CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"I can't believe that Christmas break is over already!" Ron Weasley pouted as he, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger descended into the dungeons for Potions.
"I mean not only are we going to have Miss Diamond as a teacher anymore, we have to have Snape as a teacher again!" he cried.
"Well, Ron," Hermione said. "At least we don't have him for Defense Against the Dark Arts anymore. I would have just died if they would have gired him full time. And perhaps Professor Plighter will be nice..."
"But do you know how bloody miserable Snape's gonna be?" Ron asked.
"What do you mean?" Harry blurted. He really didn't think he could handle an even more miserable Snape.
"Well you know how much he wanted that position. And now he's gonna be so bleedin' wretched becuase he didn't get the job he fancies," Ron exclaimed.
They were just about to enter the Potions classroom when Harry stopped them outside the entrance.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Well, Paravati told me that the day after Christmas she was walking to the Great Hall when she saw Snape come barreling down the hall looking all in a tizzy and Miss Diamond right behind him, tying to calm him down. She said that she heard yelling in the stairways, too. She swore that Dumbledore had just introduced Snape to Plighter, and that's how badly he took it."
The three exchanged glances, and Ron made a gesture as to slice his neck with his finger.
As they entered the classroom, there was a definate coldness to the room. Snape sat behind his desk, his nose burried in a copy of The Daily Prophet. Miss Diamond sat in a chair facing the class, as far away from Snape as she could be, so it seemed.
As soon as Ron, Harry, and Hermione took their seats, Lavendar leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Everyone has been saying that Snape and Miss Diamond had a lover's quarrel."
Harry rolled his eyes. "What makes you think that Miss Diamond would even fancy a man such a Snape?"
'Well you saw the way they were dancing at the Yule Ball!," Lavendar argued. "Snape looked completely infatuated with her! And Malfoy has been saying that when they disappeared for the rest of the dance he saw them snogging outside!"
She and Parvati burst into giggles. Harry was about to say something in Miss Diamond's defense when Snape took the paper away from his face and looked at the two girls with cold eyes. "There will be no silly giggling in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."
All eyes were either on Snape or Lavendar and Parvati. Lavendar looked pale and Parvati looked like she was about to cry.
A fun day of Potions with Master Snape had begun.
Snape rose out of his chair and silence fell over the class. He was ready to start when a soft yet strong voice came from the corner of the classroom. "I like Miss Patil and Miss Brown's laughter. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Snape whirled around in his heel. "What did you say, Miss Diamond?" he said softly.
Miss Diamond sat cooly in her seat. "Well, Professor Snape, it's just that Miss Patil and Miss Brown are such nice girls it would be unjust to rob them points just for being girls. Don't you think, Professor?"
The class felt as though they were in the calm of a hurricane. Snape was going to erupt any moment. "That last time I looked, Miss Diamond, you were the assistant and I was the professor," he gritted.
"No, Professor," Dia said angerly, rising from her seat. "The last time I checked you were the replacement Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and I was the replacement Potions teacher."
The class watched in awe as their Miss Diamond talked back to Snape in the condition he was. In all the Harry Potters, James Potters, Sirus Blacks, and Lupins, Severus Snape had never looked so utterly furious. His face heated to a dark crimson and his dark eyes flashed.
He stood only inches away from his assistant. "How dare you, Diamond," Snape said quietly and dangeously.
Emotion coursed through Dia's body as she stared into his cold eyes, eyes that she couldn't even recognize. "No, how dare you!" she spat, as she spun and ran out of the classroom.
Dia Diamond ended in the staff room in a fit of tears. Glad no one else was there, she slammed the door and collapsed against the wall, which she slid down and landed on the ground in tears.
"Oh, h...how c...c..could he do th...that?" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.
"I...I...I th...th..thought I luh...loved him! How could I be so guh...guh...goddamned stupid?" she choked out.
Dia cried for a few moments before she heard somebody's throat being cleared. She lifted her head and gasped. Her gaze fell on the man with the dark blue robes, sandy hair graying at the edges, and the now crinkly smile turned into a look of worry.
"Excuse me, Miss, but are you alright?" he asked, taking a step towards her.
Dia nodded her head, but fresh tears came with it. She immedialty felt stupid. Plighter must have been in there the whole time and heard all her sobbing.
"I...I'm sorry," she apologized for her tears.
Plighter stepped nearer to her, his crinkly smile taking it's usual place on his face. "Not at all, Miss....Diamond."
Dia looked up to see that he held out a hankerchief. She forced a smile and took it. "Th...thank you," she sniffled.
"My pleasure," Plighter replied, offering his hand. Dia took it and he pulled her to her feet.
