Persephone woke the next morning as the Sun shone through her window. She had slept exceptionally well. No doubt thanks to the mysterious professor Snape and his sleeping draught. She made a mental note to thank him when she saw him at breakfast. She climbed out of bed, brushed her long, thick hair, worked it into her trademark French braid and pulled on her robes. She exited her room wondering if she would remember her way back to the Great Hall.
Thankfully not much thought was needed as she only had to follow the voices of the students as they flooded to breakfast on their first day of classes. Persephone found professor Snape at the head table. He sat straight in his chair, the same non-expression Persephone had become so familiar with the preview day covered his face.
As she approached Snape glanced up at her. Persephone gestured to a chair on his right "Is this seat taken?"
"It is not." Was the short to-the-point response she received as Snape returned to his breakfast.
"I wanted to thank you for the sleeping draught, it worked very well." She said as she lowered herself into the chair. She waited for a response but all she received was a quick nod from the mysterious professor. Once again Persephone determined to crack the shell that was Severus Snape.
Persephone had taught three classes her first day, and all before lunch. Now as the last of the students drifted out of her classroom she was overwhelmed with a desire to explore. She caught snippets of conversations between the students as they exited. They were discussing what might be for lunch. Persephone realized she wasn't even hungry. She wanted, far more, the opportunity to get acquainted with her new surroundings. She would start outside, it was a beautiful day with a clear blue sky and she was going to take full advantage of the weather to explore the castle grounds.
Persephone lay on the banks of the great lake. She had been walking for some time when she decided to stop and rest here in the grass. She stared up at the blue sky and watched as birds flew overhead.
"Perhaps you would rest better on the grass than in your bed." Persephone had not been at Hogwarts long, but she knew that voice. She rolled her head to her left and there stood Snape, his black robes billowing in the early autumn breeze.
"I wouldn't have thought you ever spent any time outside professor." Persephone teased.
"I was in need of some lavender root." Persephone thought he might say more but when it became obvious that was the end of his statement she spoke.
"I thought I would come and see if I could catch a glimpse of the giant squid I've heard so much about. However, it seems to be shy at present." Persephone said as she pulled herself to her feet and brushed at her robes.
"You are on the wrong side of the lake. Follow me." Once again surprised by his offer, she followed after her guide.
"Harry, come here mate, have a look at this." Ron called from the window of the classroom. Harry and Hermione made their way to where Ron was, staring out the window.
"Isn't that the new Muggle Studies professor?" Hermione asked, as they watched two figures wandering the edge of the lake.
"And Snape." Harry finished, looking rather, confused. "Do you reckon they know each other?"
"I don't know but she did sit with him at breakfast this morning, and they left the feast together last night." Hermione remarked, none of them taking their eyes of their professors.
"Who would want to spend so much time with that git?" Ron wondered aloud.
As they walked in silence Persephone fought to find a subject for conversation.
"How long have you taught here professor?" she tried.
"Fifteen years." Was the short reply. Silence, again.
"How did you come about your position?" She tried again.
"Dumbledore invited me to teach, I accepted." Man of few words, Persephone thought, once again.
"You know Professor; I'm trying very hard to make conversation. It would help if your replies were longer than one sentence." Persephone said, half teasing.
Snape suddenly stopped and turned to look her in the eye. "Why do you try so hard?" Persephone nearly stumbled at the sudden halt. She looked at him, the confusion evident in her eyes.
"What do you mean? Try so hard to make conversation?"
Snape nodded.
"Well, we seem to run into each other quite a bit and I simply wanted to know you better." She paused. "You already know fives times as much about me as I know about you."
"That is because you are very open about yourself. You obviously don't care to share much about yourself." Snape observed.
"Well, it's just that I believe that if you want friends, you have to be friendly. I was simply trying to share some of who I am with you. But you obviously don't agree." She said looking him in the eye.
"Friends." Snape's voice trailed off.
"Yes "Friends," you don't know the word?" Persephone was becoming slightly impatient. Why was this man around everywhere she was if he had no desire to get to know her.
"I don't have many friends" Snape said. "Most everyone is intimidated by me or they believe me rude."
"Well, I am not intimidated by you and you've been nothing but a help to me since I've come here. So if you're interested, I would like to be your friend." Persephone offered. "The only catch is that you must smile for me. I'm sure your eyes would benefit from that. Being so black, I think they would glimmer with a smile." Persephone's own smile grew wide as she finished her statement.
"I do not, smile." Snape replied in his typical deadpan tone.
Persephone eyed him for a few beats. "You will, Professor." She said as her smirk grew into a smile of her own and she turned to go.
Snape exhaled deeply as he watched her walk away. A friend, he thought. He barely remembered what it was like to have a friend. But he found himself anticipating the promised friendship.
Snape found himself looking for Persephone at dinner that evening. He felt foolish looking up every time he saw someone enter the room, but for some reason he couldn't help himself. Unfortunately she never showed up and Snape was forced to listen to Professor Trelawney prattle on for the entire length of the meal.
Snape excused himself and began the walk back to his chambers. He was walking the hall when he realized he was coming up on the muggle studies classroom, as he got closer he could hear, what sounded like, "snaps" and "poufs" coming from inside. He stopped outside the door and could hardly believe what he saw. The entire classroom was Changed, everything, different. It looked nothing like any of the classrooms in Hogwarts.
Persephone stood in the middle of the room waving her wand, and redecorating her classroom.
"Is this what an actual muggle classroom looks like?" Snape asked, from his place in the doorway.
Persephone spun around, clearly pleased with her work. "Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Do you like it?" She smiled, hoping, once again for a smile from the man. Nothing.
"It is, different." Snape was surprised at the way he felt when he saw Persephone standing in the classroom. He had only known her for two days and already she had made a rather large impression on him.
"Well, I like it very much." She retorted. "I was just trying to finish it before I went to dinner.
Ah, no wonder she wasn't at dinner. "Dinner has ended. I regret you missed it." Truer words were never spoken. At least if she had been there he may not have had to endure Trelawney. "I do, however, know a charm and could conjure a plate of sandwiches for you, if you would like." He offered.
"Would I have to eat alone?" Persephone asked with a small cock of her head and a tiny smile.
"I will remain here if you would like." Snape answered. There was that strange feeling again. What was it about this girl?
"Here?" Persephone asked surprised. "We can't eat in here."
"You have rules against food in your classroom?"
"I do when the evening is so lovely." Persephone said, glancing out the window. "Can you conjure your sandwiches by the lake?"
"The charm works both indoors and out." Was the short reply.
Persephone felt like rolling her eyes, but restrained herself. "Well, then, would you mind if we went to the lake? I loved it there, it's so beautiful."
"Very well, after you." Snape gestured toward the door and waited for Persephone to exit the classroom and shut the door.
They walked in relative silence to the lake until they came upon the spot that Snape had showed Persephone earlier that same day. They found seats in the grass on the bank as the giant squid splashed not very far out on the lake.
Snape waved his wand over the spot on the grass between them and a plate of sandwiches appeared along with two bottles of butterbeer.
Over the next few weeks this trip to the lake seemed to become somewhat of a tradition between Persephone and Snape. Still Persephone had not managed a smile out of Snape, although she had tried often enough. He was a very serious person. Mostly they talked about their pasts, more Persephone's past than Snape's, he was also rather mysterious. They spoke of different teaching experiences they had that day and sometimes of their own school experiences.
Snape could not understand why Persephone continued to keep company with him but he was extremely pleased that she did. Her efforts to coax a smile from him were becoming more and more difficult to resist. He knew that one day soon it would be impossible.