Loving a Snake?

Chapter Three - Explanations

Tori watched as, impossible as it may have seemed, Snape turned paler than he already was. Tori tried to smile for comfort but, well, it was Snape.

"A-are you sure?" Snape asked in a soft, dreading voice.

"Well," Tori started sarcastically. "You're the only one I've -" she stopped and sighed. "Never mind... but I'm sure."

Snape's eyes shifted to the ground. Tori sighed a she remembered that Joshua was still crying. "Excuse me," she said and turned around, shutting the door behind her and leaving Snape to stand alone in the dark corridor.

Snape blinked once before he turned around, muttering 'mine?' once, and left.

Tori waited by her door until she could no longer hear Snape's retreating footsteps before she walked over to Joshua's crib and fed him from the bottle that she had conjured. After Joshua had decided that he was no longer hungry, Tori rocked him to sleep, put him in his crib, and finished grading papers.

~*~*~

Tori looked around at her first period class as they practiced blocking the Crutacious curse. At first, Tori was afraid they wouldn't be ready, but after going over the list Remus had given her of all the things he had taught the class three years before, she decided that they would be ready - and that with the new danger, they had to be.

After every student had finished cleaning and left, Tori sat at her desk and waited for the second period class. As she was beginning to enchant various objects to throw Imperious for the third years, she was startled by a knock at the door.

Tori's gaze quickly reverted to the classroom's entrance where Professor McGonagall stood. Tori let out a grateful sigh and smiled. "Hello, Professor. I-I thought you were -"

McGonagall cut her off. "I know who you thought I was." She then smiled. "But you will only see him in the Great Hall for a while. He's in a bit of a shock." Tori looked down slightly. "Oh, it's alright, child. These things happen. And, fortunately, the boy looks nothing like his father. Well... be a little in the eyes, but that's nothing to worry about." Tori smiled at the professor. "But that's not why I came here."

"Oh?" Tori asked.

"A letter has arrived for you," McGonagall extended her arm and handed Tori a small envelope. "Remus Lupin."

Tori smiled at the sound of her friend's name. "Thank you, Professor," she said. McGonagall smiled at Tori before turning to exit the room.

Tori opened the envelope and pulled out a fancily folded piece of parchment - Remus always liked to amuse her with his "paper art"; he often made animals and such. Tori had an entire box of paper animals that she knew she should probably throw away, but she wouldn't.

She s unfolded the parchment and read Remus' neat scrawl, smiling to herself.

Tori,

How are you? Are your classes going well? They aren't giving you any trouble are they?

Getting to the point, I just thought I would warn you that I'd be at Hogwarts next week. You know visiting and all. Really starting to miss Joshua and I thought we could go to the Three Broomsticks and talk about how the past three days have been. Okay, so it's a rather lame reason or visiting, but it's my reason and I'm going to stick to it! See you soon!

Love always,

Remus

Tori smiled at the letter and began folding it, though not in the same style Remus had put it. "It's about time I got a letter from you, Remus Lupin," she whispered. Tori walked smoothly to her desk to retrieve her quill and parchment, sat down, and began writing.

~*~*~

After classes were over, Tori took the letter she had written to Remus - which generally said that she couldn't wait to see him - to the Owlery and tied it to one of the barn owl's legs. "Take this to Remus Lupin," she said. The owl flew off with the letter, causing two feathers to escape its wings.

Once the owl was no longer within viewing range, Tori walked out of the Owlery and to the Great Hall for dinner.