Bah! I'm way friggin' sorry this took so long! I hope there are still some of you out there that are interested in this fic! I've been in SUCH a slump the past few months. Depression has been kicking my ass and taking my name on pretty much a daily basis, but I managed to get my shit together and finish Chapter 3! Even with a terrible cold! Go me! I'm going to seriously get on this :) I apologize in advance if this chapter is a little meh... I thought I'd have to wait and use this one as #4, but I ended up just switching up some things to get it published. I hope you like it, if even a little bit XD Reviews are always appreciated.
Ronan had stormed off without a word after they had received their class schedules. Briony and Lina had simply shrugged it off, and assumed he'd be past his little tantrum in time for Defense Against The Dark Arts.
While Briony was in Herbology, Lina was in Ancient Runes. Oh, it was torturous. They were expected to read several thick books, finish two translations, and write a fifteen-inch essay by Wednesday. Lina was already overwhelmed, and it was only the first day of term. Hopefully Snape would be lenient on their first day, but something told Lina that would not be her reality.
Briony was attempting to fit all the books neatly into Lina's leopard print messenger bag before Defense Against the ark Arts started. Lina, on the other hand, was trying to shove all her books in with total disregard. She didn't want to bother keeping the books neat, just so long as they managed to stay in the bag. Sitting behind the girls and next to Ronan was Geoffery Livingstone, a fellow sixth-year Slytherin, who was trying to assist the two girls. Ronan simply slumped in his chair with his arms folded over his chest. He hadn't said a word to either Lina or Briony since his little skirmish with Malfoy.
"No, put that one in first!" Geoffery laughed, as Lina's and Briony's books collided.
"You're not helping, you twit!" Briony grunted.
Lina couldn't help but laugh. It would have been an easier task if the room was brighter. Snape had curtains drawn over the windows, and candles were their only light source. He had, in fact, redecorated the entire room. There were now pictures of people with any number of afflictions adorning the walls.
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley looked around wearily as they entered the room. Obviously, they had noticed the new decorations. Lina laughed softly to herself as she looked upon the three startled Gryffindors.
Everyone in the room began to quiet down, then there was complete silence.
Snape stepped into the room, and began to close the door behind him.
"I have not asked you to take out your books," he said as he moved to face the class from behind his desk.
Lina glanced around her, to see whom Snape was addressing. Hermione Granger quickly dropped her book back into her bag, which she proceeded to shove under her chair. Snape continued, "I wish to speak to you, and I want your full attention..." His smoldering eyes began scanning the room, "You have had five teachers in this subject so far, correct? Of course," he paused "these teachers will all have had their own teaching methods and priorities. Given this confusion I am surprised that so many of you scraped an O.W.L. in this subject..." Lina smirked at the thought of her 'Outstanding' O.W.L. score.
"I will be even more surprised if all of you manage to keep up with the N.E.W.T. work, which will be much, much more difficult."
'No problem,' Lina thought. How hard could it possibly be?
Snape moved from behind his desk and began to slink around the room, speaking in a lower voice than before. "The Dark Arts," he said cooly, "are a many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal. Fighting with them is like battling a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before."
Lina giggled at the reference to the Hydra. Luckily, Snape was near the back of the classroom. Hercules, she found, was quite an amusing tale, though she thoroughly enjoyed all genres mythology.
"Therefor, your defenses must be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. These pictures," he brought attention to the new additions to the room as he circled back to the front, "give a fairly accurate representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse." He indicated a portrait of a witch silently shrieking in agony.
Snape went on to the next picture, "Feel the Dementor's Kiss..." He pointed toward a portrait of an inert wizard against a wall; his lifeless eyes staring out into the room.
"Or," he paused, "provoke the aggression of the Inferius." The last picture was that of a large bloody concretion upon the ground.
Several girls, including Briony, found the picture to be positively repulsive, and protested at the sight of it. Lina stared at the picture, studying it and trying to decipher what it was, exactly, that she was looking at. She couldn't specifically identify any body parts. It was simply a mound of bloody flesh.
