Chapter three: The Potions Master
Severus slammed the door to his potions classroom as he entered. Those little dunder heads had done nothing to ease his irritation for the day. Midgeon was a complete idiot and had spectacularly blown up his cauldron on the first day of class! Couldn't they have waited until his mind had settled into at least an attempt at teaching these morons how to accurately brew a potion? Was that so much to ask?
He had decided not to go to dinner, he didn't feel like facing the staff or Albus for fear of cursing that old fool into next week! How he thought Severus would be able to face those idiots daily and then twice a week also teach another more than likely Idiotic person how to brew potions was beyond him.
Just as he sat down behind his desk he heard the clearing of a throat. Severus looked up to see Serena looking at him with an odd expression. Was it? Yes it could only be curiosity and intrigue.
She's intrigued by me? He thought in bewilderment. Why?
"Mister Snape." He heard her soft voice speak, breaking him out of his reverie.
"Professor!" He barked angrily. "I am a professor and should be treated as such!"
"I...I'm sorry Professor." She blushed. "I didn't know what to call you."
"Perhaps it might be better if you ask next time before opening that pitiful excuse you call a mouth girl." He sneered.
Serena snorted. "I am hardly a girl!" she countered. "I am a woman and it would do well for you to remember that professor."
With a growl Severus was on his feet and moved with such speed she had barely time to gasp in surprise as he caught her by her shoulders and thrust her into the wall.
"Don't pretend to know the game, girl, You have no idea who you are up against." Severus growled in her ear
Serena whimpered in response and felt her body tremble at his touch.
"Now, I suggest you take out your ingredients and sit down." He said as he released her.
Serena was shaken by his attack but she would never allow him the satisfaction of showing it. With a sigh Serena nodded and went to sit at the front table. She then took out all of her ingredients and prepared herself for her first lesson in potions.
"Now, if you have had enough of disrupting me this evening turn to page 54 and begin brewing your potion." Severus grumbled as he sat down at his desk again.
'I disrupted him?' she thought indignantly. 'Why that self righteous bastard!'
She slammed her book down on the table earning her a glare from the man at the desk and opened it huffily.
Severus watched the young woman start to cut the ingredients and noticed that she was angrily shredding the roots and not cutting them as carefully as she should.
"What do you think you are doing?" He seethed as he got up from his desk and walked over to her, stilling her hand. "This is a precise method and needs to be done with care."
Serena glared at him and inwardly cursed herself for her body's betrayal at his touch.
With a wave of his wand the roots she had been shredding disappeared. "Now, start again." He said menacingly as he walked away.
Serena bit back a retort as she picked up her second set of roots and this time carefully sliced them into equal parts.
As soon as she had all of her ingredients together she started the fire under her cauldron and was following the brewing instructions to the letter, that was until she had absentmindedly grabbed the vial of lacewings instead of the powdered asphodel root and the moment she had added the ingredient to the potion she knew it had gone wrong. The potion sputtered and made a spark. With wide eyes Serena looked briefly at the teacher before ducking under her table just in time to avoid the potion from exploding all over her.
Snape let out a shout of surprise as he looked at the table where the sound had some from.
"What in bloody hell do you think you are doing?" she heard as she felt his hands grasp her wrists, yanking her out of her hiding place.
"It was an accident!" She cried. "I grabbed the wrong ingredient."
"That is apparent!" Severus growled motioning to the table. "This is why you should never place any ingredient that is not in the potion onto the table!"
"Well it would have been nice to know that previously professor." she bit back at him.
"Circe woman has all of your common sense left you?" He thundered. "You are just lucky I cannot punish you like I would a normal student or I would have you in detention for a week! Now clean this mess up!" with that he walked to his office and slammed the door behind him.
Serena looked around for some rags to clean the mess up with but found none. What did he expect her to do? Use magic when she didn't know any spells yet?
With a sigh of frustration Serena walked up to the door Snape had just departed through and knocked.
The door flew open. "Damnable woman what do you want now!" he shouted as soon as the door was open.
"You told me to clean up the mess but I need some rags for that." She replied huffily.
"Why don't you just use a cleaning spell?" He growled in annoyance.
"I would if I knew how professor but seeing as you are my first teacher and I have yet to learn any spells I would say that would be impossible." She replied airily.
Severus cursed himself for forgetting that she had met with him first. Damned Dumbledore to the seven depths of hell for making Severus her first teacher. With a growl Severus flung a few rags at the woman and slammed the door shut again.
Serena huffed as she set herself to cleaning the mess up then didn't wait for the professor to come back out before she left the room, still glowering at his treatment of her.
