Disclaimer: You know this. I don't own HP or the canon characters or events, just Selcah, some of the plot, and most of the plants.
Author's Note: I changed this chappy just a bit. Hopefully it reflects Severus's character better. Thanks to Kisha.
Second Author's Note: I know some other people do shout-outs. I am considering it, but generally I don't think of it or (like right now) am too lazy to do them. But I do want to thank you all for taking the time to reply. I read every single one. Actually, they're sent to me, so I can almost immediately know someone's reviewed and read it. - Arigato. bows
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Chapter 6
Cold Shoulders
—mid-December—
As the weeks wore on, Severus became less irked if Taylor sat beside him. Her potions were no longer quite a disgrace, even if they weren't exactly marketable material. It also didn't bother him as much if the only open seat in Herbology was at her table, though her constant answering of question and frequent solicitude were aggravating. The weekly tutoring sessions were better. Taylor had a good grasp of the basic properties of the common animal ingredients, and Severus could now successfully label the sections of almost any plant. And Taylor was much less perfect when she lost her patience with Snape or the potion ingredients in tutoring.
One day, Severus came in from the blizzard engulfing Hogwarts. He shook the snow off his cloak as he scanned the room. There were only two open seats, and they were both at a table of Ravenclaw girls. But there was no Taylor. Severus frowned. Would it be worth skiving class and getting detention to avoid the girls' whispers and cold shoulders? Then again, who cared about cold shoulders? The Ravenclaws, in turn, watched him from under hooded eyebrows. Yeah, detention would be better than an hour of this.
Professor Higglepot entered the room, talking with Taylor. She nodded to the short professor and walked back to the table of girls. As she reached the back of the room, she smiled at Severus. He hesitated by the door. Then he took the other empty seat from its place opposite Taylor's chair and around the corner to the end of the table, thus sitting by no one. At least, not by the girls who were inching their chairs farther down the table and determinedly looking away. "Morning, Snape," Taylor said.
Severus nodded, and he looked aside as movement caught his eye. Robert was motioning for Severus to join his table. The other Slytherin boys moved aside, chairs scraping the stone floor, to make a hole just large enough for Severus. But the sound of multiple wooden chair legs against stone caused Professor Higglepot to look up. "Is there a problem, boys?" he asked.
The Slytherins shook their heads, and Severus shrugged apologetically towards Robert. Then he looked at the crupal lily, and he raised his eyebrows. They'd done crupals in the first year. So why...
Why on earth did it have pale bulges, when he distinctly remembered the leaves as being straight, whether preserved for Potions or live in Herbology tutoring sessions? Severus looked to Taylor, but she was talking with her friend.
"Can anyone tell me what we're studying today? Yes, Henry?"
"Shrugworts, sir," the Ravenclaw boy said.
Professor Higglepot smiled. "Correct. Now, look carefully at your crupal lilies. They have blister-like growths on their leaves, along the central vein. This is the shrugwort, a parasite."
-----
The class took their plants to the front of the room and packed up. Robert and the other Slytherin boys were the first to leave, and three crupal lilies still stood on their table. Severus paused in hefting his pack over his shoulders. Taylor followed his gaze, and she sighed quietly at the sight. She set down her bag and picked up two of the lilies.
"Hey, Taylor, are you coming?" one of the girls called from the door.
"Go on, Kali, I'll meet you at the Great Hall," Taylor said.
Kali looked past the students waiting to leave, to Severus, and he raised an eyebrow in response. "Are you sure?"
One of the other girls grabbed Kali and pulled her out the door. "You're blocking the door. Let's go."
As the rest of the class filtered out, Severus took the last crupal lily to the front of the greenhouse classroom, and he set it next to the others. "Thank you, Taylor, Severus," Professor Higglepot said.
"Good day, professor." Taylor nodded to their teacher, and she and Severus retrieved their bags and cloaks.
Outside, the storm had died down. Powder whirled along the top of the snow blanketing the grounds, and the distant trees of the Forbidden Forest rustled in a breeze. A musical note sounded, rising and falling like a brook. Severus looked around, and his eyes fell on Taylor. The girl was humming, her black hair shining silver in the sunlight. She glanced at him and smiled apologetically. "Sorry."
"No, it's all right."
Taylor shook her head. "Thanks."
