The Miseducation of Lavinia Llwynog: Part XVII

The empty hallways of Hogwarts were a vast echo chamber for Gus’ frantic footsteps as he sprinted towards Potions class.  He slowed down to a jog as he turned the last corner, steadying his breath and preparing to enter the classroom as quietly as possible.  Gus hoped that his absence hadn’t been noticed.  Professor Nott usually berated the class at the beginning of the lesson in lieu of taking attendance.  He was one of the few teachers who simply did not care if a student was in attendance, so long as the assignments were completed.  While the students worked he usually marked out notes on the board or sat at his desk, poring over potions books and ignoring the class until it was time to check their potions.  There was a chance that Gus could slip in unnoticed if Professor Nott was sticking to his usual routine.

Gus slowly opened the door, which swung open quietly without a sound.  The students were busy at their tables, measuring ingredients, stirring cauldrons and carefully adding additions to their steaming brews.  The professor had his back to them, guiding the chalk over the blackboard as it spelled out a complicated formula.  Gus spied Colin at their usual table, grimacing as he plucked eyeballs out of a jar.  He silently made his way towards his seat and was halfway across the room when the teacher spun around.

“So, Mr. Renard, you have decided to grace us with your presence after all!  Your late arrival indicates that you already know the lesson.  Perhaps you would like to come up here and finish writing this formula!”

“What are you doing here?  Where’s Professor Nott?”

Gus immediately wished that he could take back the words, but seeing Professor Severus Snape instead of Professor Nott had shocked him.  The black eyes above the large, hooked nose were now locked on him, as were the eyes of the students, who had paused in the middle of their work and were watching him.

“Professor Nott’s whereabouts are none of your concern.  I am teaching Potions in his stead.  Not only are you late, you are insolent.  Thirty points from Gryffindor!  You also haven’t heeded my advice to appear presentable.  The condition of your robes is an affront to this class, the school and your House, not that Gryffindors have ever been known for their sartorial splendor.  Twenty extra points from Gryffindor!”

“You can’t do that!” the words spilled out of Gus’ mouth.  He knew that he looked a sight, but that was no reason to penalize his House.  The right sleeve of his robes was shredded from the brambles and the front was stained with mud and grass from crawling under the bush.  His hands were scratched and bleeding and he didn’t want to think about the state of his face and hair.  However the anger that had been building up in him since his encounter with James was at a peak.  Snape was being unfair.  If he knew why Gus was late he wouldn’t be mocking him in front of the class.

“Can’t take points away from Gryffindor, Mr. Renard?  I believe that I just did!”  Snape’s voice was biting.  Many of the students shrank in their seats but Gus pressed on, no longer caring.

“There’s a good reason why I’m late!  There was a fox in danger…”

“THAT’S ENOUGH MR. RENARD! “  Professor Snape rarely raised his voice, but when he did it was terrible.  Gus stumbled back several  inches, wide-eyed.  Grace Wong knocked over a reticule which shattered on the floor.  Even the Slytherin students, who basked in his favoritism, hunched over and looked at him fearfully.
 
“I can assure you, Mr. Renard, that neither I nor anyone else here is remotely interested in why you are late.  FIFTY points from Gryffindor!”  Snape swept across the front of the room, black robes swirling in a gust around him.  He glared at the students.

“You will proceed with your Potions lesson.  However, you will not wash out your cauldrons and instruments.  Mr. Renard will do that for you.”  Snape looked down at Gus.

“You will report here at the end of the day and scrub each cauldron and instrument clean.  Take your seat.”  He strode back to the chalkboard and continued writing the formula.

Gus walked to his seat, seething.  He flipped to the lesson in the book and began chopping gurdy roots so savagely that bits began flying from his knife.  He didn’t care.

“Why did you have to do that?” Colin whispered.  “You’ve ticked him off royally!”

“I don’t care!” Gus hissed in reply.
 
“You should!  You just cost Gryffindor one hundred points!  No one has done that in years!  Who do you think you are, Harry Potter?”

Gus paused and looked at his friend.  The fallout from his outburst was now apparent.  He had put his House’s standing in jeopardy.  Everyone would definitely hate him now.

“Damn, I’m sorry,” he muttered.
 
“What’s going on, Gus?” Colin inquired.  “You were walking with me to Potions and all of a sudden you took off and said that you’d catch up.  What were you saying about a fox in trouble?  Was it that fox that we saw in Hagrid’s class?”

Gus did not reply; Professor Snape was standing over them.  Colin hastily began adjusting the flame of his cauldron.

“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Creevey.  This concoction, which is not even close to being a proper potion, is beyond saving."

