Annabel Lee

Severus’s Point of View

Waking up the next morning played out more embarrassing than I expected. A loud crack had been what woke us up; apparently Narcissa, Lucius, and Regulus had come back early and thought it would be entertaining to take a ruddy photo of Annabelle and I on the couch while we slept. Fantastic really, her face turned exceedingly red. To be quite honest it was a bit of a confidence boost. At breakfast it was the main subject to be talked about.

"Oh leave her alone," Narcissa said patting Annabelle's head lightly to cheer her up from the embarrassment. Annabelle gave a small smile and finally nodded fixing her hair. "So what did you get for Christmas?" Narcissa asked her and I glanced over at Annabelle while she held the book close to chest. She made a small thinking sound and showed the book to Narcissa. Narcissa began complimenting on what a nice book it was and then started talking about her holidays at Lucius's. As I got into reading about Essence of Euphoria, Regulus jabbed his elbow at my side. He smirked and pointed to Annabelle's book.

"You got her the book right? I knew the list would work," he said snickering.

"Hmm." Then he leaned over my shoulder.

"That looks new," he said tapping my elaborately decretive cover. I nodded just making my facial expression flinch.

"We got you something too," Lucius said throwing a nice looking box at me. Closing my book I took the parcel in my hands and skeptically looked over it.

It wasn't going to somehow explode on me... right?

I pulled it open and inside were a few potion vials lying on top of some white cloth. I pulled the clothes out and held up a nice white dress shirt, very much unlike my mother's old blouses that I had had to wear in childhood. Next I pulled out the duffle coat that looked perfectly warm. I suppressed a smile and nodded smirking at them instead. It was a great gift, sometimes it paid off havingsnobby rich friends.

"Thanks." They each gave me pats on the back as I put the clothes back in the box and picked up the small vials of liquids. Tipping it sideways I watched the liquid slide its way back and forth inside the deep purple glass.

"Narcissa," Lucius called trying to talk her constant chatting towards Annabelle. It worked and she stopped mid-sentence to respond to her boyfriend. "Aren't you going to give Annabelle her present?"

"Oh that's right! Pass it here?" she asked and Lucius pulled out another well wrapped box. "Here you go sweetie," she said giggling and Annabelle shook her head rapidly pushing her hands gently on the box away from her in protest.

"I couldn't," she whispered, her modesty and humbleness flaring. Narcissa grinned scooting closer to her.

"Oh come on, here I'll help," she said undoing the bow around it and lifted the lid. Annabelle stared and started giggling madly to herself, lifting a grey dress. It looked bloody expensive, it's no wonder Annabelle seemed so shocked by it. She started laughing and hugged Narcissa giddily, making sure to keep the dress clean between them. I felt kind angry, but pushed it aside while she pulled away.

"Don't worry about it kid," Narcissa grinned when she pulled away and helped her put the gift back in the box. "I saw it while I was shopping with Lucius and just thought 'Hey why not get it for Annabelle?'" she said nostalgically. Regulus and I snickered quietly while they continued talking.

"Did you get a dress for yourself too, Lucius?" I quipped and he threw a pancake at me, which I carefully dodged.

"Yeah maybe we should start calling you Lucy now!" Regulus cracked and this time a syrup soaked piece of French toast made a deafening 'splat' against the side of his face. The Slytherin table was laughing uncontrollably by the time breakfast was over.

"Classes start soon, so I'm going to make the most of my last few minutes of freedom," Regulus said winking across the long breakfast table at a brunette.

"What happened to Lauren?" I asked putting my book away inside the box with my clothes. Regulus laughed getting up as the girl saunter over. She looked like she was in our year, tall, and her face was framed by her short haircut. I ignored her clearly flashy variation of the Slytherin uniform and turned back to Regulus.

"Who said anything happened to her?" he said deviously and walked off with the girl wrapped around him. I took a deep sigh. Really, he can get any girl he wants and he decides to take risks with going out with hoards of them at a time. Annabelle stood up after a few minutes of drinking her water.

"Where are you going?" Lucius asked and Annabelle grinned holding up the box.

Putting her gift away, huh? I guess I should do the same. I thought and standing up too.

"I'll come with you," I spoke up and grabbed a hold of my own present. I nodded my head towards Annabelle and she bounced up out of her seat, instantly walking next to me. I bit back a smile, refusing to let her kindness get the better of me, and we both parted at the common room.

I felt at ease the moment I entered the separate room. I let go of the breath, regrettably realizing I had been holding it. I hung the clothes up, trying to keep them in their pristine condition. Then after that I went down to walk to potions only to see Annabelle waiting in the common room for me. I wasn't even surprised by now and welcomed it; she kind of was the only person who wanted to be around me for such a large amount of time. I'd rather it if she weren't so affectionate in public though, people are always taking the mickey out of her as it is. She doesn't need to be teased about being friends with someone like me added to her list.

In potions we learned about safety with brewing elixirs, do to Evan Rosier blowing his eyebrows clean off in last class before break. Then in Herbology Annabelle nearly cut herself with shears while pruning the Shrivlefigs. By the time Transfiguration rolled by I was eager to use my wand. We were going to transfigure a chocolate frog into an actual real one.

"I would like to remind you all that transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned," Professor McGonagall advised strictly. Annabelle grinned happily pulling out her wand. I concentrated on the chocolate frog, which had a spell on it so it wouldn't move around like a living one. I swished my wand and flicked it towards the chocolate treat, which unexpectedly began croaking madly but remained chocolate.

Damn. I cursed in my head. Annabelle began giggling into her hand gently trying not to be heard. While her cheeks flushed pink, she was holding in her laughter as he lowered her head.

