A/N: oh my gosh two weeks! I am so sorry for the long update, life got in the way and there is no excuse. I have been meaning to update for days now.
so apologies out of the way here is your chapter, hope you love it. Read and review please!
Chapter 9 Clashing of Snakes and Lions
The odd group left the shop shortly after that, Emma made sure that in addition to getting her wand she also purchased two wand hostlers for the arm.
Neville seeing what she was getting thought it a brilliant idea and with his Gran agreeing, got one also.
The hostlers were fairly nice and made of a soft leather that wouldn't chaff on the arm. It was made to go on the opposite side of your wand arm, strapped to one's forearm and made for easy wand withdrawal. They were also charmed so that one's wand would not fall out when placed there.
Neville ended up getting a dark red, almost mahogany colored holster that his Gran praised him for picking. Apparently his father had owned one similar to that when growing up. Emma could see how strong an influence Frank Longbottom had on his mother's decisions.
Emma got herself a dark green and a black holster. When asked why see needed two she replied that it was a present for a friend. The second one was a bit higher end then the simple ones they had already gotten.
The black hostler would let no one but the owner, remove the wand, spell or otherwise. And was resistant to quite a few spells and would not damage easy. Emma only said that she had an accident prone friend that could do with this kind of gift. Snape just scoffed when he heard her answer knowing perfectly well who she was getting the holster for.
After leaving the shop Snape turned to Emma and told her that he needed to make that trip to the apothecary on Knockturn Alley. "If you could just find somewhere to stay until I get back I would appreciate that."
"No problem, I was thinking either ice cream or Florish and Blotts. I would love to see what kind of books they have."
"Very well, here are a few coins, if you find something that interests you get it." Snape said handing her some money.
"Gran, we aren't leaving soon are we?" Neville asked.
"No I was planning on visiting a few other shops why?"
"Well I assume Emma doesn't know her way around the alley, I figured I could show her around and stay with her?" Neville asked hesitantly, Augusta nodded her head and told Neville that was fine.
"See that you do Longbottom. I won't be long." Snape said before turning with a swish of his cloak and vanishing down Knockturn Alley. Augusta left right after him leaving Emma and Neville by themselves.
"Come on Florish and Blotts is this way." Neville said pointing own the street. They walked down the street in companionable silence.
"Hey Emma, how is Professor Lupin?"
"Oh, he's great, I was with an old friend of his and we contacted him. They are currently getting reconnected right now."
"Really why?"
"oh it's been twelve years since they last saw each other and they wanted some alone time together."
"This another guy right? Are they together, together? You kind of made it seem that way."
"Is that looked down in the wizarding world? I wasn't too sure of how people felt."
"Not really, it's certainly more accepted in wizarding society than muggle from what I know. It's just not that common but it does happen. Wizards generally don't hide that sort of thing though."
"Really that's good to know than, I wasn't sure. Yes they are together, they needed some time alone and to talk some, that's why Remus asked Severus to take me here today."
Neville looked uncomfortable for a minute, "Why Professor Snape though? During the school year it seemed like they hated each other."
"does it bother you that I keep calling him Severus?" Emma asked giving Neville a searching look. Neville nodded slightly.
"You don't have to stop if you don't want to, it's just weird thinking of him as someone different than a professor. I mean I realized that he has a life outside of school. It's just he's Professor Snape, you know." Neville confessed.
"It's ok, I don't mind referring to him as Professor Snape if it makes you more comfortable. As for why he chose the professor it was just more convenient." Emma said as they walked into Florish and Blotts.
They browsed the shelves for a few minutes before Emma picked out a potions book she had seen at Grimmauld place the other day.
"Hey Neville, I think this book could really help you in potions, Remus told me how it wasn't your best subject."
"Potions!?"
"Yeah, it's a side book that goes over why certain things are done in potions like the number of times you stir the potion, or why certain ingredients need to be prepared a certain way."
"Really you think it will help in potions?" Neville asked intrigued.
"Yeah, Professor Snape told me that it was a really good book for beginner's potions to go over to better understand. It also has some potions techniques in there also."
"If he thinks it's such a good book to know why doesn't he have it required for all his beginning potions classes?" Neville asked leafing through the book.
"Don't know I can mention it though."
"Do that why don't you, and thanks I think I might get this. I think it will help, I never had a really good understanding of the basics to begin with."
"Sure, oh and look at this one. It compares the ingredients used in Potions with Herbology plants."
"It does?" Neville asked looking at the book Emma was holding.
"Looks like it. I heard you are good in Herbology, why don't you get this one also maybe it will help to. If you can think of Potions like an extension of Herbology than you might do better."
"Wow I never thought of it like that. Although I tend to not think about potions too much. I can never focus very well in that class."
"Its fine, Snape is a bit overbearing and Potions is not for everyone."
"What's this Longbottom's talking about potions?!" A voice intruded upon them. Neville groaned when he recognized the voice and they both turned to look at the newcomer.
Standing behind them were two other boys, dark skin contrasted with pale skin as the two looked at Neville and Emma. Pale skin and platinum blond hair and a sneer that seemed etched into his face stood one boy. Tall and dark skinned, the other boy leaned up against the bookcase silent but haughty. It was not hard for Emma to guess who these new additions were.
"Malfoy, what do you want." Neville asked with only a slight waver of his voice. Emma was proud of him for not sounding to scared of the other at the moment.
"Just wondering what the worst student in our year could be doing getting a potions book."
