Delusion (A Severus Snape love story/Harry Potter fanfiction)

Chapter Four - Quality time with the Professor

Chapter Four

It would seem that although it was only the first week of term, most of the teachers were determined to cram in as much homework as possible. As well as the mountainous Essay set by Professor Snape on distinguishing an Inferus from a Ghost, Practical Transfiguration work from McGonagall and a thousand word parchment on the History of Mountain Trolls by Professor Binns, Melody had to somehow complete her Potions work and keep in shape for Quidditch (Even though, if Snape had his way, she wouldn't even be playing it at all).

Sighing miserably, She slotted a few discarded books into their shelves and continued prowling through the passageways of the Library. She had to cover her mouth to stop herself from emitting various profanities that would cause Madame Pince to throw her out - Who knew it was possible to be behind when it was only the end of the first week?

As she ended a row of books, she couldn't help but recognise a low, husky voice sounding from the bookcase in front of her. Pressing her ear to the shelf, she failed to place the person to the familiar tone and instead listened in on the conversation.

"Really? Nothing at all?" The voice said impatiently. There was a fluttering of robes as they moved slightly closer to the shelf.

"I'm sorry Professor, we just don't stock Muggle works." The slightly nasal voice of the Librarian replied. It wasn't until their angry footsteps faded that she figured out exactly who it was - Professor Snape.

"Madame Pince!" She ran round the corner, deciding to find out exactly what strange Muggle book the Defence Against The Dark Art's Professor had been asking after. "Madame Pince!" She stopped, panting, in front of the bespectacled woman giving her a scathing look. "Do you think you could tell me what book Snape had been looking for?"

Two minutes later, Melody found herself banned from the library for a week. Cursing the Librarians name, she stomped down the corridors now bathed in the luxurious glow of sunset as she made her way to Dinner.

When she entered the hall, all eyes were upon her and she realised that in the agonizing moments where Madame Pince was shouting at her, Dinner had started and everyone was sitting at their tables.

Ducking her head whilst her hair failed to cover her furious blush, Melody made her way uncomfortably towards her space beside Hermione, opposite Ron whom she couldn't resist but glare at as she sat down.

"You're not still annoyed at me are you?" He asked, mouth full of mashed potato that he sprayed allover Harry who barely flinched at his friends lack of manners.

"Yes, Ronald. I'm still annoyed at you." She hissed, spooning curried peas onto her plate and trying to take her anger out on her meal. "And I'm sure Mum and Dad will be too." Ron stopped shoveling food into his mouth and stared at her, mouth hanging open with shock revealing the partially eaten lamb chop that he had just devoured.

"You-" He swallowed "-Wouldn't." His face was deathly pale as he dropped his cutlery onto the table and looked at her with unbridled anger. "You remember what happened last time! Do you want her to send another howler?" Melody rolled her eyes but didn't look up from her plate. She could feel his eyes burning into her head and finally had to look up.

"Relax Ron, I haven't told her. Just bear in mind that at any moment a Howler could come streaming throught that window and I'll have mysteriously disappeared..." She smirked at his terrified expression and continued to mutilate the steak that lay oozing on her plate.

"You've got your detention tonight, don't you?" Hermione asked halfway through cutting her treacle tart into neat, precise chunks.

"Thank you for reminding me Hermione." She muttered harshly, briefly glancing up to where Snape was deep in conversation with Professor McGonagall. Well, she was trying to talk to him and he was trying to get out of the awkward interaction.

"Well perhaps if you held your tongue he wouldn't hate you so much and you wouldn't have to miss Quidditch trials." The fact that she had to miss the trials was still a sore point, proven by the incredibly murderous look she sent at Hermione.

"Well perhaps if he wasn't such a ruddy great git then I wouldn't need to hold my tongue." She jumped up from her seat, as she had done the night before, and went to walk away.

"Melody! Melody, where are you going?" She stopped a metre away from the table and turned, grinning, to face Harry.

"If Snape thinks that I'm going to make this punishment easy for him, he's got another thing coming." She walked away, leaving Harry completely confused and quite worried about what disastrous thing she was sure to do next.

*~*~*~*

"What on earth are you wearing?" Snape had opened the door to find a somewhat scantily clad Melody standing in the doorway. The loose, black lace top hung lightly over the skimpy black vest she had traded for her school blouse. Her bottom half consisted of a pair of mismatched knee high socks, one a vivid crimson, the other striped black and gold. On top of that she was wearing a netted black skirt that puffed out ruggedly to the side and a dozen bracelets and necklaces.

"Clothes." She said airly, walking past the Professor and taking a seat in front of his desk.

"I can see that, thank you very much. Whilst at school you're required to wear school uniform-"

"Technically, Sir, It's the weekend, so I'm permitted to wear whatever I want. " She rested her feet on the desk, displaying a pair of high-heeled biker boots with shredded, tangling laces. With a flick of his wand, Melody was set bolt upright in her chair, arms clamped firmly to her sides with her feet planted firmly on the floor.

"This is my classroom Weasley, not your pathetic excuse of a home." He sank into the desk in front of her with a cruel sneer, watching her helpless face as she glowered darkly at him. "If looks could kill." He smirked, straightening stacks of paper upon his desk.

"What do you want me to do, Sir." She hissed, causing him to peer at her with inscrutable disdain. He gestured over to the corner where an overflowing pile of mouldering, festering cauldrons sat.

"Clean them. Without magic. It should keep you occupied most of the night." She furrowed her eyebrows, nose wrinkling with disgust.

"Without magic?" She repeated

"Yes Weasley, without magic." He said somewhat patronisingly. He released her invisible bounds and she got unsteadily to her feet, tempted to use her wand on the cauldrons when he wasn't looking. "Give it to me." He growled, looming shadow falling across her hunched form as she tried to clean one of the cauldrons. She muttered something under her breath and handed over the trusty holly wand. "What are you waiting for? Get to work." He strutted back to his desk, watching with amusement as she struggled to rid even one square centimetre of grime from the inside of one of the cauldrons. Judging by the size of the pile, and the intensity of his smirk, it was going to be a long night.

She allowed her thoughts to stray to the people currently zooming around outside, to Harry trying to find replacement players for his Quidditch team. Her replacement, no doubt. The thought made her heart drop as she frowned into the cavernous mouth of the cauldron. Why did Snape make it so easy for her to criticize him?

Sighing, something he found incredibly satisfying to hear, Melody returned begrudgingly to her slave work whilst he sat comfortably behind his desk, surveying her with smug satisfaction.