The Art of Love, Both Confusing and Simple
Chapter 2: Pieces of a Puzzle
Last Time:
Somewhere in the castle lay a mysterious figure in his bed. He just listened to the music coming through his bedroom music as he lie there. 'Yes,' he thought as he turned over to sleep, 'Yes I am.'
This Time:
The next few months went by quickly before it was their first Hogsmede weekend on the first day of December. The Christmas decorations were already being hung up and this was the time where people could go do their Christmas shopping for family and friends. Ron and Hermione were going together and so far Kara was planning to go by herself until someone asked her.
"Kara," Harry asked and Kara turned to face him. His cheeks were a light shade of pink. Kara smiled encouragingly. "Kara, want to go to Hogsmede with me?"
"Sure," Kara replied as the two of them headed outside and towards Hogsmede. A pair of dark beady eyes watched them without anyone noticing. Kara and Harry went to a bunch of different places just buying gifts and talking and laughing (and being watched) and having fun. A while later they met up with Ron and Hermione. Kara and Hermione went off after that while Harry and Ron went their own way. They were just walking and talking when Kara noticed the jewelry shop. Kara dropped all her bags in amazement.
"Hermione, look!" Hermoine stopped and came back looking at the beautiful jewelry. A dark-blue with some jade-green locket caught her eye. Her hand went up to the earrings she now wore everyday.
"That necklace is pretty, Kara," Hermione said noticing it too.
"It matches my earrings. I wish I had enough money to buy it though. My sister was supposed to send me some extra money, but I guess she didn't have much time. I'm sure I'll have more by my birthday next Wednesday."
"When's your birthday again?" Hermione asked with a smile.
"Next Wednesday. We could go to the kitchens and I have a great recipe for a cake we could make. Hey, that rhymes. A cake we could make." They both laughed.
"I'll have to get you something," Hermione said.
"And then we could get some music," Kara added before picking up her bags and turning around laughing. Hermione laughed too as they both turned around to walk to another store. I love window shopping," Kara said before stopping dead in her tracks. Right in front of her was Severus, the chaperone on the trip.
"I hear your having a party? How foolish. Something like that could get you in big trouble…" Severus stopped as he looked at Kara's earrings and then to the locket in the window. This gave her and Hermione just enough time to slip away. They made a run for it and when they stopped in the Three Broomsticks they were laughing really hard.
The next Wednesday evening after quick homework, dinner, and classes Hermione, Harry, Kara, and Ron went to the kitchens to celebrate Kara's birthday. Kara had made cake herself, which was pretty good considering she had never cooked by herself before. Then they opened gifts. Ron had gotten Kara a book of tunes for her guitar. Harry had gotten her a new, good guitar completely. Hermione got Kara a necklace pair that said Best on one half and Friends on the other. Hermione took 'Best' and Kara took 'Friends'. After that they listened to Kara play her guitar for a while and then they began to leave.
Ron left first and as Harry left Kara kissed him on the cheek. She held Hermione back to tell her something. "What is it?" Hermione asked. Kara took a deep breath and smiled.
"I like Harry. A lot," Kara said and Hermoine returned the smile.
"This is so great! If you promise not to tell anyone, I like Ron," Hermoine said.
"And you promise not to tell anyone." The two girls made a promise and then headed back to the common room. When they got there her owl was waiting for her with a small package tied to its talon. It held it out and she took it. She read the letter, 'Happy Birthday, Kara,' and then opened the small package. Inside was the locket she had seen at Hogsmede the same weekend before. Kara put the necklace on and then looked at the note once more. Again there was not signature, but it was the same handwriting from last time. She ran to her trunk and found the other note. She compared the handwriting to be the same, though different colored ink. The first one was green and the second one silver.
Kara looked at the handwriting again and again. She swore she had seen it before. It was so familiar, but she couldn't place it. Kara looked up at the backpack on her bed and jumped up. She scrambled onto her bed and threw open her backpack emptying it of its contents. Papers spilled everywhere and Kara started looking at the handwriting of each one, including her own. She began with DADA and went on to Transfiguration and so on and so forth. 'Lupin... nope. McGonagall…nope. Sprout…nope,' Kara thought as she searched quickly through their comments on all her papers so far. 'Hagrid…nope. Binns…nope. Flitwick…nope. Trelawney…nope. Vector…nope. Snape…' Kara froze. She looked down on a paper Severus had graded and then back to the note. She gasped. 'It can't be. Why would he…' Another thought struck Kara. 'You don't think that…that one night…when…he was talking to Dumbledore and-' Kara's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Hermione.