Serena Stormed around her room, infuriated with the man she had just left. What she wouldn't give to know why he was so surly and cruel for no reason. It's not as if she had intentionally blew up her cauldron! Yet he acted as if that was exactly what she had done. With a growl of frustration she kicked the cabinet by her door. The sound of it made Astra awaken and Serena sighed as she went and attended to her daughter.
If Serena thought Snape would calm down by there next meeting she was wrong. She had just entered the class room and got out her book when the door opened so fast it slammed against the wall, startling her.
Get out your text book and open to page 59." He said sharply, not looking at her.
Serena complied and waited for him to speak again.
When he said nothing but sat down behind his desk and began grading scrolls she cleared her throat.
Severus looked up and cocked a brow at her. "Yes?" he replied annoyed.
"What exactly am I to do sir?" She said through gritted teeth.
"Do you need it spelled out for you? Are you a complete dunderhead to not know what you should be doing?" He growled.
Serena blushed and lowered her head to the book and looked over her ingredients, making sure she only took out the ones she would be using this time and began to prepare them for the potion. This time her brewing was more precise and as she added the final ingredient she smiled with satisfaction that there were no sparks. She lowered the heat to allow it to simmer and started to put the remainder of the ingredients back into her bag. She had not noticed him coming up behind her as she bent down to put her book away until she heard him speak.
"Well, it appears you can follow a books orders." He stated, examining her cauldron.
Serena shot up with a sharp intake of her breath and felt her body meet his chest. She shivered at the touch of his body against hers. Was it honestly so wrong of her to want to toss everything off this table and beg him to take her?
'Yes, yes it is!' Her mind cried indignantly. 'He's been nothing but a total ass to you since you got here and now your fawning over him because he's so near to you? For god's sake woman have some control over those hormones of yours!'
Serena blushed as she felt the professor move away and gave an involuntary moan of disapproval. Then found herself praying he had not heard her. He raised an arrogant eyebrow as he turned to look at her but when she did not say anything he turned back to his desk.
'damn it! He heard me!' She groaned inwardly. 'Oh great, this is going to make for awkward classes from now on!'
As soon as the potion was done she bottled it up, scourigfying the cauldron as she had learned from professor Flitwick and handed her potion in.
Snape looked up at the sound of the bottle clinking onto his desk. "Very well." he said in way of the potion then leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest as if regarding her. "I am going to give you your first homework assignment."
Serena, who had been avoiding his gaze looked up in surprise.
Severus smirked at her surprised look. "What? You didn't honestly think you would never receive homework from me?" he raised an eyebrow, her look told him she had indeed believed that and it made him chuckle inwardly. Oh he was going to enjoy seeing this girl squirm. "I want six feet on this potions properties and uses as well as antidotes and its uses by the time we convene on Monday."
Serena gaped, 'but that would take all weekend along with all my other homework assignments!' she thought indignantly. 'I'll never see Astra at this rate!'
"Are you going to stand there like a fish all night?" Severus admonished. "We're done, you may go." He dismissed her.
Serena sat there gaping at him for a moment more before she growled huffily and went out the door of the classroom, stopping only briefly to pick up her bag. She stomped up the stairs loudly, not caring who would hear her.
Severus chuckled as he retreated to his private rooms, oh the emotions he could elict from her were positively delightful! He had heard her intake as he came up behind her, felt the shiver of her body as his chest came in contact with her and yes even heard a groan pass her lips as he had pulled away. He found this witch intriguing and yes even attractive, but he would never allow her to know because she was still after all his student and he would never abuse that trust. But he did find it amusing that she was showing these responses just by being in the room with him and with this he felt the heat building in his groin. It would be a long night indeed.
Serena admonished herself for allowing her traitorous body to show how that man affected her! She knew now he had heard her moan and he seemed to be getting back at her for it quite sadistically! Six feet by Monday? Was he insane?
'Of course he's insane!' her mind chided. 'I mean look at the man, its obvious he's insane. Why else would he do this? He know's you have a baby!'
She continued her climb, stopping only to glare at Peeves angrily as he pelted her with sticks, she continued to stomp up to her chambers. Peeves cackling behind her.
