Title: Don't You Need Me?
Author: piinkiice on ff.net, Harry_Hermione_Forever on PK.org
Rating: PG-13 for later chapters where there will be character death and cutting.
Disclaimer: I don't Harry Potter or any of these characters except the ones you don't
recognize.
Author's notes: I wrote this story in parts...so I have the beginning finished,
but I wrote the middle before I wrote the beginning or the end. So there are still some gaps I need to fill in, and
then beta-ed, so updates will not be consistent. Thanks to my beta EMILY!
Summary: Futurefic. This is the story of Harry and Hermione's daughter, Augusta. She is a ballet
dancer, and Hogwarts is the last place she wants to be. There is no magic in the world of ballet.
Chapter Two
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Professor Snape began, reciting the same lines he recited to every First Year potion class. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death--if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Snape let out the breath and mentally congratulated himself on reciting his lines oh-so-well yet again.
Carefully, he let his eyes pass over each student. He paused as he recognized a pair of gleaming green eyes, a button nose, jet black hair, and immaculate posture. No other child other than the child of Potter and Granger could have these characteristics.
"Ah," Snape stated, "Yet another Potter!" Augusta winced as her professor's spit landed harshly on her neck. "What was your name? Something Muggle-ish. Granger must've picked it up in a book." Although Gus was surprised that he recognized her so quickly, she didn't let it show. Snape paced around Augusta, and she suddenly felt that it was hard to swallow. "No...wasn't it a day of the week? A month? Ah, yes! It was a month." The class giggled, but Snape barely paid attention. "July? No...that wasn't it....January? Not quite right...Oh yes! I do believe your name is August. August Potter." This time, the class could not contained themselves as they tittered.
"Actually, sir, it's Augusta." Her clear green eyes glared at him from behind her long bangs. "Ah. I see..." Snape paused to stroke his chin as if he were thinking of something. "Let's see if being the child of a celebrity is more than just fame..." Augusta stared up at him, eyes unblinking.
"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Augusta paused for a moment to think before reciting, "A sleeping powder, sir. This potion is so powerful is known as the Draught of Living Death." She remembered reading it in a book of her mother's. That was something she had inherited from Hermione--her thirst for knowledge.
Snape nodded sharply. "And where, Potter, where would you look for a bezoar and what does it do?"
This one Gus knew at the top of her head. She had read that in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi last night! "A bezoar is a stone found in the stomach of a goat. It will save you from most poisons."
Whatever Severus Snape had been expecting, this was certainly not it. This girl was not only well-mannered, she was intelligent! Snape was surprised, but deep down, he knew he could expect nothing less from the daughter of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. "Good. And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I'm not sure, Professor." Before he could say anything, Augusta cut back in. "I think, though, that they are the same thing. Well, I think they are the same plant, at least..."
"Very good. I'd like to see you after class." Augusta nodded dumbly, but Snape had already continued on with the lesson, never missing a beat, and marveled at how quiet the girl was. She spoke softly and did not use more words than were necessary.
After the lesson, Augusta gathered her parchments and made her way to Professor Snape's desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes. Ms. Potter...you should not have known the answers to the questions I asked you today. What, did your parents share the stories of their first potions class or something?"
Augusta smiled delicately. "True, mum and dad have shared some memorable Hogwart's stories. But this wasn't one of them. No, I learned about the Draught of Living Death from a book in mum's library...I read about bezoars just this morning in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi," Augusta laughed quietly at the irony. "And truthfully, I don't remember how I knew about the monkshood plant. It's just one of those things I knew..."
Snape nodded, thinking to himself. "That will be all, thank you. Go on to your next class before you are late."
As Augusta left, she thought to herself how odd it was that her parents had always gone on and on about how terrible Snape was. To her, he just seemed like a man with a troubled past. He wasn't that bad, not really.
~*~
"Hey, Gus!" Gus looked up at Nolan as he put his arm around her shoulder in a friendly way.
"Hello." Augusta flashed one of her famous smiles.
"How has your first day been going?"
"Well, I've only had Potions so far. I caught him off guard, I think. I don't think he was expecting me to know the answers to his questions."
