Chapter 4

All Because of the Stupid Monkey

October 6, 1996

I felt like have the Gryffindors were not talking to me, just because of the stupid essay Professor Snape assigned. The dirty looks I was getting just kept getting worse, especially when we learned that the Slytherins were excused from the assignment.

Hermione left dinner early tonight to study. I wasn't really in the mood for homework and I didn't want to go back to the common room so I decided to explore the castle. Once I reached the 4th floor I heard somebody cast the full body bind jinx. I ran toward the voice.

Neville from Herbology was flat on his back unable to move and that blonde Slytherin boy was standing over him laughing.

"Hey," I said loudly to get the blonde boy's attention. "Pendemonium," I said with a swish of my wand. The boy's eyes widened and he stated running around in circles like a ranting lunatic. I released Neville from his bind and held out my arm to help him up. "Are you okay," I asked him.

"Yeah, thank you, I-" Neville stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly looking terrified.

"What is going on here?" said a forbidding voice behind me.

I turned. "Professor Snape," I welcomed nervously. Why did he have to be the one to catch me jinxing someone from his own house? He glowered at me for a moment then turned to the crazy looking boy.

"What have you done to Malfoy?" The professor asked me.

"Malfoy?" I asked; I was distracted by the death glare he was giving me.

"Draco Malfoy," He said loudly, pointing at the blonde boy.

"Oh, so that's his name," I gulped.

"He jinxed me, Professor," chimed in Neville, bravely, "and Alex helped me." He turned to Malfoy. "I'm not sure what she did." Snape shot Neville a piercing glance which seemed to make him lose all his nerve.

"Go Longbottom," Professor Snape said, as he focused his angry eyes back on me. Neville left, and I felt so alone. "What. Did. You. Do?" He whispered venomously, holding out each word so he sounded even more murderous.

I glanced over at Malfoy; he was shimmying as if attempting a strange Latin dance. "I made him think there is a monkey on his should, Sir," I said, trying desperately to keep a straight face.

"Do you find this amusing," Professor Snape asked me darkly.

Just at that moment Draco yelled. "It's got my ear!"

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch. "Kind of," I said repressing giggles .

"Make it right, now." He said this in a most quiet whisper, but I wish he would have shouted. I obeyed at once.

"The monkey?" said a very confused Draco.

"Go to you common room Draco," said Snape almost kindly. Then his eyes darkened. "As for you," he looked at me with so much hatred I was sure I would die from his gaze. "I cannot believe how much annoyance you have already caused me in such a small amount of time."

"Professor, Draco attacked Neville and I just-"

"Another fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention I think." That cruel unnatural smile was spread across his face again. I smiled to.

"Detention, with you?" I asked excitedly; just to make it perfectly clear. A detention, I thought happily, why didn't I think about this before? Being alone with him, we could talk and maybe even bond. I wondered if Professor Snape was familiar with the muggle band, Journey.

"Yes," he looked at me as if he was already regretting it. "Tomorrow my office, 9:00 sharp," he said firmly

"Will I be doing lines, Professor?" I asked

"No, lines are no uses to me," he said as the evil smile returned. "No, you will be gutting salamanders to feed to are next class, project," he paused, "without magic." Wonderful, I thought; so, gutting salamanders, not the most appealing task imaginable, but I wanted this detention.

And not even trying to hide my enthusiasm I said. "I can come in sooner if you'd like, Professor. That way I can get more done. I can do anything else after I'm finished with the salamanders. You could keep me in detention all day if I could be useful to you."

He just stared at me for a long moment. "Thank you for that kind offer," He said mirthlessly, "but frankly I would prefer to see as little of you as possible."

I looked at the ground. His words stung. "Yes professor." I walked away as quickly as I could. I need to make him like me.

October 7, 1996

I knocked twice on his office door. "Come in," said Professor Snape's voice. I entered. he was sitting at his desk grading papers. He did not look up, but put a giant 'D' on the essay in front of him.

"Good morning," I said brightly.

"Get to work," he greeted as he pointed to a big buck of dead lizards on the floor near his desk.

"Poor salamanders," I said, badly trying to make conversation. He said nothing. I worked in silence, this was so disgusting. "Am I doing this okay?" I asked five minutes later as I held up a gutted lizard for the professor to see. He looked up from his papers and gave a swift nod and then went back to ignoring me.

Two hours had pasted and I was almost done, I didn't want to leave yet. So I worked extra slow. I walked to the desk with the full bucket of slimy, smelly, lizards. "I've finished professor."

"Fine, you may go," he said while not looking at me.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes," He said still looking at his paper work; he put another fat 'D' on an essay.

"I could do something else," I said.

"Do you remember what I told you last night?" he asked as he failed Harry Potter's paper without reading it.

"Yes," I answered quietly. "You said that you want to spend as little time as possible with me." I felt a wave of sadness fall over me as I spoke.

"Need I be clearer?"

"But Professor," I said desperately. "I just thought that maybe you would want to get to know me, just as I want to get to know you." I was blushing, but it didn't matter because he was still not looking at me; though, I knew he was listening. "You are the only family I have left."

