Chapter 4
"Well, we have to decide where to put you," Dumbledore started, smiling, "and who you will be working with. Now.. is there anything either of you are really good at?"
The two girls looked at each other with a shrug. "Well, I can cook like it's no tomorrow," Sarah said absently. " And, we can both sing. Uh. Being muggles might help a bit, I suppose. Uhm... yeah.." She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
Thinking, the elderly wizard set the Sorting Hat back on its shelf and sat down. "Hm.. Severus?" he started, looking at the younger wizard.
"No."
"She can cook. Which means she can do well in potions."
"No."
"You said just the other day how you were having a bit of a problem dealing with your work load."
"No."
Sarah huffed at being talked about like she wasn't there. "You know, this is getting petty," she interrupted before turning to look at Snape. "Look. I'm a very fast learner. I can do just about anything you put in front of me. I have a natural knack for cooking, which isn't all that different from potion brewing. If there's something that you don't want me to do, all you have to do is say so, and I won't do it. I can grade papers, I can assist you in brewing potions, I can run errands, I can take notes for you, I do basic dictation. Come on. Give me a chance. Who knows? You might appreciate the help..." She sighed when she finished her small speech and looked at the dark bat of a man with expectation. "Please?"
Snape looked at her thoughtfully, his thoughts running rampant. 'It would be much easier for him to get things accomplished if she were to be his.. apprentice. He could leave the class in her care while he had something to do. He could have her watch over detentions while he worked on potions. Hm,' he thought to himself, tapping his lips with a long finger. 'It does hold a certain amount of promise.' "Very well. We shall attempt it. If, for what ever reason, I feel that you don't suit the position, you will leave without complaint. Understood?" he muttered on a growl.
The young red-head nodded happily and moved to sit on the arm of his chair. "Agreed," she said, holding out her hand to him. He hesitated before shaking it quickly and taking back his hand, which he promptly rubbed against his trousers.
Nodding, Dumbledore turned to Mariah. "And, what would you like to do, young lady?" he asked, brows raised.
"Uh..." Mariah thought, wondering how to ask for the Defense Against the Dark Arts apprenticeship. "I could... work with a few teachers. Alternating between them, if that suits you?"
"Certainly. Do you have any questions?"
Sarah and Mariah looked at each other. "Rooming?" Sarah asked, brows drawing together.
"You don't wish to stay in your house dorms?"
"Uh... Not especially. I don't get on well with younger people. Not really, anyway."
"Which brings me to another question. How old are the two of you?"
"Well," Mariah started, "I'm 20 and Sarah is 22. And, I don't mind staying in the Ravenclaw dorms."
Snape stayed silent during all this, thinking about the things that he could have Sarah do. 'She could clean cauldrons when there are no students to do detention! And, she can work with those stupid Gryffendors and make sure they don't screw up too badly... Hm, what else?' he asked himself. He was brought out of his thoughts when Sarah nudged him rather hard with her elbow. "Pardon?"
Dumbledore smiled gently, amusement glinting in his eyes. "I asked you if you wouldn't mind Sarah having rooms adjacent to your own."
The potions master looked at the headmaster blankly before what he said registered. "Of course not. That is, if I will maintain my privacy," he stated silkily, giving Sarah a look that said, 'I will not hesitate to hex you into oblivion if you even so much as think of disrupting my solitude.' She only gave him an air kiss and smirked, obviously not the least bit intimidated. Much to the older man's great irritation.
"Good. So, Mariah, dear. What was your full name, by the by?" Dumbledore asked.
"Mariah Devine."
"And mine is Sarah Valentine."
"Ah. Well, Miss. Devine, you will have your own room in the Ravenclaw dorms. It will be situated behind a portrait. And, Miss. Valentine, you will have a set of rooms next to Professor Snape's with a door leading to his rooms and to the Potions classroom, should you need anything. As they are not set up yet, you will be staying in a temporary room near the Great Hall for the time being. Any other questions?"
"Uh, yeah. Being that we're not students, but we're not really teachers, do we get to take house points since we're apprentices? Just small amounts?" Sarah asked, looking somewhat hopeful. " And detentions? Could we give detentions?"
The headmaster considered this for a few moments before nodding. "I don't see why you couldn't. After all, Head boy and girl are allowed to, in moderation, take house points. And, as you are above the highest ranking students, it is only fair. Even though you do have a house to keep to. As for the detentions.. I suppose that would be acceptable. But, you must double check with a professor before notifying the student when their detention will take place. Is that acceptable?"
"Very. Now.. Do you think we could have a map of the school? Just so we can figure out how everything is set up so we don't get horribly lost or something?" Mariah asked. It was a reasonable request, seeing as they were both somewhat directionally impaired.