Nolan stopped dead in his tracks. "You knew the answers to his questions?"
When she nodded, confused, he elaborated. "Good for you, Gus! I believe you may be the first person in Hogwarts' history!"
Augusta laughed. "How's Charlotte doing?" Immediately, Augusta stopped laughing.
"That bad, huh?" Gussie nodded. "Well, Augusta, screw her."
"What?!"
Nolan looked into her eyes. "You don't need her! Sure, you may have been friends with her your entire life, but people change, and this isn't the same girl I've heard stories about. Make new friends and move on with your life."
Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? Forget Charlotte!
Augusta went to bed that night with a good feeling for the future.
~*~
Augusta woke up feeling refreshed for the first time all year. For the first time she thought to herself, "Everything is going to be okay. I have friends...well, I have a friend. Nolan. And I'm going to make some new ones. I don't need Charlotte. This year is going to be great. This year, is going to be great." She got out of bed, took a shower, and went down to breakfast, smiling. Besides, it was almost Christmas!
She smiled at some people, and they smiled back. This year is going to be great. I don't need Charlotte. She sat down to eat and smiled at a second year girl. Deciding to try her luck, she introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Augusta. You can call me Gus, though." The girl looked a little shocked to see the Potter girl talking, but she responded. "It's nice to meet you! I'm Kathryn. Call me Kate." She gestured at the group of students around her. "This is Gabriella, but you can call her Ella; Brandon, Alex, and Chantal. Chantal just transferred from Beauxbatons."
"Bonjour! Comment vous aimez l'angleterre si loin?" Augusta asked. "Vous parlez le français?" Chantal asked, surprised. "Un morceau, oui." Augusta was acutely aware that her cheeks were burning with the embarrassment of the attention. "Cela est bon! Où vous a fait apprend?"
"A mon école de ballet, à Londres. Ils ont fait nous apprendre si les termes de ballet ne seraient pas comme difficile à comprendre." After briefly translating their conversation for the other students (A: Hello! How do you like England so far? C: You speak French? A: A bit, yes. C: That's great! Where did you learn? A: At my ballet school, in London. They made us learn so the ballet terms would not be as difficult to understand.) Their breakfast carried on quite nicely; it felt good to have people to talk with. Sure, she had Nolan, but she didn't see him as often since he was a third year Slytherin and she was a first year Gryffindor.
They were chattering and laughing until Dumbledore came up behind Kate. "Ms. Potter, a word?" Augusta looked up into the Headmaster's eyes. For the first time in her life, they weren't twinkling. After sharing nervous glances with her new friends, and a shout from Chantal ("La bonne chance, mon ami!"), Augusta was off, two paces behind the Headmaster.
Once they were situated in Dumbledore's office, he took a deep breath in and began. "Do you believe in God, Ms. Potter?" Augusta's eyes clouded with confusion. It must have shown because Dumbledore continued on. "Let's see...." Dumbledore tapped his long index finger against his chin as he thought.
"Ah. Ms Potter, if someone lent you something...something beautiful, rare, and good. Would you return it?" Although Gus was still quite confused, she thought her answer through. "After I was finished with it...wait, no. I want change my answer." He nodded, and Gus noticed his eyes still weren't twinkling. "When the person asked for it back, I'd give it to them." Dumbledore seemed surprised.
"Even if you weren't finished with it?"
"Yes...it does belong to them, after all."
"And what if they took it without asking?"
"Well, professor, I wouldn't be pleased, but I supposed I'd have to make do..." Gus started to realize something. "Professor, do I have something of yours that you'd like back?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "On the contrary, my dear child, someone has taken something from you." Augusta tilted her head in confusion. "Augusta, last night...God...took something from you--someone." Dumbledore corrected himself.
Her face twisted into an odd sort of frown. "Who died," she stated.
Dumbledore didn't answer at first. "Ms. Potter, I believe that God leads us to each other. When the time comes, he chooses those he treasures the most to return to him. The person that was taken from you was beautiful, and rare, and good."
"Headmaster, who died?"
Dumbledore shook his head slowly as he said, "Your mother."
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