The Tenth Rule

Chapter 15.



Alice did not look for Bethany immediately after seeing Snape. Not only did she feel jealousy twist like a vine about her, strangling all reason and loyalty, but also her head was swimming, her whole body alive with wanting. She had returned briefly to her dormitory, tired and irritated and desperately in need of a shower. She was dismayed to realise she wasn't alone.



A few other Slytherin girls had returned to the dor als also ready themselves for dinner, some sitting cross-legged on their beds and chatting incessantly, others in mid-dress. As soon as Alice entered the room she had felt their eyes upon her, but she was too distracted to worry about it. There wasn't so much an atmosphere as a small disquiet between her and the other girls - after all, timid, quiet Alice Pearson was hardly bona fide Slytherin material but today she had caused quite a stir.



“What’s gotten into you recently?” Asked Suzette, tossing her hairbrush onto her bed. “You doing your best to lose us house points or something? Got some sort of agreement with Beddows and the whole Ravenclaw house? Not only getting detention with Snape, you pissed off McGonagall this morning and nearly cost us points, really messed-up this afternoon in Herbology and just now, done absolutely nothing in Potions and had to stay behind! Just as well it was with Snape…because any other lesson and we’d have lost house points for sure!”



With this limited time and space, Alice tidied her pile of papers and placed them into her bedside drawer. She closed it deliberately and quietly, casting quick glances to the group of girls that were all waiting an answer. Ever since she had embarked on her sexual development with Professor Snape, paranoia had thrived within her. She often wondered if she were giving herself away, mulling over the romantic notion of maybe this was how it felt to have an affair, though there was certainly nothing romantic in what Snape was doing to her. Of se, se, there was nothing to pin any blame or accusation upon her behaviour and careless distraction could easily be dismissed as whimsical teenaged conduct, but now it seemed it was getting obvious to the point of a discussion matter.



“I don’t know,” she answered finally, ”I’m just…just tired I suppose. I’ll be glad for the end of term and we can all go home for the Christmas holiday.”



That wasn’t the furthest from the truth. Two more weeks and she would be heading home.



“Oh yeah right…like that’s an answer!” Scoffed Suzette. "Convenient, Alice, really convenient. We're all tired. Not all of us decide to go downhill."



“Just watch yourself Pearson,” added Rachelle nastily, “or you won’t have just Snape to contend with!”



Though she knew she did not really fit in with the Slytherin crowd, and all had wondered why she had been sorted into that particular house, she had been quickly, though coolly accepted, and tolerated. That had suited Alice perfectly; it was a situation that worked. This sudden hostility towards her after all these years of relative anonymity however made Alice feel very alone and more of an outsider than ever amongst her housemates. She retreated to the bathroom dejectedly; wondering how worse things could get for her.



As Alice readied herself for dinner, Bethany did very much the same. She too had returned to her room, but unlike Alice she did not retire meekly. To stop herself from facing the wave of disappointment threatening to crash within her, Bethany had maintained her bravado. All the way back to her room she walked with a determined stride, neat chin high and proud, ponytail bouncing with every step. She looked every inch the model student.



Bethany was a consummate actress when she wanted to be. Very aware of her physicality, she could project a whole range of emotions - but confidence was her forte. Not only her speciality, it was her rock, a front that she thrust up when she was feeling particularly crushed or vulnerable, which she was now, very much so.



Still, there was a spark of inspiration in her act. Her mind had ticked out the idea of that almost perfect essay. To the casual eye it looked perfectly passable, but Bethany knew that Snape's methodical and sharp vision would pick out her mistakes immediately. He took great delight in scribbling corrections on students' essays - Bethany had learnt this the hard way. It would be no big surprise to him, she reasoned, if he found a few more errors in her work.



This was the closest Bethany could come to flirtation with Snape - disguised goading. Her desire for him had become a disgusting need, something she could feel but never explain. He was guilty for her oorroorror and self-loathing for her debasement at her own hands, yet he was also guilty of this all-consuming chasm of hunger that yawned inside her. So desperate was she, that she had taken matters into her own hands…once again.



