A one time thing {Severus Snape}

Chapter 16: Christmas Day

The interior of the shop was dim, and dusty. The walls of the shop were lined with hundreds of wands in their boxes, just waiting for the right person to come for them.

Meg sniffed deeply, loving the smell of the shop. It reminded her of the first time she entered here with her father to buy her wand.

Mr Ollivander came through from the back of the shop. He surveyed them quietly as he came forward, waiting for his memory to supply the girl's name. His memory was flawless; give him a face and he could remember exactly what wand he'd sold them. Meg was no exception.

"Hello, Professor Snape. Professor Kincaid. I see you're teaching at Hogwarts now. Congratulations."

"Thank you." She smiled brightly at him and getting straight to the point she laid her wand on the counter.

"Mr. Ollivander, it's my wand."

"A nice one too, I remember you getting it." He smiled at her. "Ten inches, ebony with a heart string of Dragon. Ah! You've looked after it. Has it treated you well?"

"Yes, well, up till now; I think something's wrong"

" Really? Why?" He picked it up, surprise on his face.

Meg saw Snape drift towards the windows as she replied.

"It's doing strange things. About a week ago I wanted to transfigure something and it didn't work; nothing happened." She told him, folding her hands in front of her.

"Really?" His eyebrows went up as he peered at her over the top of his glasses.

"Yes, then the other night I tried Luminos and it didn't work either. Nothing happened at all."

"Curious," he murmured and held it out to her.

"Turn my book into a lamp please," he asked her, she muttered the spell and watched as the book slowly turned into a lamp.

"And back again, please." Snape had come across now and he stood at her elbow watching. The book re-appeared and Ollivander frowned.

"Very strange indeed." He took the wand from her and held it up, balancing it on one finger.

"Wingardium Leviosa," he muttered and the wand rose slightly, holding perfectly still and perfectly horizontal.

"Hum, its balance is perfect; Revealto Imperfecto." He shook his head when nothing happened.

"I can find no fault." He rubbed his fingers across his chin.

"It took a soaking recently when it fell into a river." She blushed slightly. "But I had it cared for and I was assured that it was fine."

"Wendoline's Wands in Hogsmede was it?"

"Yes. Wendoline saw to it herself. She had it for three days, gave it a complete check over and she said it had done no damage at it."

"Wendoline knows what she is saying," he murmured, fingering the wand carefully. "The river outside Hogwarts I suppose?" He watched her nod at him. "If it had been salt water I would be inclined to think the heart string might have shrunk; but fresh water wouldn't do any harm at all. How strange."

"Don't over-react to this, Professor Kincaid, but is it possible you merely said the spells incorrectly?" Snape waited for the outburst he was sure to get at suggesting she was using incorrect charms.

"No." She shook her head frowning. "That's what I thought. But it kept on happening." She shrugged. "Maybe I'm in need of a few hours tutoring in "foolish wand waving"." She nudged Snape and winked at him; but he remained frowning down at her wand.