Juno knocked on the sturdy wooden door. She heard a loud commotion coming from the other side. It sounded like the screeching of chair legs against a wooden floor and the stumbling of someone very large. The door swung open and Juno saw a wide eyed Hagrid. Upon seeing who was his caller, Hagrid's alarmed features turned more soft.
"Ah, there y' are. I was 'fraid that you might o' been spotted. Y' have time to step in fer a bit if y' like."
Juno smiled at the large man that stood before her. "Thank you, Hagrid."
Juno stepped through the threshold and Hagrid closed the door behind her. A fire was roaring in the man's fireplace. Fang, the huge softie that he was, was fast asleep snoring in a corner where a makeshift bed had been made for him.
"So," Hagrid groaned from the effort of sitting down. "How'd it go?"
Juno took a seat in a nearby chair. "It was brilliant, Mr. Hagrid! At first, things were going a bit south. Professor Snape had come, but he walked off. Then Professor Blackwood came round to see that there was no one there! I was scared the whole thing had been ruined; but Professor Snape came back! They were rather cross at one another, though. Again, I feared that it had all gone wrong. Professor Blackwood turned to walk away and I thought it over. But Professor Snape - oh, Mr. Hagrid, it was brilliant! Professor Snape ran after her and leaped to have her in his arms! Though they had a hard crash to the floor…"
"Snape did tha'? Why, I never would o' thought."
"I know! It was marvelous! Absolutely brilliant! It may all work out in the end." Juno was beside herself with excitement. She had gotten the two professors to talk to one another!
"I did learn one thing, though. It isn't Professor Blackwood that needs work. Rather, it's Professor Snape."
"Figured as much. Snape isn't one to have knowledge 'bout these sort o' things." Hagrid nodded as he spoke with a hand stroking his beard.
"If my playing matchmaker is going to work, I need to figure out a way to get Professor Snape to open up about how he feels. The poor git seems as confused as ever. But I think I've come up with a proper plan."
"Oh, no. Not another plan. Y' know Professor Blackwood and Professor Snape wouldn' like knowin' someone was meddlin' in on their affairs. I'd reckon the two'd be wonderin' who sent those letters, too. I wouldn' do nothin' else if I were you, Juno."
"But Hagrid!" Juno jumped up with passion and slapped her palms onto her lap. "They both love one another - I just know it! I can't just sit by and let their own awkwardness and denial ruin that!"
"I'll admit that Professor Blackwood is a good friend o' mine, but I'm tellin' ye now, Juno; the professors will find out who sent them those letters. An' if they don' right away, I reckon they won' stop until they do."
"All we can do is try, Mr. Hagrid." Juno pleaded.
Hagrid was silent. After several minutes of thought, he said, "I'll give a listen to yer plan and we'll take it from there. How 'bout that? But hear this, I don' think this is a good idea."
"Well… what I was thinking," Juno said before pausing to consider her words. "How 'bout this time you and Professor Blackwood have a bit of a walk around the Black Lake like the two of you do on Saturdays sometimes? And then, with you being the groundskeeper and all, you remember that there was something you needed to do. Somewhere else on the school grounds. You'd be terribly sorry that you'd have to go. And I'd deliver another message to Professor Snape round about the time that you and Professor Blackwood were to be walking about the Black Lake. Professor Snape'd be coming round 'bout the time that you leave. Then the two professors will have no choice but to talk to one another again!"
There was a long silence as Hagrid absorbed what Juno had said. After much thinking, the large man sighed and shook his head.
"I don' know. I got a bad feelin' 'bout all this. I still think we should stay out o' it."
"But… Hagrid!" Juno outstretched her hands in a begging gesture. "I…" Juno was having difficulty finding the words to aid her.
"I… I just want to help. I like Professor Blackwood a lot. I guess when I found out that she fancied Professor Snape, but the two idiots were sabotaging each other, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing." Juno's gaze fell to a random spot on the floor a small distance away. She hoped that Hagrid would agree to help her one last time, but if not, she needed to come up with another idea.
