Chapter 2 -The Goblet Picks Unexpected Partners
The next morning Amalthea stretched and rubbed her eyes, she was surprised to find that all of the beds around her were empty and then in horrified shock she jumped out of bed and scrambled into her clothes. Pinning her hair back quickly she collected
her robe and flew down the stairs and through the building, she was late.
Scolding herself as she flew down the ever changing staircase she saw that a few others students were going down too so she wasn't as late as she'd thought. Calming herself a little she still, quite quickly, made her way down to the great hall where
everyone was filing into it in a much disorganised fashion, all very keen to eat breakfast but more importantly, for those who had applied for the extra task to find out who their partners would be.
When they were all seated, Dumbledore stood. "Good morning. I trust that you all slept well." There was a feint muttering and some grumbling and yawning, no one had had much sleep due to their excitement of being back with their friends at Hogwarts
and what would lie ahead this year.
"I know that some of you are most eager to get on with the day and have your excellent breakfast, so, once the goblet has chosen who is to go with whom, you will all collect your timetables and attend your appropriate lessons. The projects you are
to accomplish together will be on a particular subject that you both attend. These projects must be original ideas with a great deal of time and effort involved, also they must be complete by the end of the term or marks will be deducted. The
top three will then be discussed and placed into first, second and third positions. The grand prize for first, second and third places will be," Dumbledore paused for a moment, the hall was silent, "One thousand galleons each, one hundred house
points and a special distinction each for first prize; five hundred galleons each and fifty house points each for second; and finally two hundred and fifty galleons each and twenty five house points each for third." There was a great deal of talking.
"If I win, my families not even going to have a sniff of the money." Sirius said coldly. "My mum hates me as it is. I'm going to go straight out to buy myself new clothes and put the rest towards a muggle bike!" Sirius looked around to the others
who were all ignoring him and talking about what they wanted instead.
"Well I was going to buy a dress for the Yule ball." Lily said downhearted, "Looks like that's not happening if it's going to be announced when we're leaving. Some old thing for me I guess."
"That's ages away." Remus said, shoving some sort of sweet into his mouth.
"Hey, where's mine?" James said leaning across Lily to grab at his sweets. Remus recoiled and Lily struggled with the wriggling James lying across her.
"If you will all calm yourselves, the goblet will now begin to produce its partners." Dumbledore's voice rang out. James looked up and realised Dumbledore was looking at him, he pulled back and straightened himself up into proper head boy material.
"After the Goblet has paired everyone, breakfast will be served." Amalthea was in a brighter mood this morning and was happily chatting away with a fellow Ravenclaw when she heard Dumbledore, she sat up straight and leant back so she could talk to
Lily.
"Well, here goes." Amalthea whispered. She caught Sirius' glance and he winked at her and then turned around. Amalthea smiled weakly back at him and sighed tiredly, she was sure that Sirius was up to something, or had done something.
On the teacher's table sat ominous Goblet, a strange and unusual artefact that seemed to have been with the school as long as it had been standing, suddenly it started to produce orange flames that soared in a very controlled fashion into the air.
There was silence throughout the hall and then suddenly a name in fiery writing appeared in the flames. "Dacora Drake." Dumbledore called out. The flames changed to a slightly light colour of yellow and another name appeared. "Epheram Knight."
The Goblet continued to produce names, and there were brief interludes of talking between this. Everyone was in agreement that this was not the most ideal situation but they had to make do and most of the student were either happy with their chosen
partner, or not entirely fussed, though some a little shocked or disgruntled.
"Lucius Malfoy." Dumbledore announced as the flames turned a bright red. "James Potter." James looked horrified, as did all of his friends. No one could believe their ears. Over at the Slytherin table, Lucius was protesting and looking outraged.
"No, this can't be right!" James said aghast and turning a deep shade magenta with anger.
"Lily Evans... Francine Jameson." "Well at least mine's not that bad, Francine's nice, she's from Hufflepuff." Lily said feeling relieved. James however was sulking and staring at Lucius who was staring back in the same irritated fashion both wishing
they hadn't been so ambitious as to enter now.
