(Chapter Twenty Three-The Plan (Part 3) A different P.O.V)
A/N-Welcome readers to the final part of The Plan, please, do enjoy! :)
Howards' eyes narrowed as he watched Mara march down the corridor, she didn't even glance back at him as he stood outside Snapes' supply cupboard.
He glanced at the tapestry that covered Snapes door, the tapestry portrayed trolls being taught ballet, the same as the one across from the door..
Howard wondered what Mara had taken from the cupboard, he didn't believe for a moment that Snape sent Mara to get some Sleeping Draught, she could have just gone to the hospital ward, after all.
No, something smelt fishy, he supposed he should give Snape a little visit. And whilst he was there, he could hatch his own plan...
An hour later...
Snape stirred and jumped upright off the bed, grabbed his wand and aimed it at the door. Then exhaled, no one was there, but he could hear a loud, obnoxious banging on a door.
He looked to his side, and realised Mara was no longer laid beside him, and he scowled as he stood up and threw on his robes and headed for the door.
Before he reached there he saw a note on the coffee table, he swung his wand and the parchment flew into his hands and he recognised Maras' semi neat writing on the parchment.
He nodded, and hurried to the exit.
He rushed through his dimly lit office and to the door
"What!" Snape roared as he wrenched open the door, and as he did someone marched inside. Snape turned with his wand aimed out again, and he lowered his eyes dangerously
"What do you want, Morris?"
"..I want to talk about my Daughter." Howard said with a glare, Snape rolled his eyes. He turned and faced the two Aurors who looked ready to come in, instead, he slammed the door in their faces.
"Charming." Howard mocked, Snape glared back at Howard "Whatever it is My daughter sees in you, it isn't your charm that's for sure." Howard smirked at the taken aback look in Snapes' face.
"Excuse me?" Snape asked, Howard crossed his arms
"Something, is going on between you two, I know it, I can feel it. I saw you bloody stroking her chin and hair the other day! That's not normal behaviour from a Teacher now, is it."
Snape continued to glare murderously at Howard, who remained smirking, unphased by the look.
"Tsk, you must have been imagining things." Snape said "Now, what is it you want?"
Howard held Snapes' glare
"Information." Howard said simply, and Snape rose his eyebrow "Before anything else, however. I'd just thought I'd mention, I saw Mara just leaving your store cupboard on the first floor, a few moments ago before coming here, actually."
"What?" Snape asked, confused. Howards' smirk widened
"Oh yes. She said you sent her to get some sleeping draught for herself."
Snape stared at Howard, and reached into his robe pockets, he couldn't feel his key.
"Impossible." Snape muttered angrily
"Now, how would my dear Mara get that key, if it was in your, pockets?" Howard asked icily, Snape looked back up at Howard murderously
"That is none of Your concern, Morris." Snape spat, Howards smirk remained on his smug face, and Snape could feel his fists balling.
"If you didn't want anything, get out." he snapped, Howard shook his head
"No, no. I do want something. I want to know what Lucius Malfoy has done to my daughter." he said coolly, as if Snapes' anger had no affect on him at all.
Snape lowered his eyes, but he had seriously considered telling Howard, only since being told of Maras' thievery.
His fists balled then.
They stood in a stony silence for a moment, each trying to weigh the other up.
Until eventually, Howard sighed.
Snape rose his eyebrow in curiosity
"I know you know, I can see it in your eyes." Howard said, and Snape felt a little creeped out by that statement. "I can read people, very well, Snape. You are no exception. I don't need occlumency or legilmency to read people. It's all in the psychology. Now, if you don't want Dumbledore to know whats going on between you and my daughter, you should tell me what Lucius has done! I'm her father, I need to know, so I know how to look after her better for the future!"
Snape crossed his arms across his chest and lowered his eyes
"You wouldn't dare accuse me of such things to Dumbledore." Snape said
"You want a bet?" Howard snarled
Snapes lips curled into a smirk
"I know you won't." Snape said smoothly "Because, if you want that little deal of yours, to stay permanent, you ought to be a little nicer to Me, and you won't say a word to Dumbledore about Any of this." Howards arms dropped, and Snapes' smirk grew wider "Now, I am rather busy. Take your leave, and don't bug me again about Lucius Malfoy." Snape snarled, his fingers clenched around his wand in anger.
"Fine." Howard snapped, and Snape watched Howard walk past and pull the door open, and he turned to watch Howard storm out.
He smirked once more and went to shut his door, until he saw Pansy Parkinson paused in the corridor, looking shocked at the sudden explosion of the door.
Then he had a thought, maybe Parkinson knew where Mara was, so he could seek her out and confront her.
"Parkinson."
Parkinson paused at the bottom of the stairwell and turned somewhat reluctantly.
"When did you last see Miss Morris." Snape asked coolly, and he noticed the girl purse her lips, his heart suddenly palpitated, and that strange feeling in his chest grew deep, the same feeling he had around Mara.
He gave Parkinson a suspicious look, and she stepped back a little
"Why?" Parkinson asked
"..She has a detention, when you see her send her to me." Snape said dryly, and he noticed Parkinson stare for a moment, Snape lowered his eyes impatiently.
