After dinner that night, Ginny and Hermione were the first to leave the
Great Hall, sneaking into the potions classroom to get good seats. Quickly,
Hermione cast the Exaudio charm so that she and Ginny could communicate
silently during the game. Settling down in some choice desks, the two girls
winked out of sight just as Snape burst into the room.
This potion RULES, said Hermione, her voice invading the space in the back of Ginny's mind. Snape used his wand to pull over the desk right next to Ginny's, and summoned chairs to go on either side of it. He murmured another spell and an antique chessboard materialized. As the pieces took their places, they screamed insults at each other mercilessly. Hermione could hear Ginny's laughter in her head.
Moments later, Rosalind entered, and Snape grinned at her menacingly.
"Ah, so you did show up!" he hissed. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Professor Drake? When I win, the prize I'll demand from you will not be very pleasant."
"Let's play," Rosalind growled, her eyes narrowing. The pieces let out vicious battle cries, and one knight even began a Braveheart speech.
"I'll be black," Snape declared, and the black king bowed to him respectfully. "You don't have to give me any advantages, Snape," Rosalind snapped.
"Oh, believe me, I'd never dream of making this easier for you. Watching you suffer will be all too enjoyable." The two professors took their places and the game began, already moving at a violent pace.
"This set must be very old," Rosalind remarked as she took one of Snape's pawns. "These pieces have such wonderful personalities!"
"Too bad you can't follow their example," Snape remarked as he captured her knight. Rosalind snorted rudely and said, "Well, you're one to talk-you're quite the ball of sunshine, aren't you?" One of Snape's own knights was now disabled.
"Professor Drake, really. The next time you call me a ball of sunshine."
"Call me Rosalind. It's irritating to bother with formalities while playing chess." Another piece went down. The queens were now screaming at each other across the chessboard, and eventually turned on the players.
"Merlin, girl, can't you stop flirting with the man and beat him to a bloody pulp?" The white queen shook her fist, suddenly not looking very dignified. Rosalind looked appropriately humiliated, and Snape laughed at her evilly.
"Oh, don't even start, sonny!" his own queen snapped. "You are even worse than she is! She's reduced you to a ball of mush! I've never seen you play so leniently!" Snape was immediately silenced, and it was Rosalind's turn to laugh. Then the two professors looked at each other for a moment, their discomfort almost tangible. Suddenly, Snape made his move and they seemed to pretend that nothing had happened.
Looks like the chess pieces are on our side! Ginny placed her hand over her mouth to avoid laughing. Hermione replied, I'm not hearing any denials from our teachers, either! Hahaha!" After a few moments' indulgence in silent conversation, the girls were startled by a groan from the chessboard.
"You fool!" squeaked one of the Kings. "It's a stalemate! We wanted a bloody fight to the death!" Rosalind laughed, and shockingly, so did Snape.
"But no one has won!" cried Rosalind. "Who will win the prize, and what will it be?"
"I believe your prize should be something possibly seen either as a punishment or as a reward." Both teachers turned their heads to see Dumbledore, who had sneaked in on them, eyes twinkling. Stealing a quick, bemused glance in the direction of the invisible girls, he continued. "Why don't you take her to the Halloween Ball, Severus? I'm sure you two can think up some. suitable. costumes."
"Oh, yes," Snape rolled his eyes. "I'll be a vampire and she can be that woman on Muggle TV. what is it. Buffy?"
"I could be the innocent virgin victim, if you prefer!" Rosalind clasped her hands and gazed piously towards Heaven. Snape coughed rudely.
"You? An innocent? Innocent my--" He paused. Rosalind had a strange glowing crystal in her hand, and was smirking at him. "Hey. what is that?"
"Catch!" Rosalind yelled, tossing it at him. Snape nearly panicked, but managed to snatch the crystal out of the air. It suddenly started glowing in his hands. He looked up at her. "Rosalind? What does this glowing mean?" Dumbledore discreetly placed a hand in front of his mouth to hide his smile.
"It means. it means you're a VIRGIN!" Rosalind howled, nearly falling out of her chair. Snape glared at the crystal angrily. OH MY GOD! Hermione screamed, nearly giving Ginny a migraine. VIRGINAL SNAPE!
