Skia turned cartwheels as she exited the Great Hall. She probably ate too many chocolate pancakes. They were good, though…..

Nevertheless, Krys was probably going to cut her sugar intake. Evil health freak…

"-I heard from Hannah Abbott that Black can turn into a shrub!"

"Yeah but how would he move?"

"He could transform back to human and make a break for it when the dementor's back is turned."

"Do they HAVE backs?"

"Er…."

Skia rolled her eyes. Humans these days were so foolish. Honestly, a shrub? Highly unlikely.

"Don't roll your eyes, Saskia Nieve Duval! I remember a time when you snuck off on Dad's broom to go to Azkaban, just to see if dementors had hair!" Krys tsked.

Skia flushed as Hermione and Ron turned simultaneously to stare.

"You went to AZKABAN to find dementors?!" Ron gaped. Hermione was staring at the sky and mouthing a wordless prayer.

"It's not like I was able to find out," Skia grumbled. Krys whacked her squarely in the head.

"Hah! You almost did! I caught you lifting a dementor's robe from behind! The blasted thing nearly Kissed you on the spot! Not to mention the mountain of paperwork we had to fill out to tell the authorities that you weren't a Death Eater in disguise!"

At every word, Ron's mouth dropped lower and lower. By the time Krys finished mentioning the paperwork, his eyes were as wide as the plates they had just eaten from.

"Yeah, yeah, I still wanna know if they have hair," Skia humphed.

"Just go and ask them! I'm sure they'll remember you as the vampiric Peeping-Tom!" Krys said tartly. Skia stuck out her tongue and hurried ahead to get to Potions.

"I see you've brought your sister along for the show. Do not tender any hopes of getting special treatment just because your family is here. While I am in charge, you will receive the every day critism that you usually deserve," Snape said coldly. He glared at Krys and turned his back to put the day's instructions on the board.

"We will be concocting a Growing Potion today. The instructions are quite clear. If I find that a student is unable to create at least the semblance of the potion, there will be consequences." Neville cowered as Snape gave him a venomous glance. Immediately, Skia stepped next to Neville.

"We can be partners," she reassured with a wink. Neville gave her a trembly smile in return.

"I see you haven't changed, Sevvie-boy." The entire class turned to stare at Krys who was smiling sweetly at the glowering Snape. "Still terrorizing the ones who were hopeless at Potions."

"I don't recall terrorizing you, Krystia, and you were the worst of them all. Also, I would appreciate it if you refrained from calling me by that name," Snape hissed. A muscle was twitching near his eye. There was a peculiar expression in his eyes.

"That's because I was dating you, clunkhead. It's rather hard to forget. After all, you were the only date to bring me to the Apothecary and start listing the attributes of all the ingredients," Krys reminisced.

"It was not a date. It was a useless attempt to tutor you," Snape growled.

"Uh-huh. And most tutors kiss their pupils under a dried mandragora?" Krys inquired, raising one eyebrow.

"I slipped," He said flatly

"Yup. Of course, that's very plausible. It's also plausible that you were so disoriented that you stayed in my arms for five minutes," Krys said agreeably.

"I don't recall that."

"Right, never happened."

"Would you kindly stop distracting my class with untrue fantasies? I have potions to monitor," Snape gritted. Krys flashed a cheery smile at him.

"Of course! By the way, maybe you should bring your students to the Apothecary and tutor them like you did to me. After all, I got an Outstanding on the next test. Of course, the -ah- slipping incident probably shouldn't be repeated." Krys batted her eyes innocently at the seething Snape and moved to watch over Skia.

Secretly, under the table, Skia gave her sister a discreet low-five.

Krys watched the class as Snape glided from potion to potion. He certainly was in his element, she mused. After all, he was goddamned brilliant at Potions. Still, he should have been in Defense of the Dark Arts.

She turned her attention back to Skia. Her partner was stirring feverishly, glancing at Snape every now and then. A wry smile twisted her lips. The boy was obviously terrified of Snape. Still, stirring the potion like that wasn't going to help the matter. Actually it would-

"Boy, maybe you should-" She began. She was cut off when the entire thing exploded, sending potion splattering into the air. Faintly, she heard Skia give off a cry of shock as her small hands began to swell. Krys's hands, on the other hand, were already twice their normal size, which was large to begin with.. Somehow, Krys's face was untouched. That was a blessing, considering her allergy to this particular potion. Neville's head, however, was the size of his cauldron, which was melting rapidly. Krys could see five other victims, staring in horror at their bloated arms or noses.

Amusedly, Krys saw a fair-haired boy squeaking in shock as his slender hands swelled. Kitty, or Catrine, would have liked this one, if only his nose wasn't always in the air.

"Calm down!" Snape roared. Instant silence fell. Krys slowly raised a brow as everyone stopped yelling. Looks like Snape gained a few new tricks since their last meeting.