"Remus Lupin." Dumbledore said a few minutes later. "Cassandra Hathaway." Remus began choking and Sirius had to hit him hard on the back with his fist before he stopped. The others were all smiling at Lupin as he came round and said, "Did they just
say-"
"Yep, you're with Cassandra." Sirius grinned. Remus had had a crush on Cassandra since they started at Hogwarts, but he had never had the courage or reason to talk to her before, he'd just accepted they would never speak. He looked over to the end
of the Hufflepuff table and saw her smiling and waving over at him, he waved back and he turned rather pink as he turned back round trying to hide his face.
"Peter Pettigrew... Sirius Black." Sirius nearly jumped into the air with joy, Peter was wringing his fingers together with a ginger look, his eyes darting across the others.
"Oh fantastic!" he exclaimed giving Peter a rough hug with his arm as he pulled him sharply into his side.
"Why's that then." Lily said suspiciously.
"Oh no reason." Sirius said, obviously hiding something.
"He's going to make Peter do all the work. Sirius, you don't have to take advantage of his good nature like that." Remus said almost as if Peter weren't even there, now completely normal and composed as usual. "Of course Peter is such a nice person
he'd offer to do your homework even if he was bogged down with his own, but you're a better friend than that." Remus said giving Sirius a hard look and then smiling at Peter who didn't really know what to say so he kept silent.
"I suppose so." Sirius said pouting at Remus' reprimand.
Many names spilled out of the Goblet and Amalthea felt her stomach rumble, she was getting extremely hungry now, it seemed to her as if everyone had entered this task and now she was wishing she hadn't. It seemed like forever had been and gone and
everyone had nearly been paired up though she had not paid much attention to who was with whom now, she had engaged herself in a conversation about the NEWT's with Lily when suddenly she heard her name called out.
"Amalthea Erised." Dumbledore announced. For a while the smoke fluctuated and swirled around, but then began to turn from bright purple to a dark emerald green and Amalthea felt her heart sink. It couldn't be the Slytherin colour. The smoke formed
the words but she could not make out the words, then Dumbledore shouted across the hall the name she had feared he would. "Severus Snape." Amalthea felt lightheaded from the lack of food and shock, nearly falling off the bench but someone has
caught her, she looked dazedly around to Lily who had a hand placed on her back and looked aghast. Lily moved her hand from Amalthea's back and placed her hand on Amalthea's shoulder in comfort instead but Amalthea leaned forward on the table
unsure of what to do, it would look awful if she backed out now. She cast a glance over to where she had seen Lucius and the other Slytherins sittint and was surprised to find Snape sat with an unsure look on his face as well, clearly as surprised.
The other Slytherins were guffawing and supposedly making jokes and she saw Snape cast them an evil stare before he looked round and caught her glance but sat stonily just staring across until she looked away.
Amalthea sat in mortified disbelief through breakfast and hardly touched a thing, she kept hearing people talking at her and telling her not to worry, but she remained in a daze and wasn't sure who exactly was talking to her, she just couldn't believe
it, she thought she'd be able to make it through her last year without being involved in any drama but it seemed to follow her everywhere like a shadow. When breakfast was over everyone got to their feet and started to pair up. Reluctantly Lucius
walked over to James and they exchanged mutual looks of hatred before exiting through the huge doors. Remus said his goodbye's and gave his condolences to Amalthea and then with a wide grin on his face ran over to Cassandra and started to engage
in fumbled conversation. Lily patted Amalthea on the shoulder and also exited with Francine, whilst Sirius and Peter walked over to Amalthea and the three walked slowly out.
"Well, good luck, least you weren't as unlucky as James." Peter said.
"Listen, if he's nasty in any way-" Sirius started.
"He won't be. I'll be lucky if he says anything at all." Amalthea said and pushed Sirius and Peter off ahead of her; they waved and then were gone so Amalthea perched on the end of the Ravenclaw table as all the students passed her by and waited for
Snape to approach her.
