Chapter Six:
"Chloe…Chloe, get up!"
"Mmmmph!"
Chloe rolled over in bed, finding herself face-to-face with a very haggard looking Severus Snape. Panic instantly filled her. She shot up in bed and looked him up and down.
"I did not do this! Oh my god!"
"Do what? Sleep until damn near nine o'clock? You'll be late if you don't get a move on, you know…" Snape hissed.
"I…we…you…we didn't…er…?"
Snape stopped in the process of throwing Chloe's altered school robes at her to stare at the confused and lost expression on her small face. He rose to full height and looked at her amusedly, comprehension dawning on his face.
"I assure you I woke up in my own rooms…I also fell asleep in them."
"Oh, thank God!" Chloe let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and then realized what shed just said "No offence!"
"None taken. Now, get UP!" Snape stalked out of the room, leaving Chloe feeling very guilty.
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"Professor, can I have a word?" Chloe asked Snape after Potions class.
She had remained behind when the rest of her classmates had fled the room at the sound of the bell, and now sat across from the Potions Master at his desk.
"Yes, Miss Tanner?"
So, I'm Miss Tanner again, huh? We'll fix that.
"A private word, sir?"
Snape clearly understood what she meant, for he rose to follow her to her quarters. Phoebe smiled when they faced her and swung open, revealing her sitting room.
"What is it you wanted to discuss?" Snape asked coolly, sitting in an armchair by her fire.
"Well, after my little misunderstanding this morning, I was struck with an idea." Chloe began to explain.
"An idea?" Snape repeated inquiringly.
"Yes, what a better way to, er, improve my image, than to have the school think I was shagging the Potions Master?" Chloe asked innocently.
Stunned silence. And then;
"You have got to be kidding me!" Snape mumbled.
"On the contrary, I am quite serious. Of course, you'd have to act like it."
"I assure you, Miss Tanner--"
"--Chloe--" she corrected.
"--Chloe, that the students would never believe--"
"--I'm sure I could convince them,--" Chloe said wickedly.
"--The Headmaster would never allow--" Severus tried again.
"--He thinks it's a wonderful idea."
Severus finally looked defeated. He shifted uncomfortably in his armchair and glanced at the fire. Severus wished the floor would open up and swallow him, while he met Chloe's gaze to stare at her in disbelief.
"You spoke to the Headmaster about this?"
"Yes, he thought it was right funny, but agreed." Chloe giggled.
"You're serious? You would willingly let the school believe you were sleeping with me?"
"It was you or Filch." Chloe deadpanned, "And the prospect of a cozy broom closet didn't match up to a damp dungeon…I'm joking! Relax!"
Someone has a damaged ego…
"Will you do this, then?"
"I--I suppose I could--"
"Excellent!"
"What are you planning?" Severus asked suspiciously.
"You'll see…be ready!" Chloe said, a mischievous glint in her eye as she bounced off to her room, leaving Snape to ponder alone.
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"Take your seats, class. The potion we will be working on today is highly--Yes, Miss Tanner?"
Chloe was seated in the very front row, that alone was catching the attention of her classmates. She was bouncing up and down with her hand raised in an uncanny imitation of Hermione Granger.
"Don't you think you can start calling me Chloe, Sev? Anyway, I was wondering if you'd gotten that potion finished for me."
"Potion, Chloe?" Snape asked pointedly, gaining many gasps.
"Yes, the contraceptive. I was so upset when we had to stop last night before any of the real fun started." Chloe purred.
"Fun?" Draco muttered weakly.
"Yes, the 'horizontal tango', if you will." Chloe smiled.
"Yes, Chloe I have it finished, be sure to take it before our…dinner…tonight."
Oh, good one, Severus.
"I will, Love."
Too bad I'm better.
"Um, sir?" Hermione Granger whispered hesitantly from the seat next to Chloe.
"What now Granger, jealous?" Snape purred in her ear, causing the girl to squeak with surprise and jump away.
"N-No, sir. I was just wondering if we were having the lesson today."
"Pity." Snape muttered giving Granger the once over, "instructions are on the board." he tapped it with his wand, "Chloe, in my office."
Chloe smiled around at all of the students as she followed him into his office. She sat at the desk and propped her feet up, waiting.
"That was…interesting."
"Did you see the look on Granger's face? Oh my god! She looked like she thought you would ravage her right there!" Chloe exclaimed gleefully.
"Idiot girl. As if I would ever touch a student." Snape muttered, pushing Chloe's feet off his desk.
"I'm a 'student', Severus."
"Not technically, and I haven't touched you."
Not yet.