[Severus Snape] Do You Know the Enemy? [09]

By the time Friday rolled around, I was dreading my classes. I had every class and only one free. I would hardly have any time to myself, and time to myself was what I wanted. How could I face Jon? It wasn't possible, I would at the very least smack him, and if I got the chance, punch him. He spoke of my father like all the other Death Eaters would've, but this felt different. He had been my friend, and that's when I realized, you can't trust anybody. Even friends.

"Hey, Alexia?" I turned suddenly at the voice, and smiled faintly.

"Yeah, Melanie?"

"I heard about Snape finding you. I would've spoken to you sooner, but by the time I came into the dormitory, you were already asleep. How did you manage to pull yourself out of it without a detention?" I could hear her wonder at the very thought, and hid my smirk.

"We talked."

"That was it?" she asked, incredulous. "I was sure you had placed a Confundus charm on him or something..."

"No... we just talked. Some of it involved the whole 'memory' thing..."

"So he was feeling guilty after all?" she asked, raising a brow in question.

"Not quite... he just said that the Dark Lord could see all, and I have to be prepared."

"Of course, of course," she murmured, and I heard her disapproving tone. She did not want me joining Death Eaters anytime soon.

"Don't worry, I won't fall into it all," I whispered, making sure no one could hear. "But, Jon sure gave me a run for my money yesterday..." and then I explained the whole thing, while we sat eating breakfast, no one around us since they were all immersed into their own conversations. Finally, I finished, and she looked nothing short of appalled.

"What?!" she exclaimed, though quietly, so no one noticed. I saw her shoot a furtive glance towards Jon, who was doing everything he could to avoid looking back at us, since he was sitting alone, looking quite deep in thought.

"Yeah, not quite what you'd expect, right? Have you noticed how lately he's been a bit clingier? I have suspicions," I admitted, and moved in a little closer, so that it looked like we were simply gossiping, like Pansy and Gloria were currently doing. "I think his relatives put him up to it, made him keep a close eye on me. Ever since my father had betrayed them, everyone has been a bit edgy with me around, except Dolohov, but I think he's just dim-witted anyway, even though he's quite nice. But, I believe that's why he's been trying to get a bit of information out of me, and it worked, didn't it? I think I should be more careful with who I share my information with."

"You can trust me," Melanie murmured at once, looking alarmed.

"Of course, I know that. Your parents aren't Death Eaters, well, not quite, and I've known you longer than Jon. In fact, he and I rarely spoke until this year. Funny how that works..." I trailed off, suddenly looking thoughtful. "Somehow I'm going to have to get Voldemort to trust me, so he doesn't kill me. Snape will help me there. But, what if I'm not strong enough?" these words, it seemed, I was mumbling to myself, however, Melanie listened intently.

"Snape is good, you know that. He'll teach you everything he knows."

"Yeah... but can I really trust him? How do I know he's not biding his time until he can talk to Voldemort alone? How do I know he won't turn around and decide to backstab me, and get me killed anyway? What if he's trying to lull me into some false-sense of comfort, so that he can just hand me over to Voldemort?" I asked, and my face turned from thoughtful to completely horrified in a matter of seconds. "What if I'm like bait, and he's feeding me until I'm ready to be killed... he could be absorbing my every word so that he can tell Voldemort a word-by-word replay of everything that happened!"

"Dumbledore trusts him... so maybe you should too," she replied, voice soft.

"But what if he's wrong?" my words came out in a hushed whisper, but she caught them.

"Trust in him, Alex... just trust in him."

The bell suddenly rang, and the fact that I had Potions first didn't help. A feeling of iron sticking to my stomach like a heavy weight plagued me, and at once Melanie pulled me to my feet, giving me a sympathizing stare.

"It'll be fine. Ignore Jon; I doubt he'll sit with us anyway."

And, of course, she was right. Draco sat by Melanie and me, along with Blaise Zabini. Blaise seemed quite confused as to this, since last time I had been with them was when Draco and I were ignoring each other, but this time Jon was sitting at a different spot along with Pansy, and Gloria.

"What is it with you and Slytherins?" Blaise asked, quietly.

"You don't want to know," I answered, truthfully. He nodded back, getting my drift, and at once the buzzing sound of chatter grew silent as Slughorn made his presence known.

"Today you will learn to make a draught for decreasing the symptoms of a metamorphmagus, meaning that their hair color and different little quirks about them will not change so frequently, however, they will still occur. Please open your books to page 73, and begin."

At once we were off to work, making sure to read the directions carefully as we all pulled out our cauldrons. I was especially careful when Blaise came close to me, because I noticed that sometimes his arm would accidentally slip and knock the cauldron off the table. This happened several times over the years, and I made sure to keep good distance between him and my cauldron.

