A/N: Thanks again to Azzie for beta'ing for me!

Daughter of the Dark Angel:

Chapter Eleven: Lockhart:

Melody trailed silently after the twins as they moved away, before realizing that she was in a different class next period, and hurrying away after a quick promise to meet up later. She paused outside the room for a moment before taking a deep breath and entering. It took a moment for her surroundings to register, but when they did, her mouth fell open in shock.

The room was plastered with flattering images of Lockhart. It was enough to make her sick…how any teenage girl could honestly believe herself in love with that was beyond Melody's comprehension. She finally gathered enough focus to find a seat and shakily sink into it.

Nausea gnawed at the walls of her stomach as the period progressed. It seemed the man was incapable of speaking a sentence without referencing his own fame. It annoyed her to no end, and by the time the class was over, she was clenching her fists to keep from screaming in sheer irritation.

By the time she finished class for the day, all Melody really wanted was a good long nap. Figuring one lost meal wouldn't cost her much by the way of life, she headed straight for her dormitory rather than towards the Great Hall.

What she didn't realize was that Lockhart would talk about her refusal to take the exam about himself, and that her father would notice her subsequent absence from dinner and grow extremely worried. All he could hear was Lockhart saying "Pretty girl, but I shall have to take her aside from the class".

While he could understand not taking the test, Lockhart was making it sound awfully realistic with his tales of how students made trouble just to catch his attention. Finally, McGonagall had to step in. "As much as I hate to interrupt your fascinating tale, Gilderoy," she said, rising from her seat, "Professor Snape and I have a troublemaker of our own to discuss." The Potions professor waited until they had left and put quite some distance between themselves and the population of Hogwarts before rounding on her.

"You heard what he said!"

"For the love of Merlin, Severus, since when have you ever taken that fool at his word?" The man paused for a second before huffing angrily. McGonagall dropped her voice. "You can't be so overprotective and stay in the shadows, Severus."

He snarled unintelligibly in response before spinning on his heel and stalking off. His feet unconsciously carried him towards the Gryffindor tower before he realized what he was doing and stopped in the middle of the corridor. Unfortunately, it seemed he had used up his store of luck for the day, as none other than Lockhart rounded the corner opposite.

"Well, well." was all he got out before Snape whirled and disappeared back down the corridor. Lockhart stared after him for a full minute before taking it as a slight to his person and stalking off in a very offended mood.

"It was so strange" he was saying later, in the staff room. "Like he didn't want to talk to me."

"Imagine that." McGonagall returned crisply, shooting a glare in Severus' direction as he entered, looking even more ill-tempered than usual. She sighed and quickly excused herself before carefully perching on the seat beside the stubborn wizard. "What now?"

"Lockhart." he sneered. It took all of his colleague's willpower not to smack him upside the head in public.

"Oh would you just shut it and listen to yourself! Or listen to the girl!" she shook her head when he only looked at her blankly.

"She's as strong-willed a woman as her mother and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. What's more, she's a lion of Gryffindor and under my care. Unless you are using this as an opportunity to intentionally slight me I suggest you leave the womanly related issues to the women!" With that, she got up and moved away.

However, some time after the meeting, she drew the girl aside to talk to her. While Melody quickly reassured her professor that her earlier assessment was indeed correct, McGonagall slipped in a casual mention of the girl's father's defensive reaction, without giving identifying details, of course. Melody laughed with her, saying she didn't need help, but something in her eyes remained deadly serious throughout the whole conversation, and it sent shivers down the deputy headmistress' spine.