A/N: Not mine…pouts Harry Potter characters belong to J.K Rowling.
Chapter 3: Lions, snakes, and detentions, oh my!
"She what!" Ron asked, fuming from what Severus had just told him.
"She gave me detention," Severus replied calmly.
"For being in the restricted section with permission?" Harry asked, joining in on the conversation as he sat down across from them in the Gryffindor Common Room. Afternoon classes were had finally concluded, and students were enjoying some free time before supper.
"Well, I did have permission," Ron looked like he was about to say something, but Severus stopped him before he could say anything by continuing, "but I couldn't find the note Professor McGonagall had signed – I think Madame Pince kept it. But, anyway, it was my own fault and Professor Granger was only doing her job. I mean, who knows what a student could find in there! It's got to be restricted for a reason or anyone could go browsing through there."
"Stop trying to defend her! She had no right to give you detention!" Ron said as his voice raised and his face turned a dark shade of red. "I'm going to go and give her a piece of my mind." Ron stood and started to stride away – despite the rationale his friends called from behind him.
"Ron, no! Calm down first before you make a fool out of yourself!" Severus yelled to him, but Ron paid no attention as he quickened his pace and threw the portrait open. Harry ran after him with Severus on his heels, but they just couldn't seem to catch up since Ron had a good head start.
Harry and Severus continued to call to Ron as he seemed to slide down the staircases and gain momentum. As they rounded the last corner in the dungeon, they saw Ron enter the potions' lab then slam the door with a resounding "BOOM!" that seemed to echo through the entirety of Hogwarts.
"Ron's sure going to be in for it now," Harry said, turning to Severus with concern etched all over his face.
"Ron!" Severus sputtered in disbelief. "I'm going to be the one that Professor Granger takes this out on! Whatever Ron gets will be like a slap on the wrist compared to what's waiting for me when Professor Granger gets through with him."
Now to say that Severus wasn't afraid would be far from the truth. He never had a detention before, and he preferred for it to go as smoothly as possible. But now, thanks to Ron and his pea-sized brain, Severus was sure this was going to be the worst experience he had yet to encounter.
When Severus had left the library after the incident, he fully intended on going straight to Professor McGonagall and explain the whole situation. But Severus predicted that Professor Granger would just berate him even more for showing cowardice, and Gryffindors were not cowards – at least none with the exception of Neville and Peter.
"We should probably go back to the tower. There's really nothing we can do for Ron now. Professor Granger's probably setting up his detentions as we speak," Severus said after a moment or two of waiting for Ron to emerge.
"Yeah, I suppose," Harry said, then they began walking slowly back to Gryffindor Tower.
Ron stood in front of Professor Granger's desk seething with anger.
"What is the meaning of this, Weasley!"
"You –You great big BAT!" Ron yelled, pointing his finger at the professor. "You bloody git! I bet you're still working with You-Know-Who, and - "
"That's enough, Weasley" Granger hissed.
"The only reason you want Severus for detention is for him to brew some dangerous potion to use against Harry-"
"I'm warning you, Weasley!" she growled, gripping the handle of her wand inside her pocket.
"-so you won't get caught, because you're a bloody COWARD!" Ron yelled hysterically, his face turning a deeper shade of red.
Hermione pulled out her wand and aimed it at Ron's head. "Give me one good reason not to kill you where you stand."
Ron gulped. "Go ahead! At least, if I die, you'll go to Azkaban where you belong," Ron said bravely.
"Is that so?" Hermione asked, arching an eyebrow.
"You can't get away with murder – not with Dumbledore around," Ron answered.
"You forget, Weasley," Hermione started, circling him like a vulture circling its prey, "the perfect murder isn't a murder at all - it's an accident." Hermione returned to her desk and propped her elbows up while clasping her hands in front of her – watching the boy in front of her grow pale.
"Now, Mr. Weasley, I'm going to be rather forgiving. Youwill meet with Filch for detention on Tuesday and Thursday…" Ron let out a sigh and Hermione grinned inwardly as she finished, "for a month."
Ron's eyes bulged and his mouth hung open in disbelief.
"Now, I suggest you get out of my sight before I change my mind," she said with a sneer. Ron's hand had barley touched the door handle when she called out, "Oh, and Mr. Weasley?"
"Yes, Professor Granger?" Ron asked, worried she'd make him stay for further punishment.
"I'm taking 25 points from Gryffindor for disrespecting a teacher, and an additional 5 points for interrupting me without having a scheduled appointment."
Ron's mouth dropped and he began to stutter, "But-but-but that's not-"
Hermione gave the boy an evil smile. "I would hold your tongue, unless you'd like additional points taken from Gryffindor for acting stupid," she sneered. "Now get out of my sight!"
"So, what do you think you'll have to do for detention?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," Severus said with a sigh. "I thought it would be something simple, like scrubbing cauldrons or organizing potion ingredients, but now, I'm not so sure."
Suddenl1y, Ron came rushing into the common room and collapsed on the floor as he tried to catch his breath.
Harry and Severus jumped up from their chairs and rushed over to their friend.
"Ron, are you alright?" Harry asked.
"F-fine," Ron muttered between breaths.
"What happened?" asked Severus.
"Granger," Ron replied, still gasping for breath.
Harry grabbed his friend by the arm and pulled him up from the floor.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Severus asked Ron while helping him to the sofa with Harry's help.
"Yeah, I think so," Ron said as his breathing lessoned ever so slightly.
"Good!" Severus fumed as he forcefully punched his friend in the arm.
"HEY! What the bloody hell was that for?" Ron asked, rubbing where he had been hit.