However, no slip-ups occurred, and, on the contrary, my potion turned out quite good. Though, it was supposed to end up being a pale green color, it turned a little darker than it showed in the book. Hermione's managed to be a small shade lighter, and I scowled, though I managed to scrape up an E for my work, meaning Exceeds Expectations. The others, however, were not so lucky.

Draco got an A, for Acceptable, because his was a yellowy-green, and the smoke flying from it smelled oddly like freshly mowed grass, not quite what he had wanted. Melanie's was simply orange, and bubbled quite ominously within the cauldron. She got a P, for Poor. Blaise, in the end, did quite horribly, and his looked like black tar that oozed quite sickeningly within the cauldron. He received a D, for Dreadful.

I didn't manage to see Jon's marks, though I didn't want to. It didn't matter to me; I would not speak to him, or care about him. He only befriended me because he wanted to get some insight from me on my life.

"Now class! I want a full roll of parchment handed in by Monday for homework! It will be based on the properties of a metamorphmagus, and how exactly this potion will change his/her physical appearance, with and without the transformations! Class dismissed!" he called out, as the bell finally rang.

Desks and chairs thundered across the classroom as they were pulled out and pushed into place, or moved around across the floor. At once I fumbled in my bag until I found my homework I had done while in the Hospital Wing, and strode to the front of the class, handing it to Professor Slughorn.

"My dear! You did quite remarkably this class! Ever think of creating potions for the Ministry? You could cure quite a few problems with people nowadays and -"

"No, sir, but thank you. I really don't have much interest towards helping the Ministry," I interjected, but smiling warmly.

"Of course, my dear, of course!" he chortled. "What with all this rubbish they're going on about... I wouldn't be surprised if it was being intercepted by You-Know-Who himself!" this time, however, he did not sound amused, but rather concerned. "Off you go, now, off you go... don't want to be late for class!"

"Right, Professor. See you."

And I walked off, frowning with concern. I suppose he wouldn't like the idea that my chosen career path would be, and was going to be, being a Death Eater. Just the thought made my stomach squirm, and I suppressed a shuddering shiver.

When I reached the hall, Melanie instantly met me, along with Draco.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts next, ready for this, Avery?" Draco asked, smirking slightly.

"Er... do I have to be?"

"Well, face it; he's not going to just start hexing you, right?" Draco questioned, and I nodded uncertainly in response. He wouldn't, would he? Our last conversation seemed to go well, in the end... would he treat me any different?

The answer was of course no, as Draco and I entered the class, both of us taking a seat beside each other. Draco smirked as Snape strode to the front of the class, and I frowned, trying not to look up towards the black, emotionless eyes. A couple of times I met his gaze as he stared around at the class, speaking, but nothing ever sparked in them. He looked just as cold and distant as ever, and his words didn't seem to reach my ears as I watched him silently.

"Ms. Avery!" he exclaimed, and I broke out of my trance, hearing several snickers from around the class. "Do I have to go to the Weasley's joke shop myself and buy some Patented Daydream Charms, or are you going to wake up and answer my question?" the last words were a snarl, and I froze up, shocked.

"Er... what did you ask?" I asked, voice cracking.

"Why would you use a disillusionment charm in the face of danger?!" Hermione's hand shot up at once.

"So that the target doesn't know you're there...?" I questioned, knowing he wouldn't be impressed by this answer.

"Anyone could've told me that!" he exclaimed, knuckles clenching into fists of anger. "But, it's partially true, I'll give you that much. However, attempting that while the enemy knows you're there is no good. There are always ways to find the person. But, if you do it beforehand, then the enemy doesn't expect to find you there. You can surprise the attacker with something like this. Today, we will begin trying the disillusionment charm, without speaking. Everything, henceforth, will now be non-verbal. Get that, Potter?" he shot towards Harry, who immediately glared upon the teacher. "Good, now begin!"

I looked towards Draco nervously, who shrugged back. The only way I was ever good with non-verbal spells was always when someone made me angry. Maybe if I thought of something that angered me, it would work? But, there had to be an easier way...

"Focus your mind," Snape said, while walking around the classroom. "Let your power fill you up, not with your voice, but with your mind."

I realized something, within seconds.

"Um, sir?" I questioned, hesitantly, as he walked around the Slytherins. His eyes met mine, momentarily, and he scowled at once.

"What is it, Avery?" ah, no more Alexia?

"I don't know the incantation..." I answered, feeling embarrassed.

"Right, you weren't here when we were practicing... verbally," he replied, smirking in satisfaction. "That's too bad... a zero for you, then."

