There aren't many students walking around the hallways at this time of the evening. By every step I take towards the Potions classroom, my heart beats faster. Why am I nervous? Trying to reason with myself it's because I'm such a people pleasure and meeting with the one person who doesn't really like me makes me feel this way. Ended up putting on a black top with a beige cardigan and black jeans. This will do. I'm only going to be in there like five minutes or so. Right when the clock strikes seven, I'm in front of the Potions classroom's door. Okay, here we go. Giving couple gentle knocks on it. No answer. I give two more, this time with little bit heavier hand. The door swings open and the Potions Master stands right in front of me, looking down on me:"Heard you the first time.". "Sorry..." I try to smile. Without a word, he turns around and walks deeper into the classroom, and I follow him.
After closing the door behind, I started to think if this is a good idea after all. I mean, I do want to know who poisoned me, but the idea of someone invading in my thoughts and memory might not be as fun as I thought it might be. Snape goes behind his desk and looks down to read something. Seems he was in middle of something before I arrived. Even I'm on time, just like he insisted. I just stand near the door awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. Fidgeting my fingers:"...I have been meaning to thank you.". That made him lift those dark eyes from the desk up to me. His stare makes me more nervous for some reason, but I try to push that aside and continue:"About what you did last week. I..-", "Don't bother." he lowers his eyes back to the desk. "Before we start, I need to finish this." Snape sits down and starts writing something down. "Sure, take your time." I reassure and start looking around the room.
The all kinds of bottles and jars around the room looks interesting. "How long have you been teaching Potions?" I ask while staring at the bottles on the shelves. No answer. Can only imagine how he glares at me once and goes back to the writing. To avoid the awkward silence, I keep talking:"I was just wondering, since I didn't have you as my professor. Horace Slughorn was the one who taught me.". "Then you must've come to Hogwarts after I graduated." Snape answers for my surprise without lifting his gaze from the desk. Then I turn around to face him with a smile, feeling happy to actually hear him talking:"What did you do after you graduated?". He stops writing for a quick moment. "I... Did some traveling." he answer and continues to write. "Oh, that sounds nice." I turn back to the shelves. Seven years of traveling. This man must've seen a lot.
"Did you always knew you were going to teach Potions when you were younger?" I ask. Without taking his eyes off of the parchment:"You have awfully lot of questions, Miss (Y/L).". Realizing that too, so I whisper:"Sorry.". In silence, I keep looking all of the books he has. One particular book catches my eye on the top shelf. A book that tells about plants under water and everything relating to it. "Woah! Is that the book that has gillyweeds in it?" I ask. Snape once again lift his eyes from the desk to glare at me:"Yes.". "Can I borrow it?" glancing over my shoulder to look at him. "If you must..." he says with monotonic tone. Excited, I try to reach for it, but it's way too high. Even I got on my tiptoes, I can't reach it. Damn it. Just when I'm about to pull out my wand, I feel someone's presence right behind me. Huh? Standing so close, leaving barely any space between us, Snape casually takes the book out of the top shelf. My heart skips a beat and face goes red.
He hands the book while glaring down on me:"A week.". Looking back at him confused:"H-huh?". "I'll give you a week to read it. After that, bring it back here." he says and walks away from me. Still startled by the heart skipping, I look after him:"Right.". "Now, let us begin." Snape takes off his long cape and puts it aside. Slight panic hits and I clear my throat a bit:"Alright.". He grabs a chair and puts it in middle of the class. While he gets the wand, I place the book down to the desk and go sit down the chair. My heart keeps beating faster and faster. I'm so nervous. "There is nothing to be nervous about, Miss (Y/L)." Snape says while having his back facing me, making me question if I actually said it all out loud. "Ah, I'm-I'm fine." I try to sound like this is everyday for me. "There is no point of lying. I can read your current thoughts without the wand." he reveals. My jaw about to drop to the floor:"What?! Really?!".
Somehow that shakes off the nervousness in me and I smile:"If that's true, what number am I thinking?". Hah, tricky question because I'm thinking of pears. Snape turns to me with bored look on his face:"Pears.". My eyes widens out of amazed. "That's amazing!" I gasp. "Enough playing around. Let's begin." he walks in front of me. "I need you to go back in the very moment you got into the Hog's Head last Friday night." he guided. I nod and take a deep breath. "Prepare yourself." he raises the wand towards me. In that very moment, I felt my heart sinking and panic raising. It's not the first time I've been pointed at with a wand like that:"Wai..-", "Legilimens." Snape says and I arch my back as the spell hits me:"Argh..-!".
