Through Admiring Eyes

Through admiring eyes

With one swift motion he dropped the musty herbs in the bubbling mass in front of him. His delicate porcelain fingers traced the edge of the worn cauldron, wiping the splattered liquid away. His face adorned a harsh look of concentration and scrutiny as he added the final ingredients to the foul mixture. From where I was, I could see the gibbering had stopped and the brew was now still. It was probably an illicit concoction.

The twisting of the corners of his mouth liberated a feeling of satisfaction in him. Something in the smothering smoke seemed to give him a reason to go on.

He turned towards the class. The tendril of hair blocking his view was refused with a long, pale finger and then the black eyes focused on each of us, silently daring the frusrated faces to meet his gaze. And when one did,one was drenched in that sneer. Yes his sneer - the familiar one. To me it didn't seem hostile or daunting. On the contrary it seemed impressive. He declared his superiority with that derisive expression. And righteously so.

He glided along the room, his cloak's graceful movement stealing my attention. It twirled with every turn and seemed to be possessed. He stopped beside every pupil remarking on their stupidity if it was reflected in their assignment. But I always found warmth in the deep voice that betrayed a dark past. In the coldness of his underground refuge it was the only thing which provided comfort.

The intelligents and snakes were the occupants of the class. With each difficult task, our half was never given appraisal whereas the snakes had never once been insulted. I was envious of them obviously, but had a consolation. When inspecting our cauldrons, we were met with a sour expression which revealed his reluctant admission to our sharpness and ability. We were the only ones who did justice to his beloved subject.

Time always went by in the dungeons as deftly as the flick of his wand which covered the blackboard with complicated instructions. The bell that had been my friend and hour ago, sounded cruelly. It released the barrier holding my heart in place and it started falling an immeasurable distance. The gloom I felt had to do with leaving the peaceful surroundings of the dark haven and returning to a world where negativity and hatred never showed on top but instead remained trapped at the core where it radiated sinful feelings . They were disturbing and their world hard to understand. It was much better here delving into the depths of sorrowful but sweet wondering. Wondering about him and his thoughts. Hoping for a smile from that stony exterior and willing him to show me the ounce of happiness that I knew was there.

I wondered how the real smile would look like. Maybe it would make me remember each and every happy feeling I possess or make me forget everything and keep me transfixed in the moment. Maybe it would seem like the beautiful silver light in the sky ceasing to hide itself any longer behind white fluffy masses.