"Hey, Snape. Aren't you coming?" Robert stood some distance ahead of them, a couple other boys with him.
"Yeah. Sorry," Severus said to Taylor.
"No problem. See you tomorrow."
Severus jogged up to the other Slytherin boys. Robert raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing?"
"Walking."
"No. Talking to her. She's a Ravenclaw."
Severus shrugged. "She's not all bad."
"Whatever. You have us worried, mate. Are you going soft?"
"No."
"You just spend a lot of time with her, it seems."
"We're in class together, all right?"
Robert held up his hands. "Fine, but we don't sit next to her."
Severus shook his head. "I'm not going soft."
"Sure, whatever. Come on."
-----
Selcah glanced at her watch. It was 4:03. She frowned. Snape was usually early. She looked at the Hreay crawling on its rhizoids in its tray. She ran a finger over the velvety plant, and it shuddered.
Snape came into the greenhouse. "Sorry I'm late."
"That's all right. You're only—" She checked. "Four minutes late."
"I—Good." Snape looked down at the Hreay, and his eyes narrowed. Great. Moving plants.
"What's wrong?"
"That's a Hreay."
"Yeah."
Snape's eyes flickered to his hand, and Selcah laughed. "Don't worry. Hreays won't hurt you. See?" She petted the plant again. Snape remained standing two feet away from the Hreay. "You don't like it, do you?"
"It moves."
"Yes. Oh. You don't like moving plants?"
Snape hesitated and nodded.
"Well, that's understandable. One thing about plants is that they don't usually move, and if they do, it's mostly tentacles. But the Hreay needs to move to survive. Sit down." Selcah waved to the chair. Snape sat, and Selcah removed her hand from the Hreay. "Try it. It won't hurt you. You can just touch it gently."
Snape started to reach towards the Hreay, but he stopped. Selcah took his hand, and he jerked back. She stared at him for a moment, then looked turned away, focusing on the plant. It bumped against the walls of its tray, and it back away. Slowly Snape reached down and touched it . The little plant rubbed up against his fingertips. Selcah looked up, and he met her gaze. She smiled. "Is that so bad?"
Snape lowered his hand, rubbing the plant. It shivered. He shrugged. "Why are we looking at a Hreay?"
Author's Note: I changed this chappy just a bit. Hopefully it reflects Severus's character better. Thanks to Kisha.
Second Author's Note: I know some other people do shout-outs. I am considering it, but generally I don't think of it or (like right now) am too lazy to do them. But I do want to thank you all for taking the time to reply. I read every single one. Actually, they're sent to me, so I can almost immediately know someone's reviewed and read it. - Arigato. bows
-----
Chapter 6
Cold Shoulders
—mid-December—
As the weeks wore on, Severus became less irked if Taylor sat beside him. Her potions were no longer quite a disgrace, even if they weren't exactly marketable material. It also didn't bother him as much if the only open seat in Herbology was at her table, though her constant answering of question and frequent solicitude were aggravating. The weekly tutoring sessions were better. Taylor had a good grasp of the basic properties of the common animal ingredients, and Severus could now successfully label the sections of almost any plant. And Taylor was much less perfect when she lost her patience with Snape or the potion ingredients in tutoring.
One day, Severus came in from the blizzard engulfing Hogwarts. He shook the snow off his cloak as he scanned the room. There were only two open seats, and they were both at a table of Ravenclaw girls. But there was no Taylor. Severus frowned. Would it be worth skiving class and getting detention to avoid the girls' whispers and cold shoulders? Then again, who cared about cold shoulders? The Ravenclaws, in turn, watched him from under hooded eyebrows. Yeah, detention would be better than an hour of this.
Professor Higglepot entered the room, talking with Taylor. She nodded to the short professor and walked back to the table of girls. As she reached the back of the room, she smiled at Severus. He hesitated by the door. Then he took the other empty seat from its place opposite Taylor's chair and around the corner to the end of the table, thus sitting by no one. At least, not by the girls who were inching their chairs farther down the table and determinedly looking away. "Morning, Snape," Taylor said.
Severus nodded, and he looked aside as movement caught his eye. Robert was motioning for Severus to join his table. The other Slytherin boys moved aside, chairs scraping the stone floor, to make a hole just large enough for Severus. But the sound of multiple wooden chair legs against stone caused Professor Higglepot to look up. "Is there a problem, boys?" he asked.
