Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Twenty One

Neville entered the Potions class, automatically feeling unwelcome as Professor Snape's harsh glare followed him until he sat down. However, the professor's focus didn't last long on him much to his relief as Kefira walked in. He wondered why Professor Snape seemed to dislike Gryffindors so much. He could understand favoring his house, but Neville knew that Professor Snape really really did not like any Gryffindors, but Harry, Kefira, along with himself seemed to be the most hated.

Kefira never seemed to notice Snape's dirty looks and if she did, she paid no mind as she sat besides Neville that day. She normally sat with Faye, but Faye was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Faye?" Neville whispered to her with Snape's back turned.

"She's not feeling well. I brought her to Madam Pomfrey. She probably has a head cold or something of the sort." Kefira said. "She was sneezing up a storm in the dorms."

She suddenly giggled.

Neville glanced over at her confused. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Storm and dorms rhymed." she smiled to herself.

"You find rhyming funny?" Neville asked in slight amusement.

"Depends on the rhyme."

"For example?" he pressed her further.

"Hmmm...ah, I have just the one. I never saw a purple cow. I never hope to see one. But I can tell you anyhow that I rather see than be one."

The two chuckled amongst each other until two hands were slammed down on their table startling them. Neville didn't dare to bring himself to look Professor Snape in the eye, but Kefira seemed actually irritated that the professor had interrupted their fun.

"What is so amusing Miss Walsh and Mr. Longbottom that you feel the need to disturb my lesson?" Snape asked Kefira directly.

"We were talking about rhymes, Sir." Kefira answered.

"Rhymes?" Snape repeated flatly. "You interrupted class to discuss rhyming."

"Yes, I know some rather good ones, you see."

"Do not-"

Kefira stood up from her seat catching the professor off guard by her movement.

"Black Socks." she began. "Black socks, they never get dirty.The longer you wear them, the blacker they get. Sometimes I think I should change them but then something keeps telling me...oh no..not yet. Not yet."

The class snickered and Snape's face hardened.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and Miss Walsh you will be serving detention this evening."

"Wait Professor Snape, she didn't mean to-"

"Mr. Longbottom unless you care to join Miss Walsh in serving detention this evening, I suggest you hold your tongue."

"Bu-"

"It's alright Neville." Kefira said looking at the boy and giving her a slight shake of the head warning him not say anything else.

"How did you manage to get detention?" Faye asked as she was freed from Pomfrey's care and allowed to grab some lunch in the Great Hall.

" Professor Snape was being a total buzzkill in class today, not even a smirk at the rhyme."

"Oh Kefi, you didn't."

"I don't get it." Kefira said. "That rhyme made Nellie squirt milk out of her nose."

"Well, Professor Snape isn't your sister, Kefi."

"Well there must be something that could make the man smile."

"Oh come on Kefira, have you seen the man, " Dean said, " when's the last time you think he's smiled, if ever."

Kefira frowned. "It sounds like an awfully sad life never to find something that will make you smile."

"Some people are born to be miserable." Seamus said. " And Professor Snape is one of them."

"I bet you anything there's something that would make him crack a grin."

"Yeah probably giving Gryffindors detention, he seems to really enjoy that." Dean snorted.

"I'm really sorry, Kefi." Neville told her.

"Sorry for what?" she asked him confused.

"I'm the reason you got detention." He frowned.

"Don't be silly, Neville." Kefira waved her hand dismissing the idea of him causing her troubles. "You didn't do anything. I got myself into detention."

"But I-"

"Did nothing, Neville." She rested her hand on his back. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

After eating a quick dinner that evening, Kefira was to meet Snape in the potions classroom to serve her detention. She arrived right on time to see Professor Snape seated at his desk.

"Sit." he said simply.

Kefira walked over and sat at the table closest to him.

He looked up from him book before rising to his feet.

"Since I met you Miss Walsh, you seem like the overconfident type. The one that feels that they don't have to pay attention because they are just so confident that they will achieve greatness with no work put into it-"

"I wouldn't say that..."

"Silence."

Kefira pressed her lips together.

"Today, instead of listening during the lesson as you should have been doing, you were busy belting out rhymes trying to be funny."

"You asked." she countered.

"Make one more sound and I'll extend your detention for the rest of the week." Snape told her. 

She remained quiet.

"Since you decided that rhymes were much more important than class, I assume you must be a potions master. So tonight, I will give you the assignment of brewing the Draught of Peace-"

"But that's a fifth years potion!"

"You should have no trouble then. Once you complete the potion you will be free to go. However, every time I see that you are brewing it incorrectly, I will dump it out and you will start again."

Kefira swallowed.

It was going to be a very long night.