The Potions Mistress and the Sorcerer's Stone

Moonstone

That whole day was the most fun Adriana had ever really had. After that glorious spread of a breakfast, she had joined Fred and George in a huge snowball fight against Harry, Ron, and Percy, emerging victorious in the end (But then again, she had used the levitation charm to her advantage and threw the snowballs at them in numerous numbers). After that, rosy cheeked and in high spirits, she joined them all in the great hall to listen to the choir sing the carol of the bells. Aidy's feet twitched as they listened to their voices, wanting very much to dance her way through the hall, but she knew very well that she couldn't do that.

Her temptations began to worry her, and, after she realized she wouldn't be able to stop herself, she quietly slipped out of the great hall, summoning her dance shoes as soon as she could. The choir had begun Pachelbel's canon in D, and she allowed the lovely sound of the violins to take her away, feet rising to their points. As the melody floated around her, she lost herself, only feeling the vibrations from the sounds, allowing her to melt into the walls, the floor, and the air as she twirled and allowed her feet to move silently across the floor.

All too soon, the song ended, and she was left with her ballet shoes on and a sheen of sweat on her brow. Slowly, the sound of a single person clapping began to ring through the empty outside of the great hall. She spun around (ballet shoes aiding in the movement) only to discover Severus Snape standing a few yards away, clapping.

"Well done, Adriana. I believe that you have a great talent." he smirked. "I see you take after Gemma." Aidy's face went crimson.

"I..." Attempting to ease her embarrassment, Aidy removed her ballet shoes and slipped her normal shoes back on. The pointe shoes were placed in her cloak pocket, and she stood back up to face the still smirking Severus Snape.

"Professor, please don't tell any one. Not many people know that I dance, and I'd prefer to keep it that way." His smirk dropped to be replaced with a small smile.

"Of course. It shall be our little secret." Aidy smiled at her favorite teacher. He flicked his head.

"Walk with me." It wasn't an order, it was an invitation. Aidy nodded, and slipped on her cloak as the two ventured outside. The world around them looked like Jack Frost had been living here for some time, and the icicles had melted into amazing shapes (Most likely from the magic that surrounded Hogwarts's every nook and cranny). Enchanted by the white wonder that was the world, Aidy skipped far ahead, a picture of childhood innocence and happiness, and Severus could not help the rush of affection running through him as he looked at her smile. He felt a laugh bubble up within him; an actual laugh. He hadn't really laughed since his Hogwarts years.

"Adriana, do come back, or you're liable to slip!" He chuckled. She skipped back towards him, the smile never leaving her face.

"Sorry, sir, this weather just makes me giddy!"

"So I've noticed." they continued to walk together, Adriana now calmer but still just as content.

"I do hope that you are having a happy holiday." Snape said, looking down at her. Her smile grew.

"Yes, thank you Severus. I must say, despite the spats earlier this year, I'd say my life has greatly improved since I came to Hogwarts."

"I'm glad for that. I was much the same way when I was your age." he commented. "Albeit much quieter unless I was with my good friends. But yet, I've noticed you've been troubled as of late." Aidy was inwardly stunned. Not even Harry had picked up on that. She had many different things on her mind, such as an idea for a new potion, her mother's silence, Malfoy's derogatory comments, her doubts about Severus's loyalty, and her worries about that Rita woman had Aidy a bit on edge.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about that woman who was watching me brew last week." she said. "She sort of creeped me out."

"That was Rita Skeeter. I didn't realize that she was a judge in the competition, I would have warned you otherwise."

"What was that even about?" She asked.

"I entered you into the best newcomers contest for the daily prophet. I'll find out in a week or so if you made it into the preliminary round." He said. "Which I'm very sure you will. Out of all my years of teaching, I've never met such a talented student. And I mean that, Adriana. I really do." she laughed.

"Flattery will get you no where, Severus, but thank you."

"No flattery, I'm quite serious. Do not worry about Rita Skeeter." he abruptly changed the subject. "You executed a perfect potion in half of the usual time. A NEWT level potion at that. She can say nothing against you."

"Thank heavens for that." Aidy remarked. It was quiet between them for a while, but not an awkward silence.

"Did you wonder on how you did not receive a Christmas present from me?" He asked. Aidy looked up at him sharply. She had, in fact, been very confused that her favorite teacher had not given her a gift, considering how much more time the pair spent together. She was the only Gryffindor student that he had ever liked, and whether it was because of her talents at the cauldron, their family ties, or her innately likable disposition, Snape did not know. Maybe it was a combination of the three.

"How did you-"

"I could see it in your eyes. A small, minuscule bit of hurt, but hurt nonetheless." he said, her confused eyes looking up to him, she being short in stature even as eleven year olds go.

"Come." he said, his robes billowing as Aidy scurried behind him, trying to keep up with his long strides as he led her to his office.

"Sir...?" she asked uncertainly as the pair entered his personal bedroom. Snape simply searched through a drawer for something, his brows furrowed in concentration. She looked around the room a bit, finding herself looking at the pictures on the dresser. All of them were older photos; all, seemingly, from his childhood. One showed a family of three, and this seemed to be the oldest of all of them. There was a woman with long hair just like hers, a thin face, and a somber expression. The man next to her was tall, with a stocky sort of build, and looked almost bitter. His chin length dark hair and hooked nose matched Severus's to a tee. The small boy was a mixture of the two, with his mother's face shape and black eyes and his fathers black hair. His mother had her hand on his shoulder, and would glance at and away from his father, almost as if she was afraid. Adriana realized with a start that this was his family.

The next photo was a shot of a teenaged Snape standing with five or six Slytherin boys, all of whom had an unpleasant sort of look on their faces.

The middle one was the most intriguing to her; it featured a red haired girl laughing, and next to her, an eleven or twelve year old Snape. With a start, she recognized her as the girl from Snape's locket.

"Aha! I found it." he said, turning around to find the girl staring at the picture that he himself stared at the most. Aidy innocently pointed to the picture.

"Who is she?" Snape walked over to the picture, flipping it onto its front.

"She is a part of my past that I would rather not revisit." he said curtly. He did not wish to go digging up all of his particularly painful memories. Adriana simply nodded.

"Your mother is beautiful." Snape smiled slightly.

"Yes, she was." he did not dare tell her how much. His mother had saved him, heart, body, and mind, in his youth. Wishing to leave before he became too sentimental, he grabbed her hand tightly.

"Come on." he pulled her out of his bedroom, through his office, and into his NEWT potions classroom. A large glass case full of empty jugs, vials, and other containers sparkled in the dim light of the fire burning on the hearth. Dangling from Snape's fingers was a key, with similar filigree to the pattern of the lock on the cabinet. Aidy looked up at him, confused.

"What...?"

"Happy Christmas, Adriana." he tossed her the key. "I thought you might like your very own potions cabinet." Aidy looked at him for a moment, then back at the glass case, before her eyes filled with tears. He hadn't forgotten about her, like others had.

In an unexpected burst of speed, Adriana ran at Snape, leaping as far as she could upwards to hug Snape around his middle. The embrace startled him slightly (he hadn't been hugged in who knows how long), but he reached down and pulled Aidy up off the ground to hug her tightly in return.

"Thank you." she sniffled into his ear. As he held her, he tried to will every bit of pain away from her, every little bit of hurt she had ever been caused. But he knew that it wasn't that simple.

"You're welcome." he murmured, stroking her hair as the little girl cried on his shoulder.

~*~*~

"Are you sure about this Harry?" Adriana whispered, just as Harry was about to throw the cloak over them both.