Chapter thirty - Late for class

Gina spend most of the weekend in the library, and went there after breakfast on Monday too. She had been working on an long essay on Alchemy in Medieval Europe for professor Binns, and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the library, as in most of the other parts of the castle she was getting lots of stares and students accosting her in the hallways. Gina couldn't find any of her study friends there this morning, and she wondered fleetingly where Jill was, as she usually was present at their regular table behind the Invisibility section during weekdays.

To her annoyance she bumped into Malcolm Jaust, holding a book on Flesh-Eating Trees of the World and looking as smooth and slippery as usual.

'Hello beautiful,' he squeaked, eyeing her.

'Hello Malcolm,' Gina said flatly.

'You look a little lonely. Can I help you out?' He smiled a creepy smile at her.

'No.'

'Surely you-'

'I said no. What part of that is unclear to you?'

'I- Neither part.'

'Leave me alone, Jaust.'

'R-right.' He scampered.

Gina sighed and installed herself at her and Jill's regular table, thinking Severus would be proud of her. Though Severus had never cared about Jaust... Probably because he knew Gina wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot broomstick.

Unfortunately it wasn't finished. When Gina returned to the library after lunch, thinking she would use her free period to catch up on Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms, thinking Gabriela might have a point that Gina might need Runes to solve a puzzle in the Third Task, she found her way back to the table blocked by Lucian Bole. Gina tried not to show her irritation. She had five minutes left to get to the dungeons for Potions, she was thoroughly annoyed already by having just spend 40 minutes on vague old runes, and was even less in the mood to cope with Bole than usual.

'You were really unkind to Malcolm this morning,' Bole said slowly, his eyes narrowed.

'What do you care how I treat that moron,' Gina snapped. 'Get out of the way.'

'Excuse me.' Bole advanced on her. 'That is my cousin you are talking about, you arrogant princess.'

Fucking pure blood families. Gina thought heatedly. Of course they were related... 'Get out of my way,' she spat. 'And if you look at my breasts one more time I will jinx your eyes shut.'

Lucian didn't move. Not wanting to touch him, Gina looked up at him, unblinking.

'You really think you can?' His voice had become low and quiet. 'Why don't you give it a try... I might have my way with you after you bite the dust though...'

The hairs on the back of Gina's stood on end. She really wanted to bustle past him and run, but she had learned at home what to do when someone threatened her. Never show fear.

'I would rather eat a pound of doxy eggs than let you touch me,' Gina said coldly. 'I'm actually getting nauseous of the thought of it.' She whipped out her wand and preformed a non verbal heating spell. The tip emanated so much heat Bole had to do a step back. 'Now if you will excuse me, I have to go vomit,' Gina said heatedly. She got a lot of stares when she hurried past Bole and past the students quietly working, bent over their books.

Hurrying downstairs, Gina stuffed her books in her bag. She was late. Cursing Bole under her breath she ran down the stairs leading to the dungeons. When she entered the classroom everyone looked around. The class was taking notes on the concept of synergy and the limitations of Golpalott's Second Law, based on the notes on the black board.

Severus, standing in front of the class, looked very annoyed.

'How nice of you to join us miss Aldaya,' he sneered in a irritated tone. 'Aren't we lucky to be blessed with your presence at long least.'

Gina hurried over to her desk and sat down.

'As you have already interrupted my lecture,' Severus continued in a sarcastic, biting voice. 'Is there anything else we can do to make your life easier, besides allowing you flexible hours? Maybe miss Blainey can take your notes for you. And mister Boot can brew your potion. That way you don't have to be present at all next lesson. That would be a improvement.'

Gina saw a few students look at Severus with big, round eyes.

'I am sorry I am late professor,' Gina said quietly. She stared at him, forcing herself to look unaffected, but she felt hurt and confused. She was only five minutes late. She had never been late to his class before.

Jonathan gave her a tiny smile, which she returned faintly.

