Disclaimer: I don't own it...though I wish I did...

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Chapter Nineteen: First Day of Classes

Hope was being shaken by someone on Monday morning trying to get her to wake up.

"GO AWAY!" She yelled, turning back over.

"Hope, you're already late, we have potions in thirty minutes!" Hermione exclaimed to the girl.

Grumbling, Hope got up and walked to the shower. She hadn't slept well the past two nights because she was afraid of the nightmares that would come. She knew if she did, she would wake everyone else up in the common room from screaming, and she didn't want to make everyone mad at her the first day she was officially in their house.

After getting a shower and getting dressed, Hope stumbled out into the common room and met up with an impatient Hermione.

"Merlin, Hermione, being late isn't the end of the world," Hope exclaimed at the look on her face.

"It's your first day of classes and already you want to be late? Even Ronald isn't that bad."

"Where are Harry and Ron anyway?"

"At breakfast, where you should have been an hour ago."

Hope shrugged and left to go to her class. They had ten minutes to get there, so Hermione dragged Hope along with her as she quickly walked to the dungeons.

They arrived just on time and Hope took a seat in between Harry and Hermione. Severus came blowing in and slammed the doors causing Hope to flinch. Obviously he was in a bad mood.

"He's like this every day. That's why nobody likes him," Harry leaned over and whispered.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter, for talking without permission. Now everybody open your books to page 264 while I assign partners."

Harry glared at the professor before rolling his eyes and opening his book. Hope opened her book and listened as her godfather called out names for partners.

"Potter and Crabbe. Granger and Parkinson. Weasley and Goyle. Collins and Malfoy."

Hope groaned and picked up her things to move seats. She knew she should have expected this, considering that Severus was trying more than ever to get Hope to talk to him again. They were on better terms, but not as close as they were.

"Hey Hope. You want to set up the cauldron while I get supplies?"

Hope just stared at him as if he had grown a third head. "Okay, maybe I should set up the cauldron and you get the supplies," he said with a laugh.

Hope was confused but decided she should be able to figure out what some simple supplies were. She wrote them down quickly, and then went to get them out of the pile in the front of the room.

Once she got up there, she noticed none of them were labeled and she didn't have a clue which ones she needed. She heard a snicker behind her and turned to face Harry.

"It's not funny! I don't know what any of these things are."

Harry laughed before pointing out the supplies to her and then getting his own. After Hope double checked to make sure she had everything, she returned to where Draco was sitting, tapping his fingers impatiently.

They set to work on their potion, mostly with Draco telling Hope which ingredient was which, so that she wouldn't totally ruin the potion. They were almost finished with two ingredients left, when everything went wrong.

"Hope, I'm going to go get a vial and label it for our potion, all you have to do is add the valerian roots in one minute and then the chopped sopophorous beans, after two minutes."

Hope nodded and watched him go. As soon as he was a little away Hope felt something hit her hand on the table. She looked down and saw a crumbled up peace of paper. Turning around she saw it came from the table where Hermione and Pansy were working, so she opened it and felt tears come to her eyes.

How does it feel knowing you got your parents killed? They won't be the only ones. The Dark Lord will take away anyone you care about until you are left with no one.

That is, unless you join him. He's waiting for you, Hope.

Hope looked at the letter before tucking it in her robe pocket. She looked at the ingredients and tried to figure out which to add first.

"Did he say add in the valerian first or the sopophorous first?" She whispered to herself.

Shrugging, she picked up the sopophorous beans and added them in before stirring it. As soon as she stirred it, the potion exploded, throwing her back against the table behind her.

"At least the table wasn't in use…" She mumbled to herself looking at her now stained robes.

"What happened!?" Snape's angry voice came from in front of her.

"I mixed the ingredients up, I think…"

Snape muttered something before pointing to the door off the side of his classroom. Hope sighed before getting up and walking to his office. She sat down, knowing she'd be stuck here until after the end of class, and then she would probably be yelled at.

Hope was rubbing her head where she'd hit it when Severus finally walked in his office and sat down in the sat behind his desk. Hope looked up and noticed Malfoy was behind him.