"It's none of your business…" Neville started to say before Malfoy grabbed the book from Neville's hand. "Hey!"
"Look at this Blaise, Beginners Help to Potions Making and Explanations. I knew you were bad Longbottom, but really this isn't even first year material." Malfoy sneered, Zabini didn't say anything and just nodded his head. He was clearly board with the situation.
"Give him back his book Malfoy." Emma said calmly. Malfoy looked at her noticing her for the first time.
"What's this your girlfriend? Isn't she a bit old for you?" Malfoy commented.
"Haven't you used that insult before already on someone else. Can't come up with any better material or are all your insults the same?"
"You don't even know him; how can you say something like that to him?" Zabini asked coming forward.
"I don't have to know him to know that he's used that before. Besides I think I know plenty about him at the moment."
"Yeah how's that?" Malfoy sneered. "Bet you don't even know our names, only reason you know mine is because Longbottom said it earlier."
"Oh yeah? Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini." Emma said pointing to each. "Both Slytherin, and soon to be forth years. Some of the brighter students of your year, especially in potions. Draco is the self-proclaimed Prince of Slytherin and a pompous arrogant brat who if you displease him will go running to his father to complain and has been slapped I believe by a girl before. You have two friends Crabbe and Goyle who are more like your bodyguards the way they flank you constantly at school. Blaise here is an aloof member of your house and highly vain. Whose mother makes her way through husbands rather quickly. I predict by the time you reach your sixth year that she will have gone through seven, all whom will have suffered mysterious deaths and your mother left to collect the gold."
By the time she was finished both boys were clearly angry, Malfoy more so because she had said more about him than Blaise. Although while Malfoy was clearly angry, Blaise seemed to be both angry and a little thoughtful.
"How dare you! When I—"
"What you'll tell your father on me. Fat load of good that will do you. It's not like I said anything wrong right?" Emma said challengingly.
"Draco!"
"Emma!"
Two figures emerged looking at the gathering of teens. Emma gulped at seeing Snape. Looking at the other person she was surprised to see Narcissa Malfoy nee Black.
"Sev, hey back from getting your ingredients?" Emma said nervously.
"You're lucky you're not under my care at the moment." He said with a glare.
"Sorry Severus."
"What's going on here?" Narcissa inquired looking at Malfoy.
"She just started insulting me!" He said indignantly before throwing a smirk her way. Unfortunately, Snape saw it as well and gave the other boy a look.
"I did nothing of the sort. All I said was some of the information I knew about him and Mr. Zabini over there." Snape gave her a look saying he clearly didn't believe that was all of it. "Fine I may have used some more … imaginative words to describe Draco but that was it."
"Gather your things. Longbottom your grandmother is waiting outside, I suggest you purchase your books and leave." Snape said before striding off. Neville ran off to check out his books and get away from the awkwardness.
"Sev wait, I got a book also!" Emma said calling out after the retreating man. He stopped and looked at the book she was holding out.
"Animagi?" he said looking at her. "You have been spending far too much time with that mutt. You do realize how complicated this process is? Before you even get to that point you need to catch up with your other studies."
"Fine, but as soon as you get me up to at least year three course work, they began the process at least around that time!"
"You have no idea if you are even up to their level or not. How soon do you expect to achieve something like this?"
"By the time we get to fifth year studies. Besides I will have help with it, not like I would be going into the process blind." Emma protested.
"Fine but I will not be responsible for this, and not until third year courses." Severus consented.
"But they started their second year!" Emma whined but went quite at the look Snape was giving her. "Or at least I think it was their second year." She mumbled and looked away.
Catching sight of the two Malfoys and Blaise who were still there by the book stacks where they had left them, Emma waved cheekily and smiled glancing at Draco. Seeing her look at him Draco scowled and stalked off further into the store shortly followed by Blaise and his mother who was shooting questioning looks between her and her son.
Going up to pay for the books Emma waited patiently while the cashier rang up her purchases. She paid no mind to the weird looks he was giving her over her choice in reading material.
"Just a reference, I was curious about the subject." Emma said with a smile.
After they were finished Snape ushered her out quickly and lead them back to the Leaky Cauldron. Leaving the pub they made their way to the apperation point for him to drop her off.
Appearing on the street near Grimmauld Place Emma stilled for a moment, wizarding travel did not agree with her in any of the forms she had traveled so far. Taking a look around Snape handed her books to her.
"Here take these and go inside. I have some things to take care of. I will be back tomorrow to read that blasted book of yours."
"Book?" Emma paled as she remembered what the man was talking about. She had given the book with Harry's first 3 years to Sirius and Remus to read as they left. "How long have we been gone?"
Emma looked at Snape pleadingly for him to check how long they had been gone. Heaving a sigh, he flicked his wand and cast a quick tempus charm, the glowing numbers showed that it was well into the evening and quite a few hours had passed since they left.
While it had been just after breakfast when they left it was now almost dinner time. Close to eight hours had been spent in Diagon Alley. Emma was scared to think how far the other two had gotten in their reading. Hopefully they were really slow readers and would take forever to get through the book, but with her luck they were probably already finished and waiting to yell at something most likely her.
"Good luck." Snape said with a smirk and apparated away leaving Emma on the front step cursing his greasy head. He did that on purpose.
Suddenly she heard a yell and the thunder of feet as the two men inside raced towards the door. Emma gulped and prepared for the worst.
The door was wrenched open and Sirius and Remus struggled to get past the door. Emma smiled at the sheepishly.
"Hey guys, how far did you get?"