'That damned poltergeist had been a source of agitation for Serena as well. The first time she had met the bastard of a ghost was when she got lost on her way to McGonagall's classroom. She had mistakenly asked for directions and he subsequently led her on a wild goose chase that ended with her being led right into Snape, who admonished her for trusting a ghost. How was she to know? Its not as if anyone had told her what she should or shouldn't expect in this damn castle! Her second meeting with the annoying apparition resulted in her hanging from the chandelier in the great hall, once again it had to be Snape to find her! What was the man doing? Stalking her to see how many times she could be humiliated by the damn ghost? Then there was the matter of the man himself, or more importantly the reactions he was able to elict from her body just by uttering a word or standing too close to her. Did he have any idea how sensual his voice was or how his moves could drive her mad? Of course he didn't and that seemed to infuriate her more. She wanted the man, all of him. His pain, anger, all of him. But how should she go about getting what she wanted? She could tell he was nothing like Thad, although he was cruel she had the feeling he would never hit or harm her. This seemed to excite her more. He was like a drug to her, when his lips moved she wanted to just nibble on them, never to end. As she imagined what his lips cold do to her she felt a familiar rise of heat in er lower area, gods what that man could do to her and not even try!
With a groan of frustration Serena realized her thoughts had gotten away from her and she found herself already at her chamber door. She entered the room as quietly as she could and made her way to bed.
Serena found that once again she could not sleep. She decided to go and take a walk to clear her head. Her thoughts kept heading into the direction of the Silky potions master. How could she get him to realize what she wanted without scaring the man off?
'Scare him off?' Her mind snorted. 'Woman if anything could scare that man I would have to die of shock! He's more foul than anyone else here!'
'Yes, but why?' She replied.
'Do you really want that answer?' her mind asked.
Did she? Did she truly want to know what had happened to this man to make him so surly?
'Yes.' she thought with conviction. 'I'm not sure why but yes.'
At that moment, as if he had sensed her thinking of him, Snape came around the corner and faced her.
"Oh, professor." Serena blushed. "Hello."
Snape looked at her with an eyebrow cocked.
"I...umm...couldn't sleep so I decided to take a walk." She blushed reading his look of why are you here?
Snape nodded curtly and moved to go around her.
"Professor?" She squeaked out, barely enough courage to get that one word out.
He stopped and regarded her but did not speak.
Serena cleared her throat but did not speak, her words seemed caught into her throat.
"Yes? I assume there was some sort of a reason for you to address me." Snape said tersely "So get on with it, what did you want?"
Serena opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it shut and shook her head.
"I am quite busy Miss Mitchell, if you must insist on waisting my time then next time make it worth it!" He snapped and walked away from her.
Serena gaped at the retreating form of the object of her desire and frowned as he turned the corner.
'Damn man!' Serena admonished. 'Its not as if I am an actual student! I am of age and I know he can sense what he does to me!'
'Ah, but you are a student none the less my dear' Her mind chided. 'And he is your professor, to have relations with a student, any student is not looked upon with favor for a professor.'
Serena growled at her mind in response and continued her walk through the castle. Only heading back to her chambers when she found herself yawning.
Her third potions class went much better than the previous two. She had, much to her surprise finished the six foot essay just as he had demanded and had again brewed the boil potion correctly for him. He then demanded another essay on this potion and dismissed her, this time not bothering to leave his desk.
Serena stalked up to her chambers after taking a walk to cool off and was surprised to see Dumbledore and Snape at her door.
"Professor." She nodded curtly to Severus and smiled warmly at Dumbledore. "Headmaster." She took his hands in form of greeting.
"Serena, Winky has told me that you are almost out of diapers and formula for Astra. I came here to see if you had any muggle money to get these items so that no one would have to leave the castle." Dumbledore explained why they were there before she even had to ask.
"No sir, all the money I have is Wizard gold." Serena shook her head. "But surely the wizarding world has those type of things?" she asked.
"There are diaper like products in the wizarding world yes." Snape made his presence known finally. "But the formula? No, most wizarding families breast feed their children and if for some small reason they are unable to produce it then they use the muggle method. It is one of the rare instances where the two worlds meet. Other than that we are well hidden from muggles."
Serena looked at Dumbledore. "Well then how am I to get the items I need?"
"Severus will be taking you to Diagon Alley tomorrow to change the money you will need in for muggle money." Dumbledore informed her, Snape snorted his disgust and they both ignored him. "He will also ensure you and your child are safe as you shop and then return you to Hogwarts at the end of the day."
Serena's stomach tied in knots. An entire day with him? Gods how was she to survive?
"I will be here after lunch to retrieve you." Snape told her curtly. "I have the remainder of the day free after lunch and do not keep me waiting."
With that he swooped around and stalked down the corridor.
"Good night Serena." Dumbledore smiled and left.
Serena entered her chambers and sank against the closed door. How would she ever get through a day with that ass hole?
'Simple, Just keep your mouth shut and do what he tells you.' Her mind smirked, if a mind could smirk that is.
"Easier said then done." She snorted as she moved to her bedroom and went into a restless sleep.