A/N: Welcome to chapter 3 of Beneath the Exterior, sorry it took me so long to write it. Darn Writer's block! Any who, please leave a review! - MOTH
Chapter 3
Annette was nervous. So nervous that her hands were shaking, she hated this. It felt like there was a bomb ready to explode in the pit of her stomach. She would rather be buried wrist deep in potting soil, rather than waiting like a skittish rabbit for the results on her essay. She decided to try deep breathing exercises, but that only made her choke on the scent of unclean cauldrons and potion ingredients. She fiddled with her black and white strip tie, as Professor Slughorn handed her, her essay, face down, so the fellow Hogwarts student next to her would not see her score. Braving herself for the worst, she unrolled the scroll, gingerly and slowly. When she looked at her score, she sighed in relief.
An acceptable was written at top, along with fast scribbled note from Professor Slughorn, you are improving, study and practice is key. Annette smiled as she tucked the parchment into satchel and buckled it closed, so the rest of her books would not fall out. She would have to go the owlery and send letter to her parents later. She also probably pick out something for Severus as a thank-you gift, it was thanks to him that she was improving in the first place.
The bell tolled as the students merged into the crowds of their peers, either heading to their next class or going to enjoy their break. The Hufflepuff fifth year unlatched her satchel and dug around for her timetable. Right after Potions was Muggle Studies. Annette wanted to groan in frustration, learning about light bulbs and electricity was not exactly her type of fun, but at least the Professor was decent. She tucked her Muggle Studies textbook under her arm and made her way to the classroom, nearly bumping into the prefect of her House and best friend Jenna.
The redhead seemed flustered, she was heaving for air as grasped at her Prefect badge. "Remind me, why we decided to sign up for Muggle Studies again?" Her satchel looked about ready to fall apart.
"Because we did not want to die trying to take Study of Ancient Runes." Annette reminded her, as they made to their class, just in time. They snagged a table in the back, and unloaded a piece of parchment, quill, and a bottle of ink.
"What other class did you chose besides Muggle Studies?" Annette asked, as they waited for their professor.
Jenna smiled, "Divination. It sounded so wicked, I couldn't help myself but sign up for it."
Annette shook her head in amusement, if she had taken Divination, she would probably give somebody a bad fortune or worse send them to the infirmary. Professor Daphne Rucker entered; the room suddenly fell dead silent. The professor had dark black hair, and silver eyes, and she was wearing midnight blue robes. She tapped her wand on the board, as today's lesson began to show up on the green surface. The Function of a Telephone. Jenna and Annette began to scribble down notes, as Professor Rucker explained how the device worked. Annette flexed out her fingers, as they cracked in satisfaction, releasing the tension she had in them after writing notes for so long. She then scrambled to dig out her assignment journal and wrote down: For Next Class, An Essay About How Telephones Would Change the Magical World. Annette then dug her timetable out once more, and saw that she had a break coming up right after this class, it would be a perfect opportunity for her to thank Severus, after that she would have to hurry off to Care of Magical Creatures.
Jenna disappeared from Annette's side, in order to break up of a fight between two Ravenclaw girls. Annette crossed her fingers and showed them to Jenna as a sign of good luck, as the Prefect nodded in thanks and then continued to yell at the misbehaving first-year Ravenclaws. The Hufflepuff quickly knotted copper brown hair into a bun in order to be prepared for Care of Magical Creatures. But first, she dug out a small leather purse, the string pulled tight. Inside were Ashwinder eggs, they were not that difficult to find, she had found them in the ashes of the kitchen fireplace, since one of the House-Elves had been careless and had not taken care of the fire properly.
Annette searched the Great Hall fist for the Slytherin Fifth-Year, and then the library, but did not see him either of those places. Sighing, Annette snuggled into her black and yellow stripped scarf and pulled on her gloves, it looked like she would once again be facing the cold of the dungeons. She hated dark and cold places, but if this was going to be the only place where she was going to find him, then she would just have to get over her fears. Swallowing down a lump of nervousness, she made her way down the stairs and to Potions classroom, she had been in previously. She waited outside the door for a moment, to make sure that Professor Slughorn was not giving a lecture. The room was silent as a cemetery; Annette grabbed the knob on the door, and pulled it open, peeking her head inside.
Sitting alone in the front row was Severus Snape. His greasy-looking black hair was sweeping across a roll of parchment, his face scrunched up in concentration. His black eyes entirely immersed in his task. Annette slowly approached him, and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. Severus looked over his shoulder, and scowled at Annette at first, before his expression softened slightly.
"I-I got an Acceptable on my essay…" She said through stutters of nervousness.
Severus raised an eyebrow at her news, "Am I supposed to give you standing ovation?" To him getting an Acceptable was not exactly something to be excited about.
The Hufflepuff girl shook her head, her drab green eyes now filled with hurt at Severus's statement, "No, I just wanted to give you these as a thank-you." She placed the leather purse into the Slytherin's hand, and left the room before he could say anything else.
Severus sighed, and opened up the satchel. Ashwinder eggs rolled onto the table, and Severus could only sigh at his own idiocy. He did not mean to be rude to Annette, but he was never good at talking to girls. The only woman, who gave him gifts, was his mother. He did not thinking forming bonds with other people was necessary to live. Accept for Lily that is, he had helped her learn about the Magical World without having to be asked. Speaking of Lily maybe he could find her, and ask her why Annette had gone to such lengths to give him a gift. Then he would find Annette and apologize for his rudeness. Hopefully she would still need him to tutor her in Potions.