A/N: heyyyy babesssssss 3
So, this fic is again written for the QLFC and I am Beater 2 from the Appleby Arrows. I had to write about Polyjuice Potion and my two prompts were: raindrops (word) and olive (colour).
This one's a bit different - I hope y'all enjoy!
Everything was nearly in place. I had the potion brewed, which I had been brewing and obsessing over for the past month. I had the hair, the selected date now all I had to do was slip him the sleeping potion and I had to call in sick, saying I was vomiting.
The usual chatter of the great hall makes it near impossible to hear anything anyone's saying. Perfect. I glance at Remus Lupin, who is fortunately sitting next me, waiting for him to be distracted so that I can slip him the potion. Just a tiny drop and he'll sleep like a baby until tomorrow night - enough time to finally do the job I've always wanted to do. The reason that I became a teacher. The reason I came back to Hogwarts.
Well, one of the reasons.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Lupin chatting naively to Minerva. Now's my chance. I reach my arms over, and knock his goblet off the table, so that it crashes onto the floor. Lupin looks at me in shock, and I stumble over my apology.
"I'm so sorry - I must have accidentally knocked it! Let me refill it for you," I murmur, grabbing his glass and walking to the end of the table, where no one sits, and quickly tip the clear potion into his glass, then refill it with Pumpkin Juice.
I glance quickly to the house tables, checking to see if any of the students have seen me. I jump slightly when I see that Hermione Granger Know-It-All staring at me, her mouth slightly agape. I hate her. So much. I see Lily in her. Always. Every time she raises her hand to answer a question, I have to stop myself from I force my face into a scowl and she blinks and stares back at her plate. I do not need some thirteen year old thinking she can wreck my plans.
I walk back to my seat and give Lupin his goblet. There is no sign of suspicion. Good. The rest of dinner passes boringly as usual. I talked to Hagrid for two seconds but I got fed up with his stupid babbling and ended the conversation.
As I meander to the dungeons, I hear the raindrops pelting down outside. Reminds me of my first night here. It was raining heavily, and I was following my prefect to the Slytherin dungeons. I was so excited but then there was Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin. I've never really hated Lupin…he never did anything bad to me. It's just he was part of that group and all I can see in him is those two pranking boys who cost me my best friend. And then she went off with that Potter joke and got themselves killed.
I walk into my quarters, wincing at the olive green walls. I make a mental reminder to change the colour…maybe an emerald green. I go to my office, where I stir the Polyjuice Potion once, my stomach fluttering in excitement about my big day tomorrow.
Finally, my chance has come.
The potion bubbles when I add Lupin's hair and the dark blue soon settles on a light blue. It's 5.30 in the morning, so no one should be up. I grab a ladle of potion and pour it into a glass, then quickly skull it. Five seconds pass and nothing. I start to wonder if I've brewed it wrong. But no - I clench my finger around the table as my stomach turns to snakes, a burning sensation crawling rapidly thought my whole body, reaching out to my toes and bleeding through my veins.
I arch my back as I feel myself grow taller and my limbs grow longer. In less than thirty seconds, I'm Lupin. I stare at the reflection in the mirror. It's not me - it's someone completely different.
My wand finds it's way into my belt and sneak out of the dungeons. I make my way to the third floor, where Lupin's quarters are. I creek open the door and have a near heart attack when I see Lupin fast asleep on his couch. I poke his cheek, testing to see if my potion worked. Not a thing.
I proceed to his bedroom and grab some clothes, changing quickly. I check the mirror; finally, I look like Remus Lupin.
All though breakfast, no one noticed a thing. I asked Dumbledore where Professor Snape was and he said he has received an owl telling him that Snape was ill and not able to teach. I think I could call that successful.
I stare disapprovingly at Lupin's timetable. Gryffindor/Slytherin Year 3 Period 1. I notice that Lupin has filled in Werewolves as the lesson plan. Interesting. I contemplate going against the plan and teaching something different and repenciling in the plan so that Lupin doesn't notice.
That wouldn't work.
I flip through his notes on the subject and wonder why he'd even need them seeing as he would be an expert by now. Suddenly the door bangs open and a rush of robed students file in. They each sit down, the red on one half and the green on the other. I spot Granger in the third row, next to that Patil girl.
She stares intensely at me, not offering me a smile which I see her give Lupin every time she passes him in the corridor. I know it already - she knows for sure that I'm not Lupin. I press on with the lesson, teaching the basics about werewolves.
"Is there any cure?" Granger asks.
I know she knows the answer and that she's trying to test me.
"Well, Gra - Hermione, you tell me. Could there be a cure? For sure, but as of today, there is no cure. There is something called Wolfsbane Potion which - which I'm sure you know about," I answer, trying my best impression of Lupin.
She nods, then writes something down in her notebook. Three minutes later, her hand shoots back up in the air. I resist the urge to ignore her and keep talking. But I don't. I nod in her direction, signalling for her to talk.
"So…what's the youngest age someone can be bitten?" she asks.
What is with all the simple questions? I know she knows the answer to all of these.
"Any age." I answer sharply, getting a bit fed up. She raises her eyebrows, then ducks her head to write yet another thing.
This lesson could not end soon enough.
The end of the day came quickly, in fact, too soon for my liking. A sudden tapping on the window before I left the classroom caught my attention. I let the baby owl in, and take the parchment from it's claw, careful not to get attacked. Baby owl's have been known to attack unknown wizards and witches.
Severus,
I know what you did. Please come see me now in my office.
Albus
I let out a curse and make my way hastily to Dumbledore's office. I go up and force myself not to freak out. I can't deny anything because I know he'll be able to tell that I'm lying.
"Hello Severus. Sit."
I sit.
"Where is Professor Lupin? Is he asleep in his quarters, while you take his position and try to call in sick?" Dumbledore asks.
I gasp, then nod slowly, not being able to meet his piercing blue eyes, that have the ability to read everything that you think.
"Severus. Why?"
I sit there in silence, tossing up my answers. Deny deny deny, lie lie lie or tell tell tell? Each one has bad consequences, each one just the same as the other. Tell tell tell.
"I wanted something, so I found a way to get it," I say simply.
Dumbledore doesn't react. He just sits there, his hands folded on his desk, a lemon drop on his tongue. He looks at peace, which makes me paranoid.
"Is that all?" he asks.
"Yes." I say sharply.
"I'm going to let this slip, because I understand your position. But you, Severus Snape need to get your self under control. Not just because you are a teacher, but because you are you. I gave the potions job to you at your lowest of times, and there are specific reasons that I do not give you the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, and I am not prepared to go into them as of yet. But just remember that your time will come."
I leave without saying anything and by the time I'm gone, I've changed back to my normal self. I catch a glimpse of myself in a stained glass window. I hate it. I wish I could be someone else - someone who had someone to love them, someone that had the job they wanted.
Albus' words ring in my head: Your time will come.
It better come soon because I don't think I can keep back this desire to be Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
I detour to the kitchen's and pick up some chicken soup for Lupin and as I walk, I think of what I'm going to tell him. I knock on his door and he opens it quickly and looks extremely puzzled as to why I'm there. I walk in and set the steaming cup down.
"You were drugged," I state simply.
"Pardon?" Lupin asks.
"Someone spiked your drink and you've been knocked out for the past day. Here's some chicken soup and I'll organise Madame Pomfrey to come down and give you some medicine," I explain.
I give him the cup of soup then leave, leaving him even more disorientated that he was before.
The only thing that plays through my mind is that my chance will come.
It will.
A/N: FINISHED! To be honest, I'm not that proud of this but hey!
Reviews please lovelies!