younger students if you wish —"
Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecomb giggled. Professor Flitwick quickly shushed them.
"Dress robes will be worn," Professor Sprout continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to relax and let our hair down," she said, "but that does not mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw student embarrasses the school in any way."
Sprout waited until the rest of the class had gone except for Ophelia, and then said, "Diggory, the champions and their partners —""What partners?" said Diggory.Professor Sprout looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny."Your partners for the Yule Ball, Diggory," she said coldly. "Your dance partners."The champions need partners for the dance? But I don't dance! Ophelia blushed slightly."Dance partners? I don't dance," he said quickly."Oh yes, you do," said Professor Sprout. "That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball.""Alright."
They went out of the classroom, and Cedric turned to Ophelia. "Lia, can you do me a favour?"
Sure, what is it?
"Will you go to the ball with me? The girl I fancy, Cho, has been asked by a Ravenclaw, and I think — uh —"
You want to make Cho jealous? No problem, I'll do my best. Ophelia smiled.
"You won't mind if I leave you alone to be with Cho, right?"
Ophelia shook her head. I'm fine with that. Not a fan of balls and parties anyway.
Cedric grinned. "Perfect."
With that, Ophelia left for her daily potion apprenticing, knocking on Severus' personal lab door.
"Enter." The familiar silky baritone drawled out beyond.
Ophelia opened the door and went in. "What are we going to brew today, Severus?"
"Do not call me that." He snarled, "I am your professor and you will call me that, Miss Ophelia."
"But...You said..." Ophelia spluttered, caught off-guard. Hadn't he told her to call him by his name?
"We will be brewing a modified sleeping draught today." Severus, or Professor Snape snarled. "Start."
Ophelia had no idea why Sev — Professor Snape reverted to being formal with each other. Why? Am I intolerable?
She didn't know.
He didn't know either.
He couldn't risk it.
She couldn't know.