Fire

The next day Sigyn was having lunch in the great hall.

"Hey, looking a little lost today! What happened?"

That seemed to bring Sigyn's attention back to reality. She looked at her friend and swallowed. 

"I …... I have dreams." She mumbled.

"A nightmare?" Scarlett asked, not trying to hide her smile.

It was not tugged at Scarlett's lips as humour, it was fondness that reflected in her eyes.

"No. The dreams aren't exactly like nightmares…... but they are weird." She said, scrunching her nose at her dream.

"Everyone has weird dreams, Sig! If dreams were not weird, that would be a weird 

thing!"

"I saw myself, Scarlett. I was betrothed to someone, and someone else married me."

"It's weird but normal. You might have the dreams due to that marriage law thing! Nothing to worry about, right?"

"Not if it's a mythological story involving your namesake."

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked, utterly confused.

"I told you the story of how Sigyn and Loki married, didn't I?"

"Thousand times."

"I was Sigyn, the Goddess! And that story repeated."

"Maybe you were too engrossed in mythology!"

Sigyn sighed. Scarlett was right, she was worrying over nothing. Her eyes searched Severus, and she saw that he was watching her. Sigyn took a deep breath. Everything was normal, She smiled at her definition of normal. She was going to marry Severus. Not Theoric. Not Loki. And she was glad for it. 

"How are things with er- William?" Sigyn asked, trying to do small talk.

"He is great. I am glad he is the one I am betrothed with." 

Sigyn felt her eyes dampening slightly. Scarlett was a great person. She always supported her even if Sigyn was self-centred. Sigyn hadn't had luck with a relationship in recent years. She was glad that William was someone who cared about her friend and wasn't after just a sexual pursuit.

After she and Scarlett finished the breakfast, Sigyn turned to leave for her classes, stopped by a voice calling her name.

"Sigyn!" a voice said.

She turned only to see a Hufflepuff boy, the one who had proposed to her for a few years. 

"What do you want, Robert?" she asked with a huff. 

She never liked that boy. He always gave her creeps. But she tried to keep her calm, he wasn't going to hurt her, or that's what she thought.

"I just want to talk to you, Sigyn." He said, coming closer to her.

"Then probably talk from a distance? No need to come closer!"

But he didn't listen. 

"I'm warning you, Robert, back-off!" she hissed.

"I love you, Sigyn, give me a chance." 

He kept touching her 

"Do not touch me, Robert, you won't like the consequences." She threatened him. 

He ignored her warning. His arm travelled up her arm, near her breast.

And that's where Sigyn lost her control.

Her eyes glowed like fire, her arms shooting flames towards Robert.

"I told you to back-off! Would you do that again, Robert O'Reilly?" 

"Sig--"

Sigyn blasted fire again, this time more intense than before not just burning Robert's clothes but also his skin.

Slowly, Sigyn closed her eyes, coming back to normal. When she opened her eyes, she saw a crowd surrounding her and the head of her house, looking at her questioningly asking why she did that. 

"He tried to molest me, Professor. I warned him to back-off. He didn't. He suffered the consequences." She defended herself with a straight face. 

"Do you have any witnesses?" asked a Hufflepuff girl. 

"I do. I saw O'Reilly molesting Howell. I was heading to her defence, but she managed that herself." One of the Weasley twins said.

She could never tell them apart.

"Thank you." She said with a smile.

"If that's true, Robert O'Reilly will be suspended for a month. First, take him to the hospital wing. And Ms Howell, though you did it for your defence, it could have killed the boy. You have detention this evening."

"It's not my fault that he is so stupid to forget simple spell as Agumenati!" 

Sigyn mumbled under her breath.

"What is going on?" All the focus of the crowd shifted towards the source of the high-pitched voice that asked the question. 

"Dolores."

"Minerva.! May I ask what is happening?"

"I don't think it matters now. Everything is under control."

"Oh, so there was something that was out of control."

"Would you excuse me, Dolores, I have a class to teach!" Her head of the house stormed out of the crowd, and soon the crowd dispersed as well. 

But not Umbridge. That pink bitch.

"Miss--?"

"Howle."

"Would you mind telling me what happened?"

Fuck! 

She was trapped. What was she going to say? She couldn't refuse to tell what happens, could not lie as well as the truth could have gotten into the trouble.

"I think, professor, now that everything is sorted out, you shouldn't worry about the incident."

She felt a tug at her mind. She was reading her mind. She tried to block her, as it was her mind's defence mechanism, but today's incident and some moments she couldn't shield Umbridge, even when she tried too hard.

A smirk appeared on Umbridge's face. 

"Well, for how long do you have the ability to shoot flames, Ms Howell?"

 "I have had the ability since childhood. But I have only used the ability on rare occasions, as I kept it under control."

Sigyn fought an urge to roll her eyes.

"You aren't a freak, are you?"

"I'm afraid it depends on the perspective, Professor because some muggles, Witches and Wizards are freaks."

Umbridge remained silent as if indicating Sigyn to leave, which Sigyn was more than ready to oblige. 

After Sigyn turned to leave, she heard Umbridge calling out her name.

"Yes, professor?" she asked politely, though it was crystal clear that she didn't want to be polite with her at all.

"Hurry for your marriage. Otherwise, the Ministry won't be able to cover you up for so long."

Sigyn's eyes went wide, and she turned white. Umbridge left the room. 

"Oh, fuck!" Sigyn exclaimed, tears streaming down her eyes.

***

Severus heard a knock on his doors.

"Come in," he said, his brows creased in annoyance and his face tired.

Sigyn entered, confusing Severus.

"May I ask the purpose of your visit, Ms Howle?" he asked coldly.

He looked into her eyes. They were wet, her eyes were red. And her demeanour clearly showed that something was wrong.

"She knows we are marrying!" she whispered, vibrating still in shock. "She threatened me. I am sorry."

Severus looked at her. What was her fault? He would have felt pity for her. But now it was just empathy. Her head hung low as she felt guilty for blowing up their cover. 

"How did that happen?"

"Well, she asked me what happened!" 

Sigyn stated fact, clearly wanting to emit something.

Severus raised brows.

"Well, there was a crowd, and so she asked McGonagall and McGonagall and others fled, but I was too busy in my thoughts." She said, her cheeks turning slightly red.

"Why was there a crowd?" he asked, piercing his graze through her. 

If she tried to lie, he was going to use legilimency. 

"Well, I caused an incident. Blasted flames towards a Hufflepuff" she admitted.

"No wonder you are in Gryffindor!"

"I was just trying to protect myself!"

"From a Hufflepuff?" 

"From a Hufflepuff who tried to molest me."

Severus's eyes went wide, and his gaze softened. 

"I hope you are all right."

"Thanks. It wasn't the thing that shook me though," Sigyn said, looking at Severus with fear.

"Then what was it?" he sighed.

"She threatened me that the Ministry won't help us to keep cover for too long. If we don't marry soon…" she left her sentence incomplete.

"I promised you I'd marry you, didn't I?" he whispered, causing her to lock her eyes with him. 

He took her hand in his. 

She felt a shiver going through her spine.

Unnaturally, like her dream.