:: Chapter Three::
The Infiltration ~ September 2 (Hogwarts)
Shock and surprise found themselves on Allura's delicate face as the man in black rushed forward and offered her his hand. He didn't look pleased about it; she suspected he was only helping her because of Dumbledore's presence. She took it however, feeling his clammy pale skin in her own warm hand. "Thank you," she murmured softly, a faint glint in her eye. "I had no idea you were so chivalrous, Professor." He had taken 20 points from Gryffindor with such ease, that snarling voice she hadn't heard for so many years flowing back to haunt her once more. Dumbledore had said nothing but suggest they should help her up, and Allura felt the need to rectify the situation and inform Snape of her new status.
The perfect opportunity presented itself. Nearby stood a small Gryffindor girl, perhaps a second year, looking upset. The loud yell omitted by Snape had caused her to drop her books, and she knew that should she make a noise he would inevitably round on her. Allura watched as the girl quickly and quietly took out her wand and Summoned the books back into her waiting arms. Smiling, Allura swept past Snape and moved towards the girl. "What is your name, dear?" she asked kindly. The girl's eyes widened, obviously scared she was going to be reproached for using magic in the hall. "Melissa," she said, her voice quavering. "Melissa Gildenhauld."
Allura winked at Melissa, knowing full well that neither Snape nor Dumbledore could see the gesture. "That was a brilliant Summoning charm, Miss Gildenhauld. 30 points for Gryffindor." The rubies that had slithered up to the top portion of the Gryffindor hourglass at Snape's words soon trickled back down to rest in lower half. The girl, Melissa, grinned at Allura. "Thank you, Miss!" She squeaked before taking off, not wanting to give Snape the opportunity to relieve her of her newly earned points. Dumbledore smiled slightly.
"Ahh, it seems you remember Miss Chanel, Severus. Wonderful. As she is new to the staff, I am sure you will not have a problem in showing her the ropes." His blue eyes twinkled merrily; Snape's did not. "I wonder," the Headmaster mused then, "I wonder that the hourglass allowed the points to be deducted when they know that Allura is no longer a student." He turned his gaze to the four hourglasses that sat proudly beneath the school crest at the top of the stairs, one for each house and used to denote the House Points tally.
Severus smirked, his lip curling in an expression of slight amusement. "I for one, do -not- wonder, Sir. The Gryffindor hourglass is simply so used to having lost points in Chanel's name in the past it comes as an automatic gesture to it now, I suspect." The silky tones of his voice being directed fully at Allura, who raised a finely arched eyebrow. Assuming an expression of absolute innocence, Allura turned to Dumbledore. "Of course I remember dear Professor Snape." She flashed Snape a dazzling smile over her shoulder. "As for him showing me the ropes, why, how delightful. I suspect it will only take me an hour to get accustomed to my rooms and unpack. I shall expect you sometime after, then, Severus. A tour of the castle would be lovely after the years I have been away."
Snape flinched visibly at her calling him by his first name, and Allura silently rejoiced. With a deft flick of her wand her bags rose steadily into the air once more. She spun with a flourish of her pale blue robes, her long straight her fanning out around her as she made to follow Dumbledore who had begun to ascend the stairs. Once she reached the landing, Allura turned and saw Snape glaring at her from the door leading to the dungeons. She allowed him a generous grin, and waved her hand at him in a slightly mocking gesture. Check mate. Seeing the look of utter shock on his face as he spun angrily and retreated into his darkness, Allura giggled and caught up with Professor Dumbledore.
She couldn't imagine the excitement and gratification she would feel throughout the year at having the upper hand over Snape just like she had always dreamed. No longer could he punish her, or treat her like a child. He was forced, by etiquette, to be civil to her, and Allura had every intention on twisting their every meeting to her advantage. Smiling, she took Professor Dumbledore's arm as they made their way to the seventh floor where most of the Professors had their apartments. In fact, Snape was the only teacher who did not live on this floor, Dumbledore informed her as a way of making conversation. Typical, she thought. How very like -him- to be antisocial. It wouldn't surprise Allura if he'd even insisted on having his own dorm as a student, the pompous ass.
"Here we are," said Dumbledore at the base of what seemed to be a tower. "I trust you'll be comfortable. Do you need help with your bags, dear?" Allura smiled and shook her head. "No thank you, Headmaster. I can manage." Dumbledore smiled. "Very well. The password is Deadly Nightshade. I shall see you at dinner." At the Professor's words the door opened and Allura moved her bags inside with a twitch of her wand. "Thanks, Sir. Until dinner." Smiling, she began to climb the stone stairs that lead up her very own tower. The walls of the spiral stairwell were stone, hung intermittently with bright, plain tapestries in various shades of blue. Smiling, Allura thought the Professor must have decorated in accordance to her favorite color. How sweet.
