Hey, to all of my British reviewers! I was just wondering if they still showed the TV show "Fawlty Towers" over there in good ol' Britain. (I love Fawlty Towers!!!)
Okay, on with the story!
Walking at an incautiously speed, the furious Potions Master approached the Headmaster's office, franticly knocking so he could barge in as soon as possible.
"Come in," Albus Dumbledore's contempt, light voice called from within.
The cavernous, black robed man burst into the room with a look of utter rage. His silky, jet hair was blown about his pale-skinned face and his deep, onyx oceans he had for eyes held nothing but lividness within their depths. He neared the Headmaster's desk and saw that he was holding an absurd looking mechanism in his hands. On top of it was a little round ball with a face on it, and it had a stick-like shape. Albus pressed his thumb on top of the plastic head and out from under it popped a tiny brick. He popped it into his mouth and chewed it, enjoying the taste of it. The black-robed man rolled his eyes as he realized that it was just another one of the Headmaster's many candies. He adored his sweets.
"Headmaster," the man said urgently. "I was just informed by Professor Mcgonagall that a woman will be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts. Is this true?"
Albus looked up from his candy toy and held it out to the man, "Would you care for a Pez, Severus?"
"No," he said through gritted teeth. "And it seems to me that you are ignoring my interrogation, now is the new professor a woman or not?"
Albus popped another Pez into his mouth and nodded happily, "Indeed."
Severus sighed out of frustration and collapsed into the nearest chair, "Headmaster, a woman cannot possibly have the capabilities for that sort of job."
"I am very well aware of her capabilities, Severus," Albus said slowly as Severus picked up a piece of parchment that was sitting on the table next to him. "And I can assure you she is quite capable of the job."
"Are you," Severus mumbled sarcastically as he examined his perfect nails.
"Of course. She is, after all, my great-niece," he added as he watched Severus closely, his eyes twinkling with humor.
Severus punched himself inwardly. Brace your arse, Severus, he thought; you're about to be sacked in 10-9-8-7-.
"You, of course, are eager to meet her?" he asked, enjoying the way he had embarrassed Severus.
Severus sighed inwardly as he realized that Albus was not upset with him, and narrowed his gaze at him, "Of course."
Dumbledore smiled at the forced answer and asked, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me, Severus?"
Snape gazed at the piece of parchment in his hand and thought about the new professor. He hadn't even met her yet and she was already making his life miserable. He was sure he had his ideal job in his grasp and this . . . woman had snatched it away in a heartbeat. Too bad I'm not related to Dumbledore, he thought.
"I did not give her the job because she is my niece, but because she is qualified for it."
Bugger, thought Severus, the old man is reading my bloody thoughts again.
"I understand, Headmaster," he replied, not taking his gaze away from the piece of parchment in his hand.
Severus thought of the woman again and let slip out loud, "Rubbish!"
"I beg your pardon?" the headmaster asked.
Think fast, he thought, the parchment! Severus crinkled up the parchment in his hands and repeated, "Rubbish! More of this bloody rubbish!" and then threw it in the basin next to the desk.
Dumbledore smiled knowingly and asked, "Anything else of importance you need to speak to me of?"
"No, Headmaster," he replied and stood up to exit.
Before Severus disappeared down the stairs, Dumbledore stopped him.
"And Severus?"
Snape turned around and gazed back at his fatherly figure, "Yes, Headmaster?"
"Be kind to her," he said gently.
"I will, Headmaster," he replied with a smirk.
Albus nodded with a small smile and Severus took his leave after he nodded back.
Aletta filed down the corridor very slowly as she observed her glorious surrounding. The castle was anything but ordinary, and seemed to be taken care of quite well. As she rounded a corner, she noticed a staircase leading down into a cold, damp, dungeon. Harry had told her that the dungeons were the place that the Potions Master lurked about all day. She walked to the top of the staircase and peered down to find nothing but darkness and a few faint candles flickering as the soft, chilly breeze blew from the dungeons. She was glad that she wouldn't be teaching down in that unfriendly atmosphere, but realized that she still didn't know where her quarters were.