"Everyone who has been splashed, head to the sinks. I will retrieve an antidote. Longbottom, you will write a foot-long essay on how exactly you created such a mess. Everyone else, I require a two foot long essay on how to concoct a proper Growing Potion. Longbottom, you will do this as well. Perhaps the essays will drill into your brain the lessons I have been trying to teach ever since your first year. Krystia, follow me."

Krys saw Longbottom quiver as he headed to the sink. The fair-haired boy was glaring murderously at the round-faced boy.

"Name?" She asked quietly. Skia glanced up at her sister.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. Cheeky little brat, but a little frightening could cure that." Krys ah-ed. There were plenty of those in her stay at Hogwarts.

"Krystia! Now, if you don't mind!" Snape was glaring venomously at her. Krys gave a mock sigh as she crossed the room to follow him into another, more private room. In there, the student's mutterings were muted.

Krys saw Snape searching the shelves in the dim lighting. Rolling her eyes, she snapped her fingers. A small globe of flame hovered over Snape's shoulder as he searched.

"Put it out." His voice was cold and forbidding. Krys ignored him. Her hands were starting to ache, and a red rash was slowly forming.

Krys almost yawned as Snape retrieved an enormous jar of green liquid. He levitated it out the door, then turned to the shelves again. Idly, Krys began to scratch at the growing rash.

"Stop scratching it," Snape ordered. He snatched a smaller jar of a similar green liquid and finally showed his face to her. Her worst fears were confirmed. His eyes were cold and empty. His expression was the same expression he showed to everyone else.

"Did I hurt you that much?" Krys asked softly. A lock of hair fell into Snape's eye. He brushed it away impatiently.

"Give me your arm. Your allergy will spread, and I'll be forced to make more of this potion."

"No." Krys stepped back and tried to hide her hands behind her back. It was difficult, considering the fact that they were the size of melons. "Besides, I'm surprised you even remembered my allergy."

"How couldn't I? I was the one who the Professor forced to make the damnable potion," Snape snapped.

"I don't think that you thought it a 'damnable' potion at the time," Krys countered. "After all, it was while you were applying it that you got the nerve to ask me out."

"It was a temporary loss of judgement. You didn't even agree at the time."

Krys huffed impatiently. "That's only because that pesky Sirius Black came by and chased you off, Sev!"

"Yes, and I suppose he asked you out when I was gone," Snape said viciously.

"Of course he did! I was one of the most beautiful girls in my year, why wouldn't he have?" Krys defended.

"And you probably accepted, and went with him to one of the more popular dating scenes like Madame Puddifoot's! My idea of a 'date' was probably ridiculous to you compared to the oh-so-wonderful Marauder!" Snape spat. Krys opened her mouth to retaliate angrily, then stopped. His eyes were almost…wounded. But that was insane, wasn't it? It wasn't possible…

Snape turned away and busied himself with rearranging his potions. The jar of liquid for her rash lay between them.

"I didn't go out with him, Sev," She said quietly. Snape's hands stilled for a brief second, but she saw it.

"Why didn't you?" There was a hoarser note to his voice now. Krys chose her words carefully.

"He…wasn't the one I wanted to ask me out. In fact, I threatened to hex him for using 'levicorpus' on you." This time, Snape's hands stopped altogether.

"Who did you want, then? Potter? Was that why you hung out with Lily?" His voice cracked when he mentioned Potter.

"No," She said softly. She crossed the two feet that separated them and gently turned Snape around. "Why do you think I went chasing after you the next day, getting you to ask me out again?"

Slowly, as if she were in a dream, Krys closed the gap between them. Their lips brushed tantalizingly close. Then someone broke something, a flask or vial. The distraction had Snape jumping back.

"Your hands need to be treated," he muttered. He reached for the jar and poured some of the ointment onto his palms. Krys let him massage it into her hands. Slowly, the rash retreated and the swelling went down.

"Thank you," She whispered. Snape busied himself with putting the potion away.

"I wasn't good enough anyways," He said suddenly. "You left me for that Pyro."

Krys cocked her head in confusion. "What Pyro?"

Snape wheeled around abruptly, anger snapping in his eyes.

"Don't act like an idiot!" he snapped. "You went off to US and forgot all about me for some fire-throwing Goth!"

"You mean Warren Peace? For god's sake, Sev, I was on the other side of the world and hadn't seen you in weeks! I lost my mind for a little while! Besides, Warren and I broke up two days after making it official!" Krys said exasperatedly. She neglected to say why she broke up with Warren.

"You still went out with him." Snape's eyes were frozen chips of black ice. "Either way, it doesn't matter now. We are grown adults. Just forget that anything ever happened between us."

"That's it? Just forget about it?"

"Yes." Krys searched his face. It was expressionless.

"Alright." Her voice was defeated as she moved for the door. If she looked back, she might have seen his clenched hands that shook violently. Of course, she didn't.

Heh...heh...heh...dodges tomato I humbly allow you to mummify me alive. mew owie...