Here is Chapter III. I hope you all enjoy. I had a fun time writing it...but I still don't own it...What's up with that? J.K. Rowling is still holding all of my characters hostage...how evil...she can have them as long as she doesn't take my Alan Rickman...no I can't share him...he is my sexy man beast...if one of you steals him...well I'll never update again...because I will die of grief if I am parted from him for more than a half second...do not kill the author...please...
The next day was a living hell. I had to take Snape shopping in Hogsmeade. We finished about the time that thestral drawn carriages from the school showed up to take second years and up for the feast in the great hall.
"Harry!"
I turned to see Hermione and Ron fighting their way across the train platform toward me.
"Ron! Hermione!" I shouted back. Oh shit! I turned sharply to Snape. "We have to come up with an alias for you."
"Yes. I had already ascertained as much," Snape said in a haughty voice looking down at me. "My name will be Alexander. I can retain my last name. I will pretend to be the nephew of my future self."
"You have a brother?" I questioned looking him over.
"No, but no one here knows that," Snape said smirking.
"Harry, why weren't you on the train?" Hermione asked as she arrived at my side with Ron trailing. She looked at me with concern and suspicion with her doe-like brown eyes.
"I'm not in trouble with the ministry. As I've been named head-boy, Professor Dumbledore called me here a day early to show the new exchange student around. Hermione, Ron, meet Alexander Snape."
"Snape!" Ron exclaimed looking Snape over fearfully. "You aren't related to Professor Snape are you?"
"I'm his nephew."
"I'm sorry mate," Ron said putting on a look of utmost pity.
"Why?" Snape asked backing away from Ron. He gave Ron a fastidious look.
"I apologize for Ronald's rudeness. He typically puts his foot in his mouth. You'll get used to it after a while. I know I have," Hermione said putting her hands on her hips and glaring at Ron.
Snape turned and I saw the look on his face. His eyes were glowing; his cheeks were burning; his mouth was looking ready to drop open at any moment as he checked out my best friend; he began to tremble slightly.
I felt unsettled by the look he was giving her and even more unsettled by the fact that she didn't mind at all. She smiled at him. If she only knew! But I couldn't tell her. He had no right to look at my best friend that way.
"What house are you in?"
"I'm a Gryffindor," Snape answered. He continued to stare at Hermione with wide eyes.
"That's great. Would you like to sit with us? We're all Gryffindors as well," Hermione asked as we made our way to the carriage.
Oh Damn! I looked over at Ron and I could tell he felt pretty much the same way.
"Yes, I would greatly enjoy joining you," Snape said moving to walk at Hermione's side.
Ron attempted to climb into the carriage first but was knocked back.
"What was that for?" Ron growled glaring up at Snape from the ground.
Snape sneered at Ron before returning his attention to Hermione.
"Miss Hermione," Snape said stepping to the side and offering his hand to her.
Hermione smiled and blushed in pleasure as she took his hand allowing him to graciously help her up into the carriage.
"Thank you Alexander," Hermione said giving him a special smile. "Finally I get to be around a guy with proper manners."
Snape blushed climbing up after her to sit on the seat at her side.
"Hey Hermione," I called as I climbed up to sit across from her. "I assume you made head-girl."
"Of course."
"Congratulations!" Snape said smiling at Hermione again.
Now this was just creepy. Snape was actually smiling...not smirking evilly, not sneering furiously, and not smiling sardonically.
"Thank you," Hermione said smiling at Snape again.
"Miss Hermione," Snape ventured delicately.
"Just call me Hermione," she said touching his arm.
"Okay Hermione. What classes are you taking this year?" he asked shifting a little under the feel of Hermione's.
"Arithmancy, Potions, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Ancient Runes, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, and Herbology."
"You're in all those classes?" he asked incredulously. His eyes had widened.
"Yes," Hermione said giving a shy, nervous smile.
"So am I," he cried. "So we'll have all of those classes together."
