DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything that looks familiar, this all belongs to J.K. Rowling. The character of Jane Groenhorst is mine though.
Reviews are love! This is my first Fanfiction story...
Chapter Six: Bubbling potions and emotions
SPOV
CRASH! I threw my last glass of firewiskey into the fireplace. I was so angry with Albus! Actually angry did not even cover the amount of rage I felt towards the old fool. How could he decide that I was to tutor that young woman without consulting with me at all! I also cannot believe that she needs any private tutoring. How can a girl that brilliant be bad at Potions of all things? I'll just go to bed, there is no need to be exhausted tomorrow during my first class of the school year. Which class do I have tomorrow morning anyway? DAMN!
...
I got out of bed, after performing my morning rituals I summoned an elf for some breakfast and prepared myself for class. I'm wondering if she is really that bad at Potions? I'll find out soon enough though, because class starts in three minutes. So after another four minutes I made my way to the classroom. I was always later than the students during the first class to ensure a dramatic entrance. I swoop into the classroom, many of the students stop talking immediately and bow their heads, eyes focussed on their tables to avoid eye contact. All except one, Miss Jane was sitting in the front row of the classroom, the row where no one ever sat except if there were no other tables left. She sat their smiling up at me and suddenly said: "Good morning Professor." Her classmates gasped, and raised their heads a bit, anxious to hear my reaction. "We shall see about that Miss Jane," I sneered, but she still sat there smiling as if she knew something I did not. I began the class, today the students had to brew the draught of living death. A very advanced potion, and probably no one would be able to brew it correctly. I wrote the instructions on the board and signaled them to start. Walking around, making sure no one would either poison us or blow the entire classroom to pieces, I noticed that my predictions would probably turn out to become true. No student seemed to be capable of brewing this complicated potion, even with the instructions on the board. They were struggling with the Sopophorous bean, it kept jumping away every time they tried to cut it. From the corner of my eye I saw that Miss Jane, did not seem to be struggling at all, but looking more closely it did not look as if her potion would be a success either...
JPOV
Today I will attend my first class at Hogwarts. And what do you know, it is Potions, the subject I am supposed to be bad at. Making my way to the dungeons I spoke with my fellow classmates. "You better not look him in the eye. And don't talk back at him if you value your life! And please try not to blow us up, or make any major mistakes unless you enjoy detention." "He cannot be all that bad now can he?" "O trust us, he has been our professor for six years now and we know how evil he can be. He really lives up to his nickname. Evil greasy bat of the dungeons." I could not believe that Professor Snape would really be as bad as all that. Dumbledore already told me that he had a reputation of being nasty to students, but everyone seemed to hate him! Well I'll find out soon enough because class starts in three minutes.
...
I looked around the classroom, most of my classmates chose to sit in the back rows, quarreling about who could sit there. Without hesitation I chose a table I had always chosen during my education, the front row. No one else was sitting there so to me it seemed a quiet place where I would be able to pay attention to whatever the Professor would teach us today. One of my Slytherin classmates came up to me, I believe his name was Leo. "Do you have a death wish?!" he asked me. But before I could ask him what he meant, he ran back to his seat and our Potions Professor strode into the classroom. As he reached my table I wished him good morning. I heard my classmates gasp. How is it that everything I do and say is so surprising to them? I saw the wheels turning in his head while he quickly thought of an answer. "We shall see about that Miss Jane." Yes we shall indeed.
After Professor Snape informed us of the fact that we were to brew the draught of living death and wrote the instructions on the board I began to think of a way to screw up my potions without killing anyone. I saw my classmates struggle with the Sopophorous bean, so I decided I would struggle with it too, trying to cut it, but throwing it in whole after several attempts. I also decided that stirring clockwise instead of anti-clockwise would be another way of making sure that my potions would be absolutely worthless. I saw Professor Snape glance my way and sigh, apparently my plan was working and he truly believed that I was a bad potioneer, however all shall be revealed tonight...
SPOV
I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The girl tried to cut the Sopophorous bean, failed and decided to throw it in whole! Then she stirred clockwise instead of anti-clockwise! Could she not read?! The instructions were on the board and clear as day. Her difficulties with the Sopophorous bean were understandable, there weren't that many people that knew that you should crush them instead of cut. But stirring clockwise instead of anti-clockwise is just plain stupid! While I am certain that she is not stupid at all, it almost seems as if she is doing it on purpose...
After class I asked her to stay behind, we still had to set a time for her tutoring. I told her that I wanted to see her straight after dinner since I was not planning on wasting my entire evening. She nodded and agreed that she did not want to take up all of my leisure time and left. She did not seem angry or sad about me telling her that I considered tutoring her a waste of my time, she really was an unusual young lady.
JPOV
After Potions I had Charm, Herbology and Transfiguration. These classes were interesting, but uneventful. Except for the fact that each of my Professors seemed to be pleasantly surprised by my capabilities. After classes I reclined to my chambers to change out of that dreadful school uniform and into my own clothes. Since I was going to be brewing I decided on wearing a pair of black trousers instead of a dress. Pairing it of with a maroon coloured long sleeved tunic I bought in this lovely boutique in Paris last summer, I was almost ready to go. Releasing my hair from its confinement and slipping into my favourite pair of black pumps I felt a bit more like myself again.