The hall was quite empty now, and Amalthea thought that he might have left without her. She looked around and could not see him anywhere, and then suddenly she sensed someone behind her and turned to see who it was. Snape stood with his arms crossed
looking down at her. He seemed calm and collected unlike herself who was feeling damn right awkward. What was she going to say to him? He walked a few steps ahead and turned back to her. "It's Transfiguration first. Here's your timetable." He
said flatly handing her a brand new crispy term timetable. She looked at it carefully, an excuse not to catch his gaze again. "We'll be late." He said again and gestured to the door.
Amalthea and Snape walked in silence, it didnt seem to bother him at all but she wanted to break the uncomfortable silence. She looked across at him and opened her mouth to say something polite but no words came out and she quickly returned her gaze
to the floor. She felt so stupid, of course she didn't have anything nice to say to him. She wasn't sure what to think now, the whole thing had thrown her and she ended up letting her mind go off on tangents about how much work she thought that
she'd receive this year, anything but this horrible silence you could cut with a knife.
It seemed like they had been walking for ages before the silence became too much and she finally spoke. "We could always appeal the decision." She said and then realised how stupid it must have sounded, the Goblet was definite and final in its decisions,
so she continued, "Though probably not. I do wish it could have picked someone better." But then she realised how degrading that sounded to Snape or if her took it the other way, her, she didn't want to start any trouble so she tried once again,
"Though come to think of it, we'll most probably win...Top students in each house." She smiled pleasantly and looked around; he had turned his head slightly and was giving her a bemused look. "I'll just shut up." She said under her breath getting
angry as they approached Transfiguration.
During their next few lessons, Amalthea made various attempts to say something to break the ice, each time sounding either incredibly rude and not meaning to but still ghe remained silent and got on with his work. The only acknowledgement she received
from him was the sly looks after she had said something, but at least it was something. He hadn't said anything nasty to her as yet; maybe he thought that she wasn't even worthy enough to speak to anymore or more likely he was biding his time
for the perfect put down.
The last lesson of the day was Potions, Snape's forte, and they were going to make a strengthening potion. It was a very difficult formula and Amalthea had to read the instructions several times before she understood a thing. She collected the ingredients
and went and sat back at the desk where Snape had already set up the equipment and was looking rather bored. She put the items down and stared at them for a moment, looking up at the formula again before she started to add the liquids together.
Having done the first part, she sat back and waited for it to be ready. "Have you had any ideas for the project?" she asked quietly, not daring to look around, she had to keep trying but why she just didn't know, she supposed it was because she hated
being ignored. The rest of the class were in a bit of an uproar because their professor had left the room momentarily. After a few moments of silence and thinking she would get no reply she reached out for the next liquid to add and resumed talking
again and she prepare to pour it in. "Because I was think that maybe-" she started tipping it. Snape's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist firmly.
She looked up in shock straight at him and he exclaimed, "Not that one!" and just as a drop plopped in, there was a loud crackle and sparks started to fly everywhere. He grabbed her round the waist and pulled her off her stool and onto the floor and
under the desk with his arm over her bent head whilst the potion crackled and spat all over. All the other students had ducked for cover and as the sparks subsided a black ooze covered the table.
All the students were laughing and began their uproar once again when they realised that it hadn't even attracted the attention of their professor who had only left momentarily. They were all pairing up in groups and talking around the classroom.
Amalthea looked up cautiously at Snape who looked very unimpressed as he slid back and let go of her, he brushed his black hair off his face and sighed. "You nearly melted us." He said flatly getting to his feet, Amalthea followed feeling very stupid
indeed.
Snapes eyes darted around the classroom to see if anyone was still interested in the explosion and his actions but seeing no one turned back. "You need to pay more attention to what your adding." He said slowly, a hint of annoyance in his voice and
picking up the smashed phial on the desk. "Any more of this and we would all have been down in the hospital wing." He put the phial down and crossed his arms perching himself on the edge of the stool.
