For the remainder of the week Snape was in the foulest of moods.
Within the space of 24 hours he somehow found reason to deduct over 50
points from Gryffindor, and 20 points from both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.
He entirely avoided Ophelia and the rest of the school tried to avoid him
as much as possible. Potions was pure misery and horror, it was even
becoming so to the Slytherins as no one, not even Draco Malfoy, could seem
to do anything to his satisfaction.
However, as Potions grew steadily worse, Defense Against the Dark Arts became more interesting, and soon even Hermione found the class, and even the teacher, bearable.
Exiting the classroom, Hermione, Ron, and Harry babbled excitedly about their latest lesson.
"I was completely unaware that spontaneous human combustion is really a slow-acting curse!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Well, there had to be some kind of explanation for it," Rom reasoned, "and at least now I know how to prevent it." He shuddered at the thought of unexpectedly bursting into flames.
"Ron, I don't think you really have to worry about anyone putting such an obscure curse on you," Harry laughed, shoving Ron gently.
"But what it Malfoy learned it? Or Snape? I'd be sitting in the middle of Potions and all of a sudden. FOOM!!" he waved his arms about in an attempt to imitate flames.
"Ron, really. There's nothing for you to worry about. You're getting as paranoid as a Muggle psychology student!" Hermione laughed at her own joke, but simply got confused looks from Harry and Ron who were not taking Muggle studies.
The trio had been standing outside of Ophelia's classroom as they talked, and were about the start off to their next class, when Snape brushed past them and into the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, which Ophelia was still occupying.
When Snape had disappeared from view, slamming the door behind him, Ron grinned wickedly at Harry and Hermione, "Let's see what he wants, eh?"
"Ron!" Hermione chided, "We can't spy on our teachers!"
"Yes we can!" Ron objected, "Watch me." He muttered a spell beneath his breath and pressed his ear to the crack between the door and the doorjamb, "Besides," he added, "Any dirt on Snape is worth more than its weight in gold."
"Ron, that made no sense." Harry pointed out as he joined his friend, ear to the door.
With a final, defeated sigh, Hermione slunk over to the door, joining her friends in their spying. "We're going to get in trouble." She fretted.
"No we're not. Shhhh. They're talking."
*****
Ophelia turned with a start to see Snape standing behind her, back rested against the door. "Come to give me commentary on my lessons again?" she growled dangerously.
"No." Snape faltered, "Your lessons have been going well though I hear."
"That has to be the worst pick up line I have ever heard," Ophelia laughed sarcastically.
"That was not a pick up line, to be sure. I would never want to.. 'pick up' anyone." Snape frowned at the, to him, unfamiliar phrase.
"Of course you wouldn't. Now, what do you want?" Professor Rose said, obviously not believing the dark haired man in front of her.
"I would like to. Apologize for my behavior."
(Ron gasped, "Snape is apologizing?!" his comment earned him a smack on the back of the head from Hermione who muttered something about being late to class)
"You would?" Ophelia sounded almost as surprised as Ron, "well. I. I don't know."
"Just accept it," Snape muttered, "I don't do this too often."
("That's for sure," Harry murmured)
Ophelia stood, trying to smile at her fellow professor, "That's nice of you." Snape cringed at being referred to as "nice" and Ophelia laughed, "People don't call you that too often, do they?"
"No. not usually. Not that I care. Their petty lives interest me not. I do my job, and that is what counts."
"Is it?" Ophelia queried.
("Okay, this is getting far too weird for me," Ron whispered, earning himself another smack)
"Yes," came the stoic reply, "It is."
Ophelia nodded, still seeming unconvinced, and swept over to Snape, looking at him strangely, "Is there, um, anything else you wished to tell me?"
"Not exactly."
("Please tell me that this is not what I think it is." Hermione swallowed hard, hearing the tone in Snape's voice.)
"All right. Well, if there's nothing more, I thank you for your apology Severus." Ophelia replied briskly, "Now, I do have some papers to grade, so if you wouldn't mind?"
Ron, Harry, and Hermione scrambled away from the door as they heard Ophelia place her hand on the knob, about to turn it, when Snape put his hand over hers, stopping her.
