I walked up with Pucey to realise breakfast was already over and our schedules were already distributed. I looked at Dad distributing the timetables to the sixth years wondering whether or not I should disturb him and ask him for mine.

“Here.” Fels handed me a piece of parchment. I looked down at it to realise it was my schedule. Mine was fine. I had Transfiguration first which was perfectly okay with me. We were learning appearance changing spells last year. Thus year we would learn spells that would change us into half animals. Like the one spell Krum had used to transform himself into a human-shark thing. It would be fun this year. Some of us even learned our animagus forms if we had applied for a major. But I had applied for a major in Potions and Alchemy, both subjects previously taught by Dad, so no chance of that. But again, I didn't need to. I already knew mine.

I guess Advanced Potions will be continued by him at least for the apprenticeship students. Because we can't do half our work under one trainer and the next half under another. Both their ways of outlook and teaching styles as well as explanations would be different.

“Lets go, Shine.” Fels repeated for the third time. I nodded yet again. This time she linked our elbows and pulled me along with her jerking me out of my thoughts. Terry glanced at us from the end of the table. I gave him the blankest look possible, trying to somehow figure him out. I knew the guy loved her but I didn't agree with him from any point of view.

“Fels, is it about Terry wanting to join?” I whispered. She tensed up. I could sense her inner turmoil. I realised I had hit a nerve. It was exactly that. Maybe they had broken up over it? She sighed and bent her head.

“Kind of. But I love him, you know. I still love him.” she whispered back.

“Then what is wrong?” I asked egging her a bit more.

“My father thinks he loves the dark lord more than me.” she sighed.

“Well firstly he wasn't at at all happy about me dating Terry. And then Terry talked about his views on the war and Pa forgot all the positive image Terry had so carefully built for himself all year.” she explained.

“My father is particularly against the death eaters, you know. Major reason being my mother. Many don't know this, but her younger brother was tortured into insanity by their own parents for refusing to join the dark lord during the first war. My mother is still in shock. Anything related can trigger her panic attacks. And my father loves her so much.”

“He would go to any lengths to protect her. She thinks purebloods are ugly snobs. She hates all dark lord related stuff. And now they both hate Terry. That way I will end up unmarried all my life. My father is pretty strict about his dating rules. And Terry being stubborn on his anti muggleborn, anti muggle stand didn't help. So Dad told me I had to stop talking to him, let alone date him. For Merlin's sake he doesn't talk to his own brother for the drop same reasons.”

I sighed. “He is just being a protective father, that's all Fels.” I promised. She shrugged.

“Didn't look like it.” she replied scrunching up her nose. I gave her a wry smile. She was making thus unnecessarily so complicated.

“Just go back to loving him, girl. There's no need to bawl those lovely eyes out every night over something like that.” I smiled making her smile back at me, her eyes not crinkling up in genuine happiness. But happy anyways.

“Now, any idea, how I am supposed to handle Dad. He has bloody taken up the worst ever position.” I mumbled. “And we are not talking, yet again.”

She cracked a genuine smile this time. “I don't get it, Shine. What is it this time?” she asked. I shook my head.

“Not something I can talk about.” I replied. “Please don't ask. It's seriously something I can't tell anyone.”

“Not even me?” she pouted. I smiled sadly at her and shook my head no.

“C'mon Shine I thought we were besties.” she continued to pout. “You can tell me anything. What is so secret?”

“It's actually more private. And a little secret.” I laughed. She scrunched up her face in confusion. “That rhymes!” I exclaimed.

“What?” she looked even more confused. I rolled my eyes.

“Private secret. You know. That kind of rhymes.” I replied. “Crazy, right? I know. Just ignore me. I get a little wierd now a days. Sorry.”

She chuckled. “There's no need to say sorry, Shine.” she replied giving me a wry smile. “Let's get in or that cat would turn us into mice.”

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

I looked up from my drawing at the sound of my name and lazily raised my hand in presenty. Slughorn nodded, smiling at me. I gave him a tiny smile back and looked back down at the walrus man I had drawn. Why was he smiling at me?

I could feel my eyebrows knit together in confusion and smoothed my forehead immediately. As Slughorn introduced himself and showed us some very interesting potions my hand continued to move over the paper. The pencil sketched the smooth chiselled jawline, the shadows playing in his hair, the curve of his doe eyes, the tiniest smirk tilting his lips up a frown forming the other corner, head cocked to one side, his jaw ticking in annoyance; he appeared to be actually smirking to disguise that annoyance, his arms crossed over his chest, making the muscles in his upper arms bulge significantly; leaning against a bare brick wall, hands curled up into fists, his smoldering eyes looked up curiosly, desperately trying to figure you out but failing.

His eyes couldn't have the same detailing in gray pencil, I didn't have the colour ones to paint his teal eyes or his dirty blonde hair but even in black, white and grays he looked perfect. As perfect as he actually was. Mir looked beautiful even as an imperfect pencil sketch. Merlin! I actually missed him. And there was no way in hell I could do anything about this.

“Nice.” Edgecombe commented, sitting on the bench next to mine and looking over at my sketch. “You sketch well, Snape. Who's that though? Imaginary boyfriend?” she giggled. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and gave her a bored smile.

“Ex boyfriend actually.” I corrected her. She snorted.

“No wonder then he broke up with you.” she said. Offended, I glared at her. She smirked back, satisfied at having successfully annoyed me.

