Chapter 4: Becoming
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Next Day, Severus's Classroom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For goodness sake, Weasley!" Severus finally snapped, "Be careful!"
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." Ginny stammered, bending to pick up the pieces of broken glass.
All day, she'd been distracted by standing near him. She couldn't concentrate when he was near her
and she didn't know why. She cringed at the thought of him shouting at her, she'd been trying all day
to get things right and impress him, but it hadn't worked. So far she'd been even more clumsy than
usual.
"Oh, move out of the way!" he snapped.
She jumped out of the way like a cat on hot coals as he bent to pick up the pieces of glass.
She watched his face, his eyes focused on the floor, the frown on his forehead more accentuated than
normal, and got a strange sense of longing.
//You're missing Harry// She told herself. //Snape reminds you of him...for some reason.//
As if he sensed her stare, he stood up, turning to look at her.
"Yes, Miss Weasley?" He asked her.
She jumped.
"What? Oh nothing." She blushed, "Sorry, Proffessor."
"Hmmm." Severus eyed her suspiciously, secretly longing to grab her hand that was brushing away her
hair and hold it. "Ouch!" He cried. He held up his finger to the light and saw that he had cut it with the
glass and there was blood flowing out of the cut.
"Oh, sir! I'm sorry!" Ginny said, apologising in advance so that he couldn't blame her.
"No, no. It's not your fault." He said, dropping the glass in the waste paper basket and inspecting the
cut. "It's deep. I'll have to go to Madame Pomfrey."
"She's not there." Ginny blurted, having just been to see Madame Pomfrey for treatment for her
dizziness and lack of concentration, only to find her not there, "I think she's talking to Proffessor
Dumbledore."
"Damn." Severus pulled out his wand with the other hand and muttered a few words. Out of nowhere
appeared water, antiseptic fluid and a band aid. While trying to keep his finger from spilling even more
blood, Severus struggled to unscrew the antiseptic bottle top.
"Here, let me." Ginny quickly took the bottle from Severus and unscrewed the top. As Severus watched
her, she tipped a little of the fluid onto a piece of gauze. "This is going to hurt." She told him. He was
amazed at the transformation from fumbling, clumsy girl into smart, quick young woman, taking
control quickly when she needed to.
Too suprised too protest, Severus watched as Ginny took his hand and began to dab at the cut.
"Ouch!" He said, pulling his hand away.
"I warned you." Ginny told him, and continued to clean the cut. Tenderly, she wiped away the blood
from Severus's finger and inspected the wound. "It doesn't look like there's any glass in it, but it's
deep. If you eat plenty of chocolate it should heal quite quickly." She told him in a sharp, efficient
manner. "You'll need this on it though."
She uncovered the band aid and stuck it over the cut.
Subconciously, she allowed her fingers to drift over Severus's hand, brushing it's cold skin.
Severus cleared his throat and she let go of his hand as if dropping a firework.
"Thank you, Miss Weasley... Ginny." Severus said.
Ginny blushed again, and hated herself for doing so.
"That's okay, Proffessor." She stood up quickly, "I need to go and mark this homework." She said.
Severus had decided that as she was meant to be doing work experience, she could mark the
homework of the first to fifth years, something which she didn't mind as it meant she didn't have to
spend time doing nothing in the Gryffindor common room, watching Harry fawn over Jenni.
She picked up the pile of papers and began to walk out.
"Goodnight, Proffessor." She said, cringing at how it came out, in a sweet, caring sort of way.
"Yes." Severus replied. "You could stay and mark the essays in here..." He suggested in a last minute
attempt at trying to spend more time with Ginny, "You could use the books to help you."
Ginny looked uncertain and Severus prayed she would accept his feeble reason for staying.
"Well... Okay then." She smiled at him, feeling somehow as if she liked him more after the incident
moments before with the glass.
"Good." Severus tried to keep his own smile from showing.
Ginny sat down again at the desk and began to work, trying to ignore the fact that she was sure he
was watching her.
Hours passed, an easy silence settling in the room as they both marked essays, Severus sometimes
stopping to watch her working while she stared intently at the papers and occaisionally pushed her hair,
which fell around her in red waves, behind her ear.
Severus looked at the clock on the wall and suddenly realised that it was one o'clock in the morning.
"Miss We- " He began, then changed his mind, "Ginny, it's getting late. Or rather," He pointed at the
clock, "early."
Ginny looked up, startled and followed his gaze to the clock.
"Oh!" She cried, "I have to go!"
"Yes." Severus desperately tried to think of something to stall her, "Would you like a cup of tea before
you go?" He asked.
