Part Three: If You Can't Beat 'Em...
Even Gedia could not help but smile as she stepped into the Great Hall. The room was decorated from top to bottom for Christmas. Ornaments sparkled on the impossibly huge evergreen tree, almost sickeningly festive music played from an unknown source, and glittering snowflakes drifted down from the ceiling.
Sucking on the last of the sugar quills her cousin Rosa had sent her, Gedia made her way over to the Slytherin table, which was occupied by only a fifth year and a second year that Gedia did not know.
It had been a good day, thus far. She had received all of her presents by owl, the best of them being what she wore now- a flowing dress robe that sparkled green when she moved. Mother had said that she had charmed the garment so that it adjusted its size as she grew. It was perfect, and she had been unable to resist wearing it right away.
She had opened all of her gifts while still in the hospital wing before sending the house elves to take everything to her room. She had not failed to notice that Snape received only one small package, a letter, and no snacks. Of course, she had not offered to share any of her candy with him, but had made a great show of biting the head off of a chocolate frog.
She smiled, ever so slightly, at Dumbledore, who raised his glass to her with an inquisitive lift of his eyebrow. Correctly interpreting his meaning, she nodded and mouthed 'thank you' to him before taking her seat.
The one thing she had not allowed the house elves to take was her gift from the headmaster. She had been right- she had needed her wand. After tapping the wand to the parchment, all she needed say was "I promise to not wander after hours," and instantly the words took effect. The parchment had turned to black and thousands of specks of white scattered across it, creeping slowly across the paper.
It had taken her but a moment to realize what the gift was. A Starchart. She had watched in awe as the pinpricks of white, each one representing a single star, moved and weaved across the parchment. In fact, she had stayed up half the night simply engrossed in the present. It was perfect, something she could not have even dreamt of possessing. She had only read of Starcharts, never seen one.
To end the enchantment, she simply tapped the paper again and said, "Promise kept." It had taken her a bit longer to figure that one out, but she had been determined to not let anyone else see her treasure, which was why it was now tucked safely away in her robes.
She swallowed the last speck of sweetness from her sugar quill, then reached for the large platter of crumpets on the table. After finishing it, she swallowed a mouthful of pumpkin juice before noticing that Severus had joined the table. He was purposefully sitting as far away from her as possible, which was perfectly fine with her. She avoided his gaze, which was currently observing her robes with undisguised disdain. It wasn't her fault that her family actually cared to send her gifts on Christmas.
Primly, she popped a large grape into her mouth and allowed her eyes to travel around the room. Over at the Gryffindor table, the Marauders were clustered close together, leaning over the table to whisper to one another. When they noticed Gedia looking at them, they instantly burst into laughter.
She rolled her eyes. Silly boys. She wanted nothing to do with any of them. It was amazing to her that women could stand to marry one of them. Perhaps when boys became men, they changed.
Chewing thoughtfully on another crumpet, she shook her head. She doubted it.
After Dumbledore's Christmas morning speech, Gedia stuffed several breakfast items into her pockets for later and stood to head back to Slytherin Hall. Unfortunately, Snape had the same idea. She had the great misfortune of meeting both him and Sirius Black in the hall outside.
Sirius, of course, looked delighted. "Look, it's the two infirmary infidels!" He smirked. "You two sure were in the hospital wing a long, long time. What were ya doing, eh?" Snape and Gedia both cast him warning glares, but he took not notice and began to chant loudly in a singsong voice, "Snape and Kacela, sitting on a cot, P-R-O-B-I-N-G..."
He was cut off abruptly as Gedia whipped out her wand and threw a curse at him. His lips were forcefully pulled together and held shut. His eyes bulged as she clutched at his throat, fighting for breath.
Gedia rolled her eyes. Gryffindors could be so thick. "Breathe through your nose, idiot." She started to walk away, but called back over her shoulder, "And mind what you say, or next time I may plug your nose as well."
As she walked away, a smug expression on her pretty face, she couldn't see Snape stare after her. A thoughtful expression somewhat smoothed the lines usually left by his scowl. But even if she had noticed, she would not have understood what it meant. Even the boy was unsure of the thoughts suddenly entering his head.
