"Snape, Be My Valentine"
Valentine's Day is a day in which I don't put much importance on. It is cute, it is fluffy, but in the end it hardly means anything. I don't even know why they made it a holiday. Why was this Valentine person so special? How come this Valentine guy can get a day named after him, but Professor Severus Snape can't even get a minute? Did this Valentine guy mold young minds every day? Did this guy ever do anything for the greater good? Did this guy even have a sense of humor? As far as I am concerned, my Potions Master is a better candidate for a holiday named after him. However, I don't know if he would like that.
("Happy Snape Day!"
"Your ignorance precedes you, ten points from Gryffindor!"
"But I am not even from Gryffindor or even from Hogwarts!")
I don't think a day named after Severus Snape would go to well.
So, all right, fifth year at Hogwarts and it is the most important year. It is the year I will be taking my O.W.Ls and discovering what I am going to be doing with my life. I am not at all worry about that. I am concentrating all my mind powers on getting an Outstanding in my Potions class because if I don't, bye-bye Prof. Snape. I don't think I could handle that kind of rejection. Must...get...Outstanding...in...Potions! Ack!
Augusta is also worried about getting an Outstanding. I don't know why because I know she is going to get an easy Outstanding grade.
"My eyes feel like they are going to fall out of my head." I complained to her one day in the common room.
"We must study until they do, Nicole." she said without looking up from her book. "We are the best of the best."
"I hope we are the only ones that pass on. That would mean the classroom all to ourselves with Prof. Snape!" I exclaimed.
"Sure, just shut up and study."
I shrugged and opened one of my textbooks. I was met with an array of enchanted balloon hearts and a burst of gold confetti. After nearly having a heart attack I saw that on the page there was a sickeningly sweet card that read, "Be Mine! Signed, Ewan Evans." Oh yeah, it was that day where everyone gave each other sweet things. It was named after some guy. What's his name? Valentino?
"Gosh! Ewan is worse than me when it comes to stalking." I said as I brushed all of it away. "I don't know how he gets a hold of my stuff."
"How many Valentines does that make today?" asked Augusta. "He has given you at least five by now."
"Yeah," I agreed and then suddenly my thoughts came across a brilliant idea. I clutched my abused textbook and smiled really big. Augusta looked at me with one her insulting eyebrow raises.
"I just had a brilliant idea!" I exclaimed.
"Oh no." Augusta groaned.
"What if I gave Prof. Snape a Valentine?"
"No! Nicole! I draw the line!" exclaimed Augusta as she slammed her textbook down with great emphasis. "The first year you tried to pay him a compliment. I think everyone still laughing over that incident! Second year you tried to impress him with your potion talents. Need I remind you how that turned in a complete disaster? In the third year you bought him a Christmas present. I don't think he ever got over that humiliation. Then just last year you asked him to dance with you at the Yule ball! That explains everything in itself! Your ideas aren't brilliant! They are stupid!"
"It wasn't all that bad." I said. "You are over exaggerating. I think it will be a lovely thing for Prof. Snape to get a Valentine's card."
"Don't do it, Nicole, I beg you."
"Don't be so dramatic." I said with a roll of my eyes. I then packed up all my textbooks and left Augusta to ponder worse-case scenarios. I, on the other hand, went immediately to find my favorite professor a Valetine's card. Since I had rather creative abilities, I was able to make my own. It beat studying any day, and when I was finished I held up a very impressive card. It wasn't too gawdy, but it had an elegance. I used different shades of green and made it so that the everything moved and flowed with grace. It was very respectable. It simply said, "Happy Valentine's Day Professor Snape!" in a large cursive font. I loved it.
I immediately wrapped it in a white, crisp envelope with a green ribbon. It was perfect and I was giddy with excitement. I skipped down the hall while I imagined how it would be when Prof. Snape received it that very day in class. You can imagine, then, how I felt to suddenly collide into someone with such happy thoughts within my mind!
"Nicole! I am so sorry!" stuttered Ewan as white envelopes wrapped in all sorts of colorful ribbons flew around us. He had been carrying a large bag of Valentines and now they were everywhere. To make matters worse, Prof. Snape's Valentine was lost amongst the wreckage.