At first, the room swam in front of my eyes and vanished. Image after image started to appear very disorganized way. Until it all became clear, where I just arrived to the Hog's Head Inn. Every event comes flashing; How we are all having fun and laughing. How Lockhart placed his arm on the chair I'm sitting in and I lean forward to avoid it. How the door of the private room opens and men walking out of it. How Lucius Malfoy noticed me and came to stand right beside me. How he insulted me and I got up from the chair. How Hagrid came quickly to stop me. How Malfoy left the pub and the professors raise their cups for me. How the music was playing and people were dancing. How I kept sipping that drink that had poison in it. How bitter it tasted. How Lockhart asked me to dance with him. How I got sick and ran out. How scared I was in that moment. How I saw Snape. And... How I'm laying on my parents livingroom's floor in unbearable pain at sixteen.
Snape puts his wand down and I lean forward gasping. Well, that was awful. He keeps staring at me, like he's about to say something as I'm trying to get a hold on the present moment. But then he turns around and heads to the little area where there is a little pot. "Malevolent Mixture." Snape says while putting some water to boil. "What?" I frown. "That's the bitterness you tasted when you were drinking." he explain. Malevolent Mixture? He opens the cabinets in front of him and grabs coffee grounds:"The imbecile who ever put it in your drink didn't know how to use it properly if they wanted to have you dead. Unless...". "Unless what?" I ask. Even I can't see his face, I know he's thinking of something. Like he's connecting the dots. The water is getting hotter in the pot. "What?" I raise my voice a bit to get his attention. Was it Malfoy like I suspected? Snape closes the cabinet doors and turns to me:"No. And for the record, I suggest you to stay away from Lucius Malfoy by your best abilities.".
I let out a scoff:"Don't tell me you are best buddies with him?". The judgmental look he shoots at me right away gives me the shivers. So I raise my hands up as defense:"All I'm saying; he was out of the line when he came up to our table and started to insult us one by one.". Snape says nothing and gets a cup from other cabinet. The water gets even hotter now in the pot, so I got up and get it. "I'm sorry. I just don't like bullies." I stated. Once again, can't see his face, but I notice he stopped his hand movement for a split second. "How noble." he scoffs and starts putting the coffee grounds in the cup. Then he comes beside the desk and places the cup down. I come next to him, ready to pore the water into the cup for him. "You know, my dream was to become an Auror. Still is, if I'm being honest." I reveal. For some weird reason the expression on Snape's face changed after I said that. "I think you should leave." all of sudden he stated. Huh?
Thinking I heard him wrong. "What..?" my voice sounds like a whisper. Snape narrows those dark eyes on my (e/c) eyes with threatening look:"I said; Leave.". What? Too stunned to say or do anything, I just stare at him confused. What just happened? "Have you lost your hearing? Have you become deaf? I need you to get out my classroom. Now." he turns his whole body facing me such a threatening way I jumped and let go off the pot. In that quick moment, all that hot water splashes all over him. Snape is quick to take a step back but his left arm takes the most of the hit. "O-oh! I'm terribly sorry!!" I gasp worried. Snape keeps muttering something under his breath. Without thinking and all panicking, I hold on to his left sleeve, ready roll it up:"Let me..-", quickly Snape grabs me by the wrist tight and yanks it away from the arm. I stopped my breath as soon as he took a step forward and brought his face close to mine.
With such a hatred look he stares me dead in the eyes:"Get. Out.". My mind goes all blank in that moment. Next thing I know is... I'm running back to my chamber. It's already so late there aren't any students around. All I can hear is my own fast steps echoing around the marble walls of Hogwarts. Can feel how something is strangling my throat. I can't breath! Even the Greenhouse isn't far from the Potions class, the whole run felt like eternity. Sniffy jumped when I slam the door close behind me as I enter the chamber. Leaning back against the door, trying to calm myself down and take it all in what just happened. Can feel how the feeling on my throat raises to my nose, onto my eyes. Tears starts to form in them. "Why..?" I let out with shaky voice.
Sniffy comes up to me as I slide down to the floor. Bringing my knees close to my body and start crying. Sniffy tries to tunnel his way into my shaky lap. I can't stop the tears or the shaking. What did I do?! Knew Snape was a cold-hearted person, but his mood just changed so fast I couldn't see that coming. Wish I would know what did I do wrong. I have been threatened before, but somehow... When he did it, it all just feels thousand times more worse. Sniffy climbs up on me and places his little snout the crook of my neck. Wrapping my hands around him and hug him tight. I thought we were becoming friends of some sort. But now... It's all gone. He hates me.