Christmas morning came too soon for Penny, who'd sorely missed her bed and become accustomed to sleeping in. But Hermione forced her groggily from it and the two of them made their way to the boys dormitories where Penny threw herself onto Harry's bed and buried herself beneath his covers. He groaned momentarily before sitting up and reaching for his glasses. Penny on the other hand remained decidedly in the comfort of the bed.
Having been a prisoner for the last month, she hadn't exactly had the time to Christmas shop, but no one seemed to mind, and a pile of gifts was placed before her, which was enough to coax her into a sitting position. Everyone tore open their presents and dug immediately into the sweet treats they found within. Hermione had gotten Penny a collection of muggle classics that were rewritten for wizards. Ron, in a moment of unusual thoughtfulness, gave Penny and Harry matching watches that were jimmy-rigged to replicate the Weasley family clock which, instead of displaying the time, displayed the whereabouts and physical condition of every family member, in this case Penny and Harry. Penny had the suspicious feeling he'd gotten the idea from her disappearance, but she gave him a tight hug nevertheless, which caused him to turn a deep shade of red. Mrs. Weasley sent her usual box of goodies and knitted sweaters, while Harry had selected a ring with a gemstone in the center that was bewitched to change colors and tell the wearer what emotions the people them were around were feeling. It seemed legit, because it indicated everyone was cheerful. Further into her pile, Penny found dozens of sweet treats attached to letters written by her peers who expressed their happiness at her return to Hogwarts. At the very bottom was a gift from Lupin and Sirius that was beautifully wrapped, (she assumed by Lupin, because Sirius did not strike her as the type to have the patience for such an activity.) Inside, she found a new, pearly white cauldron that was designed to change colors depending on its temperature, allowing for more precision while brewing.
"So, how was the ball, I didn't see you all night?" Hermione asked Penny.
"Don't remind me of it," Penny groaned, looking down at her swollen hand.
Harry caught sight of it, and everyone moved closer to look at the bruised mess of a limb.
"What happened!" Harry demanded.
"I ran into some Durmstrangs, one came at me, so I broke his nose," Penny said with a sigh.
"Are you sure you hit a nose and not a pole?" Ron said, skeptically.
"Did Malfoy set you up?" Harry asked, angrily.
"Draco? Of course not. I went out to get some fresh air by myself," said Penny.
"Oh, Penny! Didn't Professor Snape warn you about this?" said Hermione, looking reproachful.
"Yeah, as he reminded me last night before he gave me detention today," Penny said, a sour expression taking up residence on her face.
"On Christmas!" Ron and Harry exclaimed in unison. "He really is evil," Ron said under his breath.
"You don't even know the half of it," muttered Penny, bitterly.
Harry raised his brow expectantly, and Penny realized all three of them were waiting for an explanation she did not really want to give.
"Erm, he found me with Cedric, and we got into a fight," she said, trying to act casual.
"Why were you with Diggory?" Ron asked, looking suspicious, "And why would that make you get into a fight with Snape?" Harry added.
Hermione gave Penny a piercing stare, her mouth sliding into a knowing grin that made Penny feel like it would be impossible to lie her way out of this. Perhaps if she just omitted some details. . .
"I, we, uhh, Snape found us and took some points, sent Cedric away, and he noticed the blood because nothing gets past the infuriating man. He got mad, said I was being foolish, and well, I disagreed," Penny said, crossing her arms stubbornly.
None of them looked the least bit convinced by her sparse story.
"Right, so why were you with Diggory?" Ron repeated.
Penny's cheeks burned under their scrutiny.
"Because we were talking," Penny said with a tone of finality.
"You were snogging!" Ron accused, waving his pointer finger at her.
"What!" Harry choked, looking from Ron to Penny, searching for the truth.
"We-that's not what happened! Snape interrupted us before he actually kissed me!" said Penny, avoiding Harry's eyes.