'Stay behind after class,' Severus snapped. 'I have no use for apologies. Now, before miss Aldaya blessed us with her presence, we were discussing the five aspects to take into account when you determine whether a poison is suitable for an antidote based on Golpalott's Second Law. Who can tell me what they are? Or has no one bothered to read chapter fifty-three?'

Gina got out her books as quietly as she could. She knew the answer, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself. After a moments hesitation, Hannah raised his hand. Severus sighed when he looked around, than turned his attention to Hannah.

'Miss Adams, amaze us,' he said irritably.

'The thickness, texture, colour and-,' Hannah started summing up.

'Really girl, it really is impossible to underestimate you,' Severus sneered. 'You display a shocking inability to grasp basic concepts. The first thing you do when determining whether Golpalott's Second Law, or even Golpalott's First Law, is applicable is testing the presence of concealing, or hiding, ingredients. My word, you would drink Basilisk venom if I'd added peppermint to it, wouldn't you? What meets the eye is subject to modification, alteration...' He shot another look at Gina, than turned back to the black board and gave a irritable wave with his wand. The notes disappeared and five new points appeared. 'Copy this down, we will go through them for the next ten minutes. Than you will start with the poison on page two-hundred and twenty-eight. You will brew an antidote for this poison next lesson.'

After the lecture Gina collected the ingredients she needed and was working concentratedly when she suddenly heard Severus' his cold voice behind her. Apparently he had been standing behind her, looking over her shoulder.

'What is this?' he asked, pointing at a note in her Spanish potions book.

Gina stared at the note, a feeling of dread rising inside her.

'It isn't mine sir,' she said as aloof as she could muster. 'My ex scribbled in it.'

This wasn't entirely true, but Severus had pointed at instructions for a curse to shut off someone's windpipe. Since it was squeezed between the lines in tiny handwriting, in part Spanish, part Latin, Gina never thought he would be able to discern what it said.

Gina looked up at him. He raised his eyebrows, and Gina knew he had seen through her lie.

'You might want to get a new copy,' Severus said coldly.

'Professor? Is it normal for the poison to start foaming at this point?' Helen said sounding panicky. Severus gave Gina a sharp look, than walked over to Helen and glanced in her cauldron. It's content had almost reached the edge of the cauldron. He whipped out his wand and the potion vanished with a pop.

Severus looked furious.

'Tell me miss Blainey. Did you already add the Hemlock?'

'I- yes, sir.'

'I know you had. Meaning that potion was potentially deadly when in direct contact with bare skin long enough. How many times do I have to tell you not to stand by a cauldron containing poison and do nothing when it reacts in any way differently than is described in the book?'

He stared incredulously at the fire beneath the cauldron. 'You haven't put out the fire,' he said slowly.

Helen had turned very white.

'I- I p-panicked, s-sir.'

'How long had it been foaming?'

'I-I-'

'How long?' he growled.

'A few minutes professor,' Helen gasped.

'I want you to pack your things.'

Helen's eyes filled with tears. The class was very quiet when Helen cleaned out her desk and stuffed her books in her bag. Severus walked over to her when she was finished, handing her a scroll of parchment.

'Go to professor Sprout and give her this. I don't know what your problem is but I'm guessing it's hard to pronounce. Get out.'

Helen sniffed and left. Severus turned his attention to Lorene and Hannah, who had been working next to Helen.

'I didn't notice professor,' Lorene said quickly before he could speak. 'Or I would have told her to put out the fire and stand by with a vanishing spell. Please.'

Hannah nodded in agreement, looking scared.

Severus looked at them for a moment, than stalked back to his desk, fuming. Gina frowned at him but he didn't look at her. Feeling confused and upset, Gina got back to work.


Severus walked over to his desk, sat down and tried to get back to grading the essays he had made the fourth years write about Calming Draughts, trying to let go of his anger that idiotic girl had awoken in him, being so mind-bogglingly stupid he never would have believed a Seveth-Year would be capable or such irresponsibility.

