Anticipation
Anticipation kills those of the impatient nature. Anticipation feeds those of a destructive nature. Anticipation aids those of taunting nature. Anticipation is great tool to use to torture.
True to her word, Roxanne announced the project and everyone was in frenzy. Everyone that is, except Hermione. Her interest in school, or life, was declining each day after her agreement with Roxanne. She instead spent her days sitting in the Prefect bathroom, mainly in the bathtub.
Hermione enjoyed lying in the tub, with warm water surrounding her and thousands of small bubbles engulfing her body. She spent hours in the tub, just enjoying the peace. She didn't even bother to think when she was in the tub. With her mind completely clear, she didn't have to think about that seven year old or how she would take care of Severus Snape. What she did think about was the bubbles and wondered how such a sweet scent could be radiating from the bubbles for hours upon hours.
Then Hermione's peaceful days of lying in the tub came crashing down.
The project was due in two days, and Hermione had done nothing. Even with all the changes Hermione had gone through, she refused to let her grades slip. That would mean something was wrong with her, and she didn't want anyone to start to question her.
So far, she had had her wish. Ron was busy plotting some unknown plan for Roxanne's demise with Draco to notice Hermione's changes, and Harry was too busy with his own problems to notice Hermione's problem. Since she had kept her school work up to a satisfactory level, none of the teachers noticed anything. Now Hermione had to struggle to write a paper on vampires that would get her an E.
She had tried to use the books in the library, but none of them had enough information. Her mind traveled back to something Roxanne had told her. 'Severus Snape might be able to help with this project.'
After her next Potions class, Hermione lingered in the back. It was the last day of the class, and Severus was cleaning up for the day. His dark eyes seemed more dangerous these days and his tongue sharper.
Hermione walked up to Severus' desk and said cautiously, "Um, Professor Snape?"
"What?" Severus asked, glaring at her.
Hermione gulped and said, "I'm doing a project on vampires and I was wondering if you could help me."
Severus stared at her with an amused smile on his lips. "Well, I guess she doesn't know it all. If you come by tomorrow your questions, I may help you, Granger."
Hermione nodded and quickly hurried out. She let out a sigh of relief and was glad to be away from Severus. She felt uneasy around him. Her mind always pictured a motionless Snape laying on the floor and Roxanne telling Hermione she had done a good job. She cringed and quickly ran back to the Gryffindor tower.
The next day passed slowly for Hermione, and nothing out of the ordinary happened until her last class of the day. Defense Against the Dark Arts.
It had been a dark, raining day with no sign of sunlight. Everyone was depressed about this weather; well, everyone but Hermione and Roxanne, and they showed it. Finally, Roxanne got so frustrated by miserable atmosphere she cried out, "Is a little rain all that is bothering you?"
In response, there were nods and murmurs. She rolled her eyes and said, "In Las Vegas there is hardly any rain. It is sun and sand without the hint of water. When days like this came, we rejoiced."
She paused and looked around, not many people were listening. A smirk passed across her and said, "Three other girls and I would go out dancing in the rain." Some people stirred and started paying attention to what Roxanne was saying.
"The four of us would go out in the rain and just listen at the beginning. We'd listen to the ping when it hit the pavement. And we feel the cool drops run down our bodies. As soon as we were completely soaked, we'd strip off our clothes 'till we were entirely naked. Not a piece of cloth left on us."
At this point all of the students were listening and staring at Roxanne in awe. She smiled sweetly and continued, "We'd be in the middle of a desert's rainstorm, naked and dancing 'till our feet gave out.
"Our bodies would move so smoothly and elegantly it was almost as though we were one with the earth. The sounds of our feet mingling with splatter of rain. Our bodies and the warm ground generating the only heat against the cool rain. The feel of the last raindrop gently caress every curve as it ran down our bare, open bodies."
Roxanne sighed and laughed. "And you all are complaining about the rain."
There was a guilty stir in the class room, and then suddenly all the shades to the window swirled open and started to spin. Next, the books started flying from their place on the shelf and flew towards the students. Some girls shrieked, while others laughed until a book collided with their heads. Roxanne stood in the middle of the room and waved her wand. The books fell to the floor and with another flick off her wrist the shades stopped spinning.
