Old Bonds

Another class had drawn to a close. It was odd, really; teaching again as though little had changed after being held hostage for over a month. Sophia didn't feel unchanged. The scars along her right side would certainly vouch that she wasn't.

Before the kidnap, she had been teaching the class for six months without memory of when she had started to do so or the people that had come into her life. Now, of course, she remembered all the years she had lost. She again remembered someone else she had forgot.

"Miss Frances," Sophia called softly as her fifth years got up to leave. "Please stay, if ye have a moment, lass."

The Slytherin, transfixed on her chair throughout the lesson, became even more frozen once the lesson ended. Expecting one of her stupid thoughts that the professor will give her a talk, nervousness overwhelmed the best of her. What now? What will she say? How will it go? Would it go far as the limitations can handle? Never mind. She waited for this that long. And now, she could have it right on her hands. Though the feeling of hiding in the bathroom was still tucked in the corner of her mind. Just so the the things wouldn't go well.

Packing her books inside her bag, Frances alighted her stiff chair, gazing down on the ground for she was afraid of making eye contact. She walked slowly, as though approaching a ghost of the past, muttered nothing significant, and waited for the silence to break down. Actually, all she could recall was that the woman in front of her was a fragment of the past haunting its way back, avenging something she obviously knew.

Sophia watched the way the girl approach, her closed posture, diverted gaze, reluctant pace. That hurt, to have someone she held dear approach her in such a manner. What had happened to the child since she'd disappeared?

"It's good tae see ye again, lass," Sophia said softly. She had wanted to have a brief chat, maybe catch up a bit, if for nothing more than to assure herself that the girl was alright. Still raw from recent events and disheartened by the response Iris showed to her request, Sophia didn't have it in her to press.

"I jist... wanted tae welcome ye back. Ye neednae stay if ye don't want tae, or if ye need tae be gettin' tae your next class. I would understand."

Frances shook her head vigorously, in perfect and complete denial of what the woman had just said. She gulped air, finally in the position to try her best to speak, something she had forgotten to do since she accepted the invitation of the professor, "No... no. It's... okay. Better late than never for my next class. I wouldn't mind not attending them, really." she confessed, clutching her arm bag tighter, and feeling the sweat of her palms under her hands.

She nodded, looked down to her shoes, and squeezed her robes as she made her very and most honest reply she hadn't been prepared for in the last couple of years, "Yeah... Good to see you too. So how have you... been... lately?" but for her own opinion, she should have questioned that one herself.

It's life, Sophia. Never been worse for the past two years. Any teenager must have been through those stages. But not all lost everything she held for her entire existence. This, could have been a more truthful reply.

Sophia gave a fond smile. "Och, yes. I was much the same. I willnae keep ye long, lass.

"Meself?" the woman echoed, expression growing reflective. So many ways to answer that. At the moment, she probably could have been better. In fact, if she had really wanted to, she could have been excused from work for another couple of weeks. Only she didn't want to have nothing to do. She needed to be busy. "It's been a bit of an eventful year, but I've been much worse fer wear.

"Collin is getting big. He'll be two, this year," Sophia continued. She tilted her head towards the corner of the room. "Th' old feather duster's cranky as ever." Her tone was teasing and the shine in her eyes fond. Magus, from his perch, fluffed his feathers indignantly before turning his back on his mistress.

Sophia grew serious, again. "How have ye been, Iris?" she asked. "Ye jist... I havenae heard from ye in all this time. I've been worried."

Frances returned a faint smile on her lips and fixed her bag against her shoulder, trying to breakaway from the feels. Then, for once during the day and after her fun time with Gray, she grinned and muttered, "Congrats. That's... that's very nice, really. You deserve everything." she said it with kindness, with truthfulness and gratitude. As if she was hearing those words come out of a complete and nice stranger. Not her at all.

"Wow. It's been two years. Maybe when he'd go to school sooner, I'd be a professor by then." the Slytherin jokingly remarked, her smile fading away through the distance, "Although I'm not much of planning for my future lately." then looked over with a nod to where her mentor's familiar was perched, "He lived longer than Vee."

