Oh wow! I'm back and I've a whole lot of new fans. Welcome all. Sorry for the delay. Hope to have another chapter or two up by the weekend. Thanks dani's random fox for beta-ing.
Chpt. 24- Worth It
Lyric collapsed into the dusty armchair in front of her uncle. He didn't look up at her, but smiled when she sat down.
"It's about time you came to visit me," he said, still not looking at Lyric.
"I've been busy," Lyric told him.
"So it seems. Have you heard from your mother?"
"Not a single letter since I got here," Lyric said.
"I'm sure you'll see her over the holidays," Dumbledore reassured.
"Of course," Lyric answered coolly, knowing that her mother would feign having too much work just days before Lyric was supposed to leave Hogwarts.
And from there, the conversation died. Lyric, who would normally regal her uncle with stories of Tristan and her friends or about school work, found herself with nothing to tell him. She couldn't tell him about the only person she could think about. Snape had taken up a permanent residence in her head, no matter how hard she tried to get him out.
Snape had paid little attention to Lyric in Potions class Monday morning. She even sabotaged a relatively simple Energy Potion in the hopes that Snape would make some snide comment, giving her the opportunity to shoot back. However, Snape merely furrowed his brow when he got to her cauldron.
"You were supposed to use Chimera scales, not Chimera fur, Miss Dumbledore. You'll receive a zero for the assignment." He made a mark on his grade sheet and moved on. Grace Hart, who had only let her potion stew an extra ten seconds too long, was on the receiving end of a thorough berating, and Lyric found herself jealous.
Now she sat in her uncle's office, only ten minutes away from another detention. Dumbledore had noticed the dip in conversation.
"You're awfully quiet tonight," Dumbledore said outright.
"Sorry, Uncle Albus," she sighed. "Too much on my mind, I guess."
"Is it love?" he asked.
Lyric could feel the color rush to her cheeks. "What? NO!" She didn't even convince herself.
Dumbledore chuckled, "Judging by your reaction, I believe I hit the nail on the head."
"Uncle Albus," Lyric started embarrassed.
"No need to explain," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Back in my days as a student, the ladies couldn't keep their hands off me."
"Uncle Albus!" Lyric exclaimed, "That's disgusting!"
The old man chuckled, "Well perhaps it is, but it does make me well qualified to give advice."
Lyric had to laugh at her uncle, "What advice is that?"
"It's not so much advice, as it is a question that you must ask of everyone you become involved with or wish you could become involved with."
"What's the question?"
Dumbledore grabbed Lyric's shoulder, "Is he worth it?" he said slowly for dramatic effect.
Lyric thought for a moment. "I don't know the answer to that," she said.
"Then perhaps, he isn't." Dumbledore said, pulling his niece in for a hug. "But what do I know; I'm just an old fool. Now you better get going or you'll be late for Professor Snape."
"Thanks," Lyric said, smiling at her uncle. But as she left his room, her smile faded. His advice hadn't solved anything. In fact, it had made her more confused. She wandered through the halls to Snape's office.
Lyric was about to step inside the office when Snape yelled at her, "You're late Miss Dumbledore."
Lyric stopped short of the doorway. "Am not," she protested. As she said it, the clock struck eight.
"Now you are," Snape said without a single flicker of amusement. Lyric scowled at him.
"How can I help you tonight, Sir?" she asked stepping into the office.
"Finish with the bookshelves," he said waving Lyric off towards the back of his office.
Lyric said nothing in response; she simply set about her work. As she ran her fingers over the hundreds of dusty leather-bound books, she found herself thinking again of the Muggle literature in Snape's bedroom. Her mind flashed briefly to an image of Snape kicked back in his quarters, a book balanced on his chest and a glass of Fire whiskey clasped peacefully in his hand.
She snapped back to reality to find Snape hunched over his desk, a mountain of parchment scattered in front of him, and a cup of untouched tea still steaming. 'Close enough,' she thought to herself with a smile.
The silence droned on in the room, driving Lyric crazy. Even when Snape was yelling at her, she still enjoyed the conversation more than complete silence. She decided that starting a battle with Snape was the only way to get him to talk to her.
"You've quite the impressive collection of books in your quarters," Lyric said, making conversation. Snape dropped his attention from his grading to glare at Lyric.
"I'd rather not discuss personal affairs, if that's alright with you," he said coldly.
"I'm just saying I enjoy Muggle literature too," Lyric pressed on pleasantly. "I should rather like to borrow a book or two."
"Miss Dumbledore-" Snape began.
"Have you got Shakespeare? I do love his plays" she gabbed on as she worked.
"Miss-"
Lyric cut him off again, "Macbeth was by far my favorite, though I disliked the portrayal of all witches as old, nasty hags. Nevertheless, truth be told, I have met a number of witches that do fit that description..."
"That's enough-"
"I've always thought that Macbeth could be set in the 1920's American Gangster era, and no one would be able to tell it was Shakespeare."
"MISS DUMBLEDORE!" Snape yelled forcefully.
Snape was giving her a look that normally would have frightened her at once, but she now found herself enjoying his rage. It was attention from him after all.
"That is quite enough," he said. His volume was lower, but his tone had stayed the same. "It is impossible to work with you gabbing on and on like some silly schoolgirl."
"But I am a schoolgirl," Lyric responded, thinking she was being witty.
"Exactly my point," Snape snapped, burying his nose in his grading once again.
Lyric turned back to the bookshelves, suddenly remembering what her uncle had said.
'He may be worth it to me, but I'll never be worth it to him,' she thought sadly.