I Was Younger Then

More Teaching and Less Tormenting

It was the longest first week of term in Penny's short life. It felt more like a month had passed, and she wanted nothing more than the weekend to get away from everyone and catch up on her homework. She had managed to hide out in the hospital wing on Thursday, avoiding even her brother, but was forced to face her obligations come the rising sun of Friday.

Penny made the executive decision to eat her breakfast in the kitchens in order to avoid the Great Hall and the tirade of people who would inevitably ask her how she was. She did not feel like she had the energy to keep up pretenses. The sting of Snape's words had not faded, and Penny found they had greatly diminished her joy in many things. She tried several times to do her homework, but found herself unable to focus, and ended up tossing her books. Because of her track record and night spent in the Hospital Wing, she managed to receive extensions from her professors but she dared not ask Snape for one. With more willpower than she knew she was capable of, she finished her foot long essay, but with very little enthusiasm. The topic seemed to just depress her. Thankfully the kitchens were loud and prodded her from her sulking. Dobby greeted her with enough enthusiasm to make the other house elves offended.

"Mistress Potter, how pleased Dobby is to see you!" he squeaked.

"Hi Dobby, I like your hat!" Penny said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than she felt.

"Mistress is very kind, what can Dobby do to thank her?"

"I just wanted to eat my breakfast down here, if that's okay,"

Dobby's eyes lit up with glee and he and a group of other elves prepared a very decadent array of offerings, complete with the most amazing espresso Penny had every tasted in her life. While she ate, Dobby told her of his time at Hogwarts and how he spent his days. He also spoke about her brother and how much he missed him. Penny promised to tell Harry and to have him visit, which made Dobby very happy. When she finished, she told Dobby how much she enjoyed the meal and the coffee, causing the elf to almost burst into tears. She gave him a hug, and then forced her legs to move her towards double potions.

Penny had not laid eyes on Snape since she left his office. Admittedly, she was nervous what his reaction in class would be, and even more so of her own. She still felt embarrassed for running away like a child. The classroom was empty except for Neville when Penny arrived. She had planned it this way, hoping to take the seat beside Neville before anyone noticed anything was different. When she sat down Neville looked at her with wide eyes.

"Penny! How are you doing, I heard you were unwell."

"Good morning Neville, I'm doing better, still a bit off. Do you mind if I sit with you today? It'll help my dizziness," Penny replied with a small smile.

"Of course not, especially after what you did for me," Neville said with an apologetic blush.

"Don't worry about it, Snape should do more teaching and less tormenting."

"He does enough for you," Neville said quietly, "you're amazing at potions."

"We all learn differently, I'd be upset to think that my success at potions made you feel like you can't learn. Snape isn't exactly gifted when it comes to teaching. But if you ever want someone to study with, count me in," Penny said, feeling sad hearing Neville's words.

Her invitation seemed to cheer him up. The rest of the class milled in, Harry spotting her as soon as he entered. Sometimes it felt like their twin brains felt each other and honed in on the other. Penny remembered one time she had gotten lost in a market while shopping with Aunt Petunia. She had been crying next to a fruit stand, looking at a sea of people, none of them her family. And then out of nowhere she felt that Harry was approaching and she ran towards the feeling until they found each other at a sausage vendor. Harry and her brushed it off as 'one of those twin things' but they often forgot how strange it was, and after three years at Hogwarts had definitely weirded out many of their friends with it.