Chapter 6: Knowing Neville
He took a point from Gryffindor for Harry's cheek, then told us we were to get into pairs and was going to make a simple potion to cure boils. I was sitting alone at a table, so I got out my scales and book, deciding to work on my own instead of making a fuss about not having a partner. I started working quickly and silently, hoping to just blend in and make a decent potion for the grade.
It was done; I stirred it one last time and then sat down on my seat with a book from the library. "And what are you doing?" his cold voice made me jump and I saw some people turn to look at me. I looked up at him, sitting my book down and mumbled, "I finished it sir." "What? Don't mumble girl." He snapped and I saw almost everyone was staring at us now.
I felt my rage building in my chest, I didn't have to listen to him, he wasn't as good as me, I was more powerful, I could hurt him, I could kill him. I jumped up quickly, staring back into those dark eyes and smirked. "I said I'm done with my potion. It's finished, so I got a book and started to read since you gave no more directions. What was I supposed to do Professor?" I heard some people snigger and say things like oh.
He stared at me for a moment and I blinked for a minute, then gasped and sat back down. "I'm sorry." I whispered and he looked at my potion. "Very good, a point for Gryffindor." He said with a sneer, and then added, "And five points for your smart mouth, see me after class Miss Chesmino." Then he turned and walked toward the blond boy named Draco from the train.
I poured my potion into a flask and sat down with my book, covering my face with it so I couldn't see the people glancing at me from around the room. I heard him complimenting Draco, then green smoke was everywhere and Neville's body started to grow boils all over. A boy named Seamus took him out to the hospital wing and Snape rounded on Harry and Ron.
He took another point from Gryffindor and when Harry went to say something, Ron kicked him under the table. When the class was finished, we were told to give a sample to Professor Snape and then were dismissed. I tried to hurry out before Harry or anyone could catch up, but remembered I was told to see him after class.
"Ah, Aethna Chesmino, what happened during class today?" he asked as soon as everyone else was gone. "I'm sorry Professor, it has never happened before." I said and then shook my head, it had happened before, a lot. "I don't like to be lied to." "I'm sorry; I meant to say that it won't happen again." "You better hope it doesn't." he said and stood up, holding my potion in his hand.
"You bought your potions book?" I nodded, not trusting myself to speak again. "You followed the directions right?" "Mostly." "Mostly?" I didn't answer. "Well Miss Chesmino?" he walked around, his eyes on me. "I didn't put the quills in right after I removed the cauldron from the fire, as the directions say." "Did you forget?" "No sir, I had a feeling that I should let it cool a bit, then add them, then let it cool some more before putting it back on the fire." I explained and waited to hear him take more points from my house.
Finally he spoke, "Acting on instinct is dangerous Miss Chesmino, but it worked this time." I looked up at him and saw he looked normal, not upset, not happy or impressed, just normal. "I'm used to acting on my instincts Professor." I said and met his eyes again, before looking back at my feet.
"You made the potion more affected, that's why you earned a point, and you may go." I nodded and threw my bag over my head and onto my shoulder. I was opening the door when he spoke again, his voice carried across the room. "I would keep your emotions in check before something bad happens." I got a cold chill and then hurried out and up to the great hall before pausing.
I saw Harry and Ron leaving and heading toward the hut next to the forest, and then I jumped when someone touched my shoulder. "She gets scared easily doesn't she?" "That she does, maybe they weren't talking about her." "What other Aethna do we have at this school?" I turned, holding my chest to see those twins called Fred and George. "What?" I breathed, and they smiled at me.
"Is it true you stood up to Snape?" "Like got up in his face and everything?" I felt my face go red and took a step away from them. "I have to go, I'm sorry." I mumbled and then took off up the stairs. I slowed down once I was half way back to the common room, took off my robe because I was sweating and then saw Neville sitting in front of the fat lady picture. "Neville?" I asked when I reached the frame and he hopped up, seeming happier I was there.
"I forgot the password and she won't let me in." "Oh." I said and gave the password and we walked in. I was just about to go to my room when he spoke again. "You were really brave today, I see why the hat put you in this house." I turned to him, we were alone in the common room, and everyone was at lunch. "I felt terrible for doing it, it was wrong of me. I lost control." I mumbled and his smile faded.
"Lost control? Of what?" I snapped my head up and shook it. "Nothing at all, I mean I can have a temper, and I lost control of it on a teacher and lost us more points, in the first week of school." I said in a rush and sank onto the couch, he sat beside me. "It's alright, we can get them back." "Did it hurt? The boils?" he nodded and gestured to his arms. "Madam Pomfrey got me cleared up, and then gave me some sandwiches, so I wasn't hungry. I got up here and couldn't remember my password, and then you came along." I looked up at him and smiled the best I could.
"Want to work on some homework?" he asked and I shrugged. We got settled with our work around us and I found I was good at Transfiguration, and that Neville wasn't. I helped him with his essay, which he thanked me repeatedly. We got through that, plus History of Magic, which took longer because it was tiring and we kept getting names mixed up.
We got through Herbology and I even noticed Neville seemed to brighten a bit. Once we got through that, we were finished and sat back against the couch, rubbing our eyes from staring at the pages for so long. "I know I'm terrible at everything, everyone thought I was a Squib for the longest time. I believed it for a while to." "You aren't terrible at everything Neville, you just learn differently."
He glanced over at me and I saw his cheek turn pink. "You're good at almost everything." "That's not true, I'm just as bad as anyone except Hermione in History of Magic, plus Herbology was kinda confusing with the different uses for different plants." I said and we started putting up our stuff. I stood up and stretched, and then Neville gave a tiny gasp. "What happened to your back?"