Mon Cher (Severus Snape Daughter FF)

Ch. 7 // PS

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.

The Quidditch season had begun and Clara couldn't be anymore thrilled. On Saturday, Harry and Clara would be playing in their first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.

Hardly anyone had seen the two play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry and Clara should be kept, well, secret. But the news that Harry was playing Seeker and Clara was a Chaser had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse -- people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.
"Don't listen to them." Clara scowled at the others. "You're amazing! I've watched about a million games. You're the best seeker I've ever seen."
Harry sighed and tried his best to keep his chin up, but it was difficult, granted it would be even more difficult if Clara wasn't there.

He also realized how lucky he was to now have Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.

Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

"Have you read this?" He asked Clara as she finished a paper in the library.
She looked up, slightly annoyed. "Inside and out."
"But look at this!" Harry pointed at a paragraph. "Referees sometimes vanish and turn up months later--"
"In the Sahara." She put down her quill and folded her hands. "I've read it more times than you can count."

Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry, Ron, and Clara had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before Harry and Clara's first Quidditch match the four of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and Hermione had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Severus Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed at once that he was limping. They all moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed.
"Don't look directly at him." Clara told them.
"Why not?" Ron asked, still keeping his eye on Severus.
"He can always tell whenever I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing. It's a gift. If you keep looking, he'll catch your eye and come over."
True to her word, their guilty faces attracted Severus right to them.

He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?"

It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Severus. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

Ron gave Clara a look as if he were saying "Do something!"
She only shrugged. She wasn't about to go against him whether he was being unfair or not.

"I told you." She said as her dad limped away.
"He just made that rule up." Harry muttered angrily. "What's wrong with his leg, Clara?"
"I don't know. Something happened to it last night. I caught a glimpse of it."
"I really hope it's hurting him." Ron said bitterly.
Clara punched Ron in the arm. He winced in pain only for a moment before scowling at her.
"I hope that really hurt."