You continued to loiter in the common room with Luna, Cho and Padma having left to visit the library. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall tried everything they could to grant you access to the staircase. Nothing worked. Finally, the clock rang, signalling that it was time for dinner. "I'll run the idea across to him, Professors. If we can't fix it by curfew, I'll just have the girls bring down some of my things so that I'll be good for the weekend." I said, closing the book of Hamlet. "Come on Luna, let's go get some dinner." The two of you walked down, accompanying the two Heads of houses. Cho and Padma were already sitting at the table. You told Luna you'd be right back, and walked with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick to the teacher's table.
"Umm, Professor Snape?" You asked. He set his glass of wine down, and rather loudly too. "Yes, Miss Y/N." He responded, fairly annoyed. You were quite intimidated to say the least. (Note the sarcasm.) "May we talk to you for a minute?" Professor Snape looked at Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, and then back you. "Very well," He groaned, getting up and following the three of you off to a corner. "What is it?" "So, after having made quite the scene last night, Miss Snape went to her common room and found that some other Ravenclaw had tampered with the staircase so that she could not get to her dorm." Professor Flitwick said. "We've tried to correct the problem, but we are unsuccessful, thus far."
Professor Snape quirked an eyebrow. "And?" He simply asked, sipping his wine, which he had brought with him. "And I need a place to sleep." I said. "I slept on a sofa in the Ravenclaw common room last night, and Professor Flitwick is not letting me do that again. So, we figured it the best option for me to lodge with you." Snape almost choked on his wine. "Absolutely not!" He said. "Why can't you just stay with the head of your house?" "Oh, so if I were a Slytherin, then it would be okay?" I asked, crossing my arms. Snape glared at me. "Why must you always pull that card when we're arguing?" "Because it's effective." I replied. "So, if I were a Slytherin, would you let me lodge with you?" Snape said nothing. "Very well. You may stay for the weekend." He finally conceded.
"Hey, that's only if we don't fix the stairs." You said, putting your hands up in defense. "If we fix them before curfew, I'll sleep in my dorm. If not, one of my roommates will just bring me down some stuff to hold me over for the weekend." "And what if it takes longer than a weekend to grant you access to your dormitory?" Snape asked. "... Why don't we wait and see if we need to cross that bridge once we get to it?" You asked, with a smile. "If we get to it." Professor Flitwick said. "Very well. You'll lodge with me. For now, eat your dinner." Snape said, waving you away. You crossed your arms. "Yes, Father." Snape stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to you with a glare. "It's not school hours anymore." You said with a grin. "We're still at the school, though, Miss Y/N." He replied, sternly.
"Yes, but I still win." You made your way out of the corner. "How so?" Snape asked, following you with his gaze. "I still manage to make our relationship more familiar through my successful attempts to annoy you, which is my right as your daughter, Father." You said, innocently nodding your head to the side as you spoke the last word with smug emphasis. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were trying not to laugh. "Damn that stupid hat. It's the reason she learned Ravenclaw's smarta** talent." Snape muttered as they all sat down. (five points from Ravenclaw for reading that term in my voice.) McGonagall and Flitwick were all out chortling now. You sat down with the other girls who were all looking at the two laughing teachers. "What was that about?" Cho asked. "Oh, just some sarcastic father-daughter shenanigans." You said, before filling up your plate and beginning to eat. Draco grabbed your attention soon afterwards. "Hey, Y/N." He said, causing you to turn. "Hey. I'll get the book after dinner, if you want to read." "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to join me at Hogsmeade, tomorrow morning."
Oh dear. You were going to go see Harry and Hermione tomorrow morning. And Draco hates Harry and Hermione, and the Weasley boy too. "Oh, um, sorry Draco, but I've already got something planned for tomorrow morning. Maybe in the afternoon?" Draco cocked his head to the side. "Do you really? Oh well, the afternoon works too, I guess." He said. "However, yes. I would like to continue reading, but later." "Got it. I actually might be rooming with Professor Snape for the weekend, so I could possibly walk you back down to the Slytherin Common room." "Really? Why?" "Because, Professor Flitwick still hasn't figured out the jinx on the staircase yet, and I still can't get up to my dorm room." "That is a good reason." He said, before eating his dinner again.
