Breaking the Rules
Note: Well I'm glad to say I'll be doing the best I can to keep this story going, always appreciating feedback. Sadly, I started this during the holidays when I had more free time so updates may be scarce while my school work is freely given to me by evil, devious little teachers. Oh, and to purple*angel, the feast was implied since, I may be wrong, I remember Dumbledore saying "Tuck in!" before all the food appeared! Once more, all hail J.K. Rowling, creator of all!
" Err... Stay calm now! No need to go an' make a fuss, they don't mean no harm! Jus' keep walkin' away, slowly... There yeh go!"
The whole class, which consisted of scared Slytherins and Gryffindors in tattered cloaks, was running from one side of the Hogwarts grounds to the other. They were being chased from every which way by what appeared to be some sort of two-headed snake.
" Just when I thought that bloody oaf couldn't possibly get any dumber, he goes off and finds us snakes who bite from both ends!" wailed Draco Malfoy.
The rest of the lesson was mainly the few students brave enough to do so trying to lure the snakes back into their cages, while the rest hid behind Hagrid's wooden cabin. When all this was done and the children felt it safe to sneak out of their hiding places, they started marching off towards the castle, Malfoy muttering something about his father, of course. Harry, Ron and Hermione lingered behind.
" So, Hagrid, where did you get these?" asked Harry.
" Oh, a friend o' mine passing through Hogsmeade not too long ago dropped them off. Off to India, he was, I think. Couldn't bring them along an' I couldn't bear the thought o' them being left in some ol' forest, defenceless an' all!" replied Hagrid, looking down on his new snakes lovingly.
The three students looked at each other with disgust, be they had all given up on the idea of reasoning with Hagrid about his strange liking for even stranger and very monstrous creatures.
" Eh, Hagrid... I was wondering, do you know anything about Professor McAllaster. I know you've been Gamekeeper here for a while, and I was just wondering..." asked Ron, hesitantly.
" Ah yes, little Natalie McAllaster. I do recall her, sweet as an angel, she was, an' a real smart one too. Happy tah see her back 'ere. Shame 'bout Professor McGonagall though. She was a real good woman... Why d'you ask, Ron?" said Hagrid.
" Like I said, I was just asking. You wouldn't happen to know about anything between her and Snape, would you?" asked Ron, once more.
" Why all these questions about Professor McAllaster, Ron?" asked Hagrid, in turn.
" Oh nothing, Hagrid. Ron just has this raging crush on her!" answered Hermione swiftly.
" I do not! She's just really nice and all..." said Ron, blushing.
They stood there for a few moments bickering, with Harry throwing in a few comments ever now and then, until Hagrid made them stop and told them to go off to the castle.
" Oh, and Ron, don't go asking too many questions 'bout McAllaster and Snape, now. That's their business and they'll handle it in due time, ya hear?" said Hagrid, trying to sound severe.
Ron just nodded slightly and left with Harry and Hermione.
*
Natalie McAllaster had just reached the dungeon door when she turned around again, eyeing the staircase she had just descended. She hesitated a few moments, shifting uneasily between the door and the stairs until she shook her head firmly and knocked on the door, knowing there was no class at this time.
" What is it? I'm very busy right now..." came an annoyed voice from inside the room.
" Professor Snape, it's Professor McAllaster... I need a word with you if you don't mind,' she answered.
Silence alone replied her while she waited in front of the door. Finally, she heard footsteps coming closer and the creaky sound of a heavy door opening. She saw a pair of eyes peering at her from the crack in the door and then the door opened wider, letting her in. Snape, it seems, had been making a few concoctions for his classes when she had interrupted him.
" I hope I'm not bothering you, Severus. I just need a word with you, just to try and set the records straight right away. We really shouldn't let this drag on for the whole year, right?" she said.
He turned to look at her with an unreadable expression on his face and motioned for her to sit down in a chair in front of his desk. She did so as he took place in a large wooden chair, slightly resembling a dark throne. He crossed his hands, resting his two index fingers on his lip, and looked a bit to the right of McAllaster, waiting.
