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twenty-three » is peppermint a manly scent?

"Avery!" Someone called from the door of the Slytherin Common Room. Melanie looked up from where she was seated doing homework with her friends.

"Snape's calling you to his office!" The Head Boy called.

Melanie took a deep breath and stood up. She looked to her friends for reassurance.

"It's probably about what you did in Divination," said Amelia with a mischievous smile.

"Shut up," Melanie replied, a weird feeling of déjà vu washing over her as she walked to Snape's office.

She braced herself for the worst, even though most of her visits to Snape's office ended positively. Learning Occlumency and Legilimency, the letter from Dad... Of course, all of these started off horrible, but then they slowly turned into positive aspects.

She knocked on the door and slowly entered. The office was as messy as ever. At least, some of the ingredients that were usually all over the desk were in the cupboard; but the contents of the cupboard were out in the open for all to see. And there was parchment everywhere. Nearly every inch of the desk was covered in loose parchment.

Snape looked up from the papers he was grading when Melanie entered. From a quick glance, she saw that they were fourth year assignments. How lucky the fourth years were, they didn't have a clue what was coming for them in their fifth year.

"Miss Avery," said Snape. "You must know why I summoned you here."

Melanie gulped. A detention was coming, and she had to get herself out of it.

"What you did in Divination class was unacceptable," Snape continued with a stern look on his face. "You might not like the teacher, or you might think the class is silly; but that does not give you the right to barge out of the lesson!"

His menacing glare sent a shiver down her spine. "If I was your Divination teacher, I would fail you on the spot! This is not suitable for a high achieving Slytherin student like yourself!"

Melanie opened her mouth to speak, but Snape silenced her with another cold glare.

"I don't care what your father taught you about centaurs, Avery. Even if you think they are foul half breeds, you cannot be rude to a Professor!

"And, if you don't like Divination, why did you choose it in the first place? I have learnt that you haven't been participating in lessons, or doing any homework, what do you have to explain yourself?" Snape finally stopped talking, giving Melanie a chance to speak.

"Well, Professor," she started. She knew how she was going to get away with this, if her plan worked. "I usually love Divination," this was a white lie, "but from the start of this year, up until Christmas, I wasn't able to go to Divination lessons. So I think it's normal for me to be struggling."

Snape raised his eyebrows, listening to what Melanie was trying to say.

"I completely missed the first assignment, and now that the O.W.L.s are coming closer, I haven't had the chance to catch up. From Transfiguration to Herbology, my stress levels are through the roof. I know my father will be disappointed in me if my O.W.L. scores are any less than perfect, and I've been studying very hard, but Divination is pulling me down." Melanie concluded her statement with something that was sure to make Snape feel guilty and pity her.

Melanie usually never wanted people to pity her, but if it was in her defence, she would be willing to get all the pitying she could get, if it meant winning the argument.

"Oh," said Snape, thinking of what to say. Melanie proved to be good at defending herself, and Snape respected that. "Well, I'm sure you'll be able to excel like always, Miss Avery."