Sleep came much easier for Penny since Snape removed the memory from her head. His help could not have come at a better time seeing as second term started and Penny had much to catch up on. While some of her professors, like Professor Binns, did not even notice Penny's absence, most already decided on some way for her to make up missed work. Her professors for Arithmancy, Astronomy and Potions settled for a, very long(in Snape's case), essay on the material she missed, which would be due by the end of the month, while others decided she need to find space in her already full timetable for remedial lessons because they needed to be able to evaluate how well she performed the magic. They did not specify for what length of time, but said "until they felt she was sufficiently caught up on material." Penny thought they were looking to keep an eye on her per Dumbledore's orders, but she could not be certain.
Including her other commits, Penny's timetable was now insane and just looking at it made her feel exhausted. Even Professor McGonagall gave her an apologetic smile when she stopped by the Gryffindor table to hand them out.
Monday: Herbology with the Hufflepuffs; remedial lesson with Professor Sprout; Care of Magical Creatures; lunch; Arithmancy; dinner.
Tuesday: History of magic; remedial DADA lessons with Professor Moody; lunch; double Potions with the Slytherins; dinner; Quidditch.
Wednesday: Charms; break; Astronomy.
Thursday: Transfiguration; remedial Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall; lunch; double DADA; dinner; Drama Club; Astronomy.
Friday: History of Magic; remedial Charms with Professor Flitwick; Charms; lunch; double Potions with the Slytherins; dinner; torture lessons with Snape.
Needless to say, the week did not get off to a great start, which was only exacerbated by an article published Monday morning about Hagrid admitting to being a half-giant. It seemed the Skeeter woman somehow overheard a conversation between Hagrid and Madame Maxine, a conversation Harry also overheard. Penny agreed with Harry, she did not understand why being a half-giant was noteworthy, Hagrid was a great, honest person and would never hurt anyone. Ron, seeing it as his duty, took it upon himself to explain how and why the larger wizarding community would respond. His explanation caused Hermione to click her tongue impatiently before going headlong into a rant about Elf rights.
In all fairness, while everything Ron said was abominable, he was correct. The Slytherins relished making sneering remarks to irritate Harry in their first Care of Magical creatures lesson, which was taught by Professor Grubbly-Plank because Hagrid did not show. Draco took special enjoyment in talking down about Hagrid, demonstrating how, even if he was quite like-able sometimes, was still the child of Lucius Malfoy. Penny, irritated, refused to speak to the boy.
By quidditch on Tuesday afternoon, Penny was in a sour mood. She'd suffered through a remedial lesson with Professor Moody, who'd taken a keen interest in her expression and deemed it necessary for her to learn to perform magic with her wand without the assistance of her expression. Moody was ruthless in his approach, which did not help Penny's frustration. Not reaching for her expression proved to be an incredibly difficult task. How Moody knew the difference, Penny did not know, but she suspected it had something to do with the magical eye of his. When she finally did manage to only use her wand, the actions felt awkward and the magic produced was feeble.
"It's a start, Potter. But you'll need a lot more practice if you are to have any hope. The effort is worth it, you don't want to be caught in a situation where your enemy knows this reliance on this expression of yours is your weakness,' he growled, patting her roughly on the back before sending her on her way. Too irritated, Penny refused to see the wisdom of Moody's words, and repressed the thought of how useful a wand would have been while attached to that cursed collar.
Double Potions with the Slytherins was also full of misery. Penny had decided to sit beside Harry because she was still irritated with Draco. Snape found this choice particularly intolerable, and harassed Harry with fierce vindictiveness. Penny finally snapped near the end of their lesson after Snape made some remark about Harry liking the attention, and accidentally sent a bottle of dung beetles hurling at his back with her magic as he moved towards his desk.
By some miracle, it missed him and hit the wall, but he turned around with a vengeance demanding to know who the perpetrator was. No one could give him the answer, being equally as confused as he. But it was evident he suspected Penny, yet could not prove it. She knew, however, as the bell rang to release them, he would not let the subject drop.
Being on the quidditch pitch she'd cleared of snow on the crisp January day was a welcome distraction. Penny gulped in the fresh air and felt the tension in her muscles ease. She was one of the first to the pitch and was gathering gear with Marietta Edgecombe and Hannah Abbot. A short while later, most of their players had showed up, along with many spectators.
"Ohh, did Cedric come to watch you, Penny?" Hannah Abbot giggled, eyeing the handsome 7th year and his normal entourage.