Even whilst inside her dorm, Bethany remained proud. She preened herself briefly in the mirror, brushing out her hair and changing her hair ribbon, straightening her clothes. She was not vain by any stretch of the imagination, but Bethany had become very much aware of her image. She was not like most other girls, who devoted ungodly amounts of time to their appearances, but she had caught glimpses of herself in mirrors or windows and noticed how she could be construed as desirable. She knew that she was nowhere near as beautiful as the popular girls in the school who could have their pick of their male counterparts, but what Bethany was not aware of was how physically dull those girls appeared. Nothing set them apart from each other - the same enhanced blonde hair, the same style, the same slightly unremarkable eyes, the same lip-gloss on the same-shaped lips.



Satisfied, Bethany turned on her heel and made her way to the main hall.



******************************************



As always, the main hall was filled with the sound of collective chatter, laughter and the clatter of cutlery on plates. Bethany sat in her usual spot, not entirely surprised that Alice was not present yet. It depressed her that Professor Snapes chair was empty at the teacher’s table. She had forced the fact that Snape had told Alice to stay behind out of her mind, although, truth be told, Bethany was in denial. At the back of her mind, the fact niggled at her with wasp-like persistence, but for now it was remaining at the back.



She was halfway through her meal when she saw Alice heading for her seat.



Bethany was prepared to let Alice be the one to break the ice. She felt her façade crumble slightly at the presence of her friend - e, we, who she harboured jealousy for, her best and probably only true friend at Hogwarts, was now sitting demurely behind her. Bethany continued to eat.



"Beth, I…um…I've got a message from Snape." Alice said at last, and with effort.



Bethany's eyes glowed excitedly over her plate. She contained herself and glanced over her shoulder.



"Oh, so that's it. You only choose to talk to me now when you have a message."



Because she turned away, Bethany didn't see the look of pure hurt on Alice's fragile features. She frowned, swallowed, and carried on regardless.



"H-he says he wants to see you about your essay."



Bethany dropped her fork, masking it with an all-too-obvious cough.



"I see. When does he want to see me?"



"At six tonight, in his office."



With every word, Alice's voice grew quieter and more feeble. Bethany, however, could have smed med at the top of her lungs. Her heart danced in her chest, and she chewed ferociously on her lower lip. Not even in the dungeon classroom but in his office! She pushed a few stray strands of hair from her eyes and cleared her throat.



"You've got a lot of explaining to do."



Alice's heart was the complete opposite to Bethany's - it seemed to stop for the longest moment physically possible. She licked her lips and swallowed dryly.



"What do you mean?"



"Sitting at the front like that. Why did Snape order you to sit there? So he could watch you fill page after page with absolutely nothing?"



"Beth!" Alice squealed. The spite in her friend's tone was deeply upsetting. It was bad enough having her Slytherin roommates turn on her without her best friend doing it too. Bethany herself felt a twinge of guilt. It seemed that this need for Professor Snape brought out the worst in her, too.



"Come on, Alice. What are you playing at? We’re still on a knife's edge to being expelled! You know we really can't afford to be in his…bad books anymore. Isn’t detention every night bad enough? You're asking for more trouble from him."



Alice picked up her fork and sighed, speaking too quietly for her friend to hear.



"I suppose you could say that."



*****



Thanks to all for the reviews - it's always encouraging to read the thoughts of others.





Specifically - Domino, we're glad to see that you find Snape exact. He's been interpreted in many different ways through the medium of fanfiction, so it's great to read that you find this one suiting. And regarding the punctuation - well. It's hard to concentrate when writing about that Potions master... ;)




LaurenLeigh - thank you for your comment. I think we've all been in that "aim to please," stage,
and it is frustrating! Good to hear that you enjoyed the diction, too - it's that voice of his that inspires it!