"But that's not fair!" I exclaimed, now realizing exactly why he hadn't given me a lot of homework. He wanted me to fail when I returned to class. "It's your fault I ended up in the Hospital Wing in the first place!"

"That's enough, Ms. Avery. Restrain yourself before you take points from your House, or get a detention."

"Then give me a good reason why you decided it was best to fail me?" I questioned, glaring.

"Because you decided that flying around the school after hours was mere fun. Coincidentally, I was nice enough to not give you a detention, so instead, you fail an assignment, and if you hadn't been flying around after hours, I would've let you off the hook," he said aloud, letting everyone hear. I gave an audible gasp. "What? Would you rather a detention, instead? Is that fear, or regret, that I sense in your eyes?"

"It's neither," I retorted, still glaring. "It's called hatred."

"So, what will it be? Fail an assignment, or detention?"

"I'll fail the assignment, thanks," I answered coldly.

"Good, now that our time has been wasted, I would advise the rest of the class to get on with your work! Anyone who cannot silently produce a said disillusionment charm will have to do an essay on one roll of parchment about why a disillusionment charm is so hard to create, and why the disillusionment charm can work well in some cases, and end disastrous in others."

I heard several groans, though Snape ignored them, and continued walking around the class, watching everyone. I was beginning to believe that Snape was bi-polar, nice one minute, a hazardous hatred the next. There was no telling who he'd be when he woke up in the morning, and I think that's what I hated most.

By the end of the class, I was truly seething in anger. I ended up handing him back my work I did while in the Hospital Wing, and he seemed disappointed to receive it. He obviously wanted me to not have finished it. It was now break time, and then I'd have a free. At once I decided it might work to do the essay Snape had set, even though I really didn't know anything about the disillusionment charm. At once Draco and I set off towards our common room, and both of us pulled out our books, since he couldn't do the disillusionment charm, either.

"I must say that though I haven't liked Snape much lately, he's been going extremely rough on you," Draco said, as we began opening our books up.

"I've noticed," I grumbled, glaring darkly at my book.

"For extra credit, you should try silently producing the disillusionment charm."

"Good thinking, except I don't know the incantation!" I sneered.

"Okay, jeez, I was just saying... read the chapter on it and it will help! Trust me! That's all we did when you were gone... and we practiced it a little, but no one accomplished it except for the mudblood. She got it perfect," he hissed, clearly angered.

"Fine," I muttered, turning the pages with an air of rage. Draco watched me for several seconds before returning to his book, and not bothering to speak to me for the rest of the time.

Break went by, slowly, and then our free period had arrived, and we still remained in our common room, with only a couple more people around. I practiced my spell, verbally, on the chair several times. Finally, it was blended in with its surroundings. I clapped happily, and noticed the faintest outline of it against the backdrop. There was one flaw, which would work for my essay. Of course, there were faint traces of it. Though they weren't easily discernible, I could still see them, even the smallest bit. I flicked my wand, returning the chair to normal, and began scratching greedily with my quill onto the parchment.

By the end of the period, I had only finished about a quarter of my essay, but the paragraphs seemed to have been working out quite nicely. Draco and I set off, hearing the bell ring, signaling lunch time.

"How much did you get done?" he asked, absentmindedly placing an arm around my shoulder.

"Mmm, about ¼ of it. You?"

"Half of it, I'd say. But I double-spaced, and made the letters big," he answered, shrugging. I laughed at his words, and he grinned back at me, seeming pleased.

"Do you think he'd hate me if I was able to do the spell non-verbally and finished the essay?"

"Well, he might," he answered honestly. "But, I don't see how he can hate you much longer if you exceed everything you do, and you're in Slytherin. Eventually he'll have to face the truth, and realize that having you in his House should be quite rewarding, he'll come to his senses eventually."

I nodded my head, though grudgingly. The thought of Snape ever accepting me was quite laughable; in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up creating his own club called 'Hating Alexia Avery.' Unfortunately, a part of me wanted him to accept me. Wanted to be one of the only ones Snape truly had mistaken upon… I wanted to be what Draco meant to him.

When we entered the Great Hall, it was to the usual murmurs, and utensils moving across tables and plates. This felt quite welcoming, and I instantly relaxed, feeling better about pretty much everything.

"We have the whole weekend to do our homework," Draco said, smiling. "But, if it's sunny… we should make the best of it."

"Of course!" I replied, sounding a little too eager. I did miss the sun, and of course, it wasn't sunny today. It was cloudy, overcast, and cool outside. I had to wear my robes at all times outside, and this didn't feel like the fall that we were used to.