That wasn’t fair!  Gus could see nothing wrong with Colin’s potion.  Snape passed on to the next table and examined Barker’s potion.  From what Gus could see, it looked and smelled as if one of the toilets had backed up.  Snape passed on without comment.  He never criticized Slytherins.

“I’m going to have to clean up that shit,” Gus thought miserably.  He was also going to miss his session with Professor Evelyn Snape.  Why hadn’t he held his tongue?

The bell shrilled and the students began to gather up their supplies.  They halted as Professor Snape addressed them.

“Place your dirty cauldrons and instruments next to the sink in the back of the room.  Don’t bother soaking them.  That will be Mr. Renard’s job.  Professor Nott will return for the next class but that does not excuse you from finishing the homework that I’ve assigned.  You are dismissed.”
 
The students watched silently as Snape departed before exiting the classroom.  Gus lagged after them.  His earlier altercation with James and the dread of meeting him later coupled with the incident with Snape had brought on a sickish, stressful feeling.  He paused in the hallway, feeling miserable and disoriented.

“Gus!  Are you all right?”  The sound of Miranda’s voice brought him to his senses.

“I’m fine.  Just feeling like a git for losing my temper and costing the House points.”

“Who cares about the points?  The way that man treated you was horrid!  What happened to you?  Are you hurt?”  She grabbed his arm and frowned at the shredded sleeve and scratches on his hand.  He blushed and squirmed, unsuccessfully trying to pull his arm away.

“It’s nothing—I had a tussle with a bramble bush…”

“Hold still, silly!  I only need a moment."  She aimed her wand at his right sleeve and uttered a complex mending charm which he did not know.

Gus stared at his sleeve, which appeared to be whole.  Miranda was smiling widely.  She waved her wand again, intoning another spell and the mud and grass stains disappeared from the front of his robes.

“If I’m good at anything, then it’s cleaning and repairing charms!  The House Elves might need to touch it up a bit.”

“I don’t think so,” Gus responded.  “It looks perfect.”

“Thanks!  Well, now that I’ve helped you with your robes, why don’t you tell me what made you so late for Potions class? The bramble bush didn’t attack you on its own, did it?”
 
Her kind concern relaxed him and he told her everything.  Well, almost everything.  He omitted the parts about the vixen being Vinnie and James’ challenge to duel him that evening.  Miranda shook her head in disgust.

“James Potter!  What an eejit!  Getting all upset because a fox took his daddy’s snitch!  Boo hoo!”  Miranda remarked scornfully.

“You don’t like him?” Gus asked in surprise.

“I never did!  All he talks about is how he’s Harry Potter’s son!  So what?  I came here not knowing who Harry Potter was.  He’s a hero, but all James can claim is that he’s the son of a hero.  If that’s the onlything about him that he’s proud of, then that’s pathetic.  Doesn’t mean that he’s anything special or has done anything special!”

“He asked me out, and I told him no.  He was really angry and asked if I knew who his father was.  I told him that I did, but that I had no interest in dating Harry Potter!  That shut him up!” Miranda chuckled and Gus laughed.

“I never heard of James Potter being at a loss for words!”

“He was so shocked that I turned him down!  I told him that I would never go out with him.  Besides, I like someone else!”

“You do?”  Gus felt a hopeful rush.

“Miranda, love!  There you are!”  A cheery voice boomed.  A grinning Brian O’Boyne strode over to them.  Miranda laughed and linked her arm through his.

“Gus, you know Brian, don’t you?  Brian, this is Gus Renard?”

“You’re Max and R.J. Renard’s brother, right?  Damn, what happened to you?  Got into a scrap?”

“Yeah,” Gus replied dully as he touched the scratches on his face.

“Well, that sucks!  I hope that the other bloke looks worse!  C’mon , lovely!  Practice is cancelled and we have a flying lesson!”

“Brian is teaching me Quidditch moves!” Miranda beamed.  “I’m thinking of trying out for the team next year.”

“Good luck!  Nice meeting you, Brian.”

“Same here, Gus!”
 
Gus watched as the couple walked arm in arm down the hallway.  He wondered if his luck, year at Hogwarts, or life could get any worse.  He shook his head, then paused and considered her words.  He shouldered his book bag and walked towards Professor Evelyn Snape’s office to inform her of his absence that evening.

---

“Damn it!”
 
