Disclaimer: I own nothing but my plot and characters.

Chapter 14: Metaphorical Fog

Frozen in time. Fog that reached and stayed on black asphault, which forms the path of our life. I was here. I am in the fog. I am unclear and unsure. And he is here with me. Unrecognizable and hazy. Nebulous like the ring aroung the moon at night. Snape and I were alone together in the fog. Trying to figure life out. Trying to find out why things are as it is and was. We are stuck in the present and past. Or maybe it was only me who was stuck.

My theory of fog enchanted my mind and took over completely during Thursday's first year class. I sat in my chair, spacing out into nothingness. Thinking about fog clogged my mind, no mental pun intended. Snape hadn't said one thing to me all morning. No words whatsoever escaped his poisonous mouth. He taught without even motioning to me for any help with the lessons. He didn't even meet my gaze. Maybe I really had hurt him? But wouldn't he scream at me? I find it hardly possible that he is taking this regressive stage into childhood by ignoring me.

I guess I'm not too weird when I'm seriously thinking. Usually I make nonsense seem common, and common things seem silly.

As I spaced out, my eyes fell to the floor. I was still stuck in the fog.

"Miss Burmingham!" Snape shouted, "What is the meaning of this?"

Looking up, I held in an ironic laugh. Mary had accidentally created a potion to fog up the room. How ironic and coincidental! I felt bad for Mary, though, for she had no idea what she was doing.

Snape mumbled a spell, trying to rid of the cloudy mess. Once failing this, he shouted, "Everyone out of the room! Gather in the hall please."

What would happen if I stayed in here? Well, I didn't want to find out, so I followed the crowd out of the potions room. The students gathered in a circle around Snape, who was against the door. I took my own standing place in front of the students, but facing the Snake as well.

"Miss Burmingham has caused your class the pain of losing twenty points from her house, and making each and every one of you write a long essay on the dangers of not following directions correctly. You will include quotes from your textbooks and at least three paragraphs detailing consequences for wronged potions. Seeing as there are only a few minutes of class left, you are dismissed. Miss Burmingham, you have detention with me tonight at seven." Snape sneered, watched as students flocked away, and turned to enter his classroom again. I was ignored completely.

So, I did the Maranda thing to do. Followed him like a lost puppy into the horrible mist in his room. I stood at the classroom door, trying to see what he was doing. Taking the cauldron which held Mary's potion, Snape poured it down the sink and pointed his wand at it. He said some spell, clearing up the fog near the sink. Then he said another few spells and soon the room was back to normal.

My stomach suddenly felt odd, like those times when I was unexplainably nervous around Snape, or Draco, or anyone.

"Sir," I strolled over to Snape's desk, where he sat, filing papers.

He glanced at me with cold eyes, "Yes, Maguire?"

"Am I still teaching a class today? I know you basically fired me yesterday, but I would be glad to teach another class." No, I wouldn't mention anything else from the fight. It was over with, so I didn't want to dwell on it.

"Hmm," His icy glare softened a bit, "I suppose so. You aren't going to do it next class, though. I think you've had enough of Miss Hawford, so I won't ask you to teach that class. Why don't you help me teach last class today?"

"Alright, second years don't scare me." I switched the subject onto yesterday, despite my self-promise. Taking a deep breath, I asked, "Are you still miffed at our subtle quarrel yesterday?"

His face was unreadable, but his voice told me anger still resided in him, "No..." He reconsidered his answer, "...And yes. I'm irritated with the fact that you would lie about what you said. I heard what you said with your friends. I didn't really care, but it was the point that you tried to blame it on Mr. Weasley."

"-Wait, Sir, I need to tell you what happened." My clear, prominent voice caused Snape to be attentitive, "Ron was teasing me about you.. Saying really awful things. He has been teasing me since I entered the school. This is the honest truth, I cross my heart and hope to die kind of truth. I only defended myself and you just happened to come in on one of my stupid cut-off-half-of-a-sentence-so-I-can-be-quick things. I do this a lot. Even in my thoughts. So you can't be mad at me for blaming Ron, for it was his fault for getting me riled up. And what I said to you after that...I'm sorry. I guess I touched a nerve. Never meant for you to ignore me."

The next class was piling in as I longed to hear Snape's reply. No way was he going to make me wait for an answer.

He mumbled so no one else could hear, "It's alright, Miss Maguire, I was in a bad mood. I don't know if you realize this, but Professor Lockhart and I don't get along very well. He was tagging along wherever I went after breakfast yesterday morning, so I took the ire out on you. I was not, and will never, try to play the part of a parent to anyone. Let's just put this tiff behind us. I have a class to teach."

So he wanted to be professional about it. Good. I nodded and took my seat by his desk as class started. The fog was clearing up.

Yay metaphors! Ok, my weirdness is taking flight. Sorry to the people who can hear my brain. Including me.

"Professor Snape!" Bianca raised her hand high in the air, "Professor Snape!"

Annoyed, Snape tried to ignore her, continuing on with his lesson. He approached the blackboard and started to write something on it.

Bianca pressed on with her stupidity, "Professor Snape, I have a question!"

Covering my mouth, I silently laughed as the prep was ignored yet again.

