November came and went, which meant the holidays were fast approaching. This was exactly the kind of cheerful distraction both the students and staff desperately needed after another petrified victim had been discovered a few weeks prior; a first-year student named Colin Creevey. This one had been particularly hard on Theda, not only because it was a student rather than a cat, but also because the boy was such a lover of photography that he had been mid-shot when he was attacked.
Minerva hadn't forgotten the supposed dueling club Severus and Gilderoy had claimed to be starting, and as the need for one was becoming more and more apparent they had no choice but to actually make the arrangements.
"You are planning on attending, aren't you?" Severus asked Theda as they were having breakfast in the Great Hall.
"Why would I? I'm quite capable of defending myself."
"I know that." He said as he rolled his eyes. "I wasn't suggesting you come to learn. I was hoping you could be there to help with the students. You know, making sure they pay attention, pairing them up, giving one-on-one instruction, that kind of thing."
"Nice try, Severus. I know what you're really hoping for. You want me to come just so you don't have to be alone with Gilderoy." She said, smiling wickedly.
"I'm not going to be alone with Gilderoy. The students will be there."
"Ahh, yes, and what a comfort that'll be for you."
Severus looked as though he was about to make a snide retort when Minerva interrupted them.
"Severus, are we still on for this evening?" She asked excitedly. "You haven't forgotten, have you?"
"Of course I haven't forgotten." He said as he made no attempt to hide his annoyance. "Yes, we're still on."
"Excellent, excellent!" Said Minerva.
"And Miss Desmond will be there to assist," Severus said casually as he took a sip of tea, ignoring Theda's angered expression.
"Oh, Miss Desmond, that's very good of you! I appreciate you volunteering your time!"
"Of course." She said, trying to mask her annoyance with a polite smile.
"What the hell, Severus?" She demanded as she smacked his upper arm as soon as Minerva was out of earshot with the folded-up newspaper she'd been reading.
"It's partially your fault I'm in this mess, so it's only fair that you be forced to suffer with me."
"How is it partially my fault!? You told me where to meet you, and because you weren't there on time I got cornered by Gilderoy!"
"The details are irrelevant." He said, which Theda took to mean that he knew she was right. "Plus, it doesn't matter now. You've told Minerva you'll go."
"Fine, fine. But you owe me."
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." He said as he got up to leave. Before she had a chance to repeat herself he left her with a playful "See you at 5:00."
"Morning, everyone!" Theda said warmly to her class. "Last week I told you all I wanted you to do some research about historic witches and wizards who graduated from your respective houses. I thought we could use today to get a head start on your reports, which will be due on Friday. This is the last homework assignment before the holiday break, and, if done well, might be enough to raise your grades by a whole letter, so I want you all to really make it count. Does everyone have a witch or wizard they'd like to focus on?"
The class all nodded.
"Excellent. I'd like everyone to tell me who you've chosen so we can make sure there are no duplicates. You'll all be presenting what you learned to the class, so we want to make sure everyone has something unique to share. Miss Constanze, who did you choose?"
"Phyllida Spore."
"I had a feeling." Theda smiled as she made a note of this on her clipboard. "Mr. Malfoy?"
"Salazar Slytherin," Draco said proudly as if he was getting off easy by picking such a noteworthy subject.
"If you recall, I did specify last week that your subject couldn't be one of the founders of Hogwarts." Theda clarified. "I'll come back to you, Mr. Malfoy. I can help you pick someone else if you need some suggestions."
Draco's smug smile quickly faded.
"Miss Lovegood, what about you?"
"Uric the Oddball." She said dreamily.
"You are my hero," Theda laughed. "I was really hoping someone picked Uric. Who've you got in mind, Miss Chang?"
"Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena."
"She'll be delighted to hear that," Theda said, once again taking note.
"Isn't that cheating?" Draco demanded. "She shouldn't be able to pick someone she can interview firsthand! That gives her an unfair advantage!"
"You could have chosen the Bloody Baron," Luna replied innocently.
Draco looked puzzled for a moment before flashing a grin as the realization hit him.
"Alright then, I pick the Bloody Baron!" Said Draco.
"I was going to pick him!" Shouted Pansy Parkinson.
"Settle down, settle down," Theda said. "Miss Parkinson, you can have the Bloody Baron. Mr. Malfoy, is there anyone else you had in mind?"
"No." He said with a slight attitude, clearly annoyed that she had given the Baron to Pansy.
"Very well. Class, if you'd all like to get started on your reports now, I'll be walking around so feel free to ask me for help. If you use this period wisely you should be able to finish at least a rough outline."
As they got to work, Theda took a seat next to Draco in the back of the classroom.
"Okay, Mr. Malfoy, let's get you sorted," She said with a smile. "I want you to feel that you've chosen someone who actually interests you, so maybe if I know a little more about your interests I can point you in the right direction. What's your favorite subject?"
"Potions." He said, his head resting on one hand as he fidgeted with his wand in the other.
"Mine too." She said gently, Draco's eyes finally meeting hers.
"Is that why you spend so much time with Professor Snape?" He asked abruptly.
