Many thanks to Helen my second reviewer.



Disclaimer:

I don't own anything Harry Potter. I merely borrowed some of it for amusement.





*****



Oddness is Everything



Chapter Three: A Howler With Love.





The next morning at breakfast was something miserable. She did receive an owl from William. Severus sat next to her.



"Ohhhhh look here!" he excalimed. "You've an love letter along with a Howler!"



"Would you shut up!" Robina cried. "I haven't had a Howler in years. I'm taking THIS outside."



Robina picked up her Howler along with William's letter. She quickly dashed outside. The smoking Howler exploded open.



"HOW COULD YOU, ROBINA MARIA KAMELY!" Her grandmother's voice shouted. "TELL WILLIAM YOUR NAME WAS AMANDA PARKER! WILLS IS A NICE GENT! YOU HAVE GOT TO STOP BEING SO THE WAY YOU ARE! YOU DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE US...DO YOU? YOU ARE THIRTY-FIVE! WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE I HAD YOUR MOTHER. YOU WILL MEET WILLIAM LATER THIS WEEK. YOU WILL ENJOY YOURSELF!"



The Howler all of a sudden stopped. It then burned up on the lawn, causing the grass around to be burnt to a crisp. Robina breathed a sigh of relief. She saw Severus from the door way laughing. She felt like smacking him. He really could be nosy. Howlers were for children, not for adults in this case. All Robina wanted was to be left alone.



"If you don't watch it, I'll send YOU a Howler!" She remarked to Severus.



"At least you would be screaming my name!"



"I will never scream your name in a way you will find pleasureful," she said bitterly climbing the steps up to the castle.



"Hmm," he said slowly. "The more fun for me then."



"Oh go get laid!" Robina said waving her hand in disgust.



Severus leaned on the doorframe, blocking her way in. "Is that an offer from you?"



Robina laughed stiffly. "Not in a million years."



"I can wait."



"Just go away and pester someone else!" She said trying to get past.



"You are so much fun. I like seeing you all upset over me. Your face is awfully flushed. Just admit you do like me."



Robina laughed hard. Tears came rolling down her cheeks. "I loath and despise you."



He shrugged, "It's a start."



"That's as far as it'll go," Robina snapped. She had quit laughing.



"So you think. Don't you have a love letter to open?"



"That is none of your business," Robina replied curtly, pushing past Severus.



"You know what your problem is?" Severus called out as she walked off down the hall. "You are uptight. Learn to relax and have fun. Stop being so stubborn. Are you afraid of falling in love?"



Robina swiftly marched back to Severus. "I'm not uptight! I do relax. My definition of fun is completely different from yours." She paused. "For your information, I'm not afraid of falling in love. I just haven't found the right man or wizard. I'm NOT looking anyway."



"There you go being uptight again," he said aloofly. "A smart witch like you could have any wizard wrapped around your little finger. I bet if you stopped to think about it, you could have five dates lined up for you. You just use that oversized brain of yours to scare them off. Let me tell you," he then lowered his voice, "some wizards find it exceedingly wonderful."



Robina was boiling. "I just want to be left alone. I want to do what I want to do! There are plenty of single witches my age. No big deal."



"Correct. No big deal," Severus agreed. "Do what you want. Maybe someday you'll realize it's not what you want."



"Thanks for the advice," Robina said wheeling away from Severus, walking down the hall. "But I have to go to the library."



******



The library was it's usual calmness. There were a few students, mostly the older ones doing research in the restricted section. Robina sat at the checkout desk. She opened William's letter. Sure it enough it was gushy.





Dearest Amanda or should I say Robina?

I had a wonderful time last night. I spoke with your grandmother. She said she was going to send you a Howler. I hope she didn't. I found you joke to be funny. Your grandmother can be a bit stern.



You are a beautiful witch. I've been bewitched by your charms. This weekend there is going to be a Cannons game. I have VIP seating. I was wondering if you would like to go? I know you said you didn't like Quidditch. If you don't want to go, we can do something else.



Enjoy your day.