"It's important!" She shouted, "I need to know, like, now!" She looked around and put her hand down. She didn't give up. Instead of waiting for Snape to reply, she blurted out her question, "Are you a virgin? 'Cause, like, I totally am not!"

Oh my rasberry jelly! Snape whipped around, face stern and unamused. He sauntered to Bianca and hit her desk with his wand. "Is that really necessary, Miss Hawford? I don't seem to think you grasp the whole idea of learning the significant facts of school. Maybe an entire month with Filch will help you gain knowledge of shutting your large trap you call a mouth."

I wasn't very surprised, for it was Snape, after all. But when he turned around, I was shocked to see Bianca's hand fly towards his back...lower back...umm... His arse.

The class gasped in ultimate horror. My mouth was agape, as everyone else's, and my eyes were widened, as everyone else's. Snape, however, remained calm...on the outside. Inside, I could tell he was a raging lunatic ready to maim anyone who crossed his path.

Turning around, Snape practically screamed, "How dare you assault a professor! How dare you harass me in front of my class! If I were you, I would get up, right now, and leave my classroom, head to DUmbledore's office, and let him know you are now permanently kicked out of my class! Thirty points from Gryffindor. I would take more off, but it won't punish you as badly as I want to right now. Get out of my classroom!"

Standing up, Bianca made a noise and left the room. Everyone was silent. Including lil me, who would have been one of the first to laugh out loud. Snape returned to the blackboard and sideglanced at me. I guess he thought I was going to laugh too.

After the class was over, I sighed with relief. "Thank Merlin that's over," I said to Snape as he sat at his desk.

"I cannot fathom what happened. Did you see it happen? Am I completely insane into thinking a student would...sexually harass me?" Snape forced the words out as if they were terrible curses.

"Ehm.." I searched for supporting words and Go Snape Go almost escaped my mouth. "At least no one oggled you as you ran around in a black tutu singing to Rob Zombie." Oops. Heh. Oh well. I guess it wasn't as bad as the other possible remark.

"That was your own doing." He smirked, but went back to his upset state, "Miss Hawford is terrible. I have never, in all of my years of teaching, come across such a blunt, careless female. She beats you by far."

A snort was heard...by me.. Followed by a chuckle, "I sure hope so. I would never go that far to piss you off."

Looking at Snape, I was glad to see a small smile form on the corners of his lips.

0o0o0o0o

Second year class was not very hard to teach. Snape had stayed in the room the whole time, which somehow made me feel a little calmer. The students seemed a tad more sedated than the first years, which was even better. I guess the older kids became, the easier it was to teach them...Until they all realized they hit puberty and start acting like jackarses.

And then they make friends with an impossible man and get trapped in metaphorical fog. That's just me, I know.

Supper time at last, I decided to hang out in the teachers' lounge. Draco was also in here, telling me he wanted to escape Lockhart.

"I swear that man just gets fruitier everyday." Draco said with a grin, "He seems to be sweet on you, Maranda."

My head jerked, "Pun intended, I take it? Gilderoy Poptart does not seem sweet on me. Even if he was, I have no attraction towards him. He is a nice guy, but not for me. Plus, I don't believe in love, remember?"

"You believed in a boyfriend, though. Isn't that close to it?" He had a point, but not sharp enough.

My only response was, "Boyfriends are different. There might be no love at all between the two in a relationship. My theory stays."

"You didn't state a theory..."

"Exactly," I retorted, "I won't publicize my theories on fake love. That is that."

Another male voice was heard, "Then how are you going to ever express yourself if you hide all of your thoughts away?"

Why do Poptarts always pop up when least expected?

Staring into Gilderoy's ocean blue eyes, I said, "I don't care to be expressed. I say what I say, and that is all. If I do not say everything I am thinking or everything I believe, does that make me a bad person?"

"No," Lockhart took the space on the couch beside me and relaxingly sat, "but that doesn't make you a good one either."

What the bloody hell? Since when did Fruit Loops McGee backtalk?

"Sir, with all due respect, aren't you being a little...erm...judgemental?" I queried, trying not to sound too harsh.

"I see it as expressing myself. I'm not trying to be mean, Maranda, but it's time you think about what you want in life, not what others want in your life. You need to consider your last three years here and see if you could possibly find reasons for these theories you make up. I have no idea what they consist of, but I'm sure they are all against love. Did you ever think for a moment that maybe you are against love because of where you grew up, not because of how silly it seems?" Gilderoy knocked sense into me, but how did he know I thought love was silly?

Inhaling deeply, I stated, "Maybe I should ponder life, but let me do it on my own time thank you. I know you are trying to help, but I am helpless. I am surrounded by fog that will never be blown away."

Draco and I both stood up and left the lounge, not wanting to hear anymore lectures. It was time to take a shower and go to bed. I would write in my journal tomorrow.

Against love because of where I grew up? Hell yes. Think love is silly nonsense? Hell yes. I had so many reasons to be against it. That stupid four letter word. My theories were solid-based and sensible. Maybe it was time to share one, just to show Lockhart that he doesn't intimidate me one bit. He is too fruity to be intimidating.

Perhaps he needs lessons from Snape to learn how to be aggressive.