The New Potions Professor

Avoidance

After the incident with Professor Reid, I've been avoiding him. Every chance I got I ignored him. At breakfast, in the corridors, at dinner. But I couldn't avoid him at my last destination for the night.

I walk into the Potions classroom rather quietly, keeping my eyes down. Without missing a beat, Professor Reid marches over to my seat and sets down a dirty looking cauldron. "Look familiar?" I shake my head, keeping my eyes on the floor. "Well it should. This is your cauldron from my class yesterday. I want you to clean it thoroughly." He narrows his eyes slightly. "Then, I want you to produce me a correct Swelling solution. Am I understood?" I nod slightly once more. Suddenly he grits his teeth, angrily getting in my face slightly. "I. Didn't. Hear you." Shuddering I mumble, "Yes Professor."

     As I go to grab the cleaning supplies from the cupboard, he stops me. "You will find everything you need for your first task under the desk." Finally looking up from the floor, I stand before hesitantly dropping to my knees to retrieve the supplies. He's so close to me I'm at crotch level, on my knees. I stand back up, my face red. "My your cheeks are flushed. Didn't make another Emerald Potion did we?" In an instant I saw red. "What do you have against me?! I never stole anything from you. Snape knew me better!" He didn't react. He just simply walked back to his desk. "Clean."

     I look down at the "brush" he gave me to clean with and I narrowed my eyes. "This is a toothbrush professor." He smirk sarcastically. "Great observation Ms. Banks" he said going back to grading. I roll my eyes and begin to scrub away, thinking 'What could've possibly been slipped in this cauldron to make it do that?'

     After I finished up cleaning and brewing an astounding Swelling Solution, I begin to pack up and leave. "You've been avoiding me." His words caught me in my tracks. Without turning around I yelled, "Yeah. Maybe because you accused me of stealing from you after you asked for my help!" He storms up to me, forcing me to face him. "I am getting stolen from Ms. Banks, do you not understand how serious that is?! I'm just trying to do my job and figure this out. Anyway, I was taking your advice." I clench my fists in anger. "Here's some advice for you, don't accuse the people who are trying to do you a favor!" With each sentence we get closer and closer in each others faces, the anger building. If it weren't for the anger we'd be able to feel the palpable tension between us. "You wanted me to act like this!" He yells. "For the class! Not for me!" We were merely a foot away from each other. "Well I'm sorry to break it to you Ms. Banks, but you are a part of that class therefore you will not receive any special treatment." He scoffs, "Besides, I thought you liked when I acted more like Severus." We were now only inches apart.

     My eyes went wide at his words. 'How did he—' I gasp loudly. "I knew it! You're legilimens too! Aren't you!" He turns away as I'm suddenly aware of the absence of his warmth. I stand frozen, racking my mind of all the embarrassing thoughts that crossed it in his presence. Especially the ones about him. He stands there not answering. Panicked I quickly pack up my stuff and race out of the classroom and into the library to be alone and think.

                                  ~

     'That's how he knows about my feelings for Severus.' I slam my head down on the table in front of me. 'Merlin what if he knows I started developing feelings for him! I could never show my face again!!

     Avoiding the main corridors, I sneak out of the library heading straight to my room. As of right now I'm unsure whether or not to keep the information about Professor Reid to myself. Passing Hermione on the way, we decide to walk back to our room together. As we turned the corner of the corridor we come across Professor Reid fast walking up to us.

     "Ms. Granger, if you wouldn't mind, I need to speak to Ms. Banks in private." Hermione looks nervously at me. "But Professor it's almost curfew and—" he cuts me off. "I'm not asking Ms. Banks, unless you want detention?" Angrily I clench my teeth. "No Professor" I say through gritted teeth as I follow him back to the musty dungeons.

     Professor Reid pulls up a chair at the front of his desk, gesturing for me to take a seat. "Tea?" He asks, holding out a cup to me. It was only now that feel the tension between us, shown to me only by my caution. Hesitantly, I grab the cup and take a small sip. The warm liquid slides down my throat, heating my entire body instantly. The tea had an interesting taste; somewhat familiar yet indescribable.

     "Now," he starts, "I'm only going to ask you this one more time. Did you. Steal anything. From me?" I roll my eyes at his unbothered demeanor. "And for the last time, I did not take anything from you!" After a tense moment of silence he opens his mouth to speak. "Okay." I look at him puzzled. "Okay?" Nodding slowly he sips his tea. "I believe you." Cocking my head I shoot him another confused look. "Oh. You do?" And why now all of a sudden do you believe me may I ask?" I say skeptically. He doesn't answer right away. Instead he thinks for as moment as if trying to find the answer. "You were right" he says simply. "I shouldn't accuse the people trying to help me." He smiled slightly almost sheepishly. 'Wow, I didn't even have to tell him about Patricia's vials I found.' He didn't say any more after that. Grabbing the two dirty tea cups, he walks silently over to the tap. "Alright, off you go then." I shake my head in shock. "Th-that's it Professor?" He gives me a hasty nod and begins to essentially push me out of the room. "As you said before Ms. Banks, it is past curfew after all. Off to bed." He closes the door quickly behind me, but not before he utters a soft, "Goodnight Jaqueline."

     I freeze in front of the door as I hear my first name come out of his mouth once again. Suddenly I feel a familiar heat start to arise in my cheeks. 'So does this mean we're okay now?' Questions race through my mind until I'm abruptly taken out of my trance by the chime of a near by grandfather clock. '11:45pm?! I'll have to use the hidden passageways to avoid Filch who, by Merlin, still works here.

     I finally get back to my room at around 11:30pm, having to move fast to dodge a now very old Mrs. Norris. I didn't even know she knew about the hidden passageways. As I walk in I find Ginny once again knocked out in her bed. Hermione lays in her bed silently studying, whilst Patricia is still nowhere to be seen. Looking over at Hermione I point to Patricia's bed, shooting her a look as to not wake Ginny. She shrugs in response and waves me over.

     "What did Professor Reid want?" She asks just above a whisper. My eyes roll to the back of my head in annoyance. "As you may know, he's been accusing me of stealing from him to get his attention." She nods understandingly. "Well he asked me again if I stole from him. When I again said no, he suddenly just believed me." Hermione cocked an eyebrow at me. "Did he say why Jaqueline?" She asks hesitantly. "Um, yeah. He said that I was right and that he shouldn't accuse the people trying to help him." She immediately stands up quietly and grabs her potions textbook. Flipping furiously through the pages, she finally lands on a one. Suddenly she's rattling off questions my way. "Did he give you a drink?" I hesistate before nodding slowly. "Yeah. Why?" Ingnoring my own question, she continues hers. "Did it taste off or different in any way?" I nod, entertaining her unavoidable questioning. "Did it make you feel, weird?" I sigh rolling my eyes slightly annoyed. "Maybe a little? Mione what does this have to do with anything?" She looks up from her book, turning it toward me to reveal the answer for her interrogation. "Jaqueline, do you think he used Veritaserum on you?"