"Wait."
("Oh no," Hermione covered her ears.)
"What is it Severus?"
"I-I, I think that my feelings for you may go beyond that of a colleague," Snape faltered, staring intently at the strikingly beautiful woman before him.
Ophelia's small smile faded, and she looked away from him, "What do you mean by that?"
"I think I might, well, that is to say that I could possibly, maybe, perhaps," he frowned, desperately attempting to regain his composure and his dignity, "I might, like you."
("Oh my GOD!! This is too good!" Ron giggled excitedly, clamping both hands over his mouth.)
"Severus, despite what you think, you do not love me."
"I never said that I did," came the swift, disgruntled reply.
"Well, either way, you do not love me. I am half-veela and you appear to be letting that factor affect you for some entirely unknown reason. I guessed you to be much too powerful to allow that to happen, but perhaps I was incorrect." Professor Rose sighed gently.
"I am a good wizard," Snape objected, trying not to tell her that he really did not think that any of this was due to his magical abilities or lack thereof.
"Look, why don't you cast the anti-veela charm spell on me and we can just get this out of the way and act like normal professors for the rest of the year?" Ophelia cut in before he could say more, before he could make any more proclamations.
"I really don't-" Snape began to argue, but was stopped short.
"Just do it, please. Don't make this any more painful for yourself and me than it has to be." Ophelia seemed on the verge of begging him.
With a finally growl of resignation, Snape removed his wand from a pocket on the inside of his robe, flourished it before him, and intoned, "Resisto lustano."
Ophelia nodded as the cocoon faded from about her, "There. Now, I do have to grade those papers. I really do. If you still wish to befriend me now that my glamour is no longer in place for you, I would be more than happy to comply."
Snape muttered an angry "Of course." And turned, swinging open the door before Hermione, Ron, and Harry had sufficient time to scramble down the hall. Upon seeing them in a small heap on the floor across the hall he turned livid with rage, "WHAT are you three doing?!"
"Going, um, to class?" Ron suggested meekly.
"Yes. I had forgotten my Transfiguration book and Ron and Hermione wouldn't let me go back for it alone." Harry piped up, quickly covering for Ron's blunder.
"This is not the way to McGonagal's classroom. Nor is it the way to the Gryffindor dorms." Snape pointed out coldly, his voice dangerously low.
"Well, we got a bit turned around," Hermione added, "The stairwells changed on us."
As she spoke the low rumbling of the stairwells changing positions could be heard. "And they are changing again so soon? Really, Miss Granger." Snape glared at her, "For this I ought to give you all detention and deduct at least ten points from Gryffindor. each."
As he spoke, Ophelia appeared in the doorway behind him, her pretty face twisted in worry, "What's going on? Oh! Harry, Ron, Hermione! What are you doing here? Classes started a few minutes ago."
"They were spying on you, that's what they were doing!" Snape interjected angrily.
"Severus, let me handle this. You have a class to attend to I believe?" Ophelia suggested, laying a hand on Snape's arm, which he shrugged off.
"Of course," and with that he stalked off down the hall, in a worse mood than ever.
When she was sure he had gone, Professor Rose urged Ron, Harry and Hermione to their feet, "Now, what exactly did you hear?" she queried, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Nothing! Really! You heard what we told Snape, right?" Ron declared.
"I may be blonde, but I am not stupid Mr. Weasley. The truth," when none was offered, her deep blue eyes seemed to spark with anger, "Now!"
"We heard everything," Hermione sighed with resignation.
"You understand that spying on two of your teachers was in extremely poor taste and that you will need to be punished, correct?" Ophelia crossed her arms over her chest. "You are seventh year. You really ought to know better than this. It was extremely childish of you."
"Yes," came the chorused reply, seeming almost rehearsed.
"I will not speak of this to Dumbledore if, during dinner tonight you instead come to my office. I have some cleaning that needs done and I don't have the time to do it all."
Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned at each other, amazed at their luck.
"Oh," Ophelia added as almost an afterthought, "If I hear a single word breathed, whispered, written or even suggested about what you heard, I will tell Dumbledore everything and make sure that you receive the strictest punishment possible."
