The next day at breakfast, I sat with Edwin as I normally did. He was incredibly relieved when I told him that Snape didn't actually intend to use him as a test dummy. "you're on amicable terms with him now?" Edwin asked, gesturing towards the head table where Snape sat silently eating a bowl of porridge and scowling at anyone who looked in his direction. I nodded, picking up my goblet and taking a sip. "So, no playing hide the wand with him then?" Edwin whispered smirking at me and I choked on the pumpkin juice that I had been drinking, my coughing fit causing everyone in the Great Hall to look in my direction, including the teacher my best friend was referencing. "Are you insane?" I snarled at him and he just giggled childishly, "Do you honestly think that would ever be even a slight possibility?" I asked, my face burning red with embarrassment.

"I think you are incredibly attractive and could have any guy that you choose." Edwin nudged me gently and I rolled my eyes. "I think you are full of shi-" my insult was interrupted by a black shadow, clearing its throat behind us, we both looked up sheepishly to find the great dungeon bat towing over us, and raising an eyebrow, seemingly daring me to finish my statement. "I would like to think my assistant would never use such language, when she knows it is against school policy and very unbecoming." He sneered and I gulped "S-sorry Professor, it won't happen again." I spoke quickly and his eyes narrowed slightly. "I shall hope not, considering Mr. Finley was paying you such a… compliment." I could hear the disdain in his voice, his gaze shifting between Edwin and I. Before I had the chance to speak again, he turned on his heel and continued his walk out of the Great Hall. My best friend and I let out a joint sigh of relief, continuing our breakfast in silence.

Once breakfast was finished we began making our way to DADA, talking about the Triwizard Tournament and wondering what absolutely nutty class Mad Eye had in store for us today. When Edwin stopped mid sentence and looked at me with wide eyes. "Wait, did you hear the way he spoke about me giving you 'such a compliment'?" Edwin asked, doing a really poor impression of our potions master as he quoted him. I looked at him and shook my head "What are you on about?" I asked, beginning to walk up the stairs to the DADA tower, stopping quickly when Edwin pulled me by the sleeve of my robe back down the two steps I had just ascended. "Seriously Rora! He sounded jealous… like he didn't like the fact that I was saying you're pretty." I snapped my head towards Edwin who still had a hold on my sleeve. "You are absolutely ridiculous, there is no way he would even be remotely jealous, because that would imply that he had some sort of feeling for me other than professional and that isn't the case." I explained quickly, jerking my arm away from him. "Now, if we don't hurry up we will be late for Moody's class and I really don't want to find out what kind of punishment he would dole out."

We ran up the stairs to the DADA classroom and thankfully made it right before the bell rang. Moody's class was full of warnings about unforgivable curses and even a demonstration which was unsettling to say the least. By the end of it, I was looking forward to Transfiguration and Mcgonagalls lecture about turning a bird into a pocket watch.

Before long, the bell rang and Edwin and I made our way towards the transfiguration classroom, which to our surprise when we arrived was deserted. A note informing us to meet in one of the empty assembly halls down the hall. I looked over at Edwin and he shrugged, beginning the walk to our meeting spot for class today. When we walked into the window lined room we were met with Professor McGonagall standing in the middle of the large space, fiddling with an oversized gramophone. She peaked up from what she was doing long enough to tell us and the large group behind us to take a seat, boys on one side and girls on the other.

Once everyone was on their correct side, Professor McGonagall made her speech about the Yule Ball, a school dance that would unite the three schools competing in the Triwizard Tournament is a night full of dinner and as McGonagall put it "Well mannered frivolity." The girl's side shook with excitement as she explained, the boys looked tired and a bit annoyed that they would now have to learn how to dance and ask girls to a dance.

The rest of the class was spent twirling around the room with our chosen partner, Edwin and I of course ran to each other and began dancing like we would at one of my grandfather's yearly ministry galas. Since we were children, Edwin was always my 'date' so we thankfully knew how to waltz together decently well. Almost everyone else fumbled around the room, trying not to step on their partners toes. At some point McGonagall noticed that we knew what we were doing and instructed us to help the others not look so terrified of each other.

