Notes: Don't worry Barb ... Draco will play in shortly. After all, the first Quidditch match is only a few days away. :D
* * * *
Weeks melted away at Hogwarts and as the sky turned grey and the wind began to whip around the castle, Glory began to hear the first murmurs of Quidditch in the halls. It started with the Gryffindors, whispering madly about the newest members of their house team and soon enough even the Hufflepuffs were talking big and strutting in the halls. The first match would be between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Harry asked Glory again if she'd be willing to referee.
She smiled and glanced at the black haired boy. "You know, I think I will," she said.
Harry broke out into a grin. "Great, thanks Professor. You'll be a great ref, I know it." With another smile in her direction, he had walked quickly from the room, his head high and shoulders thrown back.
Glory shook her head and smiled again as she watched him go. He had all the confidence in the world and with good reason. Not only was the boy talented on the Quidditch field, but he was handsome and intelligent.
As the classroom emptied, Glory noticed one person hadn't moved the entire time, one person had stayed in their chair. She cocked her head and glanced at the person, who was slightly hidden behind the pillar near one wall of the class.
"Remus?" she asked.
He glanced at her, startled. "Glory, I - oh, class is over. I'm sorry." He moved to get up, but Glory held up both hands.
"No, stay if you want."
Lupin smiled gently and settled back into the chair. "I just wanted to sit here for a while." His brow creased as a pained look crossed over his face. "I miss it."
"The classroom?" Glory asked, coming down from her desk and walking over to the corner.
Lupin nodded and laughed bitterly. "Sad, isn't it?"
"Not at all."
"Some of my best years were spent in this room. First, as a student and later, as a professor." He gazed around the room with sad eyes. "It was a good year, despite my many obstacles."
"Severus?" Glory asked.
Lupin nodded. "He didn't think it was wise to hire a werewolf as a teacher. He thought I might harm the students, or something equally as silly."
Glory smiled softly and fell into the chair beside Lupin. "Severus doesn't always know what's right. You and I both know that."
Lupin smiled back. "He doesn't trust Lucius. Is that what you're referring to?"
"It's exactly what I'm referring to."
"Well, you're right. Severus doesn't always know what's right, or what's best." Lupin shrugged. "You have to learn to take his distrust in stride. It's all part of the man behind the grease."
Glory had to stifle the laugh that rose in her throat. "I don't think he's . . . that greasy," she managed to say.
Lupin broke into a wide grin. "Of course you don't. You're his colleague. I, on the other hand, am allowed to say anything I please about him."
"Remus, don't," Glory said, still smirking. "I won't be able to look at him without laughing over dinner."
"I have stories from school that would have you rolling in the aisle," he promised.
"Remus, I'm serious. Don't say anything."
Lupin grinned. "You're serious? You could have fooled me with that big smile on your face."
"Could have fooled me as well," a calm, cold voice said from the doorway.
Glory nearly fell out of the chair when she whirled around to see Snape standing against the wall. His eyes looked darker than usual, clouding over emotions he obviously didn't want the other two to see.
"Severus," Glory said mildly, smoothing her robes as her near disaster with the chair. "Remus and I were just-"
"Reminiscing?" he asked, cutting her off. "Indulging in the childish act of gossip?"
"Talking," she said.
"Ah." Snape nodded. "Of course. I should have known. You were just . . . talking." The final word was dripping with both sarcasm and disdain, and Glory frowned.
"Honestly, Severus, what is your problem?" she asked suddenly.
He blinked. "What?"
"You don't trust anyone, do you? Out of all the people here that are trying to do some kind of good, you don't trust a single one of them."
His eyes hardened again. "I trust myself."
Glory stood. "Well, maybe I don't trust you. Did you ever stop to think about that?"
He snorted. "Yet you would trust Lucius and the werewolf?"
"He has a name!" Glory said furiously. "He has a goddamned name!"
Snape's eyes narrowed. "I know his name well."
"Then use it," Glory said, her voice low with anger. "Don't you ever call him 'the werewolf' in front of me again."
"Or what?" Snape asked, taking up the silent challenge she had offered him.
"Glory," Lupin started, but she waved her hand at him and he found himself unable to speak.
"You don't want me as your enemy, Severus," she said.
"Are you threatening me?" he asked.
"Perhaps."
"I would advise against it."
Glory cocked an eyebrow. "Then I would advise against addressing Remus is a disrespectful manner." Her hand was still in the air, unwavering as she brought it around to Snape's direction. He nearly flinched, then stared defiantly at her.
"You don't even know what you can do," he said.
"Oh, and you do?" she asked, cocking her head. "You know exactly what's living inside of me, don't you, Severus? After all, you helped create it."
Snape did flinch that time, there was no mistaking it as he slightly backed away.