Penny scowled and turned away, refusing to answer. She did not want to think about Cedric at the moment, but she was satisfied to see that Cho was not glued to him like she had been lately. No, Penny just wanted to hit something, so she picked up a beater's bat, thinking it would be a good release.
Malfoy stepped up beside her, eyeing her warily.
"Try to look pretty, Penny. Cedric is here to cheer you on," he said, cooly.
"What you did to Hagrid was wrong," Penny said, stubbornly ignoring his remark.
"Being a half-breed lover is your one fault," he sighed, eyeing her with as much resolution as she did him.
"And being prejudiced is yours," Penny said, reaching for a broom.
"It is pointless to argue about it now, I can't take it back," Draco said, taking the broom she was reaching for before she could grasp its handle.
"Oi!"
"I can see you aren't in a good mood, and I honestly can't blame you, but try not to take anyone's head off with that," Draco sniggered.
Penny rolled her eyes and grabbed another broom, and joined the other players on her team. Draco was seeker again, Penny was determined to beat him, if she did so, she could find it in her heart to get over her anger at the harm he'd done to Hagrid. She rose into the air, smiling broadly as the wind blew through her red hair that was secured tightly in a pony. She felt utterly weightless, zooming around the pitch, doing loops and dips, to warm herself up.
Snape blew the whistle and the bludgers were released, Penny, zooming after them. Being a beater was a much more technical position in the game because the bludgers had a mind of their own, and a beater had to hit them from the right angles. After a few failed attempts, Penny managed a pretty decent shot that stopped Roger Davies in his tracks. He dropped the quaffle and allowed Hannah Abbot to take it and score for Penny's team.
The contact of her bat with the bludger was as a blissful release as Penny knew it would be. It gave her immense joy to smash it with all the strength she could muster. On one occasion, she sent it flying nearly half way down the pitch where it cut off Marietta in her attempt to score. Many people cheered, but Penny paid little notice. She'd realized that being a beater was much like playing the muggle sport called pool; she needed to aim her bat much in the same way a pool player lined up their cue with the white ball.
After this realization, Penny tried several strategies in doing so, one play, actually standing upright on her broom and bringing her bat above her head to lob it at just the right angle for the bludger to be intercepted by the other beater and send it sailing at Malfoy, whom it hit square in the stomach, causing him to barrel roll. Penny found herself satisfied by the look on his face as he tried not to spew. She couldn't outright target him, they were friends, and in her anger, would be bad sportsmanship. The play was also so funny she knew he wouldn't be able to be mad. Unfortunately, despite how entertaining Penny had made the game, her team lost to Malfoy catching the snitch.
Panting hard, Penny landed on the hard ground, still grinning like an idiot, Malfoy setting down beside her, the snitch clutched in his right hand. He looked smug, but Penny didn't care.
"Good game," she said, patting his back before she reached for her water bottle and guzzled the contents of it.
"Looks like your efforts were successful in getting the attention of pretty boy," Draco smirked, nodding towards Cedric, who was walking across the pitch toward Penny.
Most people were already leaving, with a few collecting the gear and returning the balls to their boxes. Draco shamelessly abandoned Penny, leaving her standing quite alone as Cedric's grinning face came into her vision. Without so much as a salutation, he grabbed Penny around the waist and spun her around.
"Penny, that was brilliant!" he said, setting her back down to grin at her.
"We lost, Cedric," Penny said, unable to stop herself from laughing.
"So what! Eloise Midgen is a rubbish player, probably can't see past all that acne, and it's hardly fair being against the Slytherin seeker. But you, when you made that loop-de-loop and came up at full speed, I thought you'd lost the plot, but coming from below the bludger like that to hit Davies as he went to catch the quaffle-brilliant," Cedric said, his eyes gleaming as he recalled the play.
"Thank god someone noticed that. I know the whole standing on the broom thing is more flashy, but the miracle of the timing, just as Davies soared over me. Honestly, if I'd waited a second longer I would have hit Hannah," Penny admitted, remembering how thankful she was it'd worked.
He stepped in close to Penny, draping his arm over her shoulder, looking up at the dimming sky as though he were watching her again. Penny felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she glanced at his handsome cheek bones. She'd been avoiding Cedric since the Yule Ball and forgot how much she missed these talks of theirs, but she still couldn't shake how distracted his proximity made her.
"I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life," he sighed.
"Except yourself in the mirror every morning," Penny snorted.
"You think I'm beautiful, do you? Please, tell me more," said Cedric, rounding on her looking intrigued.