"That's for being a complete ass! Thanks to you and your big mouth, I'm going to die at the ripe old age of 17!"
"Ron, what were you thinking confronting a professor like that – especially Granger of all people?" Harry asked.
Ron sighed deeply, "I don't know. I suppose I just snapped. I've had so much on my mind lately."
"Like what, Ron?" Harry asked. "You know you can tell us anything."
"I know. I guess it all started when Dad got a letter from the ministry last month. They said that he was going to be experiencing a pay cut, because his job 'wasn't as important' as some of the other departments. It's been real tuff at home; Mum's been in a right fit about it ever since the letter came. Dad's been staying at work longer now, and we hardly see him when he does come home. He hardly even says, 'Hello,'" revealed Ron.
"But, Ron, what about Fred and George? Their business is going great," Severus suggested.
"Fred and George have offered to give Dad some money to help out, but he won't take it. He says he's supposed to support his family and not the other way around. That's why you were at the Dursley's for so long, Harry. And, the night before you came, Mum and Dad had a row. I've never seen them that angry before."
"Ron, your parents are just having a hard time. My parents went through the same thing when they were first starting their business," Severus said.
"Yeah, but we've always been poor. Why is this any different?" Ron asked. "What if Mum and Dad separate? What would happen to us?"
"Ron, you don't need to worry about that. Your parents won't get separated over money; they love each other too much," Harry said, placing his hand on his best friend's shoulder reassuringly.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Harry. Thanks for helping me clear my mind, guys."
Severus stepped up behind Harry and said, "Ron, you know we are always here for you. You can tell us anything."
The common room clock struck 7PM and Severus stood up quickly.
"OH NO! I'm late for detention! Professor Granger's going to kill me!"
Severus quickly grabbed his bag and sprinted out the door.
Hermione Granger paced her office; furious at the cheek of Mr. Snape to think he could miss her detention.
The mantel clock read five after seven. No one missed her detentions, and she would make sure this was not an exception. Hermione took long, quick strides up the steps from the dungeon. Right as she turned the corner, Severus Snape collided with her – sending his bag flying through the air and scattering its contents around them.
"You insolent boy!" Hermione hissed. "Watch where you are going!"
Severus bent quickly to the ground, recovering his belongings and stuffing them haphazardly in to his bag.
"You are late for detention, and, starting now, every minute you are late you may add another day to your detention," she snapped.
Severus gawked at Professor Granger, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
"Stop gaping like a codfish and hurry up, you ignorant dunderhead!"
Severus quickly gathered the rest of his things and followed Professor Granger into the potions classroom.
"You may add eight more days to your detention," Professor Granger said with a smirk as she made her way to her desk.
"But, professor, we weren't in the hall for eight-"
"Make it TEN! Four minutes for loitering, four more for running recklessly in the halls, and two for sheer disrespect! Anything else you would like to add, Mr. Snape?" she asked snidely. "I say, Mr. Snape, you are gathering quite a record for detentions so early in the semester. Twelve so far, and that's without adding the ones your so-called-friend has earned you.
"Now, for tonight's detention, you will be working on restocking the infirmary with some of the basic potions that Madam Pomfrey will need." Handing him a list of supplies for each potion, she added, "These shouldn't be too difficult for you; even a second year would have no problem."
Severus opened his mouth to give the professor a piece of his mind, but he quickly thought better of it considering the detentions that were building up in his record.
"Would you like to add something, Mr. Snape?" Professor Granger asked, sensing the anger from her student.
"No, Professor," Severus said, lowering his eyes to the floor.
"Good!" she snapped. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get to work!"
Three hours later, Severus was putting the last stopper in the vial and labeling it. Within his detention Severus completed 10 different potions, suffered 2 minor cuts, 3 burns, and a hurt ego. Professor Granger's detentions weren't hard, but she could break even the most stubborn of mules with a crack of her sharp tongue. And to even think of the possibilities if he were to ask Professor Granger to help with his independent project made him cringe. "That'll happen when Hell freezes over," he thought.
"Professor Granger?" Severus asked.
"What is it, Mr. Snape?"
"I've finished the list of potions for the infirmary."
"Have you?" she asked sarcastically.
"Yes."
Professor Granger walked over to where Severus was standing and looked at the contents inside of each vial thoroughly.
"These will have to suffice," she said with a roll of her eyes, putting the vials on her desk. "You will be here on time tomorrow. I don't like wasting my time," she snapped. "Well, what are you waiting for, the gates of Niflheim to open? Get Out!"
Severus grabbed his bag and quickly walked out the door of the potions classroom. When he reached the Gryffindor Tower, he collapsed on his bed and sighed. He had never been happier to get out a class then he had tonight.
"Maybe Professor Granger won't be in such a bad mood tomorrow," he thought for an instant to try to add a positive outlook. But his smile quickly faded as he looked at his mangled hands that where covered in bandages. "And maybe she'll go for a walk in the Forbidden Forest and never came back."
A/N: finally, another chapter is up. I'm sorry it has taken me so long, but with school, band, one-act, and competitions coming up I have had no free time. I hope you will stick with this fic, as I don't plan to ever abandon it.
Niflheim is the Norse Mythology equivalent to Hell.
I want to thank everyone who has read this fic - especially the ones who have reviewed. It means so much to me!
THANK YOU - ContemporaryManner, Amy, Your Worshipfulness, Miss3y, Samson, BaYer04rulz, khauman24601, Imhilien, Natsuyori, Jedi Keladry, Southerwitch-69, Tacroy, redlady27
A big THANK YOU goes to my beta, Kimberly Moon, who has a very interesting fic out that I positively love called 'Grandtown.' Everyone should go check it out and her other fics as well.