When they met again, in class, and Snape's onyx eyes found her grey ones, Catlyn couldn't help but blush and lower her gaze.
She knew he had found the vial. Who else could have? She had left it exactly in front of his office's door.
She didn't know why she had done that, but she didn't regret it. Maybe what Snape needed, to soften himself, was for someone to show him a little kindness.
Matty noticed that exchange, and raised an eyebrow. "What was that?!" he asked, sounding curious. "Something happened during detention?"
Catlyn threw him a side glance, before sighing, "Well… I apologised to him" she simply said, shrugging her shoulders. "He kind of accepted that…" she explained, and her friend nodded with encouragement, before she added, "And then I proceeded to ruin his mood, again… Oh, and he had a migraine"
Matty's eyes widened, "Oh, Merlin! He's already obnoxious when he's doing fine, I can't imagine him being sick…"
Catlyn giggled under her breath, "Yes, he's a bit more unsufferable than normal… But I didn't enjoy seeing him like that, you know?"
Matty snorted, "That's because you are a girl"
She raised an eyebrow, "What are you, Hann, five years old?"
He rolled his eyes at that, and was about to say something else, but Snape began his lesson, and the room fell entirely quiet.
"So" he slowly said, with his deep, velvety voice, "Today, I want you to write three pieces of parchment on the last three potions we saw in class", several students started sending each other alarmed glances and scared whispers. Snape knitted his brows at that, "Silence!" he hissed, making everybody shut up. He straightened himself, and put his hands behind his back; then, he continued talking "You should write what I taught you, and more: how they are made, what they are used for, what they have in common, and why I made you learn them in that precise order. Demonstrate me you actually understood the process we went through." He said, sounding a bit annoyed, as if he already knew no one would be up to the task. "Your essays will be marked, and they'll hold a significant weight in your career in Potions. Now, if you're here, that means you're somewhat… Capable. As you know, I don't accept everybody in my NEWTs class." He continued, sneering, "But remember… I can always refuse to take you back in my course next semester. Do your best." He stated, sternly.
His eyes roamed the class, enjoying the terrified expressions on the Seventh years' faces.
Matty sent Catlyn a desperate look, "I'm ruined" he muttered at her.
The girl looked at him, apologetically, "I'll try to help y-"
"Hush, Miss Allen" growled Snape, who had gone back to his desk, and was now sitting straight in his chair, and looking at her. "Talking is not required, now. I suggest you start your essay." He ordered her, and she nodded, appearing embarrassed for having been reprimanded.
Matty shook his head with terror before looking back at the parchment in front of him.
Then, the Potions Master turned his cold stare to the whole class, and spoke again, "You have two hours." He simply said, before lowering his head; as everybody's quills dipped into their inkwells, he started reading some book on his desk.
Catlyn sighed deeply, before looking at the blank parchment in front of her and trying to collect her ideas. She knew what to write, and how to write it. She had been paying attention to all of his lessons; even if the Potions Master was really annoying sometimes, he was an excellent teacher. He explained everything related to his subject in an extremely fascinating way, and Catlyn enjoyed listening to that deep voice of his as he did that.
Maybe that was the reason she was so good in Potions, apart from the fact that she was born with a natural predisposition for it.
Also, she loved challenging essays; they brought out her best.
She started her work after a few minutes of deciding how to approach the task. It was fundamental to have clear in her head all things that she wanted to write, before she actually started doing so.
When her quill touched the parchment, she lost herself in the task, and subsequently lost track of time. She could hear other students' defeated sighs, and the scratching of quills roughly connecting with parchments. Some time after, she threw a glance at Matty, and she was glad to see that, despite his initial distress, he was now very concentrated, and writing several lines.
He wasn't bad at Potions; he was a cunning and clever boy, and he was the best at brewing poisons (and that amused her and Xav very much, while it only surprised Snape like the Professor would never admit). But he didn't like studying very much. He was such an atypical Ravenclaw. Catlyn knew that Xavier forced him to go to the Library with him several times a week, and she hoped that the two of them had covered that part of Potions.
She was so concentrated on her work, that she didn't notice Snape eventually standing up from his desk to walk between their working stations and observing his students.
It had been an hour since the beginning of the work by then.
When he stopped right behind her, and the warmth of his body suddenly seemed to envelop her, she felt suddenly hot, and her neck tinged with embarrassment. It was strange, feeling his presence so near her body and his piercing stare on the back of her head. She glanced over her shoulder to look him in the face. He was reading the sentence she had just written, his expression undecipherable. When her grey eyes settled on him, he raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Miss Allen?", he murmured, with that annoyed tone of his.
She swallowed, and then she shook her head, "Not at all, Professor."
"Good" he replied, "Then, go back to your writing. You still have a lot to cover" he slowly said, motioning towards her parchment before swiftly walking away from her.
She watched him retreat to his desk, his dark robes moving around him.
Okay, she thought, He was just exaggerating… Wasn't he? Oh, Merlin. A LOT to cover? That's not true… I still have some to cover… But not that much. Ugh – I thought I did a good job! And how much time do I have left? Should I start this again? How is it that I'm not able to do anything lately? Fuck, I'm such a failure. I should pretend to faint and spent the rest of the year in the Hospital Wing. But then again, I could never bear Madam Pomfrey for that long…
Her thoughts were making her so anxious that she almost let her head fall on the desk. That's when she heard a short, low laugh, and when she raised her gaze to see who had been sounding so amused in a difficult moment like that, her eyes found Snape's once again. The side of his mouth was imperceptibly raised, and he was studying her curiously. He held her gaze for some seconds, before looking back at his book again, as if nothing had happened.
What was that?!, she thought, before taking a deep breath. He seems to be always reading my mind… Oh, Merlin. Okay. Professor Snape, if you're reading my mind, please: stop. It's so embarrassing, she thought, while she kept watching him.
There was no reaction whatsoever from the man, so she relaxed her shoulders and realised she was just being paranoid. Unless… I mean, I wouldn't blame you if you did… I read that sometimes it's impossible for a Legilimens to not sense someone's thoughts. And mine are pretty loud, I guess, when I'm angry or anxious. But, really, I'd appreciate it if you told me the truth. I wouldn't hold it against you, if you do that. Also, I hope your migraine has gone. I really didn't like you looking so distres-
"Miss Allen, please, stop looking at me and concentrate on your work. The time is almost up." The cold voice of her Professor said, and his head snapped up, so that he looked straight at her.
Catlyn gaped at him, and reddened furiously. Had he heard her thoughts, or had he just been annoyed at her perpetual staring?
"Yes, Professor" she said, nodding once, before looking back at her parchment. Matty was subtly observing her with a bemused look.
"Staring at our lovely Snapey, were you?" he whispered, mischievously.
She shook her head and dipped her quill back in her inkwell once again.
Okay, I get it, I have to work. But if you're listening, now, I hope you'll be fair when marking this, because my essay is actually really good. And don't be too harsh on Matty, either. Thanks, she thought for one last time, before her mind finally refocused on the task.
Catlyn was now looking at her desk and writing with ardour; she seemed determined to finish her task. That's why she couldn't see her Professor anymore.
Snape noticed that, and conceded himself a small smirk; then, he continued pretending to read the old, boring book which had been standing in his slender hands all that time.