"Stop fishing for compliments."
"How dare you accuse me of such shallow-ness," he pouted.
"From what I've heard, Cho tells you plenty how handsome you are," Penny said, pointedly.
His features darkened, and he frowned, his arm slackening slightly around her shoulder.
"Penny, you don't-"
"Mr. Diggory, remove your hands from Ms. Potter. I did not think I would need to reiterate Hogwarts rules to a 7th year," Snape said, coldly.
The two turned, startled from their moment. Cedric, reluctantly, removed his arm from Penny, grazing her cheek softly as he went. The gesture sent a vein pulsing in Snape's temple, but he said nothing.
"Since when are students not permitted to hug," Penny demanded.
"Since I am the Professor, and you the student," Snape spat.
Cedric nudged Penny in the side in warning, while he tried to hide an affectionate grin.
"Oh please, since when does that argument work on me? I know my rights as a student, and you don't get to suppress them just because you have issues with public displays of affection," Penny countered in a biting tone.
"You may go Diggory," Snape said in such a low tone, it was almost impossible to hear him.
"If you don't mind, professor, I'd like to walk back with Penny, since it's getting dark," Cedric said, taking Penny's hand in his, in support of her.
"How chivalrous of you," Snape sneered, "If you feel you must. . .however, I would hate to see Hufflepuff lose all those points you just earned them," Snape went on, his threat laced with venom.
"Go on Cedric, I'll be fine," Penny muttered, she didn't fancy the idea of getting Cedric in trouble for her inability to shut up when Snape was around.
He faltered for a second, but then seemed to decide to listen to Penny, gave her hand a light squeeze and jogged across the pitch, Penny's eyes fixed on his retreating back. Would there never be a spare moment in her life to figure the entire debacle out? Apparently not under the ever watchful gaze of Snape.
"Do you think yourself clever, Ms. Potter, showing off in front of your boy toy?" Snape snarled, returning her to the mess of a situation in front of her.
"Where do you get off-you stormed over here like a deranged nun! He only had his arm around me. I' sorry you are some human-contact celibate, but I'd imagine, being a human with eyes , you'd have figured out by now that hugging does not equate impregnating!" Penny fumed.
"Your arrogance knows no bounds and it deludes you! You presume to know more than I, who has actually been a 17 year-old boy!"
"Is this your confession, Severus Snape, are you saying you took advantage of naive girls for your personal satisfaction? Do tell me, from your expertise, how it is done," said Penny, scathingly.
"You impertinent-" Snape yelled, furiously, taking a step towards her, his hands balled into shaking fists. "Your father was a pompous fool as well, and look where that got him!"
"Married to my beautiful mother, Lily who loved him more than anything!" Penny yelled, unable to control her anger.
In a flash, Snape was upon her, the back of his hand raised, ready to slap her across her frozen cheeks. Penny's heart leapt in fear and she flinched, cowering to protect herself from the man's anger. The gesture was enough to stop Snape in his tracks, who seemed to become suddenly aware of what he was about to do. When the hand did not collide with her, Penny looked up tentatively at the man, who's features were almost completely obscured now, the sun lingering for its final moments in the sky. His pained expression returned to its usual wall, as the sun finally disappeared and they were plunged into darkness.
All to be seen were their outlines, as they watched each other, each breathing heavily, unable to move from the spot. Penny felt undeniably frightened by the man, but more so angry at him for nearly hitting her. It reminded her of the kind of thing her Uncle was capable. Yet, she found herself remembering how when she snapped, she'd sent a jar flying at his head and only by some miracle did it miss him. She wondered what it took him to stop himself from actually hitting her, but did not think on it too long.
"You actually wanted to hit me?" Penny accused in a tone of moral purity she stole from Harry.
"I did not mean-you're just so-" Snape said, in what Penny thought was his attempt to apologize, but she would not accept it.
"I'm so? So what? You're the Professor! What happened to that argument, HMM?" Penny pressed, still indignant. "Aren't professors hired because you're bastions of self-control, here to protect and nurture the children of the future? Did you think of my future of TRAUMA if you'd hit me!"
"I didn't-I would never- if you'd shut up and stop being patronizing for a moment of your life!" Snape snarled, floundering for words.
"Maybe if you formulated a complete apology, I'd be inclined to, " Penny replied, dryly.
"If you stopped being so pretentious, perhaps I would!"
"Alright, I'll wait," Penny said, crossing her arms in expectation.
