Between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor

Chapter 7: First time for everything

Chiara sat down at the back of her DADA class next to Draco listening to Snape’s lecture on forbidden things in the Magical world. She had noticed that Snape had said a few things wrong and thought it would be a good idea if he was notified. She put up her hand and waited for Snape to look up from his book.

“Yes Miss Chalmers.” Snape droned, barely moving his head up to look at her.

“Professor, I believe that you may have described a few items wrong. I mean we all need to get taught the right things don’t we?” Chiara smiled nicely. Snape’s face turned an infuriated red at being embarrassed by a student. The other students in the class looked at her in awe, no one had corrected a teacher before, especially not Snape.

“Would you like to teach the class Miss Chalmers, I am sure you are more then qualified?” Snape spat sarcastically.

“I don’t know about my Qualifications, but may I?” Chiara stood from her Chair, sounding confident. Students began to mutter amongst each other. Draco looked at Chiara surprised that she would talk back to Snape that way but was proud that he had a girlfriend that was the only student that wasn’t afraid of the man.

“SIT DOWM MISS CHALMERS!” Snape shouted, walking hastily towards Chiara’s desk so that they were now face to face. “How dare you come in to my class and accuse me of doing something wrong!” Snape snarled slamming his fist down on to the desk. “See me after class.” Snape turned away from Chiara’s table and walked back to his desk to continue on teaching the class.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Draco whispered, finding this particular personality of Chiara’s to be extremely attractive. “He’s our head of house.” Chiara laughed and didn’t seem fazed at all that she had just been yelled at by Snape.

“Do you honestly expect me to be scared of that man? He’s nothing but an old weak man.” Chiara scoffed. She watched as Snape began talking again and glaring at her through out the class. The thought of knowing that Snape was her actually father made her fearless towards him. The things he said would have made other students whimper in their seats but all Chiara could see when he was shouting at her was a massive sign flashing saying; “DADDY!” and everything he was saying and doing just seemed to disappear.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up giving you one of his back breaking detentions, the ones that go on for hours on end. Not that I’ve ever had one but I’ve heard other people tell me about it.” Draco shivered at the thought of having to clean anything at all.

“Nothing can be too bad, if it was honestly that bad Dumbledore wouldn’t allow it to be proper practice amongst teachers who give detentions. Besides detentions are supposed to be hated so that students remember to never do the nasty deed again, then they wouldn’t land themselves back in a detention.” Draco was baffled by Chiara’s quick words. All of a sudden the class went quiet and all Chiara could see was Snape staring at Harry Potter.

“Is there something more interesting then this class Potter that you would like to discuss with us?” Snape snarled. Harry looked away from Ron and towards the front of the class.

“No professor.” Harry shook his head.

“Good, I’d like to see you after class too Potter.” Snape added and got back to reading to the class. Chiara looked at Harry and saw him turn his head to face her. For a moment their eyes met and a split second later they were facing the front of the class.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chiara stayed seated at her desk as all the other students began to file out of the class room glaring at her as they walked by. Chiara saw Harry still seated at his desk after he had said goodbye to his red headed friend.

“Stay at your desk Potter, Chalmers come here.” Snape snapped. Chiara stood from her desk and walked over to Snape’s. Chiara stood still waiting for Snape to have his word to her about what she had done during the lesson. “How dare you correct me in my class? Do you think that you are better then I am Miss Chalmers?”

“Its not whether I’m better then you Professor, out of all fairness it’s your duty to teach us students the right thing. But to answer your question I do happen to think I am better then you. Unlike you, I do not have a fear of opening up to other people.” Chiara replied hastily.

“You know nothing of what I do!” Snape growled. Harry watched in shock, he was overly impressed with how Chiara was handling the situation and her witty remarks were utterly remarkable. He thought that she being a Slytherin would never have behaved like she is to the head of her house, after all they did have the power to expel you from Hogwarts.

