After Transfiguration Freddie headed out onto the grounds to look for a place to practice. The ground still had snowy slush on it, though the days were getting warmer. There were very few students outside. This time of year they preferred to do their studying indoors.
She found a spot near the Quidditch pitch to practice, away from the view of the castle. She stared at the trees of the Forbidden Forest for several minutes, thinking about Daniel. She shook her head and turned away from the woods. She had promised Snape. Besides, she had spells to practice.
She used her wand to create a target, a dummy made of ice. She smiled briefly at her handiwork, then began practicing her nonverbal spells. She spent the rest of the morning practicing silent Stunners, disarming jinxes, and any other spells that came to mind that could be used to disarm or defeat her opponent.
She skipped lunch so she could continue practicing, but when the bell rang after lunch she had to inside for Charms class. She spent the class period practicing wand movements beneath her desk and fantasizing about her upcoming duel.
She had another break after Charms. She started to go back outside to practice, but stopped by her dorm first. She poured over her spell books and scribbled down a few spells she thought could be useful. She took her scrap of parchment outside with her and spent the rest of the time practicing until her watch beeped at 5:15.
A thrill of excitement and anxiety went through her. She blasted her ice dummy to bits one last time and smirked to herself. She stowed her wand away and headed back inside.
She stopped by the bathroom on her way to the potions classroom. She checked her reflection in the mirror. Her blonde hair was a bit frazzled so she undid her braid. She dug her hairbrush from her bag and ran it through her hair a few times before re-braiding it. She stared at herself in the mirror for a minute, thinking how different she looked. Not just the change in hair color. Her face looked thinner, her cheekbones more sharp and defined. She looked older somehow, as if years had passed in the last month. She touched her face gently, feeling as if she were someone else entirely.
She shook her head slightly and looked away. She dug her potions kit from her bag and got out the essence of honeysuckle. She dabbed it on her wrists and behind her ears, smiling slightly as she remembered Snape telling her what Amortentia smelled like to him.
She put her things away and left the bathroom. She walked down to Snape's classroom. She tried to peek through the window but found he had cast some sort of spell on the glass so it wasn't see through. A wise decision.
She knocked on the door and a shiver went through her when his low, silky voice told her to enter. She opened the door to find the classroom similar to how it looked when he taught her nonverbal spells – all the desks were pushed to the walls, only this time there were no wooden practice dummies.
"Good afternoon, Miss Gray," he said smoothly. He was leaning against his desk, facing her, his arms crossed.
"Professor Snape," she greeted, moving past him to place her bag on his desk.
"Are you prepared? Have you...practiced?"
"Yes sir," she said, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "During both of my free periods."
"Those are for studying and homework, Miss Gray."
"Technically I was studying...sir."
"Very well," he said, crossing the room. He locked the door and pulled out his wand. "Muffliato."
"What was that?" Freddie asked as he turned back to face her.
"A spell," he said. "Of my own invention. Keeps sounds from being heard by passers by."
"Brilliant," she said and he smirked slightly.
"I thought so," he said. "Have you ever participated in a Wizard's Duel, Miss Gray?"
"No, sir, but I've seen a few."
"Are you familiar with the rules?"
"Yes, sir, although I know they can vary. No illegal curses, I'm assuming."
"Obviously. We are not dueling to the death. No lethal spells."
"Obviously," she repeated, mimicking his tone and giving him a smirk.
"Are you ready?" he asked, raising his wand.
"Ready, sir," she said, straightening up and raising her wand.
They met in the middle of the room and bowed low to one another. Their eyes met as they rose and returned to opposite sides of the room.
"1...2...3," Snape said.
Freddie stood, wand at the ready, waiting for him to make the first move, but he just stood there looking bored.
"I am waiting, Miss Gray. Or have you given up already?" he taunted.
Freddie flicked her wand, firing three consecutive Stunners which he deflected with a barely perceptible movement of his wand.
I am vastly out-powered here, she realized but shook it off and redoubled her efforts.
Reducto! She thought, firing a spell at his Shield Charm. Bombarda! Reducto!
She kept it up, repeating the two spells to weaken his Shield Charm. She put everything she had into her spells until his shield finally broke under her onslaught. His eyes lit up and he took a step forward. Freddie took the opportunity to fire another silent Stunner, but he side-stepped it easily. Before she could fire another spell she was hit with a beam of light that paralyzed her. She hit the ground with a thud and found she couldn't move.
A Body Bind Curse, she realized. Luckily she still had her wand in her hand. Finite, she cast silently, canceling the effects of the spell. Snape was walking towards her, assuming she was still paralyzed. Freddie rolled on her side and surprised him with a Trip Jinx.
They were both back on their feet in an instant. Freddie blocked his next two spells with a Shield Charm of her own. She tried a Disarming spell but ht held tight to his wand, withstanding the effects of the spell.
