I Was Younger Then

Severus, Trust Is A Two Way Street

Penny and Neville decided the library was a good place to use their free period. They spent the better part of an hour talking through their charms homework and Penny helped Neville with an essay he was working on. The study session felt quite productive to Penny and Neville appeared beyond delighted that she remained with him. The boy was really kind hearted and wanted to do well, he just lacked confidence.

"Your voice is there, I see it, you just need to believe in it," Penny said, yawning as she gave herself a one-armed stretch.

"Thanks Penny, that really helped me, sometimes I feel so stuck getting my thoughts out," Neville said, his cheeks red.

"Keep working at it, you''ll get it in no time, don't let the process get you down. I remember in elementary school I was the last kid to learn how to read!" Penny admitted, recalling how Harry tormented her for being 'dumber than Dudley.'

She scowled inwardly, being slow at something was not nearly the same thing as being an unfortunate chunk of existence, like her cousin. He had no redeeming qualities. Penny on the other-hand thought she was great, and offered those in her life true enjoyment. Her self-acceptance was precisely the thing Snape hated most about her, because, apparently, it was an attribute her father also prized. Penny could not see it as a fault, and often imagined the kind of conversations she might have had with her dad if he wasn't...

A group of whispering girls rushed past them, prodding Penny from her depressing thoughts. They were peering through the bookcases and whispering, "He's so handsome, there's no way he won't win!"

"I'll be back," Penny said to Neville, getting up.

As she expected, Cedric was sitting at a table with his usual entourage of handsome Hufflepuff boys. They had books open, but were definitely not studying, instead they were laughing to some whispered joke. Penny strode over, placed her palms on the table in front of Diggory and bent close to his face.

"Excuse me, the library is not for handsome Hogwarts champions who don't need to study, it's reserved for common folk who don't have fanclubs," Penny said in her best impersonation of Madam Pince, the librarian.

"Sit down, Penny, you idiot," Cedric grinned, sliding over and patting the tiny space he made for her on his seat.

Penny slid in next to him and he draped his arm over her shoulder to keep them both on the chair.

"So, champion, our show is ruined now, I hope you're happy."

"You'll really have to forgive me, what if I let you touch my cup when I win it? Will that spare me from your displeasure" he joked, giving her a handsome smile, his teeth almost unnaturally white.

"I can't be too displeased with you, I'll likely be sitting out this show too, with this," she gestured to her arm.

His face become much less amused when he glanced at her shoulder. He pushed aside her hair to expose her neck to get a better look at her bruise, scowling at it.

"It's as awful as everyone said," he said darkly, tracing the discoloration with his pointer finger. "This might sound awful, but I wish I had seen it."

"You really should have, Krum losing the game of chicken was the best moment of my life, pity it cost me this," Penny sighed.

Cedric laughed, and the sound was as pretty as the rest of him. He was truly a distracting person to sit so close to. Penny turned away from him to see his fan club angrily whispering from their vantage point. It probably wasn't kind to provoke them this way, but it gave Penny some amount of internal satisfaction.

"Just beat him for me, and I'll forgive you of anything."

"Not rooting for your brother then?" James Knickelbee, a black haired boy said, a note of derision in his voice.