The trio's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
*****
Yes, I know, Snape seems ooc. ::sighs:: I'll keep telling myself that it's because Ophelia's a half-veela and love can do that to you. yeah. that's it.
However, as Potions grew steadily worse, Defense Against the Dark Arts became more interesting, and soon even Hermione found the class, and even the teacher, bearable.
Exiting the classroom, Hermione, Ron, and Harry babbled excitedly about their latest lesson.
"I was completely unaware that spontaneous human combustion is really a slow-acting curse!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Well, there had to be some kind of explanation for it," Rom reasoned, "and at least now I know how to prevent it." He shuddered at the thought of unexpectedly bursting into flames.
"Ron, I don't think you really have to worry about anyone putting such an obscure curse on you," Harry laughed, shoving Ron gently.
"But what it Malfoy learned it? Or Snape? I'd be sitting in the middle of Potions and all of a sudden. FOOM!!" he waved his arms about in an attempt to imitate flames.
"Ron, really. There's nothing for you to worry about. You're getting as paranoid as a Muggle psychology student!" Hermione laughed at her own joke, but simply got confused looks from Harry and Ron who were not taking Muggle studies.
The trio had been standing outside of Ophelia's classroom as they talked, and were about the start off to their next class, when Snape brushed past them and into the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, which Ophelia was still occupying.
When Snape had disappeared from view, slamming the door behind him, Ron grinned wickedly at Harry and Hermione, "Let's see what he wants, eh?"
"Ron!" Hermione chided, "We can't spy on our teachers!"
"Yes we can!" Ron objected, "Watch me." He muttered a spell beneath his breath and pressed his ear to the crack between the door and the doorjamb, "Besides," he added, "Any dirt on Snape is worth more than its weight in gold."
"Ron, that made no sense." Harry pointed out as he joined his friend, ear to the door.
With a final, defeated sigh, Hermione slunk over to the door, joining her friends in their spying. "We're going to get in trouble." She fretted.
"No we're not. Shhhh. They're talking."
*****
Ophelia turned with a start to see Snape standing behind her, back rested against the door. "Come to give me commentary on my lessons again?" she growled dangerously.
"No." Snape faltered, "Your lessons have been going well though I hear."
"That has to be the worst pick up line I have ever heard," Ophelia laughed sarcastically.
"That was not a pick up line, to be sure. I would never want to.. 'pick up' anyone." Snape frowned at the, to him, unfamiliar phrase.
"Of course you wouldn't. Now, what do you want?" Professor Rose said, obviously not believing the dark haired man in front of her.
"I would like to. Apologize for my behavior."
(Ron gasped, "Snape is apologizing?!" his comment earned him a smack on the back of the head from Hermione who muttered something about being late to class)
"You would?" Ophelia sounded almost as surprised as Ron, "well. I. I don't know."
"Just accept it," Snape muttered, "I don't do this too often."
("That's for sure," Harry murmured)
Ophelia stood, trying to smile at her fellow professor, "That's nice of you." Snape cringed at being referred to as "nice" and Ophelia laughed, "People don't call you that too often, do they?"
"No. not usually. Not that I care. Their petty lives interest me not. I do my job, and that is what counts."
"Is it?" Ophelia queried.
("Okay, this is getting far too weird for me," Ron whispered, earning himself another smack)
"Yes," came the stoic reply, "It is."
Ophelia nodded, still seeming unconvinced, and swept over to Snape, looking at him strangely, "Is there, um, anything else you wished to tell me?"
"Not exactly."
("Please tell me that this is not what I think it is." Hermione swallowed hard, hearing the tone in Snape's voice.)
"All right. Well, if there's nothing more, I thank you for your apology Severus." Ophelia replied briskly, "Now, I do have some papers to grade, so if you wouldn't mind?"
Ron, Harry, and Hermione scrambled away from the door as they heard Ophelia place her hand on the knob, about to turn it, when Snape put his hand over hers, stopping her.
"Wait."
("Oh no," Hermione covered her ears.)
"What is it Severus?"
"I-I, I think that my feelings for you may go beyond that of a colleague," Snape faltered, staring intently at the strikingly beautiful woman before him.