Wills





Robina felt like crumpling up the letter. William was all right, she supposed. But what do I have in common with him? He likes Quidditch. I hate Quidditch. Other then that I know nothing about him. He wasn't rude. He seems to have a robust since of humour. He wasn't bad looking, either. But it's missing something.



Robina snapped out of her thoughts when a student came asking for help. She steered him in the right direction. She went back to her desk. She took out a piece of parchment. She wrote a letter to William.



Dear William,

Let me know when the Quidditch match is this weekend. I may have to work. I was sent a Howler but it was no big deal. If I can't go we will work something out.



Yours truly,

Robina



She addressed the envelope. She would sent it at lunch. She hoped Earl would show up. He never came when she wanted him to. In a small way she missed the owl. Even though she always said he was a pain. He really wasn't. He was just a little odd, like everyone else the family. For so many years Robina struggled for the definition of normal. She finally gave up when she came home for Christmas to find her family out in the back yard having a high tea. They were dressed for the occasion in Victorian Style. Her mother held an ostrich feathered parasol. Robina shook her head as her grandmother said, "Oddness is everything, m'dear."







Her family did silly things like that. Robina was always accused of being no fun. Nose always in a book. Robina read to escape the trepidations of life. She then picked up flute for something to do. It kept her family from taking her books away. She would practice for a few hours a day. It didn't annoy them.





The after awhile Robina was getting good. She liked to play. She played in a trio. They mostly played for parties and things like that. It was nothing serious. It was mostly for fun. Speaking of parties she did have one this weekend. She hadn't even practiced. She would tonight as soon as she could.



Lunch rolled around. Robina ran up to the owlery. She found an owl willing to take the letter. She watched it fly way. She went back down slowly. She wasn't particularly hungry. She knew if she didn't at least eat something, she would be hungry later. Her four PM coffee break came late sometimes.



At the staff table she took out a book. She had finished her romance novel for her article. This time she was reading Witches In History. It really was kind of dry, but nonetheless, interesting.



Robina slowly stirred her soup when Severus spoke up. "Stirring your soup will only make it cold."



Not even looking away from her book Robina said, "I know. My lunch...I can do what I want with it."



Severus shook his head. "I'm unhappy with you."



Robina set the book down, "What now?"



"You took away House points."



They had this conversation before. "They know the rules. You can't be loud in the library! Just because they are Slytherin...doesn't make them an exception to the rule! I know that, but do you?"



"What if I made noise in the library?" he asked.



"I'd throw you out!" Robina remarked haughtily.



"Maybe...I'll just be loud. If that's they way I have to be so you can place your hands on me...so be it. You are very difficult."



"You aren't any better! Besides...I'd throw you out with magic."



He placed his hand over his heart. He spoke benevolently. "It's all from you either way."



"What if I get Madame Pince to do it?" Robina fired off.



"I'll just come in when I know you are alone."



Robina ignored Severus by going back to her book. She ate her cold soup. A while later she sighed. The book she was reading was putting her to sleep. She felt Severus brush his hand against hers. Robina bit her lip. She stood up and said, "Well back to the library for me."



"I'll come later just to be throw out!"





********



It was Saturday. Robina second date with William was going to be that same afternoon. She had agreed to go see the Quidditch match. Her grandmother wrote threatening to send another Howler if she didn't. With great unwillingness, Robina wrote saying to William she would go.



She was leaving the library for Hogsmeade. She threw on her cloak as she heard Severus swoosh by on his way to lunch.



"Aren't we all pretty?" he observed. "You hair is up in such a engaging fashion."



Robina brushed away the hair that had fallen out from her eyes. "I'm off to watch Quidditch."



"Enjoy it. Which teams are playing?"



"Cannons and the Arrows."



"Should be a good game," Severus speculated.



"Eh," she said with a shrug, "if you like Quidditch."



"Then why are you going?"



"So I don't get a Howler."





Severus laughed, "That is the most uncanny basis I've ever heard for watching Quidditch."



"Then again I don't have to stand here listening to you all day. So that's a good thing." She turned and walked out. She thought she heard him say something like you will be missing it. She didn't care. A few hours away from Severus Snape was good enough reasoning for her!