"Of course." With a wave of his wand, the headmaster conjured two rolls of parchment and handed them to the girls. "There you are. Now, Severus here will escort you to your temporary rooms. Breakfast is at 8am and classes begin at 9am. I will introduce you to the school at breakfast. Have a pleasant night!"
Sarah and Mariah smiled brightly and bid goodnight to Dumbledore before following Snape down the stairs and out of the office. "Follow me," he ordered none to gently, heading down the hall at a fast pace.
"Almost like he can't wait to get away from us," Sarah said rather sarcastically.
"Can't imagine why. It's not like you really gave him a good reason for liking you. First you glomped him, then you wiped that slime off on his robes, then you yelled at him, then you pulled his own wand on him and scared the hell out of him, then you called him sugar..." Mariah responded, listing Sarah's 'transgressions' off on her fingers.
"And you wouldn't feel loved after all that happened to you? I would be blissfully happy if someone called me a snarky bastard.." Sarah sniggered with a grin. "Besides, it was his slime to begin with. I was just returning what was rightfully his. Is that so wrong?"
Mariah rolled her eyes and laughed. "Only you would take that as a compliment..."
"Course. Someone has to."
"Freak."
"Hooker."
Smack
"Ow! What the hell did you do that for!?"
"Shut up."
"Ugh. Fine.. Hooker."
Smack
"Shit!"
"Stop saying that."
The two girls promptly cracked up laughing at their own antics. None of which amused the resident potions master in the least.
"If you are quite through," he sneered, stopping front of a door. "These are your rooms for the time being. Miss. Valentine, be in my classroom promptly at 8:45am, tomorrow morning. Don't be late. Goodnight." With that, he was gone. Leaving them standing in front of an old oak door that looked as though it had seen better days. And Sarah still had his robes.
"Huh.. I wonder if he wanted these back..." she wondered, grinning.
"Too late now. Let's see what we get to live in for the next day or two.." Mariah opened the door and stepped inside, Sarah following. It was a rather unremarkable room with one bed and a small bathroom. There was a dresser and a desk against the far wall and that's about all there was to it.
"Homey.. really," Sarah offered, raising a brow. "I do have one question, though.."
"And what's that?" Mariah asked, turning to look at her friend.
"What the hell are we supposed to wear to classes tomorrow? Other than our pajamas..."
"Well, I have clothes.. You, on the other hand, have a problem."
"...Shit..."
"Well, we have to decide where to put you," Dumbledore started, smiling, "and who you will be working with. Now.. is there anything either of you are really good at?"
The two girls looked at each other with a shrug. "Well, I can cook like it's no tomorrow," Sarah said absently. " And, we can both sing. Uh. Being muggles might help a bit, I suppose. Uhm... yeah.." She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
Thinking, the elderly wizard set the Sorting Hat back on its shelf and sat down. "Hm.. Severus?" he started, looking at the younger wizard.
"No."
"She can cook. Which means she can do well in potions."
"No."
"You said just the other day how you were having a bit of a problem dealing with your work load."
"No."
Sarah huffed at being talked about like she wasn't there. "You know, this is getting petty," she interrupted before turning to look at Snape. "Look. I'm a very fast learner. I can do just about anything you put in front of me. I have a natural knack for cooking, which isn't all that different from potion brewing. If there's something that you don't want me to do, all you have to do is say so, and I won't do it. I can grade papers, I can assist you in brewing potions, I can run errands, I can take notes for you, I do basic dictation. Come on. Give me a chance. Who knows? You might appreciate the help..." She sighed when she finished her small speech and looked at the dark bat of a man with expectation. "Please?"
Snape looked at her thoughtfully, his thoughts running rampant. 'It would be much easier for him to get things accomplished if she were to be his.. apprentice. He could leave the class in her care while he had something to do. He could have her watch over detentions while he worked on potions. Hm,' he thought to himself, tapping his lips with a long finger. 'It does hold a certain amount of promise.' "Very well. We shall attempt it. If, for what ever reason, I feel that you don't suit the position, you will leave without complaint. Understood?" he muttered on a growl.
The young red-head nodded happily and moved to sit on the arm of his chair. "Agreed," she said, holding out her hand to him. He hesitated before shaking it quickly and taking back his hand, which he promptly rubbed against his trousers.
Nodding, Dumbledore turned to Mariah. "And, what would you like to do, young lady?" he asked, brows raised.
"Uh..." Mariah thought, wondering how to ask for the Defense Against the Dark Arts apprenticeship. "I could... work with a few teachers. Alternating between them, if that suits you?"
"Certainly. Do you have any questions?"
Sarah and Mariah looked at each other. "Rooming?" Sarah asked, brows drawing together.
"You don't wish to stay in your house dorms?"
