Enjoy the Party

Hogwarts – Snape's Quarters – October 15th 1994

Piotr had left a quarter hour ago after his third lesson in Occlumency. Next time they would start with Legilimency to teach him at least the basics of that skill, just enough to train the other students in Occlumency. Not that Snape believed Piotr to ever become a very strong Legilimens. The boy was too caring for that, too deterred by the idea of forcefully intruding into another's mind.

Quite grateful Snape's hand clutched the cup: another hour of training, another cup of spiced chocolate. He never had spoken openly with Poppy about his body warmth problem. The dungeon was cold all year and in winter even for him it had been terrible more than once. Missing the body fat to shield him he constantly had to use potions to avoid flu. Piotr not only detected these problems but he found a simple and effective solution to it. Why hadn't he thought about this himself? Chili or better the agents in that spice were able to help his body cope with his warmth problem, better and healthier than any alcohol could.

Perhaps he should thank him but two reasons spoke against this. First it would certainly provoke Piotr to walk down that line of a healer with even more determination. Not that he really needed any more motivation. And secondly, Snape admitted, he had a real problem with things like apologizing or thanking. It made him uneasy; had always done. That he more or less thanked for the letter of Lupin had been difficult enough. No, he wouldn't be Lupin's dearest friend from now on, but it had been a real surprise after all those years. Lupin, who had played an important but unknowing part in Sirius' dangerous prank, had been the first and only one to ever apologize. Sirius certainly would rather die before he apologized. James Potter was dead and Dumbledore … was Dumbledore … old bloody bastard.

But his appreciation for the letter hadn't been the only reason for his willingness to teach Piotr. Not that he would ever tell him the other one or that anyone would believe it: he liked to spend hours with him, something he once only felt with his Godson Draco around.

It really was quite simple. Everyone who started to search his proximity had ulterior motives. They wanted his help, like Dumbledore who used him as a spy. Or they wanted better marks in potions – not realizing that this behavior had quite the opposite effect. But not Piotr … the boy seemed to really enjoy the time he spent with his teacher. And even lacking the almost frightening intellect of a Hermione Granger he was a pleasant conversation partner about themes like herbs, potions or healing. That he shared Snape's opinion about Dumbledore and moody was only the icing on the cake.

Speaking about Miss Granger, Snape smirked shortly. Piotr always tried to change his behavior towards the girl, to be fairer. It only showed that he didn't really understand Snape's mind … not that he understood his doings himself all the time. While his behavior towards Potter and Weasel had been dictated by not a small amount of hate in these four years, it had been different with Miss Granger. Miss know-it-all … the title wasn't meant as flouting as she thought. He had been quite impressed by her mind from the beginning. Yes, her endless questions were unnerving from time to time. But questions always had shown more about a person than answers could.

That she had been able to put Draco in his place as well as every other pureblood student had caused him endless amusement in the past years. Not that he ever could admit it … perhaps aside from Narcissa. Draco's mother always had been a very special case, especially when he was able to speak with her alone about her son and the future. The signs about the Dark Lord's return on the Quidditch finals had frightened her. While Lucius had been proud to have a son, Narcissa simply felt a deep running mother love for him. Snape was certain that she would do virtually everything to protect her son, something that could cause her problems in the future.

What would she think … what would Piotr think or Merlin's help Granger … if they knew that he still owned her letter? She had written him at the end of her second year at Hogwarts, thanked him for his help to end the petrification of her body from the gaze of the basilisk. It had been the first time someone thanked him in this way.

Perhaps he should be a bit easier on her?

No, that would only spoil the party.

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Hogwarts – Gryffindor Commons – October 23rd 1994

"I've finished my Transfiguration essay. What should I do next?"

Hermione looked up from her book and needed some seconds to focus on Ginny. In the beginning, a few weeks ago, it had been quite confusing to be asked by Ron's sister what to do. But by now she was used to see her in the afternoon and on weekends, especially since …

For a little moment anger flared in her heart but she hastily suppressed the emotion and concentrated on her friend. "You should make a break and then … you still have the extra exercise for potions to do, don't you?"

