Disclaimer: I don't own anything of J.K Rowling's or Harry Potter.
A/N: So what I got the last chap in AFTER the holidays.. I can still think I wished you all a Merry Christmahannakwanzadaan. hehe. I have a new computer, thank God, so I'll be typing so much more now. Anyways, I know the last chaps were kind of Snape/Maranda centric with barely any mention of other characters, but it won't be like that now. I just needed to set the stage of her teaching, that's all. So onto the story. I was inspired for this chap by a real life situation. Go figure.
Chapter 9: Lint Fuzz
Beautiful little Friday. The day where we all rejoice over facts that tomorrow is the start of a weekend. Although we're so happy, it's still upsetting that there's one more day preventing freedom from work. The week had gone by kind of boringly, for Snape told me not to be part of teaching until next week, when we would schedule a day I could teach on my own.
So here we were, Snape and I, in first class where the second years sat patiently waiting for his instructions. He wasn't in a bad mood today, but that didn't stop him from disciplining the class and handing out some detentions with Filch. My alarm had worked since the other day, so Snape was no longer needed to wake my sleepy self up. Thank goodness. I don't think I'd be able to put up with another joke about my messy hair and slipping nightgown straps. In fact, because of the straps incident, I yelled at the House Elves to not take all my pajamas at once. I hope they won't.
The first period class left as the annoyingly loud bell rang. I used to love that bell, too. But ever since I realized how much I heard it throughout the day, it became a pest. Snape didn't seem to mind the bell, but then again he's heard it for so long.
"Miss Maguire," Snape began in his usual monotone voice, "You have next period off, but may I ask a favor?"
I stood next to him, "Sure. What's the favor?" I wouldn't mind doing something productive for once. I hate feeling lazy unless I need an off day.
"I need a few books, and I know you love the library just as much as I do. Could you check a couple books out for me?" He handed me a paper with three different book titles on it.
"Ok. No problem, Professor."
He stopped me from going any further, "Wait.. One more thing.."
I looked at him with confusion.
"Lint.." He moved his hand towards my head and touched my hair. "Lint was in your hair. Deathly annoying. I would have said something earlier, but I didn't want to embarass you and have World War Three over how much I pick on you."
My stomach twisted. "Oh.." I patted my hair once, "Thank you."
Walking to the library, I thought about lint. First of all, why did Snape touch my hair? He could have just told me to look in a mirror, right? Or was it that bad that he didn't think I should be seen by public? Second of all, where the hell did that big green fuzz-lint thing come from? Is my bed shedding?
The rest of the day consisted of nothing significant. I retrieved the three books for Snape in the library, and he let me take the rest of the day off. So, I wrote in my journal about lint, and read in the library. As night approached, I decided to save my fuzzy story for tomorrow.. Hogsmeade day with the gang. I had missed them so much. Tomorrow I would be able to see Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Gwen.
0o0o0o0o
Hogsmeade. A wonderful market for wonderful people to shop, drop, and ...erm...plop? I met Hermione outside of Hogwarts. We waited for Draco, Ron, and Gwen before venturing to our destination.
"So, what's first? We going to shop or what? Or are we going to the Leaky Cauldron?" Ron was so determined to mapping out our day.
Draco basically yelled, "Relax! We can do whatever we want to do. There's no need for planning everything. It's Saturday, and we are allowed to be free."
"Thank you Liberator." Gwen held Ringo, her pet lizard.
"Hey," I jumped in, "We can plan, just not everything. Would we all like to shop around and then go to the Leaky Cauldron, or the other way around?"
"Shop." Hermione grinned.
Ron chimed, "Shop first."
Draco and Gwen also agreed to shop first. So, on our way to stores we went.
Once we entered Hogsmeade, the candy store was our first stop. Afterwards, we separated and decided to meet in front of the clothing store around noon. Hermione and I naturally stuck together, going to the book shop nearby. We browsed through the fantasy and horror sections before noticing someone we hadn't seen in awhile.. Lucius Malfoy.
"Maybe we shouldn't say hello." I suggested to Mione.
She queried, "Why not?"
"We mostly see him in Hogsmeade. I recall already seeing him in this store before. And then we fought with Draco..Well..I fought with him."
"Yeah, but Mister Malfoy stood up for you in a way. You know that. Saying hi won't be a problem. I'm sure he'd be glad to get a visit sooner or later. You two do seem like friend material." Hermione shot a grin at me and pointed to where Lucius was.
True we were friend material, but he was the father of the boy I still had hidden problems with. However, I wanted to say hello. Besides, I forgot to ask Draco what the problem was with Lockhart, so why not ask his dad?
"Miss Granger, Miss Maguire, How nice to see you." Lucius cheerfully greeted as we approached him.
Hermione smiled and I replied, "Good afternoon, Mister Malfoy. We haven't crossed paths for a long time. How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are both of you? I hear you make great student teachers. Nothing but compliments from your professors." Lucius smiled charmingly and awaited our next response.