"Ewan! You are such a kultz!" I accused and began searching for the Valentine.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" he bellowed. "Becareful! These are Valentines for you."
I looked at him as he was blushing red with embarrassment. I then continued my search and was pleased to find it immediately. I pocketed the Valentine and turned back to deal with Ewan.
"Ewan, this is really sweet and all but isn't this a little overkill?" I asked.
"No. Er. Well, okay." he stuttered but then thrust one of them in my hands. "Just open one."
"Ewan," I said with a sigh as I began to open the Valentine. I was immediately met with an explosion of hot pink. There were flowers, confetti, enchanted balloons, and little cupids; all of them being a sickeningly hot pink. On the card in large golden letters were the words, "I love you!" written. I tried to smile.
"Thanks, Ewan." I said. "You are really sweet. Now come on, we have to be getting to Potions soon."
"Oh, all right." he said with a sigh. Clearly he was not satisfied with my reaction. (I mean come on! Hot pink!) I helped him clean up everything and sooner rather than later we were in the familiar room of simmering cauldrons. Everyone believes that the dungeons are gloomy, but I find them to be very interesting. They are even more interesting when Prof. Snape is in them.
As usual, Prof. Snape barged through the doors with his black robes billowing behind him. Before he could start enlightening our minds with his most entrancing lectures, I raised my hand.
"Yes, Ms. Pervensy?" he asked with a hint of annoyance.
"I want to give you this." I said and handed him the green ribboned envelope. There were murmurs in the classroom as I did this. Augusta looked very angry and Ewan looked dumbstruck.
I believe that curiosity got the best of my Potions Master because he gave me a suspicious glare as he began unwrapping the envelope. I smiled and was very pleased with myself. Soon he will read it and be touched by my affectionate gesture and thus proving that I, Nicole Pervensy, was Prof. Snape's favorite-
The Valentine card exploded in a volcanic eruption of pink! In one moment I felt my heart stop, my lungs go out, and my stomach drop! They were all laughing! Laughing! Laughing as little pink hearts exploded into Prof Snape's face! Laughing as hot pink confetti sprinkled his greasy, black hair! Laughing as pink cupids stuck in the folds of his black robes! It was one huge pink nightmare all over my favorite Potions Master! If I ever wanted to cry, that was it.
"Ms. Pervensy, " began Prof. Snape in a voice that paralyzed me into complete fear. "Your erratic behavior has gone far enough! You will be serving detention here every night for a month! Fifty points from Hufflepuff!"
I could not answer him. I could only shake my head in meek submission as he flicked his wand wordlessly, ridding himself of the pink menace.
"Silence!" his voice demanded of all the laughing students and immediately the room became silent as the grave. Class then continued on like normal from there. It wasn't normal for me! I had to concentrate really hard as to not to start crying. It didn't help that I wasn't in the mood for Prof. Snape's mocking sarcasm which was hurled at me without mercy through the whole class period.
I pondered on how everything was a complete disaster! I would never live this down! Prof. Snape would never forgive me! I was done for! All my hopes of showing him appreciation dashed in a spew of pink mania! I hated my life! I hated Valentine's Day! Most of all, I hated Ewan Evans!
("N-n-nicole, I am s-s-sorry. You must have picked one of my Valentine's by mistake when w-w-we-"
"You idiot! Look what you have done to me! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! You have embarrassed me for the last time, Ewan Evans! I...HATE...YOU!")
I don't know what I ever saw in that kid anyway. He was a troublemaker and a destroyer of dreams. So, on the top of worrying about detention, my hatred for Ewan Evans, and the total destruction of Prof. Snape's esteem of me there was also my O.W.Ls. I had hoped to move on into Newt Potions, but with the way things were now, I don't know if I could handle Prof. Snape's treatment of me. However, what would school life be without going down in the dungeons and listening with eager anticipation to my Professor Snape? I don't think I could handle that emptiness.
So I had a lot of things to think about as I did detention with Prof. Snape and none of it was nice. I couldn't enjoy detention as I usually did. Now that is just a crime in itself. However, just when I thought I would be ruined forever, Augusta came up to me after one of my late night detentions.
"Nicole, you should really learn to forgive, Ewan." she said. "You know it wasn't his fault. He said he was sorry and he found this."