A few minutes later, your favorite Durmstrang student decided to sit beside you. Cho, Padma, and Luna could not stop staring. "Hello again, Y/N." He said. "Stephan! I'm surprised you didn't get out of that mess from last week with a nasty curse or something." "I did." He said. You furrowed your eyebrows. "What? What kind of curse was it?" You asked, examining his face for anything out of the ordinary. He burped very loudly. "A belching curse," He said, "Excuse me." You contained a laugh as best you could, but it still caused you to snort at his magic-induced state. "How… humorous." You chuckled. The other girls nodded. Behind you, you could hear Draco scoffing at the sight of you and Stephan. What is his problem? You wondered. "And you've been dealing with this affliction for the last week?" You asked. "No, I just learned how to belch on command through the experience." He grinned. You laughed again. Dinner went by without much else worth mentioning. Well, except for Stephan belching out his ABC's in order to make you laugh until your sides hurt. Draco just growled at the sight.
When dinner was over, you said goodbye to Stephan and told Draco that you'd be back to read with him once it was confirmed that the stairs still didn't work. Still, he insisted on joining you with Professor Snape in tow. "Mister Malfoy, I do not see the reason behind your being here." Snape said. "It's simple, sir. I'm here to make sure that if Miss Y/N is once again thrown back from the staircase, that I may prevent her from being hurt." He said. You laughed quietly. As lovely a thought as it is, you knew that he was really there so that he could continue reading with you. "What?" Draco asked. "Nothing. I was just remembering my conversation with Professor Moody today, that's all." You replied. "Y/N, no." "Y/N, yes."
When we got to the common room, you answered the riddle for your little group. Luna, Cho, and Padma went to sit on a sofa. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, started trying a few last attempts at unjinxing the stairwell, and you went to pull out The Merchant of Venice that you'd kept hidden in the ottoman for the day. "Shall we, Draco?" "With pleasure," Draco said, sitting on the ottoman with you. After a few lines of Bassanio, which Draco read with such verve, Professor Snape interrupted our quiet reading. "How have you managed to get Mister Malfoy to read Shakespeare?" He asked. "I was angry, so he snuck into Ravenclaw Tower and started quoting Shakespeare to cool my temper." You shrugged. "And Shakespeare is a genius." "I agree, despite his muggle status." Draco said with a nod. "Actually, I have reason to believe that he was a squib." You said. "Oh?" He mused. "Well, he knows about magic or he wouldn't write about witches in his plays."
"He does?" Professor Snape asked. "Yes, Macbeth, to name just one. Amazing book, I feel like it'd be Draco's favorite." You said, turning to him. "Really. Why is that?" "Just think: the ultimate Gryffindor-Slytherin showdown with swords and gore instead of wands and curses." "I want to read that next." "Oh we are. Believe me, we are." You promised. "Alright, Miss Y/N," Professor Flitwick called. "If you would please come try to ascend the stairwell." You got up and went to the stairwell. Draco followed, ready to catch you if you fell. Which was exactly the case. "Yipe!" You squealed, falling back into Draco's arms. He too fell flat on his rear from the force. "Oof!" He grunted. "Thanks, Draco." You smiled. "No problem, Y/N." He said, while trying to pull both himself and you up off the floor.
"Well, that's just perfect." Padma said, coming over to you. "Now we won't have Y/N to wake us up tomorrow with her music!" "I like her music." Luna mused. "So do we, Luna." Cho chimed in. "But now we'll be without it!" Padma complained. "You guys can keep my headphones for the weekend, Luna knows the spell to make them work." You said. "But I do need you to go grab two weekend outfits, my pjs, my toothbrush, and my hairbrush for me." "On it." Cho said, before ascending the stairs with ease. "Know that the culprits will be punished when we figure out who did this." Professor Flitwick said. "Don't bother, Professor," I sighed. "Anyone in Ravenclaw— with the exception of Cho, Padma, and Luna— could've done it. Remember what happened yesterday?" "I do, Miss Snape." Professor Flitwick replied, pointedly. "But regardless of how vulgar the language from you mouth was, it doesn't justify locking you out of your dorm room."
"Maybe so, but I really don't care who did it. The animosity between me and the rest of my house is still there, and nothing can change that." I stated. Before he could reply, Cho came back down with your bag, packed with the things you requested. "Here you go, Y/N." She said. "Thank you, Cho. I'll see you all sometime in near future." You bade her goodbye, picked up your book, and went down the steps from Ravenclaw Tower with Professor Snape and Draco.