"What," he said, quietly.
"I'll be quiet so you can apologize," Penny repeated, her voice stern.
"It won't happen again," Snape replied, shortly.
"How genuine," Penny muttered. "You really should be friends with Lupin, he could teach you a thing or two. His apologies are always so sincere and he follows up with these hugs, they really makes my heart melt, like I could never be upset with him again." she gushed, pausing. "You, not so much," she mused in a low voice, trying to imagine a world where Snape would open hug her without first driving a knife through her back.
"We're going," Snape said, icily, grabbing Penny by the neck of her robes and pushing her towards the castle.
"What! I'll go when I'm good and ready," Penny objected, trying to resist him.
" Now! And not another word!"
Penny stumbled over the dark grass as she was manhandled by her professor, toward the glowing castle light. The walk was cold now that Penny's adrenaline had warn off. Although the anger Snape was reeling in was radiating off him like heat. She decided to listen to him for once and not talk, afraid he might toss her into the Dark Forest and leave her there for the giant spiders to eat.
"Just a moment," Snape said, stopping a couple hundred feet before the double doors.
"You ready to apologize now?" Penny said, scornfully as Snape released her from his grasp.
Snape ignored her and forced her around to face him instead, though for what reason, she did not know, it was still nearly impossible to see him because the moon had not risen yet.
"Were you aware the memory you gave me was split?" Snape said, slowly and deliberately.
"Split?"
"It refers to the tampering of a recollection, where the memory is filled with grey matter that makes it unintelligible," Snape said, rather impatiently.
"Hang on, you looked at my memory!" said Penny, indignantly, taking a step away from her professor as though seared by his betrayal.
"You failed to ask me not to."
"I shouldn't have to!"
Penny found herself shocked and somewhat mortified the man had pried on her memories. While she could not recall the memory so long as it was in the pensive, the impression of the horrific nature of it remained. It was an experience she found hard to share with others for the shame she felt over it. And here stood this full grown man who'd stuck his head in it, after she'd trusted him with it, like some snoopy teenager. The audacity of him to then ask about it, without first apologizing!
"That is not the point, Potter, why would anyone want to split the memory after you-" he said harshly, stopping abruptly to clear his throat. "after the monkey," he continued, more softly this time, as though afraid to upset her.
Penny's eyes narrow dubiously, but she decided to accept the man's attempt at not upsetting her, as feeble as it was.
"I passed out and woke up in my bed, then wrote you a letter that you never replied to," Penny replied, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice.
"You were not passed out, the memory goes on for another hour, but the split prevents me from accessing it. Tell me why you think that would be," Snape went on, his voice returning its usual cold tone.
"How should I know? Why'd they tie me to a chair and torture me? Probably because they're psychos. You saw the memory!" Penny replied, feeling offended by his insinuation that she did not think enough on the subject.
"Had you passed out before that time?" Snape pressed, evidently dissatisfied with this response.
"I don't know, yeah, maybe. I often felt confused there, but I thought it was from being overtired."
"And before you went to the ministry?"
"I've no idea."
"Think, Potter!" he hissed.
"I already told you, when I went missing it felt like only a day passed!" Penny bellowed.
"You are confident that was the first time?"
"Sure, why not." Penny replied, irritated.
Snape was silent for a long moment, his face turned toward the dark forest. But then Penny's teeth chattered, breaking the silence.
"You may go," Snape said, dismissively.
"Hang on, what was that all about?"
"You weren't concerned about it before, why should you be bothered now," said Snape, severely.
"Fine! I don't even care, but next time, you might try asking before you go digging into someone's memories like that!" Penny fumed, and then she turned away from him and stormed off toward the castle.
Penny was deeply unsettled and did not think continuing the conversation with Snape would be a good idea. He was a clever man and bound to see through her. The idea that someone tampered with her memories was a disturbing thought, but more disturbing was her inclination that Tom had something to do with it all. Penny still had no explanation for what had happened after she left Tom, she'd more or less suppressed thoughts about what occurred in those two months, which was necessary due to the events at the ministry. But the thought that the incident was not a solitary occurrence frightened her.
Upon reach the light of the Entrance Hall, she held her hand out in front of her to look at the smooth skin as though the mark Tom carved into her would appear there. Penny hadn't told anyone about it, and being as far down the rabbit hold as she was now, did not fancy confessing the truth to Snape. No, she would do her best to conceal that memory from her potions master, and figure out what that symbol meant and how to undo it, herself.