A long sigh from the large man caught Juno's attention. She studied his face trying to predict what Hagrid could possibly say. Hagrid took a long look at the blond student. His eyes glanced to her house crest on her uniform - Slytherin. The way that this girl was looking out for what she thought was the right thing to do, with no thought of any of the consequences that she might put herself into, you'd think she had been sorted as a Gryffindor instead.
Hagrid shook his head at his misfortune of always being pulled into these sorts of situations.
"I'll give i' a shot, Juno. but I'm warnin' ye - I don' think this'll pan out like ye want it to."
The young Slytherin looked up at the large man with wide eyes. She didn't expect Hagrid to give her plan a chance after advising against it so adamantly. The corners of her mouth slid up into a smile.
"Don't worry, Mr. Hagrid! I'll make sure that it all goes as smoothly as possible!" Juno assured Hagrid. She was also trying to assure herself. Her last plan had a lot of bumps along the way. With how temperamental Professor Blackwood proved to be with her last plan, it was going to have to be a miracle for it to go as perfectly as she was hoping.
Before Juno had left Hagrid's hut, she had decided to go ahead and write the letter for Snape. She didn't want to write the note and have it all go wrong due to any miscommunication. Hagrid and Juno discussed which day and at what time it would all take place. With the deed done, Juno bid Hagrid farewell and rushed back to Hogwarts Castle to make it back before curfew.
It was the day before Hagrid and Juno's plan was to take place. It was a Friday evening. There was still quite a bit of time before the evening meal in the Great Hall. Juno was making her way through the Hogwarts dungeons to the Potions classroom. There wasn't anywhere for Juno to hide down here other than the Slytherin Commons. That didn't really help her much. If Professor Snape were tailing her, as Head of Slytherin House, he could easily just follow in behind her. Then she'd be caught either way.
The closer Juno came to the Potions classroom the more nervous she became. She had no idea whether Snape was in there or not. If he was, Juno had no idea what she'd use as an excuse for her being there. Regardless of any second thoughts she may have, Juno's legs took her to the doorway of the Potions classroom.
She looked through the open entryway and out to the same Potions classroom that she saw almost everyday. The key factor that was fortunately missing was Professor Severus Snape.
Not seeing any sign of the Potions Master, Juno creeped into the classroom. Her blue eyes were fixated on Snape's desk at the front of the room. She didn't want to be too quick but she didn't want to be too slow, either. Too quick could risk making a lot of unnecessary noise. Too slow increased the risk of being caught. Regardless of how careful she was, if she took too long to get the job done, getting caught was almost guaranteed. Juno gulped as she stared at the professor's desk. It was so far away! At the rate she was going, it would take her absolutely forever to get there. It felt as though minutes passed instead of seconds. By this time, Juno had taken the equivalent of five normal sized steps into the room.
The unexpected sound of a flipped parchment cut the silence within the classroom. Juno slapped down the envelope in her hand and abandoned her mission. She left the Potions classroom in a full run.
"Who's there?" She heard Professor Snape's voice call from the room she had just fled. Juno continued her run to the Slytherin common room in the other part of the dungeons.
Severus sat at the desk in the office that was adjacent to his potions classroom. He was flipping through the various paperwork that lay on the desktop before him. He had lifted a student's assignment to read another paper that was underneath when he heard a thundering of running foot treads from the next room.
Severus came to a stand. "Who's there?" he called out to the intruder. When there was no answer, Severus moved to investigate the noise. Severus stood in the doorway and looked out into the classroom. Seeing no one there, Severus stepped out to the middle of the room. There were no desks or chairs that had been moved. There was, however, a flash of white lying on the floor peeking out from underneath a desk that was toward the entrance. With one final look about the room to see if anyone could possibly be hiding, Severus picked up the mysterious top fold of the envelope was tucked in to keep it closed. It had no seal of any kind.
Severus turned the envelope over within his hands a few times to study the peculiar thing. It was just an envelope. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary from the outside, Severus opened the envelope to investigate its contents. It was another note in the same handwriting as the one from before.
Reading the message, Severus scowled as he tucked the parchment away into a pocket of his robes. He didn't know who was writing these childish letters, but Severus knew for certain that it wasn't Agnes.
He was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.
