Updates make the world go round.

This one is short, but I promise that the next one will be longer. As always, R&R my lovely readers!

Disclaimer: Eat your heart out, JK Rowling. This is your literary buffet, and not mine. I don't own anything.

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Snape wanted to box that little brat's ears until she finally relented and just talked to him. Merlin, was there ever a more stubborn little witch than the one that he had to put up with now?! In all honesty, Snape wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do about the girl. Her memories were obviously very destructive, and were taking a toll on her mental, as well as physical health. She was much to thin and frail. He sat there with this tiny, lonely witch wrapped up in his arms and all he could do was hope that she wasn't going to go back to school and tell everyone what a softie he had become. No, she wouldn't do that. It would involve telling all her friends that she had hugged the fearsome Potions Master. Snape smirked above her head. Having that reputation saved him a lot of trouble from unruly students. Students like Potter, on the other hand acted up no matter who they were faced with. That stupid boy could be tied to a chair in a godforsaken dungeon somewhere with the Dark Lord pointing his wand at him, and he would still probably be mouthing off. The girl shifted in his arms, and he heard her sniffle slightly before sighing into his chest. This intimate position was beginning to make him feel very uncomfortable, and being uncomfortable was something Professor Severus Snape detested. He gently began to push her away, and the girl practically jumped away. She looked embarrassed, and her face was a lovely shade of bright red.

"I…uh…that never happened, Snape!"

Snape raised his eyebrow and watched the girl squirm as she muttered.

"I mean Professor Snape."

"Quite. Please get that medallion you wear and meet me in the library."

The girl looked confused, "Why?"

Snape turned around, wishing that students would just do as they were told and did not feel the need to pepper him with questions.

"Because it has significance in your family history, and may give clues as to your magic."

"Oh."

Ten minuets later, Snape moodily with his hand outstretched.

"Let me see it."

The girl gripped the necklace a little tighter.

"I don't want it to get broken or anything."

"Well, if you hold it any tighter, it will probably break underneath all of that pressure. I'm not going to do anything to it, I just want to look at it."

"Well, can't I just show it to you, and still hold on to it?"

"Miss Mortacrin, you are trying my patience."

"I can't help feeling protective of it! It's the only thing left of my mother I have."

Snape watched as her eyes dimmed as she said this. He sighed and massaged his temple with his long fingers. This girl was going to be the death of him. He held his hand out again.

"Please. I promise I will treat it with the utmost respect."

The girl slowly handed over the trinket, and Snape turned it over in his hands. In the center of the dull silver oval, there was carved the image of a wand and an olive branch intertwined inside of a heart. Around this image were words around the circumference of the medallion. Snape ran his fingers over the raised letters of the inscription. He read them carefully:

-Meus pectus pectoris est plures deniy. EGO must imperium is lest is imperium mihi.-

He looked up at the girl.

"Do you know what these mean?"

She shifted on her feet and looked a little ashamed.

"No…"

Snape rolled his eyes as high as they would go.

"You mean to tell me that this whole time you've been carrying this necklace around, it never occurred to you to wonder what it meant? For all you know, it could be a knock-knock joke."

The girl looked like she was about to strangle him.

"I have a lot on my mind! Besides, I at least know what language it is."

"Yes, it's Latin."

The girl looked put out, as if she had been hoping that he hadn't known it. Snape frowned decidedly at the words. It had been years since he had last read or spoken Latin. There was some Latin in potions he used, but mostly it was Greek. He waved his wand at a bookshelf, and a Latin dictionary floated to him. He consulted it carefully, while rereading the words.

"Are you done yet?"

Snape looked up into the eyes, or rather bangs of the girl. She was rudely peering over his shoulder at his work. He nudged her away from his space.

"Latin is a delicate language. Words can mean many different things."

"Well, why is it taking so long?"

Snape counted to ten to restrain himself from shaking her.

"Because, it…is…a…difficult…translation."

The girl huffed impolitely, and retreated to the other side of the desk, where she put her chin in her palms and sighed loudly. Snape looked up sternly.

"There is a corner, Miss Mortacrin on the other side of the room. You are welcome to stand there if that would be a better occupation of your time."

"No thank you, Professor."

Snape returned to his work and after a few more moments, scribbled something down and sat back in his chair.

"The most accurate interpretation of these words is: 'My heart is many, within deep. I must control it, lest it control me.'"

"Well, what does that mean?"

Snape looked back up at the rude little girl who was sitting in his chair, playing with his quills, making a nuisance of herself.

"Not one word of thanks, just more demands. Rude questions and impossible demands from students all day and all night. Why in the world did I want to teach?"

A little smirk found it's way around her mouth.

"Why, Professor, I do believe that you are whining."

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Mannie stood angrily with her nose in the corner. It wasn't fair. Make one little remark, and you get sent into the corner.