Like every weekend, this one went quickly and Monday came. And not just any Monday - it's the start of the last week of the detention in Restricted Section, and first day of tutoring with Snape. Even I'm little bit uncertain how it all will go, I'm ready! But first, I got other lessons to attend to. "Good job you two! Well done!" our Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor cheers after two of our classmates ended their dueling match while the rest of us are standing aside as an audience. The duo does a little bow to us and we all clap along. Two days ago - when I rushed out of the corridor, I went to Hagrid's yard to take a breather. Didn't know where else to go to hide from other people's glances. Luckily, Hagrid wasn't there at that moment, so I had the time to calm myself down while watching the outskirt of the Forbidden Forest before me. It truly has become a safe space for me over the years.
When the teacher began to give the duo detailed advices how they could improve their dueling skills, my gaze slowly started to wander around the classroom and soon enough, I happen to make eye contact with Lockhart across the room and quickly looked away. I still got these mixed feelings how he tried to scam me like that. Was he really going to do that? Part of me still wants to believe it was all just misunderstanding. That he wouldn't actually be all that schemy and made me do all that work for nothing just to get that darn book. But then again... Snape told all about how he was able to read Lockhart's mind. Hm, what actually happened to the book after Snape took it? "...and, Miss (Y/N), how about you?" D.A.D.A. teacher suddenly pointed at me. Immediately, both of my eyebrows raised and my head snaps towards the center:"Hm?". "Would you be so kind and join Mr. Lockhart on 'the arena'?" the Professor asked. Everyone is staring at me while Lockhart is standing right next to the teacher. There is this smug smile on his face as he's watching me along with the others. "Oh! S-sure." I nodded and walked up to them.
I've never been paired up with him before. And something tells me this wasn't a coincidence. Somehow I have this feeling Lockhart has asked us to be dueling partners this time around. Solely because he feels offended or threatened how he got caught off guard by Snape, and is now taking it out on me. Then again, these are just my own speculations... So it might not be true. There are some girls gasping and gushing over the Ravenclaw how lucky I am and how they wished to be in my place right now. The way I'm rolling my eyes inside my head is over the top. But I mask the annoyance and just keep my face neutral as I turn to the opponent. The look on Lockhart's face at the moment... It filled with this 'this will be over in a second', and it somehow annoyes me even more. "Get your positions!" the teacher tells, and we do as told.
As always; we take couple steps towards each other, lift our wands between us and stare into each others eyes for a moment. "You really should have thought it twice who to trust, (Y/N). Even it has come clear to me it is not your strongest area." Lockhart whispered so quietly, only I could hear him. I wished to blast him right in there, but managed to hold myself back and just offer a small smile with a whisper:"Good luck to you.". Then, we lowered the wands and do the small bows at the same time. After turning our backs, we began walking back where we were standing at the beginning. Five steps. No more or less. Everyone has their eyes on us. And I can just tell by some of their faces they are betting on the Ravenclaw. I have seen how Lockhart works over these years and I must admit, he is pretty good at dueling. Right when Lockhart takes his fourth step, he sharply turns around and draw his wand:"Flipendo!". Huh?!
It all happens in a blink of an eye; everyone in the room let out a gasp when the jet of the spell shoots right at me, and I quickly turn around to block it:"Protego!". The hair on my face wipes out of the way by the strong air wave and I point my wand at him:"Expelliarmus!". The wand flicks away from Gilderoy's grasp and I won't let him get his second thought when I already shoot another spell:"Depulso!". The spell flies out end of my wand and hits right on the Ravenclaw's chest, and he goes flying. "WAH!!" he gasped surprised, and soon enough there is this heavy thump when he lands on his back. The classroom gets filled mixed reactions. Some of them gasps out of worry and some of them let out a chuckle of amusement.
