Chapter 82
Dudley actually tried to behave the following weeks and the January turned into February.
He tried to stay away from Snape as much as possible after he had suffered terribly during the 2 weeks detention.
Hermione was too busy studying for her OWL's that she didn't realize that Harry's cousin had a thing for her. Since the first time he had seen her, he was amazed by her intelligence and willpower, something he didn't really possess.
Unfortunately, she was never alone. Either Harry or the Weasel were by her side so he never got a chance to talk to her.
He was very determined to get her away from Ron and during his last potions class, he had an idea.
A love potion should serve the purpose so he had spent hours in the library searching for the right one.
The positive side effect was that he could see Hermione more often and he felt all warm and fuzzy when she nodded at him approvingly.
He didn't really get along with the Gryffindors in general. For some reasons the Slytherins were more to his liking and he wanted to befriend them.
How little did he know, that numerous Slytherin students were deatheaters children and would rather spit on him than to speak a single friendly word.
The leader of the little group he was trying to get into however had other intentions.
A pretended friendship to someone so close to Potter and his little fan club would be most valuable for him.
He had vowed to the Dark Lord that he would deliver Potter to him after his Head of House had failed so deplorably.
Draco also had his own motives to have a spy in Gryffindor tower. He hadn't forgotten about the humiliation he had to endure and he was determined to find the culprit.
He was convinced that he would find him among the Pottermaniacs.
Deep inside himself Draco was disgusted by the aspect having to tolerate that muggle that called himself a wizard around him.
He had only a few selected friends and no one outside his own house. Only considering purebloods true wizards, he didn't pay attention to the other scum that occupied the castle.
The blonde Slytherin knew that his new friend-to-be had his eyes on the mudblood Granger. She had been a thorn in his side since she had put a step on Hogwarts' grounds. He would love to see her expelled, but unfortunately she never violated the rules or at least didn't get caught.
If he couldn't get her expelled, he at least wanted to see her humiliated and unnerved so she might fail her OWL's and Dursley could be the key.
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For the past two months, sleeping had been a disaster for Zara. The encounter with Malfoy was haunting her in her dreams and she couldn't bring herself to talk to somebody about it.
Professor Wells had witnessed one of her nightmares, but nobody knew that she was still experiencing them.
Several nights of the week she had to take a Dreamless Sleeping draught so she could even function in class.
She even had stolen from her fathers' personal stock so that Madam Pomfrey wouldn't get suspicious, but she didn't dare to do that as often as she wished to.
Today however she had another reason to seek him out. She had overheard Professor McGonagall talking to Professor Wells and Lady Tanya about the upcoming birthday of Severus Snape the last week.
The fact that he had freed her from the clutches of Lucius Malfoy made her very grateful to him and he was her father to boot, so she had decided to get him a present.
The book about ancient potions and spells had arrived today and now she was on her way to the lab.
She entered the classroom hesitantly, not knowing in what mood he was in.
He was sitting at the desk, obviously grading papers when she stepped closer.
"Why are you disturbing me, Zara?"
She took a deep breath and stepped up to the desk, the book clutched in her hands behind her back. Since the day he had rescued her, he had not sought any conversation with her.
"Excuse me, Professor, but I have something for you"
"And what would that be?" he said coolly, arching an eyebrow.
"Well... today is February 21st and I know that this is a special day for you, so..."
"This day is nothing special to me, so if there's nothing else you want... you may go"
The day had been downright terrible so far; the Dursley boy had tried his nerves to the extreme and the 5th year Gryffindors had did their share to raise his anger far beyond believe.
He wanted solitude and had no desire to put up with his daughter at the moment.
She was dear to him and he didn't want to hurt her by saying something he didn't mean just because of his current state of mind.
He raised his head, noticing that she was still right in front of his desk and not moving.
"I see you have not only inherited my talent but also my stubborn nature" he sneered and tilted his head slightly.
Her blue eyes bore into his obsidian ones and she replied "I guess so"
"Now would you tell me what you're here for so I can finish my work?"
She placed the gift on his desk in front of him.
"That's for your birthday" she said calmly and looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but his face was the usual emotionless mask.
"Thank you" he said in a business like manner and slowly unwrapped the package.