Dia wiped her tear-filled eyes and offered the handkerchief back, but Plighter motioned for her to keep it.
"Thank you, Professor Plighter," Dia gratefully said.
As Dia dried her eyes, Plighter said cheerfully, "You know, Miss Diamond, I have been inside all day and it seems so beautiful out. Would you mind occompaning me on a walk of the grounds?"
Dia sniffled once more before agreeing.
The pair walked out the main entrance of Hogwarts, and when she stepped outside the cold air chilled Dia to her bones.
She fell into step beside Plighter, who looked at the grounds like a child in a candy store.
"It's very beautiful out," he said dreamily.
"Yes," Dia agreed.
They walked for a few moments in silence, when Plighter asked, "Forgive me, Miss Diamond, for asking, but are you not supposed to be assisting Professor Snape in Potions at this very moment?"
Dia's face heated up as the mentioning of Snape's name brought a mixture of anger and saddness. She nodded slowly. "I am, Professor Prighter..."
"But you're just playing hookey from Professor Snape's class, eh, Miss Diamond?" his crinkly smile taking over his face and his green eyes glinting.
Dia felt herself drawn into his eyes. They seemed so familiar..."Yes, Professor, something like that..."
"I pray, Miss Diamond, I do not think we are strangers anymore. Please, call me Wichard," Plighter asked.
"Oh, yes, Prof...I mean, Wichard. Please, call me Dia," she replied.
Plighter raised his head in the air. "Dia...Dia...very pretty name. But you say mine like Voldemort's."
Dia halted in her tracks and flinched at Voldemort's name. Plighter turned around to look at her, his expression puzzled, as though he had done nothing wrong. "I daresay, Dia, but have I offended you in any way?"
Dia forced herself to shake her head and continue walking. "No, no, Profes...Wichard. Not at all."
Plighter's smile widened. "Oh, but my dear Dia, I know I have. I said Voldemort." Dia flinched again and he laughed at this. "I know, my dear, I use his name lightly. But you say my name like his. 'Prof...Wichard.' Like you are correcting yourself. Most people who are just learning to fear Voldemort (Dia flinched again) say his name as 'Volde...You-Know-Who. They are always catching themselves...always catching themselves."
A odd sensation ran down Dia's spine. She didn't like the way Plighter used You-Know-Who's name so lightly. As if it meant nothing at all. She suddenly wished she wasn't walking with him. She'd rather be in Potions than walking with him.
As though he wish came true, Plighter cried, "Oh, look, Dia, we are back at the beginning."
Dia looked up, to see the entrance of Hogwarts again. Relief coursed through her.
Plighter looked at the Muggle wrist watch he wore."Well, Miss Dia, it was wonderful company, and I wish I could stay, but I musn't tarry for my next Defense Against the Dark Arts class starts soon."
"Yes, indeed, Professor Plighter," Dia murmured.
Plighter took hand and slowly kissed it--again. Dia wanted to yank it out of his grasp. He stared at her with his capturing emerald eyes. "Good day, Miss Dia," he said, as he spun on his heel and disapeared into the castle, leaving Dia in the snow with a unsetteling feeling.
*******
Thanks to the likes of Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley, the Snape/Miss Diamond affair just got more elaborate by the minute.
That night, at dinner, as Malfoy explained it:
"You wouldn't believe it," he swore in a drawling voice. "But during the Yule Ball I took Pansy outside to get some fresh air. She said she wanted to get away from all the snogging couples, so I took her to the lake, and you wouldn't believe it, but Snape and Diamond were snogging on a bench near the lake!"
This got assorted gasps from the Slytherin House table. Malfoy continued, smiling, "Yes, I swear to it! And, the next morning, Crabbe said that he was wandering the halls and he swore that as he was in one hallway, the Professors' hallway, he saw Snape and Diamond sneak out of out his bedroom! How do you like that!"
The Slytherins burst into laughter and Pansy filled in for Malfoy. "That Dia Diamond is such a tramp. You know she is sleeping with Snape just to get a job at Hogwarts..."
Over at the Gryffindor table, the story Ron Weasly told was a bit different. "I mean, it's not right! All those blasted Slytherins making Miss Diamond to look like some tramp or somethin'. When you know it's that overgrown bat Snape that's forcing himself on her!"
That drew murmurs of agreement from the Gryffindors.
At the same time, the majority of the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses looked at the High Table to Severus Snape and Dia Diamond.
The Potions Master and his assistant sat in their regular seats, next to each other. Dia looked ravishing as ever, as she ate in silence, and Snape looked as sullen as ever, as he, too, ate in silence--silence that lasted the rest of dinner.
********
That night, he thought to himself. Tomorrow I must do it. Tomorrow and not a day later.
