A/N: I own nothing except my OC, everything else belongs to Ms Rowling, etc etc
A/N: Originally published as two shorter chapters, I have now combined them for convenience. Enjoy and please leave a review!
EDIT 8/2/16: I've changed OC names around because of reasons such as they just didn't feel right. If you spot any mistakes please let me know so I can fix them!
BEFRIENDING A BADGER
CHAPTER 1: FIRST IMPRESSIONS, AND THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE
/ / / /
It was the first day of classes. Chessa Doureng bounced into Potions, eager to truly start her fifth year. She cast her gaze around the room, checking to see if there happened to be anyone she didn't know. It was unlikely – she was the epitome of Hufflepuff characteristics, and she was attempting to befriend the entire school. She observed that Hufflepuff was paired with Slytherin this year. Interesting...
Her gaze landed on a boy sitting alone in the corner. He looked familiar...what was his name? Snape? Yes, that sounded right. She bounced over to his table and plopped down next to him.
"Hi! My name's Chessa," she announced, all smiles, extending her hand to shake.
Severus Snape slowly turned and cast a death glare at Chessa from behind his curtain of flat, black hair. He blinked and, ignoring her hand, turned back toward the front of the classroom without a word.
Chessa pulled back her hand awkwardly. This was new. Nobody had ever responded that way to her before. Not even that Lucius Malfoy character years back, and she was just a first year, then. Well, she thought to herself, he's just going to be a good challenge for me. But he'll come around. I'm sure of it.
/ / / /
Chessa cheerfully greeted Severus again the next day, hoping he might be in a better mood. Once again, she got no response. The same thing happened the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that. After three weeks of the same routine – Chessa walking in to her seat next to Snape, greeting him, getting no response, and continuing the rest of the class with his total silence and her occasional small talk – she was getting frustrated and began to think he would never even say hello back. Friday morning, she decided that if he still refused to acknowledge her then she would just have to give up – as much as it would disappoint her to do so.
Not expecting much, she walked into class visibly less bouncy than usual. She sat down and said unhappily, "Hello, Severus, how are you today?"
"Morning," came the mumbled reply.
Her eyes went wide and she turned to him. He was sitting as usual, but she was sure– "did you just...?" she murmured. A slow nod. A huge grin broke out across her face. She was tempted to give him a hug right then and there, but she restrained herself. This was progress – she couldn't mess it up so soon.
/ / / /
"We were adopted, you know. My sister and I."
Severus looked up from scribbling in the margin of his potions book to see Chessa had suddenly appeared on the bench next to him. He glared at her, irritated to have been interrupted and to have been taken by surprise. Honestly, how did she do that? I didn't even hear her walk up! he thought, but said nothing.
She turned to him, then, with that smile on her face, and commented, "You're annoyed, I know, and I apologize for bothering you while you were working. And that's probably the reason you didn't hear me come up – you were a bit absorbed in whatever you're doing. Also, I'm barefoot."
Severus simply looked back to his textbook, fully intending to continue working and ignore Chessa until she left, but he couldn't help but listen as she continued.
"It's not like they had much choice, of course. Well, technically they did, as they could have just put us in an orphanage, but circumstances were right and they kept us. We had simply been left on their porch one night; it was the house elf, Sunny, who found us there. No note or anything – and we were just a few days old. There was no sign of my birth parents, either. It was like we were dropped off, a gift straight from heaven. And as far as Mum and Da were concerned, we were a gift straight from heaven. They'd been trying to have children for a while by then, but they just couldn't get pregnant for the longest time. Finally Mum had our older brother, but the doctor said she wouldn't be able to have any more children. So when Shannon and I show up on their doorstep a few years later – they were thrilled. Kept us, obviously; Mum had always wanted a daughter as well. We've all been quite happy ever since. Of course, there was that bit when we had to be named..." Chessa trailed off, staring into the distance.
"What happened then?" It popped out of Severus' mouth before he could stop it.
Chessa smiled to herself. She knew he'd been listening, and intently, no doubt. "Well, I said it was Sunny who had found us. I heard the story myself from two of our other house-elves, Daisy and Lad. So, according to Daisy, when she found us, Sunny brought us straight in to where Mum and Da were having their morning tea.
'Oi, what's this?' Da exclaimed.
'I's found a couple of babies, Sunny has!' Sunny replied. 'They was sitting on the doorstep when I's and Daisy went for the paper!'
'Darling, it's as if an angel has given them to us. We must keep them, dear.' Mum joined the conversation.
'Well of course, sweetheart. But Sunny, was there no note?'
'Sunny's not finding any note, mister sir. Sunny looked, but Sunny's not seeing any note...' the little house-elf said worriedly.
Mum smiled and said, 'That's fine, Sunny, it's not a problem. Here, I'll hold one, give him the other...oh, such a little thing. Surely they're not more than a few days old! They need caring for. Daisy!'
Daisy popped into the dining room then. She'd been outside the door with Lad, eavesdropping, of course – it's their favorite pastime. 'Daisy be happy to serve, missus, what can Daisy do for missus, ma'am?'
'I'd like you to get some warm formula for these two. They must be so hungry...' she turned her attention back to the little baby in her arms. Then she looked up at Da and exclaimed, 'They need names, darling! What shall we call them?' At this point, Sunny started jumping up and down madly. 'Sunny wants to know if Sunny can please name the babies, please, mister and missus, sir and ma'am! Sunny was finding them herself, you see, and Sunny has perfect names for them, Sunny knows. Please, missus?'
'What were you thinking of, Sunny, dear?'
'One is Shannon and the other is Chessa. Yes, missus?'
Mum looked over at Da, who shrugged and simply said, 'Sure, I don't see why not.'
Mum turned back to the excited-looking Sunny and smiled. 'Wonderful, then. This one I'm holding can be Shannon, and that one can be Chessa. Okay?'
'No, no no! Sunny's not meaning to be rude, missus, but you's has it wrong, you's does! This one needs being named Chessa, and that one Shannon. Sunny knows, see. That one is older, the older one's gotto being named Shannon!'
Mum just raised her eyebrows, accustomed to the quirks of the little house-elf. 'Whatever you say, Sunny, dear. Chessa and Shannon.'"
Chessa stopped then, and looked at Severus. "House-elves are funny little things, you know? They always seem to just know..." she trailed off again.
Severus looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Why are you bothering telling me this?"
"Oh, just because. I heard from Twinkle who said Bunny told her that she overheard Yak-yak talking to Ribbons about a conversation Dinky had with Sunny, who insisted you'd love to hear it. And that reminds me, I absolutely must find Bunny before dinnertime! I'll see you around, Severus!" And with that, Chessa bounced off toward the castle, leaving Severus alone on the bench once more. He blinked. That girl…
/ / / /
