Chapter 3

Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The potions classroom was freezing cold when Rebecca entered. That's what happens when you're in the dungeons, she told herself as she slid into her seat beside Severus.

This classroom had exactly the same number of seats as there were students in the class. Unfortunately, there were an odd number of Slytherins and an odd number of Gryffindors. This meant that somewhere in the room there would have to be a Slytherin and Gryffindor together.

Rebecca, a Gryffindor, and Severus, a Slytherin, had wound up sitting together. Secretly, Rebecca was glad.

Last year, Severus had gained a reputation as the most adept first year in potions class. He had also gained a reputation among the Gryffindors as someone to avoid. All the Gryffindors felt sorry for Rebecca, forced to sit next to him. What they did not know, however, was that she had secretly asked the Potions Master to pair her with Severus. And what Rebecca did not know herself, was that Severus had made the same request.

Potions was both of their favourite class. They were both earning excellent marks in it. Of course, it helped that they were working together.

Rebecca opened her book, and they began work on their confounding concoction. Severus seemed unable to concentrate, though. She had to measure out all of his ingredients twice, correct his notes, and nudge him when the teacher asked him a question.

"Are you all right?" she asked him out of the corner of her mouth. He nodded, shook his head, and nodded again. "Are you sure?" she laughed.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered.

Their potion turned out to be the worst in the class. The Potions Master threatened to give them a failing grade unless they stayed after to redo it. "I know you are both fully capable on your own." he told them. "I trust that today was just a fluke. So I leave you to fix your mistakes. I'll be back in an hour."

As the door swung shut behind him, Severus turned to Rebecca. "I'm sorry," he sounded sorry, too. "It's my fault you have to stay after."

She smiled. "It beats going back to Gryffindor tower and being ridiculed by Peter and pitied by James."

Severus did not return her smile. "Why do they do that?"

She shook her head. "It's not important." She started to turn away, but he caught her wrist ant pulled her back.

"It is important." he insisted.

She pulled her wrist out of his grasp. "No, it's just. . .because I'm friends with you." She would not meet his eyes. "They call me 'Slytherin Girl' and tease me. It's better than being called 'Mudblood' though, which is what would have happened if I were in Slytherin." She tried to keep the dejection out of her voice, but it crept in anyway.

"If you don't want to be friends with me-"

"Don't be a fool," she snapped. "I don't have any other friends anyway," she added as an afterthought.

"What about Lily Evans?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "She's nice enough, but I can't really talk to her. She's too close with James."

"What about Lupin?" he asked, not giving up.

"Well, yeah, there is him. . ." her voice trailed off. "But I always feel like he's hiding something from me."

Severus swallowed hard. "We'd better get started on this potion." they turned to their cauldron and began mixing ingredients again. "I haven't exactly been honest with you either," he said in a half-whisper.

She looked up from the lacewings she was measuring. "What are you talking about?" She paused, eying the top of his head as he bent over to stir the potion. Then, slowly, "are you trying to tell me gracefully that you'd rather not be seen with me anymore?"

He looked up so quickly he almost upset the cauldron. "No! I love spending time with you! I mean. . ." he blushed, a bit of colour rising into his usually bloodless cheeks. For a minute, he had forgotten he was a twelve year old boy speaking to a girl of the same age. He cleared his throat and said, more calmly, "what I was talking about, was what I wanted to tell you on the train on the day I met you. Remember, I asked you if you could keep a secret? Well, I never did tell you why I was sure I'd be a Slytherin."

"No, you didn't." She looked at him. "I knew you'd tell me eventually, if you wanted me to know."

"Yeah," he murmured. "Well, I wanted to tell you. I mean, it's not like it's anything to be ashamed of, or anything, I just figured I'd be better off not giving people anything else to tease me about."

"So you get it too." It was not a question. She had never seen him like this. Even though he let down the front he kept up with other people, around her, even though she knew he was not rally hard and cold and unfeeling, even though she knew the stoicism was only a pretence, she had never seen him this distraught. "What is it?" she asked tenderly.

He looked at her for a long time before answering, "I'm a parselmouth."