He watched her very carefully as she crossed the room. Allosia turned to
look at him and then pointedly sat down in her usual chair.
"I take it you're not leaving then," he said with the dry amusement most people took for annoyance.
"Doesn't look like it." She crossed her legs and gave him a pleased with herself grin.
"More wine?"
"Sure."
He filled her glass and then sat down in the other chair. A bemused look came over his features. "So, tell me, darling, what exactly is Miss Granger saying?"
Allosia rolled her eyes. "I really think you'd be better off not knowing about this."
"No, you think she would be better off if you don't tell me."
"There is that." She sighed.
He stared at her, knowing that eventually she would give in.
"Fine. She thinks I might be a mitigating influence on the more abrupt aspects of your personality."
"I take it, it wasn't phrased as delicately but the words were even bigger?"
Allosia chuckled and nodded.
"What else?"
"That's it."
"You're lying."
"How do you do that?"
"It's my job, quite like it's yours."
"Fair enough."
"So give."
Allosia sighed.
"I'm afraid whatever it is, will be a disappointment if you make it much more suspenseful."
"Ah, you've foiled my evil plot."
Snape made a face.
"Alright. According to Neville,"
Snape interrupted her. "There's a source I always take seriously."
"I realize you may find this absolutely mind boggling, but he listens, a lot."
He nodded as if that were both obvious and ridiculous.
"Anyway, as I said, according to him, Potter is tormenting Granger because she apparently has a crush on you."
She stifled a giggle as Snape's face went from horrified to amused to delighted to evil.
"That's very interesting," he said slowly.
"What are you going to do?"
"Oh, let's see. If it's true, I can make that little know-it-all realize she has no idea how to function in the world at large, and if it's not, I'm sure I can find some way to take points from Potter."
"Why do they irritate you so much?"
"Because they are children who want to be adults and insist on acting like children anyway. If they want to be adults, there are consequences to one's actions, and this seems to be beyond them."
"Your own childhood is a poor thing to judge others by, Severus."
"I'd disagree."
"I take it you're not leaving then," he said with the dry amusement most people took for annoyance.
"Doesn't look like it." She crossed her legs and gave him a pleased with herself grin.
"More wine?"
"Sure."
He filled her glass and then sat down in the other chair. A bemused look came over his features. "So, tell me, darling, what exactly is Miss Granger saying?"
Allosia rolled her eyes. "I really think you'd be better off not knowing about this."
"No, you think she would be better off if you don't tell me."
"There is that." She sighed.
He stared at her, knowing that eventually she would give in.
"Fine. She thinks I might be a mitigating influence on the more abrupt aspects of your personality."
"I take it, it wasn't phrased as delicately but the words were even bigger?"
Allosia chuckled and nodded.
"What else?"
"That's it."
"You're lying."
"How do you do that?"
"It's my job, quite like it's yours."
"Fair enough."
"So give."
Allosia sighed.
"I'm afraid whatever it is, will be a disappointment if you make it much more suspenseful."
"Ah, you've foiled my evil plot."
Snape made a face.
"Alright. According to Neville,"
Snape interrupted her. "There's a source I always take seriously."
"I realize you may find this absolutely mind boggling, but he listens, a lot."
He nodded as if that were both obvious and ridiculous.
"Anyway, as I said, according to him, Potter is tormenting Granger because she apparently has a crush on you."
She stifled a giggle as Snape's face went from horrified to amused to delighted to evil.
"That's very interesting," he said slowly.
"What are you going to do?"
"Oh, let's see. If it's true, I can make that little know-it-all realize she has no idea how to function in the world at large, and if it's not, I'm sure I can find some way to take points from Potter."
"Why do they irritate you so much?"
"Because they are children who want to be adults and insist on acting like children anyway. If they want to be adults, there are consequences to one's actions, and this seems to be beyond them."
"Your own childhood is a poor thing to judge others by, Severus."
"I'd disagree."