"Great. Look, I'm sorry I messed up the potion, but it happens, doesn't it? From what you've told me, there's at least one mess up a day. It was my first potion, and a fifth year one at that…I think I did pretty well…"

Severus raised his hands to stop her from talking. "Hope do you realize had you landed on a table that was being used and the contents of that cauldron spilled on you, it would have burned the skin right off your body?"

"No…" Hope said, looking at the ground.

"And Draco, what in Merlin's name were you doing, leaving her alone with a potion? You know she's never brewed before. I paired you with her thinking you would possess the small bit of intelligence needed to know not to do such a thing!"

"I was going to get a vial! I thought she'd be fine for two minutes."

"And I'm glad you have such faith in me, Professor. I'm not as daft as you think. I would've been fine if…" Hope trailed off, not meaning to say that much.

"If what? And for Merlin's sake quit calling me Professor or Sir when we are not in the classroom."

"Nothing. I just got distracted by someone; I'll make sure that it doesn't happen again. Now am I allowed to go?"

Severus sighed. "Hope, sit down. Draco, go and get a clean robe from her room. Use the other door in my classroom and it'll take you straight to my quarters."

Draco nodded and took off.

"Hope, I don't know what to do with you. You've made it clear that I offended you by adopting Draco. I've done everything I can think of to show you that he isn't more important than you; it was just the circumstances that forced the adoption to go through so fast. What more must I do so that you understand that I do care for you?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, Severus," Hope said, thinking about the note. "I don't really want to be adopted anyway."

Severus opened his mouth to reply but Draco ran in with the new robe. Hope shrugged out of her old one and noticed the reddish color of her skin.

"I guess that's what you meant, huh," she said.

"Come here," he said, turning and pulling something off the shelf behind him.

"No, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt. Honestly, my head hurts worse from the table, but that's fine also. Can I go now? I'm going to be late for whatever class I have next." Hope said the sentence really fast as she pulled on the new robe.

Draco watched as a crumbled peace of paper fell out of Hope's robes. He secretly picked it up and watched as she argued back and forth with Severus over when she was leaving.

"Seriously Hope, you won't be late. Our next class is a free period. This wouldn't be what distracted you during class, would it?" Draco asked, holding up the piece of paper.

"What? How did you get that?" She exclaimed, reaching for the paper.

Draco's quidditch skills allowed him to pull back before she could grab it. "I'm taking that as a yes. What could be so important that it would distract you from a very dangerous potion?"

"Draco, give it to me," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Perhaps it's from Potter?"

"It's not from Harry! Give it to me, it's mine!"

"Both of you shut up. Draco, give it to me."

Draco looked torn. He didn't want to get Hope in trouble if it was in fact from Potter, but he didn't want to get into trouble himself for disobeying his father. He gave up at the stern look he was receiving and handed it over.

"No! That's mine!" Hope exclaimed, her voice growing frantic.

"It was passed during my class, meaning I have the right to read it," he said, receiving a glare that could match his from Hope as he opened the crumpled note.

Hope turned to run out of the room to avoid the lecture but was stopped by the locked door. She turned and noticed her godfather holding his wand up while his eyes scanned the note with growing fury.

"Please…" She pleaded with him.

"Hope, who threw it?"

"I don't know!"

Draco was confused so he dared to ask what the letter said.

"It's none of your damn business. It's nobody's except for mine!"

"Hope, is this why you suddenly changed your mind? You're afraid of what the Dark Lord will do to us?"

"No! I know the letter is some stupid prank," she lied.

Severus sighed, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere with her right now. "Very well, but if I find out you're taking it seriously, then we'll have another chat."

"Okay, whatever. Can I go now?" She begged, turning back to the door.

"Yes, but be in my quarters tonight for dinner. There are other things that need to be discussed.

"But…"

Hope was interrupted. "No buts. You will be there at six o'clock . Understand?"

"Fine." She replied dejectedly.

Hope turned and left the room, grabbed her stuff, and left the classroom. She began her way up the stairs and realized she didn't even know what class she had next.

"And to think I thought this school was supposed to be fun…" She muttered.

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A/N: Here's the other chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Review please...and then i'll love you forever...lol

Kayla