"Uh... Not especially. I don't get on well with younger people. Not really, anyway."
"Which brings me to another question. How old are the two of you?"
"Well," Mariah started, "I'm 20 and Sarah is 22. And, I don't mind staying in the Ravenclaw dorms."
Snape stayed silent during all this, thinking about the things that he could have Sarah do. 'She could clean cauldrons when there are no students to do detention! And, she can work with those stupid Gryffendors and make sure they don't screw up too badly... Hm, what else?' he asked himself. He was brought out of his thoughts when Sarah nudged him rather hard with her elbow. "Pardon?"
Dumbledore smiled gently, amusement glinting in his eyes. "I asked you if you wouldn't mind Sarah having rooms adjacent to your own."
The potions master looked at the headmaster blankly before what he said registered. "Of course not. That is, if I will maintain my privacy," he stated silkily, giving Sarah a look that said, 'I will not hesitate to hex you into oblivion if you even so much as think of disrupting my solitude.' She only gave him an air kiss and smirked, obviously not the least bit intimidated. Much to the older man's great irritation.
"Good. So, Mariah, dear. What was your full name, by the by?" Dumbledore asked.
"Mariah Devine."
"And mine is Sarah Valentine."
"Ah. Well, Miss. Devine, you will have your own room in the Ravenclaw dorms. It will be situated behind a portrait. And, Miss. Valentine, you will have a set of rooms next to Professor Snape's with a door leading to his rooms and to the Potions classroom, should you need anything. As they are not set up yet, you will be staying in a temporary room near the Great Hall for the time being. Any other questions?"
"Uh, yeah. Being that we're not students, but we're not really teachers, do we get to take house points since we're apprentices? Just small amounts?" Sarah asked, looking somewhat hopeful. " And detentions? Could we give detentions?"
The headmaster considered this for a few moments before nodding. "I don't see why you couldn't. After all, Head boy and girl are allowed to, in moderation, take house points. And, as you are above the highest ranking students, it is only fair. Even though you do have a house to keep to. As for the detentions.. I suppose that would be acceptable. But, you must double check with a professor before notifying the student when their detention will take place. Is that acceptable?"
"Very. Now.. Do you think we could have a map of the school? Just so we can figure out how everything is set up so we don't get horribly lost or something?" Mariah asked. It was a reasonable request, seeing as they were both somewhat directionally impaired.
"Of course." With a wave of his wand, the headmaster conjured two rolls of parchment and handed them to the girls. "There you are. Now, Severus here will escort you to your temporary rooms. Breakfast is at 8am and classes begin at 9am. I will introduce you to the school at breakfast. Have a pleasant night!"
Sarah and Mariah smiled brightly and bid goodnight to Dumbledore before following Snape down the stairs and out of the office. "Follow me," he ordered none to gently, heading down the hall at a fast pace.
"Almost like he can't wait to get away from us," Sarah said rather sarcastically.
"Can't imagine why. It's not like you really gave him a good reason for liking you. First you glomped him, then you wiped that slime off on his robes, then you yelled at him, then you pulled his own wand on him and scared the hell out of him, then you called him sugar..." Mariah responded, listing Sarah's 'transgressions' off on her fingers.
"And you wouldn't feel loved after all that happened to you? I would be blissfully happy if someone called me a snarky bastard.." Sarah sniggered with a grin. "Besides, it was his slime to begin with. I was just returning what was rightfully his. Is that so wrong?"
Mariah rolled her eyes and laughed. "Only you would take that as a compliment..."
"Course. Someone has to."
"Freak."
"Hooker."
Smack
"Ow! What the hell did you do that for!?"
"Shut up."
"Ugh. Fine.. Hooker."
Smack
"Shit!"
"Stop saying that."
The two girls promptly cracked up laughing at their own antics. None of which amused the resident potions master in the least.
"If you are quite through," he sneered, stopping front of a door. "These are your rooms for the time being. Miss. Valentine, be in my classroom promptly at 8:45am, tomorrow morning. Don't be late. Goodnight." With that, he was gone. Leaving them standing in front of an old oak door that looked as though it had seen better days. And Sarah still had his robes.
"Huh.. I wonder if he wanted these back..." she wondered, grinning.
"Too late now. Let's see what we get to live in for the next day or two.." Mariah opened the door and stepped inside, Sarah following. It was a rather unremarkable room with one bed and a small bathroom. There was a dresser and a desk against the far wall and that's about all there was to it.
"Homey.. really," Sarah offered, raising a brow. "I do have one question, though.."
"And what's that?" Mariah asked, turning to look at her friend.
"What the hell are we supposed to wear to classes tomorrow? Other than our pajamas..."
"Well, I have clothes.. You, on the other hand, have a problem."
"...Shit..."