Velvet was halfway up the stairs to her room when she finally realized that
she had left her bag in the dungeon. Wearily, she turned around to trudge
back down. When she finally made it to the potions lab, she was afraid it
would be locked, but instead the door was opened.
Professor Snape had asked Professor Flitwick to send down Nanashi Nerys as soon as possible, and Snape thought that Velvet was Nani. He had started to say something extremely offensive when he realized it was not Nani. He merely scowled, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to get my bag, I left it." she trailed off when she saw the opened notebook. Her eyes opened really wide. "Um," was all she managed.
"I am awaiting the arrival of Miss Nerys."
Nani stuck her purple head in and looked from Snape's scowl to Velvet's look of horror to the opened notebook. She straightened up and walked stiffly in. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes," he snarled. "I have become aware of your mistreatment of Mister Malfoy." His eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm going to rip your heart out with a spoon!"
"Hey, I had an explanation down there. He treats you badly and he insulted a first year friend of mine and."
Velvet said in the background, "I would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids."
"I was not under the impression that I asked for an explanation. 30 points will be taken from Ravenclaw. And if I ever catch you interfering with one of my students again I will see to it that you are expelled."
"You know, Professor, the points don't mean anything to me. It's not like anyone is going to ignore me because of it-they all already do that."
Snape looked at her curiously and then a very strange sort of smile crossed his face. "You are right, that certainly isn't the right punishment for someone of your nature. I have a much better idea. How would you like to take a dance class?"
A look of horror crossed Nani's face. "You wouldn't."
"Out, out of my classroom. Be gone-both of you!"
Velvet grabbed her bag and Nani tried to grab her notebook, but Snape wouldn't allow her. They scurried out of the room and up towards the rest of the castle.
"I'm sorry I let him find the notebook," began Velvet.
"Hey, he would've figured it out anyway. You don't think he's serious about the dance class thing do you?" An image of herself in a pink tutu crossed her mind.
"I dunno. Can you imagine him in dance class? Snape as the Sugar Plum fairy." They fell into peels of laughter. "I suppose you ought to be off to your dormitory. I know I am completely tired."
But despite however tired Velvet was, she came to breakfast the next day looking as though she hadn't slept at all. Snape looked like he was in an extremely evilly happy mood. Velvet was afraid to say anything to him. So she was very quiet during breakfast.
When she went to Professor Flitwick's room, she saw Nani talking to him. They seemed to be discussing a piece of paper that Nani was holding. She stormed out, nearly running into Velvet.
"He did it! That rotten SOB did it! I have dance classes with some flighty, ballerina, fairy type. It's not even a guy!"
"Hey cheer up, the teacher might be cool. You may even learn to be graceful."
Nani gave her a look that would have wilted flowers and then proceeded to storm away.
Charms was fun. Flitwick was absolutely adorable and she discovered that with charms as long as she was thinking about what she wanted to happen it would. Although, she discovered that it was very tiring. Maybe, it was just the lack of sleep, or maybe the magic was taking it out of her. By lunch, she was dead tired.
Perhaps that's why she was a little short when Snape stirred her from her stupor. "Was your purple-headed friend pleased with her punishment?"
"Oh yeah, thrilled. Couldn't believe the sheer kindness that you showed her. Why, I'm sure she's sitting there right now thinking, 'Professor Snape is so kind hearted and.'"
"I see," he cut her off sharply.
"Not," she continued in the same irritated voice, "that she didn't deserve it. Stupid of her to leave evidence behind like that."
"But not stupid to pull the prank," he said.
"Well, it's not like his god awful platinum hair hasn't already grown back," she looked absolutely miserable. Snape just looked at her, fuming.
"You're very lucky I cannot take points from you," he said in a dangerously quiet voice.
"Oh, go waste your hate on someone else would you?"
His eyes flashed, and he got up to leave angrily.
She was still in a bad mood when she went to see Hagrid. Like Binns, Hagrid had decided that his subject was more quickly learned from books than from practice. So, Velvet spent quite a while fuming about Snape and Nani until finally she said, "It's just so stupid."
Hagrid nodded his assent. "Yeah, I think maybe you were a little rude to him today, not that he wasn't being rude himself. But, maybe you ought to apologize."
She half-smiled, "You are right. Dammit, you're right. I was just tired so I was mean and. whatever."
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I told Harry he could come and have tea with me. He'll be along soon."
Velvet smiled and walked slowly back to the castle. She ached all over- maybe she'd take a nap. She saw Harry and his friends going to Hagrid's- class was over for the day. When she walked in she saw Snape walking back from Lupin's room, looking disgusted.
"Professor." Snape turned abruptly and raised his eyebrows. "I would like to apologize for how rude I was at lunch today. I haven't been sleeping well, but that's no excuse and I didn't mean to offend you."
"Fine." He said shortly, and he turned on his heel and swooped away.
That, thought Velvet, was the least rewarding apology I think I've ever given.
She climbed up her stairs and all but dissolved into her bed. When she woke up it was dark and there was someone tapping on her door.
She opened it and saw Nani looking up at her, breathing heavily. "Were you asleep? I was wondering where you were, dinner is about to start."
They slowly trudged down the steps and to the dining hall where most of the students had already assembled. Before dinner Dumbledore made a few announcements about students not being allowed out at night during which he gave a rather stern look towards the Gryffindor table. A look of disgust wandered across Snape's dour face.
Any attempts at conversation made towards Snape this evening where quickly dismissed by a toss of his head or a cruel look. After dinner, Lupin joined Velvet and she asked, "What's eating Snape? He's been more cross than usual."
