Chapter Ten: Tessa – isms: Yes, we have no bananas
Christmas…time of indigestion and anti-depressants. Carols were ad nauseaim and Severus was just full of cheer. He sat at his desk on a Saturday watching the one student in the frigid room huddle close to her cauldron. Tessa was for once in his class room and not in trouble. She had gotten sick and had missed the final test before the holiday break. He watched her blue eyes study ingredients and the recipe. He had always liked Tessa, he had no reason why he did, but there it was. Now, after heavy thought, he decided that he liked her because she reminded him of Evelyn, even if he didn't identify that fact at the time. There were parallels; both were nice looking females with even better personalities. Both in his opinion had made unwise relationship choices, Evelyn and Evan and Tessa and Neville. And both he felt he could trust. That's why after Tessa handed him her potion, something she affectionately called 'Brown – gunky – stuff – in – a – bottle.' He said something.
"Miss Melee, may I ask you something?"
"Yes, we have no bananas." She replied giving him a smile. He blinked, yes, we have no bananas? "What is it professor?" Tessa said acting like she hadn't just confused him. He too covered.
"Christmas is coming up. I was wondering about… what to get someone." He said, he did feel a little embarrassed about asking her to tell him what to get Evelyn for the holidays, but she didn't have to know it was Professor Blair.
"Really. Do I know anything about this person?" she asked raising a thick blonde brow and giving him a side ways glance.
"She's a friend, a Hufflepuff, and I have no idea what to get her." He said simply as that.
"Well, I would go about this by asking yourself some questions. How much do I want to spend? Is this going to be a friendly gift or a lover's gift, a gift from the heart, or a gift from a store? If it's a gift from a store you then have to think, jewelry, clothes, books, sweets, what's her weakness? And if it's a friendly or heart felt gift I would play on an inside joke. I made Neville a sampler of his inter self – a topic we discussed after he got out of Divination. It's Neville the Lion heart on a cat nip break. With his new motto: Non immischiarsi negli affari di draghi, per lei è il crunchy e buono col ketchup." Tessa said, "Does that help?"
"Yes it does, a little. Non immischiarsi negli affari di draghi, per lei è il crunchy e buono col ketchup?" Severus replied.
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup." Tessa replied, she left soon after. Severus sat and watched her go.
Tessa Melee. Thicker than thieves with that Ravenclaw girl and her boyfriend, as well as a guy named LeRoy, all four are very untamed, but to be involved with Neville Longbottom? The world may never know.