Pavarti Patil continued on the subject, and began asking about the Inferius.
Snape answered her questions with ease and set off on the other side of the room, making his way toward his desk at the front.
He asked the class about their skill with nonverbal spells. "Enlighten me... What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell?"
Hermione, of course, was the only one to answer. Her hand was left exposed to the chill air of the dark room while Snape took his time to look at the rest of the students, but no one else volunteered.
Lina spoke softly, "Your opponent has no warning..."
His eyes lingered on Lina, whom responded with a small, crooked smile and flushed cheeks.
He cleared his throat before saying curtly, "Very well... Miss Granger, would you care to explain?"
Hermione spoke in a very matter-of-fact tone, something which had always irritated Lina beyond belief, "Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform, which gives you an advantage."
Snape sneered at the girl, "An answer almost copied word for word from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six." Hermione Flushed and began to anxiously chew on her lip.
A multitude of Slytherins, including Lina, snorted.
"Yes, those who progress to using magic without shouting incantations gain an element of surprise in their spell casting. Not everyone can do this, of course... It is a question of concentration and mind power which some..." Snape paused and maliciously glared at Harry Potter, with Weasley squirming in his seat next to the boy, "lack." Snape then instructed that the students would divide into pairs, and then attempt to silently jinx each other.
Lina and Briony were staring each other down; attempting to psych the other out. They both successfully blocked the jinxes with ease. Both girls had received previous lessons on nonverbal spells, thanks to Lina's father. He was, let's say, less than enthused about the lack of spells they were being taught at school, so he decided to give them an advantage over their fellow classmates.
Snape wandered between the pairs of students, scoffing at their failed attempts. He stopped at Lina and Briony, watching them both successfully shield themselves without muttering a single word.
"Well done, Miss Vourdalak," Briony smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.
Snape then turned to Lina. His warm chocolate eyes turned a shade darker as he looked at her, "And you, Miss Grindemyr, well done."
Lina bit down on the inside of her cheek. They made eye contact once more, and it seemed his eyes grew even darker with their lingering gazes.
He looked her over once before moving on to the next pair, which subsequently, was Potter and Weasley. The red headed boy's face was growing purple as he tried to refrain from muttering his incantations. Snape eventually stepped in and quickly turned his wand on Harry, who responded by yelling "Protego!"
Snape was knocked off-balance, and hit a desk behind him. Everyone, including Lina, stared in bewilderment at the scene. Snape scowled and asked Potter if he remembered that everyone was practicing nonverbal spells. Potter responded, but greatly insulted Snape while doing so. Several people around them gasped. Both Draco and Blaise tried to contain their sniggering. Harry was immediately assigned a detention for Saturday.
Snape dismissed class early this particular day. No one spoke as they gathered their things and left the classroom. Once in the hallway, you could hear them gossiping excitedly about what had just taken place between Professor Snape and Potter. Briony and Ronan were waiting at the door for Lina, who was slinging her leopard print messenger bag over her shoulder as she pushed her chair into her desk. She walked up the aisle, and came upon Snape at is desk. His elbows were resting on the tabletop, and he was rubbing his temples. Lina cleared her throat as she paused in front of him.
"Um, Sir?" she asked meekly.
Snape looked up at her reluctantly. "What is it, Miss Grindemyr?"
Lina nervously reached around the back of her neck and brushed all her curls to her right shoulder and sheepishly said "Have a pleasant day..."
She quickly walked to the door and pushed her friends out into the hall. Briony began her high-pitched interrogation right outside the door. Snape could hear Lina defensively raise her voice and say "It's none of your concern! I just feel bad that Potter had the gall to pull a stunt like that on him. He didn't do anything to deserve that, now did he?"
Snape sat at his desk, listening to the Caramel haired girl speak so benevolently of him, and a smile slowly crept across his face.