He frowned once more before stalking off in the opposite direction of Slytherin Hall. He didn't want to see that girl's face again for a very long time, not after the sheer amount of time they'd been forced to spend together. He would rather pull his own hair out. Or perhaps, he would pull hers. It would bring him infinitely much more pleasure, that was for sure.
* * *
Gedia was only too glad to return to the normalcy of classes. It gave her something to concentrate on, a thing to focus her energy into. Of course, she still had dratted Potions with Snape and the Marauders. She honestly didn't know which she wanted to destroy first.
That decision was mad quite simpler one night, in a way she never would have expected.
She was usually the first of the girls to retire at night, so it was not unusual to find the dungeon dorms shrouded in darkness. Usually, she didn't bother to turn on the light, as she much preferred the darkness. Tonight was no different.
And yet, something was different. Upon entering her dorm, she felt, rather than saw or heard, the intruder. Her senses were instantly on alert and she slid her wand down from her sleeve until it rested easily in her fingertips.
She brushed her hair away from her eyes and peered into the darkness. "Who is there?" she demanded fiercely, pointing her wand in the direction of the shadowy corners of the room.
Noiselessly, Severus Snape stepped forward. His black robes had blended in almost perfectly with the shadows. He pushed back his hood, revealing more of his sullen face. "I thought to pay you a visit."
She bristled, angered at his intrusion, her eyes sparkling dangerously. "Give me one reason not to seriously injure you, Snape."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "I have none."
The answer caught her off-guard and she lowered her wand. It was quite atypical- neither sarcastic nor insulting. She paused, staring at him, but found no more answers in his dark eyes. "What on earth are you here for, then?" He was certainly not the type who would just drop in on her for a little chat before bedtime. She couldn't imagine what sort of circumstances would have forced him here.
"We need to speak," he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why, by Merlin's beard, would I ever want to speak to..." she closed her eyes and mouth, cutting off her biting remark. He had been strangely civil thus far. She might as well do the same. "Then speak."
He ran a hand absently through his hair before allowing the strands to fall back down across his forehead. "I have been considering our situation the past few nights..."
"Our... situation?" she interrupted with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Yes." He tilted his head to the side slightly. "From my encounters with you in our classes, I assumed that you were intelligent enough to recognize our situation." Her bright eyes scanned his face for even the slightest sign of sarcasm, but he hid it well. "By that, I mean the tension that exists both between us and between ourselves and the so-called Marauders."
She was suspicious. What was he getting at? "Explain what, exactly, you want."
"I believe..." his voice dropped a few steps, "that it would be to our advantage if we," he paused again to clear his throat, "became friends."
Her eyes widened. "Are you completely out of your mind?" Perhaps breathing in fumes from potions had finally begun to affect him.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, an amused expression on his face. "Actually, no."
"Then why would you suggest that we become friends, of all things?"
"Well, the Muggles have an expression... how does it go...? If you cannot beat them, then you must join them...? I believe that by adhering to this phrase, we can deal more effectively with our problem of the Marauders."
"If you are suggesting that we join the Marauders...!"
"Of course not!"
"Then what are you talking about?!"
He sighed. "There is no reason to raise your voice, Kacela. Can we not discuss something without attempting to kill or deafen each other?"
"I doubt it," she muttered, but he ignored her.
"I do not wish to join the Marauders. The very idea is idiotic. They are not the ones we cannot beat. It is each other that we cannot beat. Do you understand?" She nodded slowly. He was finally starting to make sense. "It is quite clear that we both dislike the Marauders. They are childish pranksters that must be dealt with. Now, few wish to become involved, for fear that they will end up like we have become- the objects of their torture. Which leaves us."
"Us," she repeated, lost once again.
"Separately, we cannot do much in revenge, as we are also involved in our own disagreements with each other. But, if we ceased our private fight..." he trailed off, studying her face to see if she had finally caught his drift.
She had. She gawked at him for a moment before regaining her composure. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're bloody brilliant for being such a self-righteous git."
He gave her a look that was less than amused. "Don't worry. I shall try not to let the compliment go to my head."
"Good. I don't think you could afford to let your head get any bigger."
"Look who's talking, Miss Queen of Astrology," he shot back, girlishly tossing his hair over his shoulder and adopting a high, nasally voice. "Oh, Professor Rigsbee, I know the answer! Really, you should ask a more difficult question than 'How many stars are currently in existence?' I counted them personally last night!"
He grip on her wand tightened slightly. "Shut up, you."