"What are you laughing at?" I sneered and she looked me in the eyes as she calmed down. She smiled sweetly and scooted over next to me.

What the hell is she doing? I panic as she put her right hand over my left ever so softly so that she had to lean over me slightly. She gave an apologetic smile at the closeness and at the realization that my face had started to turn a cherry red. Silently, she swished my wand and placed the tip of my wand against the fog's head. Green lumps and slimy skin covered it and shook its head as it became animated.

"Ribit!" It croaked and left around on my desk leaving a oozy substances as a trail.

"Well done Mister Snape!" Professor McGonagall clapped with a tight smile. "Five points for Slytherin." I continued to be complimented as the first person of the class to do it perfectly. Annabelle went unnoticed while she slipped her hand from mine and patted me on the back. I went to open my mouth but she shook her head and put a finger to her lips as a 'don't say anything'.

"I didn't need your help," I snapped quietly so I wouldn't draw attention. I didn't need a hand out on magic. Transfiguration was the only subject I wasn't, in my own perspective, nearly perfect at.

And you know what that barking mad girl's response was?

She smiled.

She bloody smiled at the fact that I had said that! I had no clue what this girl was thinking. It was so frustrating that she didn't show emotion like that. But without even skipping a beat Annabelle went back to her own chocolate frog and turned it into a normal one.

"Miss Emaciare," our professor called from the front and she lifted her head robotically. A small gray owl perched itself on McGonagall's shoulder as she held up a note. "Would you please come up here?" Annabelle looked a little pale as she put her wand away and rushed her way up to the professor. I put my wand away as well and frowned trying to read McGonagall's lips as she spoke sharply with my friend. After a few seconds Annabelle came back with the note and collected her things.

"Is everything alright?" I asked and she nodded flashing a small smile. She looked pallid though, even a little dizzy as she left the class room in a hurry. I was a little worried as I rested for the remainder of the class and waited for it to end. Finally as it ended I caught up with Regulus on our way to lunch.

"So why did Annabelle leave?" Regulus asked me and I shrugged.

"Didn't say," I answered pulling my bag over my shoulder. "Why would I know?"

"Oh come off it mate, she adores you," he smirked and rammed his elbow into my ribs. I smack it away and rubbed my side. "Hey, you notice her looking a little, I don't know, extra thin lately?" he asked quietly. I turned my head to him and pursed my lips. I had and usually tried not to think it. "You don't think she has an eating disorder do you?" I blew a sharp breath out my nose.

"You're just listening to rumors. It’s a bunch of rubbish," I told him.

"You can't tell me you don't notice how thin she is, Snape. Merlin, she's a walking stick!" he shouted drawing attention to us while we sat down at the table. I glared at him making him quiet down and sighed.

"Look, I'm as worried as you are but I don't think we can do much about it. I hate seeing her wasting away like this and I'll try but I don't think it will work," I explained and he groaned lowering his head onto the table.

"Giving up on Annie-Rexic, Snivellus?" Great, just what I need: Potter and Black.

"I don't think that's any business that concerns your kind of people," Regulus growled and Black stepped forward glaring at his brother.

"And what kind of people is that?" he asked as Regulus smirked and leaned forward close to his face. I felt anxious as I took a budged over in my seat, realizing that we were in public and couldn't fight here.

"You blood traitors and mudblood-lovers," he chuckled. It looked like he was about to spit in his face, and Black reacted as if he had.

"Son of a—" Black reached across the table and drew his arm back to punch him.

"Petrificus Totalus!" I cursed and Black's first stopped right in front of Regulus face as the Slytherin laughed. Potter grabbed the neck of my robes and pulled my out of my seat at the table. I had barely felt the ground beneath my feet before Potter slammed his fist into my stomach. I gagged and hunched over holding onto my stomach, but he grabbed my hair and punched me again. I felt bile building up at the back of my throat.

"Get off him," Regulus shouted standing up and shoved Potter off. I fell to my knees and clutched my stomach as I got sick on the floor. I head was spinning as I tried not to emesis again.

"RELASHIO!" The two immediately released each other and were forced apart. Professor McGonagall shouted breaking up the fight in the middle of the grand hall. "Boys what…. What is going on here?" she asked looking in between a cursed Black, the bruised up Potter and Regulus, and me with the vomit on the floor. I groaned gagging again and McGonagall flinched. "Never mind, Flitwick please use the counter curse on the boy and then send Mister Black and Mister Potter to Dumbledore. Come on now," she said the last part to me as she helped me up slowly. But it was too late, I had passed out.

Sometime Later

Damn, my head is killing me. Where the bloody hell am I? I wondered as I screwed my faced up in a discomfort. I felt beads of water rolled down the side of my face, but I didn't feel hot so it couldn't be sweat. I reached up and felt a wet cloth on my head. I ripped it off my head and heard it slap on the floor.

A cold cloth was placed on my forehead again. I looked over my left shoulder to stare up at the person standing over me. Annabelle's faces turned a pink as she laughed nervously stepping back.

"What are you doing here?" My voice sounded strange. Annabelle smiled, went over to the counter next to me, and handed me a glass of water. She didn't answer my question and got a few pills out of a jar putting them in my hand. I glanced questionably at them.

"I'd take them if I were you, Mister Snape," Nurse Pomfrey said walking in with her white habit-like hat flowing behind her as she walked towards us. I grumbled and held the pills putting them in my mouth.

"Why is Annabelle here?" I said with a straight face and swallowed with a gulp of water. The nurse smiled proudly and took my glass away as I wiped my mouth with my robe sleeve.

"Miss Emaciare is my new assistant," she grinned and pet Annabelle's head softly as she blushed lightly.