Amalthea looked away sulkily and sat down on a stool herself looking down at the floor. She huffed and said, "Look I know you're not happy to be put with me but we're stuck like this and we're going to have to just get on with it. I personally want
to win, and I'm sure you do as well, so until we finish may I suggest we at least try to communicate with each other?" she looked up half-expecting him to laugh.
Snape looked as if he were going to smirk, but his face remained expressionless. "Though I remain unchanged in my view on the company you kept in the past Erised, I've not had any reason to dislike you recently. You've kept to yourself and don't 'hang
around' with Potter and that lot much anymore I've noticed, you're no threat to me I guess." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "I suppose we can make this work."
Amalthea couldn't believe her ears. Was he actually being nice? "So does this mean we're going to be civilized to each other from now on?" she asked. "Bygones be bygones."
"If you wish. I suppose we have to grow up and move on sometime." Snape said with a distant look at the doors as the students were leaving, watching as a red haired girl and bespectacled boy stood in the hall kissing before they parted for lessons."
Though becoming enemies at this moment would prove rather interesting." He said looking slyly at her as he produced his wand as their professor re-entered the room. "Reparo." He uttered and the phials became intact once more and the mess vanished.
"If you would like to try and discuss the subject for our study, I will be in the library after dinner." He stood up and packed his things away and began to walk past her; looking back once more he said, "Might be able to give you a few pointers
with your potions too." And with that he walked off leaving her on her own.
Amalthea turned back to pack her things away, her mind utterly confused. Had she just dreamed all that or had he been nice to her. She looked down at the desk and saw two phials with bright clear liquid in them. One phial had been labelled 'S Snape'
and the other to her surprise had been labelled 'A Erised'. He had completed the potion for both of them.
By dinner Amalthea was starving; the previous night she had not been in the mood to eat, this morning at breakfast she had been too nervous and at lunch she had forgotten to eat with her mind being so occupied on trying to get a word out of Snape
and having succeeded in the strangest of ways. She looked around the table at all the various foods but waited until Lily had found her and seated herself.
"So?" Lily said sipping at her drink, her eyes fixed on Amalthea.
"What?" Amalthea said after a little while of trying to avoid her gaze.
"Well?" Lily persisted.
"Well what?" Amalthea said boredly taking big mouthfuls of salad.
"Oh come on, you know what!" Lily said a little irritated.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're going on about." Amalthea huffed putting down her knife and fork and raising her eyebrows at Lily, who sat back and stretched.
"Did he say anything?" Lily said rolling her eyes and giving up. Amalthea remembered the brief words they had exchanged. She remembered him pulling her under the desk with him and then practically asking her to meet him in the library for a private
rendezvous. Wouldn't Lily like to have heard all about that.
"Actually no, we just got on with our work." And Amalthea returned to her dinner.
"Fair enough." Lily said looking slyly away. "Guess nothing happened then." Amalthea could tell something was going on. Lily was always up on gossip and there must have been at least a few interested people watching her and Snape in their lessons
together.
"What? What have you heard now?" Amalthea sighed. Lily seemed to come back to life all at once.
"I knew something had happened!" she said, a huge grin on her face. "Come on, all I've got to go off is what some of the Gryffindors have said. Like you two blew up the potions class just so you could... well... you know..." she paused and then whispered,
"Go under the desk..."
"Don't be stupid!" Amalthea said affronted, making several people turn around and stare. "I mean, I didn't do it intentionally, I wasn't concentrating and I added the wrong ingredient, Snape stopped me from getting burnt." She explained hastily but
Lily was looking a little confused.
"Don't you think that's a bit weird?" Lily said.
"What?" Amalthea said returning her look of puzzlement, Lily was giving her a strained expression and Amalthea's mind clicked, "What, are you jealous now or something?" Amalthea said referring to Snape's past unhealthy obsession with Lily.
