Dinner that night was filled with dread for Bella as she thought about her upcoming detention. She wouldn't take back what she said as it was all true, but she couldn't help worry what Snape would have her do.
"I still can't believe you've gone and gotten yourself a detention, and on the first day!" Ron said through a mouthful of food.
"What's this about detention?" Fred asked, plopping down into the seats opposite the younger twins with George.
"Bella went and got herself a detention tonight with Snape because she stuck up for Harry in class earlier." Emily replied.
"What did you say to the greasy git sis?" George asked excitedly.
"I told Harry that Snape was biased, loud enough for Snape to hear me." Bella said.
Fred and George snickered, hoping she had done something more worth a detention while Hermione stared down the table in disgust.
"It isn't funny that Bella earned herself a detention." Hermione huffed. "You should never disrespect a teacher."
"Hermione, please, if a teacher treats someone with disrespect then they do not deserve that respect and I intend to stick by that." Bella said. She pushed out from her seat and without another word, stormed off for the dungeons.
"You shouldn't have done that." A voice said lowly as she walked alone down the dungeon corridor.
Bella turned around slowly, wand clasped tightly in her hand. She jumped in fright when she heard footsteps coming towards her and she extended her arm, ready to shoot whatever spell came to her head.
"There really is so need for that Bella." A flash of blond hair told Bella it was Malfoy speaking ominously to her in the darkness.
"For the love of Merlin, Malfoy, what do you want?" Bella snapped.
"You shouldn't have said that to Professor Snape. That mouth of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble." He sneered.
"And who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" Bella demanded, arms crossed over her chest.
When he didn't answer her, Bella turned on her heel to continue down the corridor but he was quicker than she was, blocking her way.
"Move out of my way Malfoy." She growled.
"Don't say I didn't warn you." He said. He smirked, closing the gap between them before he stepped around her, the click of his shoes on the floor the only indication he was leaving.
Bella stood simmering in her own anger, how dare he? Who does he think he is? With her anger still festering, she rapped sharply on Snape's door.
"Come in." He drawled and Bella rolled her eyes with a sigh as she pushed open the door. She dropped her bag lazily onto the table at the back of the classroom and leaned against it, arms crossed over her chest.
"I want you to wash those cauldrons over there, without magic. There is a cloth and some cauldron cleaner in the cupboard beneath them." Snape pointed towards the line of filthy cauldrons on the left side of the classroom and Bella groaned. There had to be at least twenty absolutely disgusting cauldrons that she would need to clean, by hand. Not as if this night could get any worse she thought.
After the first cauldron was sparkling clean Bella checked the time and sighed, only ten minutes had passed. She wiped away the sweat on her forehead and continued cleaning. The sooner they were clean the sooner she could leave. After almost two hours, the previously filthy cauldrons were all gleaming and droplets of sweat were forming on Bella's brow.
"You may go." Snape said snarkily, still grading papers at his desk.
Bella stood from her kneeling spot on the ground and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she made to leave the classroom but Snape's voice stopped her.
"Let this be a lesson to you Bella, you must learn to keep your head down and your attitude in check." He said with no hint of mockery or anger in his tone. Bella looked over her shoulder at him and his hard stare bored into her soul.
"Why are you still here?" He snarked.
Bella shook her head and pulled open the classroom door, pulling it hard behind her with a slam. She huffed all they way back to the common room and she was so lost in thought that she was startled when Ron spoke to her.
"How was detention?" He asked.
"Scrubbing filthy cauldrons was not my idea of a fun night, I'll say that." Bella dropped her bag on the floor and sat down in the arm chair beside Ron.
"Are you okay? You look really pale." Freya asked with a worried look on her face.
"Snape said something weird just before I left." Bella said softly.
"What did he say?" Harry asked.
"He said I need to keep my head down and my attitude in check. I don't know what he means by that but it's not the first someone has said something like that to me." Bella replied.
"Who else said something like that to you?" George asked, a hint of anger in his tone.
"Malfoy. Twice. The first time on the train when he walked into me. He told me to watch myself. And then tonight he was waiting for me in the corridor. He said that I shouldn't have said that to Snape and that if I don't keep my mouth shut I'm going to get myself into a lot of trouble." Bella said. She was now shaking slightly, clearly worried about what had been said..
Ron wrapped his arm around Bella and squeezed her closer to him. She snuggled into him and he rubbed her arm.
"Why do you think they're saying these things to you?" Emily asked.
"I don't know. But whatever it is, I don't have a good feeling about it."
