Eagle and Serpent

Potty and the Weasel

Alannah walked out of Snape's office feeling like she had been sentenced to the gallows. A month of detention with everybody's least favorite teacher, just for saying what everybody else was thinking. It hardly seemed fair. But then, Snape was never one to doll out "fair" punishments. As she walked towards the Great Hall, she became aware that somebody had fallen into step next to her. She turned to look at who it was and felt the annoyance of the last hour's events boiling up inside her. Now she had to deal with Harry Potter.

"Can I help you?" she snapped at The Boy Who Lived.

"Hi, Alannah," he said nervously. She saw him glance back at his faithful little followers, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Seemingly with renewed confidence, he continued.

"I was wondering if you noticed that there was a Hogsmead trip this coming weekend."

"Yes, Potter. I did notice that. Believe it or not, I am capable of reading the notices that the teachers put up to inform us about such events," Alannah answered in a voice of forced calm.

"So," said Harry, obviously not quite sure how to take her sarcasm. "Would you want to go to the Three Broomsticks with me for a butter beer?" Alannah stared at him. Did Potter honestly think that she would even consider going on a date with him? Well, he must be dimmer than I thought.

"I'm sorry, Potter," she said. "I would love to join you and your little fan club for a kiddy drink, but unfortunately, I have to serve detention with Professor Snape, and therefore will be unable to attend." With that, she pivoted on her heel and began to stride away in the direction of the Great Hall.

As she walked away, she heard Ron say, "Ah, rotten luck, mate. You just had to set your sights on a tough one, huh?" Alannah wheeled around and lunged at Ron. She grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him down so they were eye to eye, her wand tip jammed against his chest over his heart.

"You think that's funny, do you, Weasel Breath?" she hissed. "You think that just because I am a girl, that gives you the right to think that I am no more than an object, a prize, or something else here for your enjoyment purposes alone?"

"Um, well..." Ron spluttered.

"I am a human being, Weasel," Alannah growled in a venomous tone. "I am a human being, and I expect to be treated as such. If I ever, EVER hear you make another comment reminiscent of the one you made several minutes ago, you will cease to possess the physical strength to sit upright, let alone make offensive and sexist remarks." She spat in Ron's face before pushing him backwards with surprising force for one so slight of build and sending him sprawling across the marble floor. Without a backwards glance, she marched towards the Ravenclaw table, feeling much better about life in general.

Alannah slid into a seat between her friends Gabbi and Nora.

"So, what did the foul little grease-ball do to you?" Nora asked, referring to Snape, as she had no idea what had transpired between Alannah and Weasley. Alannah was violently dumping a ridiculous amount of potatoes on her plate and seemed to be taking great pleasure in spearing them with her fork and chewing them with surprising velocity.

"Easy there, no need to take it out on the vegetables," said Gabbi, obviously a bit horrified that her friend was being so cruel to the cooked goods. "So, what's the verdict?" she prompted.

"I've got a month of detention," Alannah them. "I have to be at his private rooms at eight tonight and for another thirty nights to follow," she said gloomily.

"A MONTH!!!" Nora raged. "Why the bloody hell did he give you a MONTH, just for smart-mouthing about his damn nose. He's just so fucking touchy about that bloody nose of his..." Alannah and Gabbi let her have a rant; they knew by now that it was pointless to stop her and that they could just think about other things now. Alannah looked at her two friends; Nora still happily rambling on about the injustice of Snape's punishment and Gabbi contentedly munching her lunch. They weren't really her friends. Sure, she talked to them and went to classes with them and spent most of her time with them, but they weren't really friends. Nora and Gabbi were more accessories, things to be worn to complete an image. Alannah didn't tell them anything about her personal life, the life she led outside of Hogwarts. Not that she didn't think that they wouldn't care, they would. No, Alannah kept her life secret because she knew that people would pity her and try to help her and make her feel better. While Famous Potter might lap that sort of treatment up like a hungry cat does milk, it just made Alannah feel ill. She couldn't stand people fussing over her. After all, she didn't really need people. She was perfectly happy just being by herself, with a few acquaintances. The concept of friends was for cowards, people who preferred to inflict their misery on others rather than face it head on alone. When it came down to it, you face everything alone. No matter whom you tell, it is still your problem. You can't really share your experiences with anybody. They will always be your alone.

"Alannah?" Nora was talking to her.

"Yes? Sorry, what did you say?" said Alannah, jolting back to reality.

"I said, do you have any idea why Snape wants you to go to his rooms? Is it just me, or does that seem a little kinky?" Alannah smiled and chuckled at Nora's bluntness.

"I have no idea. He wasn't in a mood to give much information when I talked to him after class today," Alannah told her.

"He rarely is in the mood to make your life easier in any way, shape, or form," Gabbi muttered. "Anyways, he probably just wants in your pants, Alannah."

"Please Gabbi, I'm trying to eat! You have now sent me to a VERY dark place and I may be forced to hurl up that last bite," Nora groaned. Alannah laughed again.

"I doubt that Snape wants any more action than he gets, which at this point must be reaching into the negatives. I bet some troll of a girl broke his heart when he was in school and now he's either gay or living a life of abstinence. He's a bit of an odd fellow, isn't he," said Alannah, still chortling.

"Odd is being very kind, 'Lanna," said Gabbi. "What time must you be in Sir Abstinence's chamber tonight anyway?"

"Eight," answered Alannah.

What about your Head Girl patrols with Malfoy?" asked Nora.

"We're done by seven-thirty. It might be tight, but I can make it. His Greasiness knows that."

"So, how are you and dear old Draco," Nora persisted. "We all know that you are one of the few girls above fourth-year that he hasn't fucked, and it wasn't for lack of trying last year. Why did you play hard-to-get anyway? He's quite dishy, and he's got loads of money in his family." Alannah sighed. Would they ever let this go?

"I don't know," she said. "It used to be because his father was kissing Voldie's evil black ass, but now that he's not kissing anyone's ass, I'm not really sure. He really is gorgeous, isn't he?"

"Gorgeous?!?" shouted Gabbi, outraged. "If anyone's shag-worthy at this school, it's Draco Malfoy. He is among the best-looking young men to ever walk this earth, not to mention that he's the heir to more money than that the Queen of England herself. And he has impeccable fashion sense. That is a bit disturbing, actually. How perfect his hair always is, his robes are never crumpled, and when he's not in his school robes, he's always in black or dark green, so sexy--"

"Okay, I get it!" said Alannah, cutting off Gabbi's rant about the perfection of Draco Malfoy.

"He obviously fancies you," said Nora. "I say, when life hands you lemons..."

"I was clearly being an utter prat when I chased him off last year," Alannah mused. "I just didn't really want to date a Death Eater's son, if you know what I mean."

"Well, he's now a former Death Eater's son," stated Gabbi. "What did happen between Lovely Lucius and You-Know-Who?"

"I guess Mr. Malfoy just got sick of kissing Voldie's feet, quite literally," said Alannah.

"Don't you know any details?" Gabbi asked.

"Does anybody? Look, I'd better get going to Transfiguration. If I'm late again, McGonagall will throw a tantrum that could break England in two. I'll see you two at dinner," Alannah told them. Neither Gabbi nor Nora was taking N.E.W.T. Transfiguration. She stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder, heading in the direction of her next class, hoping that she would not run into Potter and his fan club on the way.