"I bet this has to do with Malfoy." Ron Weasley muttered as he, Harry, and Hermione discussed something. Ariella quirked an eyebrow at his remark. She didn't know what their conversation pertained to, but if it included any Malfoy, then she didn't want Harry near it.
"Mr. Weasley, can you tell me when Gringotts was established?" She asked to distract the trio. The rest of the class turned to the redheaded boy. His freckled cheeks flamed as his eyes grew wide in surprise.
"Gringotts?" He asked as Ariella nodded.
"Yes. When was it established?" She reinerated. Ron fidgetted under her gaze as he looked to Hermione out of the corner of his eye.
"Uhh... 1865?" He answered uncertainly. Ariella sighed before smiling.
"Partially correct, Mr. Weasley. No one know the exact date of Gringott's establishment, but it was given back to the goblins in 1865." She informed the class as she moved across the room gracefully. All of her students watched her in awe.
"Now does anyone know when was the only time after 1865 that goblins lost control of Gringotts?" Ariella turned to face her entire class and watch the uncertainty pass acrosss their features. Hermione slowly raised her hand to answer. Ariella smiled before nodding toward her.
"Yes, Ms. Grainger?"
"In the 1970s, Professor." She answered.
"That's correct. 10 points for Gryffindor. Yes, during the first Wizarding War, the goblins lost control of Gringotts and the Ministry controlled the bank. After the fall of the Dark Lord, the bank was returned to the Goblins." The information appeared on the blackboard and Ariella heard frantic quills scratching the surface of parchment. She smiled when she found she had sufficiently distracted the trio. Harry raised his hand and Ariella's smiled faltered.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"I was wondering...." Harry paused as Ariella quirked an eyebrow.
"Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets, Professor?" He asked as Ariella's entire body tensed. Her smile fell and she quickly replaced it with a frown.
"Yes, I do." She answered. Harry fidgetted under her gaze as Hermione raised her hand.
"Miss Grainger?"
"Can you tell us anything about it?" Hermione questioned as the entire class now sat enraptured. Ariella sighed.
"Why in Merlin's name would you want to know about the Chamber of Secrets? It is nothing but a dangerous rumor that 12 year olds should not be concerned with." She replied curtly. She watched Harry frown.
"So does it exist?"
"No. It's never been found."
"So what's so dangerous about it?"
"People have died looking for the Chamber."
"So it exists?"
"No." Ariella was silently glad when the bell rung. Her second years filed out in a run as Ariella gathered all of her notes.
"Cross."
"Snape. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you?" Ariella scowled before sighing and turning to Severus with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry. My class was extremely curious about this whole Chamber of Secrets. I'm just frustrated. What can I do for you?" She apologized as Severus stared at her for a moment before smirking.
"Did you forget what today was?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow as Ariella looked quizzical before gasping in excitement.
"The quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor! Of course! Thank you for reminding me! Well, come on!" She dashed across the room and practically shoved Severus out of the classroom.
"Come on, come on!" She ushered him to the field, just as excited as the students. Gilderoy appeared in front of the couple as Snape held Ariella at the waist to keep her from falling back in surprise.
"Lockhart, I'm getting sick and tired of you popping out of bloody nowhere. Now what do you want?" Ariella growled as she pushed her unruly curls away from her face in a huff.
"I was wondering if perhaps you wanted to sit next to me at the match. We can both cheer for Gryffindor."
"I'm sitting next to my husband, Gilderoy." Ariella answered quickly as Lockhart nodded before grinning.
"And that is why you have two sides, my dear. Your Slytherin husband can sit on one side and your faithful, albeit handsome Gryffindor friend can sit on your other side!" He suggested as Ariella's face fell.
Damn him and his...ideas.
"Umm, sorry! I've already promised that side to...Minerva!" Ariella lied quickly as Severus quirked an eyebrow before nodding to agree with her. No doubt the Gryfinndor head of house would sit by her favorite alumni.
"Let's go...Ariella." Severus tensed when her name escaped his lips. Ariella turned to him in mild surprise before she grinned.
"Coming Severus!" She replied as she waved goodbye to Lockhart. Once out of his sight, she frowned and let her shoulders droop.
"I hate him." She muttered lowly. Severus smirked before following Ariella into the teachers stands.
"Minerva!" Ariella yelled as she found her mentor bent over a Gryffindor boy in charge of commentary and scorekeeping. She looked up and frowned when she saw Ariella standing close to her faux husband.
"Ariella, what are you yelling for?"
"SIT BY ME PLEASE?" She pleaded as Severus rolled his eyes. He didn't understand her incessant need to be loud.
"Very well." Minerva conceded as Ariella's face lit up with a smile. She mouthed her thanks before turning her attention back onto Severus.
"You're not going to leave me, right?" She asked as Severus frowned at her.
"What?" He inquired as he quirked an eyebrow.
"You. Aren't. Going. To. Leave. Me? Right?" Ariella asked slowly as Severus glared before shaking his head.
"No. Unless I find your incessant ranting unbearable..." He muttered lowly as Ariella's face broke out into a smile. Snape had to quench the fluttering sensation he received when he realized the expression was directed at him. It was becoming a nuisance. The hold Ariella held on him was unnerving. Severus didn't know what to do with it.
"Hey Snape?" Ariella's tone turned questionable as Severus turned to her with a frown.
"Yes, Cross?" He replied curtly; his thoughts still trained on how close the Gryffindor had gotten to him.
"Have any of your students asked you about the chamber of secrets?" She asked warily; her eyes were trained on the flags flapping across the field.