"Um... Yes please. If it's not too much trouble." Ginny smiled at him and he got a sunny feeling,
something which he never experienced, in his heart.
"Of course." He pulled out his wand again and muttered some words, pointing it at the desk. A teapot
appeared, with steam coming out of the spout and was closely followed by two cups. "Please, help
yourself." He indicated her to pour herself a drink.
As they sat back and sipped their tea, Severus cast his mind about for something to talk about.
"So, what did Potter do to you last week?" He asked, reffering to when he had almost been knocked
over by Ginny running out of the classroom, chased by Harry.
Ginny blushed, then felt tears well in her eyes.
//Oh, not now.// She thought.
//Damn. Nice one, Severus// He thought, //Great way to start a conversation.//
"I'm sorry." He said, "That was insensitive of me."
"No, it's okay. It's just... I'd rather not talk about it." She said, regaining her composure.
"He didn't... do anything did he?" Severus asked, suddenly worried.
"No, no!" Ginny blushed even more, "Nothing like that!"
"Good."
They sank into an awkward silence again and Ginny studied the grain of the wood on the table to avoid
looking at Severus.
Suddenly, someone banged on the door.
"Proffessor Snape! Proffessor Snape!" Someone called.
Severus jumped up and ran to the door, opening it to be faced with a panting and very out of breath
fourth year.
"Proffessor Snape!" The boy said, "Something's happened to Hagrid! You're needed down by the forest!
Proffessor Dumbledore said to bring some healing stuff with you! Madame Pomfrey's there already, but
they need you as well!"
Severus nodded and the boy ran off down the corridor, no doubt to rouse the other teachers.
He turned to Ginny.
"Go back to your dormitory. And be careful," He told her, "I've got a feeling this is something to do with
Voldemort."
"But something's happened to Hagrid!" She cried, standing up.
"There's nothing you can do." Severus said sternly, "Go back to your dormitory." He repeated.
"But -" She began.
" - No, Ginny." He interupted, while shoving potions and ingredients from the shelves into a bag. "Don't
tell anyone about this. Everyone'll start panicking."
Ginny nodded, her anxiety showing on her face.
Severus ran out of the room, his robes flowing behind him making him look like some kind of giant bat.
To Be Continued.......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Next Day, Severus's Classroom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For goodness sake, Weasley!" Severus finally snapped, "Be careful!"
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." Ginny stammered, bending to pick up the pieces of broken glass.
All day, she'd been distracted by standing near him. She couldn't concentrate when he was near her
and she didn't know why. She cringed at the thought of him shouting at her, she'd been trying all day
to get things right and impress him, but it hadn't worked. So far she'd been even more clumsy than
usual.
"Oh, move out of the way!" he snapped.
She jumped out of the way like a cat on hot coals as he bent to pick up the pieces of glass.
She watched his face, his eyes focused on the floor, the frown on his forehead more accentuated than
normal, and got a strange sense of longing.
//You're missing Harry// She told herself. //Snape reminds you of him...for some reason.//
As if he sensed her stare, he stood up, turning to look at her.
"Yes, Miss Weasley?" He asked her.
She jumped.
"What? Oh nothing." She blushed, "Sorry, Proffessor."
"Hmmm." Severus eyed her suspiciously, secretly longing to grab her hand that was brushing away her
hair and hold it. "Ouch!" He cried. He held up his finger to the light and saw that he had cut it with the
glass and there was blood flowing out of the cut.
"Oh, sir! I'm sorry!" Ginny said, apologising in advance so that he couldn't blame her.
"No, no. It's not your fault." He said, dropping the glass in the waste paper basket and inspecting the
cut. "It's deep. I'll have to go to Madame Pomfrey."
"She's not there." Ginny blurted, having just been to see Madame Pomfrey for treatment for her
dizziness and lack of concentration, only to find her not there, "I think she's talking to Proffessor
Dumbledore."
"Damn." Severus pulled out his wand with the other hand and muttered a few words. Out of nowhere
appeared water, antiseptic fluid and a band aid. While trying to keep his finger from spilling even more
blood, Severus struggled to unscrew the antiseptic bottle top.
"Here, let me." Ginny quickly took the bottle from Severus and unscrewed the top. As Severus watched
her, she tipped a little of the fluid onto a piece of gauze. "This is going to hurt." She told him. He was
amazed at the transformation from fumbling, clumsy girl into smart, quick young woman, taking
control quickly when she needed to.
Too suprised too protest, Severus watched as Ginny took his hand and began to dab at the cut.