"Hello!" a friendly voice sounded from behind her.
She gasped and turned to find a ghost.
"Goodness!" she gasped again as she noticed the ghost to be a knight of some sort.
"I'm Sir Nicolas!" he introduced.
"How do you do," she said sweetly.
But before she could introduce herself, he had already drifted on through the wall next to her. Good Lord, she mused to herself. Now she had known that there were ghosts but had never met one, save seen one. Now that she had recuperated from her 'frightening yet friendly at the same time' experience, Aletta now continued onward toward the Great Hall. She had been informed that someone would be waiting there for her to show her to her quarters. And someone was, indeed, waiting for her.
"Hello Professor Dumbledore," Professor Mcgonagall greeted.
"Hello," Aletta greeted back, but did not use her name since she had already forgotten it.
Professor Mcgonagall gave Aletta a stern look, and started to walk the way Aletta had come from, "Follow me."
Aletta followed her easily, thinking about how shorter people would have a hard time catching up to this ludicrously fast professor. Only two minutes have gone by and they were standing right next to the staircase to the dungeons.
"Your chambers are down here," she said strictly as she now continued her way down the stairs. She halted halfway down, nearly have Aletta trip over her, and grabbed a candle that was floating in midair.
"You may use this when you are going to your chambers," she said. "It is quite dark down here and we don't want you falling and breaking a limb."
Aletta raised her eyebrows as she imagined the darkness of the dungeons. A picture of a ridiculously pitch-black corridor came into her mind. The lower and lower they went, the darker it seemed to get. Aletta could only imagine how cold and unfriendly the atmosphere was at the bottom.
"How far down am I?" Aletta asked between breaths since the walk had already tuckered her out.
"Just a couple more flights of stairs and then we will be there," she answered sharply, apparently not bothered by the long, tiring walk.
"Are there classrooms down there?" she asked.
"Of course not! We can't have students this far down in the dungeons. It would scare them to death!"
"It's already scaring me to death," she laughed nervously, trying to make it a simple, miniscule joke.
Professor Mcgonagall ignored her attempt at humor and continued on without even slowing down her pace. Finally, after what seemed like twenty minutes, they had reached their destination. Aletta appeared to be in a Gothic corridor with cobwebs hanging from the corners of the ceiling.
"It appears that the caretakers are scared of this place, as well," she attempted once again.
Professor Mcgonagall turned around and Aletta found herself looking at one annoyed professor.
"Your rooms are right behind this painting," she said as she motioned her head toward a painting of a beautiful garden.
It's like an oxymoron, Aletta thought as she thought of the painting that hung against the dusty wall, flamboyant to everything else.
"Your password at the moment is 'Drago'," she said. "And the painting over there," she pointed to a painting that seemed to fit within its surroundings better than Aletta's, " is Professor Snape's rooms. So if you are in need of anything, I'm sure he would be obliged to attend to you."
"Thank you," Aletta said kindly.
Professor Mcgonagall then left Aletta in the darkness of the corridor. She seemed kinder on the train, she thought.
"And she could of at least left the candle," she muttered to herself. "And I don't even have my wand."
Aletta thought of what an ignoramus she was for putting her wand in her purse as well as putting her purse with her luggage. Now she couldn't even tell where her painting was. She then remembered the password. Before she could speak it, she heard a swooping sound from behind her. Aletta then heard footsteps and felt that someone was approaching her. She turned around to find a figure standing a little ways from her. She could tell it was a man by the way of his steps and he seemed to be wearing black. She suddenly heard a spell and the corridor suddenly lit with faint light. She could now make out his features. Although braced for his look of displeasure, she was jolted by his piercing gaze. Shards of somber black splintered over her face before he glanced away, dismissing her as being of little importance. Aletta blinked for an instant to retain her poise. The jet blackness of his hair had not prepared her to meet a pair of eyes of atramentous black. Aletta had never met anyone, let alone seen someone with ebony, black eyes. It almost frightened her.
