Snape was pacing around in the dungeons as he waited for Raven to deliver some needed potions ingredients. Poppy needed a stock of lung-drought draughts for the upcoming year. There was always a student or two who fell into the lake while crossing it and breathed in a bit of water. While not life threatening, it was dangerous to have the water in there for too long, so he had been asked to brew some more of the draught.
The girl, however, was late. He'd been waiting all morning, and she should have been and gone by this point.
He shuddered imperceptibly, remembering how she'd extended her hand, as if she expected him to take it. For one, it wasn't the way things were done, and for another, her dirty nails reminded him of the cart full of nails in Knockturn alley. He'd had a phobia of them since that day he'd knocked over the cart.
He had to admit though, nails aside, she was very pretty woman. A perfect fan of lashes framed her large eyes, and the green was almost hypnotic. It was a bit odd that they would be that way. He'd figure out why later.
He could hear faint footsteps coming down the hall, and he scowled darkly at the door where she would be coming in. Sure enough, she appeared, carrying a large basket of gillyweed on her hip, and a book in the other hand. She smiled at him when she walked in, a piece of card between her teeth. She slipped the card in between the pages of her book and snapped it shut.
"Here's your gillyweed, Professor. I'm sorry I didn't deliver it earlier, I got a bit lost in the halls." She apologized contritely.
"Maybe next time you should find yourself a map." He snapped at her, and pulled the basket out of her grasp.
"Hey!" She protested, "It's not my fault I'm directionally challenged!"
"If you knew that, you should have gotten a guide." He hissed, thrown off by her protest.
"And that's NOT all for you!" She said, and snatched back the basket. Taking a bag out of it, she tossed it at him. He caught it perfectly out of midair, and held it closer to his body.
"Be more careful." He snapped angrily at her, "I can't use damaged ingredients.
Though, with a gardener like you, I'll have to check them for quality anyway."
"Excuse me? Say that again you overgrown cave bat!"
"What, your ears are as useful as your sense of direction, you dirt grubber?"
WHACK
Snape's head snapped back as her open palm connected with the side of his face leaving a dark red imprint on his delicate skin. Raven turned on her heels and stalked out of the dungeon with Snape watching her go in disbelief.
Shaking off the hit, Snape opened his stores and pulled out a pain salve and carefully applied it to his abused skin. He could barely believe she'd slapped him. He'd pegged her to be a much meeker person. He collected the gillyweed he'd dropped and began slicing it up to create the draught.
He was always more at peace when he was working, and he didn't notice Raven sneak back in to collect the book she'd dropped. She stopped for a moment and watched him mince up the gillyweed with exact, perfect cuts. She found herself looking at the mark she'd left on him. She'd even scratched his cheek with her nails.
Good, she thought vengefully as she turned to leave again, he deserves it. Calling me a dirt grubber! Serves him right.
Hours later, the dinner bell rang and the teachers collected to sit down before the students arrived. Dumbledore was cheerfully setting place cards in front of each plate as Raven walked in. Snape was already seated, and he and Raven glared at one another as she walked over to find her place.
She read each name card, looking for her own as she walked slowly by. She stopped short as she realized she'd been placed right next to Snape. Feeling decidedly uncomfortable, she sat down next to him, and edged away from him, closer to Dumbledore. When the headmaster sat down next to her, she gave him a pleading look, her eyes desperately begging him to switch her somewhere else. He didn't seem to notice and started a lively conversation with a small, wizened man on his other side.
She sighed and tried not to look at Snape, but it was hard not to, because the bright red mark she had given him that morning had faded... into a light purple bruise. She was thankful he wasn't paying any attention to her, and allowed herself to look at him for a moment. His large hooked nose was the most obvious feature, and his shoulder length, greasy looking hair. His features seemed to be twisted into a permanent scowl, and Raven wondered what he looked like without it. On the whole, he looked like a horribly disagreeable man.
She'd been a little too intent on studying, and didn't notice that she'd realized he was scowling because he had turned to face her.
"Something on my face?" He sneered at her, giving her a glare.
"Besides the grease from your hair? Nothing." She replied semi-innocently. "You should really consider washing it once in a while."
"I'll keep my hair whichever way I wish. You should follow your own advice, but
I suggest something to keep yours from looking like a dead cat."
"Dead cat?" She demanded indignantly.
"Shhh!" Another teacher interjected, "The sorting is about to start!"
Raven looked appropriately mollified and quieted down while the hat sang a song. The two teachers were quiet during the rest of it, and soon the sorting was over. As the food appeared, Snape seemed to decided that he was far from finished. He leaned over to her and whispered, "I'm sorry, I meant rat's nest."
Snape watched in satisfaction as the pretty young teacher stiffened in anger, and her hands tightened over the utensils she was holding. She glared at him, her green eyes flashing in anger.
"Better to have hair like a rat's nest than to smell the way you do." She hissed back at him. "I'm surprised you haven't suffocated from your own stench."
"I wear a charm that mimics the scent of people around me, you smell yourself."
He smirked in satisfaction as her expression shifted to one of outraged shock.
"Smell this!" She shot back at him, flicking a spoonful of mashed potatoes on his face. "Oh, look at that," she continued, "The colour of the potatoes matches your skin tone. Pale and yellow-y. Too bad that colour's not in style this season, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll get it right one of these days."
The silence in the Great Hall was deafening, and Raven realized that the entire student body was staring at her. The fact that everyone had been staring at them during the entire fight hadn't registered with either of them.
He took up a spoonful of creamed corn and flicked it back at her, but she ducked and it hit Dumbledore smack in the face.
Snape froze. He stared at the headmaster as the corn dripped down his face and onto his beard and brightly coloured robes. Dumbledore rewarded him with a large smile and threw some carrots at him.
Years of being a spy and being under attack gave him the reflexes to dodge the attack, and it hit the Simon.
At this point, all the students, as well as half the teachers were staring in disbelief at what was happening at the head table. A few snickers and titters were muffled from the back of the hall.
Suddenly, Simon screamed, "Food fight!" and started tossing what remained on his plate at the students. The hall erupted with motion, food flying through the air as students dodged their dinners. Cries of protest were heard from some of the students as they ran for cover, and laughter rang out as the fight raged on.
In the midst of it all, Snape and Raven glared silently at each other, mentally blaming the other for the fight.
