It had gotten quite cold uncharacteristically fast, and the dense stones that the castle were built from only made it colder. My own chambers, conveniently located behind an inconspicuous painting close to the Slytherin dormitory, were warmed by the fire thankfully pre lit by the houselves.
Bullying comments.....unwitting victim....thing's can't change, I muttered angrily under my breath as I tugged off my robes, each insult punctuated by an article of clothing being angrily torn from my lean frame. The truth of the matter was I was infuriated that she was absolutely, staunchly correct. I hadn't changed, my sullenness, melancholia, uninhibited bouts of bad temperament aimed solely at cowering Hufflepuffs and overbearing Gryfindors. Even my hair remained the same for all these years, with only one slight streak of gray.
For Merlin's sake, Gally, stop whining, I snapped angrily at my gray tabby, who was sinuously winding herself between my legs as a way of begging for food. She opened her mouth to yowl again, but I quickly accio-ed her milk tray and set it down for her to drink. She looked up at me once, in what was supposed to be a resentful manner, but the spots of milk dripping from her whiskers depleted the overall fierceness of her glare.
Once she had drunk her fill, she immediately plunked herself down in the center of my most favorite armchair and fell asleep, happily kneading the velvet with her claws. I glared at her, but she was quite used to my bad night before- first-day-of-classes humor.
, I said in her direction, pompously placing my feet near her nose as I took a seat in another chair, deprive me of the one bloody pleasure I'm allowed.
I didn't bother trying to sleep anymore, after discovering it was quite a useless battle. I hadn't had a fitful sleep since after Potter's fourth year, when I was summoned back into Voldemort's minions.
I padded back and forth my room, aimlessly browsing my impressive library for a book boring enough to induce sleep upon me. Potions didn't work anymore, and to my deep disappointment, neither did a tiresome book. I sighed, crawling into bed, between the sheets, beneath the green duvet.
The morning dawned with a vengeance, and I climbed wearily out, wincing as my feet hit the cold stone floor. My bath was drawn for me, but as soon as I had eased myself in, I had to leap out again.
Someone had poured a scented something into the water. I sniffed it warily, hoping it was not a poisonous surfactant that would begin eating away at my flesh. No, it was something far more hideous. Muggle. Bath. Oil. Lavender.
Oh gods. I refused to go into class like this. It must have been charmed, for as soon as I attempted to rinse off in clean, cold water, the smell became stronger. In fact, Gally raised one sleepy eyebrow as I exited the bathroom, raising her snout furtively. If cats could laugh, and indeed I think they do, she must have been rollicking. She licked the corner of her mouth, then disinterestedly went back to sleep.
I put on my thickest robes, wishing that for once, I had a scent of my own to douse myself with. I scowled into the mirror, but then gave up, looking defeated. Oh well, the only consolation I could offer myself was that there were new, malleable Gryfindors waiting for points to be deducted.
As I exited quietly into the hallway, I noticed Granger exiting another painting. Then I saw a very, very complacent looking Remus Lupin climb out after her. I must have made a noise in shock, for she glanced at me and immediately colored the brightest crimson possible. She muttered something to Lupin, who walked away, down the hallway, his robes slung over his shoulder.
I smirked at her, quite amused that the fastidious Granger would have already been so distracted from her teaching. I said nothing, only crossed my arms and smirked some more. She gave me an absolutely livid glare, but it did nothing to lower my smug look. If you've something to say, say it, she said, exasperated.
I feigned surprise, Are you speaking to me, Professor Granger? Why, I've no idea what you're talking about. In fact, the man you should be speaking like that to just walked down that corridor. Why don't you just go and trot after him, a happy little lapdog?. I did nothing to disguise my disgust at her, and she did nothing to defend herself.
Suddenly, her face broke out in a suspiciously sunny smile as she took several deep breaths. My Severus, it does smell wonderful in here. An incomparably delightful change to the dank, greasy smell that seems to accompany a certain long haired fellow, she said. I narrowed my eyes, You mean to tell me that you purposely had the house elf put a charmed silly, olfactorily offensive woman's product into my bath?. She laughed, sounding disarmingly similar to a tinkling bell, Why, what makes you incredibly certain it was a houself?.
I was now enraged. I had to bite back the urge to wrap my fingers around her long neck, and beat her senseless against the painting that guard her chambers. Was it not you, Professor Granger, who suggested, rather brilliantly, that we purposely avoid one another?, I asked, making my voice very, very quiet. She stopped smiling, Actually, yes it was. I apologize for ruining your day.
Let it be no burden to your conscience, Professor. I'm sure my day would have been effectively ruined sooner or later, as your hair and teeth seem to always be in places they shouldn't. Such as my rooms!, I thundered the last bit, and she looked extremely frightened and guilty. She cowered into the painting, flattening herself against the wall.
I stomped off, my robes billowing in their usually intimidating manner. As I rounded the corner, I caught sight of her blank face, chewing raggedly on her nails as she slumped to the floor.
If I had been so sure that I had no sense of regret or conscience, I'm sure I would have felt it quite acutely then. Suddenly, my newly scented self seemed even more detestable and the childish Miss Granger did not.
















A/N: Heehee. It's not what you think. About Remus and Hermione, I mean. If you want to know the real truth, you'll have to keep on reading!