Ophelia's small smile faded, and she looked away from him, "What do you mean by that?"
"I think I might, well, that is to say that I could possibly, maybe, perhaps," he frowned, desperately attempting to regain his composure and his dignity, "I might, like you."
("Oh my GOD!! This is too good!" Ron giggled excitedly, clamping both hands over his mouth.)
"Severus, despite what you think, you do not love me."
"I never said that I did," came the swift, disgruntled reply.
"Well, either way, you do not love me. I am half-veela and you appear to be letting that factor affect you for some entirely unknown reason. I guessed you to be much too powerful to allow that to happen, but perhaps I was incorrect." Professor Rose sighed gently.
"I am a good wizard," Snape objected, trying not to tell her that he really did not think that any of this was due to his magical abilities or lack thereof.
"Look, why don't you cast the anti-veela charm spell on me and we can just get this out of the way and act like normal professors for the rest of the year?" Ophelia cut in before he could say more, before he could make any more proclamations.
"I really don't-" Snape began to argue, but was stopped short.
"Just do it, please. Don't make this any more painful for yourself and me than it has to be." Ophelia seemed on the verge of begging him.
With a finally growl of resignation, Snape removed his wand from a pocket on the inside of his robe, flourished it before him, and intoned, "Resisto lustano."
Ophelia nodded as the cocoon faded from about her, "There. Now, I do have to grade those papers. I really do. If you still wish to befriend me now that my glamour is no longer in place for you, I would be more than happy to comply."
Snape muttered an angry "Of course." And turned, swinging open the door before Hermione, Ron, and Harry had sufficient time to scramble down the hall. Upon seeing them in a small heap on the floor across the hall he turned livid with rage, "WHAT are you three doing?!"
"Going, um, to class?" Ron suggested meekly.
"Yes. I had forgotten my Transfiguration book and Ron and Hermione wouldn't let me go back for it alone." Harry piped up, quickly covering for Ron's blunder.
"This is not the way to McGonagal's classroom. Nor is it the way to the Gryffindor dorms." Snape pointed out coldly, his voice dangerously low.
"Well, we got a bit turned around," Hermione added, "The stairwells changed on us."
As she spoke the low rumbling of the stairwells changing positions could be heard. "And they are changing again so soon? Really, Miss Granger." Snape glared at her, "For this I ought to give you all detention and deduct at least ten points from Gryffindor. each."
As he spoke, Ophelia appeared in the doorway behind him, her pretty face twisted in worry, "What's going on? Oh! Harry, Ron, Hermione! What are you doing here? Classes started a few minutes ago."
"They were spying on you, that's what they were doing!" Snape interjected angrily.
"Severus, let me handle this. You have a class to attend to I believe?" Ophelia suggested, laying a hand on Snape's arm, which he shrugged off.
"Of course," and with that he stalked off down the hall, in a worse mood than ever.
When she was sure he had gone, Professor Rose urged Ron, Harry and Hermione to their feet, "Now, what exactly did you hear?" she queried, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Nothing! Really! You heard what we told Snape, right?" Ron declared.
"I may be blonde, but I am not stupid Mr. Weasley. The truth," when none was offered, her deep blue eyes seemed to spark with anger, "Now!"
"We heard everything," Hermione sighed with resignation.
"You understand that spying on two of your teachers was in extremely poor taste and that you will need to be punished, correct?" Ophelia crossed her arms over her chest. "You are seventh year. You really ought to know better than this. It was extremely childish of you."
"Yes," came the chorused reply, seeming almost rehearsed.
"I will not speak of this to Dumbledore if, during dinner tonight you instead come to my office. I have some cleaning that needs done and I don't have the time to do it all."
Harry, Ron and Hermione grinned at each other, amazed at their luck.
"Oh," Ophelia added as almost an afterthought, "If I hear a single word breathed, whispered, written or even suggested about what you heard, I will tell Dumbledore everything and make sure that you receive the strictest punishment possible."
The trio's shoulders slumped in disappointment.
*****
Yes, I know, Snape seems ooc. ::sighs:: I'll keep telling myself that it's because Ophelia's a half-veela and love can do that to you. yeah. that's it.
