The Wrong Snape at the Wrong Time
Chapter 21: Pumpkin Juice on the Rocks
And just when I believed that the bloody moron was going to describe in detail what we do when we were supposedly locked away at the Cauldron….ah…deliverance!
Hagrid and Aurora just walked into the pub.
"I won't be a moment." I decided to walk them over to our table and take my sweet time.
Unfortunately, they were prepared to have a few drinks to take the Snape edge off so they wanted to sit down.
Snape apparently had summoned the grumbling Barkeep and there were now two more glasses in case they wanted pumpkin juice, and he seemed to know that Sinistra liked gillywater and Hagrid, firewhiskey…straight.
Snape excused himself to talk to the Barman for a moment.
Aurora helped herself to my pumpkin juice…
"Oh, that gillywater, is it for me? Er, what is with this being considerate nonsense?" She inclined her head towards Snape.
"No idea…I think he's cracked. Help me..."
"Aw…tha's nothin'…worked with him for years. He's a rough one but he's got good points, ya know, when you get to know 'im," chuckled Hagrid generously.
Aurora and I looked at Hagrid fondly but felt a little bit sorry for his over-exaggeration of Snape's buried and latent potential to not be an asshole.
"You know what? Gillywater is looking pretty good right about now." I took a sip of Aurora's drink.
"Actually, Hagrid I think we will need more firewhiskeys than this," I suggested nonchalantly.
Hagrid grinned and went to the front of the pub. Surely, we wouldn't see him until he was done greeting everyone. He knew just about the whole of Hogsmeade and was so friendly, that he may not be much help in providing a buffer to our interactions with Snape when he returned.
And the blasted bat sat down.
"So, how are we thus far, Professor Vector," asked Snape sikily.
"Splendid, now that you are here to ruin everything." I gave him a wry smile.
"Vector, do I annoy you?" he asked.
"Sometimes, er, maybe most of the time…" I took another swig of gillywater.
"Do you like me…even just a little?" He gave me a penetrating stare.
I was not prepared for this question, but since he had the balls to ask, I would be honest with him…and make him feel bad deep down somewhere if he, er, had any feelings.
"You have never given me the chance to show that I admire your wit and intelligence and yes, I find the sarcasm amusing and might I say witty, so perhaps the thought has crossed my mind, on a good day."
"What do you think of me…do you think of me? And would you ever consider going somewhere with me? perhaps in lieu of breakfast at the foul Barkeep's place of establishment?"
"I've done that before…"I rolled my eyes in exasperation.
"I think you don't get my meaning…"he was fixated on me in a quite unnerving way. He never looked at Aurora.
"Vector, I need to say something to you…ask her to please give us a moment."
I nodded at Aurora who nodded back strangely and walked over to another vacant table.
I leaned over the table to be closer to him so as to lower my voice. "Oh, wait the Cauldron apparently…we meet alone quite often." I cracked sarcastically in a jest.
And then he gave me a…was it a victorious smile…and then I realized that he misunderstood me and…
"I wouldn't say no…I find you somewhat appealing on, what where your words, Vector, "a good day?" Dare I say that…are you suggesting…"
And the heated look he gave me was appalling!
I swatted him with all my might.
"How dare you! Unfounded rumors and let us keep it that way!"
"I suppose you are correct…moving too fast…perhaps dinner?"
I gave him another exasperated look. "Snape, it's in the Great Hall at 7. Meet you there."
He studied me carefully.
"Do you think that I like you?"
"No." I huffed.
"Perhaps I should rephrase this; that you may think secretly that I like you, but keep it to myself or do not show it very often?"
"Er, would never suffice?" I spat.
For some reason he looked disappointed.
"Would you believe me if I said I thought about you?" his low voice was a caress.
"Oh, sure…but I might not be able to repeat what you think." I made a noise in digust.
"What would you think went through my mind?' He changed tact.
"That I am stupid, daft, annoying and that I resemble one of Hagrid's creatures….or any creature of the night, as I have been told on many more occasions than I could count."
And then there was an audible intake of breath, from him. In an instant he turned slightly pale and then a tinge of green. His eyes flew open and he grew suddenly agitated.
He turned from me wordlessly and called over to Aurora who was at another table waiting patiently to be invited back.
"Sinistra… how do you feel about Gilderoy Lockhart?" He asked clinically and in all seriousness.
Aurora did not hesitate to answer. "I am madly in love with him. I wish to marry him and bear his children."
"Sinistra," He rose from his seat and slowly glided over to her. What do you think about me…what would you like me to know?" He gazed at her intently.
Aurora also rose from her chair and let loose.
"That you are the nastiest piece of work….I am tired of you jesting about my singing…oh, and I hate your owl….and I wish you'd leave Septima alone because…."
She was beside herself and was waving her arms about.
Snape's eyes flew open.
He went over to her and shushed her.
"Everyone knows…."
And he told her to keep it down.
"No, I will not! Everyone knows that you have lo…."
He pressed a finger to his lips to ask her to be quiet.
Aurora refused. I was perplexed.
He attempted to gently place a hand over her mouth to hint to her to keep it down.
"Ew…for years….and you really should stop this childish nonsense…and that there is no mistaking the fact… that you lov…"
And I saw him move something around in a pocket very near to where he kept his wand but no words came out. He just concentrated on Aurora.
"Make her…" He looked at me panic-stricken and a little bit in defeat.
"Make her do what, you bloody moron?" I shouted out.
His hand whipped out a vial from his robes.
"Make her drink this."
"I will not, and before I go to Dumbledore what is in it?"
"It will make her stop," his teeth were bared and he looked pained.
"Stop doing what?" I gazed at him wide-eyed.
"Telling the truth." He admitted.
"And why is she doing that?" I asked slowly and cautiously, my stomach dropping from within.
"Because I gave her veritaserum, unknowingly." He said very simply.
"And why was that?"
"Because she must have picked it up by accident..." He looked grave. "It was for you."
I knew it…he had been waiting for his chance…and here it was…he always warned me about this…
"And I will take her out of the room immediately afterwards and you are not to go near me or her or I will tell him. And if it was anything else and something happened to her I'd be in Dumbledore's office in five seconds. I am not afraid of you, whatever you might think," I yelled at the top of my voice.
He looked solemn and a bit remorseful, or maybe just pissed that his plan had been foiled. And he was oh, so, lucky that it was not allowed for the underage but for some reason, wizarding law had never banned the use on an adult.