Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!

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During her very first potions class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harriet Potter already knew her feelings were wrong.

She knew as she sat there on the wooden bench while Professor Snape's cold, black stare bore into her, that it shouldn't have given her such a silent thrill.

During the first ten minutes of class, Professor Snape had mocked, humiliated, and disgraced her.

Although his words had been merciless and his tongue unforgiving, Harriet couldn't help the blush that had heated her cheeks as a result.

Her classmates assumed her red face was from embarrassment about her lack of knowledge, but that was not where Harriet's shame came from.

As she collected her books at the end of the period and left the room, she spent the entire walk down the dungeon hallway complaining to her friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, about how much she despised their potions professor.

Harriet hid her real opinion of Professor Snape behind a plausible lie.

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As Harriet's first year at Hogwarts continued, she did her very best to lock her forbidden emotions away, deep inside her heart.

Mercifully, Harriet Potter had more pressing matters to concern herself with than her feelings.

She tried not to let it break her when she learned in her battle against Professor Quirrell that her potions instructor had actually saved her life the day her broom had been bewitched during one particular Quidditch match.

She tried not to dream of her dark-haired professor over the summer holiday, when she laid alone and forgotten in her cousin Dudley's old room.

She tried not to let it warm her heart when she noticed the look on Professor Snape's face when she and Ron arrived at school for the start of their second year in a flying car.

Professor Snape was angry they had been seen, of course, but underneath his mask of rage, Harriet could see it clearly, etched into his features…..concern.

Worry.

Professor Snape had been worried about her and that knowledge alone made Harriet sleep with a smile on her face that night.

She tried to ignore it, the way her heart beat faster whenever Severus Snape stood close to her, the way she lost her words and began to stammer whenever he spoke to her in his soothing, low voice…..

As Harriet rolled over in her sleep, she tried very hard to focus on less obscene thoughts.

Ron, Hermione, Quidditch, defeating the Dark Lord……

Harriet knew that there were a great many girls her age that fancied someone.

It was natural to fancy someone.

In the muggle and wizarding worlds, everyone eventually presented as an alpha, an omega, or a beta.

Those simple facts gave Harriet hope.

Perhaps she would be an alpha.

She would learn to fancy a potential mate for herself with whom she would be compatible…..someone her own age.

Professor Snape would do her no good then, since he was an alpha.

A tall, handsome, powerful alpha.

It didn't matter that Harriet was attracted to the intimidating way he elegantly glided through the corridors with his black cloak trailing behind him, or the piercing tone that his low voice could take, no, she would be an alpha too.

Harriet didn't fancy Professor Snape, she merely viewed him as a role model.

That was what she told herself, anyway, to sleep peacefully and win the wrestling match against her own, unwanted thoughts.

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Despite how badly Harriet wanted to convince herself that she would one day become an alpha, by the middle of her second year at Hogwarts, she had shown no such tendencies besides daring bravery.

Everyone knew that courage was not necessarily an alpha's trait.

There were many brave omegas and betas, many brave witches and wizards, courage itself couldn't be tied to a single gender of any sort.

Besides courage, Harriet had a real knack for mischief.

After she got caught sneaking into the Restricted Section of the library yet again one evening, she found herself serving detention with her newest Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Gilderoy Lockhart.

Professor Lockhart was a pompous alpha who flaunted his handsome good looks to gain favor with all omegas, young and old.

Harriet liked her newest teacher very much.

Professor Lockhart gave her hope that her dreams of presenting as an alpha would come true, because she seemed to be the only girl at Hogwarts completely immune to his dashing good looks and charismatic smile.

As they sat together after dinner, alone in Gilderoy's office one evening, writing letter after letter, he looked up at Harriet and said with a smile, "Can you think of any better way to serve detention than to help me answer my fan mail, Harriet?"

"No, sir." Harriet shook her head after she blinked up at her teacher, "Although I am a bit curious as to why you offered to give my detention? I'm sure Professor McGonagall would have found work for me."

"Oh, there's no doubt about that, Harriet!" Gilderoy exclaimed with a laugh. His smile faded slightly as he replied, "...I just thought you and I may get to know each other better this way."

There was something about Gilderoy's statement that made Harriet uncomfortable as they sat there in his dimly lit office.

"...Know each other better, sir?" She asked politely.

"Well, of course!" Gilderoy laughed with another bright smile, "Surely you don't think I haven't noticed that you're the only girl who rarely smiles at me?"

Harriet didn't know what to say, but as Gilderoy rose from his chair and approached, her heart beat faster as anxiety tightened her chest.

Professor Lockhart didn't touch her.

He only came to stand beside the table that she sat at while he placed his fingers down on the wood and leaned towards her as he spoke, "You see, I enjoy being adored and favored…...that's the beauty of celebrity, Harriet…….to be liked and loved. Sometimes you give me the terrible feeling that you detest me…..and that makes me quite sad."

Harriet didn't appreciate the way that Gilderoy's fingers drifted over the page of her current letter as he leaned down further and whispered in her ear, "All I want you to do is like me, Harriet….Is that so much to ask?"

"N-No, sir." Harriet said stiffly as she swallowed an inexplicable lump in her throat.

"Excellent." Gilderoy purred as he straightened his spine.

Harriet stared numbly at the wall while Gilderoy stood beside her imposingly, with his groin lecherously close to her face.

Few other words passed between them for the next hour, but when he finally dismissed her from her detention for the night, Harriet ran out of Professor Lockhart's office as if she were fleeing a great beast.