"Is everything ok, Kara?" Kara looked up with a slight look of confusion.
"What? Oh, fine. Everything's just fine." Hermione walked over and Kara gathered up all her papers so Severus' handwriting was hidden. She took out her folders for her classes and sorted the papers into each one. She hadn't had time for much over the past few weeks. Hermione moved closer and raised her eyebrow.
"Why are you looking at your papers?" Hermione asked.
"I got another note and the handwriting looked so familiar so I tried looking at the teachers' handwriting. I didn't find anything though," Kara lied, though she didn't know why exactly. Hermione shrugged and the two of them cleaned Kara's stuff and went to bed.
It was Thursday afternoon and Severus joined the mad rush to lunch. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone following him. He turned suddenly, but the person he had seen wasn't there. When he turned to face the front she was a head of him, glancing casually back at him a few times. He narrowed his eyes and quickly caught up with her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into a deserted hallway.
"Why are you following me, Ms. Simmons?" Severus hissed. She looked at him and smirked.
"Why would I follow a mean, selfish pig such as yourself?" she hissed back. Severus scowled and Kara broke free of his grasp. She gave him a small smile before turning away and marching off. Severus raised an eyebrow and then sighed. He just didn't know what do with this girl.
Severus sat at his desk the Friday morning waiting for his first class to come in. He watched the door open and a small stream of students come in. The light caught a locket and he looked up into the face of Kara. His lips started to twitch upwards, but he caught himself and frowned instead. Kara gave him a confused smile and took her normal seat next to Hermione where they began to furiously chat. He could see Kara glance at him from the corner of her eye and he turned to see Harry and Ron chatting about Quidditch and then Blaise and Draco chatting about something else before his gaze turned back to Kara.
'Does she know?' Severus thought. 'Did she put the pieces of the puzzle together? I knew she would figure it out, but this quickly? She's smarter than I thought. I will have to have a chat with Albus. Perhaps he has something on his mind. He always does, especially if he has another trick to sneak his lemon drops into my bedroom again. Funny thing how I woke up with a small pile at the foot of my bed this morning. I asked him at breakfast, but he said he didn't know a thing. Ah well.' Severus ignored his thoughts and stood up in class. He began to tell the class about the context of Veritaserum and how they would be making it.
"Today we will begin to make it, but as I do not yet trust all of you I wish for you to work with partners. You will not finish this today and we will continue to work on it Monday and the Friday next. Begin now," Severus said and Kara walked slowly to the cupboard to get the ingredients on the board. Draco, Harry, and Pansy went up as well to get ingredients for them and their partners. Kara was last to get them and on her way back to the seat she paused in front of the desk in which Severus reclined.
"I…Thanks," was all Kara said. She gave him a small smile before bringing the ingredients back to Hermione. Severus paled for the fewest of moments before turning back to his cold self once more.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked as they laid out the ingredients and began chopping some ingredients which are currently unknown the author of this story.
"I'll tell you later," Kara replied and they continued to work talking of anything they could think of, boys, homework, professors, house elves, the quality of the food, their families, and much more. When class ended Severus mumbled something and each cauldron was enclosed in a clear bubble. Everyone began to leave quietly. "I'll be there in a moment. I need to ask Snape something," Kara whispered to Hermione who nodded and left. Kara stayed behind to ask Severus something. He cleaned up a little pretending not to notice she was there. Kara took a deep breath and stepped in his path, forcing him to notice she was still there.
"Can I help you, Simmons?" he said coolly.
"Actually, Professor, I had a question. I was wondering if you-"
"I did not give you permission to ask your question, Simmons. You are a foolish girl. An impudent fool. I wish for you to leave my classroom now and move on to the rest of your classes," Severus said and then smirked. Kara stared at him for the longest time it seemed before she silently went to her desk and gathered up her books. On her way out she turned once more to face Severus. Even from the other side of the room he could see the tears threatening to fall. The tears that she was trying her best to keep back in front of him.
"You may believe me to be the impudent fool, Professor, but look at yourself. Look at yourself and your own life before you dareinsult mine!" Kara hissed before slamming the door behind her, for the millionth time it seemed, as she ran down the hall. Hermione had been waiting just outside with Harry and Ron and they had a great look of confusion as Kara dashed out of sight.