"I'm sorry," she said to get his attention. "But are you Professor Snape?"
He brought his wand up to peer at his own painting as to make sure it was closed. His hand had almost an ivory color to it because of the flicker of the light.
"Yes," he said coldly.
The clipped indifference was reinforced by the lack of a glance in Aletta's direction.
"Professor Snape," she said as she approached him. "This is really a pleasure to meet you."
Aletta wasn't about to offer a hand in greeting. As rude as he was, he would ignore it, and she didn't intend for herself to be cut like that.
"And please call me Aletta. All my friends do."
The quicksilver sheen of his eyes passed over her face briefly and impatiently, openly wishing her gone. It only increased Aletta's resolve to remain.
"So, are you heading up to the feast?"
There was a speaking glance from Professor Snape that told her to shut up and get lost.
"What do you teach?"
"Miss. Dumbledore!" Impatiently he snapped the words out, darkening his eyes even more.
"Yes?" she asked sweetly.
"Are you finished?" he snapped again, his eyes glaring at her intently that she swore she could feel the holes he was burning in her very head.
"Just, thank you so much!" she called as she started off toward the staircase.
As she did so, she heard him whisper something in Latin and heard something like a wall open up. No wonder he was just standing there. Apparently he was waiting for her to leave so he could go lurk off somewhere and terrorize more women. She dared not look back for fear that he would kill her with his mighty stare. As much as she hated to admit it, she found him quite attractive .Yet she was sure he thought everything less than that of her. The way he looked at her angered her so. He would act toward her as though she was a mere child and nothing of importance. And maybe she only found him attractive in the dark. I mean, she mused, I bet he is so horrendous in light that I won't bear to look his way. But inside her, she had the gut feeling that she had seen his appearance correctly. He is still a bloody bastard though, she thought. But she then suddenly knew why he had been so attractive to her. He reminded her of a man in her dreams. One of her immoral dreams. Dreams that would make her turn a color that would even bring shame to a rose. And she was sure that he was the exact man that she had been dreaming about every night.
Is that long enough for ya? Please review!!!!
Okay, on with the story!
Walking at an incautiously speed, the furious Potions Master approached the Headmaster's office, franticly knocking so he could barge in as soon as possible.
"Come in," Albus Dumbledore's contempt, light voice called from within.
The cavernous, black robed man burst into the room with a look of utter rage. His silky, jet hair was blown about his pale-skinned face and his deep, onyx oceans he had for eyes held nothing but lividness within their depths. He neared the Headmaster's desk and saw that he was holding an absurd looking mechanism in his hands. On top of it was a little round ball with a face on it, and it had a stick-like shape. Albus pressed his thumb on top of the plastic head and out from under it popped a tiny brick. He popped it into his mouth and chewed it, enjoying the taste of it. The black-robed man rolled his eyes as he realized that it was just another one of the Headmaster's many candies. He adored his sweets.
"Headmaster," the man said urgently. "I was just informed by Professor Mcgonagall that a woman will be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts. Is this true?"
Albus looked up from his candy toy and held it out to the man, "Would you care for a Pez, Severus?"
"No," he said through gritted teeth. "And it seems to me that you are ignoring my interrogation, now is the new professor a woman or not?"
Albus popped another Pez into his mouth and nodded happily, "Indeed."
Severus sighed out of frustration and collapsed into the nearest chair, "Headmaster, a woman cannot possibly have the capabilities for that sort of job."
"I am very well aware of her capabilities, Severus," Albus said slowly as Severus picked up a piece of parchment that was sitting on the table next to him. "And I can assure you she is quite capable of the job."
"Are you," Severus mumbled sarcastically as he examined his perfect nails.
"Of course. She is, after all, my great-niece," he added as he watched Severus closely, his eyes twinkling with humor.
Severus punched himself inwardly. Brace your arse, Severus, he thought; you're about to be sacked in 10-9-8-7-.
"You, of course, are eager to meet her?" he asked, enjoying the way he had embarrassed Severus.