Agnes smiled as she approached Hagrid. It had been a while since the two friends had a chance to talk outside of sitting at the staff table. Agnes enjoyed hearing about all the magical creatures that Hagrid had the good fortune and honor to meet. Hagrid also enjoyed talking about them. Hagrid was chattering on about a young hippogriff that he had the luxury of meeting. Hagrid, with a smile, said he had named it Buckbeak.
Agnes sat on the Black Lake's bank as she listened to her friend. She looked out to the orange and yellow beams of the setting sun reflected on the water. Pink and salmon colored clouds framed the face of the blazing orb slowly falling in the sky.
It was always a peaceful place that welcomed a chance to relax. Agnes hadn't realized how much she missed these walks with Hagrid until today.
Agnes was enjoying the serenity of the moment. Then Hagrid had stopped talking.
Agnes looked to her friend to see him staring toward the setting sun. Knowing Hagrid as well as she did, Agnes knew that he most likely was telling the time by the placement of the sun in the sky. Unlike any other time, though, Hagrid's face looked a bit troubled. Agnes stared at his features in an attempt to know if her friend was going to be alright.
"Terribly sorry, Agnes," Hagrid said. "I 'ave completely forgotten somet'in'' that needs doin'. Should've done i' earlier but the damned thing slipped my mind. I'm sorry!"
"It's alright, Hagrid." Agnes reassured him as she waved a hand toward him in a dismissive, but understanding, manner.
"I really am sorry, Agnes. It's so unlike me. I'm almost ashamed o' m'self."
"It's alright, Hagrid!" Agnes said in a more insistent manner. She was trying to assure her friend that it really was alright. "People forget things all the time. You're not the first person to forget something."
"I know, but I still feel terrible 'bout it."
"Hagrid, you do whatever it is you have to do, friend. I'm not going to leave Hogwarts any time soon. There'll be other days we can come out like this again."
A small thankful smile found its way to Hagrid's lips. The large man bowed to show just how thankful he was. Thank ye, Agnes. I'd hate t' rush off, but," Hagrid shrugged with his hands level with his shoulders. "There's work t' be done it seems."
"It's fine, Hagrid," Agnes said with a smile while waving goodbye to her friend. "I'll catch you next time, mate."
Looking a bit more at ease, Hagrid smiled at Agnes before hurrying off to finish work he had deliberately left unfinished earlier in the day. Knowing about Juno's plan, he had purposely left more work for himself to do. Even though everything was plotted out, Hagrid didn't want to outright lie to his friend.
Agnes watched Hagrid as he walked away in a hurry. Once Hagrid was a few paces away, Agnes allowed her features to drop and show the suspicion that she truly felt.
Hagrid lived and breathed his work as groundskeeper. Him forgetting about anything work related was a bit out of character for him; at least of what Agnes knew about the man. Agnes hoped it was nothing more than a secret pet that he had to run off to take care of. For some reason, though, Hagrid's departure wasn't sitting right with Agnes.
She didn't have any evidence to support her gut feeling, however, so instead she turned her attention back to the light show that was performing on the water's surface courtesy of mother nature. Even though Hagrid was no longer with her, Agnes figured that she might as well take the opportunity to relax and not have to think about anything for a little while. She lost herself within the reflections. Her mind fell into a calming numbness as a breeze off the lake's surface blew a refreshing wind across her face.
The slap of fabric blowing through the wind were the only noises heard as the orange rays settled upon Severus Snape's face. He was standing atop the hill not too far from the front of Hogwarts Castle. In silence he watched Agnes Blackwood sit on the bank of the Black Lake. His arms were folded across his chest. His brow was furrowed in thought. He continued to study any glimpse of Agnes's face and body language that he could.
Severus had been watching the scene for a while. He watched Agnes and Hagrid make their trek to the bank of the Black Lake. He had watched the two deep in merry conversation. What they were talking about Severus didn't have the slightest clue, but it didn't matter. That's not what he was here for.
The scene didn't appear to be out of the ordinary - just two mates having a chat.
Severus was on high alert, however, once he saw Hagrid animatedly pull away. The man seemed to be waving about in a small panic. Blackwood waved him off looking as though she was trying to assure the large man of something. He watched the two converse back and forth. After a bit of unheard banter, Severus watched the large man appear to give a small bow before walking off somewhere in a bit of a haste. He knew that the two would often walk and talk around the lake every now and then, but Severus thought it strange Hagrid had just rushed off. This confused Severus.
