It was the longest first week of term in Penny's short life. It felt more like a month had passed, and she wanted nothing more than the weekend to get away from everyone and catch up on her homework. She had managed to hide out in the hospital wing on Thursday, avoiding even her brother, but was forced to face her obligations come the rising sun of Friday.

Penny made the executive decision to eat her breakfast in the kitchens in order to avoid the Great Hall and the tirade of people who would inevitably ask her how she was. She did not feel like she had the energy to keep up pretenses. The sting of Snape's words had not faded, and Penny found they had greatly diminished her joy in many things. She tried several times to do her homework, but found herself unable to focus, and ended up tossing her books. Because of her track record and night spent in the Hospital Wing, she managed to receive extensions from her professors but she dared not ask Snape for one. With more willpower than she knew she was capable of, she finished her foot long essay, but with very little enthusiasm. The topic seemed to just depress her. Thankfully the kitchens were loud and prodded her from her sulking. Dobby greeted her with enough enthusiasm to make the other house elves offended.

"Mistress Potter, how pleased Dobby is to see you!" he squeaked.

"Hi Dobby, I like your hat!" Penny said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than she felt.

"Mistress is very kind, what can Dobby do to thank her?"

"I just wanted to eat my breakfast down here, if that's okay,"

Dobby's eyes lit up with glee and he and a group of other elves prepared a very decadent array of offerings, complete with the most amazing espresso Penny had every tasted in her life. While she ate, Dobby told her of his time at Hogwarts and how he spent his days. He also spoke about her brother and how much he missed him. Penny promised to tell Harry and to have him visit, which made Dobby very happy. When she finished, she told Dobby how much she enjoyed the meal and the coffee, causing the elf to almost burst into tears. She gave him a hug, and then forced her legs to move her towards double potions.

Penny had not laid eyes on Snape since she left his office. Admittedly, she was nervous what his reaction in class would be, and even more so of her own. She still felt embarrassed for running away like a child. The classroom was empty except for Neville when Penny arrived. She had planned it this way, hoping to take the seat beside Neville before anyone noticed anything was different. When she sat down Neville looked at her with wide eyes.

"Penny! How are you doing, I heard you were unwell."

"Good morning Neville, I'm doing better, still a bit off. Do you mind if I sit with you today? It'll help my dizziness," Penny replied with a small smile.

"Of course not, especially after what you did for me," Neville said with an apologetic blush.

"Don't worry about it, Snape should do more teaching and less tormenting."

"He does enough for you," Neville said quietly, "you're amazing at potions."

"We all learn differently, I'd be upset to think that my success at potions made you feel like you can't learn. Snape isn't exactly gifted when it comes to teaching. But if you ever want someone to study with, count me in," Penny said, feeling sad hearing Neville's words.

Her invitation seemed to cheer him up. The rest of the class milled in, Harry spotting her as soon as he entered. Sometimes it felt like their twin brains felt each other and honed in on the other. Penny remembered one time she had gotten lost in a market while shopping with Aunt Petunia. She had been crying next to a fruit stand, looking at a sea of people, none of them her family. And then out of nowhere she felt that Harry was approaching and she ran towards the feeling until they found each other at a sausage vendor. Harry and her brushed it off as 'one of those twin things' but they often forgot how strange it was, and after three years at Hogwarts had definitely weirded out many of their friends with it.

"I thought Snape killed you," Harry said looking bewildered.

"I wish. Just an early cold I guess," Penny replied, trying to avoid the scrutiny of his eyes.

Before he could respond, Snape entered the room and Harry retreated to his seat, not wanting to be free prey for whatever mood the Potions Master was likely to be in. Snape walked to the front of the class, glancing at Penny's empty seat before turning and scanning the room. Her chin resting on her hand, Penny looked towards the wall, not wanting to meet his gaze when he discovered her at the back. Saying nothing, he waved his wand for the day's task and then began moving around the room to collect their papers. Penny nearly snorted with laughter when she looked at his assignment. It surely had to be a joke that he had written Beautification Potion on the board. With the other schools taking up residence, providing new blood to lust after, many students would be interested in brewing this. But Penny could not believe Snape would indulge their teenage whims.

Paranoid of running into Snape, Penny busied herself at the ingredients cabinet. However, when she returned her paper still sat where she had left it. Of course Snape had refused to take it, all he wanted to do was find a chance to torment her. The joke was on him because Penny wouldn't take it to him if she didn't have to-

"If I do not have your papers, you have one minute to bring them to my desk or they will not be accepted," Snape said in a cool voice.

