Look like th'serpent, but be the innocent flower under't

A/N: Another chapter / scene however you wish to classify the terrifying passage to come. I apologise there isn't really the Harry / Snape confrontation which I was hoping for but I will write it in soon...somewhere.

*****

"Detention, Potter!" Harry's mouth gaped open in disbelief at the potion master's arrogance and his blind refusal to see the truth.

"But sir? I'm already here aren't I?" Harry tried in feeble vain to look innocent and confused. Sadly, the guise just didn't suit those bragging emerald eyes. Harry had forgotten that by allowing Draco to rectify the 'hair problem', which he had himself caused, he would be going directly against Snape's orders. He had specifically told Harry that the colour of his hair would not cause any disruptions to his classes and therefore, he could wait until his detention to have it reverted. So much for no disruption, Harry irritably kicked himself for allowing Draco to make a fool of him once again.

"You can't give me another damned detention for something one of your Slytherin bastards has done," Harry shouted, forgetting himself. Snape made no reply but opted to smile mockingly. Harry felt so betrayed and worthless yet still blindly unable to understand why Malfoy had such mastery over his emotions. Immediately regretting his rogue profanities, Harry held his tongue. He wished that he at least believed his words to be true, but he knew Snape could give him a detention and would with no qualms especially considering his outburst.

"Well now Potter, no need to get angry," Snape sniggered, salivating subconsciously in his belief that he had one over on the famous Harry Potter, his adversary since his birth. "Today, Mr. Potter, I think you should clean these desks here. Tomorrow, well perhaps tomorrow you'll be spending your evening in the Forbidden Forest." Snape grinned maliciously when he saw Harry's eyes brighten with the assumption that cleaning the desks in a single classroom could not be too taxing for him. This apparent kindness on Snape's part did nothing to ease Harry's suspicions, those suspicions which had been rumoured around the school for the last few days. The rumour that Snape had finally got laid.

At the beginning of the previous year, another new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher had been recruited and Snape's attitude towards the new professor had provided vast amusement for the on looking pupils. Professor Leimorgann, the object of the potion master's newfound desire, had such an impact on him that he began to wash his hair (and his feet,) but even this dramatic change of events failed to grab any lustful attention from her. She sashayed into the Great Hall twice everyday, swinging her hips and tossing her black, slightly curled hair and pouting her red painted lips. Twice everyday her black satin robes fell neatly over her curves and captivated Snape as she sat; suavely drinking her vodka laced pumpkin juice. And twice everyday he drooled, waiting for the moment when she would rise and bare that extra flash of pale white leg.

She flirted tirelessly, that was clear, but Harry was unconvinced that she would ever fall to the low levels needed for her to even consider sleeping with Snape. Harry's mind began to wander as he deliberated how Snape could finally have managed to woo her. He shivered as his over-active imagination produced unsavoury images of his potion master naked.

"Oh, Potter I forgot to mention," Snape called from the door and added in a shrilly sarcastic voice, "Must have slipped my mind but the only cleaning utensil I could find anywhere in the school was this old toothbrush." Snape threw a well used and moulding toothbrush in Harry's direction.

"Have fun, Potter!" And he was gone.

"Alone in the Slytherin dungeons with a festering toothbrush." Harry peered wide eyed at the brush, "Oh what fun and adventure they will have together." Sighing suddenly in his realisation that he was to spend the rest of the evening cleaning, he set to work. He stomped to the back of the classroom with his toothbrush knowing that tomorrow night he would not be so lucky. Instead of his trusty moulding toothbrush for company, he would have the freezing wind.

*****

The first two tables had been brushed clean when Harry heard a faint knock at the dungeon door. He approached the door cautiously with his wand outstretched, his Gryffindor instincts taking over.

"Yeah?" he whispered trying to sound casual although his heart was racing against his chest.

"Oh Harry it's only you!" A fiery head peered around the door and beamed at Harry, her melodic voice wafted through the air. He watched with a ravenous stare as she floated into the room and ran her long fingers down her robes to straighten them. She looked at him confused when she saw that there was nothing wrong with her robes and could not understand why he was staring at her so strangely.

"Trinity." The witch thrust her hand towards him. "Trinity Coyne." She cocked her head at Harry inquisitively. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Harry stood mesmerised by her presence. "Sorry. Yes, I'm fine! It's Snape's detentions, they're mind numbingly boring!" Harry stuttered and giggled foolishly.

"Yea. It probably wasn't so smart of me to be late." He continued to stare, loving the sound of her voice and the delicate Irish tone it had. "Harry, are you sure you're ok? You look flushed."

"No, no. Really I'm fine." His eyes ran down the incline of her neck and trailed her collarbone. "So, eh, you're a Slytherin right?" he coughed when he realised where his eyes were leading him.