"Rather pathetic attempt of a practical joke," Roxanne told the class, and started walking towards the front of the class. A rogue book came flying at her, and Roxanne ducked quickly. "Missed me."
The book had not been aiming for her. It was aiming for a wooden block, and it hit its target. The block was holding down a sting, but now that it was gone, the string whipped out of control. Since the string was loose, it let bucket of pig's blood flip over, spilling it on Roxanne.
At first, everyone froze. All eyes were fixated on the bloody figure that used to be their Defense Against the Darks Arts teacher. Roxanne was covered head to foot in thick, gooey pig's blood. Then, they all burst out laughing.
Roxanne felt the blood slow slide down her body and gradually ooze into her skin. She grinned evilly while they were all laughing, for she had been waiting for an opportunity like this to occur. So, she'd let them laugh for now.
Hermione whiffed in the aroma of the blood and her stomach turn hungrily. She licked her lips with enthusiasm and felt an odd smile stretch the muscles in her face. She covered it quickly with her hand and ran out of the class as soon as she realized she was smiling at the smell of pig's blood. No one thought anything of it since Lavender Brown looked sick to her stomach.
Then, Roxanne pounced on them.
She waved her wand and iron spikes appeared all round the students, trapping them in their seats. The spikes were only a couple inches away from the student's body, making each one of them freeze in terror of being punctured.
Once they were frozen, Roxanne slowly strode up and down the isles. She smirked at them and said, "No one's laughing now. If you want to get ride of the spikes, the person or people responsible for this prank should come forward right now."
No one moved. Roxanne's sharp eyes scanned the room for something precise. She sighed and walked over next to Neville's desk. She put her hand on the back of his head and said, "If you're not the culprit, then you will not be harmed by the spikes."
She paused and pushed Neville's head into the spikes. Parvati shrieked and nearly passed out. Neville passed through them, unharmed. "See."
A couple people tried it and they also passed through it completely unharmed. Soon it appeared that everyone was trying it, and laughing about how they silly they were being, thinking a teacher would hurt them. Still, Roxanne's eyes scanned the room, growing narrower and more dangerous while she walked around the room. For five minutes her eyes scanned and people kept putting their hands and head through the spikes, 'till she stopped at Ron's desk.
Ron was sitting unusually straight and still. Roxanne smirked and whispered for only Ron to hear, "Even the guilty party could have passed through it unharmed."
Ron looked up at her shocked and dumbfounded. Roxanne smiled at him and then said to the class, after vanishing the spikes, "Stand up Mr. Weasley, take a bow. Class, don't you think Mr. Weasley deserves a hand?"
She started clapping and the rest of the class joined in. Ron turned a deep shade of red and sunk into his seat. Roxanne clasped him on his shoulder and told the class, "All right, everyone can be excused, except for Ronald Weasley."
The class filed out, some of the boys giving Ron the thumbs up and Lavender smiling sweetly at him. Harry came up to Ron and whispered, "That was brilliant. Did you think of it all by yourself?"
Ron shrugged, trying to be modest, but could resist the urge to smile. "I'll explain later," he told Harry, who nodded and left the room.
Roxanne still covered in pig's blood, walked up to Ron and asked, "So, who was your partner?"
Ron shrugged and looked down at the floor. Roxanne nodded understandably and said, "Admirable of you not to squeal, but I'm still going to have a talk with Mr. Malfoy. Oh no, not about this," Roxanne added quickly when she saw Ron's worried face, "about his attitude during my class. He doesn't seem to like me or my class. I bet he approached you for this, didn't he?"
Ron shrugged again. Roxanne eyes carefully inspected Ron and finally she said, "I want to see you in my office after dinner, there you will get your punishment. But, first, a hug to show no hard feelings."
"What?" Ron cried out in alarm, as he looked at her bloody attire and open arms. He shook his head and said, "No, that's okay."
"Come here," Roxanne said, grabbing Ron in her arms, making sure to get him as bloody as possible.
When Ron pulled away, he had blood all down his front. He groaned in disgust, which made Roxanne laugh. "Go clean up," Roxanne told him, giving him a friendly shove towards the door.
Hermione gulped and knocked slowly on Severus' door. "Enter," a silky, yet harsh, voice responded.
As Hermione entered the room, she made sure to put the silencing charm on Severus' door.