Frowning, she gazed down at the floor once more, making out figures etched against it, "Well... they all left me. Literally. And... and... I never expected things to go that way. I mean, my shallow problems before were not even half of what came to me recently. Here is the only place I can go to. I know I left many worried. That was stupid."

Not to mention, slowly rotting inside a ward for a year, doing absolutely nothing.

Sophia just gave an empathetic smile. She knew what it was to lose an familiar - Magus had not been her first. Ravens could live up to twenty or so years sometimes, but even then, Sophia knew there would come a time when she would lose him, as well. At least for Sophia, there really weren't any words that could properly salve such a hurt.

"I'm sure ye'd fine professor, lass," Sophia said. "If that is what ye wish tae do some day."

The woman did reach out a hand, this, the movement slow, but deliberate. She gently laid her hand against the girl's cheek. "Nae all, Iris. I will always be here for ye, if ye need a friend or someone tae talk tae. I'm very grateful that ye're alive, lassie. Very relieved."

The Slytherin shrugged, her inner self banging round and round for answers, for at least some sense of a hint as to know what her ambitions are in the future. She was plain clueless. And becoming a fine professor wasn't a bad idea. If she will ever decide to change at all. Maybe, just maybe, she'd do that for the sake of a loved one. Or, to finally help her own. That's what she wanted, right? If only she could try listening to herself. If only.

Loved ones. All that's left. Her two most trusted best friends. And her mentor. She painted a shy smile, turned faintly pink, and laughed softly, oblivious to a tear that began to ooze down on her face, "Thanks. I really... appreciate everything. Right from the start." she sighed, "I mean... at least one adult cares for me. I... I... lost...."

Her voice shook, coming into her senses of what she was supposed to say. She cannot say it now. Never. Faking a grin, she kidded along, "Alive. Well... yeah. Lucky that I didn't. My attempts were stupid failures."

Sophia found she could no longer remain aloof. Reaching out, she pulled the girl to her, arms folding around her in an embrace.

"Och, lass. Ye donnae have tae thank me. Dontcha know how very important ye are tae me?" She pulled back a bit, stroking the girl's hair out of her face. "Ye're such an incredible lass, so bright and clever, so much heart.

"Now, I know it has been some time, but I hope ye can learn tae trust me, again. I want ye tae come tae me if ye wanna talk, or even learn something. On yer own terms, of course. I don't want ye tae ever feel there is anething ye cannae bring tae me."

The strangle of the water dam right in her eyes can't contain itself longer.

"Yeah. you too." Frances spoke, her voice shaking while her eyes bawled out of their sockets, she breathed heavily, searching for more air, and thought, So much heart, if only she knows, "Well... you're the best mentor one could ever have, really. And they're unlucky enough to not have you as I do."

Unlocking herself from the embrace, she sighed, her hands coming up to her eyes as she wiped the water out, "Some time? Of course I trust you! Ever since and will forever be!" the girl glanced down on her watch and muttered to herself, "Hope I'm not that late."

Sophia smiled warmly at the girl, gently brushing tears from one of her cheeks. "I'm glad tae hear that," she said, tone a bit thick.

Moving quickly to her desk, she pulled out a slip of parchment and penned a short note onto it. Turning back to Iris, she offered the bit of paper.

"Ye best be on your way, lass. Here's a note so ye won't be marked tardy. Let us meet again, soon, alright? Jist the two of us."

Smiling, the Slytherin hugged her mentor again before bidding her goodbye, her heart somehow softer, unlike before. Only few people could make her of that. And one would be Sophia, the woman right in front of her, all real.

"Um... yeah. Thanks again. I felt better now. Sort of." she spoke, coming in forward and gently taking the parchment from the professor's hand, "Enjoy with your next lesson! I doubt it if I will in my other ones today."

She nodded, placed the note inside her bag, and started off towards the door leading outside. Frances bit her lip, waved at the woman, and turned the knob of the wood, disappearing out of sight in a short split of a second.