She stood there watching him pick up the book she had gotten for him and waited for an reaction.
Snape looked at the book and felt sorry for the heartless way he had talked to her. He had never expected that someone would remember his birthday, his daughter at least from all people, after all the trouble he had brought her.
He left his seat and walked around the desk.
Then Zara felt his arms around her enveloping her in a tight embrace.
"Thank you my dear. I really appreciate it that you thought of my birthday. Nobody had done that in many, many years"
"Most likely you didn't allow them to" she now said in a business like manner, resting her head against his chest, feeling safe and protected again.
The first time he had held her like that came to her mind again. The night he had come to get her out of the deatheaters' lair.
Her eyes started burning with unshed tears and a little sob escaped her.
Snape pulled back and looked at her, concern shining in his eyes.
"I think there is something we need to talk about" he said firmly and guided her to his sitting room.
Zara struggled inside. She didn't want to talk about it, afraid that she would start crying in front of him.
You couldn't cry in front of Severus Snape, never, he would eat you alive if you'd ever show any real emotions.
Even though she knew that he was her father, she still couldn't get over the evil, nasty attitude he had towards his students.
The way he had talked to her just now had proved the fact that he was not really capable of showing any other emotions than hate and sarcasm.
She sat down quietly and looked down on her lap, hearing Severus moving around in the room, putting wards up and then pushing a cup of tea in her hand.
"Now I would like to know exactly what happened "he said with his stern teacher's voice.
Zara swallowed hard. The way he talked to her now didn't help her loosen up at all.
She shook her head slightly. "I can't... I can't relieve that again"
"It won't help when you bury it inside of you. It will just remain there and grow and eat you up from inside. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about" Snape said and heaved a sigh.
This situation was very hard on his patience. He never dealt with emotional teenagers. The Slytherin girls didn't seem to have emotional problems and no other student would ever come and talk to him and he was most grateful for that.
"Now girl, pray tell what happened there" he said, his voice more insisting.
"Stop prying information out of me" Zara snapped and banged her cup on the table.
"You will talk to me with respect, silly girl. I'm not only your teacher but also your father"
Snape could clearly feel the little bit of patience running out when he listened to her stubborn answer.
"Then stop pushing. I said I don't want to talk about it!"
"I know there's more about it than you said and I want to know. You're my responsibility as student AND daughter. Now if you don't tell me I have my ways to find out" he growled, trying to intimidate her to do his bidding.
"Do what you have to do" she growled back, her blue eyes sparkling with fury.
How did he dare to talk about responsibility? If it wouldn't have been for his actions in the past, she would have never been in this situation in the first place.
Snape didn't need to hear it to know what was on her mind. She was upset; he could tell by the way she was looking for him.
Zara was looking for a scapegoat and she had found it.
"It's your entire fault anyway. He did all that because he hates you!"
"Who hates me? Malfoy?" he inquired carefully.
"Yes" she hissed.
"Then tell me what he did to you and stop acting silly"
This situation was getting ridiculous for him. He just tried to help her and she accused him.
Well she's right about it, a little voice in his mind whispered.
"Well I have enough of that now" he said firmly.
Zara was certain that he would throw her out of his private quarters but she wasn't prepared to what really happened then.
"Legilimens" he called and the office swam in front of her eyes. She gasped and then the office vanished and picture after picture invaded her mind, like she was watching a movie in fast forward mode.
She shook her head and tried to get him out of her head, but it didn't work.
Her own sorting passed in front of her eyes, then the images went faster and faster like if her own live was replayed in front of her.
Her first kiss, her escape from Dumbledore's home, their trip to Diagon Alley ...
NO!, her mind screamed. No I don't want it... let me go!
Severus was sure that now he would have the answer to his questions. Why his daughter was addicted to Dreamless Sleeping Draught and why she had lost so much weight and energy in the past 2 months.
He watched her abduction and her meeting with the deatheaters. Fury welled up inside him when he watched Bella using the Cruciatus curse on her.
He felt Zara next to him shaking furiously but he wanted to know. Fortunately he had caught her off guard and she had no idea what was going to happen. That made it a lot easier for him.
Concentrating at the task at hand, he searched her mind further.