"Not entirely, although that is one of our mutual interests." She said, laughing.
"Could I do my report on him?"
"Well... he's not exactly a historical wizard... I was thinking someone along the lines of Merlin, or Vindictus Viridian."
"Merlin I've heard of, but who's Vindictus Viridian?"
"I think you'd really like him. He was a highly skilled potioneer in the late 1600s and early 1700s, and he was also known for his fascination with the dark arts."
Draco's eyes widened with a sudden interest.
"And he was a headmaster at Hogwarts which means there's a portrait of him in Dumbledore's office, and there's also one along the Grand Staircase. You could always see if he'd be willing to be interviewed."
"Alright, I'll do him then," Draco said, looking quite pleased.
"Good choice." She said, writing this down as she made her way back to her desk.
Suddenly an owl entered through an open window, dropping a letter on her desk before flying back outside. Theda opened it, reading silently.
"My Dearest Theda,
Just wanted to see if you'd had any luck cracking that riddle. Hugh and I have been wracking our brains and while we have a few theories we don't feel confident in any of them. We might have to pay you a visit sometime in the new year so we can bounce some ideas around.
Hope all is well at Hogwarts! Hugh and I have been wondering a lot about how things are going with your "friend," the Potions teacher. Any developments?
The holidays always bring out the romantic in me, and I just wanted to remind you that if there's something (or someone) you want, don't hold back! You can't wait around for life to happen to you, you have to take the reigns and make it happen! If I had waited for the universe to bring Hugh and I together instead of shooting my shot, I'd still be waiting to this day. I know you've had your heart broken, but you deserve to be happy, and we both hope you find someone who can be what you need. Hurry up and find yourself a man, and when you do, bring him to Paris so we can double date!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, etc. etc.
xoxo
Marius"
Theda felt her cheeks flushing. In truth, she had been thinking about Severus quite a bit recently, and she wasn't so sure that her feelings for him were strictly platonic.
They'd been spending every evening together, and it always felt so natural and comfortable. She'd also been giving quite a bit of thought to the kiss she'd given him. She hadn't meant for it to be a romantic sort of kiss (she'd kissed Marius and Hugh on the cheek more times than she could count), but in the moment she'd felt an undeniable butterfly sensation in her stomach.
And this hadn't been the only time she'd felt that with him. Ever since their first training session, she'd been thinking about the way he'd held her as she cried. No one had ever done that for her except Sylvia, not even Douglas. And the fact that she felt comfortable not only running into his arms but also allowing him to peer into her mind was saying a lot. She felt a deep trust with him, and that alone was something she never thought she'd find again in any man.
Even so, she hadn't allowed herself to think much about the nature of her feelings for him, mostly because she had no idea how he felt about her. As overwhelming as it was for her to feel other people's emotions all the time, she hadn't been able to get much of a read on Severus' feelings recently. Perhaps it was because of his aptitude for occlumency and controlling his emotions.
As for the riddle, she hadn't given it much thought. She had been so wrapped up with everything going on at Hogwarts that it hadn't been much of a priority. Plus, she was still stumped, so there wasn't much she could do at this point regardless.
"Gather round! Gather round! Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me?" Gilderoy asked the room of eager students. He proceeded to explain why they were all there, how the dueling club would operate, and what the rules were before shamelessly promoting his published work, at which Severus clearly saw Theda roll her eyes.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape."
Severus begrudgingly joined him on the stage, looking morose as Gilderoy continued prattling on.
"And, of course, my much lovelier assistant, Professor Desmond." He winked at Theda. "Couldn't stay away, could you, pumpkin? Had to see me in action? Well, I'll be sure to make it worth your while."
The students were all whispering and giggling, many of the girls shooting Theda jealous looks.
"Now, I don't want you youngsters to worry! You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear."
They bowed before proceeding to opposite ends of the stage. Gilderoy counted to three and was quickly propelled backward as Snape hit him with what appeared to be a simple disarming charm. This was met with wild laughter as Gilderoy brushed himself off, insisting that his collapse had been completely intentional.
"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells...Professor." He flashed a slight smirk.
Gilderoy agreed, seeming all too eager to leave the stage. They arranged a duel between Harry and Draco, and as the two young boys stared each other down Severus felt a certain satisfaction, eager to see how it would play out.
Before Gilderoy had finished counting, Draco fired the first spell, sending Harry cartwheeling through the air. Severus couldn't help but crack a snide smile. Harry soon returned fire, stunning Draco with enough force to knock him onto his back. Severus grabbed him by his collar and thrust him back onto his feet.
"Serpensortia!" Draco shouted as a snake emerged from his wand.
While Draco hadn't exactly been abiding by the rules, Severus had been able to turn a blind eye to his tactics until now, but this was going too far.
"Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you." He said, shoving Draco aside. But before he could reach the snake, he and everyone else in the room witnessed something incredible; Harry was speaking to the snake. As the snake turned on Justin Fitch-Fletchley, Severus' heart sank.
"What. The. Fuck." He thought to himself. "Lily... your son is a..."