However, Severus shrugged it off without giving the situation he witnessed a second thought. He had no idea what they had been talking about. For all he knew, it could have been nothing of interest to him.
He thought back, instead, to the night before. The mysterious note he had acquired was tucked away in its envelope within his robe pocket. He started to wonder what the intentions of these notes' writer could possibly be. It was obvious that they wanted Professor Blackwood and himself to meet together, but why? What was their motif?
He had come to watch from afar hoping to see if the scribe would make an appearance. Severus glanced about his surroundings and saw no one.
Seeing nothing of immediate interest, Severus allowed himself to become consumed by his thoughts once more. Though his eyes were on Blackwood, his mind was not. He was trapped within his own head for the time being.
But wait!
Something had caught his eye! Though, he wasn't sure what had suddenly gained his attention. He looked in the general area that his eyes had snapped focus toward of their own accord.
At first glance there was nothing there.
He looked about himself to see if he could duck behind something nearby. Seeing nothing, Severus instead continued to step backward to place distance between himself and whatever his eyes had sensed. When he felt he was a safe distance away and at an angle where he wouldn't be easily discovered, he took a moment to study the area that had caught his interest.
Down toward the foot of the hill, near a tree, there was a female student that appeared to also be looking at Blackwood. Severus squinted his eyes with suspicion. While it was peculiar that she was there, it was possible she could just simply be walking about the grounds. What was suspicious to him, however, was how intensely she was focused on Blackwood. He couldn't see her house colors or crest so he had no idea which house she belonged to. Severus scanned her person for her scarf. The scarf would have made it easier to see her house colors from a greater distance, but the girl didn't have a scarf. All Severus could really make out about the girl was that she had very obvious blond hair.
Severus's face scrunched due to his confusion. The only time he could remember seeing hair that exact shade of blond was on Lucius Malfoy's head; but Severus knew Lucious didn't have any relatives that were currently attending Hogwarts. To Severus's knowledge, Malfoy also didn't have a daughter at all. If he was recalling correctly, Malfoy's child was a boy - and Malfoy's son wouldn't be attending Hogwarts for another six years!
The bottom line in this moment was that Severus had no idea who this girl was, or to which house she belonged, but he did know that she was suspicious; but he didn't know exactly why.
Through his peripheral, while keeping a constant bead on this mystery student, Severus could see that Blackwood was getting up to leave her place by the lake. Taking note of the natural lighting that surrounded him, Severus assumed the sun was mere minutes away from setting completely to give way for the moon to take control of the skies.
The mysterious girl hurried toward the castle. It was obvious now to Severus that the girl was trying not to be seen by Blackwood. From what he could tell, Severus didn't think that the girl was aware of his presence. As she got closer, Severus could distinguish in the fading sunlight the telltale color of green - the color of Slytherin House. He ducked into an area where he would not be seen when the girl retreated to the interior of the castle. Once he was sure the student was inside, Severus allowed his tensed frame to release its tension.
Severus stood in place. He processed this new information he had received and wasn't sure what to do it. There was only one fact that Severus knew at this moment:
The girl was one of his own.
The halls of Hogwarts were pitchblack.
The sounds of steady footfalls echoed throughout the many corridors Severus passed. It was after curfew and he was on his way to seek out one, specific person.
He hadn't found her in the dungeons - which was a typical area that she liked to be on the nights she patrolled the halls. Not finding her where he thought she would be, Severus was forced to move to a more central part of the castle. He honestly had no idea where she could be. He had already been searching for a long while with no luck. He had already checked the dungeons and now he had just finished looking near her classroom. Severus had just walked past the Charms classroom when he heard promise. He paused and listened. There were another's footsteps ahead of him in the darkness. Hopeful in knowing whom they belonged to, Severus began walking toward them. As if to answer his own footfalls, the clacks on stone flooring grew faster into his direction. A bright, white light painfully pierced into Severus's vision. Grimacing through his discomfort, Severus looked to see the face of Agnes Blackwood glaring back at him.
