Chapter Text
I didn't want to knock, but there was nowhere else to go. As I walked inside, my fingers trailed along the wood, making sure the door closed properly behind me.
Being alone in his office scares me. But then I hear it. With a sharp intake of breath, his hand returned his quill to his desk.
I can't see him, but I don't have to. I can tell where he is standing by the faint swish of his robes.
He muttered, "Miss Granger, visiting hours are well over. Do you not realize how late—?"
I didn't respond. I simply stood there, trying to muster the courage to explain myself, knowing that no matter what I said, he would dismiss me. For a second, I felt reassured by the familiar annoyance in his voice. He observed me. I could feel it, somehow. The weight of his gaze on me.
I whispered, "I'm sorry for the hour, Professor." "But I didn't know where else to go." I heard him get up. My head tilted slightly, focusing on the soft scrape of his boots against the stone.
"You seem to be standing in the doorway as if you don't know where the furniture is," he remarked after a brief pause.
I forced myself to laugh. "I suppose it does look strange."
"Indeed."
He made a gesture, or at least I thought he did; I had a gut feeling that there was a chair in front of me. "Sit."
I obeyed, carefully counting each step. When my foot caught on the edge, I made a slight adjustment before lowering myself into the chair. Perfect.
He didn't move, only watched. I felt it.
"You haven't looked at me since entering this room, Granger." he finally said.
"I—I'm looking," I mumbled.
He tilted his head. "No. Your gaze shifts behind me. You don't see me."
I swallowed hard. This was the moment. There was no turning back.
"I can't—" "I can't see."
The resulting silence felt overwhelming. I braced myself. He could have sneered, laughed, scolded, or ignored me. But nothing happened.
"How," he asked finally, "did this happen?"
I let out a shaky breath. "I... I do not know."
"Of course," he replied. I could detect no emotion in his voice. "And St. Mungo's?"
"I do not want to make this public, Professor. I don't want The Daily Prophet to write countless articles about me," I said calmly.
I could imagine the curl of his lip and the slight rigidity of his posture.
"And your solution," he said slowly, "was to arrive unannounced at my door at midnight."
I swallowed and steadied my hands. "You are the only person I know who wouldn't treat me differently." I heard a faint exhale. He didn't speak. The silence stretched and held me.
"You went through the castle alone?" he finally asked.
"Yes."
"Without sight."
"Yes."
I expected the reprimand, warning, and nervousness in his voice that any other teacher would have given. It didn't happen. Only the sound of his robes moving as he leaned back in thought.
"Miss Granger," he said after a lengthy pause. "You are either extremely brave or utterly foolish."
I let out a small smile. "Sometimes, those two things overlap."
He did not respond immediately. I could feel him watching me, every breath, every twitch of my fingers on my lap.
I overheard him standing up and looking for something on his desk. He handed me a small vial. My fingers instinctively touched his wrist. He noticed.
"Calming Draught." He said, and something about his tone told me he wasn't lying.
I drank the potion without hesitation, and the bitter taste slid down my throat.
He waited. I waited. The room was quiet except for a faint crackle from the fire and a distant drip of water somewhere in the dungeons.
Finally, he said, "Tell me how you arrived here tonight."
"I counted," I replied softly, my voice steady. "The portraits also helped, as I used my magic as a guide."
He gave me a long look before returning to his desk and taking out parchment and a quill. But even as he began writing, I knew he'd keep the secret.
For the first time, I felt safe.