Severus, unlike everyone else in the room, had seen this particular ability before. His mind conjured up distant memories of Voldemort commanding his snake, Nagini, to attack those who had displeased him.
"This is going to be a lot harder than I thought, Lily. How am I supposed to protect him from the Dark Lord when it seems the Dark Lord is already inside him?"
"Vipera...evanesca." Severus said, finishing the snake while an expression of horror still marked his face.
The room was in an uproar now as Gilderoy escorted Harry from the stage. Ron and Hermione quickly dragged him from the room as Theda did her best to calm everyone down.
"Quiet, everyone!" She shouted as she appeared on the stage. "Let's not forget why we're all here. Come on, we still have 30 minutes left. Who'd like to go next?"
Fred and George Weasley both shot their hands into the air, and their ludicrous attempt at dueling seemed to be enough to temporarily take everyone's minds off what they had witnessed.
Severus was grateful that Theda was there to steer the students back on track, which was more than he would have been able to do. His mind was still reeling as he tried to surmise some explanation for what he had heard escaping Harry's lips.
When the club meeting was over, everyone cleared out of the room apart from Severus and Theda.
"Well, that was a lot more eventful than I was expecting," Theda said, trying to somewhat lighten the mood.
"That's an understatement," He said, his head in his crumpled lap as though he might be sick.
"Did you have any idea that he was a parselmouth?"
"None whatsoever." He said, sounding exasperated.
"Damn. I'm sure it won't be long before the whole school knows."
"As if looking after him wasn't a difficult enough task already." He shook his head wearily before looking up at her. "I don't know if I'll be able to keep my promise."
She sat down next to him, her body so close to his he could feel warmth radiating from her.
"You know, he's actually a shockingly powerful kid." She said.
"Truly."
"Still, you're a shockingly powerful wizard. If anyone's capable of protecting him, it's you."
"Hmm. We'll see." He said, sounding a little less disheartened. "To make matters worse, I think he's been stealing from me."
"What?"
"From my storeroom."
"What makes you think it's him?"
"Just a hunch, although I don't know when he would have had the opportunity."
"What do you think he's stolen?"
"Bicorn horn... lacewing flies... boomslang skin."
"You think he's making polyjuice?"
"Well, someone certainly is. Potter doesn't have the skill to brew such a complex potion, but I could see Miss Granger being able to pull it off."
"I don't know... she strikes me as someone who always follows the rules to a fault. What would they even need polyjuice potion for?"
"He's probably planning another elaborate prank," Severus said, his voice more stern than ever.
"Writing on the walls with blood, petrifying people, stealing from his teacher, brewing polyjuice potion... such hilarious pranks." She said sarcastically.
"If you'd known his father you'd understand." He said. "If he could see Potter now I'm sure he'd be mad with pride, if, for no other reason, the fact that he's continuing the family tradition of making my life a living hell."
"Oh, come on. I think you're being a bit dramatic." She said, rubbing his back. "Look at the bright side - I'm sure knocking Gilderoy on his ass felt pretty good."
Severus gave a small laugh as he sat up straight.
"I have to admit, it was rather satisfying."
"I must say that I'm surprised at you, though. That was a nasty trick you pulled. Now I see where Mr. Malfoy learned to fight dirty."
"What are you on about?"
"Don't play dumb with me." She teased. "You and I both know that was no 'expelliarmus' you hit Gilderoy with. You intentionally distracted him so you could catch him off guard with 'flipendo.'"
Severus smirked guiltily.
"Can you blame me? I couldn't resist."
"I'm just giving you a hard time." She teased.
"In any case, thank you for your help getting the club get back on track. I'm glad you were here."
"No problem." She said.
As he stood, she grabbed his sleeve, pulling him back down onto the bench.
"Severus..."
"Yes?" He asked curiously.
"I, uhh... wanted to ask you something." She replied, suddenly seeming a little nervous.
"What's that?"
"I was wondering..." She trailed off as she began fidgeting with her rings, her cheeks turning bright red. Severus had never seen her like this. He struggled to understand why she had suddenly become so nervous, although he thought she looked terribly cute.
"What's come over you?" He said gently as he leaned his face towards hers, his lips curling into a sympathetic smile.
They held each other's gaze for a few moments, as Severus felt himself instinctively inching his face closer and closer to hers.
"Would you... like to have dinner with me tonight?"
"We have dinner together every night." He said, his face still dangerously close to hers.
"I know, but, umm... this would be different. I thought maybe I could cook something for you. Whatever you want."
"Oh..." He said, shifting in his seat until he was sitting up straight again. "That would be lovely. What's the occasion?"
"No occasion... I just haven't cooked for anyone in a long time. What would you like me to make?"
"Would steak be too much trouble?"
"Actually, steak sounds perfect." She said, sounding relieved. "Rare?"
"How did you know?"
"Just a hunch." She said, smiling. "I should go get started. I'll need a couple hours so do you think you could come by around 8:00?"
"Of course. I'll see you then." He said, wondering where this was coming from. He remained where she had left him for several minutes, still processing. For a moment there he could have sworn that he felt something between them, something he was sure she had felt as well.