With subtlety, Mione threw in a smart comment in with normal conversation. "Well, teaching with our old professors is really fun, but sometimes challenging. I suppose that's the way it's supposed to be. I heard Lockhart is a pain to work with, because of his excessive perkiness and non-stop demands."
"Yes," Lucius frowned, "Draco is working with that fruitcake. If you ask me, I don't think it was a bright idea letting Lokhart back into the school. He teaches alright, but there's something about him that no one likes. I tried to move Draco around to another professor, but the ones I asked already had students teachers working for them. That's when I asked Severus what to do. He had no idea.. Told me to transfer Draco to a higher grade, but Dumbledore wouldn't allow it."
So that's why he was talking to Snape about Draco. Hmm.. At least he answered wityhout us directly asking him.
A few long minutes passed before Lucius glanced at his watch and had to depart. He told us he had a meeting to attend to, but he was glad to see Hermione and I again. Looking at our own watches, we realized there was an hour to go before meeting our friends. To take up our time, we went back into the book shop. Yes, we even laughed at ourselves for acting so nerdy.
Shortly, Hermione and I strolled over to one of the clothing stores and met Draco, Gwen, and Ron. We went inside for a few minutes, but soon journeyed to The Leaky Cauldron for lunch and relaxation. Hagrid was also inside, standing at the bar with Rosmerta, who worked there. When Hagrid spotted our interesting group, he waited for us to sit at an empty table before approaching us.
"Hello everyone. I see yeh found a day to congegate. Least the work isn't tearing yer friendship apart." Hagrid seemed happy, but his statement was sad.
Draco was never fond of Hagrid, but he replied first. "Yeah, it is hard getting together with everyone, but it's definitely worth the trouble."
"Thank you very much, dear friend.. Worth the trouble? We bring you trouble?" Gwen shot back at the Ferret.
"No," defended Draco, "you don't bring me trouble. . . Well, maybe Maranda does.. But it's such a task to find free time to see you all at one time."
I picked at his remark, "I bring you trouble? I see what you really think of me now.."
For a moment, our table, including Hagrid, was completely silent. Until, as expected, we all laughed. Draco and I knew how to joke about our past now, which was a great step in the direction of a real companionship.
Unfortunately, Hagrid announced his need to leave to finish a job Dumbledore sent him out to accomplish. We all waved goodbye to him and continued to chat amongst ourselves. I took it upon myself to update the gang on how it was working with Snape, including my tales of morning spaghetti straps and lint in my hair. Of course I knew Ron would torment me, but that was his job. ... Which he should quit.
"Snape lurves you." Ron began, "He couldn't keep his hands off of you. I bet when he saw your bare shoulder his pants became too tight and his-"
"Ron! Enough." Draco shouted, and then calmly added, "We don't need your disgusting details."
Mione nearly choked on her butterbeer, "Bad images...Bad images... I think you need to stop reading naughty magazines, Ron. They're turning you into the worst pervert I've ever met. It's Snape for Merlin's sake. Let's not vividly describe what you imagine happens between him and Maranda."
"Nothing happens," interrupted silly me, "between us. We almost never fight now, however. This completely astonishes me. Everyday I'm worried I'll do the tiniest thing wrong and bam, he'll yell, scream, attack. But no. Nothing. Teasing, yes, tiny remarks on my morning fashion, yes, but no abuse. No immaturity from either one of us. I don't understand it. I don't miss fighting with him everyday, but the atmosphere is too serene and unflawed to trust. There has to be a landmine somewhere, waiting for me to step on it and get blown to pieces."
"...and I'm vivid.." Retorted Ron, who had been sickened by my complaints on Snape's niceness.
After being quiet for most of the preceeding conversation, Draco finally contributed to the chat. He said, "My father was sharing thoughts with Snape this week, and according to him, Snape is content with you by his side. Apparently, he had been so surprised that you were eager to teach and assist, that he sworn to try and not lash his bad side on you. I guess he wants to see if you have the potential to actually work as a professor someday. That's what my father said, though. I don't really trust him these days for personal reasons."
Gwen tried to repeat Draco in a simpler way for me, because I was in too much of a shock to believe it. "So Snape is trying to be civil so he doesn't turn Manic-Mara off from teaching whatsoever, right?"
Draco nodded his head as I registered all of the unbelievable information. I must have too much lint in my head to think.
"Great." My words formed nothing but nonsense, "So Snape is being uberly out of character just so I can teach with him and become a teacher myself, which I don't understand because he hates my guts, but obviously there's hope if he's being nice to me, but he's only being nice to me to let me teach, which brings me back to asking why he wants me to teach, but I realized I hadn't even asked that, and then I wonder all the time why he's such a horrible person, for in reality he always fights and teases except for now, and I'm starting to scare myself because I think I like his good side, I think I like him but there's something there that completely turns me off. He's Snake the Oxymoron and I hate him, but I swear I could force myself to like him more than an acquaintance if I wanted to, which I do, but he's too busy pretending to like me to let me even start a friendly relationship with him."
Everyone stared shockingly at me when I stopped my motor mouth. What did I say?