"Yea, 5th year."

"I've never seen you around before," Harry began, realising that this wasn't the best chat up line if she'd been at Hogwarts for the last five years and he hadn't noticed. "I mean, erm, damn."

"Don't panic Harry. I am new here. I managed to get myself a detention on my first day," she giggled inwardly at the memory. "Professor Snape isn't the easiest man to get along with. He was picking on a first year in the corridor and I couldn't bear to leave her, so I, shall we say I intervened. Though I had heard he never gave detentions to his own house." Too much Trin. You're being to forward. She scorned herself, screwing up her face unattractively. Take it slowly girl. Reel him in slowly. Harry took her silence as a hint that he was to say something.

"Snapey must simply love you. He never gives detention to his Slytherins!" Harry circled his toothbrush tenderly over a single spot, trying to understand the kindness of this new Slytherin 5th year. "Where were you before this lovely establishment?" Harry glanced around at the crumbling walls of the dungeons and sniffed the scent of decay.

"Well," she faltered, considering how it would be best to answer. "This is my first. So I suppose it could be regarded as even more impressive to have a detention on my first ever day at school." Sensing that Harry was sending confused gazes in her direction she tried to explain a little clearer. "Dumbledore flatly refused to put me in with the lower years," she chuckled. "He's a stubborn old man, Professor Dumbledore but it means I'm very behind. I've only been taught by tutors. And even that was only what my parents wanted me to know – not very much."

"I sense a life story coming. Well, grab yourself a toothbrush," he held his own up in the air and charmed it to replicate. "Now you can join me and tell me everything about yourself." Making small talk with a Slytherin? I guess its not so unnatural or against Gryffindor instinct...she's an attractive lass after all.

"Toothbrush? Professor Snape's mood has improved since this morning then. I'd heard stories about him but I had assumed they were exaggerated! Though my house is very protective of him."

"Nothing you will ever hear about that..." He coughed and straightened himself resisting the urge to speak his mind. To do so in front of a Slytherin was probably not a smart move however well she portrayed herself. "Nothing you hear about that man is exaggerated, I'm sure. He's hated me since he heard I'd been born. So why were your parents so picky about what you should learn?" Trinity shifted and began scrubbing harshly at the surface in front of her.

"I don't really know. They, they want me to know what they feel is important. OWLS and NEWTS have never bothered them. Life. That's what they've taught me. I am so far behind. I don't know how I'm ever going to catch up!" She seemed to speak angrily through her teeth and Harry didn't want to push his luck, leading to a stark silence.

"Hermione. My friend Hermione could help," he offered sheepishly.

"The head girl? And a Gryffindor? I'd be murdered" Trinity looked strangely disconcerted. "No, I couldn't. I'll catch up soon enough." Harry glanced over nervously and grinned sympathetically when he saw her excessively flushed face. She knew the boundaries, even after only one day. 'Make the most of this Harry – she'll realise she's expected to hate you by tomorrow.

"She won't bite, Trin," he said, leaning over her shoulder to inspect the table she was just finishing. "The Slytherins don't need to know. Looks like we're done so whatcha say?"

"Harry I really don't want to be an annoyance," she began. 'An annoyance?' Nicely done Trin. He's putty in your hands.

"Don't be ridiculous. You've just made one of Snape's detentions enjoyable so I owe you-" Harry's thank you speech was rudely interrupted when Trinity grabbed him around the waist and embraced him into the biggest hug he'd had ever suffered, even from Hermione. He impulsively stiffened and choked on his own saliva.

"Thank you Harry. Thank you so much you're a god damned lifesaver!" Harry recovered his sadly misplaced wits and affectionately hugged her back.

Neither heard the dungeon door open nor saw the young blonde who stood behind it. Momentary the intruder was grief stricken and stared wondrously at the show of affection between the girl he'd previously protected and his Harry. His face coloured with anger. Stepping outside into the corridor again he looked down at the envelope clutched in his hands. After a moment of contemplation, he threw it to the icy stone floor and set it alight with his wand in one swift movement. The name scrawled across the front in the trademark envious Slytherin green was eventually consumed by the last flicker of raging red flame and all that remained was a pyre of ash but it was that name, that face and the face of that bitch which kept him awake and feeling alone well into the night.

*****

Big awwww for Draco!! I made it very obvious so everyone knew but I thought it would spoil the moment if I actually said his name. Perhaps I thought it sounded more sappy - I don't know. Trin? Good / bad? Too confusing as a character? In order for the story to work I need to create the sense of Trin's two identities but not sure if I've pulled it off without being too confusing. If it makes no sense just review and shout at me (not too loud tho).

Love and hugs Plastic x

p.s oooh this is a loooong chapter for me! I don't normally go over more than two typed pages in each. *beams* hehe!