By the time the bell rang to signal lunch my feet had been stomped on so many times, I was sure they would be covered in purple bruises. While everyone cleared out of the classroom, I hobbled over to a chair by the door, removing my shoes and rubbing my throbbing feet. Edwin walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "You alright mate?" He bit back a smile as he asked and I looked up at him and stuck out my tongue. "My feet feel like they've been sat on by a giant." I grimaced as I slowly slid my shoes back on. "Good thing about dancing with girls, it doesn't hurt as much when they step on your toes. Come on, I'll carry you to lunch." I raised an eyebrow at him "Carry me?" I asked and he laughed "Yea, hop on." he bent down, inviting me to jump on his back.

When I had finally given in and jumped on his back, Edwin began to carry me to the Great Hall, his arms hooked around my knees, and my arms around his neck. I was thankful I decided to wear tights under my uniform skirt today, otherwise the whole of the castle would have caught a glimpse of my knickers, that would have been mortal embarrassment for the rest of my existence.

Edwin barely broke a sweat as he carried me through the now completely empty halls, when we made it to the last bit of long hallway before the great hall he started to run. My arms gripped his neck tighter and I buried my face in his back, "If you drop me I'm going to turn you into a duck." I squealed into his robes. Finally the Great Hall came into view, but Edwin didn't put me down, he carried me all the way to our normal seats, everyone at the Gryffindor table stared at us as we made our way to the middle of the long table, thankfully they returned to their meals when Edwin deposited me onto the bench seat and plopped down beside me. Filling his plate and mine with a handful of crisps and a ham sandwich. As we ate, Edwin and I talked about the dance and how hopeless everyone was at dancing. He laughed at my sore feet and informed me that my Grandfather would be proud that my dancing ability was used to further the house of Godric Gryffindor. Taking a bite of my sandwich, I suddenly felt the odd sensation that I was being watched, I looked around and my eyes landed on Snape, the glare he was giving me was enough to send a sharp chill down my spine and completely evaporate any appetite I had before we galloped into the Great Hall. I looked away quickly, trying to hide from his piercing gaze by using Edwin as a human shield.

Unfortunately for me, my best friend who had been previously stuffing his face with a pie of some sort, noticed that I had stopped talking and looked over at me. "What's wrong with you?" He asked, before taking another giant bite. "Snape is staring at me." I whispered and out of instinct he looked up at the head table. "Hm." Edwin grumbled "The old git usually never eats lunch." I of course knew where he was going with this and jumped in before he could make any kind of accusation about Snape having a thing for me. "I know what you're going to say, and it is still completely nonsense." I protested, Edwin just nodded and gave me a rather unconvinced look. "Whatever you say Rora."

After lunch finished, I made my way towards the dungeons for my free period helping Snape, which of course did not go unmocked by my best friend who made kissy faces at me before he began his trek to divination. When I approached the potions classroom, I noticed the door was closed and a note was posted on it.

Astrill,

We will be gathering ingredients today from the Forbidden Forest. I will be waiting for you at the back entrance to the castle.

Professor Snape

I wasn't exactly scared to go into the dark, dense, gloomy forest but I definitely was not excited about the possibility of seeing all manner of creepy beasts lurking beyond those trees. Also, I was not planning for a hike with my potions master, as my feet still ached from the dance lessons.

When I finally arrived at the back entrance to the school, Snape was standing with his arms crossed, tapping his foot, looking annoyed that he had to wait for me. "Sorry Professor, I am moving a bit slower than usual." He glared down at me motioning towards the door with his hand. "We are already running behind, I do not have time for your excuses." He sneered as I walked past him and out of the large wooden door. He was silent as we walked towards the Forbidden Forest, I stayed a few steps behind him to avoid his temper if I were to slow him down. When the entrance to the dark woods was right ahead, he turned around quickly, I stumbled a bit to avoid running into him and he continued to scowl. "This is a dangerous trip we are about to make, you will stay beside me at all times, do. not. fall behind." I muttered a quiet "Yes sir." and he turned around again and resumed his walk.