"Really, Gedia." Hearing him say her first name slightly took her by surprise. He had always called her 'Kacela' up till now. "What did you used to do when you snuck off at night?"
She stared at him. "How the hell do you know?"
"Do you honestly think that you're the only one who leaves their dorm at night? Think again. The night we ran into each other was not the first time I saw you out. What do you do out there?"
She blushed, despite her desperate attempts not to, and hoped that the darkness would hide the fact. "Countthestars," she mumbled, preparing herself for his worst.
But to her surprise, he did not laugh or mock. As if he hadn't heard her, he turned away. "I'll send a note with Rasputin when I wish to speak again."
He was almost to the door when she spoke. "No sarcasm, Snape?"
"Save it for the Marauders, Kacela."
"So what? We're just going to be... nice... to each other?" The thought struck her as being almost... wrong. Being nice to him was practically against her morals.
"Well, I'm certainly not going to start holding doors open for you, if that's what you've in mind." With that, he left the room, the heavy door banging shut behind him.
Gedia sunk down onto her bed without bothering to change. She would not get much sleep that night anyway. She had far too much to think about.
* * *
True to his word, Snape did not hold open any doors for her. Nor did he offer to help her in Potions. However, he did cease his gloating around her. And that was close enough to friendship for Gedia.
And as for the Marauders, they had laid off the two Slytherins for a bit after Gedia's threat of suffocating Black. But she knew it would not last, as did Snape. So she wasn't surprised when a dark brown owl with a viciously hooked beak fluttered up to her while she was sitting outside several days after her conversation with Snape. She had no doubt that the owl was Snape's Rasputin. Who else would own such a hideously sinister bird?
After unwrapping the parchment from his leg, she offered the owl a few crumbs of a muffin left over from breakfast. He snatched at them, nearly biting her fingers off, before flying off with a squawk.
"Nasty bird." She unfolded the note and read, "Revenge will be brewed tonight. All things brew best in Potions Class. -SS." She blinked. What was with people and coded messages? Honestly.
Still, she had understood the message. Snape wanted her to meet him tonight in the Potions classroom to plan their revenge. Gathering her robes about her, she made her way back inside. The sun was about to set anyway.
After the rest of her dorm was asleep, Gedia slid open the curtains around her bed and emerged, still fully dressed. She carried her shoes as she crept barefoot to the door and up the stairs to the Common Room. Outside, she knelt to put on her books before sliding through the shadows to the designated classroom.
Snape was already waiting, bent over a boiling concoction he was stirring in a cauldron. When she entered, he glanced up for a brief moment to ascertain that it was she before announcing, "You are late."
She looked over his shoulder into the cauldron. "Unless I am mistaken, which I rarely am, you did not specify a time."
He didn't answer, but she was used to that. Instead, he dipped a large spoon into the mixture and held it up to her. "Smell this, but do not let it contact your skin." She did so, and instantly began giggling softly. She clamped a hand over her mouth as Severus broke out in his seldom-seen smile. "Perfect."
"What is it?" she inquired. Her giggles had faded, but she was still unable to suppress the smile that stretched across her face.
"A Hilarius Potion."
"Haven't heard of it." Of course he had, since Snape seemed to know every Potion known to mankind.
"I suppose you can guess its effects, though."
She nodded. "It must be strong." After all, she had only smelled it and it had taken affect on her.
The wicked glint in his eyes was enough of an answer. "Very."
She smiled in return. "So what's the plan?"
* * *
The next day, Severus and Gedia left for breakfast, armed with vials of the orange liquid tucked inside the sleeves of their robes. For the first time since the Sorting Ceremony, the two sat relatively close to each other, close enough to easily make eye contact.
There was a reason for this. After a subtle nod from her partner-in-crime, Gedia directed her wand towards the breakfasting Marauders and whispered a spell. A split-second later, she heard a crash as the Marauders' dishes clattered and broke on the floor. They let out cries of surprise and anger, and Gedia looked over to see them glaring accusingly at the Slytherin table.
After Dumbledore performed a quick Reparo on the dishes and restored order, the four Gryffindors stood and approached the Slytherin end of the room. Peter and James stood behind Gedia, while Remus and Sirius surrounded Snape.
"Alright," said Black. "Which one of you slimy gits did that?"