He flicked his wrist and Freddie ducked as a Stunner shot towards her head. As she came back up she pointed her wand at him. Ventus! She thought, sending a strong gust of wind that blasted his hair and robes.
"Impressive," he commented and Freddie threw up another Shield Charm as he fired a spell. "But ineffective."
They circled one another, each firing and blocking spells from the other. Freddie managed to hit him with an Impediment Jinx that slowed his movements. She thought it would give her an advantage but he still managed to block every spell she threw at him.
She started to get frustrated as the duel dragged on and she had to calm herself down.
Draught of Peace recipe, she thought. Go. Add powdered moonstone to three measures of – Protego! - purified water. Stir – Protego! - until the potion turns blue. Protego! Add more powdered – Protego! -moonstone until the potion – Protego! - turns purple – Protego!
"You are distracted," Snape said, holding his wand still. "You're holding back. Why?"
"I-" she paused a beat and took a deep breath. "I'm trying not to get frustrated. I don't want to lose control and- and hurt you."
He crossed the room in three strides and gazed down at her, his black eyes glittering. He was only a half foot taller than she was but in that moment he seemed to tower over her.
"You don't scare me, little girl," he said with a faint sneer. "Bring it on."
Freddie stared back up at him, her mind working quickly. Without breaking eye contact, she hit him with a disarming spell that took him by surprise. His wand flew out of his hand and Freddie grabbed it triumphantly. She danced out of his reach as he made a grab for his wand.
"Uh-uh-uh," she said teasingly. "No physical contact, Professor. It's against the rules of a duel."
His face turned red and he looked angry as she pranced around the room with his wand. He held out his hand and his wand was forcefully jerked from her grasp. Freddie gasped and ducked as he immediately shot at Stunner at her.
They continued circling, each blocking the others spells. Freddie's mind raced, trying to come up with a strategy. Eventually she knew what she had to do. She held back her Shield Charm and let Snape his her with a Leg-Locker Curse. As she fell she aimed her wand and thought Rictumsempra!
What was meant to be a Tickling Charm hit Snape with enough force to send him flying backwards into a desk. Freddie used Finite to unlock her legs but before she could move she found herself being hoisted into the air by her ankles.
She struggled against the invisible force. She tried Finite but it didn't work. Snape approached her dangling body, a smirk on his lips as his eyes roamed over her. Freddie flushed as she realized she was wearing a skirt – and she was upside down. At least I wore cute underwear, she thought as he stopped in front of her, his eyes on her face now.
"I believe this means...I win," he said slowly, a smug look on his face.
"Yeah, yeah. Are you going to let me down now?"
"I do not know. You are far less annoying this way. Perhaps a Tongue-Tying Curse to keep that pretty little mouth of yours shut, hm?" he said, tapping her face with his wand but not actually casting a spell. Freddie tried to glare angrily at him but she felt herself grow wet at his words, at having the tip of his wand caressing her face. Part of her hoped he wouldn't notice the wet spot on her underwear but part of her kind of hoped he would.
He circled her curiously and Freddie tried to turn her head to see what he was doing but being upside down was making her dizzy.
"Will you let me down? I'm getting a headache," she complained as he came back into her field of vision.
"Perhaps...if you ask nicely," he said silkily and Freddie bit her lower lip.
"Please?" she said, meeting his dark gaze.
"Please what?"
"Please let me down...sir?"
His smirk grew wider and he lifted his wand again. The next thing she knew she was on the floor in a heap.
"Well," she said, picking herself up off the stone floor with a groan. "That was fun."
"You did quite well, for someone so young," he said. "I am impressed."
"Thanks," she said with a grin. "Of course, I learned from the best."
"Are you injured at all?"
"No sir. You?"
"Heh. No," he said, shaking his head. "We should go to dinner before it's too late."
"Ugh, can't we stay and duel some more?" she asked, making a face.
"Why do you dislike going to dinner in the Great Hall?" he asked, leaning against his desk.
"Seriously? I sit by myself, no one talks to me – half of them are too scared to even look at me."
"Sounds good to me," he said with a quick smile. "Come."
Freddie grabbed her bag from his desk behind him, breathing in the scent of his aftershave as she reached behind him.
She followed him out of the classroom and was pleased when he didn't head for the Great Hall but instead turned towards his office. She followed him inside, smiling when she saw the flowers still on his desk.
"I'll have Noelle bring us something to eat," he said as he sat down in his chair. "Why don't you start gathering ingredients for us."
"For what?" she asked, surprised. "What are we brewing?"
He looked up at her and gave her what she thought was a real, genuine smile.
"Surprise me," he said softly.
Freddie beamed and headed into the Brewing Lab.