She reached the top of the stairs and found herself at an open doorway. She moved inside the room which was bare. Stone floors, stretching in a huge circle and surrounded by bare stone walls. Oh well, perhaps Dumbledore had thought Allura might like to decorate her own rooms. And he was right. Directly opposite the door stood a huge king sized bed on a dais, three stone steps on either side for the occupant to climb before retiring. Allura smiled. The ceiling was conical and made from smooth cement that rose to a high point several meters above the floor in the dead center of the room. From this point hung a large glass orb with thousands of curling fingers; a glass sun that was obviously the room's enchanted source of light.
Floor-to-ceiling windows flanked the bed on either side stopping at the carved wooden skirting that ran around the room at the top of the wall. Moving her bags through the air ahead of her, Allura lowered them to rest at the end of the bed whilst she made some decorative changes. She waved her wrist at the surrounding room, the satisfactory changes appearing instantly. The windows were hung with filmy silk curtains that would billow in the breeze and large white fluffy sheepskin rugs were placed on the floor in random places. The steps that lead to the bed were carpeted in a rich royal blue, and blue Manchester now covered the bed complete with matching pillows with white sheets and pillows to match these also. Wooden dressers, writing desk and wardrobe appeared, along with two matching mahogany bedside tables and a large mahogany chest to lie open at the end of the bed. Nodding her head with a grin, Allura began to open her bags and put her things away.
She noticed that time was getting on, the slowly setting sun told her it must be at least 4'o'clock. Dinner, she knew, didn't start until 7 and that left plenty of time for her tour of the castle with Snape. She suppressed a shudder. It didn't matter, she told herself. No doubt he wouldn't even show. Smiling Allura began to pick out a change of robes for dinner, choosing them with care. Oh well, if he didn't she would simply have to ask him where he had gotten to; at the dinner table in front of Dumbledore, who had suggested Severus showing her around himself. It took two to tango, and Allura -always- lead. Wondering if Snape would be stupid enough to dare disobey even indirect orders, Allura decided she might as well get a head start on those letters.
Shock and surprise found themselves on Allura's delicate face as the man in black rushed forward and offered her his hand. He didn't look pleased about it; she suspected he was only helping her because of Dumbledore's presence. She took it however, feeling his clammy pale skin in her own warm hand. "Thank you," she murmured softly, a faint glint in her eye. "I had no idea you were so chivalrous, Professor." He had taken 20 points from Gryffindor with such ease, that snarling voice she hadn't heard for so many years flowing back to haunt her once more. Dumbledore had said nothing but suggest they should help her up, and Allura felt the need to rectify the situation and inform Snape of her new status.
The perfect opportunity presented itself. Nearby stood a small Gryffindor girl, perhaps a second year, looking upset. The loud yell omitted by Snape had caused her to drop her books, and she knew that should she make a noise he would inevitably round on her. Allura watched as the girl quickly and quietly took out her wand and Summoned the books back into her waiting arms. Smiling, Allura swept past Snape and moved towards the girl. "What is your name, dear?" she asked kindly. The girl's eyes widened, obviously scared she was going to be reproached for using magic in the hall. "Melissa," she said, her voice quavering. "Melissa Gildenhauld."
Allura winked at Melissa, knowing full well that neither Snape nor Dumbledore could see the gesture. "That was a brilliant Summoning charm, Miss Gildenhauld. 30 points for Gryffindor." The rubies that had slithered up to the top portion of the Gryffindor hourglass at Snape's words soon trickled back down to rest in lower half. The girl, Melissa, grinned at Allura. "Thank you, Miss!" She squeaked before taking off, not wanting to give Snape the opportunity to relieve her of her newly earned points. Dumbledore smiled slightly.
"Ahh, it seems you remember Miss Chanel, Severus. Wonderful. As she is new to the staff, I am sure you will not have a problem in showing her the ropes." His blue eyes twinkled merrily; Snape's did not. "I wonder," the Headmaster mused then, "I wonder that the hourglass allowed the points to be deducted when they know that Allura is no longer a student." He turned his gaze to the four hourglasses that sat proudly beneath the school crest at the top of the stairs, one for each house and used to denote the House Points tally.