"What?" asked Gedia sweetly, reaching to pour herself more pumpkin juice. As she did so, she slid the vial into the palm of her hand and let several drops fall into the drink. She picked up the goblet, poised as if to drink.
Peter took the bait.
He snatched away the goblet. "You know what."
"I have nothing to do with you klutziness."
"What about you, Snape?" sneered Black. "Did a little spell escape your ugly lips?"
"Certainly not. As much as I hate to admit it, Kacela is right. You are all simply bloody klutzes."
"Why, you..." Sirius lunged forward and Snape dodged expertly to the side, swinging out his arm so that his goblet of juice splashed onto Remus and Sirius. At the same time, he let a good amount of Hilarius get on their robes as well.
Predictably, the two began to brush at their robes, trying to get the juice off. But when they didn't instantly break into laughter, Gedia shot a look at Snape. Was it not working? He didn't seem worried.
She glanced up at Peter, who was still holding her goblet. "Could I have that back before you spill it?"
He glared at her. "Sure." And with that he promptly began to chug the contents of the goblet. He set down the empty cup with a bang and wiped his mouth with the back of a pudgy hand.
James smiled. "Come on, guys. We don't want to hang around here any longer."
"Yeah," growled Sirius. "The sliminess might rub off."
Peter and James rounded the table and the four started to walk off. That was when Gedia realized that neither of them had gotten James.
But James took care of that himself. He paused to brush at Remus' robes to get a bit more of the juice off his friend.
Gedia's eyes met Snape's and she suddenly felt as if she had taken Hilarius, because she could hardly repress the laughter that bubbled to her lips. Abruptly, she stood and left the table. Snape followed her.
"Will it work?" she asked once they were out in the hall.
"Of course it will. I merely added a Time-Release ingredient to delay the effects. That way the source would not be as traceable. It should start working in about fifteen minutes."
Gedia shook her head. She had to admit it, Snape was brilliant. "Perfect."
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, they were already beginning Potions. Gedia had to keep herself from continually looking over at where the four sat. Instead, she focused on the instructions being given.
Then, she heard a low giggle. The Potions professor glanced up sharply. "Something funny, Mr. Pettigrew?" The boy shook his fat head furiously as he nearly doubled over in laughter. Remus and Sirius were staring curiously at their friend, but moments later they too began to laugh. Gedia wanted to treasure the looks on their faces forever. It was a mixture of shock and hilarity.
Professor Defoe tapped his foot. "Gentlemen, unless you would like to share with the class what is so obviously amusing to you, I severely recommend that you gain control of yourselves." He turned to James. "Potter, can you possibly explain your cohorts' behavior?"
"No, Professor, I-" He was cut off as his own laughter was added to his friends'. Sirius was now rolling on the floor, Peter was shaking, and Remus was clutching his sides.
Gedia pressed a hand to her mouth to hide the smile that threatened to give her away, and she noticed Snape biting his lip in an effort to maintain his cool composure.
Though several other students were smiling bemusedly, Professor Defoe was not amused. "Outside, gentlemen, NOW. And twenty points from Gryffindor for disrupting my class... each."
Shocked looks crossed the faces of the Gryffindors, particularly the Marauders, while grins broke out among the Slytherins. Still, their laughter continued even as they exited into the hall, their hands clasped in vain over their mouths. The Professor followed them, slamming the door behind him.
Instantly, the Slytherin side of the room began to mock and taunt the Gryffindor side. Eighty points from Gryffindor! It was marvelous! In the midst of it all, Gedia leaned over her table so that Snape, who sat in front of her, could hear as she whispered to him.
"I think, Severus," she began, practically beaming with their definite success, "that this is going to be the beginning of a wonderful friendship."
He turned in his seat to face her, raising an eyebrow. "Friendship?"
She nodded with a soft smile. "Friendship."
END
Author's Note: Well, there it is, the very first story of Gedia and Snape. I greatly enjoyed writing this, and hope that whoever reads it enjoys it equally as much. Be looking out for the next story. My muse is in love with Snape, so you'll be seeing a lot more of him. Go on, you know you like it. ;-)
Fifty points to the house of the person who can tell me where I got the name Rasputin from. Storm and Cami, you don't count, as you SHOULD know why.
Officially dedicated to Storm, because she's just plain awesome and makes me stay on my pedestal, even though I want to get down.