Severus sighed inwardly as he realized that Albus was not upset with him, and narrowed his gaze at him, "Of course."
Dumbledore smiled at the forced answer and asked, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me, Severus?"
Snape gazed at the piece of parchment in his hand and thought about the new professor. He hadn't even met her yet and she was already making his life miserable. He was sure he had his ideal job in his grasp and this . . . woman had snatched it away in a heartbeat. Too bad I'm not related to Dumbledore, he thought.
"I did not give her the job because she is my niece, but because she is qualified for it."
Bugger, thought Severus, the old man is reading my bloody thoughts again.
"I understand, Headmaster," he replied, not taking his gaze away from the piece of parchment in his hand.
Severus thought of the woman again and let slip out loud, "Rubbish!"
"I beg your pardon?" the headmaster asked.
Think fast, he thought, the parchment! Severus crinkled up the parchment in his hands and repeated, "Rubbish! More of this bloody rubbish!" and then threw it in the basin next to the desk.
Dumbledore smiled knowingly and asked, "Anything else of importance you need to speak to me of?"
"No, Headmaster," he replied and stood up to exit.
Before Severus disappeared down the stairs, Dumbledore stopped him.
"And Severus?"
Snape turned around and gazed back at his fatherly figure, "Yes, Headmaster?"
"Be kind to her," he said gently.
"I will, Headmaster," he replied with a smirk.
Albus nodded with a small smile and Severus took his leave after he nodded back.
Aletta filed down the corridor very slowly as she observed her glorious surrounding. The castle was anything but ordinary, and seemed to be taken care of quite well. As she rounded a corner, she noticed a staircase leading down into a cold, damp, dungeon. Harry had told her that the dungeons were the place that the Potions Master lurked about all day. She walked to the top of the staircase and peered down to find nothing but darkness and a few faint candles flickering as the soft, chilly breeze blew from the dungeons. She was glad that she wouldn't be teaching down in that unfriendly atmosphere, but realized that she still didn't know where her quarters were.
"Hello!" a friendly voice sounded from behind her.
She gasped and turned to find a ghost.
"Goodness!" she gasped again as she noticed the ghost to be a knight of some sort.
"I'm Sir Nicolas!" he introduced.
"How do you do," she said sweetly.
But before she could introduce herself, he had already drifted on through the wall next to her. Good Lord, she mused to herself. Now she had known that there were ghosts but had never met one, save seen one. Now that she had recuperated from her 'frightening yet friendly at the same time' experience, Aletta now continued onward toward the Great Hall. She had been informed that someone would be waiting there for her to show her to her quarters. And someone was, indeed, waiting for her.
"Hello Professor Dumbledore," Professor Mcgonagall greeted.
"Hello," Aletta greeted back, but did not use her name since she had already forgotten it.
Professor Mcgonagall gave Aletta a stern look, and started to walk the way Aletta had come from, "Follow me."
Aletta followed her easily, thinking about how shorter people would have a hard time catching up to this ludicrously fast professor. Only two minutes have gone by and they were standing right next to the staircase to the dungeons.
"Your chambers are down here," she said strictly as she now continued her way down the stairs. She halted halfway down, nearly have Aletta trip over her, and grabbed a candle that was floating in midair.
"You may use this when you are going to your chambers," she said. "It is quite dark down here and we don't want you falling and breaking a limb."
Aletta raised her eyebrows as she imagined the darkness of the dungeons. A picture of a ridiculously pitch-black corridor came into her mind. The lower and lower they went, the darker it seemed to get. Aletta could only imagine how cold and unfriendly the atmosphere was at the bottom.
"How far down am I?" Aletta asked between breaths since the walk had already tuckered her out.
"Just a couple more flights of stairs and then we will be there," she answered sharply, apparently not bothered by the long, tiring walk.
"Are there classrooms down there?" she asked.
"Of course not! We can't have students this far down in the dungeons. It would scare them to death!"
"It's already scaring me to death," she laughed nervously, trying to make it a simple, miniscule joke.