Evelyn upended her purse over her desk, spilling out the contents—a hairbrush, hand lotion, a package of tissues, her keys, some spare change, a postcard from her niece, her cell phone (not often used outside of the Muggle world) and assorted cosmetics.  She sifted through the latter in search of her lipstick.  There was her eyeliner, mascara and a small compact, along with the tube of Le Baiser de Passion that Sebastian had given to her in Glasgow.  The familiar tube of Estee Lauder’s Envious, her red lipstick of choice, was nowhere to be found.

In her mind’s eye, Evelyn saw herself getting ready for work.  At the last moment she had switched purses.  As she had transferred the contents from one to the other, Severus had interrupted her.  She could now remember setting the lipstick down on her dresser when she answered him.  She had then picked up her purse and left.

Evelyn snapped open her compact and checked her reflection.  Yes, she definitely needed a touch-up.  Her color had faded and without lipstick it appeared that she only had half a face.  She picked up Le Baiser de Passion and frowned.

“La Plus Rouge Rose—Reddest Rose,” she read aloud.  She uncapped it and examined the color.  It was a deep, rich red, but otherwise looked innocuous.  There was certainly no hint of aphrodisiac in either appearance or scent.”

“Red isn’t her color, but it looks smashing on you!”

“Oh, do shut up, Sebastian!” Evelyn said aloud in exasperation.  Things had become more complicated since their lunch meeting.  Severus had become surly and angry when she told him about Sebastian’s job offer.  His temper had not improved, despite the fact that she had told him that she had no intention of accepting it.
 
Vinnie had informed both her and Severus that she had reached a decision and would be meeting with Sebastian that week to tell him in person.  She would say no more and neither one of them pressed her, although Severus was quite vocal about what his opinion was on the issue.

“Vinnie should cut all ties with that scoundrel.  He’s a bad influence and no good will come of this arrangement.  Merlin’s pants, Evelyn, look at all of the trouble that he has already caused!  I know that you are fond of his son and you are honoring your agreement, but if Vinnie decides to stop the sessions with Sebastian then you should stop your sessions with Gus immediately!  You’ll only be beholden to Sebastian if you continue!”

“I won’t be beholden to anyone.  I enjoy tutoring Gus.  I owe it to him to continue.”  She still felt guilty about Gus’ ignorance concerning the arrangement.  Stopping the sessions would be unfair to him, especially since he was flourishing.

“You owe nothing to anyone!” Severus had remarked darkly.

That had only been one of the many disagreements that had sparked between them in the past week.  Neither of them enjoyed it, but they both held fast to their positions, stubbornly refusing to yield.  Meals were terse affairs and after reading in bed they only acknowledged each other with a brief good night. That morning Severus had unexpectedly offered an olive branch.  He had suggested that they go out for dinner after classes had ended.
 
“I’ll be substituting for Theodore Nott today.  After teaching Potions in addition to Defensive Magic I would prefer a good strong drink somewhere.”  He didn’t say anymore, but  didn’t need to.  Evelyn knew that he wanted to talk.  She agreed to meet him in the Potions classroom at the end of the day.  It was that conversation that had distracted her, making her forget her lipstick.
 
The end of the school day had come sooner, since Gus had not shown up for their session.  Evelyn had found a note from him slid under the door of her office.  It was short, stating that he was sorry to miss their meeting, but he had detention.
 
The note had unsettled her.  Polite, quiet and studious, Gus was an unlikely candidate for detention.  She wondered what infraction he had committed and who the teacher was.  Well, if Gus wished to tell her at their next meeting, he would.  She certainly wouldn’t press him.

Evelyn turned her attention back to the compact mirror.  She might as well see if the lipstick that Sebastian was marketing lived up to his endorsement.  It glided on smoothly, and to her surprise there was no need to blot it.  It was a deep, intense red, but not garish.  There was no feathering or bleeding beyond her lip line.

“Well, Sebastian, this lipstick is exceptional,” Evelyn admitted.  She dropped the tube into her purse and tucked her papers into her briefcase before heading to the Potions classroom.

Evelyn walked into the classroom, ready to suggest that they try a new café that had recently opened instead of Severus’ preferred choice of The Three Broomsticks.  She was unprepared for the sight of Gus draining the sink.  On the counter next to him stood various cauldrons, beakers, reticules, knives, vials, mortars and pestles.  He looked up when she entered the class, as surprised as she was.  His swallowed hard and he stared at his feet.

“Did you wash all of those?” Evelyn inquired gently.  It looked like an entire classroom’s supply.

“Yes, Professor Snape.  I’m waiting for your husband.  He had to step out for a moment and  told me not to leave until he had inspected my work.”

“You needn’t worry,” she remarked.  Everything was pristine and sparkling—no small feat considering that he had done it all by hand.  Students were not allowed to use their wands during detention.

