Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: So… I'm horribly, terribly sorry for the wait for this chapter. Most of you have probably forgotten about this story completely and lost hope. I just haven't had the time or ideas to sit down and write a bunch, and I've had this chapter in the works on my computer for awhile. It was enjoyable to write, so I hope you enjoy reading it as well!

13. PORTRAITS OF MERPEOPLE

Homecoming was… unexplainable. It was confusing and wonderful and all those things that they just couldn't explain. They all left the afterparty at The Tunnel tastefully, neither drunk nor high, with their dates.

Tom had kissed Hermione, Harry had kissed Lena, and Arianna had attacked Ron before he could object. The twins had their fair share as well, possibly more…

As the days went on, Harry and Ron had finally started to find their way around and had made acquaintances of Tom's friends. Neither was happy, but this would do for living in a Muggle world.

They walked down the main stairs to the art room, in a secluded wing of the school on the bottom floor.

"I'm worse at this than I am at Potions," Ron muttered. "Bloody Hell… Art class. Why art class?"

Both boys were in a funk after Moody had accidentally set off the house security alarm (which no one knew about or what it was) at three in the morning. No amount of caffeine could cure their sleepiness.

And Ron did really suck at drawing. All art in general, actually. They walked into the art room, which smelled of pencil shavings and turpentine. Harry breathed it in; he wasn't sure if he liked the smell or not. Ron had been tempted to perform a Bubble Charm, but seeing as he had no wand…

"Good morning; please get out your self portraits from the top drawer labeled 'Period 3' and begin your work," said the art teacher, Mrs. Goodall, an ancient lady with hair whiter than Lucius Malfoy's.

It was long and crazy, not unlike Professor Trelawney. In fact, she reminded Harry of Professor Trelawney quite a bit, especially in the way she talked.

"That's how all these artsy types are… Little bit like that Loony Lovegood girl…" Ron muttered as they sat down to begin their work.

Harry wouldn't be surprised if Mrs. Goodall came around to predict their futures within their artwork or something… He was quite glad to be out of Divination.

"I hate this," Ron muttered, throwing down his pencil. "I. Suck."

Harry chuckled silently. His portrait looked not unlike the merpeople down at the bottom of the Black Lake he had run into during the Triwizard Tournament last year.

"Oy, you think it's funny, do you?" Ron frowned. "Yours isn't so great either. Bet if you drew Lena she'd be insulted."

Harry snorted and looked down at his own portrait, thinking that Ron should eat his words. Harry knew his wasn't very good, either, but it didn't look like anything Hagrid had ever taught them about in Care of Magical Creatures. He missed Hagrid…

"Ronald, do you need some help?" Mrs. Goodall asked as she walked near their table. "Your shading is leaning a little towards the outlining side."

"Yeah, no, I'm good," Ron said. Harry knew he was fuming inside.

"Nice work, Harry. Keep up the good work, you two. You're really capturing a likeness," Mrs. Goodall said as she walked away.

Harry instantly burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter. Ron made a face.

"I really look like this?" he exclaimed. He held the portrait up to his face and turned to Harry. "I really look like this? I'm hideous!" Ron was growing hysterical with disgust and Harry was growing hysterical with laughter.

The people at the tables near them were quietly laughing, even though they were not meant to hear this conversation; but Ron was talking pretty loudly.

"Ron… Ron!" Harry hissed. Ron stopped and gave him a look. "Shut up."

They took their projects home two days later. Ron had received a C, and Harry had received a B.

"Look at Ronnie's little arts and crafts project," Fred cooed as soon as they walked through the back door. Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen as usual. Kingsley, Snape, and Moody sat at the kitchen table with cups of tea, quietly discussing something that sounded important.

Harry thought he heard a sharp Jersey accent coming from the T.V. in the living room. "Bloody Hell, not again…" he said under his breath.

"Look at Ron's beautiful picture!" George exclaimed, tearing the rolled-up picture out of Ron's hands.

"No, stop; give it, you git!" Ron exclaimed, trying to wrestle the picture from George's hands.

George won, and unrolled the picture for Mrs. Weasley, Kingsley, Snape, and Moody to see.

Harry tried not to laugh for his best friend's sake, but it was too funny. Everyone in the kitchen, including Hermione, Ginny, and Snape were laughing and ridiculing Ron's hideous drawing.

"Looks like them merpeople in the bottom of the Black Lake at 'ol Hogwarts!" Moody exclaimed. Everyone doubled over with laughter at this comment; this was exactly what Harry had thought.

"That's horrible, Ron!" Ginny said. "It looks just like you!"

Ron was fuming; even his ears were fire-engine red. His face was redder than his hair.

"What's the-?" Sirius walked in the kitchen and stopped, struck with laughter. George was still proudly holding Ron's hideous self-portrait. "My, my… What is that?"