Ginny nodded, her posture betraying her uneasiness. With a sigh the small girl took a seat on the couch besides Hermione, looking questioningly. Only after a small smile of the older girl she leaned down and put her head in Hermione's lap, closing her eyes and allowing her body to relax to the little moves and noises of her reading.

Ginny really liked these moments. In the moment Hermione was one of the few persons who were able to make she feel loved and protected but to relax a bit in the same time. The weeks since summer break had been difficult. As expected Ron had tried to assume Percy's role in her education, but simply put: Ron wasn't Percy.

He lacked the strong will. He lacked the self-control. And – it was only a small whisper in her head – he lacked the intelligence.

Against her hope he hadn't been able to change. Very often he surprised her – most often negatively – with his behavior. Ron was unpredictable in regard of her education. Sometimes he ignored her misbehavior, sometimes he punished without Ginny understanding why he did so. And his punishment had gotten more serious, more than once bordering on …

Without Piotr's oil she would have been forced to visit Madam Pomfroy more often. Until now she had always been able to convince her that it had been some kind of sport accident but Ginny feared the moment the nurse would realize the true reasons.

Ron had never been a very good student. He wasn't dumb but certainly not as intelligent as their older brothers. And he was a real lazy-bone. Ginny was sure that he hadn't been able to accomplish his exams so far without Hermione's help. So the idea had come quite naturally to ask her instead. In the beginning Hermione had been reluctant and confused, but meanwhile it had become almost normal for them that Ginny asked her what to do in the afternoon in which order. Hermione complied, Ginny was happy to know what to do and Ron … Ron obviously had no qualms to relay his brotherly tasks to Hermione.

With Hermione like a family member, like a kind of big sister, it seemed okay to Ginny. But sometimes she pondered about telling Percy. No, she shouldn't do that. It wasn't Ron's fault that he wasn't comparable to Percy. None of her brothers were.

Ginny snuggled deeper into Hermione's side and moaned slightly as the older girl started to gently stroke her hair. This was heaven.

.

A quick look to the watch told Hermione that she should order Ginny to start her potions' exercise, but she simply hadn't the heart in her. The small girl looked so brittle and in need of protection. She had always felt like a big sister to Ginny and that had only increased since … since her birthday party.

It had been on the Saturday after her actual birthday. Preparing some cakes with Ciddy's help and gathering some drinks inclusive Butterbeer it was more like an 'open hour to everyone' instead of a real party. Many of the Gryffindors had come and some others too from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Hannah had been there and Luna, but no Piotr. Not that she had expected him to come. Hermione's hand shortly stroke about her hair that was a bit longer now, better cared and not so out-of-control. It felt nice and soft now. Next I should convince my parents that magical correction of my front-teeth isn't devil's work and I would be really content.

Not that it would help her with her most imminent problem, a problem with a name: Ron.

Apart from Harry he had been her best friend in the last years, the relation getting stronger and more intimate from year to year. But always he had seen her only as 'one of the boys', not a girl, certainly not as a possible girlfriend. No, she didn't see her like that, Hermione argued to herself. She wasn't interested in a boyfriend. It was her fourth year in Hogwarts and slowly she had to prepare for the OWLs. Certainly she hadn't time for any relationship nonsense.

But why had it hurt so much to see him flirting with Lavender on her party? Hermione had realized Lavender's interest in Ron the year before but until now she hadn't acted on that. But something had changed a month ago. Had it been the impact of the Butterbeer? Had something changed in Ron after his fourteenth birthday? At any rate he had been much more interested in girls in the past months and the small amount of alcohol had been enough to let him act more daring.

Before the party had ended Ron and Lavender had left closely embraced and since then no day went by without them snogging in some dark corner. It was disgusting, vomit causing, gross.

Deep within Hermione knew that she should be happy that Ron grew up a bit more, that this was the natural way of life. But something she didn't dare to realize didn't allow her to see, too feel it that way. It didn't help that she always had been at odds with Lavender. The girl wasn't dumb or lazy, no. But she – and her dearest friend Parvati – had always been so … girlish. Fashion, makeup and boys-talk, nothing of that had been of interest to Hermione. But it had been the core of Lavender's persona and if Ron was drawn to that superficiality then so be it, Hermione cursed silently.

.

