The next morning, Ebony and Snape were both woken up by an alarm — an owl screeching outside the window.
"Shut it off..." Ebony grunted into the pillow.
"You're closer." Snape growled. He hadn't gotten much sleep on the armchair but was willing to deal with it.
"Fine." Ebony walked over to the window. "Go away! We're up!" The owl flew away and Ebony walked to the bathroom. "Is it okay if I take a shower?"
Snape nodded, still trying to wake up.
When she got out of the shower, she found Snape gone, but clothes were laid out for her on the bed. She dressed quickly and went down to breakfast.
In the Great Hall, she was sipping coffee (black) and reading the Daily Prophet, when Ron spoke up.
"Ya know, Eb. I've been thinking."
"For a change." Hermione said.
He glared at her. "Shut up. Anywise, the first day you were here we all said how familiar you looked, and yesterday, it hit me."
"So, what's the verdict, Ron? Who do I look like?" Ebony asked.
"You look exactly like Professor Snape."
It was true. Both had the same sallow skin and the same narrow eyes. Ebony had the same smirk and evil glare that Snape could give. They did look exactly alike.
A table back, Ebony could hear her uncle cough. He'd obviously been listening to the conversation and choked a little when Ron said it.
"Now that you mention it, she does look like him!" Kate stated.
Ebony sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about. I do not look like Professor Snape."
"I heard my name." Snape said from behind Ebony.
"Speak of the Devil! Not literally, Professor." Ron exclaimed. "Sir, would you do something for me?"
"No." Snape said flatly and started to walk away, but Ana grabbed his arm.
"It'll be but a second! Just stand here by Ebony." She pleaded.
"Ya see?" Ron said. "Except for his nose and her eye color, they're practically twins! You two aren't related, are you?"
Ebony made a face like she'd just sucked on a lemon. "Related?! By a snowball's chance in hell maybe!"
Snape agreed. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Twenty points off Gryffindor for even suggesting something like that." He started to walk away but stopped. "Oh, one more thing to make your day pleasant." He gave them an evil smirk. "Professor Sprout has taken ill. I told her I'd take her class today. So instead of two hours of potions class, you have four." He stated and walked away.
Kate put her head on the table. "Joy..."
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ana all agreed with a sigh.
"Well, we've got Transfiguration first..." Ebony said, trying to be optimistic. She loved her uncle dearly, but she couldn't stand his class.
Suddenly, the owls came in delivering letters and whatnot. Ebony was pleasantly surprised that she received a small package. She opened it and read a letter from her friend.
Hey babe!
Haven't seen you in a while! How's life in England? Hope you're doing good. Nothing's really happened here that's been letter-worthy, but hey, this is New York. If I told you everything that's happened, this letter would be a novel. I decided to send you some stuff, 'cause, ya know. I thought you might be homesick or something. Tell your uncle "wassup" for me. I'm sure he misses me. LOL Well, I better get going.
Lots of love,
Xiomara
Ebony hugged the letter, holding back tears.
"Who's it from, Eb?" Ana asked.
"My best friend!" Ebony said, unable to hold back her tears any longer. She opened the box to uncover what it held.
"What's in it?" Kate and Ron asked in unison.
Ebony held up three spools of ribbon, one red, one white, and one blue.
"The colors of France?" Ron asked, rather confused.
"They're the colors of the U.S.A.!" Ebony yelled. She went back into the box and pulled out a handful of pictures and random souvenirs from tourist spots in New York. One was a tee-shirt that read "I Love NYC" with a heart that represented the word "love." She then looked at the clock. "Oh, crap! It's almost time for class! I'll show you guys these pictures later. I gotta get my books!" She grabbed the box and ran back to her dorm.
So the rest of the month dragged on. Ebony went to her classes and even adjusted to her new last name (sort of anyway). Her uncle had realized that he could talk to her through written messages. She also grew very homesick, but was too busy to talk to anyone, so she wrote it all to Snape. Before long, it was time for Halloween.
