The door slammed open. Professor Snape stalked into the dungeons,
already snapping out instructions.
"Get out rat spleens, leech juice, daisy roots, and unicorn hair. This is a general-healing potion. Well, hurry up!"
The students scrambled to get their things. Severus paused at the front of the room. To his great displeasure, he saw that Erin was sitting next to Potter.
"Cooper!" he called out sharply. Erin's head jerked up. She looked startled.
"Move up," he ordered. Ignoring the hate-filled looks the Gryffindors were shooting at him, he strode quickly to the other side, glancing surreptitiously behind him. Erin's shoulders were slumped as she gathered her things and began to look for another seat. Severus felt a twinge of guilt; guilt that only increased as he realized that the only seat left was next to Malfoy.
But he couldn't take back an order, so he let Erin move up next to Draco. Severus closed his eyes and prayed they would get through the lesson. Preferably unbruised.
So this is my Head of House, thought Erin, settling into her new seat. What did he do that for?
Draco smirked as she sat. Erin refused to look at him, instead twisting around to look at Harry. Harry gave her a helpless shrug.
"Missing your Mudblood friends?" Draco hissed, quietly so that no one else would hear.
"Harry happens to be of wizard parentage. And even if he wasn't, it wouldn't matter," said Erin coolly, forcing herself to keep her eyes on Professor Snape.
"Not to you, of course - birds of a feather flock together, eh?" Draco's voice was steadily rising. "No wonder you like to sit with those, stupid, disgusting, Mudblood prats -" "Mr. Malfoy!" Snape said suddenly, appearing next to their table. He stared down at them coldly. "I must ask you to pay attention during my lesson."
The classroom suddenly grew still as the students all stared at Snape. Snape? Tell off Malfoy?
Severus realized that he had gone too far. Jerkily, he turned away from Erin and Draco and continued shouting instructions, finding some comfort in taking out his bad mood on Longbottom.
Finally the class was done. The students were hurrying out when Severus suddenly spoke.
"Ms. Cooper - a word."
Hesitantly, Erin approached his desk, pushing back one strand of her honey-colored hair and waiting for him to speak.
It was the first chance Severus had had to study his daughter up close. Her resemblance to Angelina was remarkable, but now that he had watched her, he was beginning to detect subtle differences. There was a subtle lift to Erin's head, a firmness of her lips, which Angelina had not had.
"Professor?" Erin asked when he did not speak immediately.
Severus hesitated, not sure how to put this. "If anybody harasses you about your parentage," he said, slowly and deliberately, "I want to know about it. Understand?"
"Yes, Professor."
"You may go now."
Erin left quickly. Severus watched her walk out the door, feeling a sudden burst of pride for his daughter. The situation might work out after all.
"Get out rat spleens, leech juice, daisy roots, and unicorn hair. This is a general-healing potion. Well, hurry up!"
The students scrambled to get their things. Severus paused at the front of the room. To his great displeasure, he saw that Erin was sitting next to Potter.
"Cooper!" he called out sharply. Erin's head jerked up. She looked startled.
"Move up," he ordered. Ignoring the hate-filled looks the Gryffindors were shooting at him, he strode quickly to the other side, glancing surreptitiously behind him. Erin's shoulders were slumped as she gathered her things and began to look for another seat. Severus felt a twinge of guilt; guilt that only increased as he realized that the only seat left was next to Malfoy.
But he couldn't take back an order, so he let Erin move up next to Draco. Severus closed his eyes and prayed they would get through the lesson. Preferably unbruised.
So this is my Head of House, thought Erin, settling into her new seat. What did he do that for?
Draco smirked as she sat. Erin refused to look at him, instead twisting around to look at Harry. Harry gave her a helpless shrug.
"Missing your Mudblood friends?" Draco hissed, quietly so that no one else would hear.
"Harry happens to be of wizard parentage. And even if he wasn't, it wouldn't matter," said Erin coolly, forcing herself to keep her eyes on Professor Snape.
"Not to you, of course - birds of a feather flock together, eh?" Draco's voice was steadily rising. "No wonder you like to sit with those, stupid, disgusting, Mudblood prats -" "Mr. Malfoy!" Snape said suddenly, appearing next to their table. He stared down at them coldly. "I must ask you to pay attention during my lesson."
The classroom suddenly grew still as the students all stared at Snape. Snape? Tell off Malfoy?
Severus realized that he had gone too far. Jerkily, he turned away from Erin and Draco and continued shouting instructions, finding some comfort in taking out his bad mood on Longbottom.
Finally the class was done. The students were hurrying out when Severus suddenly spoke.
"Ms. Cooper - a word."
Hesitantly, Erin approached his desk, pushing back one strand of her honey-colored hair and waiting for him to speak.
It was the first chance Severus had had to study his daughter up close. Her resemblance to Angelina was remarkable, but now that he had watched her, he was beginning to detect subtle differences. There was a subtle lift to Erin's head, a firmness of her lips, which Angelina had not had.
"Professor?" Erin asked when he did not speak immediately.
Severus hesitated, not sure how to put this. "If anybody harasses you about your parentage," he said, slowly and deliberately, "I want to know about it. Understand?"
"Yes, Professor."
"You may go now."
Erin left quickly. Severus watched her walk out the door, feeling a sudden burst of pride for his daughter. The situation might work out after all.