“Why do you deny who you are Professor? Why are you unable to open up to other people?” Chiara tried the caring shrink approach seeking more information about her father. Snape became outraged, nothing he said or did would stop her from blabbering on or made her fear him; it was as though he had no power at all. He looked over to Harry and watched as Harry quickly wiped the smirk off of his face.

“I am the way I am Miss Chalmers and you have no choice but to accept that. I’m not going to become one of those “open” people who divulge everything in their lives. I do live on my life being a mystery. There is no way on the face of this earth that I would change for one rogue student, especially not one like you Miss Chalmers.” Snape droned calmly. Although he was extremely furious about the way Chiara was reacting to him he knew that there was no point in getting mad as she didn’t seem to get affected buy it. Chiara looked at Snape constantly, her eyes not leaving him for one moment.

“You will join Potter over there in a detention.” Snape stood up and walked over to the class room door. “I want this whole classroom sparkling by the time I get back.” Snape walked out of the room locking it behind him. He stood by the door wondering if her behavior was due to her new found relationship with Malfoy and hoped that the faze would soon be over.

“A detention?” Chiara muttered to herself. “Oh well.” Chiara took off her cloak and jumper and walked over to the closet on the side of the classroom retrieving a bucket and a brush. Harry was still seated at his table. “Come now Potter, this rooms not going to be finished with just me cleaning.” Chiara held the bucket and brush out for Harry to grab.

“Oh yeah.” Harry took the bucket and the brush. Chiara walked back to the cupboard and grabbed another brush and bucket. She filled them both up with water and soap. She knelt down on the floor and began to scrub. Harry knelt down about a meter away from her and followed her. They both cleaned silently for a while, until curiosity got a hold of Harry. “I haven’t met you before or heard of you.” Chiara looked up at him and smiled. All he really knew about her was that she was dating Malfoy.

“No I don’t expect you would have. I was never an ‘outrageous’ student.” Chiara tried to copy Snape’s tone as she pronounced ‘outrageous.’ Harry laughed. “I was always sitting at the back of the class alone really.”

“If you were always so quiet why start getting yourself in to trouble now?” Harry asked curiously. “Especially when it’s your sixth year.” Chiara thought of a reply for a moment. She wasn’t going to tell him the real reason why she had found it easy to talk back to Snape like that.

“Ah Snape wouldn’t grade me down. I’m his prized student, the only student in Slytherin that’s passing their grades with out cheating. Even though I’ve adopted an attitude he’d do anything to see one of his Slytherin’s receive the highest academic mark at the end of the year.” Chiara continued scrubbing at the ground as she talked.

“I guess so.” Harry realized that he was talking to an actual Slytherin with out an argument or a fight, especially when he was talking to the girlfriend of his second worse enemy. The room fell silent again.

“Let me guess what you’re thinking.” Chiara stopped her scrubbing and sat down on the ground facing Harry. “Why is that girl talking to me? Slytherin’s and Gryffindor’s don’t get along. There’s a first for everything Potter.”

“Ah. You were close, how did you know?” Harry ceased his cleaning and sat down too.

“I just have a knack for guessing peoples thoughts I guess.” Chiara sighed. “All that stuff between Slytherin and Gryffindor is nonsense, its all just a stereotype that people have adapted to over through out the years at Hogwarts. Just a stupid competition formed between the houses and bread in to students minds.”

“But yours?” Harry added.

“Yes but mine.” Chiara nodded. “Anyone that realizes that it’s all a load of rubbish has already won by being logical. You and I being able to talk civilly proves the rivalry wrong.”

“I wished all students would think like that.” Harry mumbled.

“It’s too late to change everyone’s mind now. If we were seen socializing like this out there we would be shunned by our houses, I don’t know about Gryffindor but I’d defiantly be hated by the Slytherin Clan.” Chiara slowly returned to cleaning the floor. Harry agreed with everything that Chiara had said and was surprised that a Slytherin was that smart. “I’m not as dumb as all those Slytherin’s Mr. Potter.”

“Harry, call me Harry,” Harry corrected. “The only ones that call me Mr. Potter are teachers.”