“Hold out your hands.”  Gus obliged and she squirted out a dab of hand lotion into his palms.
 
“Rub that in.  Your hands won’t be chapped later.”

“I’m sorry that I missed our session, Professor,” Gus said softly.  “It was my fault.  I was late and when Professor Snape called me out on it I was cheeky.  It cost my House lots of points.  I guess the Hat made a mistake—I’m not good enough for Gryffindor.”

“Don’t say that!” Evelyn replied sharply.  “You should be asking if Gryffindor is good enough for you!”

“I don’t mean that Gryffindor is unworthy,” she explained quickly.  “You aren’t the first student who has questioned his placement.  I’ve had students confide in me that they felt that they weren’t smart enough to be in Ravenclaw, ambitious enough to be in Slytherin or hardworking enough to be in Hufflepuff.  However the Hat placed them in their respective Houses for a reason.  I’ve never liked this system.  It is antiquated and I believe that the students are sorted prematurely.  My husband and I have debated the accuracy of the system, but one thing is certain—the Sorting Hat recognizes the potential for certain traits in each student.  It is then up to the student to realize them and fulfill them.”

“I’ve heard stories about children asking to be put in certain Houses and they were, but usually that only happens in situations where the Hat is wavering between two choices.  Hat stalls are rare, but some sortings take longer than others. Harry Potter persuaded the Hat to put him into Gryffindor and it looks like that trait was passed down, since the Hat also took quite some time sorting his child.”

“Poor AlSev,” Gus commented sympathetically.  “I know how he feels.”

“AlSev?  Oh no—his sorting into Slytherin was remarkably swift,” Evelyn said.

She was unprepared for both his shocked expression and the sudden appearance of Severus, who burst through the door.  He inspected the Potions equipment and turned to Gus.

“You may go,” he said flatly.

Gus murmured a quick goodbye and bolted for the door.  Evelyn glared at her husband.

“Is that all that you have to say to him?”

“I would think so.  He completed his task.”

“He completed it remarkably well.”

“Evelyn, this task was for detention, not for a grade!  There was no need for further comment.”

“It seems to be a rather severe detention,” Evelyn said heatedly.  “What on earth did he do?  Insult your mother to your face?”

“Have I ever questioned your detentions, Evelyn?  Don’t criticize mine!”
 
“I am not criticizing!  I am simply asking what the boy did to make you assign him such a laborious chore!  Did you do it because you knew that we had our session today?  Severus, I know that you don’t like the boy’s father, but taking your anger out on him is truly low!  I thought that you wouldn’t do such a thing again!”

Severus held her gaze.  His eyes were still angry, but the intensity had abated.  He pulled a chair over and motioned for her to sit.  He sat next to her.

“I don’t deny that some of my anger at Sebastian may have been misdirected at Augustine,” he said roughly.  “However my disciplining him today has nothing to do with Sebastian or the situation with Vinnie.  I certainly didn’t do it to inconvenience you.”

“The boy missed the first half of my class.  He was bedraggled and in a highly agitated state.  He began shouting that he was late because he helped a fox that was in distress.”

“Was it Vinnie?” Evelyn felt cold.

“It could have been.  When I entered the classroom earlier the students were buzzing about a vixen that had interrupted Hagrid’s class with her antics.  It sounded very much like Vinnie.  The children were already curious about this strange fox and I didn’t want Augustine to give them more information which could potentially reveal her identity.  I had to shut him up fast.  Don’t worry about Vinnie-she is fine.  I stepped out during detention to take a quick walk through the Slytherin Common Room.  Unexpected visits keep the students on their toes.  Vinnie was there with Soren and AlSev.  She looked fine.”

“Well, that’s good to know!  How many points did you take from Gryffindor?”

“One hundred total.  Thirty for being late, twenty for his slovenly appearance—he looked as if he had been dragged through a ditch—and fifty for challenging my authority.”

“You must have enjoyed that!” Evelyn said shortly.

“I didn’t enjoy any of it,” Severus countered.  “Evelyn, the boy is different than his father in many ways.  However he is his father’s son.  When Sebastian was his age, he also had problems with respecting authority figures and revealing information about people which was better unmentioned.  I know that in Augustine’s case it was unintentional, but the results could have been ruinous.  Evelyn, I know that you have been successful in drawing the boy out and have made him realize his potential.  However a dose of hard discipline is also needed.  Augustine will face much crueler people when he leaves Hogwarts.  He needs to learn how to steel himself and act accordingly.”

