Chapter 10! Year 6. Slughorn's a jerk, Snape answers questions, Lauren blows up a wall.

I am being so misleading right now. XD Oh, but, hey guys! Guess what? Ten Chapters and fifty three pages! I'm always excited when a story hits the big five o so I'm excited!

I really wanna thank everyone who's read, reviewed, watched, or favorited because it's made the experience all the sweeter for me. I hope you guys will continue to stick around and enjoy, ask me questions, and send me comments.

Um, if you didn't know there's a companion story to this peace now, Hands in the Darkness, it's complete and fills in for the Department of Mysteries battle.

Oh, and I'd like to thank in particular PandaWong, SandyLovesKittens, XenaHades, nightworldangel, FonzFan, The Yoshinator, Isa'ralia Faradien, Lost Astronaut Of Apollo 11, and Readergirl99.

You all are amazing and I hope you can feel at least a little bit of my happiness at this moment.

Also, thanks to the random readers~ Hope you enjoy. =3

Chapter 10 – Little Miss Nosey

Lauren did not like Slughorn at all… Well no, that was false. As a person she thought he was okay, perhaps a little nervous, but nice, well meaning. She did not like him as a teacher however. He was far too lenient with her, with her mistakes. No extra work because she had botched a potion, no detention or reprimanding. He just paired her with Luna and kept moving, didn't try to address the issue, didn't try to help her get better.

She was very sure that if he had been her potions professor from the beginning she never would have learned anything. He was so dismissive about everything… well except for Harry and Hermione being in his class. They were obviously the favored students and, while she harbored no jealousy for this it was a little irksome that he would throw her education under the proverbial bus.

He was just… she didn't even know what he was, but he was coming towards her, wearing that same amiable smile he always did.

"Off to class Ms. Dari?" he asked cheerfully.

"Ah, no sir. I'm free for first. Going to go bother someone" she smiled back.

"Oh? Well, if you have a moment may I talk with you about something?"

"Certainly" she nodded.

They took a seat on a nearby bench and his face took on a slightly less cheerful appearance.

"Now" he began "my dear girl. This is about your performance in my class."

She blinked, not sure if she liked where this was going.

"I understand that you received an Outstanding on your O.W.L for potions and I won't challenge those results but" he paused, frowning. "Well I can't help but think that potions may not be for you. This is very advanced stuff we are working on you know and so far you haven't completed one assignment properly."

She definitely didn't like where this was going.

"Perhaps you should transfer out?" he suggested gently, resting a hand on her shoulder.

She most definitely did not like Slughorn.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and turned away from him. It took quite a bit of effort to drag her emotions under control and as he questioned quietly "Ms. Dari" she turned and gave him the brightest, fakest smile she could manage.

"Could we perhaps talk about this some other time, Professor Slughorn?" she requested. "Perhaps have an academic meeting for me with a few of my other teachers? I hate to say so but your class isn't the only one I'm struggling in, maybe you all could think of something to help me."

He smiled kindly, accepting the lie without pause. "Of course dear girl. I'll round them all up at lunch and we'll plan a date."

"Thank you" she continued to beam. "I'll see you in class then."

"Yes, see you then" he patted her on the back and walked away, blissfully unaware of the daggers she was glaring into the back of his skull.

When he turned the corner she dashed off, running as fast as she could to her previous destination.

She gathered a few stares as she went, though not many as she'd gained the reputation for being odd and doing odd things. Anyway, at this speed no one could see the tears in her eyes or hear her pathetic sniffling, and even if they could, they were busy trying to get to class.

She came skidding to a halt before the door and pulled it open with more force than was necessary, running inside.

Snape was standing at the front of the room, looking startled, which was amazing since he was never startled, and she was even more upset that she couldn't appreciate it.

She tugged the door shut behind her and ran up to his desk, hesitating before she actually got to him. She thought better of tackling him in a hug and simply stood there, hands shaking from nervousness and anger, eyes burning, stomach doing uneasy flips.

He stared down at her and she looked up at him, pleading him with her eyes to please not ask, please just, just do… something. Please just do something to make her feel better and don't ask because she didn't want to talk about it or think about it or acknowledge that it had happened at all for the next few minutes at least.

