Disclaimer: Don't own HP, only Selcah and certain animals, plants, species....snore

Author's Note: I did rewrite this scene. It's not more humorous, but it corrects Selcah's reactions. Next chapter will be up when I actually manage to finish it, and to post it. Maybe not until next week....

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Chapter 7

Oh, No . . . Confrontations

—the next week—

Severus gently lowered the bezoar into the cauldron.

"Mr. Snape, would you please take this note to Professor Bennett?"

Severus set the time on the sandglass. "Yes, ma'am." He took the paper and left.

Outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Severus hesitated, but he knocked. "Enter." Professor Bennett's voice boomed through the door. Severus walked in, and all the students turned to see who had come in. He saw Marille and Kali; it was the sixth year Ravenclaw class. He handed Professor Bennett the note; the teacher read it and scribbled a reply. "Please return this to Professor Brand."

"Yes, sir." As Severus left the room, he scanned it quickly. He closed the door behind him and frowned at the paper in his hand. He shrugged and left.

-----

Severus went to the Potions room as usual, and he slowly started setting up the ingredients for the day. And as usual, Taylor arrived at five till. She smiled and nodded. "Evening."

Severus looked at her, his lips pursed.

"Is something wrong?" Taylor asked.

He shook his head and set out a jar of pyrite. Taylor shrugged and sat down, putting her notebook on the desk.

As the lesson dragged on, Severus kept throwing glances at Selcah while she jotted down notes . She looked as usual. Her blue eyes were still bright, her expression relaxed, her skin pale but not sickly so. And every time she saw him watching her, he looked away, and her eyebrows rose.

When they were finally finished and the Potions ingredients were put back in its place, Severus and Taylor left the classroom. Severus glanced at Taylor again. She was breathing no more than normal for walking in snow.

They were only a few meters from the steps to the entrance hall when Taylor stopped and looked Severus in the eye. "What is it?" she said.

"What?"

"Why do you keep looking at me when you don't think I can see it?"

"Were you feeling sick earlier?"

"No. Should I have?"

"I just wondered. You weren't in class."

Taylor's eyebrows drew together. "We don't have class together on Fridays," she said. Severus could have kicked himself right then, very hard. He started to walk away, but Taylor followed him. "What class?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Taylor fell silent; Severus couldn't even hear her footsteps. He turned around; Taylor watched him, her eyes shadowed. "Slytherin doesn't have that class with Ravenclaw."

"I know. Professor Brand asked me to take a note to Bennett."

"Oh." Taylor studied the floor for a moment. She nodded.

"Selcah, is this git bothering you?"

Severus spun around, and he grimaced. His four least favorite people stood at the top of the steps, Potter and Black both glaring at him. Pettigrew stood in the shadows, looking from his two friends to Severus, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. Lupin simply stood beside the others, his gaze focused on Taylor.

"N-no...." She looked at Severus, then the four boys, then back again.

"Because if he is..." Potter drew his wand, and Severus reached for his.

"Come on, guys, don't do this now," Lupin said quietly, his eyes still on Taylor. Severus glanced at her; her wide eyes darted between him and the four boys. When the other three Gryffindors stared at Lupin, he nodded towards the Great Hall. "We'll miss dinner."

No one moved or spoke. Then Potter nodded slowly. "All right. This greasy rat isn't worth it anyway."

Severus pulled out his wand, and Taylor gasped. Lupin grabbed Potter's arm and glared at Black. They stared at him for a minute, then lowered their wands. Potter muttered something, and Lupin released him. Potter spoke again, his voice pitched to reach Severus's ears. Or rather, Taylor's.

"Hey, Selcah, do you want to join us? They're having fish tonight."

Taylor looked to Severus. He looked back, into blue eyes still slightly wide; they flickered nervously towards his enemies, then to him, fixing on him, like a startled deer's. He turned and walked up the stairs, pushing past Black, though Potter stepped aside enough to let Severus through. He entered the noisy, warm Great Hall.

"Hey, Snape, where have you been?" Robert waved at him from halfway down the table, and the other Slytherins looked up. Severus went to join them.

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Remus walked down to Selcah, who was still staring after Snape, her brow furrowed. Remus put a hand on her shoulder, and her gaze snapped to him.

"You coming?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Sre you all right? You sure Snivellus wasn't bothering you?" Sirius asked.

"Snivellus?"

"Yeah, Snape, Mister Doesn't Wash—"

"That's enough, Sirius," Remus said. "Come on, Selcah. Fish and chips tonight. And maybe we can have some hot chocolate with desert."

Selcah nodded slowly, and she and Remus started up the stairs. James fell in beside them. "I think that's a good idea. Hot chocolate, and then maybe we can go look at Professor Higglepot's collection of shrugworts," he said.

Selcah smiled, then laughed. "Oh, no. You are not going to get in there and steal crupal lily juice, bubotuber pus, or a Spiny Terantculas."

Sirius caught Remus's sleeve, pulling him a couple steps behind the others. "What's wrong?"

"Didn't you see her?"

Sirius looked ahead at Selcah, who was now pushing James playfully. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." He pursed his lips. "Why do you think he was bothering her?"

"She said he wasn't."

"Come on, it's Snape."

"Yes, but it's also Selcah," Remus said quietly.

Sirius sighed. "Yeah. So why do you think he was talking to her?"

"I don't know. You'd have to ask her, not me."

"Hey, guys, what are you plotting?" James called back.

Sirius laughed. "Who says we're plotting anything?" He jogged up to the others, pulling Remus along.