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Chapter Eight
FACING THINGS
Dumbledore sat her down in a chair. She was shaking.
"Severus must deal with this in his own way. There is nothing you can say or do. My advice is to be patient and let him take his time." She looked at him as he pulled out a chair and sat next to her. "As for Cornelius, I shall try and persuade him to make a statement. Perhaps a photo-call with you will help put the matter straight. In
the meantime, I suggest you dress and go to breakfast."
"Breakfast? Oh no, Albus, I couldn't possibly...all those students..."
"You will have to face them sometime, and the later you leave it, the harder it will become. Go and dress, and we shall go to breakfast together."
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They went up the stairs towards the Dining Hall. As they approached, a group of third-year girls came out, stared at Andi for a moment before running off, giggling. Andi's step faltered. Dumbledore took her arm and tucked it into his own, giving it a fortifying squeeze as they stepped towards the door.
Andi kept her eyes unfocused on anything except her usual chair at the staff table as she and Dumbledore crossed the threshold into the Hall.
It was as though someone had thrown the switch on the volume control. The noise in the room dipped to almost non-existent, and Andi felt every eye upon her as Dumbledore walked her to her place at the table.
The walk seemed to take a year. It was excruciating.
Dumbledore turned to the room before he sat down in his own chair. "Good morning, everyone. Do please continue with your breakfast."
The noise increased quickly, loudly, as heads bent closer together.
"Merlin's balls! That took some guts," murmured Sylvia, pouring Andi a cup of tea and pushing it towards her.
"I couldn't have done it without Albus," she croaked back.
"It'll soon blow over, never fear. These scandals lose their fizz pretty damn quick."
"In the eyes of the public, yes," said Andi, pushing her bacon around the plate with a trembling fork. "But what about the people concerned? How does it leave them?"
Sylvia put a hand on Andi's arm but said nothing.
Andi pushed her breakfast away, untouched. The last thing she needed was to fill her stomach with greasy food.
"Try some dry toast then," said Sylvia, exchanging one plate for another. "You must eat something...good Lord!"
Andi looked up and then followed Sylvia's gaze towards, and out of, the door.
Steaming down the corridor at a rate of knots, was Severus.
He had dressed in full teacher's robes - not required on Sundays - and the full-length gown was flying out behind him as he swept through the doors, across the room and took his place at the staff table.
To Andi, he had never looked more forbidding and intimidating and, she suspected, that was exactly the plan.
As with Andi's entrance, the Hall had fallen silent, so his voice was clearly heard as he turned to Professor McGonagall. "Would you pass the coffee please, Minerva."
Andi took a surreptitious glance up the tables. All heads were still turned, all mouths silent.
Then from within the crowd of students at the Gryffindor table there was a movement and the sound of a chair scraping back. A seventh-year boy stood up and faced the staff table. He just stood still for a moment and then raised his hands and began to clap.
Another boy, sitting opposite the first, also stood and began clapping, to be joined immediately by two seventh-years on the Ravenclaw table and three on Hufflepuff.
"All right, SIR!" came an approving voice.
"My main man!"
"Respect!"
Andi gave a whimper.
Sylvia put a napkin to her own mouth, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
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Andi returned to her own quarters to pace the room. She couldn't imagine what was going through his head at that moment, but it wouldn't be good.
Because of her, his private life had been exposed, and she knew how much he would hate that. Especially knowing it was cause for gossip amongst the students, who were supposed to quake in his presence.
What would he say to her?
What was he thinking of her?
A soft knock on the door sent her heart racing.
With shaking hand, she opened the door, so expecting it to be him that her eyes automatically looked out at his eye-level. When she saw nothing, she lowered her eyes further, and then further still.
"Lollie!"
"Please, Professor, but the Headmaster wishes to see you in his office."
Following Lollie through the corridors, she passed a number of students who fell silent as she approached and began talking again as she went by.
A gaggle of fifth-year girls was coming down the staircase as Andi went up. They didn't see her.