She handed me the white envelope with the green ribbon, and I looked down at it without saying a word.
"He is really sorry, Nicole."
"Yeah, and when in doubt it is always easier to tell the truth." I said and then looked up at her with a smile.
"Yes, now come on. It is late."
"Hold on, there is one more thing I have to do." I said and then turned around. I ran back down to the dungeons and I saw that Prof. Snape was leaving. I raced down the hallway towards him.
"Professor Snape!" I called. "Professor, wait!"
"Ms. Pervensy, did I not dismiss you for tonight?" he said with sarcastic annoyance. "I will have no more of your tom foolery, at least not until tomorrow."
"Professor, I have to explain everything." I gasped. "You see I didn't want to give you the Valentine. I mean I want to give you a Valentine but the one you opened the other day wasn't the one I wanted to give you! It was a terrible mistake and I was wondering if you would just open this one and-"
"I will do not such thing, Ms. Pervensy!" he hissed angrily and snatched the Valentine I held out to him with a snake-like speed. "I will dispose of this. You will return to your dormitory and I will hear no more out of you."
I knew I couldn't protest so I went back to my dormitory feeling rather put out. Yet I did feel a little bit better and I realized that even if Prof. Snape hated my guts, I still liked him. I also realized that I still liked Ewan Evans and so with determination I sought him out the next day. I found him sitting amongst his popular guy friends and when he saw me approaching he starred at me with his dumbfounded expression.
"Here," I said and handed him a white envelope tied with a blue ribbon. He took it and began to open it with everyone watching. His face lit up like a child receiving a Christmas present as he saw the Valentine I had given him. It was simple and it had words of appreciation for his friendship and all that jazz.
"I don't know what to say." he said.
"Just don't start crying." I said with a smile. He laughed and with that we were friends again. (Or in his terms "soul mates".) We spent the rest of the day laughing and bickering with each other. All things seemed almost perfect. I knew that with all my extra studying that I would get into Newt Potions and of course I was on friendly terms with Ewan Evans again. It would have been perfect if Prof. Snape didn't think me a total imbecile. Alas, detention went as awkward as ever.
It wasn't until the very last night of detention that I made a discovery that sent me to heaven and back. I had just got done sorting through a bunch of slugs and categorized them in alphabetical order that night. (Prof. Snape has quite an imagination when it comes to detention!) He was, as usual, at his desk grading homework. Every once in awhile he would talk to me, but only to say a snide remark about my homework. I didn't mind. (Gosh, his sense of humor gets better by the day!) So, yeah, I was finished categorizing slugs and I went up to his desk.
"Sir, I am done with the task you had bestowed upon me." I said brightly. He returned my ethusiasm with a glare that normally sent children cowering in fear.
"You may leave, Ms. Pervensy." he said and leaned over to open one of his desk drawers to put away his quill. It was in that moment, just a brief quick moment, that I saw my Valentine card! I felt myself go warm all over with excitement and I almost let out a laugh of happiness. Prof. Snape must have realized what was in the drawer and he shut it fast, but he did not slam it. (That guy had the fluid grace of a snake!) He gave me a sour expression because he knew that I had seen it. I immediately dashed out of there without saying another word.
I skipped and let out cries of triumph down the hall. I was met with protests from the paintings and from the ghosts. I didn't care! Prof. Snape had kept my Valentine! He was my Valentine! I could have died happy!
So once again, my year had turned out to be completely perfect. I had my friend Ewan back, I got into Newt Potions, and most importantly, I had the esteem of my Potions Master back. Truly a happy end to a satisfactory year.
("I don't believe you, Nicole! Prof. Snape would never keep such an abomination! You are lying!"
"I kept your Valentine, Nicole. Why aren't you giggling with joy over that?"
Heh...heh! Happy Valentines Day everyone! Whether it is Valentine's or not!)
"It's My Snape Party, I Can Cry If I Want To!"
The day you were born is a very special day, obviously. That is why everyone always celebrates their birthdays. It is a time to honor one's own existence upon this earth. Everyone always has interesting stories about when they were born, which is primarily told from the mother's point of view. ("Your father acted as if he were the one giving birth! I had to even backseat drive so that we could get to the hospital on time!") Either way, one usually likes to spend time with one's family or friends on this monumentous occasion. However, there are some cases in which even the most honorable of people (coughSnapecough) do not have their existence celebrated.