"Kara, wait up!" Hermione called before running after her. Harry and Ron shared a glance before running after the girls as well. Harry and Ron walked into the library to see Hermione and Kara talking quietly. Hermione had the same look on her face like when she was really concentrating on something. Kara was looking at and speaking to her quickly and quietly as tears streamed down her face. When she caught sight of Harry and Ron she stopped. Kara wiped her tears away and smiled as they sat down at the table with them.
"Are you ok?" Harry asked and Kara nodded.
"I'm fine. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure because Harry and I could wipe that smirk of that greasy haired git's face," Ron said and he got a laugh out of Kara.
"Thanks, but no thanks. He may be cruel and selfish, but I'll still feel guilty for practically killing a teacher."
"He's not a teacher he's a professor," Harry put in as if that would make a difference. Kara laughed.
"He teaches us doesn't he?" Harry nodded. "And we learn stuff from him don't we?" Harry nodded again although this time reluctantly. "Then he's a teacher. 'Professor' is just his title." Harry sighed in agreement.
"Too bad. I would really like to wipe that smirk of his face," Ron said punching his fist into his hand. Harry and Kara laughed. Hermione just sat there with a raised eyebrow before laughing really hard along with Kara. This time Harry and Ron gave them the raised eyebrow of confusion, but just looked at each other and shrugged.
Later that night Kara sat on her bed getting ready. It may have been only 11 o'clock, but she was tired and tomorrow there was an early Quidditch game just after breakfast that Harry and Ron were playing in. She was only going to go because Harry and Ron were in the game. Usually she hated Quidditch. Hermione was downstairs, but she said she would be coming up in a few minutes.
Kara had just thrown on her froggy night shirt and pants when an owl tapped at the window. It was her father's mix of a snowy white and a barn owl. She opened it and recognized her younger sister's handwriting. Kara knew then it was bad news and her hands trembled and tears fell down her face as she read it. As she read the letter of doom! (Had to add that.) It read:
Sissy,
Duddy had me write this to you when he found out. Big Sissy isn't feeling good. In fact she's feeling sick. Very sick to be exact, says Duddy. Big Sissy went to some hospital called St. Munggo's and won't be back for a while. Duddy says it had something to do with Death Eaters and if he weren't held up he'd kill them all if he got the chance. He says they probably wanted something from Big Sissy that only you and he know, though he forgets. Please don't cry. We miss you so much and Mummy is doing so well. Please be happy for me and Duddy and Mummy.
Your loving little sissy,
Sara
Kara couldn't believe it. Her older sister, Hara, was now in St. Munggo's because she had not given Lucius and Severus the information they wanted. She bit her lip in frustration and a small trickle of blood fell down her chin, but she wiped it away. She wanted to get comfort from three people she knew would give it to her, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, who had now become her three best friends in the entire world. Kara crumpled the letter, but didn't let it go. She began to slowly descend the stairs into the common room. She was about to call for Hermione, Harry, and Ron when something else broke her heart. Hermione knew she really liked Harry, but Harry didn't know that. When she looked at them she saw Ginny flirting with Harry and Harry just seemed to flirt back without noticing it.
More tears streamed down Kara's face as she ran from the common room, dropping the letter behind her. As she climbed out of the portrait she looked back at Hermione and mouthed, "I just need some time alone." Hermione gave her a knowing smile and then picked up her letter. Ginny was jealous of Kara when she started hanging out with Harry, Hermione, and Ron so much that they left her out. It was her one chance of getting back at her, but she felt a pang of guilt as she read over Hermione's shoulder at the note. Hermione spun around and glared at Ginny before going over to talk about it toa confused looking Ron and Harry.
Meanwhile, Kara was running through the halls not paying attention to where she was going. She let her feet take her to the place she believed she would get the most comfort. She soon came to a familiar picture in the dungeons and leaned against the wall. She slowly slid to the floor into a crying heap and pulled her legs to her chest. Kara cried softly into her hands hoping no one would come around, especially some Slytherin who could use a good fight. Kara just sat there, crying, for her last spark of hope seemed to vanish deep within her waiting for just the right moment to come out.
Well? Was chappie two as good as chappie one? Please tell me in your reviews! I am really grateful I even got reviews for the first chappie! Thanx so much again and please R&R! Kisses! See ya!