" So, I heard you've given Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley a detention for tomorrow. Very early in the year to do so, don't you think? I mean, they were only, what, thirty seconds late," said McAllaster.
" And, Natalie, what would you suggest me to do instead? Let them go off with a small warning, a little slap on the wrist? Next thing you know, everyone's at ease, coming in and out of my classroom whenever they please," he answered, showing no interest in what she had to say.
" I don't mean to undermine your authority or anything, I was just suggesting that taking 20 points from Gryffindor on their account was already quite enough. But if you really do feel it necessary..." she continued.
" Yes, I do feel it necessary. Those two are trouble makers and their chronic tardiness will only cease if they finally receive decent punishment. Minerva was always much too lenient with them and I was hoping you, Natalie, would finally have the sense to set them straight!" he said, with a tone of conclusion, thus ending the discussion.
" Very well, Severus, for it is your right. Now, how about if we tackle this chronic awkwardness and annoyance you seem to be having with me? Will you just explain why we can't just be civil to each other, possibly even having a decent conversation now and then!" said McAllaster pleadingly.
Snape leaned back into his chair and shifted his vision to include McAllaster. He looked at her longingly and sighed, closing his eyes.
" Severus, just be honest with me now..." she started.
He suddenly exploded out of his chair with fury in his eyes. Startled, McAllaster jumped out of her chair, backing up into the desks behind her.
" Honest??? You want me to be honest with you, Natalie? Because honesty and loyalty flows in your veins, right?... You being a loyal Gryffindor, you would never betray a loved one, right?... Then tell me, be honest, Natalie... Why did you lie to me so many years ago?" he said approaching her slowly.
She continued backing away until her back laid on the door that Snape had closed beforehand. Panic in her eyes, she opened her mouth trying to speak, words eluding her. Snape had reached her and was standing inches away, mad fury engraved into all his traits.
" You... You don't understand! You never heard the whole story, I never meant to stay away for so long... You have to trust me, Severus, as you once did... I never meant to break my promise, I was just trying to..." She tried to continue, on the brink of tears.
" What were you trying to do, Natalie... I thought we... I thought you..." he said, feeling his anger melt away, wincing at the sight of her.
She turned her face away, breathing scarcely. Snape, taking advantage of not seeing her watery eyes and feeling his fury surge back into him, grab her roughly by the chin and turned her head back towards him.
" Severus, I still... Professor, you're still..." she tried, but to no avail.
They both closed their eyes gently. They stood there for a moment silently, Snape's hand still on McAllaster's face. She swallowed hard and pushed him away, turned around and walked out the door. He tried to grab onto one of her cloaks but they seemed to slip between his fingers like sand. He turned towards the stairs to see the end of her robes flying up them and came back into his dungeon, leaving the door open. He sat on one of the desks looking down with a strange peacefulness about him. He was startled by the sound of footsteps and jumped to his feet, looking back into the corridor.
" Natalie?..." he whispered.
He was disappointed when all he saw was Albus Dumbledore walking towards his dungeon. He quickly straightened his black robes and waited for the inevitable.
" Hello Severus! 'Tis a wonderful day, today. Perhaps you should go out and breathe in the last few breaths of summer air. You look a bit pale yourself! Are you quite alright?" said Dumbledore, as cheerful as ever.
" Yes, Albus. I'm fine, as fine as I was last night. I have a lot of work to be getting to, you know. Perhaps that summer air shall have to wait a few more days. Now, if you'll excuse me..." answered Snape quickly.
He turned to close the door but Dumbledore just stopped him from doing so.
" You know, Severus, she does have a point. Maybe you should hear her out. It certainly wouldn't hurt to do so, now would it? Maybe some midnight summer air would clear both your minds up. Well then, good day!" said Dumbledore, walking towards the staircase.
Snape looked back at Dumbledore, a bit puzzled, and retreated to his dungeon, his sanctuary.
