Today is the first Quidditch match and I wasn't really into watching it. I can't bring myself to watch Potter on his new broom. I really would like to be at his place right now and I hate myself for that. Draco wasn't in mood either. He was grumpy all morning and he will from time to time mumble something about Potter. He was probably jealous and of course he didn't admit it. I don't blame him though, I don't want to admit it either.
The match began with few difficulties but ended up with Gryffindors winning, unfortunately. It wasn't as boring as I thought it would be, because Potter's broom went wild and he was almost knocked off it. And that was hilarious.
But because of its weird behavior I realized that Potter's broom must be cursed or something, and that also meant that Hermione is soon going to find out who did that.
But when I met her that day she said something that I would never think of.
''It was Snape! He tried to kill Harry! It must be him!'' She was talking fast like always.
''Hermione I've already told you I don't th-''she cut me off and I just stood there looking at her like I was frozen in my spot.
''He was casting a spell on Harry's broom Esther! I know what casting a curse looks like!'' She looked me dead in the eye and I swear could see the flames in her eyes while she spoke.
If only I could just said to her that Snape is my father and that he would never do that, then she might have believed me, but I can't. I need to find another way to clear my father's name but right now I don't have any idea how to do it.
While I was talking to myself inside my head, Hermione said a whole bunch of stuff about how Snape isn't a good person, and how she is a hundred percent sure that it was all his fault. And I, of course don't know how to answer that.
And when I finally decided how I was going to start talking her out of that idea someone's loud voice started to spread all over the half empty corridors.
''Esther!'' the voice was now clearer and louder, and I instantly recognized it.
We turned around and I don't think I would ever be this happy to see Draco. And I am never going to tell him that, of course.
''Hello to you to Draco!'' I said trying my best not to smile.
''I need to speak with you, come with me!'' he said and turned to leave.
''I can't I am with Hermione right now.''
'I am stupid'. I said to myself .
I really don't know why I said that. Just a few seconds ago I wanted to run away from the conversation I had with Hermione, and now I was gonna ruin the perfect opportunity.
He just looked at Hermione for few moments, and then he narrowed his eyes. ''Sod off Granger! We need to speak about something important!''
''Wha...'' I lost my words. He raised his eyebrow and looked at me with a smirk placed on his face.
''H...Hermione I am so sorry I am going to deal with him and I will find you later.'' I send her an apologetic look, but she was too angry to notice.
''Whatever!'' After that she left without another word.
When she went around the corner I turned toward Draco.
''Draco was that necessary?!'' I asked a little bit irritated.
''I don't know what you are talking about." he said in his usual mocking voice.
''You know well enough what I am thinking about!'' I didn't take my eyes off him.
''I need her gone, because I need to speak with you in private.''
''Sure, but you could have said it nicely.''
''Of course I could, but where is the fun in that?'' He smiled evilly, and I just rolled my eyes.
He can sometimes be such good company and all, but sometimes he is just well, Draco.
''So why do you want to talk with me?'' I asked.
''Umm...not here...there are too many people.''
''Okay!'' I said it slowly and Draco started walking the way he had arrived.
We found an empty old classroom and we went inside. The classroom was dark and dusty it probably wasn't used for ages and the moment we arrived I realized that I was alone with no one other than Draco Malfoy who was famous for picking up on people weaker then him.
''You're not mad at me, right?'' I asked like he was going to hex me at any moment.
''Er... No!'' He drifted off a little. ''Why would I be?'' He looked at me like I was crazy.
''Um... I don't know! Your head functions a little bit weird.'' I said making fun of him. ''So what do you need to ask me?''
''Um well I need t...'' He was so quiet that I didn't hear a thing. ''Sorry could you repeat that, I didn't hear you.''
''I need your...'' He again was too quiet and his voice got lost in the huge classroom.
''Draco, you know that you need you be louder if you want me to hear.''
''I need your HELP, okay!'' He shouted at the top of his lungs and a crimson color spread all over his face. Even his ears were red.
''Oh. My. God. I can't believe it!'' a huge smile spread over my face. ''The great Draco Malfoy, needs my help. Should I feel, I don't know, honored?'' I said making fun of him.
''Okay, okay you can stop now, I get the point. Seriously, stop that is weird.'' He smiled a little and for the first time it wasn't that disgusting smirk of his.
