A one time thing {Severus Snape}

Chapter 31: What's in a name?

Neville's brown eyes peered over the top of the Asperderta that he was valiantly trying to prune, despite the fact that it would re-grow a stem three seconds after having one cut off.

The knack was in the cutting; the angle of the cut had to be just right, even a fraction off and it would merrily re-grow.

Neville had started off fine, but he was distracted now and after having three stems re-grow in the last nine seconds he put his clippers down and moved slightly to left so he could see the cause of his distraction better.

Senga Malfoy was hovering around the entrance to the gardens. And hovering was a good word. She'd take a step in and then she'd go back again.

She was obviously fighting some internal battle. Half of her wanted to come in and half of her obviously didn't making him wonder what was wrong. Frowning slightly he picked up three trays of seedlings, and balancing one on top of the other he began to move slowly out of the greenhouse and around to the patch he'd already prepared for them. He stopped when Senga caught sight of him.

"Miss Malfoy? Just the person! Could you take the top one for me, I'm afraid I'll drop them," he called out to her pleasantly.

He watched pleased as she came forward at once, rolling up her sleeves as she came to stand in front of him. She took the top tray and looked around her.

"Are you planting them here?" she asked, already heading for the cleared patch.

"Yes. I was supposed to plant them all yesterday but we had problems with a batch of Kinderwort Toadstools."

"What happened?" she asked, kneeling down and taking one of the seedlings in her hands carefully.

"They decided that it would be far more fun to uproot themselves and grow upside down in the heating vents."

"Oh." She half smiled and took the trowel he offered her.

"Just a little deeper and leave that top root exposed, that's it!" He watched as she planted the first one and then together they began planting the rest.

"So, the library holds no appeal? Or am I just lucky that you were passing this way."

"I don't live in the library, y'know," she said quietly, but her voice was impassive.

"Really? That'd be a first for a Ravenclaw." He grinned good-naturedly.

"Yeah, well I was sorted wrong." She shrugged.

"Really? That's unusual, where should you have been put?" He kept his voice casual.

"Isn't it obvious?" She bit out, and he could see signs of annoyance now, but he knew it wasn't directed at him.

"No." He looked mildly surprised at her question.

"My name is Malfoy and there's Snape blood in my veins; where do you think I should be sorted," she snapped and he noticed that her hands were shaking slightly.

"Well. I haven't known the sorting hat to be wrong yet. Besides it's not what's in your veins or your name it looks at. It's what's up here...." He indicated his head with a very grubby hand. "and in here." He tapped his chest where his heart was.

"Same thing, isn't it?"

"No." He shook his head and sat back on his heels. "A name is a title, something that just happens to label something. Actions, thoughts and feelings are what determine a person. Would you rather be in Slytherin?"

Senga sat back on her heels and stared at the plants in front of her hard.

"I don't know," she replied honestly.