I walked into the Great Hall for dinner. The second I walked in I could feel his eyes on me. I quietly ate my dinner and waited for him to finish his. After Professor Snape finished his dinner and stood up from the High Table I also stood up and said goodbye to my fellow Ravenclaws. I met up with him in the hall and joined him on our journey to the dungeons. At first neither of us spoke a word. Until... "I was very disappointed with you this morning Miss Jane." "I am terribly sorry Professor I will try to do better in the future, but I am quite sure that with your help I will do better in no time." He raised one of his eyebrows at me and said: "Indeed." We continued walking in silence. Once in the Potions classroom he spoke again: "Well, Miss Jane, I want you to brew the draught of living death once more, so that I can see exactly what you did wrong." "Alright Professor." While I gathered the necessary ingredients from the supply room I was debating whether to make the same mistakes as this morning and pretend once more, or if I should show him that I did know how to brew. Making my way to my cauldron I had made up my mind. I crushed the Sopophorous bean with the blade of my knife and added its juice to my already simmering potion. I then stirred anti-clockwise seven times and clockwise once. It turned the acquired pale pink and I stepped away from my bench, turning to my bewildered looking Professor and asked: "Now how did I do Professor?"
SPOV
I stood there watching her as if nailed to the floor. She brewed it perfectly. She crushed the Sopophorous bean, she even added the clockwise stir after the seven anti-clockwise stirs. Nobody had ever done that except me! "Now how did I do Professor?" She was smirking, she was playing with me, she thought this was funny. I "You little liar! Why did you pretend to be bad at Potions and convince Dumbledore that you needed private tutoring? Don't you think I have better things to do then tutoring little girls who likes to make a fool out of their Professor?! Do you think I want to spend time with such a pathetic student who pretends to be bad at something in order to waste my precious time?! What do you want from me?!" I was seething, how could she? She seemed so sweet and gentle and intelligent and nice. So innocent. "Not so innocent actually Professor." Silence, the only sound heard was my breathing. "I'm sorry I didn't want to interrupt your train of thought but you are thinking so loud that I can hear everything." She heard me! She heard what I just thought about her?! "Uhm Professor I can still hear you. I advise you to stop thinking and start talking?" She looked at me with her big sea green eyes waiting for me to reply. "I am sorry Miss Jane for what you have overheard, but I still don't understand why you.." "I didn't do anything sir, it was Professor Dumbledore's idea. He already had the suspicion that I my Potions skills were above average, so he figured that I might benefit from some extra classes, something more stimulating than the regular Potions classes." "And you honestly want me to believe that you agreed to spend your precious free time with the surly Potions Professor?" "You do not have to believe it Professor, but it is the truth nonetheless. And speaking if truth, do you really think that I am sweet, gentle, intelligent, nice etc.?" She smiled at me, really smiled at me. Nobody smiled at me except for Albus with his annoying twinkling eyes. But now this beautiful young woman was smiling at me. "Do you think I am beautiful?" Damn my mind and damn her! She giggled. Apparently my mind is no longer my own. "I think the universe is trying to tell you that whatever is on your mind, you should share it sir." Do I think she is beautiful? Yes you do man, you know you do. Look at her! She did not show any sign of hearing my thoughts now. Or at least she did not say so. Yes she is beautiful, those trousers fit her perfectly and clings to all the right places. She sighed, her bosom heaved as she did. She could not hear this now could she? No, she would tell me if she did. But I have remained too quiet for to long. "Miss Jane would you like some tea?" "Tea would be very nice, thank you Professor." Merlin, her lips looked delectable…. What did she say? O this woman was driving me mad! She wet her lips and left them open slightly. I cannot handle this anymore! Alright Severus you old lecher enough is enough. Dismiss the girl and end this madness! "That would be all Miss…."
JPOV
He thinks I'm beautiful! Well he has not said it exactly, but he thought it did he not!? I could not bring myself to telling him that his thoughts were still ringing in my ears as clear as bells. It could not help myself from sighing a content sigh. While his thoughts kept running, he suddenly remembered that he had been silent for quite some time. "Miss Jane would you like some tea?" I might not be British, but I never turned down tea, so I gave him my answer. He did not hear me, he was staring at my lips. He thought they looked delectable! Self consciously I wet my lips, feeling slightly breathless from hearing his thoughts. But then I overheard a thought that was not so pleasant. The poor man named himself a lecher, while he clearly wasn't. I will show him! I'll show him that our minds were quite alike. "That would be all Miss…." I took a step towards him, I was planning on kissing my Potions Professor. Kissing a man that I met the day before yesterday. However I did not get the chance to think anymore, because my little step seemed to be the last push he needed….
SPOV
I'm going to kiss her damn it. I don't care that she is my student, she is of age and therefore an adult. I don't care that I only met her the day before yesterday, I just want to kiss her. She took a step towards me, bosom heaving, lips slightly parted. There is no way back, and I don't want a way back. I closed the space between us and took her face in my hands. I bowed over slightly, brushing my nose against hers and softly catching her lips in a feathery light kiss. She tasted of the chocolate covered strawberries she had for desert and something purely woman. Pulling back from her I could not believe that I had actually kissed her. Her eyes were still closed and her lips still parted. Then she looked up at me, smiled and said: "I cannot believe that actually happened either, but I'm glad that it did. Goodnight Professor." And she walked out of the classroom and out of our dream. "Goodnight sweet Jane."