"No." Said Lily shortly looking embarrassed and said at the same time, "I didn't mean that, you know we're not friends anymore, not since well, we're just not." Lily looked over at James and sighed, "What I meant was you would have though that Snape
would have revelled in the fact that you would have been burnt, after all you did used to get him into trouble along with James, Sirius and Remus." Lily said.
Amalthea thought it was a fair enough question, but didn't think that Lily ought to know any more than she had given away already and looked down at her plate. Without even realising she had finished. No longer hungry she pushed aside her plate and
leaned on the wooden table. "Perhaps it was just a ruse." Amalthea said with scepticism, "Leading me into a false sense of security ready for the big blow!"
"You and you're conspiracies." Lily tutted,
"That's a point actually. Where are the boys?" Lily said changing the subject and looking around but the boys were no where to be seen. "I've been dying to hear what James has to say about Malfoy!"
"Probably getting into trouble somewhere." Amalthea suggested with a hint of bitterness, trouble somewhere without her anymore.
"Gotten more like." Said a voice approaching them. It was Remus and he looked rather cheerful.
"Evening." He said politely, "Can I sit here?" he said gesturing to the bench. Amalthea nodded and he seated himself putting his bag on the seat next to him.
"What have they done now?" Lily asked pulling out her timetable from her pocket and inspecting it carefully.
"More like what haven't they done?" Amalthea added before Remus spoke.
"Well, they kind of had a bit of a fight." Remus said slowly. "They started arguing about whose project they were going to do and of course it blew out of proportion, just an excuse for a fight really. They're both in detention. James wasn't bothered
but it meant Lucius had to miss Quidditch."
"Ha." Lily laughed nastily. "Serves him right... well... suppose it served them both right. I hate it when they fight, they're so immature. Wish James would grow up a bit. Evening plans ruined again." She rubbed her eyes.
"Any way I can't stay anyways, just remembered that Cassandra and I are going to discuss our project. We're meeting in the library." Remus smiled. Amalthea's mind suddenly clicked; she was supposed to be seeing Snape in the library too, but she wondered
if she really wanted to go, and what would she tell Lily?
"What are you doing now?" she asked Lily.
"Got some work to do, going to go up and do it in the common room, then I'm off to sleep. Im not waiting about for James another night. Probably see you tomorrow at breakfast." Lily answered holding back a yawn. "Better get it done or I won't do it
at all." Amalthea felt a little relieved that she didn't have to lie to Lily; she didn't like telling her friend's fibs.
She waved to Lily as she walked off and then turned to Remus who had gotten to his feet and was looking at her quizzically. "Can I walk to the library with you?" she asked.
"Sure. Everything alright." Remus asked in return.
"I'm fine, just got some work to do myself." She answered as they began walking. "Why do you ask anyway?" Amalthea was sure she had guilt written all over her face.
"You look like you've got something on your mind." Remus' large brown eyes settled on her and he looked out from under his brown floppy fringe with a slight smile. Amalthea had never been any good at hiding anything from Remus, he was very intelligent
and could read people's feelings extremely well, so when she looked back up at him her eyes instantly gave her away.
"Are you meeting Snape in there?" he came out with suddenly. Amalthea felt a little odd when she realised that she was in fact going to meet with Snape, a bit of a strange prospect really.
"Yeah, I'm not sure why though; he said he wanted to discuss what we're doing for our project." Amalthea trailed off.
"You don't feel comfortable around him do you." Remus enquired. "I wouldn't."
"Yes and no, it's nothing to do with that... I can hold my own against Snivellus." She said called Snape by his Marauder nickname.
"You don't have to tell me, I remember the time you hexed him in the third year." Remus started laughing and Amalthea giggled a bit too. "So what's the problem."
"I don't know...well... I do know really, I just feel very... sort of inferior recently, I shouldn't though, I mean, I suppose we're pretty much the same grade wise, aren't we. He just seems to have excelled and I've gotten into a slump." Amalthea
stuttered, fiddling with words.