Snape was now deathly pale. "Why don't I see if a bloody unicorn will lay its head in my lap then? At least it would be better company than you." He was absolutely livid, upsetting his chair when he suddenly stood and made to stalk from the room.
"Severus, wait!" Rosalind cried. "Don't go! It's alright, I just think it's sort of. sweet! Just. calm down!" Snape was even angrier now. "Sweet?" he bellowed. "I am NOT--"
"Severus!" Dumbledore's voice immediately startled him into silence, calling the attention of all parties present, visible or not. "Severus, calm down. Rosalind, let him be for tonight. However. I expect to see you together on Halloween-and I expect you to dance until your feet hurt, unless you want to go out into the courtyard like students and indulge in. other activities." His eyes twinkled as Snape glowered at him. Dumbledore opened the door, leaving it open wide and nodding surreptitiously to Hermione and Ginny, who took their cue. As the scurried down the hall, they heard Dumbledore make his parting shot behind them.
"And Severus? You are a much stronger man than I. You must have an iron will. Truly, I'm impressed." He winked at the stunned professors and exited dramatically.
Slipping past a protesting, half-asleep Fat Lady, Hermione and Ginny leapt through the portrait and into their common room, where they flopped on the couch, flushed and panting. The adrenaline rush was coming to an end, and they both felt a sort of sleepy contentment. They looked at each other, laughing nervously.
"My God, that was close!" gasped Hermione. "I thought Dumbledore was going to give us away for a moment. we are so lucky."
"Those chess pieces seem to be part of our little conspiracy, though!" Ginny laughed. "I've never seen Snape look embarrassed before! And can you believe he's a virgin?"
"Dumbledore was in on it too! You saw what he ordered them to do. and what he suggested! You don't think." They were silent for a moment. Ginny blurted, "Yes! I DO think! There are other people trying to achieve the same goal that we are! We just aren't working together!"
"It doesn't get any better than this!" squeaked Hermione. "I have even more ideas, now!" "You know what their costumes should be?" Ginny smiled. "I think they should be Hades and Persephone! Like the myth!" Hermione's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "That's BRILLIANT!"
"But," Ginny's brow crinkled. "How are we going to suggest their costumes without them knowing we were there tonight?"
"Are you still up for decorating the dungeons? I know of someone who can help, and Mischief Night is only two days away."
This potion RULES, said Hermione, her voice invading the space in the back of Ginny's mind. Snape used his wand to pull over the desk right next to Ginny's, and summoned chairs to go on either side of it. He murmured another spell and an antique chessboard materialized. As the pieces took their places, they screamed insults at each other mercilessly. Hermione could hear Ginny's laughter in her head.
Moments later, Rosalind entered, and Snape grinned at her menacingly.
"Ah, so you did show up!" he hissed. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Professor Drake? When I win, the prize I'll demand from you will not be very pleasant."
"Let's play," Rosalind growled, her eyes narrowing. The pieces let out vicious battle cries, and one knight even began a Braveheart speech.
"I'll be black," Snape declared, and the black king bowed to him respectfully. "You don't have to give me any advantages, Snape," Rosalind snapped.
"Oh, believe me, I'd never dream of making this easier for you. Watching you suffer will be all too enjoyable." The two professors took their places and the game began, already moving at a violent pace.
"This set must be very old," Rosalind remarked as she took one of Snape's pawns. "These pieces have such wonderful personalities!"
"Too bad you can't follow their example," Snape remarked as he captured her knight. Rosalind snorted rudely and said, "Well, you're one to talk-you're quite the ball of sunshine, aren't you?" One of Snape's own knights was now disabled.
"Professor Drake, really. The next time you call me a ball of sunshine."
"Call me Rosalind. It's irritating to bother with formalities while playing chess." Another piece went down. The queens were now screaming at each other across the chessboard, and eventually turned on the players.
"Merlin, girl, can't you stop flirting with the man and beat him to a bloody pulp?" The white queen shook her fist, suddenly not looking very dignified. Rosalind looked appropriately humiliated, and Snape laughed at her evilly.
"Oh, don't even start, sonny!" his own queen snapped. "You are even worse than she is! She's reduced you to a ball of mush! I've never seen you play so leniently!" Snape was immediately silenced, and it was Rosalind's turn to laugh. Then the two professors looked at each other for a moment, their discomfort almost tangible. Suddenly, Snape made his move and they seemed to pretend that nothing had happened.
