A/N: Welcome to the next chapter! Please leave a review! –Maiden of the Heavens (MOTH)

Chapter 12

It was Friday, the day before the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. As for Severus Snape, it wouldn't bother him which side lost; it would bother him if Annette got injured by Potter or any of his other idiotic mates. He had a stack of potions books in his arms as he made his way toward the library to return them. The library was relatively silent as he put the books on the Librarian's desk; he stopped in his tracks when he heard the word, "Stupid." Being said repeatedly, and a soft thud following. He knew the voice and he followed it, until he found her scrunched up in a chair, her hair was wind swept, nearly wild looking, leaning against her shoulder was the handle of a Comet 260. That was when he remembered that tomorrow was her Quidditch match against Gryffindor, and maybe that was why she kept calling herself stupid. He placed his hand, palm upwards where her head would land, and she slowly opened her olive colored eyes, tears slowly falling on to his skin. Her face was a muddle of anger, frustration, and unknowing.

"Severus, what are you doing here?" she questioned, her voice was broken from crying.

The Slytherin mouth twitched into somewhat of a smirk, "Making sure you don't lose any more brain cells. What is troubling you?"

"The Quidditch match, homework for Muggle Studies, Transfiguration, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts." She answered, and sat up, her cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment.

Severus grabbed her Muggle Studies, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Potions textbooks, along with her agenda. "I will help you with these, the rest you are on your own."

Annette blinked at him, wiping her damp eyes on her sweater sleeve. "You don't have too."

Severus shrugged, "It is not a problem, Annette."

"But, what about your own assignments?" The Hufflepuff girl questioned, feeling guilty.

"I plan accordingly." He replied simply, the fifth-year teenage girl was slightly shocked when he grabbed her Muggle Studies text book. He flipped to the page where her bookmark was, and it was on an invention called the Walkman. It played music, Severus remembered one of his Muggle cousins coming over with one, listening to a band called The Who, it was obnoxious to the young wizard. First he helped her with Potions Essay, which was Dreamless Sleep Potion; the potion itself was not due in class until Tuesday. Then they worked together on trying to explain how the Walkman invention might be more convenient for the wizarding world.

Annette stretched s kink out of her back, and waved her class supplies into her messenger bag with her wand. She grabbed her broom, and smiled at the fifth-year Slytherin. His eyebrows and face simply crinkled up in confusion. "Let's go for a ride, I need a break." She said, as Severus followed her out to the pitch. The field was empty, but a bitter chill had settled in the air, even the ground was covered in a light layer of snow. Severus helped Annette with her scarf and gloves, and then he did his own. He pretended to not feel his own cheeks growing warm, when he felt Annette tug his scarf tighter, and pull it over his face and nose. She then turned toward where the broom shed was, her wand in hand once more. "Accio, Cleansweep five!" she called out softly as the broom came out of the shed, and toward Severus, who caught it before it could hit him in the face. They mounted the brooms, Annette doing a series of nearly impossible aerial tricks, which almost fascinated the normally scowling teenage boy. He was glad that Annette could not see him smiling from beneath his scarf, the smile was a small one, but it was there. He was smiling because Annette was laughing with joy, it sparkled in her olive green eyes, and nearly four days ago, she had almost been dead. It had frightened him that the Fwoopers had almost killed her, but it was not sure what to call her…friend, sometimes companion, the girl that he tutored just so she would not fail potions?

After an hour of gliding through the chilled air, that sent goose bumps traveling up their skin, they landed on the pitch and the fifth-year Hufflepuff used her wand to send the brooms back to the shed. She glanced over at Severus, and he only nodded as they headed back inside to the warmth of Hogwarts. Annette slid herself down against one of the stone walls, and landed on her behind. She had removed her gloves with her teeth and was now working on digging out her Defense Against the Dark Arts book. She had to write an essay on how counter jinxes could save one's life. Severus was sitting down beside her, as he helped her through it. It was almost curfew before they were finished, and Severus offered Annette his hand in order to help her up, after he had righted himself.

Annette swung her messanger bag over her shoulder, and was about to make her way to her House, when Severus stopped her. "My mother wishes to meet you."

The Hufflepuff girl stopped and turned to look at him stunned. The first two words that fumbled out of her mouth was, "Why me?"

Severus shrugged, "I have been writing about you to her in my letters. I did not think it was such a tremendous topic, because all she was asking about was how classes were going and I answered. Now for reasons unknown even to me, she wishes to meet you. Should I tell her, that you do not want too?"

Annette took a couple of moments to form words of her own to respond, "I could come over, during Christmas holiday. One of my parents or my older brother will have to floo me over to your house, but I am sure it will not be a problem."

Severus nodded and made his way toward the dungeons, and his own house. Annette practically dive-bombed and then tripped into the Hufflepuff common room, after tapping the barrels correctly. Jenna was staring at her, from where she had been reading for Transfiguration. Her best-friend's face was as red as a basket of cherries. "You okay?" the Prefect questioned, as she got up from the couch and helped Annette to sit down beside her.

"Severus's mother wants to meet me." Annette replied.

Jenna began to giggle, desperately trying to stifle it behind her textbook. "She thinks you two are dating."

Annette shook her head, like a dog would. "We're not."

"But you wish you were." Jenna said, tapping her quill into her bottle of ink.

"He's far too over the edge in love with Lily Evans." Annette replied, and dug out her own Transfiguration book, a roll of parchment, and quill.