The sixth year was getting off on a great start. I was taking a couple of other classes, but most importantly I was taking Newt Potions. Surprisingly, but maybe not so surprisingly, Ewan Evans was also taking Newt Potions. Augusta, Ewan, and I were all walking down the hallway to get straight to work on all our assignments.
"I am regretting even taking Potions this year." complained Ewan. "He has given us a lot to work on I feel so overwhelmed."
"I know! Can you believe it!" I squealed.
"I wouldn't admire Prof. Snape so much if he didn't." Augusta chimed in.
"I don't even know why I hang out with you two." groaned Ewan. "You are hardly normal."
"I never understand what you are talking about, Ewan." I said as we all sat together in the large common room. "Are you suggesting we aren't normal because we admire Prof. Snape?"
"Yep, exactly." he said as he slammed down his books with emphasis.
"Well, I think that you aren't normal because you dislike him." I said as I opened my copy of Advanced Potion Making. (Unfortunately, this one was not signed with "Half-Blood Prince". Some people's children have all the luck!)
"I am not even going to try and argue." he said with a sigh and then changed the subject. "How was your birthday this year, Nicole?"
"Hm?" I said absentmindedly as my eyes absorbed the reverent information of the book. "Oh, yeah. It went really well. We took a trip around England and I saw Stonehenge. A brilliant place!"
"Hmmph, just a bunch of pebbles." muttered Augusta. I made a face at her comment.
"You English have no idea how beautiful it is here." I said. "I am glad my family moved here."
"Whatever you say, Nicole. As far as I am concerned you can't possibly do anything on your birthday that would make it compare to mine. My birthday is entirely more significant than yours."
"Hey! Augusta, don't be such a snob! How could you say that?" protested Ewan.
"No, she means that because she shares the same birthday month as Prof. Snape that makes her birthday better." I explained and then glared at Augusta. "You were just lucky to be born at midnight on January first. You barely made it."
"The point is, I made it." she retorted. Ewan shook his head in a form of exasperation. I rolled my eyes and went back to reading my book, but I suddenly became completely distracted. Prof. Snape's birthday was January 9th! Brilliant!
"Oh my gosh, you guys!" I exclaimed. "I have just received a brilliant idea!"
"Oh no!"
"It can't be about Snape again is it?" groaned Ewan.
"Yes!" I squealed. "His birthday is January 9th! What if we were to throw him a birthday party?"
"For the love of sanity!" exclaimed Augusta. Ewan just starred at me with complete horror that I could suggest such a thing.
"No, it is brilliant." I said. "We can invite all these kids. No presents because that is childish, but we can just have a fun time talking to our Potions Master. We can show our appreciation for his existence and finally make him happy!"
"Wrong! That won't make him happy! It will give him indigestion!" exclaimed Augusta. "How many times do you have to fail to realize Prof. Snape doesn't want your stupid appreciation?"
"What a repulsive idea." muttered Ewan.
"You guys just don't realize it. If you recall Prof. Snape wore the robes I gave him, he kept the Valentine card, and has clearly demonstrated his esteem for me."
"He wore those robes because he had to, he didn't keep the card, and it is all in your imagination!" accused Augusta.
"You are just jealous!" I said. "Well, after I am done studying I am going to plan everything for January 9th! I don't how I will be able to bear the wait of it!"
"You are on your own." said Augusta. "I have a bad feeling that once again this will turn into a complete disaster."
As usual, I didn't care about what Augusta and Ewan had to say about my idea. So with careful planning I was able to create the perfect sort of party. I was only going to invite students. This would be the opportune moment in which we could appreciate our hard working Potions Professor. I didn't invite too many guests as to not make it an outlandish party, but I did invite enough to make the room cheerful. I decided on limited amount of decorations. I would put just enough to give the room a little pizzazz. I was going to have the food be simple, but elegant and pristine enough so as to not disappoint Prof. Snape. Everything was set. It was going to be perfect!