At last he looked up. He stared at me for a long time. I couldn't read his face. "I guess," he finally said. "That you thought wrong." My heart fell into my stomach. "On the contrary, I have not the slightest desire to 'get to know you'," he mocked. "To me you are nothing more than another irritating teenager that I am obligated to teach." Each word was like a bullet to the heart. "And in future," he continued as if he had not said enough already, "I would appreciate it for you to not associate yourself with me. We are not family.

I couldn't take it, I ran out of the room, tears blinding me. As soon as I closed the door I ran straight into someone. I fell backwards. I looked up to see who the poor, by-stander was that I had hit. Albus Dumbledore looked down at me with concern etched on his lined face. I stood slowly.

"Professor I-I'm so s-sorry." my sobs messed up my speech.

"What has happened to you," he said kindly.

I tried to smile through the sobs. "I'm f-fine, really, Professor." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I'm…um just sad about the...salamanders," I answered not even bothering to come up with a convincing lie.

"The salamanders?" asked Dumbledore.

I felt my breathing steady. "Yes Sir. You see I was in detention with Professor…Snape and he had me gutting salamanders."

"And you have a love for salamanders?" Dumbledore humored.

"Yes Professor, I have a love for all lizards." I said

Dumbledore chuckled. "I see," he said "And what did you do to earn yourself a detention with Professor Snape?"

The sobs were almost gone. I smiled slightly, for I still found the situation funny. "I jinxed Draco Malfoy; I made him think there was a monkey on his shoulder."

Dumbledore laughed. "Well," he said "I cannot say that I have ever heard that one before. Now where did you find a jinx like that?"

"My little sister uses to use it on me all the time." I explained.

Dumbledore laughed again. "Now my guess is you are longing for some sunshine." I nodded. "I will not keep you from it then." He said and I heard him chuckle to himself as I left.

Professor Dumbledore Knocked on Professor Snape's office door, "You may enter," answered Snape's voice.

"Good day Severus," said Dumbledore cheerfully as he entered the room.

"How may I help you, Headmaster," answered Snape.

"Oh," said Dumbledore, "I merely came down to burrow a book from the library, when it occurred to me that we haven't spoken in a while."

Snape looked questionably at the headmaster, and then said, "You came down here just to talk to me?" He emphasized the word just. Dumbledore never just came to talk, there was always something.

"Precisely," said Dumbledore. Snape waited. "A curious thing happened to me on my way here."

"Oh?" said Snape who was arranging papers on his desk.

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "I met a very sad looking girl exiting your office."

Snape snarled. He now knew why Dumbledore was there.

"She is a very special young lady. Do you not agree, Severus?"

Snape did not answer, but shifted more papers on his desk.

Dumbledore spoke again. "The other staff find her very special, indeed. Horace tells me that she does very well at potions."

Snape stood from his desk, knowing the subject could no longer be avoided. "Headmaster," his tone was a forced calm, "It has nothing to do with the girl being special," he spat the last word.

"But, it does," said Dumbledore easily.

"I am very busy," Snape said coldly, turning away from Dumbledore, towards the paperwork he had already finished.

Professor Dumbledore's tone change; he suddenly grew serious. Severus, Lord Voldemort believes Alex Snape to be dead."

"Yes." Snape said, with his back still turned to the headmaster. He suddenly spun on the spot to face Dumbledore, his black robes whipping around his ankles. "You have still failed to explain to me why it is that she is still living." His calm voice became unsteady with frustration.

"Lord Voldemort, will learn of her survival," said Dumbledore mildly, with no intention of explaining anything.

Snape's jaw tightened, "he will."

"Then you see the problem?" Dumbledore asked.

"I do," Snape said darkly.

"Voldemort trust you, Severus, and we must keep it that way," said Dumbledore gravely, "That is why you must be the one to inform him of Alex's survival and soon."

A shadow seemed to fall over Snape's pallid face. He nodded.

"Now she is safe, while she is at Hogwarts," continued Dumbledore. "But after you have killed me-" Snape let out a humorless laugh, Dumbledore ignored him, "you will collect Alex from the orphanage where she lives during the summer and take her to the Order of the Phoenix. They will protect her."

"Why would you even bring her here if it put her in danger," Snape said with a note of desperation in his voice.

"She would have been in danger anywhere," said Dumbledore sadly.

"Why did you not take her straight to the Order?" Snape shouted.

"Because you need her, Severus," said Dumbledore simply.

"Excuse me?" Snape mused.

"You need her."

"What is that suppose to mean?" said Snape angrily.

"Love," said Dumbledore.

"How is that an answer?" Snape said angrily.

"What is life without love?" Dumbledore said, looking at Snape sadly. "You, Severus, have seen much more hatred and evil than one person should ever see in their life time." Snape stared at Dumbledore with a look of utter disgust on his face. "You should have seen more love. And she loves you, Severus. Of That I am most sure."

Snape's face grew stony, completely unreadable. "She does not love me," He whispered icily.

"Why do you find the matter so unbelievable?" questioned Dumbledore. Snape didn't answer. "She loves you."

"You are forgetting," Snape rolled up his sleeve, revealing the darkmark that had been branded on his left arm.

"I think that you will find Alex much more understanding than you would expect." Dumbledore stood. Snape looked up at Dumbledore waiting for him to elaborate. "Good day, Severus." And Dumbledore left, leaving Professor Snape alone with his thoughts.