Hex Positions (Keisuke and Occlumency)

[Maschinenmensch]

Alex had red hair. That was the first thing anyone noticed about her. Not the carroty red of the fair skinned and freckled, rather a more coppery shade like autumn leaves. It was longish and curled rather than hanging straight in the fashionable styles most of her peers wore. It was her best feature certainly, and until the previous spring had been the only obviously feminine thing about her. She was rather too tall and had been skinny and boyish but a summer of lazing about at home had fattened her up and when she returned to Hogwarts in the autumn Alex had something more of a girl’s shape.

She was in Ravenclaw, a bookish house that valued intelligence over appearance and while Alex wasn’t the oddest looking girl in her school year, that particular award went to Connie Ramsbottom an unfortunately named student with wiry black hair and an overbite that could open butterbeer bottles, there were other more comely girls attending Hogwarts. Alex didn’t have many friends at the school, and those she did drifted in and out of her life with the exception of Jude Fletcher, a Scottish girl with muggle parents who Alex confided in absolutely, with one exception.

She had a crush, a very secret one that she had told no one about, except for her diary which she kept locked away. The pages had been deeply inscribed with her feelings, it was a tome of forbidden lore in every sense of the term, for she couldn’t let anyone read it. Alex had never felt this way about anyone before, certainly not about the muggle actors and footballers that her mundane friends swooned over, and not any of the boys who she sat in class with. The other girls had their crushes written in ink on their arms, whispered them to each other and giggled whenever one promising new Quiddich talent swaggered past, broom tucked under his arm.

Alex couldn’t do any of these things, she fancied a teacher. What’s more she fancied the most despised and ridiculed teacher in the entire school, the dour Potions Master, Professor Snape. She’d been frightened of him when she’d been in her first year of Hogwarts, like many of the other girls and quite a lot of the boys too. Though the fear never entirely went away the other students tempered it with contempt, yet something happened to Alex last autumn and she found that she was entertaining the kinds of thoughts about Professor Snape that were usually reserved for boys her own age. She caught herself looking at him one day, so intensely that when he glanced up, his black eyes locked onto hers for a few moments before she flushed pink and looked back at her work.

Alex couldn’t help it, though she tried to put the thoughts out of her mind. She found herself dressing in a way to accent her newly formed breasts and the curve of her waist, touched her skin lightly with makeup and wore pale scents whenever she had a class with the professor. She wondered what his mouth would feel like on hers, his lips were thin but looked inviting. His robe appeared to be spun of some rough cloth and she wanted to run her hands over the slim form of his body and feel the fabric buff her palms. She mused about the scent of his skin, whether it would be warm and smooth and...

‘Alex!’ came a voice rudely butting into her fantasies.

‘Wha?’ she said, looking up, hazy eyed at Jude.

‘What are you doing, you look like a dozy cow’ Jude said. ‘Potions class in ten minutes, come on.’

‘Right’ said Alex, grabbing her packed satchel. She pulled it towards her across the grass, turning away and missing the small dark book that slid out and lay there.

 

[Lavi Bookman]

Yet another year at Hogwarts once more. If he had been in charge of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class his attitude might have been different. Then again, maybe not. He didn't hate potions, in fact he loved it but he had always wanted to teach the other class. Lately he had been consumed with trying to create new potions that could be put to use in defeating the Dark Lord. Or at least harming him in some manner. It was a rather tricky and almost impossible feat but he hadn't given up yet. Severus held a grudge against the Dark Lord for killing Lily when he had begged him not to and had been given reassurance that she would remain safe. The fact that she had been killed regardless angered him to no end, amongst other emotions. One of these days he would come up with it.

