First Things First (Severus Snape x Original Female Character)

The First Time She Met Harry Potter

"Don't worry, Neville, dear," Selena cooed before chanting a wordless "Ferula!" and both the Mediwizard and patient's eyes affixed itself on the bandages that slowly wrapped around the damaged arm. "It's really not as bad as it looks."

"Feels worse than it looks though," The first-year Gryffindor grumbled under his breath.

Selena sighed, she couldn't possibly lie about that. "Yes, well, I'm positive that the pain will ease sooner or later. Just don't move it too much." She beckoned him to further lie on the bed. "You're welcome to stay until lunch."

"But then, I'll miss Potions." It sounded more of a question in his fragile tone.

"As long as you're here, you're excused, Neville. You have a valid reason to be." The Mediwizard said as she tidied the materials at the foot of his bed. "Unless you don't want to stay?"

"No! No... That's not what I mean. I really want to stay." That evoked a chuckle out of Selena. "It's just... Professor Snape... " Now, she wanted to laugh more, for she initially thought the boy was joking, but the clear apprehension in his face meant otherwise. "What if he counts this as an absence?"

"Oh, I'll make sure it won't be. He can't force you to write or brew with a broken arm." She assured, but the boy remained nothing but doubtful of her statement.

One thing Selena had discovered—and quickly disapproved of—during the past few days of the start-of-term was Snape's unfairness towards his students. When he mentioned one time that he was quite popular around the campus, she didn't imagine it this way; In which, he was loathed by almost everyone—His "Slytherin kids" were the exception.

"Don't call them that." Rebuked the potioneer the afternoon before.

Selena frowned, "But it's cute." He glared at her, causing her to erupt in giggles.

There were stories from the few students she had attended to and hushed murmurs circulating around the school of his poor treatment, but they were of anything but the present year, which meant he hasn't performed anything out of line yet. She reminded herself to reprimand her colleague if ever something does arise, as Selena was never one in favor of child maltreatment—coming from experience, but that was a topic not open for discussion with anybody who wasn't Dumbledore and McGonagall.

She deeply wondered what it was like to participate in Potions with Professor Snape as the teacher. If he really was a malice as students proclaim him to be, Selena would never know. Her view of him was very dissimilar to the students' own. In her mind, the intimidation that Severus initially radiated revealed itself to be an admirable cunningness, his snide remarks and sarcasm were enough to prove that, something the Mediwizard found very amusing. In addition to that was the mysteriousness in the dark and distant eyes he owned, despite the sharpness that tried its best to cover it up. There was more to his past that she had yet to find out, excluding the tormenting of his childhood rivals, which everyone who knew the Marauders were aware of.

Selena never liked remaining in the dark. She was always itching to learn new things about everything she didn't know about. She made it a hidden challenge to discover the true character of the closed off, brooding man who dwelled in the dungeons. They weren't friends, but they were past the level of acquaintanceship. It's only been a week since they met, anyway. There was still more to discover than what was already discovered.

Lunch commenced just as a group of four—no—five young Gryffindors noisily stormed inside the Hospital Wing. They crowded Neville's napping figure, seeming reluctant to disturb his clear serenity.

Selena momentarily pulled away from her book to attend to them. "Good afternoon, Gryffindors. You must be Neville's friends." They all turned to her suddenly, confusion spreading from one face to another. She chuckled, "I'm Miss Stellifer, the new Mediwizard. Let me wake Neville for you, dears."