The Slytherins shook their heads, and Severus shrugged apologetically towards Robert. Then he looked at the crupal lily, and he raised his eyebrows. They'd done crupals in the first year. So why...
Why on earth did it have pale bulges, when he distinctly remembered the leaves as being straight, whether preserved for Potions or live in Herbology tutoring sessions? Severus looked to Taylor, but she was talking with her friend.
"Can anyone tell me what we're studying today? Yes, Henry?"
"Shrugworts, sir," the Ravenclaw boy said.
Professor Higglepot smiled. "Correct. Now, look carefully at your crupal lilies. They have blister-like growths on their leaves, along the central vein. This is the shrugwort, a parasite."
-----
The class took their plants to the front of the room and packed up. Robert and the other Slytherin boys were the first to leave, and three crupal lilies still stood on their table. Severus paused in hefting his pack over his shoulders. Taylor followed his gaze, and she sighed quietly at the sight. She set down her bag and picked up two of the lilies.
"Hey, Taylor, are you coming?" one of the girls called from the door.
"Go on, Kali, I'll meet you at the Great Hall," Taylor said.
Kali looked past the students waiting to leave, to Severus, and he raised an eyebrow in response. "Are you sure?"
One of the other girls grabbed Kali and pulled her out the door. "You're blocking the door. Let's go."
As the rest of the class filtered out, Severus took the last crupal lily to the front of the greenhouse classroom, and he set it next to the others. "Thank you, Taylor, Severus," Professor Higglepot said.
"Good day, professor." Taylor nodded to their teacher, and she and Severus retrieved their bags and cloaks.
Outside, the storm had died down. Powder whirled along the top of the snow blanketing the grounds, and the distant trees of the Forbidden Forest rustled in a breeze. A musical note sounded, rising and falling like a brook. Severus looked around, and his eyes fell on Taylor. The girl was humming, her black hair shining silver in the sunlight. She glanced at him and smiled apologetically. "Sorry."
"No, it's all right."
Taylor shook her head. "Thanks."
"Hey, Snape. Aren't you coming?" Robert stood some distance ahead of them, a couple other boys with him.
"Yeah. Sorry," Severus said to Taylor.
"No problem. See you tomorrow."
Severus jogged up to the other Slytherin boys. Robert raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing?"
"Walking."
"No. Talking to her. She's a Ravenclaw."
Severus shrugged. "She's not all bad."
"Whatever. You have us worried, mate. Are you going soft?"
"No."
"You just spend a lot of time with her, it seems."
"We're in class together, all right?"
Robert held up his hands. "Fine, but we don't sit next to her."
Severus shook his head. "I'm not going soft."
"Sure, whatever. Come on."
-----
Selcah glanced at her watch. It was 4:03. She frowned. Snape was usually early. She looked at the Hreay crawling on its rhizoids in its tray. She ran a finger over the velvety plant, and it shuddered.
Snape came into the greenhouse. "Sorry I'm late."
"That's all right. You're only—" She checked. "Four minutes late."
"I—Good." Snape looked down at the Hreay, and his eyes narrowed. Great. Moving plants.
"What's wrong?"
"That's a Hreay."
"Yeah."
Snape's eyes flickered to his hand, and Selcah laughed. "Don't worry. Hreays won't hurt you. See?" She petted the plant again. Snape remained standing two feet away from the Hreay. "You don't like it, do you?"
"It moves."
"Yes. Oh. You don't like moving plants?"
Snape hesitated and nodded.
"Well, that's understandable. One thing about plants is that they don't usually move, and if they do, it's mostly tentacles. But the Hreay needs to move to survive. Sit down." Selcah waved to the chair. Snape sat, and Selcah removed her hand from the Hreay. "Try it. It won't hurt you. You can just touch it gently."
Snape started to reach towards the Hreay, but he stopped. Selcah took his hand, and he jerked back. She stared at him for a moment, then looked turned away, focusing on the plant. It bumped against the walls of its tray, and it back away. Slowly Snape reached down and touched it . The little plant rubbed up against his fingertips. Selcah looked up, and he met her gaze. She smiled. "Is that so bad?"
Snape lowered his hand, rubbing the plant. It shivered. He shrugged. "Why are we looking at a Hreay?"