Title: L' Estate di Suicidio
Author: Clynn
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, and I'm not making any money off of them.
Author's Notes: ANOTHER CHAPTER! I'm on a roll! I hope you enjoy this chapter- and that none of you are particularly fond of Trelawney! Please review!
Chapter Twelve
When we arrive in the Great Hall, Professor Snape once again seats me between himself and Professor Trelawney. He serves me an ample amount of food, though I barely notice what it is. Professor Trelawney is leaning a little too close to me, her perfume making my nose twitch, and I'm afraid that I might sneeze in her face. Professor Snape looks over, clearly about to say something to me, when he notices Professor Trelawney's uncomfortable proximity to me.
"Was there something you needed, Professor?" Snape asks, the cold edge to his voice making me jerk back in surprise. Amazing how quickly I adjusted to hearing Snape speak softly, gently.
"No, no Severus, I was merely contemplating certain truths that were revealed to me today. I thought to tell Harry of them, as they concern his fate. But it seems I am unable to find him alone, and it is, after all, a private affair." Professor Trelawney's voice drips with obviously forced sweetness, and she reaches across me to pat Snape lightly on the shoulder as she speaks. It seems like a bad move to me, as Snape is obviously struggling to control his temper.
"The boy has no secrets from me, Sybil. And perhaps you should ASK him if he has any interest in his future before you reveal it." Snape's voice has gone very quiet now, and I silently beg Trelawney not to continue.
"Oh, but Severus, who wouldn't want to know the future? After all, the boy must want some time to say his good-byes before he is no longer with us!" Snape stands up quickly, and slams his goblet of pumpkin juice down on the table so loudly that all the other professors look up from their meals and stare at us. I sink back into my chair, trying desperately to disappear.
"That is quite enough, Trelawney! If you had any concern at all for this child you would cut the melodramatic nonsense and leave him alone! You see him suffering, you see him sitting here, struggling to get through a meal, and you see fit to predict his death? I don't know why it is you seem to 'see' this young man's death at least once a day, but has it ever occurred to you that you might be seeing what you want to see? You seem to keep an awfully close eye on Harry, Sybil. But I'm keeping a closer one on you." With that, Snape grabs my arm and drags me out of the hall. I struggle to keep up with him, while he fumes on and on about incompetent and uncaring teachers. All the aggression he wanted to put into Professor Trelawney he poured into his walking, and we reach the dungeons with unbeatable speed.
"Emerald visions," Snape growls at the portrait, cutting off any greeting that might have been given. The man in the portrait wisely chooses not to chat today, and opens so sharply that it bangs back against the wall. Snape pays no attention, and pulls me inside. He immediately starts a fire in the fireplace and plops down into one of the armchairs.
"Harry... You know by now that Trelawney is... Well, not always accurate in her predictions, right?" Snape's kind voice is back, and I wonder how he can just turn it off and on like that. He looks so worried about me, as if there is a chance I would have taken anther death prediction from Trelawney to heart.
"Sir, Professor Trelawney has been predicting my death since the first divination class. I just ignore it now. But... Well, did you mean that stuff about her watching me and wanting me to die? I mean, she does seem to think about my death a lot, but she's never done anything even remotely hostile towards me." Snape winces slightly as I remind him of his speech a few moments ago.
"I shouldn't have said that... I really, really shouldn't have said that. I'm quite sure Albus will be along momentarily to remind me of that. I have no reason to suspect Trelawney of wanting you dead, or having any ill intentions, I just got a little caught up in the moment. The look on her face when I said that, though... I did mean it when I said I was going to keep an eye on her. I don't trust her." I nod easily, I don't think Snape trusts many people, and it is kind of comforting to know that he is watching my back. I know I have Dumbledore doing the same, but Professor Dumbledore is far too trusting, and his trust has put me in danger before. Snape, one the other hand is meticulous in anything he does, and suspects anyone and everyone. Perhaps that was not entirely healthy for him, but it certainly made me feel safe.
A sudden rap on the door startles me, but it appears that Snape was expecting it. He walks over and lets Dumbledore into the room.
"Severus, Harry... I wanted to speak to you both about the little incident at dinner. That is, of course, if you have a moment right now, Severus?" It was ridiculous of him to ask, and everyone there knows it. Snape had nothing to do, and even if he had, he would not have refused the headmaster.
"I think I can give you a moment, Albus," Snape mutters dryly. He motions to a seat by the fireplace, and pulls over another seat for me. He returns to the armchair he had flopped down in when we arrived.
"Wonderful, my boy, wonderful. Now, Severus, I assume you know why I am here. No matter how provoked you may have been, your words to Sybil were unkind and inappropriate. I would like to have at least a facade of civility amongst the staff. On the other hand, I am quite pleased to hear you being so protective of Mr. Potter, and I find it difficult to admonish you for words said out of concern for a student. Nonetheless, I would like you to be more polite to Professor Trelawney in the future." Professor Snape sat slouched in his seat, looking every bit the disrespectful teenager listening for the millionth time to a lecture from a parent. Professor Dumbledore looked at him with a twinkle in his eyes, and grinned a bit beneath his beard. "Severus, are you listening to me?" Dumbledore posed the question with mock sterness, and I was surprised to hear Professor Snape chuckle in reply.
"Do I ever listen to these lectures, Albus? You and I both know that you a required to give them to maintain some semblance of order amongst the faculty, as well and we both know that I will ignore it, as usual, and probably say something else rude to Trelawney before the week is out. And Minerva will sit down the table pretending to disapprove and struggling not to laugh, and probably wishing she had said it instead. And you will pretend to be very put out with me, and we'll be down here again, doing this same thing." This time, it is Dumbledore who laughs.
"Too true, my boy, but kindly refrain from passing that information on to the rest of the staff. I'd like to think I still have some of them fooled. Now, Harry, I'd like to talk to you, too, if you don't mind." When Dumbledore turns to me, his face has lost its grin.
"Sir, Professor Snape has already spoken to me. I know better than to take Professor Trelawney's death predictions seriously, and I don't feel bad about what she said. I'm used to it." I smile in what I hope is a reassuring manner, and Snape reaches over to pat me gently on the shoulder. I'm slowly adjusting to these small, physical reassurances that he is there and cares about me, and I'm even grateful for them. I often see Mrs. or Mr. Weasley do the same to their children, and although Ron often acts annoyed when his mother holds his hand or pulls him in for a brief hug, I imagine he would miss it if it were gone.
"Now Harry, I don't want to encourage you to disregard what a teacher has told you, but I must say, in this case, I'm quite glad you reached that conclusion on your own. I would advise you, however, to steer clear of Professor Trelawney for awhile. She has quite a temper, and she often knows exactly what to say to hurt a person. I'm not trying to say that Professor Snape's insinuations were correct, but Sybil was quite upset at Severus' words, and she may very well attempt to get back at him by upsetting you. Not, er, that Professor Trelawney is in anyway childish or petty, or, in fact, that any of your professors are anything short of perfect..." At this, I let out a short laugh, and both Snape and Dumbledore look delighted.
"I understand, sir," I tell him, and Dumbledore stands to leave. Professor Snape escorts him to the door, and then speaks quietly to a house elf who I hadn't noticed. Probably ordering dinner, I realize. After all, we didn't exactly get a chance to eat in the Great Hall.