"Severus Snape!" She harshly whispered. A bit of her spit found its way on Severus's cheek. "What on earth are you doing he-"
Not giving her a chance to finish speaking, Severus pulled out the envelope that housed the fated note within. Agnes stopped talking, though her mouth still agape, and furrowed her brow as she studied what he had held up in front of her.
Once what her eyes were gazing upon registered to her brain, Agnes exhaled a noise of irritation. She threw her head to the side to meet her chin to her shoulder in an animated motion as she rolled her eyes. "Not this nonsense again!"
"It appeared on my classroom floor." Severus plainly stated. Other than the corner of his lip being curled due to his impatience on the entire matter, his face held no emotion.
Agnes let out an exasperated sigh. Severus raised his brow anticipating Blackwood's words in an eerily calm silence.
"Let's have it then," Agnes said in an impatient tone. She held out an open palm in Severus's direction. "Let's see what it says."
With a small flick motion of his wrist, Severus dropped the enveloped letter into Agnes's waiting palm. She opened the tucked fold of the envelope in an untidy haste. Her lips were pursed tightly together in her silent aggravation as she read its contents. Severus watched as the witch's eyes skirted to and fro across the parchment.
Agnes let out another loud sigh as she waved the paper in a harsh fashion to smooth out any unwanted crinkles. With her thumb and ring finger, Agnes folded the note the way it was before with one hand as she tucked it back into the envelope that rested in the other.
"What do we do then?" Agnes asked. She flapped her arms out in her frustration and slapped them back to her sides. "What do you suppose we should do about it?" Agnes shook her head both from her unspoken rage and exasperation of the entire ordeal.
"I don't know," Severus said. His left hand gripped his right wrist to hold his arms behind his back. "What I do know… is there was a rather peculiar student watching you earlier this evening."
"A student?" Agnes scoffed. Her nose scrunched to one side as she bobbed her head back upon hearing Severus's words. "Why on earth was there a student watching me? And where was it? And thirdly… how do you even know in the first place?"
Severus's brow raised as his eyes closed. He was already exhausted about the whole ordeal and didn't really care to explain in any more detail. "The note told me to meet you at a certain time. Naturally, I went to investigate. While you were troupsing about the Black Lake with the groundskeeper, I noticed there was a girl watching you from afar."
"A girl?" Agnes asked.
Severus's voice raised due to his rapidly increasing irritation. "Yes, a girl! A Slytherin girl! A Slytherin girl with blond hair."
Severus saw an immediate change in Agnes's face to the words 'Slytherin girl' and 'blond.' Agnes sighed once again. She slumped her face into her open palm and shook her head.
"Does that ring any sort of bell for you, Blackwood?" Severus asked. He brought his arms from behind him to now be folded across his chest.
"I know that you've been trying to get to the bottom of all this since we were both called to the Astronomy tower the other night, Severus. I've been thinking about it, too. With what you've just told me, I think I know who it was…"
"Would you care to enlighten me?"
"I'm 'fraid not. I have a feeling the girl meant no harm. I'll get to the bottom of all this and have a talk with her. I'll get this sorted out."
Arms still folded across his chest, Severus stared emotionless at Agnes. "Be sure that you do," he said before walking away to Merlin knows where ever that man goes at this time of night.
"And Charms are mostly egocentric. Meaning that they connect the caster to the subject to allow for a direct influence in or to the subject. Charms are mostly bridges and work best with two active casters, or a caster and a magical object. Charms are the most misclassified of all spells. Many of the so-called charms that Flitwick is teaching are actually hexes and curses. Examples of hexes in particular being misclassified as charms are healing 'charms,' the cheering 'charm,' color changing 'charms,' memory 'charms,' learning 'charms,' and other mood and mind changers."
Juno and many of the other Slytherin students would giggle every time Professor Blackwood used air quotes around the word 'charms.'
"Charms are also the easiest to cancel of all spells," Professor Blackwood continued. "It takes only the subject or the caster using an exertion of will to snap the connection. But more on that in the next lesson. It will have to wait for a deeper discussion. The class is dismissed." Agnes clasped her hands and placed them to the front of her thighs. The stick of chalk that writes the summary of Professor Blackwood's lectures floated down to its holding tray below to confirm the lecture was indeed finished. "That will be all."