He had to force himself not to look at Gina every two minutes. She was in two of the forty-eight classes he taught every week and because of her, his seventh year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff class was the only one he looked forward to. But right now he felt- he wasn't sure what he was feeling.

He didn't dare meeting with her alone anymore, as for the last two times, she had tried to take his shirt off, but he hadn't worked up the courage to tell her about his past either. He wasn't ready. He was sure she wouldn't want to see him anymore if he told her.

He had heard students talk in the corridors about Gina having another collision with Bole during Herbology. Apparently, Bole had been haughty with a muggle-born girl and Gina had made an attempt to put him in his place, threatening him. Gina would never have admiration for his decision to join the Dark Lord, like Casandra Black had had. Severus had long since given up hope. But how badly would she mind? And would she believe he had changed?

He was a little angry with her for lying to him. He had warned her not to lie to him anymore, when she had confessed to round up the number of days since she had slept with the Northern kid before she tried to kiss hìm. But every time the old notes in her school books were involved, Gina seemed to feel uncomfortable and on her guard. He wondered if she had a bad conscious about some things she had notes on. There were some very dubious spells in there, with notes, alterations and crossings out. She or someone she had been close with must have practised them, otherwise she wouldn't have those detailed notes. If a student at Hogwarts had been caught practising or inventing spells like that they would have been expelled for sure. Severus had never heard rumours about Promodores being tolerant towards Dark Magic, and he couldn't imagine they would have let students practise Dark Magic freely. Personally Severus felt reassured Gina knew these spells. He preferred her removing someone's fingertips and getting out of a dangerous situating if needed, than her being a good girl and not knowing how to defend herself.

But he would have to make clear that he didn't tolerated her lying to him. She seemed to think she could get away with it. If she knew he was as skilled in Legilimency as he was she wouldn't get those ridiculous things in her head.

For the umpteenth time he thought about how he could best tell her he was branded with the Dark Mark without scaring her off. He closed his eyes, wishing he could make it invisible when he was with her.


When everyone had left, Gina quickly waved her wand to close the door. With Severus dismissing Helen she had almost forgotten he wanted her to stay behind. The mood he was in, she wasn't at all keen to be alone with him.

Severus leaned against his desk, his arms crossed. He looked angry but didn't speak. Gina walked over to him.

'I am sorry I was late,' Gina said quickly. 'It won't happen again. I got held up.'

She stopped in front of him and stood on tiptoe to kiss him softly. He let her, but didn't kiss her back or take her in his arms.

'When can I see you?' she asked quietly, planting a kiss in his neck before standing up straight again.

'I am rather busy at the moment.'

'Surely you have an hour-'

'I teach forty-eight classes a week Gina. When I say I don't have time, I don't,' he said clearly irritated.

'Oh. Claramente...'

Gina tried to not show she was a little hurt by this. She knew he had a big workload, with teaching all seven years, grading homework and his Head of House duties. She had been surprised to learn upon arrival at Hogwarts there was only one teacher per subject. Severus taught roughly 650 students, who all had multiple lessons a week, and on top of that gave them mounts of homework. He was always working when she went to his office, and she had wondered before how he managed to cope with what seemed like a 80-hour work-week. But being too busy had never been a reason not to meet up before...

'I- will see you around then,' she said disappointed.

Severus had already turned around and walked to the door leading to his office, but he halted with his hand on the door knob.

'One more thing,' he said slowly. 'I know all you think about is laying on your back but next time you don't pay attention in class and hand in something mediocre you are in for something else.'

He looked far from amused and Gina's eyes widened a little. She swallowed when she realised he wasn't finished.

'And if you ever feel like writing something down for the sake of using up ink again, do me a favour and don't hand it in. At least I can give you detention instead of having to waste my time grading a load of old rubbish.'