I had set up the whole party in the Hufflepuff common room. Not the most ideal of places, but it was the only one I could think of. So when the morning of the Saturday of January 9th rolled along, I was thrilled! I had sent out all the invitations, including Prof. Snape's, and only had to wait eagerly for everyone to arrive. Augusta had made it very clear to me that she wouldn't have anything to do with this party, but Ewan told me that he would come. So I sat and waited for the fun to begin. I waited and waited and waited and waited...waited...waited...waited...
Where the world was everyone! It was already well passed noon and there were no signs of anyone ever coming. When another hour went by, it was then that I understood everyone completely. They weren't going to come because they didn't want to come. Even Prof. Snape himself was not going to show up for his own party. I was completely devastated and hurt at what just happened, or more precisely, what was not happening. I was even angrier at Ewan for doing this to me. At least he of all people should have shown up. It was a hard blow and I felt like crying. I made my way to leave the Hufflepuff common room when suddenly I almost ran right into Prof. Snape! I nearly keeled over in fright and stopped dead in my tracks. He stood towering over me with dark eyes exposing me.
"Ms. Pervensy, as usual, you have created quite a stir." he said bitingly. "You have not shown yourself at meal times and you have not gone with the others to Hogsmeade. Now tell me, are you incapable of having proper attendance or do you take pride in being an insufferable troublemaker?"
"Uh...I...um." I stuttered. "The party..."
I made desperate gestures inside the room which was prepared for the party. Pathetically, the cake's icing was melting onto the table and some decorations wilted down to the ground. Prof. Snape looked at this display and smirked ruthlessly at it.
"Ms. Pervensy, I see that many of your attempts at, how do you American's say it, 'sucking up' to me have failed once again." he said scathingly. "I find that-"
"Professor!" I interrupted and I knew that as soon as I did it, I was in the wrong. I just couldn't handle it! I just had to break one of my rules. "I must disagree with you! I am not sucking up to you! That is a wrong assessment of my behavior!"
He looked at me with a gleam in his eyes that portrayed some sort of triumph. He was triumphant that I, Nicole Pervensy, had talked back to him and he had finally caught me in the act. For the very first time in my life, I cowered in his presence.
"Twenty points from Hufflepuff for your cheek!" he exclaimed with emphasis. "And twenty more points for creating such a mess in the Hufflepuff common room."
(I am beginning to think that maybe it is because of me Hufflepuff has never gotten the House Cup. Hmm...NAH!)
He swept himself towards the exit, his robes billowing like dark clouds behind him. He turned once again to look at me, his mouth curled in satisfaction.
"Professor Dumbledore will be having a word with you, Ms. Pervensy." he said. "Keep this erratic behavior up and you will most likely find yourself on the train home."
He left, then, and the room was silent as if he had never been there.
"What a jerk!" I exclaimed and promptly burst into a fit of tears.
("I am sorry, Nicole, I just totally forgot about the party! You know that I have been overwhelmed with schoolwork this year. Oh...oh...don't start crying like that, you know I can't handle it when you cry like that! I would have come, honest! I just forgot!"
"If you would have come then your popular friends would have come! Everyone would have wanted to come if there were popular people there! You have totally ruined everything once again, Ewan Evans!")
It was no use. I was in for it this time! I knew that I wasn't going to get expelled, but the way Prof. Snape treated me would haunt me for the rest of my days. Potions would never be the same again. There will be a lifeless atmosphere because I knew how Prof. Snape really thought about me. He thought a whole lot of nothing about me! If it were up to him he would send me away from this school and I would never see him again. I felt completely and utterly crushed. Augusta must have understood my situation even if I didn't tell her any of it because she didn't come up to say "I told you so!"
Prof. Snape was correct in his statement about me seeing the Headmaster. I didn't know what to expect from Professor Dumbledore. I knew he was kind and understanding, but to get a look of disappointment from him was worse than anyone could bear, or so I was told.
I entered his office and looked around. It was a place most unusual, but it had an eccentric, comforting feeling. Since I had never been his office before, my eyes were round with awe at the sheer magnificence of it. I starred at the Phoenix that sat in complacent satisfaction. I went over to inspect it more closely, and it starred at me with a serene expression.
"Fawkes is a magnificent creature, is he not?" questioned Prof. Dumbledore as he suddenly appeared in the room. I glanced at him and he was smiling at me. His half-moon spectacles rested easily on his nose, and his presence radiated with kindness.