As she dashed down the hallway towards the safety of Gryffindor tower, she wondered who she could tell.

Who would believe her?

Gilderoy Lockhart was well-respected and popular.

What would Harriet say?

That he had talked to her and asked her to smile more?

As she buried herself under the covers of her bed that evening, she frowned while she pondered what she should do.

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Fortunately, Harriet was spared the task of having to consult Hermione and Ron for advice.

The very next morning, while she still grappled with the events of the previous evening, she ran straight into Professor Lockhart on her way to the Great Hall.

"Ah, Harriet! Good morning!" Gilderoy said with a bright smile that made Harriet suddenly become aware of a creeping nervousness.

"G-Good morning, Professor Lockhart." She nodded.

As the other students walked on and left them alone in the hallway, Gilderoy's smile continued to shine down too brightly on Harriet.

He took a step towards her and she frowned in dreaded anticipation of what he may say or do next.

Harriet's fear died the moment she heard that low, authoritative voice slice through the air like a victorious sword, "Up early….this morning….Professor Lockhart?"

Harriet looked over and saw Professor Snape standing across the hallway as he scowled at her and Gilderoy.

"Severus!" Gilderoy called out fondly while he beamed at his coworker, "Yes, I know I'm normally absent from breakfast, but I thought I'd get a head start on the day!"

Severus glared at his colleague until Gilderoy laughed under his heavy, dark gaze and explained, "I just ran into Potter! We were catching up for a moment!"

"I'm not sure what either of you could have possibly missed….Professor….Lockhart." Severus said suspiciously as he glanced between Gilderoy and Harriet, "...Considering Potter served detention with you hours ago."

Gilderoy chattered on as he spewed out meaningless compliments and amusing anecdotes, all of which Severus promptly ignored.

While Gilderoy spoke, Harriet's longing for intervention grew when Severus glanced over at her.

She had much to learn about Professor Snape's abilities, but since her first dinner at Hogwarts, she had held the private belief that he could somehow read minds.

As Professor Snape stared at Harriet with his dark eyes narrowed in concentration, she replayed her memories of the previous night in silent hope that he would read her thoughts.

Harriet watched the look on Professor Snape's pale face change from one of concern to disbelief to disgust.

Severus turned from her to regard Professor Lockhart with a scowl of utter loathing.

Harriet hoped that Professor Snape had seen in her mind exactly what she wanted to show him.

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She was too young and naive to understand the reasons why Severus fought so hard to protect her.

All Harriet knew was that regardless of whatever Professor Snape had witnessed in her thoughts, she still had to attend detention with Professor Lockhart again.

Her insides trembled as she walked down the hallway to his office, hesitantly opened the door, and gathered her wits while she stepped into the room.

"Harriet!" Gilderoy called out as soon as he saw her enter, "Come in, come in, we have plenty of work to do, you and I!"

"Right, Professor." Harriet nodded respectfully as she walked over and sat down at the table across from Gilderoy.

Harriet reached out, pulled a stack of Gilderoy's fan letters close to herself, and silently set to work as she began to answer them.

Tension filled the air as she noticed that Gilderoy had abandoned his own task to leer at her.

Harriet cleared her throat when she heard his chair squeak across the floor as he rose to his feet.

His footsteps sounded heavy as he came to stand beside her again.

Harriet felt the bile rise in her throat as she fought the gnawing emotions of sickening fear and bitter revulsion.

As Gilderoy leaned down to whisper something in her ear once more, Harriet's stomach churned.

She had to speak, no matter how futile her words may be.

Her voice cracked as she said, "Professor Lockhart, I-"

"-EX….PELLIARMUS!"

The shout rang out as clear as the sudden blast of light that sent Gilderoy Lockhart soaring away from Harriet to smash straight into the stone wall across the room.

Harriet turned in her seat with a startled gasp.

Her heart leapt in her chest when her eyes fell on Professor Snape, who stood by the doorway to Gilderoy's office.

His dark robes draped ominously around his form as he pointed his wand at his enemy.

"Professor Snape!" Harriet cried joyfully.

She happily jumped to her feet and ran to her rescuer.

"By the door, Potter!" Severus snapped as he swept himself to the side and stretched one long arm out with his finger pointed to where he wanted Harriet to stand.

Professor Snape's first priority was to separate his student from her predator as quickly as possible, which he quickly accomplished as Harriet dashed over to the door while he strode towards Gilderoy with his wand out and his brow furrowed.

Harriet watched Severus's black robes billow like smoke as he crouched down beside Gilderoy.

The venom was unmistakable in Professor Snape's deep voice as he pressed the tip of his wand into Professor Lockhart's cheek while he murmured in a low, threatening rumble, "I'll see that you spend the rest of your lifetime in Azkaban for this, you vile swine."

Some would have seen a broken man as they watched Severus whisper those words of defeat to Gilderoy Lockhart.

Others would have seen a soul heavy with secrets and chained by duties that few would undertake, but as Harriet looked on, all she saw was a romantic hero.

Her world had been consumed by darkness until Professor Snape, tall, dark, and dominant, had come bursting in to restore the light.

Harriet smiled to herself as she watched Professor Snape lift Professor Lockhart into the air by whispering a spell under his breath.

"What are you smiling about, Potter?!" Severus hissed when he glanced over and noticed the happy expression on her face.

Although Professor Snape threw her one of his darkest glares, Harriet couldn't conceal her contentment.

The man she loved had just come to her rescue.

What didn't she have to smile about?