I winced at the pain in my feet as I tried to keep up with his long strides through the dense trees. "Professor?" I asked, looking at him, he ignored me and kept walking. "Professor?" I said again, a little bit louder and he continued to walk, acting as though I said nothing. I began to get annoyed at his cold demeanor towards me, so without thinking properly, I stopped walking and raised my voice a bit louder but this time, I bellowed "Severus." He turned around quickly and gave me a look that shook me to the core with fear. He marched over to me, getting a few inches from my face, he was seething with anger "What did you just call me?" His eyes bore into mine as he spoke and I lost all of my nerve immediately, backing away from him as far as I could before I bumped into a tree.

Feeling about the size of a bowtruckle I said "I'm sorry sir, but I was going to ask if we could take a moment's rest. My feet are aching." He looked at me as if I had four heads. "Why are your feet aching so badly Astrill?" I quickly explained the dance lessons and how all of the Gryffindor boys stomped on my feet. Snape looked visibly annoyed, pulling out his wand and pointing it at my feet. He said nothing as a bolt of light flew from the tip and instantly the throbbing in my feet disappeared.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Keep. Up." He hissed, turning and resuming his walk.

I had to run to catch up to him, but before I knew it we had arrived at his chosen harvesting destination, a little patch of valley amongst the trees. Pulling out his wand once more, he conjured everything we would need to harvest what looked to be hemlock growing in patches all over the ground. Snape pointed to one of the sets of baskets, gloves and gardening shears he had just conjured.

"Take your basket and start harvesting. Do not touch the hemlock with your bare hands." I grabbed the basket and busied myself cutting the hemlock stems and placing the poisonous plants in my basket. Snape settled on the other side of the little valley, grumpily snipping and placing the stems in his own basket.

It had not escaped my notice that he was in a horribly bad mood for what seemed to be no reason. Which was decently normal for him, however, with me… alone, he was usually different and a bit kinder. I debated what the response would be if I were to ask him what was wrong but I figured he would either yell at me for not minding my business or shut me out completely. I just decided to continue snipping off plant stems, quietly by myself.

Once I had filled my basket, I walked over to my bitter potions master, plopping down on the ground beside him, he glanced at me and resumed cutting. "How did you finish so quickly?" He growled and I bit back a giggle.

"I harvest with Millie all the time at home."

"Millie?" He asked

"She was our house elf, but my Grandfather freed her when I was little. She still lives with us but more like an au pair than a servant. With my Grandfather being gone most of my childhood, she practically raised me… closest thing to a mother i've ever had." I explained.

"And she taught you how to harvest hemlock?" he asked and I smiled. "She taught me a lot more than that… but yes, harvesting is something we do together, not just hemlock though."

"Well, it's good to know you at least know what you're doing." He said dryly, standing up and grabbing his basket. I stood with him, grabbing my own as we began the walk back to the castle.

When we had been walking for a few minutes, Snape finally broke the silence. "Would you like to explain your escapades today?" He asked and I looked at him quickly. "What are you referring to, Professor?" I asked, a bit more defensively than I intended. "Your slip of the tongue during breakfast and the galavanting with Mr. Finley at lunch." He answered, his gaze not shifting from the little dirt path we were following. "That was an almost slip of the tongue." I began defending my actions, which I really didn't think I needed to but I don't want Snape thinking that Edwin and I are anything other than great friends. "And Edwin carried me because my feet were really sore… He was being good friend."

"A good friend." He huffed. It was the last thing he said before we made our way back to the castle. When we entered the warm stone entranceway he grabbed my basket from me, dismissing me for the day. "I'm supposed to be helping you with the first years." I tried to argue but he just shook his head. "You have done enough this afternoon, Miss Astrill… Again, you are dismissed for the day." I muttered a quiet "Yes sir." before watching him turn and walk towards the dungeons.

I stood in the same spot for a few moments after he left, feeling incredibly confused, was he actually jealous of Edwin or did I manage to piss him off somehow. Shrugging my shoulders, I made my way towards the library to spend my free period studying and wondering what the hell was going on with Snape.