Nature Boy

1.

'Hey Nature Boy! Are you looking at me with some unrighteous intention?' Ellington Sprout waved at Severus Snape, a sixth year whom she had advanced Potions with. The boy shrunk in size and scowled at her, 'Me? I wasn't even looking at you.' He spat. Ellington ignored his tone and walked over to him, they were standing in a calm corner in the great hall, where a grant Spring Ball was going on. Something that Dumbledore had organised as a way of granting some chill time for his students, since it was a very busy period of the year. Lots and lots of essays and tests had to be made, which caused the students to become easily overheated.

'Severus, please, I was merely asking you a question.' She smiled kindly at him, he looked at her, confused to why the Gryffindor witch was still talking to him. 'Why did you call me Nature Boy?' he tried to sound mean, trying to affect her behaviour. 'Because you are standing up against the Pink and Purple wisteria, from the Ball.' She explained, pointing at the plant behind him. 'Oh' he sighed, 'I'm sorry then.' Ellington noticed he had let his guards down a little, because she had replied honestly and he hadn't found a mean strike in it. 'So were you?' she asked him again, handing him a glass filled with punch, he sniffed it looking at it as if it was poison. 'it's just Punch, Nature Boy, If I wanted to poison you I would have done it more subtle.' Severus nodded, sipping his drink carefully, 'I was indeed looking at you, although it wasn't with unrighteous intention.' He answered finally, think to himself: I was having thoughts That were not in my best interests to mention. 'Then what was your intention?' she poked his arm, in a teasing way, curling the corner of his lips upward, 'I was merely seeing if you were enjoying yourself. Please, do excuse me, I have had enough of this Ball.' With that he left the room, leaving a grinning Ellington behind, this had been her longest conversation with the vicious Slytherin so far.

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'Please do explain, Ellington, why you have been looking at that greasy git the whole morning.' Sirius pinched her side softly. 'Sirius, my dear, that's none of your business.' Remus chuckled and looked at them with an amused glint in his eyes. 'You've gotten me curious too...' he inquired. She sighed, knowing that they wouldn't let it go unless she told them. 'I've been trying to befriend him for the past months.' Sirius burst out laughing, while Remus choked on his food. 'You've what?' 'Don't act like that! Just because you never liked him doesn't mean that I don't like him. I've been working with him in potions for about a year now.' 'But he's greasy...' 'Is not.' 'Is,' replied Sirius. 'Look, I really don't care what you think, I'll be nice to Severus as long as I can, and you will not have any say in that.' With that the small but fierce Gryffindor left the Great Hall, getting on her way for her first class. What she hadn't noticed was that Snape had listened along to everything she'd just said. He was confused, didn't understand her at all and questioned her actions now even more than he had ever done before.

Why was she trying to befriend him? What were her intentions? He had to know as fast as possible, for he had been lonely for a very long time now.