"No." He answered as he heard her sigh, even over the roar of the crowd.
"Professors!" Ariella gave a loud groan as she turned to face Gilderoy. The obnoxious prat had positioned himself right behind the couple, intent on being as close to Ariella as possible.
"Wonderful day for a quidditch match, don't you think?" He asked merrily, unaware of the glares that his fellow professors were giving him.
"Splendid." Ariella remarked sarcastically as she eyed the ominous clouds that hung over the stadium. Severus fought the chuckle as Ariella moved closer to him. He bristled when her arm touched his and she frowned. Minerva sat on Ariella's other side with a soft smile as a voice filled the stadium.
"ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT'S THE FIRST MATCH OF THE QUIDDITCH SEASON AND IT'S GRYFFINDOR," The announcer, a third year, had to pause as the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs burst into a fit of cheers (Ariella included). "AND THE SLIMY SLYTHERINS!" Slytherins and Ravenclaws burst into a fit of boos and jaunts as Severus frowned from beside his 'wife." She grinned brightly as she watched the captains shake hands and the quaffle rise into the air.
"AND BELL HAS THE QUAFFLE, BUT WAIT, IT SEEMS FLINT HAS AIMED A BLUDGER AT KATIE! DIRTY CHEATIN',"
"Mister Thomas!" Minerva cut in severely as the boy slunk down before continuing with his commentary.
"AND SHE DODGES IT! BRILLIANT KATIE BELL!"
"I love quidditch!" Ariella beamed as she sat rivetted by the match. Severus turned to her and a past memory crouched up on him without notice. He could easily see Ariella Cross straddling a broomstick as she zoomed from side of the field to the other. Her quidditch uniform flapped in the wind around her as she let her curls fly behind her. The quaffle stayed firmly beneath her arm as she flew past bludgers, chasers, and beaters. Her goal was to score points until the seeker could find the snitch. She had loved the sport, he remembered.
As soon as Gryffindor scored a point, Ariella shot up from her seat and whooped and cheered like most of the students. Both Minerva and Severus frowned at her display. Severus easily pulled the woman back down into her seat by her robe. She smiled brightly at him, grinning from ear to ear. Severus cursed himself for feeling heat rise in his cheeks. He blamed the nippish November air.
"IT APPEARS POTTER HAS SPOTTED THE SNITCH AND MALFOY IS RIGHT ON HIS TAIL!" Both Severus and Ariella leaned forward as they watched the rivals raced toward a seemingly invisible goal.
"Come on Harry!" Ariella whispered as she watched Harry stand on his broom and reach for something. The two were skating the ground and Ariella gasped as she watched Harry tumble off of his broom on the field. The crowd burst into a frenzy as Ariella rushed to the field. Severus followed close behind her with Lockhart bringing up the rear. Madam Hooch was the first on the scene as she officially declared Gryffindor the winner with Harry's catching of the Golden Snitch. Ariella reached the boy second and grinned as she hugged him.
"You were brilliant, Harry!" She gushed as Severus appeared at her side, closely followed by Gilderoy.
"Are you hurt, Potter?" Severus sneered as Harry glared at him, cradling his right arm. Ariella's eyes widened as she eyed the arm in worry.
"Is it broken, Harry?" She asked as Harry turned to her with an unsure smile.
"I can't tell." He answered weakly as Gilderoy smiled arrogantly. He managed to push Severus aside and produce his wand.
"Don't worry, my dear. I'll have your star pupil back to normal in no time." He remarked as he aimed his wand at Harry's wounded arm. Ariella frowned.
"I think we should just take him to Madam Pomfrey." She corrected as Harry nodded, agreeing with her. Gilderoy shook his head.
"Nonsense. Mending bones is something I've come to master." He answered boastfully as he muttered an incantation. Harry's eyes widened as he felt the bones in his arm disappear. Ariella frowned as her eyes flashed in rage.
"Lockhart..." She growled, looking feral. Just before Ariella could pounce on the frightened man, Severus pulled her back to her senses by reminding her of the stunned Seeker. Ariella sighed as she led Harry to the nurse and Severus turned to Gilderoy. His glare would've killed the poor man if it had been possible.
"I suggest, Professor," Snape sneered the word, "that you pack your bags tonight. My wife will not take mercy on you a second time." He warned as he followed Ariella with a billow of his robes.
"Can you believe that bloody idiot?" Ariella growled as she and Severus walked from the Hospital Wing. The potions master was silent as he watched his companion fume beside him. he had never seen her this angry before. He frowned. That wasn't entirely true. He had seen her just as angry two other times, but that had been years ago.
"He completely removed all of the bones in Harry's arm! Skele-Gro is painful! Albus should fire that git!" She hissed as they rounded the corner that led to Ariella's quarters. Severus let her seethe. He knew it would be useless the dissuade her anger and he couldn't say that he didn't agree with her at the moment. Or any moment when Lockhart was involved. The man was nothing more than a pompous...
"Peacock." Snape mumbled as Ariella turned to him in surprise. She had almost forgotten he was still beside her. Snape scowled when he realized he had spoken aloud.
"I was speaking of Lockhart." He explained curtly as Ariella smiled softly at him. The expression sent Severus's stomach fluttering and his scowl worsened.
"Good night, Severus." Ariella replied when they realized they had reached her room. Snape felt himself become morose at the thought of separating from Ariella. He fought the feeling but it still managed to creep up on him.
"Good night," Snape paused as Ariella began to close her door.
'Ariella." He finished softly when her door had shut. He soured instantly when he realized what he had been thinking.
"Stupid woman." He growled as he made his way to the dungeons.