The room exploded with the noise of Slytherin and Ravenclaw students moving about to collect their school things. They gathered all of their study materials and put them where they belonged. Many of them were already at a stand to move on to their next class.
"Oh, and Juno?" Agnes said upon seeing Juno come to a stand herself. Juno, startled, turned to look and acknowledge her professor.
"Before you leave I'd like a word, please."
Juno seemed a bit confused. She gathered her school things and placed them neatly on her desk so they were easily ready for her to grab after Professor Blackwood was finished talking with her.
Agnes waited a few moments when all of the other students had left to ensure the two had as much privacy as possible. From her pocket, Agnes pulled out three folded parchments. Shee unfolded them and presented them for Juno to have a look for herself. Blackwood watched Juno's eyes widen in shock and then the all too-well-known quiver of fear.
"I had thought that I'd recognized the handwriting. Professor Snape came to me to say he had also received a note just as I had the other week or so. Then he comes to me again to present to me yet another note. I compared them with assignments that you've handed in to confirm my suspicions. What is the meaning of this, Juno?" Agnes asked with a harsh, stern tone in her voice.
"Why are you meddling into the affairs of others?"
"I.."
Juno was at a loss for words. Agnes watched the girl's eyes continuously quiver as she stared at the three notes she was accused of writing.
"I… was only trying to help."
Ah ha! Agnes thought. So you are indeed the culprit.
"Juno, putting yourself in other people's business, especially the business of grown ups, isn't the proper way to 'help' anyone."
"I … I was trying to help… I knew that you fancied Professor Snape and the other month I saw you two quarelling about something. I saw you slam the door in his face. Professor Blackwood, after you closed the door I watched Professor Snape crumble into a completely different man. He looked heartbroken. He looked hurt. More importantly, he looked confused about his own feelings. Professor, I feel as though Snape fancies you, too, but he's just too stubborn to own up to it - or just too naive to know what's happening inside his heart. So, that night, I was set on helping you two because… I don't want to see you lonely, or miserable, or hurt because you or Snape didn't act on what you felt in your hearts… I'm sorry that I meddled into your personal lives. Well, I'm honestly not sorry about what I've done, but I'm sorry that you fancy Professor Snape so much but you can't be with him. Why you'd want to, I don't know. I'm sure it's a stupid reason, whatever it is. I just see the way you look at him and… If I were looking at someone like that, I can only imagine that I'd want to spend the rest of my life with them.
"I could see how hurt and upset you were over something that happened over Winter Holiday. I don't know what that was, all I know is that you were hurt. After the night the door was slammed in his face, I watched how Professor Snape moped about in classes. Usually he has this arrogant confidence around him as if welcomely challenging someone to give him a reason to put them in a detention. But lately he just… I sit and watch how he carries himself like a man that has no will to live. The black, emotionless sorrow in his eyes. I don't really give a …" Juno stopped, catching herself almost swearing to a teacher.
"I don't really care about Snape, but I care about you, Professor. As a person. As a teacher I look up to. I just thought… that if I helped you both learn that you truly do care for one another, then you both would be happy in the end. Especially you, Professor." Juno looked down at anything that wasn't Professor Blackwood's face. She couldn't bring herself to look at her.
Agnes folded her arms across her chest. Only a moment passed before she unfolded her arms, sucked her teeth, and placed a hand on a newly extended hip. She was irritated and disappointed that Juno got involved, she really was; but she couldn't really blame the girl, either.
"Juno," Agnes said with a softer, yet still stern, tone. "I appreciate your motifs, but please don't needle around any further. It really isn't your business what grown ups do in their personal lives - especially your teachers. Understand that I don't want you meddling around anymore. If I find out or catch you disobeying that I want you to stay out of it from now on, I promise that punishment will follow."
"I understand," said a deflated Juno.
"Now go. You best be off to your next class."
Juno turned to leave. She grabbed her things and rested her chin upon the top of the books she clutched in her arms. She looked at her feet as she walked. She was upset that she got caught. She was even more upset that she was now late for Potions. Not only did she have a talking to from Professor Blackwood, but now she was late for her class with Professor Snape.
Severus had told the students what page he wanted them to turn to. He had told them their assignment. He had told them his expectations of them, no matter how low they were. Having the students busy now, he seated himself at his desk at the front of the room.