Remus nodded. "Though he does excel everyone in Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts, we all know what. There's no reason to feel less around him, in fact if he knows you're the slightest bit intimidated I have no doubt at all that he'll play
on it. Plus your slump is understandable...what with your dad..." Remus paused thinking he might have stepped on raw territory but she didn't say anything, "Perhaps he knows you're going through a lot, maybe he has a heart in that grotesque body
somewhere." He said trying to make her laugh and it worked a little.
"I know, maybe it's that. Doesn't stop me feeling so strange around him." Amalthea shuddered as they pulled open the library door and crept in silently, as not to disturb anyone else, when in fact there wasn't really anyone else there.
"I'll see you later; Cassandra's waiting for me over by the window. Don't let him get to you ok?" Remus whispered and then disappeared to where a girl with golden hair was waiting at a desk with an extra empty chair.
Amalthea stood for a moment looking around to see if he was anywhere in view, but then decided to search, after all Snape wasn't the sort of person who was going to be sat in clear view of everyone, he's probably be skulking round a dark part of the
library or the restricted section with his 'special' privileges. As Amalthea searched deep into the library she thought that maybe he hadn't turned up and it had been a big joke with him and the Slytherins watching from afar laughing at her, stupid
Amalthea and her naivety.
Amalthea huffed and threw her bag onto the table, then she seated herself in one of the high backed chairs and slumped down into and trying to disappear completely. Feeling quite stupid that she had been tricked she leant forward and leaned on her
arms, she was quite tired and at last, alone. She could make everything disappear around her and just be left alone with her thoughts.
SLAM!
Amalthea sat bolt upright in her seat, her eyes wide in surprise. She was even more surprised to come face to face with a mountain of books which, over the top of, she could see Snape looking down at her blankly from behind his thick black hair. His
eyes wavered over her for a few moments then turning slightly aside he spoke.
"You came then." He said sitting down opposite her and leaning back in his chair.
"So did you." Amalthea replied, her surprised look had faded and she felt slightly cheated, she was looking forward to his absence.
"I see." Snape said quietly to himself, his eyes leaving hers.
"What are all the books for?" Amalthea said, determined to get the awkward silences out of the way.
"They're for you." He said slowly.
"Why would I need so many books on..." she picked up one off the top and read it's title, "Simple Potions for beginners..." she trailed off feeling quite annoyed.
"Well." He said quickly. "If you are so bent on winning, as I am, then I suggest we get on with something I've been working on anyway for a while. If you study enough, you might even be up to scratch enough to actually help. You have been slacking
this past year I've noted." Amalthea gritted her teeth together, how could he speak to her like that? She wanted to stand up and slap him around the face, but it wasn't a good idea, she wasn't sure what he was capable of. Instead she gave him
a dark look and rolled her eyes when he was sure he wasn't looking.
"Is there a problem?" he asked pushing the mountain of books aside.
"I haven't been 'slacking off', I've been grieving if you hadn't noticed?" Amalthea said giving him a deathly stare to which he looked down slightly, was that remorse? No Snape wouldn't give her an apology. "And why do we have to automatically decide
that your project is far superior?" she said irritably. Snape leaned forward staring right at her with his emerald eyes. "What if I've got a brilliant idea."
"Because, Erised, my project IS far superior to anything you could think up." Snape smirked, "Plus you're lying, you don't have anything in mind at all, you can barely think straight these days and it's understandable but doesn't look very good on
the house of Ravenclaw if we fail with a mish mash plan of yours."
"Oh you..." she said getting to her feet ready to strike him. Snape's face changed instantly, he smiled at her as if he were delighted that he had managed to anger her.
"I wondered how long it would take before you showed me what you really thought of me." He said leaning back in his chair again. "So do you have anything else to say to me?"
"Yes." Amalthea hissed. "Actually I have." And she leaned forwards on the table, this time looming over him. "I think you're... you're..." but she didn't really know what she thought of him, she hadn't had time to decide. He kept appearing different
every time she saw him. At first he had said nothing, then he had been amiable, then he had been slightly arrogant, and then he'd saved her in Potions. How was she supposed to know what he was really like?