Glory's eyes narrowed. "That's right, just back off. You're not but a coward anyway." Her mouth quivered angrily, but her hand remained steady. "Isn't it fun to kill people?" she spat. "Isn't it fun to abuse little girls? Isn't it fun to force yourself on a woman?" She took a step toward Snape, her fingers twitching with the pent up energy. "Isn't it? Tell me . . . wasn't it fun? Didn't you enjoy it? Pretending that last night like you loved me. Making me believe that you were different." She gasped for a breath in the silent room, then stepped closer. "You didn't know about that, did you? You helped me escape and I knew after that, that I would never see you again. But in the weeks leading up . . . I thought about you all the time. Just because you felt guilty and wanted to make it up to me by being gentle." The anger that had abated slightly was back. "Well being gentle after months of torment doesn't make it better."
Snape risked a dangerous comment. "It seems to have worked for Lucius."
The energy hit him so hard that he had no time to prepare himself for the blow. He was thrown across the room and he slammed into a cabinet against the wall, glass shattering around him as he fell. The room flickered out of his vision for a moment and Snape immediately thought she had injured him so badly that he was going blind.
A moment later he could see again and slowly, he stood. His limbs were shaking and his head pounded, but he was coherent enough that he could see Glory standing against the wall and shivering. Lupin, who apparently could speak again now that Glory was weak, was standing beside her and trying to console her.
"I'm sorry," the breathy apology escaped her lips when she saw Snape standing. "I can't control it. I know I can't control it. I shouldn't let people get me angry, but sometimes I can't help it. I'm sorry."
Snape shook his head slightly. "I shouldn't have said anything. I wanted to see how far I could push you."
Her lips trembled and Lupin tried to calm her again.
"You're lucky you were a Death Eater," she said softly. "I don't know yet what a burst of energy like that can do someone who's not pureblood."
"Let's get you back to your room," Lupin said, trying to lead Glory from the classroom.
She nodded and followed him, still hanging onto his arm for support. They disappeared from the room and Snape listened for their footsteps walking down the hall. He knew he shouldn't have provoked Glory like he did, but he wanted to know more about her power. He wanted to see it again. Lucius would have his head for the stunt he pulled, but he knew it had been worth it. The last comment about Lucius had been a wild guess, but apparently something had happened between the two of them or she wouldn't have reacted so violently.
Snape frowned, still listening for their footsteps. So Lucius was in her head, her heart and her bed. Snape would definitely have to do something about that.
* * * *
* * * *
Weeks melted away at Hogwarts and as the sky turned grey and the wind began to whip around the castle, Glory began to hear the first murmurs of Quidditch in the halls. It started with the Gryffindors, whispering madly about the newest members of their house team and soon enough even the Hufflepuffs were talking big and strutting in the halls. The first match would be between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Harry asked Glory again if she'd be willing to referee.
She smiled and glanced at the black haired boy. "You know, I think I will," she said.
Harry broke out into a grin. "Great, thanks Professor. You'll be a great ref, I know it." With another smile in her direction, he had walked quickly from the room, his head high and shoulders thrown back.
Glory shook her head and smiled again as she watched him go. He had all the confidence in the world and with good reason. Not only was the boy talented on the Quidditch field, but he was handsome and intelligent.
As the classroom emptied, Glory noticed one person hadn't moved the entire time, one person had stayed in their chair. She cocked her head and glanced at the person, who was slightly hidden behind the pillar near one wall of the class.
"Remus?" she asked.
He glanced at her, startled. "Glory, I - oh, class is over. I'm sorry." He moved to get up, but Glory held up both hands.
"No, stay if you want."
Lupin smiled gently and settled back into the chair. "I just wanted to sit here for a while." His brow creased as a pained look crossed over his face. "I miss it."
"The classroom?" Glory asked, coming down from her desk and walking over to the corner.
Lupin nodded and laughed bitterly. "Sad, isn't it?"
"Not at all."
"Some of my best years were spent in this room. First, as a student and later, as a professor." He gazed around the room with sad eyes. "It was a good year, despite my many obstacles."
"Severus?" Glory asked.
Lupin nodded. "He didn't think it was wise to hire a werewolf as a teacher. He thought I might harm the students, or something equally as silly."
Glory smiled softly and fell into the chair beside Lupin. "Severus doesn't always know what's right. You and I both know that."
Lupin smiled back. "He doesn't trust Lucius. Is that what you're referring to?"
"It's exactly what I'm referring to."
"Well, you're right. Severus doesn't always know what's right, or what's best." Lupin shrugged. "You have to learn to take his distrust in stride. It's all part of the man behind the grease."
Glory had to stifle the laugh that rose in her throat. "I don't think he's . . . that greasy," she managed to say.
