Oddness Is Everything.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. Please don't sure me! I'm a broke college student!
Here is my stab at another fanfic. I don't know if I plan on keeping this up or not. If I have readers, I will. So far it's rated PG-13, but that can and maybe will change.
If you seen any errors please let me know.
Enjoy.
****
Oddness Is Everything
Chapter one:
Earl Grey
The library was at Hogwarts was filled with a calm serenity. The students would be arriving in a few days. There were still new stacks and boxes of books to be cataloged in. Once that was finished they had to be placed on the shelves.
That job was for an assistant.
She released a heavy sigh. She had just started a few days ago. There were already more books then places to put them. She didn't want to rearrange the library. Neither did Madame Pince.
A man with swishy robes walked into the library. He walked over to a shelf. He cursed something under his breath. She was standing on a step stool when he came up to her.
"Where is 'The Basics of Potions Volume There!'" he demanded at the young witch with glasses and red brown hair. "Who are you anyway?"
"I'm Robina Kamely," she said shelving the books in her arms. Ignoring his request.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"You could have introduced yourself," Robina said quietly.
"You do not know who I am?"
"I really don't know. I haven't seen you before. You don't exactly have your name on your robes."
"That is irrelevant. Where is the book I need?"
Robina came down from the step stool. She walked over to a table. She picked up more books. She went to the other side of the library. The man followed her going swish swish swish. The swishing stopped. Robina looked down from the stool.
"I will ask again," the man said silkily.
"More like demand," Robina said. "If you would just ask nicely instead of demanding I would gladly fetch the book from it's temporary location." She went back to placing the books. The man gritted his teeth.
"I will inform Madame Pince about this!" He swished away.
Robina shook her head and wondered who he was. Madame Pince came over and said, "Don't let Severus get to you. He can be a bit...demanding. Nonetheless, he should have been polite. I've told him that for years. He will be back."
*************
Madame Pince was right. Severus did come back. He walked over to the same shelf and found it empty. He walked over to the check out desk where Robina was sitting.
"Good afternoon," he said. "Where is the book?"
"Which book?" she asked.
"If you can not remember what I requested then why are you even the librarian?"
"I'm just the assistant," Robina replied not even looking up from her book.
Severus slammed his fist on the desk, hard. This startled Robina causing her to drop her book. "You woman," he said in an angered voice, "have caused me to waste valuable time...I will ask again...WHERE IS THE BOOK?"
Robina stood up, frightened. She had never dealt with anyone quite like him. She swallowed, regaining composer. "I will get you the bloody book! Since it's so important!" She walked to the small room behind the desk. She came out with the request book. She handed it to him. Severus took it and left. Robina went back to reading.
******
After dinner Robina went back to the library for more cataloging. She knew she would be there until later. Both Madame Pince and Robina wanted it over with. Robina went back to doing what she had been doing all day. Severus came back in to return the book. He set it on the check in desk. Robina walked over and picked it up. She returned it to the shelf.
He was leaning on the desk when Robina returned.
"Is there anything more you need?"
"Has the new shipment of Potions books arrived?"
"Part of it," Robina responded. "The other half is on back order. Would you like to see the books that we have in?"
"I know what they are," he said idly. "When will the full shipment be in?"
"End of the week hopefully."
"Good."
"If you stand around here any longer I will put you to work."
Severus straightened up as an owl flew in. The owl perched on the desk. Robina took the letter out of its beak. She gave the smokey grey owl a scratch. Robina put the letter in her pocket.
"Go on Earl," she said. "I'll write them when I have time. Go back home...shoo!" Earl just looked at Robina. He then proceeded to take a nap on a stack of books.
Severus laughed amused.
"Don't encourage Earl! He thinks he is MY owl! He is one of the family owls. He won't leave until I write a response. Poor fellow...he's rather old. All he does is just deliver letters that don't have to be anywhere rapidly."
Severus looked at the grey owl. "So was he named Earl because he is grey?"
"Yes," Robina replied handing Severus a stack of books. "He was. I named him that as a joke. To be straightforward, I am not fond of Earl Grey tea."
"I was just going to invite you for a cup of it too!" Robina looked at Severus and laughed. He followed her to an empty shelf on the other side of the library. He handed her books and she shelved them. "You know after this you owe me something."
"I do now! What?" Severus smiled sinfully at her. Robina couldn't understand his cold black eyes. She thought he was a little unique. He was now being friendly instead of the sour man she had been told about. He wasn't exactly good looking. His hair was a muss. His skin awfully pale. His nose a bit off center. His teeth stained and crooked. His physique a little meager.
Not that Robina was anything special. She was average height. Her hair was mid length and red brown. Her light brown eyes hidden behind her glasses. Her hair was always in her face for some reason. Just above the left part of her lip was a mole. She could have had it removed but it would have left a hideous scar. She wasn't exactly thin. She admitted to herself she could lose a few pounds and look like a witch in a modeling catalog. But then she would have to give up cheese cake. She was extremely smart. She had graduated with a degree in English Literature and library studies. She went on to be a librarian in a private Muggle school. She worked there for about five years when she was offered another job.
