Welcome to the 25th chapter of the Peculiar Pair. We do hope you enjoy~
- Aloof Avenger #2
"No it couldn't have been him!" I glared around the study table, which had expanded to include Ron, as all of the newly formed 'golden trio' were currently trying to convince me that Professor Snape had been the one to curse Harry's broom in that heart stopping quidditch match. I refused to believe them though, I respected the dungeon master, and without shame admitted he was my favorite teacher.
"Stephanie, he was muttering and refusing to break eye contact with where Harry was!"
"Plus everyone knows he hates me!"
"And he is a slimy dungeon bat, and he is Slytherin's head of house and that means he's probably the most evil of them all!" Ron's statement had me resisting the urge to snarl and I stared coldly at the ginger and Neville, who had been silent so far, who was sitting next to Ron quickly turned pale and scooted away from Ron and by proxy my glare.
"First off I have several friends who are Slytherins and I do not like what you are implying Weasley. Secondly Professor Snape is an honorable teacher who I happen to respect quite a lot so I would ask that you don't call the man a slimy dungeon bat in my presence or any other name you want to call him got it?" He nodded and looked downright scared and I softened my gaze and shifted my attention to Harry and Hermione.
"You two on the other hand raise good points. Hermione, if you're right maybe he was actually casting a spell, but did it ever occur to you that he was doing his duty as a teacher and trying to protect one of his students who was in obvious trouble with a counter curse? Harry, yes I've noticed that he doesn't exactly like you but he is a teacher and not once has he threatened you or done anything besides be a bit harsh so what would make you think would even want to kill you?"
They looked away a bit ashamed but they didn't look convinced.
"But Stepha-"
"He was so obvio-"
"Oh come on he wouldn't try to protect Har-"
They all protested my argument at once and I sighed and tiredly rubbed the bridge of my nose, I swear first years are more stubborn than dragons. Neville was my saving grace, the boy may have been scared shitless by the potions professor but at least he wasn't buying into this whole murder plot. I stood up rather abruptly ending their words, and sent them a disappointed look.
"I'm afraid I can't convince you otherwise so we will have to agree to disagree isn't that so? Plus I seem to be getting the oddest headache, though I couldn't imagine where its coming from," I paused to send them a scathing look "so I think I will end today's study session, I'll see you guys at thursday's session and if you must continue with your Snape theories please do so out of my hearing range. Come on Nev you are going to escort me to get a headache draught."
He stumbled up out of his chair and said his goodbyes to the other who were looking a tad guilty for giving me a headache and I rolled my eyes as I swept away from the table, having linked arms with my brown haired friend and my robes doing a rather impressive Snape impersonation as they billowed behind me as I left the library.
"Neville, do you believe them?" I asked softly once we were walking down the corridors and out of hearing range of other people.
"U-uhm well no not really, I mean someone must having been cursing Harry but it could have been anyone. Besides Professor S-Snape hasn't been so mean to me ever since you've been tutoring me, and I actually got an acceptable on a potion yesterday. It's like you told me at the beginning of the year, hes not all bad he just expects perfection and once you show you're s-serious he treats you better. I don't think he would honestly try to hurt H-Harry. He always rushes to help students w-who get hurt in class even if he is y-yelling at them while he does i-it."
He sounded rather passionate, if you ignored a couple of stutters and stumbles in his speech and I was rather shocked, it was the most I had ever heard the boy speak. I was immeasurably proud of Neville and I smiled blindingly at him.
"Neville thats wonderful! I'm so proud you're getting better all the time and you're actually talking and being more logical than any other first year has any right to be and oh I'm just so proud!" I stopped walking rather suddenly and hugged him tightly, ignoring his sputtering and blushing.
"Now, Nev, I expect you to talk at least that much everyday now, even if its just when me and you are alone! You are a smart boy you just need to get up some of that lion's bravery and stand up for yourself~"
I lead the blushing and protesting boy to the infirmary to get the blessed headache cure and didn't notice that when I had paused to hug him we had happened to stop in front of a window that gave a perfect vantage point of a dark figure dressed in a turban quickly and almost with an out of character confidence gliding across the lawn and towards the forest in the weakening evening sunlight.