''Oh really?'' I looked at him in disbelief. He didn't say a single word, he just returned the same look at me and I could tell that he was serious. ''Okay, back to the point!'' I said after what was like a very long silence.
''Okay but for the record I didn't ask for your help, I just need um, advice.'' He probably wanted to make himself look like he was better than me, but he actually looked funny and I was trying so hard not to laugh.
''What ever you say!'' I was trying so hard not to smile that my face had become so red that it probably looked like I was ready to explode.
He ignored my weird expression and continued with the conversation, and I'm really glad for that. ''So it's Pansy's birthday after Christmas holidays, and I had been wondering if you could come one day with me to Diagon Alley, and help me pick out a present for her?'' He was talking unusually slow like he was trying to choose the right words.
''Sure I would love to.'' His face immediately went back to its usual calm and cool look, and only then I was able to see how nervous he was just a moment ago.
''Have you thought about the day you want us to meet, because I need to sort some things out before I promise anything?''
The things I need to sort out are actually the talk I need to do with my father and I don't know how that will turn out. I have never went anywhere without him or Dumbledore and this is going to be so weird.
'' Well my father said that you cou...'' He drifted of and while doing so his face slowly started to lose its color and now he was paler then usual.
''Your father?'' I asked in disbelief but again my voice was really quiet. ''This whole conversation doesn't have anything to do with Pansy's birthday, am I right?" I was slightly hurt. For a brief moment I thought that, for a change he wanted to do something nice. But unfortunately I was terribly wrong.
''I still need your help with the present, but my father want to have a word with you.'' He stood up little bit straighter.
''So you've been lying?'' I can't believe he did that. Actually I can I don't know why I thought that he thinks of me as a friend. He is just his father's little son who can't think with his own head.
''I have not...'' he shot his head up. ''My father-'' I cut him off.
''Could you stop talking about your stupid father for a moment?!''
I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I lost control over my emotions again. This is happening too often, that is probably because I am surrounded with too many people and I am still not used to that.
''I will come, and I will speak with your father. So you can go and tell him that you have finished your task.'' I said with anger following every word.
I turned on my heel and I went to the door. ''Now if you excuse me I need to go and do something important!" I said still visibly angry. After I finished I went out and left the door open, I didn't even turned to see Draco, I just didn't care if he was hurt or something like that.
After that, I instinctively went towards Snape's classroom. And when I looked at him, my anger magically disappeared and I felt like everything was fine.
My dad, like always, was sitting in his usual place in the corner of classroom. With no windows, greenish light was spreading through the room. He looked kind of peaceful while reading his favorite book. Defense Against The Dark Arts was at its front page. That wasn't an unusual scene at all, he always wanted to teach Defense Against The Dark Arts but Dumbledore never let him and I don't know why. I think he would be amazing at teaching it. He knows so much about that subject, and he also taught me all kinds of stuff.
''Christine, why are you here?" He said suddenly, causing me to jump. "It is Saturday, you don't have classes today." He said not taking his eyes off the book.
I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. This was going to be hard, so I decided to go straight to the point. "Draco asked me to go with him on Christmas holiday to Diagon Alley to help him find a present for Pansy!" When I finished, only then I realized that I had been holding my breath for the whole time.
At first I wanted to ask him about this morning match, but now I needed to speak with him about problem with Draco.
''So want do you want from me?" He asked in his usual calm and kind of creepy voice.
"Can I go? "I was now beside him.
"You can. Is that it?" He was unusually emotionless and I couldn't figure out what he was thinking about.
"Okay...Um...one more thing." I looked him in the eyes, when he for the first time lifted his head. "Is there a chance for us to spend some time and to not look suspicious? "I was hoping that he wouldn't send me away.
He looked up at me and his lips curled in tiny smile. "Of course!"
I smiled widely at his answer. "Is there any new potion you want me to teach you, how to brew?" He asked closing his book.
"Actually I was thinking about some spell, maybe." I swear that his eyes flicked a little when I said that.
"Is there any particular one, or do you want me to choose." He said a little bit faster then how he usually spoke.
"Could you choose, I'm not quite sure." I would give anything right now for the ability to read minds because my dad's face looked stiffer then ever trying to contain his usual emotionless face.
Snape opened one of his many books on his desk and he started searching for something.