Lavender, Ginny thought hard-pressed not to show her disgust. Her eyes were still closed and she didn't know if Hermione was looking at her. Ron's boyish behavior towards Lavender had been irritating to say the least. His hormones obviously had gone in overdrive since the girl had accepted his advances and neither the sight nor the noises of them snogging had been pleasant to watch.

But what had troubled her much more was the time Lavender took away, time Ron should spend with his sister. Percy – not again, Ginny sighed, but the comparison was quite there. Percy had his girlfriend too and the cavalier he was he had always tried to spend enough time with Penelope Clearwater. But this time had mostly been spent on learning together or simply sitting side by side, speaking about anything in the world, be it culture or politics. Penelope, the Ravenclaw ex-Prefect and Head Girl, had been quite a match in intellect and education to Percy, both of them getting the highest marks in their NEWT exams.

Could the explanation be this easy? Penelope had never said anything against Ginny's presence and Percy had made it clear that Ginny would always be the most important person to him. More than once she had been sitting at his feet, silently reading something in her books, scribbling an essay – which he never ever forgot to inspect and correct – or simply listening to them. Having a question had never been a problem. Percy simply knew everything, was able to explain everything. Yes, repeating a question, forgetting his answer or being inattentive had forced him to punish her from time to time. But that was as it should be and something she missed sometimes in her hours with Hermione, who was simply too gentle. But Hermione was a girl so this could be expected, Ginny mused.

Ron on the other hand was too lazy to help her. In many subjects Ginny had surpassed him already and the few times he had helped her he had been annoyed and tried to end it as fast as possible, often forgetting himself what he told her within minutes. She had tested that, tried to pull a reaction from him. But he simply didn't notice.

And his irritation had increased immensely since he spent so much time with Lavender. He had reacted angry more than once and more than once his composure had slipped enough to strike her, strike her harder than Percy had ever done.

Five days ago … Ginny couldn't help but flinch, trying hastily to relax again as she sensed Hermione startling above her. Ginny had been looking for Ron for a while. She had been inattentive in potions, causing Snape to give her the extra exercise she had to do now. As it was her duty with Percy before she had planned to tell him instead of waiting for her weekly hour on Friday afternoon – something Ron had missed twice since the summer break.

At last she had found him … or better found them, because he was snogging with Lavender again, her shirt open, the bra pushed aside and Ron's hand … Ginny suppressed a cough.

Ron had been furious with her, had pushed her outside into another room. Without waiting for an explanation he cast a Silencio spell on her, not only denying her the possibility to speak but also suppressing any screams. And she would have screamed, Ginny knew. The pain had been too intense even after all those hours with Percy or her father. Ron had only stopped as he realized that he had unwillingly broken her arm. Instantly the angry boy turned into his caring self again, cuddling her, tending for her wounds, hiding the black eye with a spell. But the arm … she had to go to the Hospital Wing … had to tell Madam Pomfroy something about slipping the stairs. She had believed her, Ginny assumed. She had always been good ad acting like that.

But Piotr hadn't been impressed. Piotr … more than once Ginny had heard wonderful stories about him. Not only was Luna praiseful – especially since most of the other Ravenclaw girls finished to hassle her after Piotr's intervention a few months ago – but also Neville.

And then there were the other girls, especially the younger ones from all houses. Even among the younger Slytherins there were his fan girls, praising his 'gentle hands' and his 'dark caring voice'. Ginny would like to vomit and more than one of the boys had been irritated by the praise. But nothing of that had shown as she had spent those two days in the Hospital Wing. He had nearly spoken a word with her, leaving her care mostly to Madam Pomfroy and tried to shorten his time with her in those hours he was responsible for the small number of patients.

It had been doubly weird watching him tending the foot of Eleanor Branstone. The Hufflepuff girl had contorted her foot after a miserable landing with her broom, nothing serious but certainly painful. With endless patience he had cared for her, treated her foot, listened to her silly stories or told about the Krim and the Dnepr. Luckily he had been loud enough for Ginny to listen and a tiny part in her had hoped that he had done it because of that. But these thoughts were silly and inappropriate, Ginny cursed silently again.

With a deep sigh she left the cozy position and with a happy smile to Hermione she turned away … time for potions.