Lupin broke into a wide grin. "Of course you don't. You're his colleague. I, on the other hand, am allowed to say anything I please about him."
"Remus, don't," Glory said, still smirking. "I won't be able to look at him without laughing over dinner."
"I have stories from school that would have you rolling in the aisle," he promised.
"Remus, I'm serious. Don't say anything."
Lupin grinned. "You're serious? You could have fooled me with that big smile on your face."
"Could have fooled me as well," a calm, cold voice said from the doorway.
Glory nearly fell out of the chair when she whirled around to see Snape standing against the wall. His eyes looked darker than usual, clouding over emotions he obviously didn't want the other two to see.
"Severus," Glory said mildly, smoothing her robes as her near disaster with the chair. "Remus and I were just-"
"Reminiscing?" he asked, cutting her off. "Indulging in the childish act of gossip?"
"Talking," she said.
"Ah." Snape nodded. "Of course. I should have known. You were just . . . talking." The final word was dripping with both sarcasm and disdain, and Glory frowned.
"Honestly, Severus, what is your problem?" she asked suddenly.
He blinked. "What?"
"You don't trust anyone, do you? Out of all the people here that are trying to do some kind of good, you don't trust a single one of them."
His eyes hardened again. "I trust myself."
Glory stood. "Well, maybe I don't trust you. Did you ever stop to think about that?"
He snorted. "Yet you would trust Lucius and the werewolf?"
"He has a name!" Glory said furiously. "He has a goddamned name!"
Snape's eyes narrowed. "I know his name well."
"Then use it," Glory said, her voice low with anger. "Don't you ever call him 'the werewolf' in front of me again."
"Or what?" Snape asked, taking up the silent challenge she had offered him.
"Glory," Lupin started, but she waved her hand at him and he found himself unable to speak.
"You don't want me as your enemy, Severus," she said.
"Are you threatening me?" he asked.
"Perhaps."
"I would advise against it."
Glory cocked an eyebrow. "Then I would advise against addressing Remus is a disrespectful manner." Her hand was still in the air, unwavering as she brought it around to Snape's direction. He nearly flinched, then stared defiantly at her.
"You don't even know what you can do," he said.
"Oh, and you do?" she asked, cocking her head. "You know exactly what's living inside of me, don't you, Severus? After all, you helped create it."
Snape did flinch that time, there was no mistaking it as he slightly backed away.
Glory's eyes narrowed. "That's right, just back off. You're not but a coward anyway." Her mouth quivered angrily, but her hand remained steady. "Isn't it fun to kill people?" she spat. "Isn't it fun to abuse little girls? Isn't it fun to force yourself on a woman?" She took a step toward Snape, her fingers twitching with the pent up energy. "Isn't it? Tell me . . . wasn't it fun? Didn't you enjoy it? Pretending that last night like you loved me. Making me believe that you were different." She gasped for a breath in the silent room, then stepped closer. "You didn't know about that, did you? You helped me escape and I knew after that, that I would never see you again. But in the weeks leading up . . . I thought about you all the time. Just because you felt guilty and wanted to make it up to me by being gentle." The anger that had abated slightly was back. "Well being gentle after months of torment doesn't make it better."
Snape risked a dangerous comment. "It seems to have worked for Lucius."
The energy hit him so hard that he had no time to prepare himself for the blow. He was thrown across the room and he slammed into a cabinet against the wall, glass shattering around him as he fell. The room flickered out of his vision for a moment and Snape immediately thought she had injured him so badly that he was going blind.
A moment later he could see again and slowly, he stood. His limbs were shaking and his head pounded, but he was coherent enough that he could see Glory standing against the wall and shivering. Lupin, who apparently could speak again now that Glory was weak, was standing beside her and trying to console her.
"I'm sorry," the breathy apology escaped her lips when she saw Snape standing. "I can't control it. I know I can't control it. I shouldn't let people get me angry, but sometimes I can't help it. I'm sorry."
Snape shook his head slightly. "I shouldn't have said anything. I wanted to see how far I could push you."
Her lips trembled and Lupin tried to calm her again.
"You're lucky you were a Death Eater," she said softly. "I don't know yet what a burst of energy like that can do someone who's not pureblood."
"Let's get you back to your room," Lupin said, trying to lead Glory from the classroom.
She nodded and followed him, still hanging onto his arm for support. They disappeared from the room and Snape listened for their footsteps walking down the hall. He knew he shouldn't have provoked Glory like he did, but he wanted to know more about her power. He wanted to see it again. Lucius would have his head for the stunt he pulled, but he knew it had been worth it. The last comment about Lucius had been a wild guess, but apparently something had happened between the two of them or she wouldn't have reacted so violently.
Snape frowned, still listening for their footsteps. So Lucius was in her head, her heart and her bed. Snape would definitely have to do something about that.
* * * *