“Do you need me to break that abnormally large nose of yours Edgecombe?” I asked softly hissing. Her smirk widened at my annoyance. “Cause this is totally none of your business.”

“Aww...” she moaned. “Does it hurt to hear the truth?” she looked at me.

“Well firstly, the truth is I broke up with him. And secondly, if you don't shut up that big fat mouth of yours right away I would force feed you some Veritaserum. I am pretty sure that would be interesting.” I smiled sweetly and looked at Corner. She knew what I was hinting at. One of her best friends, Jennifer was with him. And this girl had quite a crush on him. So naturally she had tried a lot of stuff to get them to break up. Some of that included putting bulbadox powder in her bra. That one was embarrassing when they had to go to Madam Pomfrey. She had gone for her swollen and itchy breasts while he had swollen hands and lips. I know this only because I was in detention for not doing my Charms homework and cleaning bedpans without magic when they came with the complaint.

“You know, am sure they would love to know the person who put slow acting Bulbadox powder in there.” I said. Now it was my turn to smirk and her chance to look shocked and offended.

“You won't dare breathe a word, Snape.” she threatened.

“Or what? Look, I have kept my silence for an year. Now if you want me to continue with that I will but you have to stop your nonsense and shut your mouth.” I made her a simple deal with getting almost nothing in return but mind peace.

“Fine.” she growled back. “You win.”

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

“This is your final and most important year at Hogwarts. The NEWT year.” he drawled softly moving through the benches. The classroom was dimly lit, the only light source being the old projector which made a continuous high frequency irritating sound, projecting images. The thick, dark, heavy curtains were closed obstructing any form of natural light.

“The NEWTs are very important for any witch or wizard wishing to continue further education and achieve a good job. Now you have been taught by six different teachers in this subject, I believe. And all their styles have been different. Given the confusion, it is surprising that so many of you managed to clear your exams even after last year's.... ah, fiasco.” he continued in his monotone drawl.

“The NEWT work is even more difficult and I would be even more surprised if you manage to keep up with it. Now, the Dark arts are like a many headed monster. Each time a head is severed a new one sprouts, uglier and more dangerous than the previous one. You are fighting something which is indestructible, mutating and unfixed.”

“To deal with something so... ah, versatile you need a surprise element. Due to unavoidable circumstances last year, you couldn't cover even the basics in your lessons. So I will be teaching you to produce a non verbal shield charm. You know how to perform non verbal spells and you know the incantation, now put aside your books get in pairs and start practice.” he ordered and there was a shuffling of benches in the quiet classroom. “Make sure you do not cause any permanent harm with your Jelly legs jinx. Now get to work.”

I was paired up with Terry. He smiled and raised up his wand in response to mine. I focused on the shield bursting forth from my wand. The silver blue glowing sphere covering me, protecting me. Protego, I thought wishing the shield to appear. Terry had screwed up his face in concentration. He waved his wand in the motion once but nothing happened.

“Tarantallegra.” I heard him mutter as he twirled his wand in a full circle. Protego, I thought screwing up my face in concentration. This was not as easy as it looked. Sure, we had practiced but that was simple charms like those in the first three years never the complicated stuff. The complex ones we would be learning this year. This requires quite a lot of concentration (something that I greatly lack) and more than normal mana. A weak blue glow wavered and the white light deflected off it going to hit the table that started tap dancing. I started giggling. Dad scowled.

“I told you to practice, not to make the tables dance.” he growled. “Switch roles. Higgs, you will defend yourself.”

I smirked. I knew why he put me on attack. He saw my weak shield and knew instantly my mana was weak. He was right too, I was straining it a lot recently without any absorption or regeneration by any means. This was complicated. As for why it was low, he had no idea.

My newest project, the Deathcheater potion, was putting magnanimous stress on my abilities. I was draining of my blood and my magic with every spell I performed but most of it was unsuccessful. I had been referring to the resurrection stuff notes I found in my grandfather's study. They were pretty useful. Infact they gave me a huge headstart but I had not been able to make much progress. I had no way of conjuring back souls from the dead. Actually there was a way and I was dying to try it but I couldn't do that crap at school. So I had to wait till Christmas. Plus I was missing an important ingredient. The unicorn blood.

Terry screwed up his face in concentration as I raised my wand. I tried and concentrated. Dad had already restored the table and was now standing beside us observing us. A bead of sweat lined Terry's pale forehead. His eyebrows knit in concentration. I concentrated all my thoughts on the hex. I wished his legs would go weak enough to not be able to support his weight.
"Tarantallegra" I thought with all the force I could manage. White light flashed.

No blue shield deflected it this time and Terry's legs started dancing making him go all wobbly. He fell causing a few of the pairs who had paused to watch us to giggle and guffaw. He swore under his breath.

“Detention. Mr. Higgs, today at seven. My office.” Dad declared and walked away. The others resumed practice while I muttered the counter jinx and we switched roles again.

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

A/N: Ah okay, this is way late and way short.... But I am exhausted with my exams getting soooo extended well beyond their time. And then am going out to a place where there will be no wifi for two days so I knew I won't be able to update...

So, yeah I know this is complete crap, a little shorter than usual and totally later than I promised but this is all I could manage what with my exams ending just today and everything else... And I hope u enjoyed this

Hope u had a good day... Merry Christmas!!