He conjured her chair and she fell into it gracelessly, watching with blurry eyes as he disappeared into a back room.

He came back a few minutes later with a tea tray, she could smell chamomile, and she smiled.

He set it down and poured her a cup, half tea half cream, two sugar cubes and a spoonful of honey, just like she liked it and she smiled a little more.

She pulled out her kerchief, wiping her eyes before she picked up the cup and took a sip. It warmed her and calmed her, and she took a deep breath, leaning back in the chair with a sigh.

He sat across the desk from her, drinking his own tea, watching her from over the top of his cup, waiting for her to speak.

She'd noticed that over the years he had gotten more patient with her, less demanding but still as stern. She thought that, maybe he'd gone from being annoyed by her to actually maybe, caring a little. It was a nice thought that she sometimes entertained when she was down and that made her feel a little better.

She took another sip and met his eyes, muttering softly "I don't like Slughorn."

"Oh?"

She shook her head and set her cup down, arming away the tears that wanted to try and start again. "He told me I should drop out of potions" she sighed and watched the look in Snape's eyes grow cold.

It still scared her a little how quickly and easily that look could come and with it trained on her she shrunk down in her seat, eyes going to her lap.

"How did you respond?" his cool voice spoke and she felt a little more at ease despite herself. He didn't sound angry, at least not at her, and his voice, regardless of what it was saying, had gotten become a sort of soother to her subconscious mind.

It made it easier for her to look up at him and answer, smiling a little bitterly as she spoke. "I asked if we could talk about it later. I smiled and lied and said I wasn't doing well in most of my classes. I don't know why. He believed me though, which is sort of insulting, and agreed to an academic meeting… Will you… will you talk to him?"

"Certainly" he said.

She smiled. "Thank you… for the tea too. You know just how I like it."

Her laugh was soft and still a little sad and he offered her one of his rare smiles. "It is no problem Ms. Dari."

"Still" she sighed. "Thank you."

She felt so much better with him here. It was odd, to others at least, but his presence was comforting. Just being around him made her feel secure, like nothing could hurt her, like no one could hurt her. He was a safe place, a safe person who would protect her with all the strength and knowledge she knew he possessed.

Somewhere in the back of her mind a memory tried to tickle her brain, tried to break through the fog of her thoughts. Strong, gentle hands, a familiar voice, so sad and worried… It was gone as fast as it came and she was confused. Where...?

She sipped at her tea again and sat in the silence of the room with him. He was watching her with that focused gaze again and she wondered what he was thinking. What did he think of, deep, profound things, happy things, sad things?

It occurred to her that he knew more about her than most people, most of her friends, and that to her he was a complete enigma. She knew nearly nothing, but she wanted to know more, maybe everything… She wanted to know him, this man she called Professor and counted, privately, as a friend, this man who held such a tender place in her heart.

She loved him, very much. Had since second year when he took the time to ask her what was wrong. In the last few months the line of platonic and romantic had started to blur but she didn't pay it much mind. She counted the two as nearly the same, one simply implying more intimacy. It didn't matter anyway; regardless of what she felt he probably wouldn't return it and she wouldn't address it.

He was a wonderful man though. She wanted to know him better.

"What's your favorite tea?" she asked suddenly and watched with a spark of amusement as his brow quirked up.

"Black. Why?"

"You always make me Chamomile, I thought maybe I could bring your favorite some time."

He hummed softly in that way he tended to when she said something agreeable. "That would be nice."

She smiled and looked down into her empty cup, nodding. "It's the least I can do… Mind if I ask another question?"

"I suppose not."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Green."

"House pride?" she giggled.

"Nostalgia" he replied.

"Favorite food?"

He took a pause, considering. "I am partial to stew."

"Me too!" she cheered. "Favorite class… When you were a student I mean."

"Potions. DADA was a close second."

"Favorite time of day?"

"Dusk."

"Season?"

"Fall."

"Uh… Forest or seaside?"

"Seaside."

"Camping or hotel?"

"I have never been camping."

"Really? Maybe we should go some time" she laughed. "There's a really nice spot that my cousins take me too, there's a lake close by with turtles and a cliff that makes you feel really close to the sky."