"Hey! Avery!" I turned my head in the direction of the voice, and my eyes darkened instantly. Pansy was calling me over.

"What?" I snarled, reluctantly heading towards her.

"I heard Snape was giving you a hard time," she said, grinning. "Not a favorite to him, are you? Is that because you tend to be less evil than most, or that perhaps you really don't belong in this House?"

"Mind your attitude," I glared.

"What? Did I strike a nerve?"

"Shove off, Pansy," Draco retorted, surprising me. She, too, looked shocked, but listened and spun back around at once, as if never even noticing me in the first place. "Come on," Draco whispered, pulling my arm gently. I reluctantly obeyed, but not before sending her a scowl, which she wouldn't have seen anyway. I noticed that Jon was sitting with her and Gloria now, and none of them had even acknowledged me, except, obviously, Pansy. "Ignore her. She's jealous that you know more about my job than she does."

"Really?" I asked, baffled.

"Yeah," he nodded. "She kept whining about not knowing anything, and how you know more than she does… but, you don't even know that much. I kept telling her, but she kept insisting that I let you in on more than I was saying…" I laughed at this, and he smiled slightly, but didn't seem quite as amused.

"So, she's jealous of me?" I questioned, voice casual. "I thought I'd never see the day. I could have fun with this…"

"No, I wouldn't advise you to do that… you know her." These words were enough to convince me, and I knew that doing anything against her would result in her own vengeance on me. That would really not be good. If only I were a Death Eater now, then I could rub it in her face… and get the Death Eaters on my side. She wouldn't be so smug anymore, now, would she? At this thought, I smirked, and finally Draco and I sat down, across from Blaise and Melanie.

"Hey! I heard about the whole Snape thing -"

"What, are there bulletin boards with these things on them?" I questioned rhetorically, sounding annoyed. She laughed, not noticing my irritation, and continued.

"No, silly. Anyway, he seems to be on the fence about something," I gave her a very perplexed look, and she sighed in her own frustration. "No, seriously! He can't make up his mind on how he should react around you! It makes sense! He's confused!"

"About what?" Draco and I questioned at once, not getting at what she was trying to say.

"Well…" and then she trailed off, something hinting in her eyes. Ohhh. Right. She was telling me that this was a time where Draco should leave, and I realized at once why. She was about to mention how my loyalty wasn't quite the same as other Slytherins, and that since Snape knew, and was on the same page, he still didn't know how to act around me in school… whether he was to remain spiteful, or suddenly become warm and happy. However, the latter seemed highly unlikely, since it would be quite strange for him to suddenly change overnight… and suspicious.

"Right, I getcha," I murmured, nodding. Draco and Blaise exchanged confused looks, but neither said anything. Melanie nodded back, acknowledging my sudden agreement.

"Do you agree, then?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"It is possible… but in the end, he still hates me."

Draco and Blaise decided it was best to ignore our hidden conversation, and start their own. I heard them discussing Quidditch, and though I wished I could join, it was an all male team. Always. This was probably the only thing about being in Slytherin that truly annoyed me; there were no girls on the team… ever.

The rest of lunch went by smoothly, with no more comments about Snape from anyone else. Finally, the bell rang, and I had Charms then Transfigurations. To my disbelief, the classes flew by, and the teachers looked delighted to have me return to class and hand in my homework. However, I got more.

In Transfigurations I was to write an essay, on one roll of parchment, about an animagus. This didn't seem too hard, but I had to mention characteristics that an animagus had in both human, and animal form, and the importance of having it on the Ministry's official list. This, again, wasn't hard. In fact, it seemed quite easy.

Charms was also a piece of cake, because we began working on a happiness charm. It was used to make the victim of it bubbly and cheerful, and the odd time, quite amused. This was a fun charm, and I eventually managed to get the hang of it at the end of class. My partner was bursting with fits of laughter by the end of it, and Flitwick chortled delightfully. I ended up not having homework in that class, because I had managed to succeed quite perfectly in performing the spell.

At the end of the day, I was exhausted, and trudged down to the Great Hall, ready for my supper. This, too, flew by, and when all of us returned to our Common Room, it couldn't have been more obvious that all we wanted was to crawl into our beds, and sleep for the next few years. It had been a long Friday, and the homework wasn't as bad as I had assumed, but I still had to work on three different assignments, all due Monday. This would end up taking a while, however, when I reached the Common Room, my eyes drooped, and I headed at once into my dormitory, wanting nothing but the darkness and silence.

When I finally dropped into bed, my eyes shut at once, but one thought plagued my mind quite persistently.

Why couldn't Snape treat me like every other Slytherin? Why did it have to be me?