To Be Continued...?
Note: Well I'm glad to say I'll be doing the best I can to keep this story going, always appreciating feedback. Sadly, I started this during the holidays when I had more free time so updates may be scarce while my school work is freely given to me by evil, devious little teachers. Oh, and to purple*angel, the feast was implied since, I may be wrong, I remember Dumbledore saying "Tuck in!" before all the food appeared! Once more, all hail J.K. Rowling, creator of all!
" Err... Stay calm now! No need to go an' make a fuss, they don't mean no harm! Jus' keep walkin' away, slowly... There yeh go!"
The whole class, which consisted of scared Slytherins and Gryffindors in tattered cloaks, was running from one side of the Hogwarts grounds to the other. They were being chased from every which way by what appeared to be some sort of two-headed snake.
" Just when I thought that bloody oaf couldn't possibly get any dumber, he goes off and finds us snakes who bite from both ends!" wailed Draco Malfoy.
The rest of the lesson was mainly the few students brave enough to do so trying to lure the snakes back into their cages, while the rest hid behind Hagrid's wooden cabin. When all this was done and the children felt it safe to sneak out of their hiding places, they started marching off towards the castle, Malfoy muttering something about his father, of course. Harry, Ron and Hermione lingered behind.
" So, Hagrid, where did you get these?" asked Harry.
" Oh, a friend o' mine passing through Hogsmeade not too long ago dropped them off. Off to India, he was, I think. Couldn't bring them along an' I couldn't bear the thought o' them being left in some ol' forest, defenceless an' all!" replied Hagrid, looking down on his new snakes lovingly.
The three students looked at each other with disgust, be they had all given up on the idea of reasoning with Hagrid about his strange liking for even stranger and very monstrous creatures.
" Eh, Hagrid... I was wondering, do you know anything about Professor McAllaster. I know you've been Gamekeeper here for a while, and I was just wondering..." asked Ron, hesitantly.
" Ah yes, little Natalie McAllaster. I do recall her, sweet as an angel, she was, an' a real smart one too. Happy tah see her back 'ere. Shame 'bout Professor McGonagall though. She was a real good woman... Why d'you ask, Ron?" said Hagrid.
" Like I said, I was just asking. You wouldn't happen to know about anything between her and Snape, would you?" asked Ron, once more.
" Why all these questions about Professor McAllaster, Ron?" asked Hagrid, in turn.
" Oh nothing, Hagrid. Ron just has this raging crush on her!" answered Hermione swiftly.
" I do not! She's just really nice and all..." said Ron, blushing.
They stood there for a few moments bickering, with Harry throwing in a few comments ever now and then, until Hagrid made them stop and told them to go off to the castle.
" Oh, and Ron, don't go asking too many questions 'bout McAllaster and Snape, now. That's their business and they'll handle it in due time, ya hear?" said Hagrid, trying to sound severe.
Ron just nodded slightly and left with Harry and Hermione.
*
Natalie McAllaster had just reached the dungeon door when she turned around again, eyeing the staircase she had just descended. She hesitated a few moments, shifting uneasily between the door and the stairs until she shook her head firmly and knocked on the door, knowing there was no class at this time.
" What is it? I'm very busy right now..." came an annoyed voice from inside the room.
" Professor Snape, it's Professor McAllaster... I need a word with you if you don't mind,' she answered.
Silence alone replied her while she waited in front of the door. Finally, she heard footsteps coming closer and the creaky sound of a heavy door opening. She saw a pair of eyes peering at her from the crack in the door and then the door opened wider, letting her in. Snape, it seems, had been making a few concoctions for his classes when she had interrupted him.
" I hope I'm not bothering you, Severus. I just need a word with you, just to try and set the records straight right away. We really shouldn't let this drag on for the whole year, right?" she said.
He turned to look at her with an unreadable expression on his face and motioned for her to sit down in a chair in front of his desk. She did so as he took place in a large wooden chair, slightly resembling a dark throne. He crossed his hands, resting his two index fingers on his lip, and looked a bit to the right of McAllaster, waiting.