'What does he need to see ME for? Does it have something to do with my dad?'
Snapes eyes widened in surprise, that thought sounded like..but it couldn't be!
'Shit, if I don't want to be found out I need to go, Now. I'm blowing it!' Snape glared at Parkinson
"Um, goodbye then." Parkinson said, and he noticed her eagerness to get away, and his suspicion grew deeper.
'Why do I have to get so nervous around him?'
Snape stared after 'Pansy', he had a feeling something was off about all this, because he knew for a fact that those thoughts weren't Pansy Parkinsons', and his eyes lowered as a realisation hit him at full force...
Those were Maras' thoughts, even though he'd only just started hearing some of Her thoughts, he was sure it was her, After all, Parkinson didn't have a clue who Howard was, and she certainly wouldn't refer to Howard as 'dad'!
Snape balled his fists, he Had to follow Mara, to see what she was up to, and to make sure she didn't get into any trouble...
Snape hid behind the banister of the marble staircase and watched as Mara, disguised as Pansy Parkinson walked across the hall.
She wasn't looking where she was going, and she bumped into the rather arrogant Blaise Zambini. He watched closely, but he couldn't really make out what they were saying with other passers by talking over them in the echoing hall.
His eyes hardened, and his jaw clenched suddenly, as Zambini gripped Maras' elbow and pulled her to his body, his thumb stroked her lips. He pulled his wand out from his pocket, ready to pull them apart.
But he looked in surprise, when Maras' hand swiped hard across Zambini's cheek, and she hurried away, ignoring the shocked looks of passers by..
Snape was still shocked as he followed Mara carefully to the library, he wasn't expecting such a reaction from her, at least she fought back, thats what mattered.
He couldn't help a small smile, despite the close encounter..
Snape paused behind a corner as Mara stopped and leant against a wall near the library, he noticed her shake her hand a little, he could imagine it still tingling from the collision of Zambini's cheek onto her small palm..
He waited for a second or two against that same wall when Mara entered the library, and he decided to enter a few moments later.
He looked down all the aisles as he walked through the first hall, and he entered the second hall through the gates and looked down all the aisles until he heard voices at the very end, and he paused behind one of the large bookshelves.
When they stopped talking, he took his cue to walk around, and his eyes widened as he saw Draco pressed up against her, against the wall, his lips against her neck, and his hands roving for her shirt.
"There you are Malfoy-"
Draco let go quickly and looked in similar shock to Maras', she stared fearfully at Snapes' livid expression.
"...You do realise you are late for detention, Mafoy. Professor McGonagall has sent me looking for you." Snape drawled, but his voice was unnervingly calm, and it sent chills down Maras' spine.
"Very well, Professor." Draco said in a bored tone of voice, then turned back to 'Pansy' "You coming, Pansy?" Draco asked
"She is not." Snape said "I need a word with Miss Parkinson."
Snape noticed Mara clench her fingers, and they shook
"Fine." Draco sneered, and stormed past Snape without another look at him. Snape waited until Draco was out of the gates down the hall, before turning back to Mara. Whose more oval face shape was changing back slowly, her eyes turning blue again and her hair growing longer.
"Now, care to explain to me exactly what you are up to, Mara?" Snape said in a dangerously quiet voice.
Mara stared in shock, and her heart hammered in her ears.
And Snape noticed her gulp fearfully...
Mara fell into a seat when she fully changed back to her normal self, feeling mentally exhausted.
"Well?" Snape asked coolly, but she could hear the anger in his velvety tones. She shuddered, remembering similar tones to Mr Malfoy, when he was angry he'd talk smoothly with venom, it was worse than being shouted at, because she knew worse was to come.
"..I'm sorry.." she whimpered, hanging her head. Snape looked away
"Just..just do what you want, please..I know, I've been bad, I deserve it.." Snape looked back at Mara, suddenly feeling very awkward "Just get on with it." Mara said more forcefully, and Snapes' jaw clenched.
"Pathetic." Snape hissed, Mara flinched "Absolutely pathetic, you know that?" he asked, Mara looked at the floor.
"What am I training you for? To blubber like a baby?" he sneered, Mara bit her lip "Get up, straighten yourself out and come with me."
Mara looked up at Snape in worry, she felt awful
"Wh-why?" she asked shakily
"For your detention." Snape said smoothly, and Mara looked in surprise "Yes, Morris, Detention. I am not Lucius Malfoy, we are not in Malfoy Manor, so don't expect the same form of punishment from me that you would receive back there."
Mara jolted at Lucius's name again, Snape noticed, and he fought the urge to sigh. He was still very angry with Mara for doing what she did, but all he could think of to do was give her detention.
"H-how long, for.." she said quietly, and Snape thought on it for a moment
"A months worth will do." he said seriously, and Mara looked away "Now, come."
"Yes, Sir." she said, and pulled herself up slowly and walked towards Snape, and past him with a fleeting, sorry glance.
Snape turned and followed her out of the library, he looked around, thinking it was lucky there weren't many people in the library, and those that were there were concentrating on their studying.
Now he had detentions to look forward to, and really he wasn't, unless his anger at her subsided over time, it wasn't going to be easy...
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