Raging inwardly, Penny was the only person to stand and march towards his desk. She stared at the floor, refusing to look the man in the face.

"I must have missed yours," Snape said smoothly.

Penny could feel his eyes on her, searching for hers. Shame and embarrassment kept her own away from his face. She extended her paper to him and said nothing. The seconds ticked by and he did not take the paper from her so she slammed it down on top of his pile and turned on her heel and left. He let her leave, remaining silent, but a few people were watching their exchange, murmuring curiously. As quickly as she could, Penny returned to her cauldron and began her brewing. It was complicated, the sort of challenge she would normally be elated to try her hand at, but she found herself unable to derive any joy out of the endeavor.

She sighed, stirring her concoction casually, all around her people were sweating, muttering, and anxiously prodding their attempts. Penny felt so far away from all of them, as though she were trapped behind a screen, watching all her motions, but having no feelings attached to them. Neville kindly pulled her from this stupor, he was having a hard time with his potion and was on the verge of tears. She glanced at him and stopped him before he dropped a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon of ground mantis into his already catastrophic mess.

"I think you may have gotten nervous and removed it from the heat when it began to bubble. It needs high heat for precisely ten minutes. I know, when it looks like it's going to boil over, it seems like you should stop," Penny said, peering into his cauldron.

"Can I fix it?" Neville asked in a small voice.

"Do you see how the color is green? It's because the proteins in it haven't broken down. I think if you put it back on the heat for 5-7 minutes you might end up with something closer to what you're looking for, then add the mantis."

He gave her a thankful smile and returned to his work. Unfortunately, their conversation had caught the attention of Snape, "Is something wrong?"

"No sir," Neville answered in a shaking voice.

"I wasn't asking you," Snape said with disdain, turning his gaze on Penny.

She stared resolutely down at her potion and shook her head.

"Cat got your tongue? I did not catch your answer, Penny," said Snape, pausing on her name.

Penny's insides twisted, his words felt like a cruel game, was he getting pleasure from her misery? She didn't want to know, and still, for the life of her, could not look at the man.

"No," Penny managed to force out of her dry throat.

"Then why does your Beautification Potion have a golden hue when it should be a pale yellow?" Snape pressed.

"I don't know," Penny replied quietly.

"You don't know?" Snape repeated.

Penny didn't answer, she knew what she had done wrong, she had been careless in her brewing, too preoccupied with the nerves that unsettled her stomach. All she wanted was for the bell to chime and free her from the agony, but the clock ticked so slowly as she watched it, still trying to avoid Snape's gaze. Harry glanced at her, his eyes seeing more than she wanted to share. There was no pretending with him, and no doubt he would ask her about it as soon as class ended.

"If you can't look at me and explain what went wrong in your potion, you are receiving a 0 for the day's work." Snape said, delicately stressing the command to stop avoiding him.

Penny's insides churned, twisting into an uncomfortable knot. Her hand clenched on her utensil while she tried to muster her courage. She had perfect marks in all her classes, a 0 would make it impossible to keep that streak. Snape knew what he was doing, using Penny's weakness against her. She opened her mouth several times to say something, but nothing came out. And then the memory of him and his angry face silenced her completely-indulging your pretentious pursuits of learning.-She could only manage to shrug her shoulders. By this point in the exchange everybody had turned from their work stations to watch the two of them, most of them shocked at Penny's unwillingness to answer a potions question.

"Please sir, it's probably my fault, Penny spent some time helping me fix my own potion," Neville blurted out bravely.

"A lot of help it did a buffoon like you," Snape sneered.

"Don't talk to him that way!" Penny said fiercely, finally looking at the man.

Snape looked taken aback by her sudden outburst, but somewhat satisfied he broke her resolve.

"Excuse me?" he said dangerously.

"He's not a buffoon, no one deserves to be spoken to that way when they're just trying to learn, if you loathe teaching so much why be a professor."

Ron whistled his approval and many of the other Gryffindors "here here'd" theirs while the Slytherins snickered. Snape ignored them, his eyes narrowed. He bent forward, "You will stay after class, and if you can't fix that, the 0 is yours," he spat and then turned to finish his rounds before the other students started cleaning up.