Even Gedia could not help but smile as she stepped into the Great Hall. The room was decorated from top to bottom for Christmas. Ornaments sparkled on the impossibly huge evergreen tree, almost sickeningly festive music played from an unknown source, and glittering snowflakes drifted down from the ceiling.
Sucking on the last of the sugar quills her cousin Rosa had sent her, Gedia made her way over to the Slytherin table, which was occupied by only a fifth year and a second year that Gedia did not know.
It had been a good day, thus far. She had received all of her presents by owl, the best of them being what she wore now- a flowing dress robe that sparkled green when she moved. Mother had said that she had charmed the garment so that it adjusted its size as she grew. It was perfect, and she had been unable to resist wearing it right away.
She had opened all of her gifts while still in the hospital wing before sending the house elves to take everything to her room. She had not failed to notice that Snape received only one small package, a letter, and no snacks. Of course, she had not offered to share any of her candy with him, but had made a great show of biting the head off of a chocolate frog.
She smiled, ever so slightly, at Dumbledore, who raised his glass to her with an inquisitive lift of his eyebrow. Correctly interpreting his meaning, she nodded and mouthed 'thank you' to him before taking her seat.
The one thing she had not allowed the house elves to take was her gift from the headmaster. She had been right- she had needed her wand. After tapping the wand to the parchment, all she needed say was "I promise to not wander after hours," and instantly the words took effect. The parchment had turned to black and thousands of specks of white scattered across it, creeping slowly across the paper.
It had taken her but a moment to realize what the gift was. A Starchart. She had watched in awe as the pinpricks of white, each one representing a single star, moved and weaved across the parchment. In fact, she had stayed up half the night simply engrossed in the present. It was perfect, something she could not have even dreamt of possessing. She had only read of Starcharts, never seen one.
To end the enchantment, she simply tapped the paper again and said, "Promise kept." It had taken her a bit longer to figure that one out, but she had been determined to not let anyone else see her treasure, which was why it was now tucked safely away in her robes.
She swallowed the last speck of sweetness from her sugar quill, then reached for the large platter of crumpets on the table. After finishing it, she swallowed a mouthful of pumpkin juice before noticing that Severus had joined the table. He was purposefully sitting as far away from her as possible, which was perfectly fine with her. She avoided his gaze, which was currently observing her robes with undisguised disdain. It wasn't her fault that her family actually cared to send her gifts on Christmas.
Primly, she popped a large grape into her mouth and allowed her eyes to travel around the room. Over at the Gryffindor table, the Marauders were clustered close together, leaning over the table to whisper to one another. When they noticed Gedia looking at them, they instantly burst into laughter.
She rolled her eyes. Silly boys. She wanted nothing to do with any of them. It was amazing to her that women could stand to marry one of them. Perhaps when boys became men, they changed.
Chewing thoughtfully on another crumpet, she shook her head. She doubted it.
After Dumbledore's Christmas morning speech, Gedia stuffed several breakfast items into her pockets for later and stood to head back to Slytherin Hall. Unfortunately, Snape had the same idea. She had the great misfortune of meeting both him and Sirius Black in the hall outside.
Sirius, of course, looked delighted. "Look, it's the two infirmary infidels!" He smirked. "You two sure were in the hospital wing a long, long time. What were ya doing, eh?" Snape and Gedia both cast him warning glares, but he took not notice and began to chant loudly in a singsong voice, "Snape and Kacela, sitting on a cot, P-R-O-B-I-N-G..."
He was cut off abruptly as Gedia whipped out her wand and threw a curse at him. His lips were forcefully pulled together and held shut. His eyes bulged as she clutched at his throat, fighting for breath.
Gedia rolled her eyes. Gryffindors could be so thick. "Breathe through your nose, idiot." She started to walk away, but called back over her shoulder, "And mind what you say, or next time I may plug your nose as well."
As she walked away, a smug expression on her pretty face, she couldn't see Snape stare after her. A thoughtful expression somewhat smoothed the lines usually left by his scowl. But even if she had noticed, she would not have understood what it meant. Even the boy was unsure of the thoughts suddenly entering his head.
He frowned once more before stalking off in the opposite direction of Slytherin Hall. He didn't want to see that girl's face again for a very long time, not after the sheer amount of time they'd been forced to spend together. He would rather pull his own hair out. Or perhaps, he would pull hers. It would bring him infinitely much more pleasure, that was for sure.