"...ewwww, I know. How could she do it with him? It's totally gross..."
"Watch your step, girls," she said, sternly.
The girls went bright red and hurried off down the stairs.
She marched on, her eyes stinging. She didn't care what they thought of her, but she couldn't bear to hear such raw disgust for Severus.
They reached Dumbledore's office. Her grandfather was there. She went to him immediately. "I didn't say those things," she told him. "I don't even think those things." Fudge looked at her. "You do believe me?"
Fudge closed his eyes and let out a breath. "Of course I do, my dear. There were lies printed about me as well.
Oh, this is a pretty cauldron of grindilows. How these newspapers can print such lies..."
"However, if you agree to a statement, Cornelius, they will soon be printing the truth. I suggest you work on it tonight, whilst I try and arrange for Miss Skeeter to come along to Hogwarts tomorrow and-"
"Skeeter?! You can't be serious, Dumbledore. That acid-quill?"
"She will be helpful. Particularly as I understand she was under a certain obligation to one of our students. I shall also ask her to bring a photographer along. A few photographs of you and Andrea will set you up with a family-image which I am sure will do much to restore you to full bloom in the public's eye." Dumbledore's eyes winkled
over his glasses.
Fudge turned to Andi. "I am so sorry, my dear, to put you through all this. Particularly in regard to your private life with Snape."
"Yes, well," she said. "We shall just have to be patient there, I think." She looked at Dumbledore.
There was a sudden 'whoosh' and a rush of air as a rolled parchment shot out of the fireplace and landed on Dumbledore's desk.
After her initial shock, she watched as Dumbledore broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. He studied it, nodding gently. "Severus' resignation," he said. Then, taking the letter in both hands, he slowly and deliberately tore it up and threw it into the wastepaper basket, where it shriveled up into black ash.
Andi stared at the black ash. Severus had resigned? Over this? And Dumbledore was refusing to accept it; of course he was. Severus was far too valuable.
Her eyes flicked around wildly. It was she who had to go. She who should resign. She was going back to her Muggle life; leaving the job she loved; leaving...him.
"No one is going anywhere," said Dumbledore, as if reading her mind.
"I...I will if it's for the best..." she said, trying to sound positive.
"Andrea, when I invite people to teach at Hogwarts I ask them for loyalty, not celibacy. Whilst I would not condone chamber-hopping, I cannot expect my staff to abstain from adult relationships. You and Severus have done all you can to keep your relationship as low-profile as possible, it is just unfortunate this newspaper has unearthed it, somehow."
"Yes, and how, hmmmm, Dumbledore? How is it that the newspapers have found out about Andrea's private life? It is only your staff here that know about it. I suggest you look to them and find the culprit."
"You too, know about it, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. "Are you saying I should look to you, also?"
Fudge huffed.
Andi's mind immediately flew to Vincent and how he had questioned her the other day.
billiejo - Thanx for reviewing. I realise that Snape is supposed to be in his late thirties by this time, but if you don't mind, I'm claiming artistic licence, because however much I adore him, I cannot accept an (almost) 59 year old Alan Rickman playing someone in their thirties!
Helena Oe- Hmmmm. Narcissa. Yes, indeed. I shall say no more.
Intelligent Witch - No, it was some otherhack - but Rita has come in handy.
Thousandl - You would age pretty rapidly, too!
May-Luna - Sorry. I updated fast to get to juicy Snape. I'd also like the Christmas chapters to be posted for the holidays.
Aries1 - Thanks for reviewing. I missed you! Hope your lap top's now fixed.
FemmeLoki - Now you see 'garter' in UK is a ring of frilly elastic that holds a stocking up - not the belt and clip. Complicated, huh? Thanks for letting me know though. As for Die Hard, I think Mr. Rickman could play Adolph Hitler and we'd STILL fall in love with him.
Josie - I'm sure they sell similar on the internet!
JessiokaFroka - thanks for your comment about the new characters - it boosted my confidence, particularly as I have a new character coming up soonthat I've really enjoyed writing.