“I can also say the same for myself,” Severus continued.  “Sebastian is a rascal and I don’t want to see him get the better of you.  If I’ve underestimated your abilities, please forgive me.   I don’t trust him, Evelyn, but I have always trusted you.  I still do.”

His voice was soft and contrite.  He awkwardly put his hand over her right hand.  She clasped it with her left and looked into his eyes as she spoke.

“There is no reason to be fearful, Severus.  I have dealt with men like Sebastian before.  He enjoys his little games and he certainly is good at playing them, but he once commented that I was a worthy opponent.  Whatever his intentions are, I can assure you that I will not let him gain the upper hand."

“I have faith in you.  I don’t doubt your abilities.  You’ve certainly impressed Renard.  That offer that he extended to you would have been the ultimate prize for many people.”

“Maybe thirty years ago it would have been my dream job, but my life was different then,” Evelyn said.  “I have since found that my life is quite rich with the job that I have and the man whom I lay down with each night and wake up to each morning.”

He gently caressed the right side of her face with his free hand and leaned in to kiss her.  Evelyn closed her eyes, grateful and relieved that the anger that had separated them for the past week had abated.  She felt his mouth on hers and parted her lips.

The intensity of his kiss filled her with a delightful warmth that spread from her lips and slowly coursed through her body.  Her lips hummed and she pressed them harder against his as she felt him pulling her in closer.  She was intensely aware of him and simultaneously felt as if they were in another place.  She felt his fingers on the top buttons of her blouse and gently glided her tongue over his.

“I say!  What the hell do you two think you’re doing!”

Evelyn snapped out of her reverie and clutched Severus.  She realized that she was sitting on his lap and that he had undone her hair pins.  She pushed the loose hair from her face and stared at an appalled Theodore Nott.

“I’m kissing my wife, Theodore.  No need to be affronted,” Severus made no move to push Evelyn from his lap.
 
Theodore Nott blanched and rubbed his hands together.  He nervously smoothed his thinning grey hair and cleared his throat.

“I apologize, Severus, Evelyn,” he said in his reedy voice.  “I had no idea it was the two of you.  I thought it was a pair of kids who decided to use an empty classroom for snogging.  It has been a trying day for me and I didn’t expect to see the two of you here.  Doing that.  Not that there is any problem with it, ah, you are married…”

He was floundering for words like an awkward schoolboy trying to explain himself.  Evelyn remembered that he had been Severus’ pupil.  Her husband still had the ability to instill fear and discomfort in his former students, even ones who became teachers.  She almost felt sorry for Theodore Nott, but he was one of the few Hogwarts professors whom she disliked.  He was curt, condescending, and barely acknowledged her.  Evelyn believed that it was because she was a non-magical Squibb.

“Nothing wrong here at all, Theodore,” Severus said as he stood up.  “Come, Evelyn.”

“Thank you, Severus.  That is, thank you for teaching my classes today.”

“Don’t worry, Theodore.  We all know what you mean,” Severus intoned as he and Evelyn exited the classroom.

They didn't speak as they walked through the dungeons and up the long staircase.  When they reached the Great Hallway at the top of the stairs Severus laughed and grabbed Evelyn’s hand.

“Ha!  Did you see his face! That kiss was the most sensual one that we’ve exchanged in a long time!  Evelyn, let’s forego our dinner date tonight.  I want to take you home right now and continue where we left off before we were so rudely interrupted!”

“Severus!” Evelyn interjected. “There is a reason why that kiss was more than just, well, a kiss."

Evelyn reached into her purse and pulled out the lipstick.  She handed it to her husband who examined the tube.  He looked up at her and she nodded.

“It’s Le Baiser de Passion.  The lipstick that Sebastian gave to me.  It’s the first time that I wore it.  I forgot that I had it on when we kissed.”

“I know about the properties of Fleur d'amour, but this is the first time that I have experienced them,” Severus said.  “That lipstick is the flower in its diluted form.  Its aphrodisiacal powers are quite intense.”

“Sebastian told me that it worked.  He was right!”  Evelyn suddenly stopped walking. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

“Oh my God—now it all makes sense!”

“Evelyn?  Are you all right?” Severus asked urgently.

“Sebastian, you bastard!” Evelyn cried.  “Now I know why he offered me the job! He was looking for someone to fill that position before Minerva asked him to tutor Vinne!  Tutoring Augustine was a test!”

“Evelyn, what are you talking about?”

“I’ll explain when we get home.  I would prefer to do so sitting down.  Preferably with a glass of wine.”
 
Severus nodded but didn’t say anymore.  Evelyn looped her arm through his as they turned onto the road leading to Hogsmeade.