Chapter 3

Pride is among us.

It was around two in the afternoon when she woke up to the knocking on her door. She opened her eyes and realized her smokes where on the nightstand; she grabbed them along with her lighter and hid them under the pillow while she sat on the bed.

"Come in"

"Hello sweaty, did you sleep alright?" Mrs. Weasley was coming inside with a tray on her hands.

"Yes, thank you, I'm very sorry for what happened last night"

"Don't worry dear; here I brought you some lunch"

"Thanks" She grabbed the tray and placed it on her lap. Mrs. Weasley sat down beside her and said,

"You have your lessons with Professor Snape today, would you like me to tell him to reschedule? You could sleep a little more, you still look exhausted"

"No, it's ok, I don't wanna mess with his time, I'll be ok"

"You sure?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Ok then, when you're done get dress he'll be here in about an hour to pick you up"

Mrs. Weasley's cooking was amazing, she couldn't figure out how her children weren't all morbidly obese with all the incredible food she prepares, and then she remembered Ron stuffing his face last night.

"Bloody genetics" She mumbled with her mouth full of mash potatoes and chicken. (A/N I've got no clue about traditional English cooking so bear with me if I mess up). After she pealed the orange Mrs. Weasley had put on her tray she proceeded to open her bags looking for something to wear while she hanged and folder away her clothes. She picked a long Hindu style skirt with elephants drawn around the lower part. (A/N I dig the hippie dress style and might reference to it frequently, so if u don't really know how the skirt or any other garment looks like let me know and I'll post the link to a picture for you to see) She put on a body hugging black tank top and her roman style sandals. She checked the time; she still had some time so she decided to keep unpacking. In the bottom of one of her bags she found a picture she had taken on her way out of her father's house. It was a picture of her mother's holding her as a baby. A tear fell from her eyes and then a strong knock on her door scared her and made her drop the picture.

"Mum wanted me to tell you that Snape will be here in 10 minutes so you should be heading down"

"Thanks Ginny, I'll be down in a second" As the door closed she kneeled to clean up the mess. The frame had broken open and wouldn't stand still anymore. She picked it up and threw it in the trash can located in one of the corners of the room. She stared at the picture again and realized she did not recognize the background so she turned it around to see if there was any reference. Nothing.

"Alana, professor Snape is here". She checked her watch, three o'clock. These people were really punctual. She picked up her shisca (A/N it's a bag made out of yute, which I cannot find a word to translate it to so I'll add a picture of it in the bottom of the chapter along with one of the skirt) and ran downstairs and into the kitchen.

Alana's POV

Mrs. Weasley along with Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Moody were all sitting in the table drinking tea while Snape was standing close to the chimney.

"Hello all, how are you professor?"

"Fine, let's go" He wasn't the most talkative person.

"You two have fun" Mrs. Weasley gave me a warm smile and I swear my professor gave her a snort.

"I'll have her here before 8" With that he turned around and started walking towards the door.

I waved them goodbye and followed him out the door. He grabbed my arm and with that we left Grimmauld Place and apparated into a sad looking neighborhood. I know houses don't have feelings but still, there was something about that place that was seriously depressing. I followed him into a small house.

"This is my house" He didn't look at me. Have I done something to offend him? Or is he always this impolite?

"It…. Has a lot of books" I couldn't find anything to say about the place, it wasn't dirty, but neither was it warm, nice or cared for.

"Yes, it does" He gave me a puzzled look.

"Are all of them yours?" I was suddenly curious to know if some of them belonged to someone else, maybe a wife who would at the moment be out with their children.

"Yes, all of them are mine, some I bought and some I inherited from acquaintances and relatives that are dead" His way of saying friends and family who have passed away and now I miss a lot?

"Ohh… well you know…" He cut me off

"Follow me, will go to my lab"

I did as he told me and we went through a door and down a few stairs that led to some kind of basement, filled with tall tables, stalls, more books, cauldrons of different sizes and materials and a whole wall with shelves filled with cups that contained Morgana only knows what.