“I know but its fun saying Mr. Potter.” Chiara turned away from Harry and continued scrubbing the floor. Harry copied her feeling foolish if he left her to clean by herself.

“You don’t seem like a Slytherin.” Harry added while he scrubbed at a stubborn spot on the floor.

“Well I’m only Slytherin by blood in not Slytherin in my heart or mind.” Harry wondered what Chiara meant by her remark and then he realized that she had only been put in to Slytherin because of the blood running through her veins, that she wasn’t nasty and naive like the other Slytherin’s.

Another hour went by before they spoke again. They had just about finished class room when Snape walked in to inspect their progress. He looked around the class room, his frown deepening.

“You two barely did any work. What have you been doing all this time?” Snape snapped. “I’ve had one student do more then what both of you did in 30 minutes.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your cleaning expectations professor but I was not bred to clean class room floors.” Chiara spat back sarcastically. Snape glared her down angrily getting fed up with her attitude.

“I will ask you once more to refrain from speaking to me in that tone again Miss Chalmers.” Snape walked over to his desk. “Get your things and go, both of you.” Snape sat down at his desk and began to go through the piles of parchment.

Harry and Chiara both collected their belongings as quickly as possible so they could get out of Snape’s view. They both walked out through the door at the same time hitting each other quite hard. Chiara lost her grip on her books and they fell on the floor.

“I’m so sorry.” Harry apologized. He bent down to help Chiara with her books.

“Don’t be.” Chiara pulled him up by his shoulder and picked up her books on her own. “Its nice but I’m not one of those girls.” Chiara whispered. Harry looked thoroughly impressed with who Chiara was.

Snape sat at his desk as he watched Harry and Chiara fumble over their belongings. The sight of their kindness towards each other made him Ill inside. With one flick of his wand the door slammed shut and the view no long made him ill.

The door slammed shut on Chiara’s back as she was picking up her books, forcing her down face first in to the dirty floor. Harry put down his bag and quickly offered to help Chiara off of the ground, pulling her up so that her face was no longer on the ground.

“Thank you.” Chiara looked extremely embarrassed that she had been so clumsy.

“Let me get them this time.” Harry picked up all her books with out fail and handed them to her. Chiara was very grateful and made sure she had a good grip on her books.

“Once again, thank you very much Harry.” Chiara smiled. “I guess I’ll see you around.” Chiara walked away.

“Yeah. See you soon.” Harry shouted after her, walking away in another direction.

Chiara walked back to the Slytherin common room where she was confronted by her brother once again. He stood there with his arms crossed and a large grin on his face.

“What is it now Zachary?” Chiara moaned.

“How was your detention?” Zach smirked.

“Quite interesting actually. Not bad at all.” Chiara walked over to a couch and sat down, taking in a deep tiring breath. Zach followed and sat down beside her.

“I heard all the things you said to Snape. Ara you’re like the only student to ever stand up to Snape, you’re a hero.” Zach said with a tone of excitement.

“Hardly, I was just trying to correct something and I just couldn’t stop talking back. It was quite exhilarating actually.” Chiara grinned. “It felt good to talk back to Snape.”

“I’m sure it did. I wish I could do that. How was it having Potter in detention with you too?” Zach was very curious to know what Harry Potter is like alone.

“He was the only interesting part of the whole dilemma. He’s a nice kid.” Chiara began to fumble through her books to make sure she had all of them.

“Don’t let any of the Sly’s catch you talking to him, especially not Draco. You know how much Draco hates Potter.” Zach whispered.

“Not that I’d ever need to talk to Harry again, but if I did I don’t think I’d care what other people think of me, it’s their problem not mine.” Chiara replied calmly adding her usual tone of sophistication.

“I was just saying.” Zach stood up. “I’m off, I’ve got me a little date.” Zach rubbed his hands together. Chiara rolled her eyes in disgust as Zach walked away. Chiara thought about her moment with Harry after their Detention and wondered if Zach was hinting something again, like he usually did. Chiara pondered over her conversation with Harry. There was no time for her to keep thinking about it when she realized that she had a heap of homework due the next day.