"Ouch!" He said, pulling his hand away.
"I warned you." Ginny told him, and continued to clean the cut. Tenderly, she wiped away the blood
from Severus's finger and inspected the wound. "It doesn't look like there's any glass in it, but it's
deep. If you eat plenty of chocolate it should heal quite quickly." She told him in a sharp, efficient
manner. "You'll need this on it though."
She uncovered the band aid and stuck it over the cut.
Subconciously, she allowed her fingers to drift over Severus's hand, brushing it's cold skin.
Severus cleared his throat and she let go of his hand as if dropping a firework.
"Thank you, Miss Weasley... Ginny." Severus said.
Ginny blushed again, and hated herself for doing so.
"That's okay, Proffessor." She stood up quickly, "I need to go and mark this homework." She said.
Severus had decided that as she was meant to be doing work experience, she could mark the
homework of the first to fifth years, something which she didn't mind as it meant she didn't have to
spend time doing nothing in the Gryffindor common room, watching Harry fawn over Jenni.
She picked up the pile of papers and began to walk out.
"Goodnight, Proffessor." She said, cringing at how it came out, in a sweet, caring sort of way.
"Yes." Severus replied. "You could stay and mark the essays in here..." He suggested in a last minute
attempt at trying to spend more time with Ginny, "You could use the books to help you."
Ginny looked uncertain and Severus prayed she would accept his feeble reason for staying.
"Well... Okay then." She smiled at him, feeling somehow as if she liked him more after the incident
moments before with the glass.
"Good." Severus tried to keep his own smile from showing.
Ginny sat down again at the desk and began to work, trying to ignore the fact that she was sure he
was watching her.
Hours passed, an easy silence settling in the room as they both marked essays, Severus sometimes
stopping to watch her working while she stared intently at the papers and occaisionally pushed her hair,
which fell around her in red waves, behind her ear.
Severus looked at the clock on the wall and suddenly realised that it was one o'clock in the morning.
"Miss We- " He began, then changed his mind, "Ginny, it's getting late. Or rather," He pointed at the
clock, "early."
Ginny looked up, startled and followed his gaze to the clock.
"Oh!" She cried, "I have to go!"
"Yes." Severus desperately tried to think of something to stall her, "Would you like a cup of tea before
you go?" He asked.
"Um... Yes please. If it's not too much trouble." Ginny smiled at him and he got a sunny feeling,
something which he never experienced, in his heart.
"Of course." He pulled out his wand again and muttered some words, pointing it at the desk. A teapot
appeared, with steam coming out of the spout and was closely followed by two cups. "Please, help
yourself." He indicated her to pour herself a drink.
As they sat back and sipped their tea, Severus cast his mind about for something to talk about.
"So, what did Potter do to you last week?" He asked, reffering to when he had almost been knocked
over by Ginny running out of the classroom, chased by Harry.
Ginny blushed, then felt tears well in her eyes.
//Oh, not now.// She thought.
//Damn. Nice one, Severus// He thought, //Great way to start a conversation.//
"I'm sorry." He said, "That was insensitive of me."
"No, it's okay. It's just... I'd rather not talk about it." She said, regaining her composure.
"He didn't... do anything did he?" Severus asked, suddenly worried.
"No, no!" Ginny blushed even more, "Nothing like that!"
"Good."
They sank into an awkward silence again and Ginny studied the grain of the wood on the table to avoid
looking at Severus.
Suddenly, someone banged on the door.
"Proffessor Snape! Proffessor Snape!" Someone called.
Severus jumped up and ran to the door, opening it to be faced with a panting and very out of breath
fourth year.
"Proffessor Snape!" The boy said, "Something's happened to Hagrid! You're needed down by the forest!
Proffessor Dumbledore said to bring some healing stuff with you! Madame Pomfrey's there already, but
they need you as well!"
Severus nodded and the boy ran off down the corridor, no doubt to rouse the other teachers.
He turned to Ginny.
"Go back to your dormitory. And be careful," He told her, "I've got a feeling this is something to do with
Voldemort."
"But something's happened to Hagrid!" She cried, standing up.
"There's nothing you can do." Severus said sternly, "Go back to your dormitory." He repeated.
"But -" She began.
" - No, Ginny." He interupted, while shoving potions and ingredients from the shelves into a bag. "Don't
tell anyone about this. Everyone'll start panicking."
Ginny nodded, her anxiety showing on her face.
Severus ran out of the room, his robes flowing behind him making him look like some kind of giant bat.
To Be Continued.......