Professor Mcgonagall ignored her attempt at humor and continued on without even slowing down her pace. Finally, after what seemed like twenty minutes, they had reached their destination. Aletta appeared to be in a Gothic corridor with cobwebs hanging from the corners of the ceiling.
"It appears that the caretakers are scared of this place, as well," she attempted once again.
Professor Mcgonagall turned around and Aletta found herself looking at one annoyed professor.
"Your rooms are right behind this painting," she said as she motioned her head toward a painting of a beautiful garden.
It's like an oxymoron, Aletta thought as she thought of the painting that hung against the dusty wall, flamboyant to everything else.
"Your password at the moment is 'Drago'," she said. "And the painting over there," she pointed to a painting that seemed to fit within its surroundings better than Aletta's, " is Professor Snape's rooms. So if you are in need of anything, I'm sure he would be obliged to attend to you."
"Thank you," Aletta said kindly.
Professor Mcgonagall then left Aletta in the darkness of the corridor. She seemed kinder on the train, she thought.
"And she could of at least left the candle," she muttered to herself. "And I don't even have my wand."
Aletta thought of what an ignoramus she was for putting her wand in her purse as well as putting her purse with her luggage. Now she couldn't even tell where her painting was. She then remembered the password. Before she could speak it, she heard a swooping sound from behind her. Aletta then heard footsteps and felt that someone was approaching her. She turned around to find a figure standing a little ways from her. She could tell it was a man by the way of his steps and he seemed to be wearing black. She suddenly heard a spell and the corridor suddenly lit with faint light. She could now make out his features. Although braced for his look of displeasure, she was jolted by his piercing gaze. Shards of somber black splintered over her face before he glanced away, dismissing her as being of little importance. Aletta blinked for an instant to retain her poise. The jet blackness of his hair had not prepared her to meet a pair of eyes of atramentous black. Aletta had never met anyone, let alone seen someone with ebony, black eyes. It almost frightened her.
"I'm sorry," she said to get his attention. "But are you Professor Snape?"
He brought his wand up to peer at his own painting as to make sure it was closed. His hand had almost an ivory color to it because of the flicker of the light.
"Yes," he said coldly.
The clipped indifference was reinforced by the lack of a glance in Aletta's direction.
"Professor Snape," she said as she approached him. "This is really a pleasure to meet you."
Aletta wasn't about to offer a hand in greeting. As rude as he was, he would ignore it, and she didn't intend for herself to be cut like that.
"And please call me Aletta. All my friends do."
The quicksilver sheen of his eyes passed over her face briefly and impatiently, openly wishing her gone. It only increased Aletta's resolve to remain.
"So, are you heading up to the feast?"
There was a speaking glance from Professor Snape that told her to shut up and get lost.
"What do you teach?"
"Miss. Dumbledore!" Impatiently he snapped the words out, darkening his eyes even more.
"Yes?" she asked sweetly.
"Are you finished?" he snapped again, his eyes glaring at her intently that she swore she could feel the holes he was burning in her very head.
"Just, thank you so much!" she called as she started off toward the staircase.
As she did so, she heard him whisper something in Latin and heard something like a wall open up. No wonder he was just standing there. Apparently he was waiting for her to leave so he could go lurk off somewhere and terrorize more women. She dared not look back for fear that he would kill her with his mighty stare. As much as she hated to admit it, she found him quite attractive .Yet she was sure he thought everything less than that of her. The way he looked at her angered her so. He would act toward her as though she was a mere child and nothing of importance. And maybe she only found him attractive in the dark. I mean, she mused, I bet he is so horrendous in light that I won't bear to look his way. But inside her, she had the gut feeling that she had seen his appearance correctly. He is still a bloody bastard though, she thought. But she then suddenly knew why he had been so attractive to her. He reminded her of a man in her dreams. One of her immoral dreams. Dreams that would make her turn a color that would even bring shame to a rose. And she was sure that he was the exact man that she had been dreaming about every night.
Is that long enough for ya? Please review!!!!