* * *
Gedia was only too glad to return to the normalcy of classes. It gave her something to concentrate on, a thing to focus her energy into. Of course, she still had dratted Potions with Snape and the Marauders. She honestly didn't know which she wanted to destroy first.
That decision was mad quite simpler one night, in a way she never would have expected.
She was usually the first of the girls to retire at night, so it was not unusual to find the dungeon dorms shrouded in darkness. Usually, she didn't bother to turn on the light, as she much preferred the darkness. Tonight was no different.
And yet, something was different. Upon entering her dorm, she felt, rather than saw or heard, the intruder. Her senses were instantly on alert and she slid her wand down from her sleeve until it rested easily in her fingertips.
She brushed her hair away from her eyes and peered into the darkness. "Who is there?" she demanded fiercely, pointing her wand in the direction of the shadowy corners of the room.
Noiselessly, Severus Snape stepped forward. His black robes had blended in almost perfectly with the shadows. He pushed back his hood, revealing more of his sullen face. "I thought to pay you a visit."
She bristled, angered at his intrusion, her eyes sparkling dangerously. "Give me one reason not to seriously injure you, Snape."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "I have none."
The answer caught her off-guard and she lowered her wand. It was quite atypical- neither sarcastic nor insulting. She paused, staring at him, but found no more answers in his dark eyes. "What on earth are you here for, then?" He was certainly not the type who would just drop in on her for a little chat before bedtime. She couldn't imagine what sort of circumstances would have forced him here.
"We need to speak," he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why, by Merlin's beard, would I ever want to speak to..." she closed her eyes and mouth, cutting off her biting remark. He had been strangely civil thus far. She might as well do the same. "Then speak."
He ran a hand absently through his hair before allowing the strands to fall back down across his forehead. "I have been considering our situation the past few nights..."
"Our... situation?" she interrupted with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Yes." He tilted his head to the side slightly. "From my encounters with you in our classes, I assumed that you were intelligent enough to recognize our situation." Her bright eyes scanned his face for even the slightest sign of sarcasm, but he hid it well. "By that, I mean the tension that exists both between us and between ourselves and the so-called Marauders."
She was suspicious. What was he getting at? "Explain what, exactly, you want."
"I believe..." his voice dropped a few steps, "that it would be to our advantage if we," he paused again to clear his throat, "became friends."
Her eyes widened. "Are you completely out of your mind?" Perhaps breathing in fumes from potions had finally begun to affect him.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, an amused expression on his face. "Actually, no."
"Then why would you suggest that we become friends, of all things?"
"Well, the Muggles have an expression... how does it go...? If you cannot beat them, then you must join them...? I believe that by adhering to this phrase, we can deal more effectively with our problem of the Marauders."
"If you are suggesting that we join the Marauders...!"
"Of course not!"
"Then what are you talking about?!"
He sighed. "There is no reason to raise your voice, Kacela. Can we not discuss something without attempting to kill or deafen each other?"
"I doubt it," she muttered, but he ignored her.
"I do not wish to join the Marauders. The very idea is idiotic. They are not the ones we cannot beat. It is each other that we cannot beat. Do you understand?" She nodded slowly. He was finally starting to make sense. "It is quite clear that we both dislike the Marauders. They are childish pranksters that must be dealt with. Now, few wish to become involved, for fear that they will end up like we have become- the objects of their torture. Which leaves us."
"Us," she repeated, lost once again.
"Separately, we cannot do much in revenge, as we are also involved in our own disagreements with each other. But, if we ceased our private fight..." he trailed off, studying her face to see if she had finally caught his drift.
She had. She gawked at him for a moment before regaining her composure. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're bloody brilliant for being such a self-righteous git."
He gave her a look that was less than amused. "Don't worry. I shall try not to let the compliment go to my head."
"Good. I don't think you could afford to let your head get any bigger."
"Look who's talking, Miss Queen of Astrology," he shot back, girlishly tossing his hair over his shoulder and adopting a high, nasally voice. "Oh, Professor Rigsbee, I know the answer! Really, you should ask a more difficult question than 'How many stars are currently in existence?' I counted them personally last night!"
He grip on her wand tightened slightly. "Shut up, you."