His heart was about to stop when he watched Malfoy walking into her cell and forcing her to undress.
Zara opened her eyes and found herself on the floor, Snape hovering above her.
"Is it true that he touched you" he growled, not sure if he was more furious about Malfoy or himself.
He glared at her in a way that would make the first years scream in terror, but she couldn't see it.
Her eyes were on her lap once more and she couldn't speak.
"How much did you see?" she finally said after several minutes.
"I didn't see anything happening, but I know Lucius well enough to know that when he starts with it he goes all the way."
He then could see tears running down her face and he felt awkward, not exactly knowing what to do. A woman would be easer to talk to than the strict potion master but he was here and she needed someone to assure her that everything would be ok; or so he guessed.
"Please dear, why haven't you said something earlier?" he said calmer and lifted her gently off the floor.
"Getting addicted to sleeping potions won't do anything to better the situation. I can give you something to get over your addiction and a potion to make the memory less painful. You will stop having nightmares in a few days and soon the memory will cease to exist"
"You can... do that?" she said between sobs and hiccups.
"I can, when you promise to stop taking Sleeping potions and most of all stop stealing from my personal stock" he replied, arching an eyebrow at her.
Zara turned crimson immediately. "How did you know that?"
"I can recognize an addiction when I see one. However I hoped that you would confide in your Head of house or a female teacher, but you didn't. I'm sorry that I had to put you through this ordeal, but it was necessary. You need help and not drugs"
The Ravenclaw knew that the anger and frustration she felt inside would take a long time to subside, but she hoped that, if what her father said was true, she would be able to live and sleep again without fear.
"Does anybody need to know?" she said meekly before she turned towards the door.
"I have to inform the headmistress and Professor Flitwick but nobody else will hear about it" he assured her. "Go to your dormitory and rest a bit. I will prepare anything for your withdrawal treatments and when I'm ready, I'll tell you how it works"
She nodded mutely and walked towards the door.
He watched her leaving, disguising his feelings carefully until she had closed the door; then his anger and fury broke loose.
He grabbed a vial that stood on the table and threw it across the sitting room, causing a big purple stain on the opposite wall, followed by a scream of profanities.
Then he vowed that he would take Lucius out, come what may.
It would be painful and he would make sure that the monster he had once considered a friend would suffer and pay.
And maybe not only from his own hand...
He already had an idea how to handle it.
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Dudley kept himself away from the other Gryffindors as much as possible. He had different things in mind.
He knew that there was only one person who could help him to get what he wanted and this person was Draco Malfoy.
Right after breakfast the next morning, he walked over to the Slytherin table.
"Look at the little Gryffindor mudblood... the wanna-be wizard" Pansy Parkinson taunted when Dudley walked up to them.
"Shut up Parkinson; let's hear what he wants" Malfoy hissed and looked at Dudley with such a friendly expression, everybody else would have ran away as fast as he could.
"Malfoy, may I have a word with you in private?" the Gryffindor said and looked expectantly at Malfoy.
"Well, well... what could a Gryffindor want from me?" the Slytherin sneered and the others at the table started to snicker maliciously.
Obviously they were waiting for some humiliation.
Draco however rose from his chair and pulled Dudley away from the table.
"I need your help" Dudley said outright when he recognized the curious look on Malfoy's face.
This might be easier than I thought.
"It doesn't happen very often that a Gryffindor asks for my help. I'm a Slytherin, you know?"
"I know, but I don't care about the Gryffindors. You're so much cooler and I wanted to be in Slytherin. It's not my fault that the hat is an old twit" Dudley said excitedly.
"So what kind of help do you need?" Draco said coolly, but inwardly he was already plotting his next move.
"Well I've heard that you're excellent in potions, so I wanted to ask if you could help me with a project"
Draco had to hold back laughter very hard when he looked at the innocent eagerness in the other boy's face.
If that Gryffindor would have listened to his house-mates, he would have known that you do never ask a Malfoy for help.
"Sure, I would love to help you with your project. I've heard that you don't get along too well with Professor Snape, so I trust you want to impress him?"
"No, I want to make a... "Dudley lowered his voice to a whisper. "...a love potion"
The Gryffindor wasn't only naïve but also dumb as dragon manure. The first thing you learn is that love potions mostly don't turn out the way you want it. You shouldn't tamper with somebody's feelings, even the Slytherins knew that.