Gina was completely lost for words when he suddenly walked over to her, stopping right in front of her. His voice was barely more than a whisper by now and his black eyes were cold as ice.

'And now we are on the subject of rubbish. If you ever lie to me again, in class or out, I'll be sure to show my... displeasure, and if won't be in a way you will enjoy. Am I clear?'

Gina stared at him, startled. She felt like he just poured a bucket of cold water over her. When she didn't respond he turned around and slammed the door of his study shut behind him.

Gina slowly made her way to the Owlery. Severus was even more unpleasant than usual in class lately, having even less patience than usual and piling so much homework on them Gina wondered if he was trying to finish the curriculum before Christmas. And it wasn't just in class he was impatient and cruel. Gina had passed him in the Entrance Hall the other day and had heard him ask a first-year if he was always this stupid or if he was making a special effort today. By the looks of it the tiny Gryffindor had preformed an unsuccessful cleaning charm on the mud on his shoes, splattering it everywhere, which Gina thought privately wasn't a reason to insult the kid.

Gina wondered sadly why Severus was in such a bad mood. She had looked over her essay during her walk to the Owlery and it really wasn't that bad. Why was be being an even bigger jerk than usual? She felt especially upset because she had seen him taunt and insult students since she arrived at Hogwarts, but he had never, until now, directed his spiteful sarcasm at her. She got why he needed to preform a show when she came late to class, but he had been sincerely angry and vicious to her.

Walking over the muddy path towards the Owlery, she thought of her friend Angelina in Spain. Gina hadn't been able to resist writing to her that she was in some kind of relationship with someone and that she was having trouble understanding him, and that she was unsure how he felt about her and how serious he was about her. Gina had received a letter from Angelina with the most ridiculous tips, like giving him matching his-and-hers t-shirts or asking him to go to a Muggle movie with her, as those theatres were really excellent to have whispered conversations in the dark. The idea of her asking Severus out to a movie theatre was laughable, but it had cheered her up when she had read the letter.

Reaching the top of the circular stone room Gina looked around, seeing if she could spot a long-eared owl. Retaco gave a low hoot when she saw Gina and soared down, landing on her shoulder.

Gina got out the letter she had written back to Angelina, writing her advice was much appreciated but not really what she was looking for. Angelina had always pressed upon her never to tell a guy you liked him before he expressed his feelings for her, as guys were as flight sensitive as Boggarts hearing laughter. She wasn't sure what to make of it anymore. She had followed Angelina's advice with Alejandro, but he had always been very verbal about his feelings for her, showering her in compliments and telling her he loved her every other day, and yet he had cheated on her.

Gina watched Retaco fly away over the dark Forbidden Forest, feeling a little down. For a few wonderful weeks, she had let herself get carried away with the idea that she might ever... She sighed. Even if Severus didn't ran when she confessed her feelings for him, she could never...

She swallowed, trying to ignore the lump in her throat. She felt a ridiculous swooning schoolgirl now for thinking it might even be a possibility. Severus was half-blood. A maldición Half-blood. She stared out of the open window at the lake, the surface glimmering in the callow light of dusk.


Severus spend all night in his study, finishing grading the essays. He hadn't been able to concentrate during his classes that day, and even now was taking way longer than he usually did.

He felt very stressed, and he felt bad for snapping at Gina during and after class. He didn't want to lose her. But he had been so irritated with her. She hadn't just lied to him, but last lesson had handed in an essay he had graded with an Acceptable, as there had been multiple inaccuracies in it. One of the things she had had wrong had been something he had mentioned in his lecture the lesson before, but Gina had been quietly talking with Andre Fawcett, much to Severus dismay.

The thought of Gina spending her time in his class having whispered conversations with that mediocre brat had made him so irritated he had taken his frustration out on her. He groaned. He didn't want to lose her. But he knew that if he continued acting out like this he would.

He put his head in his hands. He felt stuck and didn't know what to do.