"You're alright?" the D.A.D.A. teacher asked from the boy that lays on the bottom of the class. It's hard to read if they are more impressed or worried at the moment. I just nervously fidget the wand in my hands while watching the same direction as everyone else. Maybe I did do it too hard? Lockhart lets out a groan as he raises himself on his elbows to look at me across the room. He's clearly stunned I beat him so easily - considering the fact he tried to cheat. "Very good. Very good, indeed. Both of you. However, let us not forget it's five steps - not four, when we walk away from our dueling partner." we all get reminded by the Professor. The classroom fills up with chatter who should go next. For a moment longer, I keep standing on the same spot and just stare at Lockhart who's still on the groud, surrounded by his fan group that are worried about him. Him and I managed to share a look, and I flash him gleeful smile and do a quick one shoulder lift before joining the audience. That felt good.
Hours went by, and before I even knew - it was time for our last lesson of today; Advanced Potions. To make good impression to the Potion Master, I walked down to dungeons and I'm now standing all alone right next to the door that leads to the class. After waiting for two minutes, I opened my school bag and took out the honey-colored toffees that I bought last week. The fresh smell of the toffees hits my nose as soon as I opened it. Mmm, I'll just have a couple pieces while waiting others to arrive. While munching a piece, my mind began to wander. Since the door to the class is closed, I'm assuming Professor Slughorn is somewhere else at the moment. Or maybe he's inside the classroom and writing? Who knows. Wonder what it'd be like to be a teacher in this school? Heh, if I were a teacher, I would teach..- "My, what do we have here?" a soft purring voice echoes further away. "Hm?" I turned to see the people in their black robes with green details.
It's the same Slytherin group that bump into me at the hallway that one time. Lucas Malfoy, Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, Carrow twins and Bartemius Crouch Junior. The seventh year with white hair dropped his eyes on the bag in my hands, then back to me:"Once again trying to trash the dungeons and put the blame on us?". Both of my eyebrows raised confused. His companion that is standing beside him are staring right at me. Some of them smiling, some of them glaring. Before I had the time to even say anything or catch up what he just said, he continued:"You Hufflepuffs have no shame at all. Don't you now?". Bellatrix cuts in and let out a witchy giggle:"Seems like the teachers don't know how properly discipline people like her... Think we need to the matter to our own hands and teach her a lesson for that.". What..?!
Automatically, I take a step back - unsure what to do here. Bartemius is smiling and the Carrow twins began to giggle as well, excited about the idea. "Sounds about right." Malfoy turned his head towards Narcissa's way, who's not showing any emotion - like she's fine whatever rest of the group will do to me. Then, Malfoy turned his focus back to me. Completely off guard by all of this, I try to say something, but nothing's coming out. The words are stuck in my throat and my mind is empty. They can't be serious?! It's only matter of minutes when other classmates will appear and the class starts. Right when the group takes their first steps towards my way, I hold onto the strap of my school bag more tight and take couple more steps back:"W-wait..- We-we can share them. There's enough for all of u..-", my back gets in touch with something - or someone. Huh?!
Quickly, my head snaps up to look over the shoulder - thinking my back hit the wall and I got cornered, but... As soon as I saw the familiar Slytherin standing there, my lips apart a bit and heart misses a beat. Snape! He's standing there like a tree. His face unreadable. The group in front of us noticed him too and stopped on their tracks. Malfoy is quick to flash a smirk to his friend:"Severus. Care to join for a little fun before the class starts?". Snape's black eyes shifts towards his House mates as soon as the word 'fun' came out:"You're asking me?". I'm too nervous to move and just keep staring at him. We are standing so close to each other. Malfoy let out a low chuckle:"Now would be your chance for a revenge, Severus. She's the reason you've been rottening in the library after classes these past days, isn't not?". My body goes intense, unsure how this all will unfold. Even Severus and I made the agreement to help each other out, he can still have changed his mind about all of this.