"Wow, never would have thought Snape was capable of doing something useful, but he saved you from fraternizing with the enemy!" said Ron, looking disgusted.
"Don't start that again!" Hermione said, rounding on Ron.
"But he went to the ball with Cho," Harry said in his signature tone of moral purity.
"I know he did," Penny said, quietly, flopping backwards on the bed, replaying the words of Severus Snape in her mind. Had she been an idiot?
"Then why would he be trying to kiss you ," Harry pressed.
"Oh Harry, it's obvious isn't it? Cedric has liked Penny for over a year and the only reason he went with Cho was because Penny wasn't here," Hermione snapped, looking impatient.
"Then he should have dumped Cho and taken Penny once he knew she was back," Ron interjected, helping himself to some of Penny's candy from her enormous pile.
"And if Penny said no?" Hermione said, pointedly. "I don't think anyone knew if she liked him back. . . " she broke off, looking at Penny for the answer.
Penny sat up and met her eyes, "I don't know, but I didn't say no when he asked to kiss me," Penny said slowly, trying to figure out what it meant.
"Uhh, I'm eating," said Ron through a mouthful of chocolates, looking as though he were going to be sick.
Penny rolled her eyes but didn't reply. Harry pricked at the edges of her mind, he was upset by the whole situation but did not want to say more on the subject. He was raging inwardly about the way Cedric would treat Cho, whom Harry had a very big crush on that he did not want to admit to. What an awkward love square to be caught in, Penny thought to herself, before brushing it aside.
The rest of the day went by in a blur of snowball fights that Fred and George organized with a lot of the student body still present at Hogwarts. Penny bewitched a couple of sleds to zoom around the battlefield and allow their riders to fling snowballs at the opposing team. Due to her useless hand, Penny was relegated to constructing the fort, which ended up being an intricate design that mimicked the structure of Hogwarts itself.
As she was admiring her handiwork she noticed Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid walking toward her, Hagrid breaking away to settle Fang, who'd ambushed Harry and barreled him over to lick his face. Penny laughed watching the ordeal and then straightened up as Dumbledore stepped up to get a better look at mini-snow Hogwarts.
"A lovely replica!" he said, clapping his hands together in appreciation. "You have outdone yourself, Miss Potter, Professor Flitwick was telling me just last night it was you who carved that wonderful Swan at the Yule Ball. I found it quite amusing when it honked like a duck," he went on, blue eyes twinkling.
"Oh, thanks Professor. But I can't take all the credit, Fred and George inspired most of it. The honk will get its moment of glory tonight, so be sure to watch for it," Penny grinned.
"It is a pity you won't be joining us, I had hoped to introduce you to our guests, Madam Maxine was particularly interested in the Christmas show. Alas, Professor Snape has informed me you will be serving detention and absolutely refused to move the time," he said, his blue eyes glinting with amusement as peered at her through his half-moon spectacles.
"Professor Snape is a diligent disciplinarian," Penny said, trying to keep the note of bitterness out of her voice.
"Perhaps, I rather thought he was finally warming up to the holiday spirit," he said giving her a strange smile before he left Penny to continue on his walk with Hagrid.
It was a peculiar thing to say, but Penny did not dwell on it too long, Dumbledore was always weird, this was not out of the usual for him.
Taking a break from her work, Penny sat beside George and accepted the warm butterbeer he offered her and admired the chaos, her eyes landing on Cho and Cedric standing side-by-side on the other side of the field, locked in conversation. Penny's stomach churned and she quickly set her butterbeer down, garnering a curious look from George.
"I'm surprised Flitwick let you out here, I figured you'd be preparing for tonight, being the lead and all," Penny said, turning decidedly away from Cedric.
"Unlike you and Diggory last year, I actually utilized our practices to, you know, practice," he grinned.
Of course he had to bring up Cedric, Penny could not escape.
"I have some bad news, I won't be able to witness your glorious debut, Snape gave me detention," said Penny, miserably.