However, for Malfoy it was the most excellent coincidence that had ever happened, because it fit perfectly in his plan.
Everybody knew that Dursley had an eye on the mudblood Granger. Almost everybody, because Granger herself had no clue at all.
"What do you need a love potion for? I trust that plenty of girls would love to date you" Draco fawned and looked as innocently as possible.
"Yes I know that for a fact" Dudley replied and stood up straight, showing his huge belly.
"But I want Hermione Granger! I need to get rid of the Weasel and a love potion seemed to be the safest way"
"True, true" Malfoy said and put a protective arm around the other boy's shoulder. "I think the idea is brilliant and I already have a potion in mind that will suit your purpose perfectly"
Dudley grinned widely, while the Slytherin led him out of the Great Hall and towards the marble staircase; unfortunately, he missed Draco's cunning smile.
"Ok, we both have to head to class, but I will meet you here before dinner so we can discuss the details."
Dudley nodded eagerly and walked through the oak doors for his first class, Herbology with Professor Wells.
He couldn't see that the other Slytherins had gathered around Malfoy, who was rubbing his hands in pleasant anticipation.
"This will be mere child's play" he said in a creepy, low voice before he set off for his own class.
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Severus was pacing his study, waiting for the last class of the day to drop by. He wanted to take his revenge today and was not in the mood to wait.
He had half a mind to ask Lupin to cover his lesson for him, but that would draw too much attention to his absence and he wanted to prevent that.
With a plan ready in his mind, he stepped into the classroom with billowing robes, his face set into the ever present emotionless mask.
He just wished that it wouldn't be the 5th years Gryffindor and Slytherins; Potter and Malfoy in one room was almost too much for him to handle.
"The instructions are on the blackboard. Start now" he bellowed and sat down at the desk.
Harry looked at Kelsey and they both knew that it would be hailing detentions today.
Everybody started preparing their ingredients quietly and putting them into their cauldron.
The only noise in the room was the sound of pestles and knives. Neville almost dashed under his desk after a murderous glare from Snape because he had to cough.
Hermione looked at the poor boy with worry in their eyes. Neville was so accident prone that it was just a matter of time until something happened.
The rest of the Gryffindors seemed to have the same idea, because they glanced nervously at Snape and Neville in turns, while the Slytherins did their best to hold back giggles.
Shortly before the end of class, Snape rushed up from his chair and started Neville so much that he accidentally dropped the whole leech into the cauldron instead of just a few drops of juice.
The result was terrible.
A red flame shot into the air and burned Neville's eyebrows and lashes instantly.
Hermione jumped from her chair and cast an extinguishing charm on the cauldron before everything was on fire.
Snape rushed over to their table and bent over until he was face to face with the Gryffindor prefect.
"Have I not told you time and time again that you must not help other students?" he hissed.
"But Professor..." Hermione tried to explain.
"There's no excuse for that" Snape bellowed. "That will be detention for you tonight, Mr Longbottom and 20 points from Gryffindor for not following the orders correctly."
"But Professor Snape... I just wanted to prevent a catastrophe. Students could have been hurt by the fire" Hermione spoke up.
"I don't care what you wanted. You did help a student although I forbid you to do so! You're an insufferable know-it-all and you think nothing can be done without you having your nose in it. Another 20 points from Gryffindor and a week worth detention"
Hermione was rooted to the spot. She had tears of fury brimming in her eyes but she was determined not to cry in front of the evil potion master.
The other Gryffindors were glaring at Snape with blatant rage, but they knew another outburst would only make things worse.
Hermione filled her potion into the vial and handed it over to Snape before he packed away her things.
"You have to talk to McGonagall about this." Ron said excitedly. "She will know what to do. You didn't do anything wrong"
Hermione didn't reply. As soon as the class was dismissed, she ran out of the room.
Draco looked at her sudden escape and another plan formed in his mind. this would be the best thing they had ever done.
He would teach those mudbloods a lesson, not to mess with a Malfoy.
The Slytherin was almost sure that the Granger girl had something to do with his state last year.
This would be the perfect revenge for him.