Two days dragged by. Alex was beginning to know her way around. She spent a bit of time with Hagrid, who was quickly becoming a good friend. Part of her time she spent in the potions lab, trying to look busy. That was what she was doing at the moment, typing an email to John. As she was finishing, Severus Snape stalked in. He caught sight of Alex and settled his sneer more firmly on his face.
P.S. Did I mention that my new boss is a few quarts shy of a full cauldron ?
Alex hit 'send'. It wasn't that Snape was making her life that difficult. She was used to academic rivalry. During her undergraduate days at Saint Vixen's, students had habitually sabotaged one another's potions. No, it was just that it was so damn dull, waiting for the term to begin. The students wouldn't arrive until tomorrow afternoon. And it had rained nonstop since she'd arrived in England. I swear, I'm gonna grow gills soon.
Since he had failed to get a rise out of her with threats, Snape had had to settle for glaring at her every chance he got. There's an olympic gold-medal sinister glare right now, she thought, looking over at him. Alex didn't respond; it was a game she knew she couldn't win, so she didn't bother to play. She was no good at menacing. Professor Snape, however, was a natural.
Time to shake things up a bit, she decided. Without a word, she took out the miniature trunk and placed it on the floor near the potion master's desk. He glowered at her. She smiled brightly, pulling out her wand. "Engorgio !" He merely blinked as the trunk enlarged, the air it displaced ruffling the litter of papers on his desk. Alex grabbed several packets of potion ingredients and headed for the storage closet. She made space for the items on one of the shelves by shoving Snape's neatly labeled bottles and boxes aside.
"What exactly do you think you're doing, Miss Rose ?" Very menacing, she thought with approval. This judge awards you an eight-point-five. He was standing right behind her. Alex glanced back at him with what she hoped was an innocent expression.
"Unpacking," she replied.
"Unpacking," he repeated sarcastically. "Weren't you assigned living quarters upstairs somewhere ?"
Severus Snape loomed. I wish he'd catch on that that doesn't intimidate me. Just about everyone loomed over her, whether they meant to or not. She was only five foot two. In shoes. Five one-and-a-half in bare feet, if the truth had to be told. "These are delicate botanicals," she replied, keeping up the innocent act. "They should be stored someplace cool. My apartment is way too warm."
"Then I suggest you stop putting wood on the fire," Snape snarled, exasperated. Alex brushed past him, then returned with another armful of packets.
"Are you kidding ? I just moved here from the desert. I can't believe it's still August - I'm freezing," she said cheerfully. She finished arranging the ingredients on the shelf, then turned, hands on her hips, and looked up at Snape.
He loomed closer and glared harder at her. "You could always just move back there," he hissed.
"Not on your life." The two looked at one another for a long moment. Snape's withering glare faded, replaced by a frown of confusion. Alex couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Finally, Snape seemed to realize he was staring. He pushed past her and went back to his desk.
Alex blinked, confused about the encounter herself. Now that was just a little disturbing, she mused. She unpacked the rest of the contents of the drawers without further confrontation. "Diminuendo," she commanded, shrinking the trunk and putting it back in her pocket. She closed the laptop and put it back in her briefcase. Severus Snape watched her leave the dungeon without comment, his expression thoughtful.
-----
Finally, the new term began. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher didn't arrive until after the sorting ceremony. Alex was pleased. Now I'm not the new guy any more. And Snape seems to glare a lot at him, too. She had finally mastered the castle's floor plan. Although if a staircase happed to pull a switch, all bets were off. Now, the third day of the new term, the halls of the castle bustled with students. The American shoved her way through a crowd of fifth-years, on her way to the main hall for lunch. Manners, she'd decided, were just a liability to a person smaller than most of the adolescents swarming the corridors.
Sliding into her seat at the head table, Alex greeted Professor Sprout. "Heard the first-year Ravenclaws had a bit of trouble harvesting hogweed this morning," she said.
Professor Sprout shook her head. "Had to send six of them to the infirmary, squealing like pigs," she sighed. "Well, that will happen when they neglect to wear their gloves." The little Charms Professor, Flitwick, patted her hand sympathetically.
Just then Professor McGonagall came in. "Miss Rose," she called. The head of Gryffindor house looked annoyed. "It's not normally my way to question the discipline handed out by my colleagues," she began, "but I must ask why you have taken fifty points from Gryffindor in the last two days." From further down the table, Professor Snape looked on with interest.
Alex indicated the plain black work robes she was wearing. "Well, professor, I'm afraid some of your seventh-year Gryffindor boys have mistaken me for a transfer student."
McGonagall looked taken aback. "They didn't -"
Alex grinned. "One offer to escort me to the first school dance, and two separate offers to meet me in the third greenhouse after lights out. If I were you, I'd mention to Mr. Filch that he and his cat might want to patrol that greenhouse in the evenings," she added. "Sounds like it's turning into a make-out joint." Heh-heh, poor kids just want a little privacy. I'm so mean, she thought unrepentantly.
"I see," said McGonagall. Severus Snape snorted with laughter. Alex craned her neck to see his expression, but he had covered his face with his napkin, pretending to cough.
Alex turned back to Professor McGonagall. "I took ten points away for each pick-up attempt. I mean, it's flattering and all, I suppose, but really. Those kids are a good ten years younger than me."
"You said three boys approached you," she frowned. "How do we arrive at fifty points deducted ?"
"Ten points for each come-on," Alex reminded her. She grinned. "Somebody really needs to tell that Holloway kid that no means no."
The potions master, face still buried in his linen napkin, appeared to be choking. McGonagall pounded him between the shoulder blades as she passed him on her way to her seat. "For goodness sake, Severus, chew your food," she admonished.