"On Christmas! Blimey! Even Fred and I haven't had a detention on Christmas, what'd you do?" he said, looking at her as though seeing her for the first time.
"I don't even want to get into it."
"I'm so proud, perfect Penny is growing up, becoming worthy of her newfound position at Weasleys Wizards Wheezes," he simpered jokingly.
"Well, at least there's a silver lining," she said, getting to her feet.
She was chilled to the bone and her hand was aching, so she decided to warm up a bit before going to her detention. She momentarily contemplated seeing Madam Pomfrey for something to help with the pain, but she knew it would not end well so she resigned herself to stopping by the Great Hall for some snacks to take her mind off her misery.
Penny lingered for a bit at the Hufflepuff table, listening to Hannah Abbott's recounting of the glorious evening she had, before making her way to the dungeons for her detention. The double doors opened just as she was about to turn out of the Great Hall, the wind blowing her hair over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cedric, grinning handsomely at his friends as he crossed the hall. Penny attempted to flee the scene unnoticed, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her before she cleared the corner to the dungeon stairs.
"Wait up Pen," came his sing-song voice.
She turned to meet the equally delightful face. He was standing closer than she was prepared for, making her heart speed up. He looked her over, tentatively.
"Hey," she said breathlessly, causing him to flash his unnaturally white teeth at her.
"Were you trying to avoid me," he said, giving her a horrifically seductive arch of his brow.
It sent Penny into a hailstorm of emotions, most of them revolving around how nice it would feel if he were trying to kiss her again. But then she caught sight of Cho Chang peering at them looking as though she were waiting for him, and Penny came plummeting back to reality.
"No, I wasn't. Snape gave me detention last night and I'm going to be late, but it looks like Cho is waiting for you." Penny said quickly, shifting uncomfortably.
"Oh," he said, the amusement leaving his face. "Can we talk later, then?"
"Yep!" Penny said in what she hoped was a believable off-handed way, and waved goodbye before he could say anything else.
She dared not look back at him, it would only leave her vulnerable to Snape's vindictiveness, which was sure to be on full display being the holiday. When she made it to his office she found it locked, but his classroom door stood ajar so she peered in. He was standing over a bubbling cauldron, facing her, though he had not noticed her being fixed as he was on the ingredients he was cutting with the amazing precision Penny had only ever seen one other time. His long dark hair framed his long face nicely, the dim candlelight hitting his cheekbones handsomely. Even from so far away, Penny could not help but note how elegant his movements were and how he commanded complete control of the cauldron. It sent a shiver up her spine, making her feel like it was almost indecent to continue watching him in this manner, but she couldn't bring herself to ruin something so perfect by announcing herself and cause the serenity to become a sneer.
With a last greedy look she finally pushed the door open and walked in and made a b-line for the man, wanting desperately to know what he was brewing. Without a word, she stepped up beside him and peered into his cauldron. He had no recipe, just a pile of ingredients. Concentrating on the them, Penny did not notice his dark eyes watching her as the gears in her brain whirred, trying desperately to figure out what he was making. The color of the brew gave no indications, being a muddy brown, but as soon as her eyes fell on the bicorn horn and mandrake root sitting beside Snape's slender fingers, she knew what she was looking at.
"A Pepperup Potion?" she inquired, finally looking up at her Professor.
He gave a curt nod and flicked his wand lazily, causing a station to spring up beside his own. "For your detention you will complete everything on that list to replenish the stock of the Hospital Wing," Snape said.
It was a relief to find him in a better mood than he had been the night before, and he was asking her to brew with him, it really was Christmas! This was a dream come true, though Penny dare not vocalize it for fear of alerting his 'anti-bonding mechanisms' that would surely send the pair of them spiraling into another fight. Forgetting about her crippled hand, she reached for her cauldron and winced as it screamed in pain. She tried to hide the hand but Snape was too quick for her. He snatched it, eyeing it in irritation.
