Disclaimer: So, you have decided to read my very own interpretation
of that interestingly over-done pairing, have you? *cackles insanely*
Well, dearies, there's a good reason why our beloved fellow writers
love this particular pairing, because-- AAARGH! NOO! LEAVE ME
ALOOONE!
~*~ The friendly Vampires of Knockturn Alley regret to inform you that
the author is temporarily incapable of finishing the disclaimer. >:)=
~*~
Harry Potter rubbed his eyes, trying to get them back into focus. The shrivelfig he had been shredding for the last ten minutes or so kept blurring in front of his eyes. He hadn't slept very well last night. Same old nightmare. Voldemort rising out of the cauldron, Wormtail clutching the bleeding stump of his wrist and sobbing, Cedric's dead eyes staring vacantly into the air. Harry's hands slowed to a stop, the shrivelfig forgotten as he stared into space, last year's horrors replaying in front of his unseeing eyes.
Brisk footsteps woke him out of his trance, and he hastily went back to work. However, it was too late. Professor Snape was already standing in front of him, ready to humiliate him in front of the whole class if he could.
"You're moving too slowly, Potter," Snape informed him with his smooth voice.
Harry doubled his speed, not interested in starting any kind of conversation with the Potions Master. He tried furiously to keep his eyes in focus. He blinked a couple of times, hoping it would help.
"What, are you tired, Potter? Haven't you slept well? Been loitering around the school grounds while you were supposed to be sleeping?"
Harry flicked his eyes up to look at the Professor. A few of the Slytherins were sniggering in the background.
Severus was impressed. He had expected Harry to protest, as he would have done a year ago. Now however, his startlingly green eyes gave him a look which most definitely said, "Whatever," and he returned to his work. With a start, Severus realised that the Slytherins were waiting for him to continue his taunts. However, he couldn't think of anything, so he just let a small smirk touch the corner of his mouth and retreated. However, he still watched the boy from his desk, taking in his more serious demeanour. Harry Potter had been forced to grow up very quickly during the last year, having competed in the Triwizard Tournament. That year had probably also been the thing which had allowed him to survive yet another encounter with Lord Voldemort. He no longer looked or carried himself like the fifteen-year-old boy he was, but more like an adult wizard. During the holidays, he had traded his black-rimmed glasses with the perfectly circular lenses for a rimless pair with smaller oval lenses. His untidy black hair had grown a little, and was now more inclined to behave. The scar of the Avada Kedavra curse was clearly visible on Harry's forehead.
Harry squirmed inwardly. He could feel Snape's eyes on him, watching his every move. It was disturbing. It felt like an eternity until the bell signalling the end of potions class rang. Harry scooped up his books and potions equipment and quickly made his way out of the dungeons. He only caught one more fleeting glance of Snape, leaning over the desk, a strand of long black hair obscuring his face.
"He keeps getting weirder every time I see him," Ron said with a shudder as he caught up with Harry, Hermione close behind him. "You'd think he wanted to have you for lunch, the way he was giving you the eyeball."
Harry nodded silently. He still hadn't quite recovered from the Professor's dark eyes being fixed on him for several long minutes.
"I'd say he needs a therapist," Hermione remarked. "Come on. You don't want to be late for Divination."
Ron snorted.
"Yeah, let's see how many times Harry is supposed to get trampled by a Hippogriff this week," Ron grinned and started to make his way to the divination tower.
Harry leaned back in his large armchair, trying his best to stay awake. As usual in Divination, his head felt like it had been filled with the fog of heat and incense Professor Trelawney tended to spread around the "classroom". The class had been told to try and see into the future without the help of tea-leaves, crystal balls or astrology charts this time.
He closed his eyes, and actually vaguely did try to see what sort of horrible deaths the future might hold. Professor Trelawney had a rather selective set of premonitions she approved of, all of them very morbid.
"What do you see, dear?" Professor Trelawney cooed into Harry's ear, while still trying to maintain the "mysterious" voice.
Harry opened his eyes, and found himself face to face with the over-dressed Professor. As always, her fingers were dripping with various precious stones, large drop-shaped black opal earrings dangled from her earlobes, and her huge glasses made her eyes appear twice the size they really were.
"I see myself getting repeatedly bitten by a swarm of highly venomous oversized dragonflies and dying a horrible death" Harry muttered dully.
A snigger came from his left, where Ron sat. Professor Trelawney gave a small shriek. For someone who looked so much like a dragonfly herself, it was astonishing how passionately she hated them, along with all other creepy crawlies. However, that didn't stop her approval.
"It's good to see you facing the good and the bad things the future can hold, dear," she said, and looked like she wanted to stroke his head or something equally nauseating. Harry managed to stop her from doing so with a "Don't you dare," look. Astonishingly, she even caught on. For someone who specialised in an art which was almost completely built on feeling, intuition, and anything of that sort, Professor Trelawney was remarkably oblivious to that sort of communication.
"Ah, well," Professor Trelawney said in slight embarrassment. "You just beware of tall black-haired men, dear," she babbled before retreating.
Harry rolled his eyes before the thought of Snape this morning floated into his mind. He snorted and shook his head. Ron seemed to guess his train of thought though.
"I'd say our lovely Professor Trelawney is getting better," he whispered with a grin.
Chapter 2