Lupin just frowned a little and said, "How should I know?" Then, he walked away. Great, she thought, now they're both mad at me. She looked up the long flight of stairwell and had the sudden urge to hurt someone. badly.
Professor Snape had asked Professor Flitwick to send down Nanashi Nerys as soon as possible, and Snape thought that Velvet was Nani. He had started to say something extremely offensive when he realized it was not Nani. He merely scowled, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to get my bag, I left it." she trailed off when she saw the opened notebook. Her eyes opened really wide. "Um," was all she managed.
"I am awaiting the arrival of Miss Nerys."
Nani stuck her purple head in and looked from Snape's scowl to Velvet's look of horror to the opened notebook. She straightened up and walked stiffly in. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes," he snarled. "I have become aware of your mistreatment of Mister Malfoy." His eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm going to rip your heart out with a spoon!"
"Hey, I had an explanation down there. He treats you badly and he insulted a first year friend of mine and."
Velvet said in the background, "I would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids."
"I was not under the impression that I asked for an explanation. 30 points will be taken from Ravenclaw. And if I ever catch you interfering with one of my students again I will see to it that you are expelled."
"You know, Professor, the points don't mean anything to me. It's not like anyone is going to ignore me because of it-they all already do that."
Snape looked at her curiously and then a very strange sort of smile crossed his face. "You are right, that certainly isn't the right punishment for someone of your nature. I have a much better idea. How would you like to take a dance class?"
A look of horror crossed Nani's face. "You wouldn't."
"Out, out of my classroom. Be gone-both of you!"
Velvet grabbed her bag and Nani tried to grab her notebook, but Snape wouldn't allow her. They scurried out of the room and up towards the rest of the castle.
"I'm sorry I let him find the notebook," began Velvet.
"Hey, he would've figured it out anyway. You don't think he's serious about the dance class thing do you?" An image of herself in a pink tutu crossed her mind.
"I dunno. Can you imagine him in dance class? Snape as the Sugar Plum fairy." They fell into peels of laughter. "I suppose you ought to be off to your dormitory. I know I am completely tired."
But despite however tired Velvet was, she came to breakfast the next day looking as though she hadn't slept at all. Snape looked like he was in an extremely evilly happy mood. Velvet was afraid to say anything to him. So she was very quiet during breakfast.
When she went to Professor Flitwick's room, she saw Nani talking to him. They seemed to be discussing a piece of paper that Nani was holding. She stormed out, nearly running into Velvet.
"He did it! That rotten SOB did it! I have dance classes with some flighty, ballerina, fairy type. It's not even a guy!"
"Hey cheer up, the teacher might be cool. You may even learn to be graceful."
Nani gave her a look that would have wilted flowers and then proceeded to storm away.
Charms was fun. Flitwick was absolutely adorable and she discovered that with charms as long as she was thinking about what she wanted to happen it would. Although, she discovered that it was very tiring. Maybe, it was just the lack of sleep, or maybe the magic was taking it out of her. By lunch, she was dead tired.
Perhaps that's why she was a little short when Snape stirred her from her stupor. "Was your purple-headed friend pleased with her punishment?"
"Oh yeah, thrilled. Couldn't believe the sheer kindness that you showed her. Why, I'm sure she's sitting there right now thinking, 'Professor Snape is so kind hearted and.'"
"I see," he cut her off sharply.
"Not," she continued in the same irritated voice, "that she didn't deserve it. Stupid of her to leave evidence behind like that."
"But not stupid to pull the prank," he said.
"Well, it's not like his god awful platinum hair hasn't already grown back," she looked absolutely miserable. Snape just looked at her, fuming.
"You're very lucky I cannot take points from you," he said in a dangerously quiet voice.
"Oh, go waste your hate on someone else would you?"
His eyes flashed, and he got up to leave angrily.
She was still in a bad mood when she went to see Hagrid. Like Binns, Hagrid had decided that his subject was more quickly learned from books than from practice. So, Velvet spent quite a while fuming about Snape and Nani until finally she said, "It's just so stupid."
Hagrid nodded his assent. "Yeah, I think maybe you were a little rude to him today, not that he wasn't being rude himself. But, maybe you ought to apologize."
She half-smiled, "You are right. Dammit, you're right. I was just tired so I was mean and. whatever."
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I told Harry he could come and have tea with me. He'll be along soon."
Velvet smiled and walked slowly back to the castle. She ached all over- maybe she'd take a nap. She saw Harry and his friends going to Hagrid's- class was over for the day. When she walked in she saw Snape walking back from Lupin's room, looking disgusted.
"Professor." Snape turned abruptly and raised his eyebrows. "I would like to apologize for how rude I was at lunch today. I haven't been sleeping well, but that's no excuse and I didn't mean to offend you."
"Fine." He said shortly, and he turned on his heel and swooped away.
That, thought Velvet, was the least rewarding apology I think I've ever given.
She climbed up her stairs and all but dissolved into her bed. When she woke up it was dark and there was someone tapping on her door.
She opened it and saw Nani looking up at her, breathing heavily. "Were you asleep? I was wondering where you were, dinner is about to start."
They slowly trudged down the steps and to the dining hall where most of the students had already assembled. Before dinner Dumbledore made a few announcements about students not being allowed out at night during which he gave a rather stern look towards the Gryffindor table. A look of disgust wandered across Snape's dour face.
Any attempts at conversation made towards Snape this evening where quickly dismissed by a toss of his head or a cruel look. After dinner, Lupin joined Velvet and she asked, "What's eating Snape? He's been more cross than usual."
Lupin just frowned a little and said, "How should I know?" Then, he walked away. Great, she thought, now they're both mad at me. She looked up the long flight of stairwell and had the sudden urge to hurt someone. badly.