Dowsed In Flames (Snape x OC) (**UNDER REVISION Please be patient**)

Chapter 2

"He what?" Karina screamed above the chatter of the Great Hall, sapphire blue eyes popping out of her skull.

Lydia shoved her bookbag under the table and then sank into a seat next to her. Her bag was open, making her books flop out onto the floor below. "Yeah," she began, before crunching herself down to fit under the table. The pages of her homework had folded over unevenly under the books. She huffed, before raking the mess out of sight in her book bag.

"Can't you just tell him no?"

"I can't just do that, Kari."

"Why not?"

"Because," she crawled from under the table, "He's the Potions Master, besides, I think it's better to stay on his good side."

If he has one.

Lydia fished around in her bookbag for a hair band when Karina caught her wrist. "Lydia," she said, "he grabbed your arm and intimidated you into doing something you never signed up for. Fuck the fact you're in his N.E.W.T class. He should have someone else do it. Or better yet, do it himself. That's his job."

Lydia retrieved her arm. "Fine!" she said, collecting her hair into a ponytail. "Look, it's already well known that he's a dickhead that spends his time slithering around the dungeons. I'm sure I can handle him for two days."

Lydia jerked, breaking off Karina's counterstatement, startled by a tap on her shoulder. A freckled hand held what she instantly recognized as her doodles from class, waving them in her face. Lydia snatched the papers quickly, stuffing them in her bag. "Thanks."

"You're welcome Lydia, I guess I'll see you 'round."

Lydia froze, her head painfully turned to meet a pair of kind green eyes.

Shit.

"Oh, um—yeah. I'll see you later, Pete."

Lydia hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath. Around her, the other girls whispered, sending catty looks her way.

"What was that?" Karina said, looking between her and Pete's turned back, analyzing the encounter as though it had a deeper meaning. "That was the most handsome guy in our class, maybe the entire school possibly, and all you said was—"

"I know."

"Lydia, I am never letting you live that down. He was right there!"

Lydia covered her face with a hand. "Karina, are you serious? He was just being nice."

"Exactly. He was being nice, said he'd see you later, and he knew your name."

The silverware on the table suddenly became more interesting.

"It's not like that," Lydia murmured. "He just saw my stuff on the floor, that's all."

She stared ahead at the half-eaten plates of food on the table.

In all truth, Pete only came up in the center stage of her thoughts a handful of times. She could count those times on her fingers. Unless Karina pointed out how good he looked, or spilled the latest gossip about who tried asking him out that week. She'd never really thought about him in that way, and much less thought that he'd be willing to talk to her. A nobody.

"Anyway," Karina said, "Are you still really wanting to do this? I mean, we can always talk to Professor Sprout or...Dumbledore."

"No," Lydia pressed her forehead against her forearm, wiping non-existent sweat before locking her eyes with Karina's. She stared at her, one eyebrow strained high up on her forehead before she scoffed.