Chapter Four
Playing Dumb
"My gosh, Lleannon! Where did you sneak off to last night? We stayed there for the longest time until Ron finally realized you were gone. We went searching all the halls for you!" Hermione shrieked when they met up at the breakfast table. "Oh, well, didn't you look for me in my bed…?" Lleannon asked. "Oh! No, I guess I didn't. But you should know you had us all very worried. We didn't know where you'd gotten off to. You could have been in serious trouble, in danger!" Hermione told her looking utterly concerned. "Yes, well, here I am. Okay and all. No trouble, no danger. I was safe in my bed…" Lleannon lied. Harry and Ron hadn't come down yet and Lleannon noticed Snape wasn't yet present at the staff table. Her insides began churning, and in the utmost horrible way. She had just now remembered what had happened between the two of them the previous night.
As she finished her sausage to begin her eggs Snape appeared in the entrance of the Great Hall and swept through up to the staff table. Lleannon's eyes misted up. She had made a complete fool of herself the previous evening and she knew that Snape was aware that she had made everything comprehensible. But, she decided she'd play dumb. That was the easiest way out. Just pretend she was too drunk to remember anything, but not so little that she couldn't play it off well. She wiped her eyes and continued her meal until she was all finished. Harry and Ron had just come down for breakfast as she finished looking absolutely miserable. Harry's hair was even more out of sorts than usual and Ron had enormous bags under his eyes.
"Good morning!" Hermione shouted to them. "Oh, gosh! Hermione, why do you have to shout!?" Ron groaned as he sat down lazily in his chair. "Yeah! Why are you in such a good mood? You had as much to drink last night as we did." Harry said. "Water, boys. Two glasses of water before you go to bed. It seems Llea was as smart as I was last night… or this morning, or… whatever." Hermione rambled absent-mindedly. Apparently that water gave her a bit of a buzz back. "So, how about some nice, hot, greasy sausages. And bacon, oh yes, you must have some bacon. And eggs. I'm sure they cook the eggs in the same skillet after the bacon and sausage… mmm." Hermione teased. She had pulled it just a tad far. Harry's face turned a sour green color and Ron looked as though he'd spew all over the table. "Oh, Herm, that's horrible. Cut it out!" Lleannon scolded. She just giggled, but nodded. "Anyhow, guys, I'm going to the library. Catch up with you later." Lleannon said excusing herself from the table. "Yeah, that's what she said last night. Hermione, did you ever find out where she got off to?" Ron asked. "Oh, yes. She went up to sleep. Said she wandered the halls awhile but couldn't "find" the library and just went up to bed, forgetting all about us." Hermione replied. "Man, she must have been really hammered!" Harry said.
Lleannon made her way to the library and found the book she was looking for. It was a basic study of Herbology called The Study of Magical Herbs and Potions. She decided she'd keep it there in the library. She sat down at one of the circulation desks and began reading about what she'd missed through the years and the first day. All of a sudden she heard someone come up behind her. Snape sat down next to her at the desk.
"Hello." Lleannon said coolly remembering to play dumb. "Er- hi. I thought I might find you here. Listen, I'm sorry about what happened last night." Snape told her. She looked up from her book with a puzzled look upon her face, "What are talking about?" "You know… what I said to you." He said. "Er- I'm afraid I don't recall." She shook her head still looking bewildered. "You know. I told you I didn't think it was right about u- oh! Oh, you don't remember." He looked down at his robes. "Oh, that's right. I was pretty drunk! I remember being in a strange secret room and then telling them I was go-" "Them who? Who is "them" that you speak of?" Snape interrupted. Lleannon choked, ` Oh, no! I just spilled the beans about Harry, Ron, and Hermione…' "Oh, the house-elves! I got them to give me the stuff." `Boy, that was close… Is he gonna buy it?' "Oh, I see. I thought for a moment your seem-to-be best friends were the "them" that accompanied you. I wouldn't have put it past Potter to put you in the state you were in." Snape said. "Anyway. And then- oh, yes! I remember going somewhere with you and drinking something and soon after returning to Gryffindor." Lleannon finished. "Oh… well, if perhaps you do remember anything after that, I'm sorry. An-and if you remember what I said I was -er- wrong, I guess. Because it doesn't matter… what I said. Well, I'll be off now. This is a bit pointless." He said and got up to walk away. `WAIT! You idiot! You know what he's talking about. He's apologizing. He's saying he doesn't care. Love conquers all! Stupid!!!' That voice had come back, but he had already gone before she thought twice to stop him.
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