Looks like the chess pieces are on our side! Ginny placed her hand over her mouth to avoid laughing. Hermione replied, I'm not hearing any denials from our teachers, either! Hahaha!" After a few moments' indulgence in silent conversation, the girls were startled by a groan from the chessboard.
"You fool!" squeaked one of the Kings. "It's a stalemate! We wanted a bloody fight to the death!" Rosalind laughed, and shockingly, so did Snape.
"But no one has won!" cried Rosalind. "Who will win the prize, and what will it be?"
"I believe your prize should be something possibly seen either as a punishment or as a reward." Both teachers turned their heads to see Dumbledore, who had sneaked in on them, eyes twinkling. Stealing a quick, bemused glance in the direction of the invisible girls, he continued. "Why don't you take her to the Halloween Ball, Severus? I'm sure you two can think up some. suitable. costumes."
"Oh, yes," Snape rolled his eyes. "I'll be a vampire and she can be that woman on Muggle TV. what is it. Buffy?"
"I could be the innocent virgin victim, if you prefer!" Rosalind clasped her hands and gazed piously towards Heaven. Snape coughed rudely.
"You? An innocent? Innocent my--" He paused. Rosalind had a strange glowing crystal in her hand, and was smirking at him. "Hey. what is that?"
"Catch!" Rosalind yelled, tossing it at him. Snape nearly panicked, but managed to snatch the crystal out of the air. It suddenly started glowing in his hands. He looked up at her. "Rosalind? What does this glowing mean?" Dumbledore discreetly placed a hand in front of his mouth to hide his smile.
"It means. it means you're a VIRGIN!" Rosalind howled, nearly falling out of her chair. Snape glared at the crystal angrily. OH MY GOD! Hermione screamed, nearly giving Ginny a migraine. VIRGINAL SNAPE!
Snape was now deathly pale. "Why don't I see if a bloody unicorn will lay its head in my lap then? At least it would be better company than you." He was absolutely livid, upsetting his chair when he suddenly stood and made to stalk from the room.
"Severus, wait!" Rosalind cried. "Don't go! It's alright, I just think it's sort of. sweet! Just. calm down!" Snape was even angrier now. "Sweet?" he bellowed. "I am NOT--"
"Severus!" Dumbledore's voice immediately startled him into silence, calling the attention of all parties present, visible or not. "Severus, calm down. Rosalind, let him be for tonight. However. I expect to see you together on Halloween-and I expect you to dance until your feet hurt, unless you want to go out into the courtyard like students and indulge in. other activities." His eyes twinkled as Snape glowered at him. Dumbledore opened the door, leaving it open wide and nodding surreptitiously to Hermione and Ginny, who took their cue. As the scurried down the hall, they heard Dumbledore make his parting shot behind them.
"And Severus? You are a much stronger man than I. You must have an iron will. Truly, I'm impressed." He winked at the stunned professors and exited dramatically.
Slipping past a protesting, half-asleep Fat Lady, Hermione and Ginny leapt through the portrait and into their common room, where they flopped on the couch, flushed and panting. The adrenaline rush was coming to an end, and they both felt a sort of sleepy contentment. They looked at each other, laughing nervously.
"My God, that was close!" gasped Hermione. "I thought Dumbledore was going to give us away for a moment. we are so lucky."
"Those chess pieces seem to be part of our little conspiracy, though!" Ginny laughed. "I've never seen Snape look embarrassed before! And can you believe he's a virgin?"
"Dumbledore was in on it too! You saw what he ordered them to do. and what he suggested! You don't think." They were silent for a moment. Ginny blurted, "Yes! I DO think! There are other people trying to achieve the same goal that we are! We just aren't working together!"
"It doesn't get any better than this!" squeaked Hermione. "I have even more ideas, now!" "You know what their costumes should be?" Ginny smiled. "I think they should be Hades and Persephone! Like the myth!" Hermione's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "That's BRILLIANT!"
"But," Ginny's brow crinkled. "How are we going to suggest their costumes without them knowing we were there tonight?"
"Are you still up for decorating the dungeons? I know of someone who can help, and Mischief Night is only two days away."