"Yes," I said. "I never saw a Phoenix up close before."
"Then please, look to your heart's content. Fawkes does not mind." he said as he moved across the room. I became more comfortable with his easy-going nature and even got to pet the Phoenix. However, I noticed that he didn't seem to make a move to talk about why exactly I was there. I decided I should just speak up.
"Sir?" I said and he looked up at me with an expression of curiousness. "I would like to explain my...er...behavior. I mean, well, I don't know exactly what I have done wrong. You see I was just trying to throw Prof. Snape a birthday party and well...um...everything just went downhill from there. I am sorry if I did anything wrong."
He smiled pleasantly and gestured for me to follow him across the room to a window. There he had a pot full of bright orange flowers. They were gorgeous and they gave off a very citric-like scent.
"You see these flowers?" he began and I was becoming confused why all of sudden we were discussing flowers. "What do they need in order to thrive?"
"Um...sunlight and water?"
"Precisely, but what happens if you give them too much sunlight or too much water?"
"Well, they will wilt and most likely die." I said not understanding where he was going with this.
"You are correct again." he said and caressed one of the flowers. "It just so happens that in some ways, it is the same for human beings. In order to be healthy individuals we need love, care, and the attention of others. However, if we get too much we suddenly feel suffocated and we aren't able to function to our full potential. True,' here Prof. Dumbldore gave a shrug of his shoulders and careless smile, 'a flower possibly isn't the best analogy for Professor Snape, but the idea is the same."
"Are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't be so forceful in my appreciation towards Prof. Snape?" I asked.
"You are right once again, Nicole." he said and smiled happily at me. "It would be wise if you become less enthusiastic of your admiration for him."
"I understand." I said in a voice that probably portrayed some disappointment. Prof. Dumbledore looked at me with his twinkling blue eyes.
"Professor Snape has expressed much exasperation about you to me throughout the years." he said. "He has come to me often to complain on several attempts to flatter him. However, I do believe that in spite of it all, Professor Snape appreciates your admiration and attention. You have affected him in a way that you can't possibly know, Nicole."
I was dumbstruck by this announcement and my mouth twitched slowly into a smile. Prof. Dumbledore smiled wide and gave me a wink.
"Now, off you go. It is the weekend! You children should be outside in the snow." he said cheerfully. I laughed and dashed out of his office in supreme happiness. I skipped, jumping, and laughed my way down the hallways. Paintings, ghosts, and students starred at me in surprise as I ran about in insane happiness. I didn't care and gave several people I didn't know hugs.
"Nicole! What is with you?" asked Augusta as she came walking up with Ewan, who looked quite surprised by my sudden happy behavior. "What did the Headmaster say to you?"
"I do believe, Augusta, that even you can never be happier than me at this moment." I said and gave her a hug. She gave me one of her eyebrow raises. Ewan was about to say something when I stopped his mouth with a kiss. He went stiff as a board in complete shock. I giggled and began to skip down the hallways again.
("Hahaha! Look at Evans! I think he might even faint! Haha!")
I ignored the laughter and mutterings of the other students as I made my way in complete bliss. Suddenly Prof. Snape was walking up the hallway and he gave a look of disgust at my strange behavior.
"Ms. Pervensy, stop prancing about in such a stupid manner! I-"
"You are the best teacher ever, Prof. Snape!" I exclaimed and gave him a hearty hug. Without even stopping to see if he would deduct points from Hufflepuff, I continued my jubilance down the hall.
("Do you see that! Pervensy hugged Snape! I don't think I ever saw him so thrown off his guard before!")
I could do know wrong after that! I, Nicole Pervensy, was officially Prof. Snape's favorite student. I never again argued with Augusta about who was his favorite. She was content to stay on an intellectual basis with our Potions Master, and I would let her. I had something entirely more special, and it made my classes in that famous dungeon even more pleasant. Truly, I was given a gift that I would forever treasure.
("Come on, Nicole! I just want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend. I mean you kissed me! What more does there have to be? Come on! Nicole, stop ignoring me! Put down your Advanced Potions now! Nicole! Are you listening to me? Ugh!")