As soon as he had touched the seat of his chair with his backside, the squeak of the classroom door boomed open for all to hear.
Snape took a quick glance at the offensive student.
His glance turned into an alarmed glare once he had seen her green robes and hard-to-miss blond hair. He recognized immediately that it was the girl he had seen the day before stalking Blackwood.
Snape also now recognized that he needed to pay more attention to the students in his classes. If he had been more observant, he would've known who the 'mystery student' was as soon as he had laid eyes on her.
Severus thought back to Blackwood's words from the previous night. She had said that she'd get to the bottom of it and get it sorted. Severus hoped that's exactly what Blackwood did. Severus hoped that's the reason why Jankowski was late for class. Severus hoped that Blackwood verbally gave the girl a good old what for.
The girl, with her peers staring at her, hid behind her books as she made her way to her seat. Severus stared at the girl. She never left his gaze. Severus stared at Jankowski even after she sat down in her chair beside Basil McGregor. They had made eye contact. Jankowski averting her gaze was immediate. Severus could see that she was visually squirming.
"Five points from Slytherin."
"But, sir," one brave Ravenclaw dared. "If it were any other House, you'd take ten or more points for being tardy."
"Ten points from Ravenclaw."
"What?!" The Ravenclawed cried out. "That's not fair!"
"Make that twenty points from Ravenclaw."
"Hey," Basil whispered near Juno's ear. "Where were ya?"
"Professor Blackwood needed to talk to me for a bit. She kept me a bit longer than intended."
"Bloody hell!" Basil exclaimed. "The least she could'a done was give ya a not'r something so you wouldn't get in trouble with ol' Snape there." Basil nodded in Professor Snape's direction.
Juno stared out at a random point of the desk in front of her. She had a sinking feeling that Professor Blackwood sent her off without any kind of note on purpose. Juno didn't know why she felt like Professor Blackwood did it on purpose - it was just a strong feeling.
"What'd she say ter ya anyway?"
"Oh, just school stuff," Juno lied."She tutors me on Saturdays sometimes. She was just keeping me in the loop so there's no miscommunication with our scheduling!"
Basil stared at Juno. He leaned in so close to her face that Juno could feel his warm breath on her cheeks. He was studying her and Juno didn't like it. After undergoing intense and traumatic observation, Juno heard a strong, Irish, "If ya say so."
With the tone Basil used, Juno could tell that he didn't believe her. Somehow Basil had always been able to tell whenever someone was lying. Basil had seemingly lost interest, though. He had returned to his work and said nothing more.
Looking over to Basil's textbook, Juno temporarily memorized the page number she needed to turn to.
I don't know what to do, Juno thought. Valentine's Day is coming up soon, too… I feel like Snape's given up. But it would be so nice if Professor Blackwood had a nice Valentine's Day. But I can't do anything. I told Professor Blackwood that I wouldn't. And besides, anything I'd try to set up would be ruined. And the likelihood of being seen is more now. If they thought anything were suspicious, the professors would suspect me immediately.
Well, not me specifically; anyone, really. Well… maybe Professor Blackwood would look for me specifically. Just not Snape.
Juno sighed. She felt hopeless and helpless. The Slytherin was flipping through her potions textbook to open it to the assigned page when something had caught her eye.
Oh Merlin's Beard, this is perfect!
Juno tore off a piece of parchment to act as a makeshift bookmark. She didn't want to forget that page later whenever she referred back to it in her free time. It was very important for her latest plan!
Maybe I can still do something to help, after all…!
Author's Note: I had typed this part up shortly after the previous one was posted. I was thinking posting once a week would help me keep the workload down instead of publishing as soon as a part was finished. So I can have a set time to have it done without adding more stress onto myself.
Unfortunately, I do not have any of the next part typed up. I actually had a new original story idea pop up into my head after having a marvelous dream. I have no idea what that will be called, yet. I just have the basic plot line figured out. But do not worry! Hello Again is at the top of my priorities list! It is so close to its end. I hope that you all will continue to be patient with me. My goal is to not have an entire year to post the next part… I want to push myself to finish this story since it is mere parts away from being done!