"Aha, this should work!" He said suddenly, and even though he was talking to himself he managed to surprise me.
He took out his wand and pushed all desks against the wall. He then motioned for me to come to the center of the classroom.
"So this spell is used to make someone's whole body stiff." He started explaining to me what was the spell was that he was going to teach me, only when I was just few steps beside him. "You can use it when you want to stop someone from moving, but you need to cast it correctly or they will manage to free themselves too soon. "He was walking around the classroom while explaining the spell in process. "But if you use it right the person upon its cast cannot move any part of there body. This is a spell that freezes or petrifies the body of the victim, making it incapable of moving, except for the eyes and lungs. It is colloquially known as the Body-Bind Curse or the Full Body-Bind. The spell can be broken by the Finite Incantatem spell." Snape said with twisted smile placed on his lips.
I really enjoy listening to his lessons about spells, because whenever he does that he somehow looks more alive.
After explaining what the spell was about, he took one rat who had been locked up in one cage in the corner of the classroom.
He put the rat on his desk where he already made an small barrier so that rat can't run away. He then pointed his wand at the animal and shouted "Petroficus Totalis!" and white lights shoot from the end of his wand and when spell hits, the rat stiffened and fall on his back.
I slowly went to the table and I went down so that rat was now in my eye level. "Is it alive? " I poke it with my finger testing if he is going to move, but nothing happened.
"It is, but it needs a spell to move again, or you can just wait for spell to wear off." he said and went a little bit closer so I could see what is he doing.
"Finite Incantatem!" He said and the rat started moving again like nothing has happened.
"So have you understood how it's done?" He said looking rather pleased with himself.
"Kind of. I mean I did understand it, but I am not quite sure how to pronounce the name." I looked at the floor I am ashamed of my stupidity.
"It is alright, repeat with me " I nodded and I was glad that he didn't said anything else. After that he continued with lesson. "Petroficus Totalis!" He said really slowly so I could understand what I need to say.
"Petro... Petroficus T.. Totalis" It was hard and for some reason I couldn't say it at all.
"Good. Say it again" I repeated it for few more times, without a wand, until it was perfect. I had hard time saying the words but in the end I finally succeeded.
"Now, try with a wand!" Snape said encouraging me to try.
"Petroficus Totalis!" I shouted, but nothing happened. "Petroficus Totalis!" I shouted once again but nothing happened. This is pointless and it is starting to annoy me. "Calm down, it is not as easy as you think it is!" Snape said and I think that he actually saw that I was angry. "Lets stop for a moment."
He want to stop?
For all those years he never stopped with the lesson. Am I that bad at this?
I never struggled so hard with any spell I have learned so far. Why is this one different? Whenever I am learning something new I always at least produce something but this time nothing come out from the wand.
"Come on, let it out!" He said suddenly and I looked weirdly at him.
"Let out what?" I asked not quite understanding what he meant by that.
"You are full of anger. Now let it out, what happened?" He crossed his arms waiting for my answer.
"It's nothing!" I put on my best smile trying to cover my lie.
"Do not lie to me!" His voice was deep and treating.
Sometimes I get the feeling that he can somehow read me like an open book and I can't hide anything from him.
"It is Draco." I whispered and stopped for a second. "He lied to me. He always does what his father wants and that is annoying." I said and my anger started rising once again. "Sometimes I get the feeling that I am talking with his father but not with Draco. It is weird."
"Lucius is dangerous man and he is not to be taken lightly. And I think that Draco knows that. Pay attention to how he behaves when he is with him and I think that you will get the answer to your question."
I didn't think of that, he is maybe right, I don't know why I never thought of it. That is probably because he never showed that he was troubled by something or I never cared to notice.
"What did he want from you? "He suddenly asked.
"Draco said that his father wanted to speak with me, but I have no idea what he wants."
"That is indeed weird." He stopped for a moment, like he was thinking about something. "Lucius is kind of man that loves people who are wealthy and powerful, so try and pretend that you are one of those people. And please promise me that you will be careful." His face softened a little.
"I am the daughter of Severus Snape, of course I am going to be fine!" He let out a small smile.
"Okay I promise!" I hugged him and he kissed my forehead. "Now let's continue with the lesson." He said breaking up the hug. He is not the type of person who likes to be hugged, but I don't care.
After that we continued with the lesson, and by the end of the day I managed to get the spell right.