"You do realize this is broken," he said, assaulting her tender flesh with his nimble fingers.
"It's just bruised," Penny said, biting back tears.
He looked down his nose at her with a look that asked if she actually thought he was that dumb. He pressed particularly hard just below the knuckle of her pointer finger, causing her to cry out in pain.
"The break is here because you were careless in tucking your fingers before swinging," he said, scornfully.
"Point taken, I didn't think before I swung," Penny said, trying to pry her hand away, but Snape had no intention of letting it go.
"A common theme of last night," said Snape, smoothly.
"Oh please, you can hardly fault me for not thinking before kissing the most handsome boy in the school. The not thinking part is what makes the whole thing enjoyable."
"Is that so? When you finally experience it, be sure to let me know if that statement still stands," he smirked, waving his wand over her hand to heal the break.
His jab irritated her, that was not information she wanted him to have, and of course he was going to use it against her for all eternity. But she found herself too distracted by his wand work to dwell for long.
"You're amazing. How are you so good at everything," Penny gushed as she flexed her renewed hand.
"Ms. Potter, if you are to have any hope at a successful romance, try not throwing yourself at every male you come into contact with. A boy like Diggory is looking for intrigue," said Snape, fixing her with a shrewd look.
"You'll forgive me if I don't take the romantic advice of a 30-something year old bachelor seriously. But fret not, it's only you I throw myself at, I like that look on your face it induces. As it were, it was Cedric who threw himself at me," Penny said, idly, as she began flipping the pages in her textbook to find the one she needed.
"Did he now? How interesting, I saw him eating breakfast with the Chang girl just this morning," he said, cruelly.
Penny became rigid, freezing mid-turn. She felt sick, her heart twisting horribly in her chest. She didn't want to let Snape's words get to her, but she found herself unable to pretend to be unconcerned.
"If I didn't know any better, I would say you don't like the idea of me and Cedric, why is that Professor?" Penny said, rounding on Snape, her green eyes blazing.
She was satisfied to find his gloating smirk disappear, leaving him looking a little unnerved. He watched her for a long moment tracing his mouth with one long finger.
"You are-" he began, but stopped, his eyes becoming slits as his own thoughts appeared to catch up with him. "I do not wish to clean up the mess when he makes a fool of you," he said curtly, before sweeping from the room.
He looked like a fleeing bat with his robes billowing behind him, but Penny would not let him escape that easily. She followed him and cornered him in his store cupboard. He still ignored her, searching for whatever he needed.
"If you're making this up because of some prejudice you have against Diggory, that's cruel. I listen to you, you know I do. And- I like Diggory! Only Merlin knows why, but I was enjoying it until you went and opened your mouth!" she snarled, snatching the bottle he reached for in order to get his attention.
"I merely described the situation as plainly as I saw it develop before me. If you didn't like what you heard, perhaps you should speak to the boy," he said, spitefully.
"No you didn't, you twisted it on purpose, admit it!"
"Twisted? How prone you are to accusing me of cruelty while being willfully ignorant of the blatant mistreatment of yourself by Mr. Diggory!" he sneered, looking unhinged.
The malevolence behind his eyes startled Penny so much she stumbled backwards, suddenly afraid. It was her turn to flee, and she turned on her heel to return to the classroom, moving much faster than she intended, but the door slammed shut in her face, Snape's quick footsteps close behind her.
"Leaving so soon, Potter? What's the matter, are you afraid of the truth?" he snarled.
Penny whirled around to meet him as he stopped just outside of her bubble, anger radiating from him.
"I have zero interest in speaking to you when you're acting like this. It's Christmas and I don't have to listen to you if I don't want to," she said, giving him a condescending once-over, and then she turned her back on him and reached for the door.
"Don't you dare turn your back on me!" he screamed.