People were looking at Penny in confusion and awe, but they quickly returned to finishing their work and presenting it for grading. Neville grabbed her shoulder apologetically. Penny tried half-heartedly to fix her own work, but her brain would not focus. As everyone filed out, only she remained seated, staring at her potion as though willing it to be correct. Her heart thumped uncomfortably in her chest, her legs desiring to follow her peers from the room. Finally, the last two filed out and the door closed with a light thump, leaving Penny alone with the person she least wanted to speak to.

She didn't move, but remained at her station, waiting for the misery that was to come. His footsteps echoed in the room, they seemed absurdly loud, each one of them making her heart feel as though her chest would explode. He was before her, his pink knuckles moving into her field of vision.

"This is the most abysmal piece of work I have ever seen you submit," said Snape, checking the consistency with a ladle.

Penny knew it was true, but it did not hurt any less to hear him say it out loud.

"What do you have to say for it."

"Nothing, I've just been unwell. . ." Penny muttered, fiddling with her bag.

"If it's your head again, I can take care of that," he said, the threat in his voice evident as he produced his wand.

"No!" Penny said too forcefully, recoiling away from him in fear.

Penny wanted as many doors between her and Severus Snape as possible, not him in her mind, party to the turmoil he caused; a turmoil she would not be able to hide from him. She looked up at him in her fear, as though seeing him cast the spell would allow her to counter it. He made no move to do so, he merely peered down at her, his scathing eyes searching her face.

"I-I'm-I'm fine. Really."

"Indeed," he said, unconvinced. "As it stands, even your worst work is far above the rest of those imbeciles, and you managed to salvage that buffoon's potion. In my mercy, I will shall give you your points."

"His name is Neville."

"I am aware of that."

"Don't treat him that way," Penny continued, her anger boiling in her chest.

Snape's mouth twitched ever so slightly, his hands pressed into the edge of the table and he bent towards her. "Why," he hissed.

"B-because it hurts," she said simply.

"You or him?"

"What?"

"Are you certain it's him who has the hurt feelings?"

Snape's eyes flashed, boring into her head. Penny could not bear to look at him a moment longer. She felt the unease that her thoughts were not her own and that he knew what she was thinking. So she returned to staring resolutely at the bag she was fiddling with. His hand bridged the distance between them and he pulled the bag unkindly out of her grip, demanding her attention.

"I don't know what you mean," Penny lied.

"Liar," he hissed.

"It is my prerogative to share my thoughts and feelings as I see fit. If I am lying, it is no business of yours."

"I was under the impression it was you who suggested vocalizing emotions."

"You made your feelings perfectly clear the other day, I see no reason to continue this conversation in light of those sentiments," Penny said, voice shaking slightly.

She reached for her bag intending to leave, if she didn't she would be late for Transfiguration. His hand caught hold of her unsuspecting one, yet the grip was gentle, and his face showed a softness that stopped her from pulling away.

"I would regret-" he began, fumbling for words, "if you left believing I meant it," he finally blurted out, looking awkward, like the words he spoke were absurd and childish.

For a moment Penny was not even certain he spoke the words, surely she had imagined them. She could not envision a world where Severus Snape would regret or care about anything, yet his eyes were alight with a desperation she was familiar with-the need for her to accept his apology. It was evident he was as uncertain of her feelings as she had been his. His face finally gave away his secret, the man no longer hiding behind his wall, more vulnerable than Penny could have imagined him. Her breath caught in her chest and the world seemed to rotate slightly to the right, her response trapped in her chest.

"If you mean it, I'd not hold it against you, but if you aren't serious, it's a cruel joke," she finally replied.

The tension in his body seemed to relax like he was deflating in a giant sigh of relief. Penny's own tension seemed to abate, confused how a mere ten minutes had held so many different emotions. It was exhausting, but even without the man's verbal reply, she knew he meant it-she received his apology. Her heart felt lighter in her chest, but her responsibilities intruded on the glee.

"I'll be late or class if I don't leave now," she said, her resolve conflicted.

Professor McGonangall would be expecting her, and she had used up all her excuses, she needed to race there at this moment or she would lose points for tardiness. Snape gave Penny a curt nod and released her hand. They lingered a moment in each other's gaze before Penny turned and ran full speed to Transfiguration. Half-way there, Penny collided with a very firm body. Their arms outstretched to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Ve are looking for the Transfiguration classroom, can you point us," said a heavily accented voice.

Blinking, Penny allowed the strong arms to set her upright, her green eyes meeting the brown ones of Viktor Krum, international quidditch star.