"It sounds lovely" he supplied, smiling faintly again. He was not completely sure if wandering into the woods with her would be wise but it did sound nice.

She hummed thoughtfully, trying to think of another question to ask him. There was one on the tip of her tongue but-

"Why do you put up with me?"

It was out before she could stop it and she looked bashfully at her lap. She hadn't meant to say that and now things were going to be awkward. Twiddling her thumbs she hoped that maybe he would just disregard it, but she was actually very curious. Why would he put up with her? Sure she'd made progress, was a little better at her potions, but she was still pretty bad at them. She felt just as hopeless with these things as she had in her first year and Slughorn had confirmed all of her worst fears.

Maybe she wasn't cut out for Potions…

"I do not put up with you." His voice pulled her from her negative musings and she met his onyx eyes, peering at her from over his laced fingers. "To put up with you would imply that I find you unpleasant in some way. There are certainly aspects of your personality that I do not enjoy, but I find you to be a pleasant person and someone I am glad to associate with."

She blinked and he cocked his head up slightly, resting his palms on the desk. "Might I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why do you put up with me?"

She blinked and looked down again, smiling shyly. "I don't put up with you either. I told you last year, in the letter, remember? I care about you." And her heart skipped a beat as she said it, destroying the barrier between plutonic and romantic, blowing it up with a ton of dynamite.

She wondered if he knew how true her words were, wondered if he felt any of the things she felt. Of course he didn't. Then she wondered if his words were true, realized he didn't lie, and felt a happy warmth in her chest.

He watched her from his seat, eyes unmoving, and she wondered again what he was thinking. A whole string of questions and she still knew virtually nothing about him… That was, okay though.

"One more question?" she asked.

"Is there any good reason for me to say no?"

She giggled and met his eyes. "Do you think I'm hopeless? Should I… Should I drop out of Potions?"

"Daft girl" he sighed. "Would you really throw away all of your hard work, all of our hard work, because of something a foolish old man said?"

She fidgeted slightly, feeling foolish herself. "I'm sorry."

He rolled his eyes. "You have never been hopeless. Regardless of what anyone, myself included, has said. You are a young woman with potential."

She smiled, just a little, and he looked at her pointedly.

"You are, however, still as much of a fool as you have always been."

"H-Hey!" she spluttered.

"Have some confidence in yourself, trust your own judgments and then maybe I will stop calling you a fool" he challenged.

She rolled her eyes "and what do I have to do for you to stop calling me daft?"

"Hm… I think that may be a permanent title."

"Professor!" she whined and as she did the bell rang. They had spent all of first block talking. So much for helping him grade those papers today.

With a sigh he collected their tea things and took them away. She stood, stretching with a yawn, and dragged her chair around his desk, ready to sit there and watch class go on.

She was rather sure that they'd be doing practice today so she wouldn't be sitting much but at least it got the distraction out of the way… One distraction anyway.

He came walking back in and she watched with a small smile as he wrote the lesson on the board.

There were a lot more questions she wanted to ask him, more generalities, and more personal questions. She wanted to ask more of what he thought of her and why, and she wanted him to ask her about her thoughts on him. She wanted to know him, know him as a little more than her teacher, maybe a little more than her friend?

The likely hood was small, but she could dream.

She could dream and ask questions.

So, what do you think? I've never written for Slughorn before and he wasn't a terribly interesting character to me so I dunno if I got him down but I feel like he's a well meaning but cowardly kind of guy who only looks out for himself and people who interest him so that's how I put him down.

As I promised this chapter focused more on Lauren's thoughts and viewpoint and, as you can see, the wall she blew up was the wall of platonic feelings! Someone's got a crush! XD Let's all tease her! No, no I'm terrible.

Anyway, hope you all could enjoy. I'm working on the next chapters as we speak though I'm not sure which ones will go where so no more posting till tomorrow.

I might go with showing the academic meeting, in which Slughorn gets pwnd! Or I might just skip over to Draco angst and maybe a bit of Harry angst.

Comments, questions, advice or suggestions? Send em my way! All reviews will be read, appreciated and taken into consideration while I write. =3 And if you have nothing to say or just don't wanna take the time, thanks for reading anyway! Have a good day/night/other!