"This is a third year potion's book; today we will work on a few of these potions to see how much pain will be added to my person once you join the school"

I figured out he didn't like his students, or other human beings for that matter. I opened the book and said to him

"I've brew some of these before"

"Well, that should make your work easier, now follow the instructions, I'll be over there working on some supplies for the school's nurse, unless you are positively sure you've made a mistake that will set the whole lab on fire, don't bother me, are we clear?" What was the point of him blasting into my room last night if he was going to be this unhappy about giving me the help he offered? Maybe Albus made him do this. I can't call him grandfather or great grandfather for that matter, it's too weird, I know it's not his fault that I never got to see him, but still… I just can't.

After I was finished with my cure for furunculous I called out to him

"What?"

"I'm done" I replied.

He approached my cauldron and gave its content a close look.

"You're actually decent at this" Was that his version of a compliment? I mumbled a thank you and he stepped toward the wall that was covered with books. He picked up a fourth year reglamentary book and handed it to me.

"Which one should I do?"

"Surprise me. The ingredients you might need are on the left shelf of the wall." I gave him a puzzled look and he turned on his heels and went back to his work.

I flipped the pages and found a very interesting potion. I walked to the shelf and looked around it, realizing he had everything organized by name, type and level of danger. Organizational freak. I picked up the ingredients I required and went to work. I called him up and when he saw my work his eyes opened wide.

"Wolfsbane?" He asked.

"Yes, it was on the book"

"It's mentioned on the book as one of the used given to verbena, not as something a fourth year can or should do"

"Well I'm supposed to be a fifth year" I stated.

"Yes and this is advanced seventh year stuff"

"Are you mad at me?"

End of Alana's POV

Snape's POV

Mad wasn't the word. I was surprised, shocked, astonished, and by some strange reason… proud. Could it be that the old man was right? NO! He just couldn't be.

"No, I'm not mad, where did you learn to prepare this?"

End of POV.

"It was in one of my mum's old books from school"

"And…?" She realized he was still waiting for a full answer.

"And I did it a couple of times for one of our neighbor's kid who had been bitten by a werewolf in a trip to Colombia."

"Your mother wasn't in advanced potions, she couldn't have that book."

"Did you know my mother?"

"Answer the question"

"She said it belonged to one of her friends and that she must have taken it with her from Hogwarts by mistake when they graduated." She answered, but his eyes were fixed on her with such anger, like a father when they know their kid's has done something they shouldn't.

"Do you still have the book?"

"No, I left it in Chile when we moved"

His muscles relaxed. He broke eye contact and said

"I think it's time I get you back to Black's house, it's almost seven thirty." Alana nodded and picked her bag.

"When will be having lessons again Professor?"

"You don't need lessons, you're more than capable of preparing Wolfsbane, you're far ahead than the rest of your future classmates" She felt a little pride with his words. "Put the potion in a vase and give it to Lupin, he'll appreciate the fact that somebody other than me can control his little problem" He said sarcastically.

"Is Remus a werewolf?"

"Why else would he need the potion? To cure hair loss?"

She understood it was best to be drop the subject.

They left the lab and stepped into the living room.

"I need to get something to deliver after I leave you, wait here" He climbed up the stairs and Alana started to run her hand across the bookshelves. She stopped at a book that caught her attention. "A History of Wizards and Witches in Colonial America" (A/N I'm Argentinean, so when I say America, I refer to the continent, not the U.S.) She picked it up and was about to start reading it when Snape came down the stairs.

"Let's go"

"Professor, I was wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Could I borrow this book? I promise I'll take care of it and have it back to you soon"

"Yes, yes, whatever, let's just go, I'm late"

With that they left the house and disappeared out of the sad neighborhood.

Here are the links as promised! And don't forget to review ppl! Here are the images, I put spaces cuz otherwise you wouldn't see them

saltaregionales. Com .ar/popup_ image .php? pID= 141

articulo. mercadolibre. Com .ar/MLA- 124769799- pollera-h indu-pareo -simil- terciopelo-_JM