"Yeah! It'll be nice to have a friend in all my classes."
"You mean you two aren't in all those classes?" he asked looking us over with disguised distaste and an unhealthy amount of haughty disdain.
"We take Divination and Care of Magical Creatures," Ron said.
"Divination? Why do you waste your time with that junk when you could be, oh I don't know, learning something?"
Ron turned and gave me a weirded out look. I shrugged. I do not think I am going to like seventeen year old Snape anymore than I like thirty-seven year old Snape.
"I ask them that ever since I quit taking it," Hermione said. "In my third year, I was allowed the use of a time turner in order to attend all my classes."
"What is your favorite class?"
"Arithmancy, Potions, Astronomy, or Transfiguration. I love them all equally. What about you?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, Potions, Herbology, and Arithmancy. But Potions is my easiest class. What do you think of the Potions teacher at Hogwarts?" he asked looking into her eyes.
"I think he is a brilliant man and is capable of teaching us so much. I think sometimes he is a bit of a grouch but I know that he does not really have it easy. I think things may be getting better for him. I hope so," Hermione said smiling sweetly at him.
Ron and I were contented to shoot annoyed looks at Snape. The carriage stopped and we both hopped down as quickly as possible. Snape climbed down and offered his hand to Hermione again.
"Thank you Alexander."
After a slight pause, Snape spoke as we all walked up into the school together.
"What do you want to do when you graduate?"
"I'm thinking of going into Potions Research. I've always been fascinated by the subject of Potions, ever since Professor Snape's first talk to us as first years. Also, several years ago, we had a teacher who was suffering from Lycanthropy, and, ever since then, it has been my goal to find a cure for it. Of course there is the Wolfsbane Potion that curves the dementia that accompanies the transformation, but it's not a cure."
Snape jerked a bit at the mention of Lycanthropy but he showed no other sign of the subject being upsetting. "He was a werewolf?"
"Yeah."
We all walked into the great hall together.
"Who's your new friend Potty?"
"He is an exchange student from Durmstrang Academy. His name is Alexander. Oh and fifteen points from Slytherin for insulting the head-boy," I said with a smirk in his direction.
I turned and walked to my usual spot at the Gryffindor table. Hermione, Ron, and Snape all joined me.
Dumbledore walked in after us. "Good to see you again."
"Alexander, Professor Dumbledore."
"Alexander," he said smiling and his eyes were twinkling madly.
The sorting ceremony took almost no time, but I wasn't really paying attention.
"Quiet down students. I have some good news. This year we will be hosting an exchange student from Durmstrang Academy. Alexander would you please stand up?"
Snape stood and glared at the headmaster who twinkled back. I would also like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professorin Von Rosenstengel."
I stared up at her. My mouth went dry. She wasn't tall but neither was she short. Her hair hung down in honey colored spiral curls. It looked really soft and thick. She smiled out at us gently. Her eyes were a soft brown. Her skin was the color of porcelain. She curtsied lightly. I let my eyes travel down her body. They paused at her chest but I quickly moved down. Didn't want to get caught ogling my teacher. I cleared my throat. She had to be part Veela. I do not think she looked full, but maybe one quarter. She looked incredible in her lavender robes that were trimmed in silver. She couldn't be but just out of school herself. I glanced over at Ron. His ears were as red as his hair. I looked over at Snape. He was the only guy in the room uninterested in the new teacher. He still hadn't taken his eyes off my best friend.
The rest of the evening was uneventful. Ron and I tried to steer the conversation to Quidditch, but 'Alexander' kept Hermione firmly engaged in a conversation about Academics. BORING!
We all went up to Gryffindor Tower relatively satisfied. Hermione was giggling the whole way next to 'Alexander'. It made me want to puke.
Thank everything in the world that being head-boy meant that I didn't have to share a room with anyone.
Well there was Chapter III. Please send me a nice review. I always love reading them. Well I gotta go now.
Professorin - German for female Professor. All students will call her this...she is German!