I would like to thank Pen2paper, Joanne-Davenport and NativeMoon for reviewing me. I am continuing!
Chapter 3: Memories Made
Hermoine Granger looked like a deer caught in the proverbial headlights. Anya had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing and Severus was sitting in an empty chair with an amused smirk on his face at the Know-it-all's hesitation.
It was, after all, a direct order from a teacher.
" Well Miss Granger? I'm waiting." Anya mocked in an encouraging fashion. ( Again, how that was even possible he had no clue.)
"B-but Professor..." She replied with a hesitantly, raised wand.
" I am unarmed and without a wand. Yes Miss Granger I am QUITE well aware of that." Anya spread her arms wide in an open gesture. "Attack me!" She yelled the command out and poor Hermoine was startled and still hesitated. Anya sighed deeply. " Attack me Miss Granger or I shall be forced to take house points for blatant disregard of my instructions."
At the mention of losing house points the young grangers eyes went wide. "Here goes then..." she mumbled and raised her wand the rest of the way, in a dueling fashion. She them mumbled her curse and as it flew through the air towards her teacher she was not quite prepared for what came next.
" Un...du...twa!" The pretty professor suddenly concentrated on her hands and wove them in two half circled that met in the middle. A small thin line could be seen, as though a tiny silver string hovering in a circle as tall as she was and as wide. (Okay, so it was an oval. Shapes never were her thing!) I foot from her, the curse or hex ( Hermoine mumbled it so of course no one really heard it.) suddenly bounced back with a silver ripple gracing the circle and hit Hermoine instead. Sending the know-it-all of the Gryfindors to the ground with the effects of the Jelly-legs curse. ( IS it a hex?)
The entire room erupted in a gasp and then whispers as Hermoine was helped up by her Professor. "See Miss. Granger, I told you I would be fine." The woman smiled brightly at her students and helped Hermoine to her seat. "Now then class, would ANYONE be willing to take a guess as to what just happened?" She gave the class a sweeping look hoping one of them would at least guess!
Like that would happen. These kids were being taught on wands and had been for the past 7 years. Right...
" Anyone?? Come on now! I know at least one of you MUST have a guess!?"
Severus stayed quietly in his chair and smirked at the woman with slight arrogance. She returned it with a glare and then heaved a sigh in the direction of her students.
" Alright class...if no one even poses a guess in the next 5 minutes, 50 points from BOTH HOUSES!!" she yelled at them, a vein becoming more visible on her forehead. Eyes widened across the room. Including that of Severus Snape. Considering that the OTHER house was his own. She stood there tapping her foot impatiently for 5 minutes before Ron decided to speak up, much to the surprise of everyone in the room.
" Yes, Thank you Mr.Weasley! Now then...what is you think happened when Miss. Granger attacked me?"
Ron looked hesitant for a moment then began. "Well...I think that...umm...what I mean is that...Even though you were wand less, doesn't mean you were magic less." He stated, a bit more sure of himself at the smile slowly forming on her glossed lips.
" Very good Mr. Weasely, that is the main part of it, yes. Would anyone else care to add anything?" She looked around the room as a girl raised her hand; she sat in the back and was very quiet.
" I'm sorry Miss. Johnston, could you please speak up? I'm afraid the rest of the class may not have my hearing." She smiled. "But you are correct!" She added hastily, and Severus listened closely. He was actually quite interested in this, wand-less shielding...not something usually taught. But now that he thought about it, it was quite practical.
" Well..I said that the wands we use are merely a tool to focus our magic into to make our charms and spells more potent. But magic is in our blood and our very being, our souls. So with the right focus, and knowledge, we can pull it out of our very veins and use it without the aid of a wand."
Anya smiled wide and warm. "That is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!" She beamed at the Slytherin girl. ( Yes I said SLYTHERIN) "20 points per house, for Mr. Weasely and Miss. Johnston and their correct guesses." She awarded the students, and then went on to explain it a bit more.
" Now then, you all understand it then? Just because one does not have a wand, does NOT mean that you cannot use the magic that flows through one's body." Silent nods, so she continued. " Wand-less magic is very beneficial to know, especially in matters of defense. You will face times when you will not be able to reach you're wands, and then where would you be? You would be helpless, unless you could still utilize the magic usually focused into the wand, and focus it into you're very hands. This is what I will be teaching you all. We spend the first few weeks reviewing, and now, we will begin the real lessons." Her smile turned into more of a mischievous smirk. "You will learn how to meditate and ground yourselves, and how to focus you're magic without the aid of a wand and directly into a charm or spell, a shield or a curse. And you will always be able to defend yourselves. Weather you have a wand, or not. Now then, I wand a 2 foot parchment role on the magical properties within the body itself and how those properties are focused and used with a wands aid. Dismissed!"
The students grumbled a bit on the way out and as soon as they had all gone, a faint slow clapping issued from Severus. "Quite amusing...and ingenious. You are teaching them a good skill Miss Lorien." She turned to face him smirking in a smug fashion.
" Thank you very much Severus, and its Anya." She smiled sweetly sat down at her desk.
" Well, good day then...Anya." He left with the billowing of robes and she sat there at her desk, letting the warmth of the smile fade away and happy façade melt away from her. Though she was quite glad that Severus was finally using her first name, it wasn't enough to keep the depression away for even a moment.
(((()((&(&(&(& Hospital Wing&&(&(&(&(&)&(
Severus awoke with a start still holding Anya's hand tightly in his own. She was silent and still, but he could perfectly see her eyes darting back and forth underneath her eyelids. He wondered if that memory he'd just dreamt, was something she was seeing herself. He remembered it very well, but it was as if he was seeing it through her eyes.
Including what happened after he'd left that day. In his mind, he saw the happy smile fade away and the warmth dissapear from her very aura. It was as if the room was frozen and cold. A side effect apparently from being an elemental.
She was projecting...and to him of all people.
She was remembering, and perhaps, just perhaps, "These memories of the two of us, can bring her back to me..." he whispered and sat back in the chair, watching over her.
Again...most people would drop dead from shock had they walked in on such a rare sight as that of the Hospital Wing this Christmas Eve.
But Christmas is a time for miracles, is it not?