"Really, Gedia." Hearing him say her first name slightly took her by surprise. He had always called her 'Kacela' up till now. "What did you used to do when you snuck off at night?"
She stared at him. "How the hell do you know?"
"Do you honestly think that you're the only one who leaves their dorm at night? Think again. The night we ran into each other was not the first time I saw you out. What do you do out there?"
She blushed, despite her desperate attempts not to, and hoped that the darkness would hide the fact. "Countthestars," she mumbled, preparing herself for his worst.
But to her surprise, he did not laugh or mock. As if he hadn't heard her, he turned away. "I'll send a note with Rasputin when I wish to speak again."
He was almost to the door when she spoke. "No sarcasm, Snape?"
"Save it for the Marauders, Kacela."
"So what? We're just going to be... nice... to each other?" The thought struck her as being almost... wrong. Being nice to him was practically against her morals.
"Well, I'm certainly not going to start holding doors open for you, if that's what you've in mind." With that, he left the room, the heavy door banging shut behind him.
Gedia sunk down onto her bed without bothering to change. She would not get much sleep that night anyway. She had far too much to think about.
* * *
True to his word, Snape did not hold open any doors for her. Nor did he offer to help her in Potions. However, he did cease his gloating around her. And that was close enough to friendship for Gedia.
And as for the Marauders, they had laid off the two Slytherins for a bit after Gedia's threat of suffocating Black. But she knew it would not last, as did Snape. So she wasn't surprised when a dark brown owl with a viciously hooked beak fluttered up to her while she was sitting outside several days after her conversation with Snape. She had no doubt that the owl was Snape's Rasputin. Who else would own such a hideously sinister bird?
After unwrapping the parchment from his leg, she offered the owl a few crumbs of a muffin left over from breakfast. He snatched at them, nearly biting her fingers off, before flying off with a squawk.
"Nasty bird." She unfolded the note and read, "Revenge will be brewed tonight. All things brew best in Potions Class. -SS." She blinked. What was with people and coded messages? Honestly.
Still, she had understood the message. Snape wanted her to meet him tonight in the Potions classroom to plan their revenge. Gathering her robes about her, she made her way back inside. The sun was about to set anyway.
After the rest of her dorm was asleep, Gedia slid open the curtains around her bed and emerged, still fully dressed. She carried her shoes as she crept barefoot to the door and up the stairs to the Common Room. Outside, she knelt to put on her books before sliding through the shadows to the designated classroom.
Snape was already waiting, bent over a boiling concoction he was stirring in a cauldron. When she entered, he glanced up for a brief moment to ascertain that it was she before announcing, "You are late."
She looked over his shoulder into the cauldron. "Unless I am mistaken, which I rarely am, you did not specify a time."
He didn't answer, but she was used to that. Instead, he dipped a large spoon into the mixture and held it up to her. "Smell this, but do not let it contact your skin." She did so, and instantly began giggling softly. She clamped a hand over her mouth as Severus broke out in his seldom-seen smile. "Perfect."
"What is it?" she inquired. Her giggles had faded, but she was still unable to suppress the smile that stretched across her face.
"A Hilarius Potion."
"Haven't heard of it." Of course he had, since Snape seemed to know every Potion known to mankind.
"I suppose you can guess its effects, though."
She nodded. "It must be strong." After all, she had only smelled it and it had taken affect on her.
The wicked glint in his eyes was enough of an answer. "Very."
She smiled in return. "So what's the plan?"
* * *
The next day, Severus and Gedia left for breakfast, armed with vials of the orange liquid tucked inside the sleeves of their robes. For the first time since the Sorting Ceremony, the two sat relatively close to each other, close enough to easily make eye contact.
There was a reason for this. After a subtle nod from her partner-in-crime, Gedia directed her wand towards the breakfasting Marauders and whispered a spell. A split-second later, she heard a crash as the Marauders' dishes clattered and broke on the floor. They let out cries of surprise and anger, and Gedia looked over to see them glaring accusingly at the Slytherin table.
After Dumbledore performed a quick Reparo on the dishes and restored order, the four Gryffindors stood and approached the Slytherin end of the room. Peter and James stood behind Gedia, while Remus and Sirius surrounded Snape.
"Alright," said Black. "Which one of you slimy gits did that?"