"It's- me," Ron said through gritted teeth. "I- drew- that."

"Oh, dear, it's not too horrible, is it, now?" Mrs. Weasley tried to console him through her laughter, patting him on the back. "I think it's rather good. Good enough to- hang on the… fridge? Is that what Muggles do with such things?"

Ron's self-portrait hung proudly on the fridge before an hour had passed.

Ron sulked in his room alone, making the best he could of his Geometry homework, when a knock on the door interrupted him.

"Who's that? Come to ridicule me even more?" he snarled.

"Open- the door," Snape's voice hissed from the other side of the door.

"All- all right…" Ron whimpered. "Come in…" He gulped.

Professor Snape opened the door and crossed the threshold in all his Batman-like glory, cape dragging on the floor.

"Yes, sir?" Ron said softly. He eyed the black case Snape was carrying. He instantly assumed there were some sort of Muggle murder tools in it and that Snape was coming to kill him. "I- I… I didn't do anything, I swear."

"Weasley, you're not in trouble," Snape spat. The look on his face softened. "I… Since we're all going to be in this house together… For a very long time… I believe we should all somewhat try to get along," he said slowly. Ron didn't meet Snape's eyes.

"You're- you're going to kill me, aren't you?" Ron whimpered, edging further and further back on his bed as Snape put his black case on the desk.

"Weasley-"

Thud. Ron fell off the back of his bed.

"Weasley, get up!" Snape hissed. Ron scrambled back onto his bed and tidied his Geometry papers. He rubbed his head.

"Anyway," Snape continued, "I feel like we should all make an effort to try to get along, and seeing that hideous portrait you brought home today, I feel that this should be the first try."

"Oy, can't you people stop with the portrait already?" Ron started to turn red.

"Mr. Weasley, you shall still address me as 'Sir' or 'Professor'," Snape said harshly. "Kingsley and Moody have been talking about creating one unit in this house; a unit that stays together and can sit in the same room without a fistfight breaking out, and they designated me to start to unite this unit, seeing the mutual loathing between myself and most of you."

Ron's eyes grew wide. What?

"So… What does this have to do with my picture?" he asked.

"I, Mr. Weasley, am going to teach you how to draw," Snape said with a raised eyebrow. "Come and sit," he pulled out another chair from the desk.

Ron's eyebrows knitted in shock. "You- you… draw?"

"Indeed. It is little known that I actually have a degree in the fine arts." Snape said.

Ron couldn't believe his ears. His eyes widened into saucers.

Snape opened the black case. Ron still had the nagging fear that he would see some sort of Muggle murder tool in it, but instead, Snape pulled out… a sketchbook.

Snape flipped to the first page. On it was a single circle; shaded perfectly. He flipped to the next one, holding numerous studies and sketches of hands and feet; detailed and extremely realistic.

"Wow," Ron breathed. Snape, an artist? "Can I… look?"

"Go ahead and flip through while I take out my supplies," Snape said. Ron was surprised that he was actually allowing him liberty to look through something as private as Snape's sketchbook.

Ron flipped through and through, scanning over studies of the human figure, anatomy of Grindylows and Hippogriffs, and short sketches.

He closed the book. "You're- you're amazing," he said breathlessly. Snape was setting up paper and sharpening some pencils.

Snape's dark eyes made direct contact with Ron's blue ones. It felt odd complimenting Snape, and Ron knew Snape felt odd accepting the compliment.

"Thanks," Snape said. "Now please direct your miniscule attention span to the paper and pencil in front of you," he resumed his usual snarkiness.

Ron quickly gripped the pencil.

"Draw me a circle," Snape ordered.

Ron's face fell. "But, sir… I can't…"

"Just draw me a circle," he snapped. Ron frantically drew a… squarish and circular, yet triangular shaped figure.

"That's hideous."

Ron gulped. "I know…"

"But that's fine. We must start somewhere," Snape said.

Snape and Ron continued with their drawing lesson until Ron had learned the proper technique for circle drawing.

"Hey, Ron! Ron, let me copy your-" Harry stopped in the doorway and did a double take. "Sn- er, Professor?"

"What do you want, Potter? Can you not see that I am in the middle of something?" Snape snapped.

"Sorry sir," Harry said, then made a quick exit.

What in…? He couldn't even imagine what was going on.

In the passing week, Harry had noticed that Ron was strangely improving in art class. It had to be from Snape, Harry assumed.

"I doubt he'd teach you how to draw," Ron said. "He still hates you, you know."

"Yeah, I know, mate," Harry said. "But don't go around acting like you're Snape's favorite student either… You know that's reserved for Malfoy," Harry snickered.

A/N: I'm going to try to get the next chapter up ASAP. Meanwhile, read, enjoy, and review!