"I can't believe that Christmas break is over already!" Ron Weasley pouted as he, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger descended into the dungeons for Potions.
"I mean not only are we going to have Miss Diamond as a teacher anymore, we have to have Snape as a teacher again!" he cried.
"Well, Ron," Hermione said. "At least we don't have him for Defense Against the Dark Arts anymore. I would have just died if they would have gired him full time. And perhaps Professor Plighter will be nice..."
"But do you know how bloody miserable Snape's gonna be?" Ron asked.
"What do you mean?" Harry blurted. He really didn't think he could handle an even more miserable Snape.
"Well you know how much he wanted that position. And now he's gonna be so bleedin' wretched becuase he didn't get the job he fancies," Ron exclaimed.
They were just about to enter the Potions classroom when Harry stopped them outside the entrance.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Well, Paravati told me that the day after Christmas she was walking to the Great Hall when she saw Snape come barreling down the hall looking all in a tizzy and Miss Diamond right behind him, tying to calm him down. She said that she heard yelling in the stairways, too. She swore that Dumbledore had just introduced Snape to Plighter, and that's how badly he took it."
The three exchanged glances, and Ron made a gesture as to slice his neck with his finger.
As they entered the classroom, there was a definate coldness to the room. Snape sat behind his desk, his nose burried in a copy of The Daily Prophet. Miss Diamond sat in a chair facing the class, as far away from Snape as she could be, so it seemed.
As soon as Ron, Harry, and Hermione took their seats, Lavendar leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Everyone has been saying that Snape and Miss Diamond had a lover's quarrel."
Harry rolled his eyes. "What makes you think that Miss Diamond would even fancy a man such a Snape?"
'Well you saw the way they were dancing at the Yule Ball!," Lavendar argued. "Snape looked completely infatuated with her! And Malfoy has been saying that when they disappeared for the rest of the dance he saw them snogging outside!"
She and Parvati burst into giggles. Harry was about to say something in Miss Diamond's defense when Snape took the paper away from his face and looked at the two girls with cold eyes. "There will be no silly giggling in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."
All eyes were either on Snape or Lavendar and Parvati. Lavendar looked pale and Parvati looked like she was about to cry.
A fun day of Potions with Master Snape had begun.
Snape rose out of his chair and silence fell over the class. He was ready to start when a soft yet strong voice came from the corner of the classroom. "I like Miss Patil and Miss Brown's laughter. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Snape whirled around in his heel. "What did you say, Miss Diamond?" he said softly.
Miss Diamond sat cooly in her seat. "Well, Professor Snape, it's just that Miss Patil and Miss Brown are such nice girls it would be unjust to rob them points just for being girls. Don't you think, Professor?"
The class felt as though they were in the calm of a hurricane. Snape was going to erupt any moment. "That last time I looked, Miss Diamond, you were the assistant and I was the professor," he gritted.
"No, Professor," Dia said angerly, rising from her seat. "The last time I checked you were the replacement Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and I was the replacement Potions teacher."
The class watched in awe as their Miss Diamond talked back to Snape in the condition he was. In all the Harry Potters, James Potters, Sirus Blacks, and Lupins, Severus Snape had never looked so utterly furious. His face heated to a dark crimson and his dark eyes flashed.
He stood only inches away from his assistant. "How dare you, Diamond," Snape said quietly and dangeously.
Emotion coursed through Dia's body as she stared into his cold eyes, eyes that she couldn't even recognize. "No, how dare you!" she spat, as she spun and ran out of the classroom.
Dia Diamond ended in the staff room in a fit of tears. Glad no one else was there, she slammed the door and collapsed against the wall, which she slid down and landed on the ground in tears.
"Oh, h...how c...c..could he do th...that?" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands.
"I...I...I th...th..thought I luh...loved him! How could I be so guh...guh...goddamned stupid?" she choked out.
Dia cried for a few moments before she heard somebody's throat being cleared. She lifted her head and gasped. Her gaze fell on the man with the dark blue robes, sandy hair graying at the edges, and the now crinkly smile turned into a look of worry.
"Excuse me, Miss, but are you alright?" he asked, taking a step towards her.
Dia nodded her head, but fresh tears came with it. She immedialty felt stupid. Plighter must have been in there the whole time and heard all her sobbing.
"I...I'm sorry," she apologized for her tears.
Plighter stepped nearer to her, his crinkly smile taking it's usual place on his face. "Not at all, Miss....Diamond."
Dia looked up to see that he held out a hankerchief. She forced a smile and took it. "Th...thank you," she sniffled.
"My pleasure," Plighter replied, offering his hand. Dia took it and he pulled her to her feet.
Dia wiped her tear-filled eyes and offered the handkerchief back, but Plighter motioned for her to keep it.