"What?" asked Gedia sweetly, reaching to pour herself more pumpkin juice. As she did so, she slid the vial into the palm of her hand and let several drops fall into the drink. She picked up the goblet, poised as if to drink.
Peter took the bait.
He snatched away the goblet. "You know what."
"I have nothing to do with you klutziness."
"What about you, Snape?" sneered Black. "Did a little spell escape your ugly lips?"
"Certainly not. As much as I hate to admit it, Kacela is right. You are all simply bloody klutzes."
"Why, you..." Sirius lunged forward and Snape dodged expertly to the side, swinging out his arm so that his goblet of juice splashed onto Remus and Sirius. At the same time, he let a good amount of Hilarius get on their robes as well.
Predictably, the two began to brush at their robes, trying to get the juice off. But when they didn't instantly break into laughter, Gedia shot a look at Snape. Was it not working? He didn't seem worried.
She glanced up at Peter, who was still holding her goblet. "Could I have that back before you spill it?"
He glared at her. "Sure." And with that he promptly began to chug the contents of the goblet. He set down the empty cup with a bang and wiped his mouth with the back of a pudgy hand.
James smiled. "Come on, guys. We don't want to hang around here any longer."
"Yeah," growled Sirius. "The sliminess might rub off."
Peter and James rounded the table and the four started to walk off. That was when Gedia realized that neither of them had gotten James.
But James took care of that himself. He paused to brush at Remus' robes to get a bit more of the juice off his friend.
Gedia's eyes met Snape's and she suddenly felt as if she had taken Hilarius, because she could hardly repress the laughter that bubbled to her lips. Abruptly, she stood and left the table. Snape followed her.
"Will it work?" she asked once they were out in the hall.
"Of course it will. I merely added a Time-Release ingredient to delay the effects. That way the source would not be as traceable. It should start working in about fifteen minutes."
Gedia shook her head. She had to admit it, Snape was brilliant. "Perfect."
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, they were already beginning Potions. Gedia had to keep herself from continually looking over at where the four sat. Instead, she focused on the instructions being given.
Then, she heard a low giggle. The Potions professor glanced up sharply. "Something funny, Mr. Pettigrew?" The boy shook his fat head furiously as he nearly doubled over in laughter. Remus and Sirius were staring curiously at their friend, but moments later they too began to laugh. Gedia wanted to treasure the looks on their faces forever. It was a mixture of shock and hilarity.
Professor Defoe tapped his foot. "Gentlemen, unless you would like to share with the class what is so obviously amusing to you, I severely recommend that you gain control of yourselves." He turned to James. "Potter, can you possibly explain your cohorts' behavior?"
"No, Professor, I-" He was cut off as his own laughter was added to his friends'. Sirius was now rolling on the floor, Peter was shaking, and Remus was clutching his sides.
Gedia pressed a hand to her mouth to hide the smile that threatened to give her away, and she noticed Snape biting his lip in an effort to maintain his cool composure.
Though several other students were smiling bemusedly, Professor Defoe was not amused. "Outside, gentlemen, NOW. And twenty points from Gryffindor for disrupting my class... each."
Shocked looks crossed the faces of the Gryffindors, particularly the Marauders, while grins broke out among the Slytherins. Still, their laughter continued even as they exited into the hall, their hands clasped in vain over their mouths. The Professor followed them, slamming the door behind him.
Instantly, the Slytherin side of the room began to mock and taunt the Gryffindor side. Eighty points from Gryffindor! It was marvelous! In the midst of it all, Gedia leaned over her table so that Snape, who sat in front of her, could hear as she whispered to him.
"I think, Severus," she began, practically beaming with their definite success, "that this is going to be the beginning of a wonderful friendship."
He turned in his seat to face her, raising an eyebrow. "Friendship?"
She nodded with a soft smile. "Friendship."
END
Author's Note: Well, there it is, the very first story of Gedia and Snape. I greatly enjoyed writing this, and hope that whoever reads it enjoys it equally as much. Be looking out for the next story. My muse is in love with Snape, so you'll be seeing a lot more of him. Go on, you know you like it. ;-)
Fifty points to the house of the person who can tell me where I got the name Rasputin from. Storm and Cami, you don't count, as you SHOULD know why.
Officially dedicated to Storm, because she's just plain awesome and makes me stay on my pedestal, even though I want to get down.
