Okay, here is the usual stuff… Anything and everything besides Lleannon belongs to J.K. Rowling (my Goddess!). So give her credit for all of that stuff, not me. Uh… this is my first story, so be forgiving, okay! The way I've loaded it on here is a little strange, too, so as soon as I figure out how to do this properly I will!!!
Chapter One
Reminiscing
"Lleannon… we HAVE to get to class. It's the first day and I want to leave a good impression!" Hermione shrieked as Lleannon just sat up in bed for the morning. "We've already missed breakfast… HURRY!" Lleannon quickly pulled on her robes and fixed her hair a bit before grabbing her bag and heading off down the spiral staircase into the Gryffindor common room and out the portrait hole. It was most unusual, but their first class for the day would be with Professor Snape. Not Potions, though… finally he had snagged the Defense Against the Dark Arts job he'd been waning over for the entirety of his time at Hogwarts.
"Everyone, get out your books, you'll be taking notes today." Snape ordered. Now, thank goodness, the Gryffindors and the Slyhterins would not be paired up in a class where their teacher favored one over the other. This was a Gryffindor-Ravenclaw class, and over the years Snape had not proven to care for either one of the houses nor anyone in it. But that would soon change.
"Oh, wait… I must take role call first." Snape announced. He began going down the list until he reached the "K's." "Kinsley, Lleannon… where are you?" He asked peering around the room. Lleannon slowly raised her hand. She had heard of Snape and was quite terrified of him. "Ah, yes… you must be the new student. You're quite lucky to be here. It is on very rare occasion indeed that we accept a student all the way through sixth year at Hogwarts, especially from out of country. I hope you will succeed here." Snape growled. Hermione looked at Snape with surprise, maybe he had changed since he finally got the job he had secretly wanted all these years. Then again, she could be mistaken.
He skipped on through to the "P's" and got to Harry. "Mmm, Potter. Back yet again and I dread in a class of mine, but it can't be Christmas all year long can it?" He glared at Harry. "Guess not…" Thought Hermione out loud. "What's that, Miss Granger?" Hermione swallowed hard as Snape rounded on her. "Nothing. Sorry Professor, just thinking out loud, is all." Hermione anticipated his response which would most likely be points from Gryffindor. "I trust it won't happen again Miss Granger." Hermone's mouth fell open. She couldn't believe it. Snape continued on through the list until the end. The bell rang at the end of class and everyone shuffled out of the room except Lleannon, who was having troubles closing her bag.
"Miss Kinsley, I'm glad you could stay, I fancy a chat with you." Snape said. "I'm going to be late Professor, sorry." Lleannon said, finally shutting her bag properly. "Oh, don't worry, I'll write you a note. What class do you have next?" He asked coolly. "Erm- I believe I have Herbology next." She replied. "Very well, I will excuse you. So, where do you come from?" Snape probed. "I'm here from America. Hinton, West Virginia. I was there for 5 years until I came here. We only have six years where I come from." And as though she read his mind she began again, " My mother, like Harry's parents whom you don't seem to take much of a liking to, was killed by Lord Voldemort. My father moved us here for business's sake. He got transferred. And so my school in West Virginia sent all of my information here because my Headmaster knew Dumbledore would honor me. Yvonne Frost, my headmaster, and Professor Dumbledore have been friends for quite sometime and… well, the rest is history." Snape nodded, "Well, I'm glad you're here. I sensed great potential… I went to school with your mother. And, unlike Harry's father, I cared a great deal about her. I was devastated to hear of her death and for you. It must have been hard to learn of what you were when she had gone. Your father being a muggle and all." "You KNEW my mother… I- I had no idea. Was she in Slytherin?" Lleannon asked. "Yes, yes she was. But I was among the few she got along with inside the house. She much preferred to spend her time with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. But, I didn't let that stand in the way of our friendship. I fancied your mother, actually, but she never knew that. I really did hate that she hung around with Sirius and James, but as I said before… I expected the Sorting Hat would put you into Slytherin, like Kim, but she did loathe most of the people, maybe that's how you would have been." Snape went on.
"I don't like having Houses. In America we didn't have them. It's like you're separating the smarter from the dimmer, the evil from the good. It shouldn't be that way. We are all witches and wizards in our own like. It also creates conflict between the houses. I get along with everyone. Be it as it may… Slytherins and Gryffindors loathe one another, while Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff remain neutral, I have made friends among all of the houses. A scuffle was to take place on the Express between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter but my intrusion, with no obvious side-taking on my behalf, led to popularity from Malfoy and Harry. More respect than popularity, though, I guess." Lleannon was a mouthful when you got her talking but the both of them went on.
"You look a lot like her. Very, very much like her indeed. Long, silky black hair, bright, stinging ice blue eyes, soft ski… er- yes. You look a lot like her. You'll follow well in her footsteps, I know." Snape caught himself drifting into her. Lleannon felt her cheeks starting to burn. She had turned a soft pink. But she was most definitely flattered as she had been told by so many of the students that Snape was a cold, harsh, unpleasant man. But that's not what he was showing her now. Now he was warm, gentle, and as far from unpleasant as it probably got in her words. He was reminiscing with her about her mother. And that meant a lot to her. She was closer to her mother dead than she was to her father who was alive. And now she had someone to live that through.
"Er- Professor… perhaps I should be going." Lleannon cut in. "Hmm? Oh, yes. I'll write you a pass. And I'll look forward to another chat with you sometime." Snape said. And she was off to Herbology mid-thru.
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