Chapter 4
Ron had hopped not to have to face Snape right away but a key emblazoned with "Severus Snape" across it was obviously counteractive to that thought because a moment too soon Ron was swimming in potatoes and gravy. Apparently Snape was at dinner, and now Ron was in it.
"What the bloody hell! Severus who is this peasant he's leaning into my chicken?"
Glancing over his shoulder Ron noticed the trademark blond hair and suddenly felt better about ruining his meal in fact Ron leaned farther into Lucius' plate grinning at the indignant squeal he heard coming so high from the Malfoy's throat.
A deep voice snapped Ron's attention back to its intended target. With a flutter of something in his stomach Ron meet eyes examining him like one would examine a chess board when preparing to move.
"I don't know him Lucius. He may yet be one of your many little love struck admirers throwing himself across our dinner in hopes of catching your eye." Blushing slightly, Ron snorted and scrambled off the table. "As if I would even think of touching the little ferret." Remembering a certain memory from the pensive Ron shuddered visibly. Lucius gasped and reached for his wand, Snape's hand stayed the blonde's temper and he smiled endearingly at the little snot. Ron's stomach did flip-flops. Dear lord, don't let them be lovers.
A throat cleared from just behind Ron. Ron looked up cautiously and cringed at the face he saw scowling at him. Old and wrinkled beady brown eyes looked at him through a fall of greasy hair.
"Young man sees and desist."
Ron scooted off the table and glanced back at Snape who seemed to be... checking him out? Ron quickly turned away to hide his sudden flush.
"Come with me young man." Ron gritted his teeth but he suddenly realized that he needed to keep as much attention off of himself and Snape. Ron bowed his head and followed the old professor out of the whispering and giggling great hall.
The doors clanged shut with a finality that made Ron cringe. What if Neville was to show up and Ron wasn't there to protect him? Ron just caught himself from heading back into the great hall.
"Now young man! We need to discuss your...oh..." The old man took a step back as a ministry badge was shoved into his face. "I'm part of the ministry and I've been sent on a top secret mission that I will only explain to Dumbledore. So please allow me to wait for him outside his office and go back to your dinner I'm going to have to alter you memory now, don't worry I'm trained for this."
The unknown professor sputtered trying to protest but his eyes only fixed on Ron's wand before the spell had been cast. The old man turned unseeing back towards the great hall and Ron Grinned. He would think he had got that young man good by forcing him to stand outside the headmasters office and count backwards from five hundred thousand to negative ten. Ron shook his head and headed down the hall to where the two gargoyles guarded Dumbledore's office.
It only took him ten tries before he was able to gain passage to the headmasters office, his password being "Lemon Drops"
Ron found that he couldn't get into the office and sat waiting for the headmaster at the top of the stairs. Not too soon Ron heard the sound of someone approaching.
Within moments Ron found himself stupefied on theground of the headmasters floor, who would have know that Dumbledore was not in actuality the all knowing being that he seemed to be. Ron glared mentally trying to skewer the old goat with his eyes. Dumbledore had taken his ministry badge from inside his robes with a quick summoning charm for identification and now paced examining the badge looking for any tiny problem with its authenticity.
"..." Dumbledore looked down at Ron and seemed to reluctantly release him from his magical bindings.
Ron immediately sat up and glared while brushing off the dust from his new ministry robes. "Did it pass your inspection Professor Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore smiled. "It looks odd but the metal spells and craftsmanship is ministry, please sit." The white haired man sat behind his desk and motioned to the seat in front of him while summoning tea.
Ron stood in front of the desk and put his hands solidly on the wood. "Sir it is of the utmost importance that I be placed as Severus Snape's bodyguard or better yet if you remove him to my care."
Dumbledore's right eyebrow rose high on his forehead. "I'm afraid that is impossible he has to keep up with his studies, Lemon Drop? I just discovered the little pieces of ambrosia, you should try one."
Ron blinked and shook his head. "No, professor you don't understand the importance of my need of the worlds need"
Dumbledore nodded while sucking on a lemon drop. "Yes you keep saying this but can you tell me why? Please sit."
Frustrated Ron sat down and looked over at inquisitive blue eyes. "I'm from a section of the ministry that was formed shortly after the second fall of Lord Voldermort." Blue eyes flashed and his white head nodded for Ron to go on. "One of our own has gone ... well practically nutters and is trying to go back and fix things as he sees fit. He stumbled across the time spells when he was researching ways to cure his parents of the remnants of the Crutacious curse in their bodies. When this didn't work he adapted the spells and discovered a way to go back in time and forward as well. Now he is after Snape because he believes Snape is evil... Snape tortured him in class. Snape was the potions teacher..."
Dumbledore nodded and leaned back in his seat. "Why do you want to save Severus, if he was such an awful man?"
"He's not!" Ron blushed softly and cleared his throat. "What I mean is that he was an adequate teacher and also a good man! He gave us irreplaceable intelligence and put himself in danger more then most!"
Dumbledore nodded, "I see, so what you are telling me is that Severus is crucial to the success of the war and you are here to make sure that nothing happens to threaten that?"
Ron nodded solemnly; "Yes that is exactly what I'm trying to tell you."
The old man scratched his chin and looked thoughtfully down at his desk. "Well, I can only offer you one solution as I can not take Severus out of school nor can I draw unneeded attention to him by singling him out. I can put you in Slytherin as an exchange student and give you all of his classes but keeping up with him ultimately will have everything to do with how you get on with him."
Ron blinked and nodded. "Thank you sir... but as you said I can not always be with him, who will be looking after him when I can't?"
Dumbledore waved his hand nonchalantly, "no fears my boy! I will have the whole of the staff on high alert."
Ron jumped slightly t this news. "Sir you can't let anyone else know of this. I'm already disrupting the future by being here please I need the particulars of this to stay between us."
"Yes I understand, don't worry about the particulars I'll keep this to myself but please can you tell me... humor an old man..." Ron didn't like where this was going. "Did I find the Olivander wizard card? That's the only one I'm missing from the bunch." Ron closed his eyes as a throbbing began in his temple. "Ask me for one in 23 years I have two Olivander's in my collection I'll be glad to give it to you if you don't find it by then."
Dumbledore beamed at Ron before waving his wand over a plain parchment and handing it over. There is your class schedule, just like Severus'. I do hope you like potions and herbology he has those in advanced newt levels.
Ron turned to go. "Oh and before i forget! the password is "Best Marks" i wish you well Ronald Weasley."