"Confusing and irritating. Self absorbed and sneaky. I've never liked you and this is all horribly inconvenient." Amalthea said sitting down heavily and fiddling with the pile of books straightening them holding back tears. This was nothing to do
with Snape, she was just taking her anger about her father out on him, grief was a funny thing.
Snape's smile had disappeared but his eyes remained fixed on hers as he watched her give up and sat back in her chair unsure of what to do now. "Well let's get started then." He said finally after he'd watched her for a few moments, he could see she
was struggling and he'd liked her father a great deal.
"Excuse me?" Amalthea said unbelievingly. "The project. I've been meaning to find someone to test this on." He said producing a phial with some silvery liquid in it, he handed it to her and she looked at it in confusion dabbing a rogue tear from her
eye before he noticed.
"What is it?" she questioned him.
"The person who drinks this potion will, presumably, learn things beyond any normal standard. It's a studying potion." He said looking smug but Amalthea wrinkled her nose and raised her eyebrow.
"That sounds really boring." She said placing the phial down in disgust.
"Actually it's quite ingenious, but I wouldn't expect you to appreciate something as wonderful as this. You're not a atypical Ravenclaw." He jibed again snatching it off the table. "If you drink this and then go on to study something of your
choice you will be so enthralled with it that your concentration will not stray, in a way you will not wish to stop studying and will therefore learn more than the normal student." Amalthea thought it sounded a little more interesting now that
he had explained, in fact she actually wanted to test some of this miracle potion, it would possibly help her attain the grades she had been desiring for a while since they had started to fall.
"Well are you going to let me test it?" she asked. Snape shrugged and handed it back to her, not looking too fussed at all.
"Go ahead; drink the lot if you wish, though a small drop should do the trick." Amalthea considered what she was doing for a minute and then deciding that Snape was not going to try and harm her; she pulled out the stopper and drank a small amount.
She felt slightly warm for a second and then her concentration strayed to the books. Giving Snape a fleeting look she began to read the first one off the pile.
It felt great to be enjoying something so interesting for once, she was absolutely elated with every single word and felt amazing. Then all of a sudden she felt all the blood drain from her face and she looked over to Snape. Just before she felt herself
slip into unconsciousness she managed to say, "You've poisoned me."
When she awoke, she found that instead of lying in the infirmary she was still in the library and Snape was stood looking down at her, still wearing a blank expression. "Interesting." He said quietly and sat down deep in thought. Amalthea got up wearily
and then slumped into a chair rubbing the back of her head, she glared across at Snape who was clearly unaware she was looking at him and remained pensive and still. Eventually he had to look at her; he placed his palms together and then closed
his eyes, still facing her direction.
Amalthea didn't say anything, though she wanted to ask a thousand things, and remained in silence, not giving him the satisfaction of her frustration with him.
"Well, at least it's a change from vomiting." Snape said opening his eyes and leaning forward. "Do you feel ill at all?" he asked, but in a voice that sounded like he didn't care either way. "Any nausea?"
"No." Amalthea said sharply.
"Right." Snape answered slowly pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill from what seemed like nowhere. His scrawled something on it and then jammed it back from where it had appeared. He sat back and diverted his eyes to where he heard voices
approaching.
Leisurely he rose from his chair and said, "I have to go and improve the formula. As you can tell there are still side-effects which I must nullify before we may hand it in. I suggest you take some of these and read as much as you can. You're a clever
girl; you're bound to learn something."
"Wait." Amalthea said hurriedly before he had time to walk away. Snape turned back in mild interest, Amalthea wasn't sure why she had asked him to wait. "...so that's it?" she said after a little while.
"Unfortunately." He said coolly. Amalthea looked puzzled at his choice of words, but before she could say anything he spoke. "I will see you tomorrow morning. It's Charms first lesson. Good evening." Then he strode away leaving her sat alone.