For a moment Snape stays silent as he keeps staring at the people in front of us. Like he's thinking what to do here. Like he's actually tempted by the idea of revenge. "Go on. We got not much time!" Bellatrix snaps as she's getting more impatient. "As much as... 'Fun' it would be to see her suffer after selected punishment by my own hand... I'm not desired to get more detention nor lose more House points." Snape tells with the monotonic tone to the group. A flash of disappointment visits on all of their faces, and before any of them had the time to argue back, the door the to Potions classroom opens. "Aah! Eager students already waiting to get in, I see. Come in, come in." Professor Slughorn smiled at all of us in the hallway and walked back inside the room. Bellatrix and Alecto let out frustrated groan and rolled their eyes they got interrupted.
Soon enough, all of them who don't have Advanced Potions walked away while muttering something to each other. I just keep standing there and try to wrap my head around what just happened. As I keep staring after the group that slowly gets further away from us, I won't notice how Malfoy and Snape shared a look before the Slytherin with white hair walked inside the classroom first. When Bellatrix and her party turned around the corner to leave the dungeons, I see other classmates walking behind the same corner and coming this way while cheerfully talking. "Is it too much to ask not to get yourself in trouble, even for a day?" Snape's voice suddenly hums behind me and my focus goes back to him:"Hm?". He already has his eyes on me when I turned to him, clearly waiting for me to say something. I shoot him a frown, feeling a bit annoyed he thinks everything is always my fault:"I didn't do anything. I was just there!". "Precisely." he simply reply. What that supposed to mean?
Just then, Lily walked up to us with another Gryffindor beside her and smiles:"Hello, you two!". We both turned to look at her, only to see she's standing there with Remus as the rest of the students are walking inside the classroom right next to us. My eyes quickly makes a visit on Remus before turning my focus back on Lily and give her a small smile:"Hello.". I'm still a bit torn what happened last weekend. The fact Remus was basically just standing there back when his friends were being rude to me and Snape... I don't know how to feel about it. It felt like... He was completely different person there. "Does seven a clock after classes work for you?" Lily's voice brings me back from my thoughts and I quickly raised both of my eyebrows with this awkward lip tight smile:"Hm?". "For our tutoring session." she continued. "Tutoring..?" I blink once. Then I remember:"Oh, right! Herbology. Right. Seven is fine.". Snape rolled his eyes and walked right past me to get to the Potions class. Lily chuckled before following him to the room:"I'll see you then! Tomorrow, seven a clock at the library.". I nod:"Right. Right.".
Two more students walked past me and went inside, and just when I was about to follow them, Remus starts with small hesitation:"(Y/N).". I stop the movement and turn to look at him, waiting for him to say something. This nervous chuckle comes out of him before he starts:"What happened last weekend... I wanted to apologize on the behalf of my friends and how they acted.". I keep staring at him. Not saying a word. Not because I want to be rude to him. I just don't know what to say at the moment. Remus lowered his shoulders, unsure how to continue on. "I'll admit, they do take things a little bit too far sometimes. Even for my own liking." his voice turned into a whisper towards the last bit. I'm not sure how to answer to that, so I just keep quiet. But it seems and feels like I'm talking to the real Remus once again.
Both of us can hear how the Potions class next to us is now filled with this eager chatter of other students as they are waiting to begin. And when we hear Professor Slughorn's voice as he began to ask people to settle down, followed by the wooden stools being dragged against the stone floors, I quickly looked over the shoulder where all the others are, then back to the Gryffindor. "It's alright. After all, you don't have the control of your friends and what's coming out of their mouths." I offer this understanding smile. Relief washes over Remus and he smiles:"Yes, I suppose so.". Then, I give him a little bit more stern eyes:"But I still don't like them much.".
My comment made him let out light-hearted laugh:"Hah! Don't worry, (Y/N). I have hard time to like them at times as well.". Corner of my lip curls into a smile while looking at him:"Guess we're even then.". I'm glad we made up. To seal the peace between us, I lift the toffee bag in my hand towards him, offering him to take some. "Hm? Oh, thank you." he takes one and we both enter the classroom in light spirit. As we're walking side by side towards our table, chatting about how most likely we're going to fail this class as well, Snape sees our interaction across the room and slowly narrowed his dark eyes.