"Thank you, Professor Plighter," Dia gratefully said.
As Dia dried her eyes, Plighter said cheerfully, "You know, Miss Diamond, I have been inside all day and it seems so beautiful out. Would you mind occompaning me on a walk of the grounds?"
Dia sniffled once more before agreeing.
The pair walked out the main entrance of Hogwarts, and when she stepped outside the cold air chilled Dia to her bones.
She fell into step beside Plighter, who looked at the grounds like a child in a candy store.
"It's very beautiful out," he said dreamily.
"Yes," Dia agreed.
They walked for a few moments in silence, when Plighter asked, "Forgive me, Miss Diamond, for asking, but are you not supposed to be assisting Professor Snape in Potions at this very moment?"
Dia's face heated up as the mentioning of Snape's name brought a mixture of anger and saddness. She nodded slowly. "I am, Professor Prighter..."
"But you're just playing hookey from Professor Snape's class, eh, Miss Diamond?" his crinkly smile taking over his face and his green eyes glinting.
Dia felt herself drawn into his eyes. They seemed so familiar..."Yes, Professor, something like that..."
"I pray, Miss Diamond, I do not think we are strangers anymore. Please, call me Wichard," Plighter asked.
"Oh, yes, Prof...I mean, Wichard. Please, call me Dia," she replied.
Plighter raised his head in the air. "Dia...Dia...very pretty name. But you say mine like Voldemort's."
Dia halted in her tracks and flinched at Voldemort's name. Plighter turned around to look at her, his expression puzzled, as though he had done nothing wrong. "I daresay, Dia, but have I offended you in any way?"
Dia forced herself to shake her head and continue walking. "No, no, Profes...Wichard. Not at all."
Plighter's smile widened. "Oh, but my dear Dia, I know I have. I said Voldemort." Dia flinched again and he laughed at this. "I know, my dear, I use his name lightly. But you say my name like his. 'Prof...Wichard.' Like you are correcting yourself. Most people who are just learning to fear Voldemort (Dia flinched again) say his name as 'Volde...You-Know-Who. They are always catching themselves...always catching themselves."
A odd sensation ran down Dia's spine. She didn't like the way Plighter used You-Know-Who's name so lightly. As if it meant nothing at all. She suddenly wished she wasn't walking with him. She'd rather be in Potions than walking with him.
As though he wish came true, Plighter cried, "Oh, look, Dia, we are back at the beginning."
Dia looked up, to see the entrance of Hogwarts again. Relief coursed through her.
Plighter looked at the Muggle wrist watch he wore."Well, Miss Dia, it was wonderful company, and I wish I could stay, but I musn't tarry for my next Defense Against the Dark Arts class starts soon."
"Yes, indeed, Professor Plighter," Dia murmured.
Plighter took hand and slowly kissed it--again. Dia wanted to yank it out of his grasp. He stared at her with his capturing emerald eyes. "Good day, Miss Dia," he said, as he spun on his heel and disapeared into the castle, leaving Dia in the snow with a unsetteling feeling.
*******
Thanks to the likes of Draco Malfoy and Ron Weasley, the Snape/Miss Diamond affair just got more elaborate by the minute.
That night, at dinner, as Malfoy explained it:
"You wouldn't believe it," he swore in a drawling voice. "But during the Yule Ball I took Pansy outside to get some fresh air. She said she wanted to get away from all the snogging couples, so I took her to the lake, and you wouldn't believe it, but Snape and Diamond were snogging on a bench near the lake!"
This got assorted gasps from the Slytherin House table. Malfoy continued, smiling, "Yes, I swear to it! And, the next morning, Crabbe said that he was wandering the halls and he swore that as he was in one hallway, the Professors' hallway, he saw Snape and Diamond sneak out of out his bedroom! How do you like that!"
The Slytherins burst into laughter and Pansy filled in for Malfoy. "That Dia Diamond is such a tramp. You know she is sleeping with Snape just to get a job at Hogwarts..."
Over at the Gryffindor table, the story Ron Weasly told was a bit different. "I mean, it's not right! All those blasted Slytherins making Miss Diamond to look like some tramp or somethin'. When you know it's that overgrown bat Snape that's forcing himself on her!"
That drew murmurs of agreement from the Gryffindors.
At the same time, the majority of the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses looked at the High Table to Severus Snape and Dia Diamond.
The Potions Master and his assistant sat in their regular seats, next to each other. Dia looked ravishing as ever, as she ate in silence, and Snape looked as sullen as ever, as he, too, ate in silence--silence that lasted the rest of dinner.
********
That night, he thought to himself. Tomorrow I must do it. Tomorrow and not a day later.