Penny sensed his magic before anything else. She turned just quick enough to get a glance of the wand in Snape's hand before her eyes darted to the large item departing the shelving behind him, spiraling in her direction. Without a conscious thought, she conjured a protection shield. The object was reflected off of it and hit his book case, sending several books toppling to the floor.
And then in her fury, her expression surged out of her, consuming the pain in her heart from Cedric and the anger and frustration she felt for Snape, the person she always looked to for an explanation; who always made things make sense, but he was twisting things, she could feel it in his words, which were like daggers piercing her heart. The shame he piled on her, it felt too unfair and it warred with her desire to believe Cedric; to enjoy something; to finally act like an ordinary girl.
All of this burst from her, she didn't care that when she turned on him his face already shown with deep regret, his wand lowered, agitation and sorrow etched in the lines of his face. But then all the color drained from his face and he yelled, throwing himself toward her. Every jar lining the wall rose into the air, and as soon as Penny devolved into screaming because her head suddenly burst with pain, every jar exploded, spraying liquid and glass in all directions.
Snape raised his wand and the projectiles bounced past them as he knelt down where she was already on her knees panting in agony.
"I hate you!" she said through her chattering teeth, eyes shut tight, clutching her head desperately.
She heard the sound of things bounce off the charm Snape had placed around them. Again and again, items banged into it, trying to make Snape feel the same pain Penny was being consumed by.
"Let me help you!" Snape was saying, sounding more desperate than Penny had ever heard him before. But he was getting farther and farther away. Things were fading, and it felt like there was an ocean crashing into her ears.
Images flashed across her vision: a shack covered in dust; a cave, and inside a boat; the numbers 711 etched on a door; a room Penny felt was oddly familiar; and finally a snake. As violently as they began, they dissipated and a warm vibration took their place. Penny could not ignore it, she felt magnetized to it. It was pulling her back, the pleasantness of it singing to her in her agony, causing her to open her eyes.
Snape was looking down at her, fear like Penny had never seen looking back at her. His hands clasped on either side of her face, his skin vibrating against her own. Penny gasped as though coming up for air after a long dive into the dark waters of the ocean. The air was fresh, reaching her in the depths of her soul; it was like breathing for the first time. And then all of a sudden she felt horribly light headed, Snape allowing her to collapse into his lap as he muttered under his breath.
"Don't let go," Penny said clutching the man's hand, "I'm afraid of the dark," she said, trying desperately to cling to consciousness.
He didn't respond, but she felt his presence prick at the edge of her mind, she opened hers and found herself drawn into his own, his emotions sweeping over her and giving her a renewed strength. She no longer felt on the verge of collapse, but was overcome by the ferocity of his feelings, one after another hitting her like a wave would a landform when it wanted to make it a beach; regret, fear, helplessness, confidence, desperation, sorrow and love. Penny could not make sense of any of them. She'd always imagined being in another's mind to be like reading a book, but nothing was etched so plainly in Snape's mind, and she did not know where to begin to interpret any of his thoughts, which were as foreign as another language to Penny.
So she stopped trying, and instead wedged herself into the comfort of his nearness. She did not want to leave, though she sensed relief from him, indicating he had likely succeeded in doing what he'd meant to, but he did not disturb her or push her out. The rising and falling of his chest naturally returned her to her own awareness, though she could not pinpoint the moment she had left his mind. She blinked, recognizing her own limbs again. She was strewn in his lap, one hand holding his, the other clutching at his chest, her head resting against his stomach. His right hand held hers while his left rested gently in her hair.
Penny didn't want to move, she wasn't even sure she could. Everything ached but she did not care. All she could focus on was the humming that rang through every fiber of her being. She became acutely aware that what she had been feeling every time he touched her was the the connection between them that allowed her expression to pass from her and combine with his atoms. Strangely, it felt as though he were the wire missing from her circuit, bringing her great relief. She did not know how she knew this, she simply felt the truth of it in his hand.
It was the same thing she had felt since the first time she sat in his classroom, but could never explain it-they had always been dyadic.