" So, I heard you've given Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley a detention for tomorrow. Very early in the year to do so, don't you think? I mean, they were only, what, thirty seconds late," said McAllaster.
" And, Natalie, what would you suggest me to do instead? Let them go off with a small warning, a little slap on the wrist? Next thing you know, everyone's at ease, coming in and out of my classroom whenever they please," he answered, showing no interest in what she had to say.
" I don't mean to undermine your authority or anything, I was just suggesting that taking 20 points from Gryffindor on their account was already quite enough. But if you really do feel it necessary..." she continued.
" Yes, I do feel it necessary. Those two are trouble makers and their chronic tardiness will only cease if they finally receive decent punishment. Minerva was always much too lenient with them and I was hoping you, Natalie, would finally have the sense to set them straight!" he said, with a tone of conclusion, thus ending the discussion.
" Very well, Severus, for it is your right. Now, how about if we tackle this chronic awkwardness and annoyance you seem to be having with me? Will you just explain why we can't just be civil to each other, possibly even having a decent conversation now and then!" said McAllaster pleadingly.
Snape leaned back into his chair and shifted his vision to include McAllaster. He looked at her longingly and sighed, closing his eyes.
" Severus, just be honest with me now..." she started.
He suddenly exploded out of his chair with fury in his eyes. Startled, McAllaster jumped out of her chair, backing up into the desks behind her.
" Honest??? You want me to be honest with you, Natalie? Because honesty and loyalty flows in your veins, right?... You being a loyal Gryffindor, you would never betray a loved one, right?... Then tell me, be honest, Natalie... Why did you lie to me so many years ago?" he said approaching her slowly.
She continued backing away until her back laid on the door that Snape had closed beforehand. Panic in her eyes, she opened her mouth trying to speak, words eluding her. Snape had reached her and was standing inches away, mad fury engraved into all his traits.
" You... You don't understand! You never heard the whole story, I never meant to stay away for so long... You have to trust me, Severus, as you once did... I never meant to break my promise, I was just trying to..." She tried to continue, on the brink of tears.
" What were you trying to do, Natalie... I thought we... I thought you..." he said, feeling his anger melt away, wincing at the sight of her.
She turned her face away, breathing scarcely. Snape, taking advantage of not seeing her watery eyes and feeling his fury surge back into him, grab her roughly by the chin and turned her head back towards him.
" Severus, I still... Professor, you're still..." she tried, but to no avail.
They both closed their eyes gently. They stood there for a moment silently, Snape's hand still on McAllaster's face. She swallowed hard and pushed him away, turned around and walked out the door. He tried to grab onto one of her cloaks but they seemed to slip between his fingers like sand. He turned towards the stairs to see the end of her robes flying up them and came back into his dungeon, leaving the door open. He sat on one of the desks looking down with a strange peacefulness about him. He was startled by the sound of footsteps and jumped to his feet, looking back into the corridor.
" Natalie?..." he whispered.
He was disappointed when all he saw was Albus Dumbledore walking towards his dungeon. He quickly straightened his black robes and waited for the inevitable.
" Hello Severus! 'Tis a wonderful day, today. Perhaps you should go out and breathe in the last few breaths of summer air. You look a bit pale yourself! Are you quite alright?" said Dumbledore, as cheerful as ever.
" Yes, Albus. I'm fine, as fine as I was last night. I have a lot of work to be getting to, you know. Perhaps that summer air shall have to wait a few more days. Now, if you'll excuse me..." answered Snape quickly.
He turned to close the door but Dumbledore just stopped him from doing so.
" You know, Severus, she does have a point. Maybe you should hear her out. It certainly wouldn't hurt to do so, now would it? Maybe some midnight summer air would clear both your minds up. Well then, good day!" said Dumbledore, walking towards the staircase.
Snape looked back at Dumbledore, a bit puzzled, and retreated to his dungeon, his sanctuary.
To Be Continued...?