She took it on knowing the pay would be terrible. The plus side was it was right near her family. Her past job was working in the local church as the record keeper. She was in charge of the town data from past to present. Some of the books were old, they had to be kept climate controlled. Robina had spent many years putting the record on a computer file.
She had found out about the assistants' job in the Daily Prophet. The pay was significantly better. Robina was tried of looking at scrawling in old books. Once she had the new job secured she knew at once the vicar wouldn't like it.
Robina knew the vicar, Grant Tremming, liked her. He was single. By vicar standards; he was young. He was just a few years older then Robina. He had taken her out a few times. When she was working away in her little office he would keep bringing her tea.
Robina knew she wasn't a vicar's wife type. Being from wizarding family had something to do with it. She had never told Grant what her or her family of grandmother, great aunt and mother were. He just presumed they were a bunch of old spinster women living together in a house as far from the village as one could get. He also thought Robina was the one looking after them. But in reality the three could look after themselfs well enough.
Her grandmother had worked for the Ministry in the Potions research. Her mother was a herbologist and was known for growing rare and dangerous plants. Her great aunt was the fruity one into Divination. Robina didn't understand how she fit in being a research librarian. Her family admired her for knowing about the Muggle world. Sure the cottage they had did have electricity, a record player, a wireless and a TV but that was about it. No one really watched the TV. It was mostly there to make the Muggles think the family was normal.
Robina was given a lot of flak in her job. She wasn't a church goer or her family. They kept to themselfs only popping into town for the occasional thing. Most of the time Robina was sent because she had a car. Her father had purchased a green MGB. It was token of his affection. Robina hardly spoke with him. He was an American business man. Her mother had met him when he was working in London. After six months she found out he was married. That was when she learned Robina was to be born.
Robina knew she had a half bother and sister. All older then her. She had lived with her father for a few years before being sent to Hogwarts. Her father didn't know she was a witch either. Robina hated every second of living with her father and step mother. She was treated funny. At school she was denounced British. She kept her face in a book all the time. That hadn't changed over the years. Once she entered Hogwarts, she saw her father only when he came to London on business. Robina knew he didn't love her. She didn't really care. He would give her lavish things then leave for a few months.
With her past and family's eclectic ways, she was hardly suitable material. Robina was quite independent. She planned on remaining that way. However, Grant didn't think anything of it.
He had gone barmy when Robina handed him her notice. She was the best, finding any one that good with the salary the church could afford would be a challenge. He pleaded for her not to leave. Robina smiled pleasantly when she said no. It was time to go back to the world she had grown up in.
Severus handed Robina the last of the books. He offered her his hand down. Robina ignored it, stepping down from back of the stool. She marched across the room for another stack of books. Severus beat her to the stack. Robina led him back to the same spot they were once before.
"You still owe me something," he said as she took a book.
"I asked what. You never answered me."
"You have to drink a cup of Earl Grey tea with me."
"You are funny. I didn't say help me did I? You just took the books."
"Maybe I took them voluntarily
"You two!" Madame Pince said from behind the self. She walked around and with a scolding voice said, "You know better then to behave like that in the library. You both graduated from here!" Severus looked at Robina in shock. He had never seen her in his classes before. Or for that matter taught her. He would have remembered her name. She didn't look that old.
"That was so many years ago," Robina said with a laugh. "Besides I was a quite little lady in here."
"When did you attend Hogwarts?" Severus asked with genuine interest.
"Same years you did," Robina replied casually. "You were too busy playing with Lucius and his crowd to notice a quite, blend into walls, bookish, nerdy Ravenclaw."
"With so many students in a year it's hard not to notice," he replied defending himself.
"I find that funny when you would ask to borrow notes from Transfiguration class from when you and Lucius were off to wreck havoc on the school. You never even thought to ask my name. At least this time you did. Funny, the only time you've spoken to me are when you've wanted something."
"We ran in different circles. That's all there is to that."
Robina stepped down from the stool. Madame Pince had left. "You had your own odd little Slytherin world. Speaking to me other then for my notes would have been a violation of the code. I can tell the years have been unkind."
"Let's not talk about it," he snapped. "That was then. This is now."
Robina briskly walked over to Earl. She picked him up off the stack off books. He woke up with a hoot. He then flew out the open window. Severus took the pile of books. Once they were on the shelf Madame Pince said that was enough for the night. Robina and Severus exited the library. She locked it with the big key.
"I doubt that will help with Peeves," she speculated. "That Poltergeist has way of getting in there. He makes a mess I'll come after him!"
"He once wrecked the lab. I wish he would get thrown out. But Dumbledore likes him for some reason."
"I wish I could stay and chat but I have a flute lesson tomorrow. I haven't practiced in a week."
"You play the flute?" Severus asked.
Now it was Robina's turn to smile.