Of course he needed to test it out as well but doing so was dangerous on a person. He certainly wasn't going to use it on himself and so that left him with limited options. There were lab rats and other things but he disliked experimenting on live creatures who had just as much right to live as anyone else. For a few days he had been at a loss but had managed to discover a very unique solution to his problem. He had found out that some talented boys were making creations that could withstand the roughest treatment and reacted like live human dummies. Exactly what he needed. The only problem was that Snape did not want to go through normal channels in order to procure such items from them. So, he paid strangers to do so for him from time to time when he needed a new supply.

So far it had worked out fairly well. He might not like the Weasleys but those two boys were definitely talented. Severus strode into the classroom where his students waited for him and headed for the middle of the room. His eyes came to a rest on Alex for a brief moment. "This is not a fashion class Miss Taylor. Make sure to remember that next time." Snape said, noting her choice of clothing and the makeup she was currently wearing. It went against school rules and he did not let anyone get away with breaking them. "Today we will be starting to make Swelling Solutions. Taylor. Tell me what the main ingredient is for this particular potion." He said as he waited for Alex to respond to his question. It was simple, one ingredient and he expected her to know. There was no reason why she shouldn't.

His eyes swept throughout the entire class, taking note of everyone around. No one was sleeping which was good because he would have singled them out otherwise and totally destroyed them. There were many ways of accomplishing such a feat and he would have no problem doing such a thing, in fact he might actually enjoy it. Severus returned his attention back to Alex once more as he waited for the girl to speak. If she didn't he would be disappointed since she was one of the few who actually seemed interested in the class. But he had learned not to expect anything from his students in the past and that had not changed as he had gone through the years. "Well?" Snape demanded, not liking to have to wait for an answer to come for a question he'd asked earlier. He liked quick, precise answers.

 

[Maschinenmensch]

She knew the answer to this, it was a fairly easy question, something that would have usually been aimed at a second or third year student, but for that moment Alex couldn’t remember. It was his eyes on her that made her forget everything. He had that effect on most of the other students as well but she doubted for the same reasons, especially the male students. They shivered from fear or the sense that something terrible was about to happen, but Alex flushed and stammered from an entirely different circumstance.

‘Erm. Well. I think it might be. Er.’

A sharp pain in her leg made her jump as Jude kicked her under the bench.

‘Puffer fish!’ she exalted, ‘Eyes, their eyes. Um, puffer fish eyes.’

Her face was like a beetroot at Professor Snape’s expression, as if he’d expected nothing more from a particularly dense species of monkey and she ducked her head and reached down to rub at the sore spot on her shin where a bruise was beginning to form.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ whispered Jude when the Potions Master’s gaze left them like a black searchlight to pierce another student. ‘You’ve been weird during Potions for weeks now.’

Alex shrugged and looked away, reaching into her bag for her Potions text book. It was there, the brown-bound tome heavy and well-thumbed, but her little black book wasn’t. Without trying to draw attention to herself she started pulling out everything she had stuffed in there earlier, fear gnawing at her belly like a rat.

‘Shit, it’s not here,’ she whispered to herself.

 

[Lavi Bookman]

• • • One thing was for certain, Professor Snape did not like to be kept waiting and he narrowed his eyes at the student before him. Finally the girl managed to drag up an answer and he raised a brow. "I trust you will not take so long to answer next time I call on you, Miss Taylor." He said and then turned away from her to continue with his lecture, making sure to spot any students who might be taking advantage of this opportunity to nap or do other things. Snape was just itching to punish someone but unfortunately, he couldn't do it for no reason which was disappointing.
      
      He finished his lecture and then made his way over to his desk and leaned back against the edge of the table. Right next to his right hand, lying in a haphazard manner as if it had fallen out of someone's bag there, was a little black book which probably belonged to Alex. At the moment, it seemed Snape hadn't seen it but if left to his own devices, eventually he would see it and realize it wasn't his. Snape looked around the room, making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to and no one was slacking off in the process. They were all supposed to be making their potions.
      
      It was then that he saw Alex ruffling through her bag and he narrowed his eyes at her. "Miss Taylor. Exactly what are you doing right now?"