Severus smirked, his lip curling in an expression of slight amusement. "I for one, do -not- wonder, Sir. The Gryffindor hourglass is simply so used to having lost points in Chanel's name in the past it comes as an automatic gesture to it now, I suspect." The silky tones of his voice being directed fully at Allura, who raised a finely arched eyebrow. Assuming an expression of absolute innocence, Allura turned to Dumbledore. "Of course I remember dear Professor Snape." She flashed Snape a dazzling smile over her shoulder. "As for him showing me the ropes, why, how delightful. I suspect it will only take me an hour to get accustomed to my rooms and unpack. I shall expect you sometime after, then, Severus. A tour of the castle would be lovely after the years I have been away."
Snape flinched visibly at her calling him by his first name, and Allura silently rejoiced. With a deft flick of her wand her bags rose steadily into the air once more. She spun with a flourish of her pale blue robes, her long straight her fanning out around her as she made to follow Dumbledore who had begun to ascend the stairs. Once she reached the landing, Allura turned and saw Snape glaring at her from the door leading to the dungeons. She allowed him a generous grin, and waved her hand at him in a slightly mocking gesture. Check mate. Seeing the look of utter shock on his face as he spun angrily and retreated into his darkness, Allura giggled and caught up with Professor Dumbledore.
She couldn't imagine the excitement and gratification she would feel throughout the year at having the upper hand over Snape just like she had always dreamed. No longer could he punish her, or treat her like a child. He was forced, by etiquette, to be civil to her, and Allura had every intention on twisting their every meeting to her advantage. Smiling, she took Professor Dumbledore's arm as they made their way to the seventh floor where most of the Professors had their apartments. In fact, Snape was the only teacher who did not live on this floor, Dumbledore informed her as a way of making conversation. Typical, she thought. How very like -him- to be antisocial. It wouldn't surprise Allura if he'd even insisted on having his own dorm as a student, the pompous ass.
"Here we are," said Dumbledore at the base of what seemed to be a tower. "I trust you'll be comfortable. Do you need help with your bags, dear?" Allura smiled and shook her head. "No thank you, Headmaster. I can manage." Dumbledore smiled. "Very well. The password is Deadly Nightshade. I shall see you at dinner." At the Professor's words the door opened and Allura moved her bags inside with a twitch of her wand. "Thanks, Sir. Until dinner." Smiling, she began to climb the stone stairs that lead up her very own tower. The walls of the spiral stairwell were stone, hung intermittently with bright, plain tapestries in various shades of blue. Smiling, Allura thought the Professor must have decorated in accordance to her favorite color. How sweet.
She reached the top of the stairs and found herself at an open doorway. She moved inside the room which was bare. Stone floors, stretching in a huge circle and surrounded by bare stone walls. Oh well, perhaps Dumbledore had thought Allura might like to decorate her own rooms. And he was right. Directly opposite the door stood a huge king sized bed on a dais, three stone steps on either side for the occupant to climb before retiring. Allura smiled. The ceiling was conical and made from smooth cement that rose to a high point several meters above the floor in the dead center of the room. From this point hung a large glass orb with thousands of curling fingers; a glass sun that was obviously the room's enchanted source of light.
Floor-to-ceiling windows flanked the bed on either side stopping at the carved wooden skirting that ran around the room at the top of the wall. Moving her bags through the air ahead of her, Allura lowered them to rest at the end of the bed whilst she made some decorative changes. She waved her wrist at the surrounding room, the satisfactory changes appearing instantly. The windows were hung with filmy silk curtains that would billow in the breeze and large white fluffy sheepskin rugs were placed on the floor in random places. The steps that lead to the bed were carpeted in a rich royal blue, and blue Manchester now covered the bed complete with matching pillows with white sheets and pillows to match these also. Wooden dressers, writing desk and wardrobe appeared, along with two matching mahogany bedside tables and a large mahogany chest to lie open at the end of the bed. Nodding her head with a grin, Allura began to open her bags and put her things away.
She noticed that time was getting on, the slowly setting sun told her it must be at least 4'o'clock. Dinner, she knew, didn't start until 7 and that left plenty of time for her tour of the castle with Snape. She suppressed a shudder. It didn't matter, she told herself. No doubt he wouldn't even show. Smiling Allura began to pick out a change of robes for dinner, choosing them with care. Oh well, if he didn't she would simply have to ask him where he had gotten to; at the dinner table in front of Dumbledore, who had suggested Severus showing her around himself. It took two to tango, and Allura -always- lead. Wondering if Snape would be stupid enough to dare disobey even indirect orders, Allura decided she might as well get a head start on those letters.