Melody Riddle and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter 7: Hogsmeade Visit

For that Saturday, Professor Snape had apparently invited the new students I was tutoring to get us to work out our schedules. The second years had left to enjoy their free Saturday, and the first year stuck around a bit to complain to the professor.

I sat in the chair in front of Professor Snape's desk and watched as the boy continuously argued with him.

"Why couldn't you give me a student from a different house?"

"Miss Riddle is the best of any of my students. She is very clever and helpful."

"To you maybe, but not to me. Give me anybody else!"

"Five points from Hufflepuff, Otterburn. Leave or I will drop fifty." Professor Snape said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Anthony looked over at me and scowled. I guessed I must have looked like some sort of evil mastermind at work, just sitting there with an expectant look on my face. I really hoped I would be able to work with him, angry with getting me as he was.

He turned to leave, but before he could I said, "I hope you can keep up in classes, I'd like you to do well." He sped on out at hearing that.

"All you did was make him angrier," Professor Snape drawled, sounding humored.

"He'll see the value of that at some point... in fact, I wonder if you're putting me with him in the hopes that I'll fail?" I said, crossing my arms.

He smirked and sat behind his desk, "Do you want to make a bet on that?"

I looked at him, with my eyes wide. He wants to make a bet? He doesn't think of it as some sort of child's game? "Is that allowed?" I asked, feeling a mischievous grin grow on my face.

"Not unless it goes too far. Here's my part of the bet for you. If he still can't do well in school by the end of the year, your time with me will be doubled and you won't be allowed to tutor again."

I raised my eyebrows at him, "I thought the idea was that you were hoping I'd fail."

"It'd be so easy for you to fail just to win, Ms. Riddle. It's only logical we do it this way."

"All right, that does make better sense..." I thought a bit, and then smiled, "If I win I get to call you Severus, and you call me Melody instead of Miss Riddle."

He was silent, contemplating that. "I'll allow it only when we're alone."

I shrugged, "Something is better than nothing," I held my hand out to him. "Deal?"

He took it, "Deal."

I was surprised by the warmth in his hand. But, of course, he's a normal human being, so that shouldn't even be a surprise. It was just his normal cold attitude towards everybody in school, sometimes even me, that caused me to assume that his hands would be the same. Especially spending most of his time in the dungeons.

"Now," he said, taking his hand away. "To business. You have your time with your students, to start next week. What would you like to learn this year?"

"I can pick?" I asked.

He looked at me expectantly.

"Well... anything you want to teach, and maybe..." I thought deeply on that, "I haven't been blocking my mind very often lately, if you haven't noticed, and I used to do it so well before... maybe I could learn more about that, and how to control it better?"

He nodded, and then smirked, "You know exactly what I want."

I snorted, "Sometimes I do, and sometimes you're just a real mystery. Like your Patronus. How in the world –"