Smoke and Ashes [Open]

[snape]

Whenever Severus needed a cigarette he usually lit up away from the students as well as everyone else if he could manage it. This of course did nothing for the ever-present odor of smoke and ashes that seemed to follow him, but at least he had his privacy... Snape had a tendency to smoke in his office or chambers; however, he also visited his old haunt sometimes, which just so happened to be a birch tree near the Black Lake. After a long day of classes the Potions Master didn't feel like staying coped up in Hogwarts so he had grabbed his pack of cigarettes and was now making his way to the grounds. He had plenty of time to burn before curfew; not that it mattered much since he was a Professor, giving him the ability to bend or even ignore the rules altogether.

He soon reached his destination of choice without incident and couldn't help smiling slightly at the familiar sight. He could remember a time when he had been able to wedge his lean frame in between the roots... It wasn't the most comfortable position in the world, but it had effectively hidden him from Marauders and teachers alike when all he really wanted to do was have a smoke. Severus was somewhat disappointed when he discovered that the roots would no longer accommodate him. He gave a snort to himself as he settled his back against the birch's trunk. He shook his pack of cigarettes before removing one from within and then placing the rest in his pocket. He soon stuck the cancer stick in his mouth and lit up with a simple flick from his wand.

The first hit was always the best one. Snape gave a sigh as he felt the nicotine rush through his system. He took another inhale and breathed out more smoke afterwards. It was a pretty good day for being outside. The early autumn air was crisp, but it wasn't necessarily cold and at least the weather wasn't too terrible... It could have been raining or snowing, after all; instead it was just somewhat cloudy. Severus stared out over the Black Lake as he smoked, watching the water ripple from the wind. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth so he could tap away the ash and then placed it back again.

[Scarlett Rosen]

Scarlett probably shouldn't be outside.
In fact she was fairly certain that Flitwick had told her to stay in the Slytherin common room until her detention. But the was exploiting the slight uncertainty which was completely made up. She knew perfectly well that she was supposed to be inside, it wasn't going to stop her though. Flitwick could yell at her all he wanted, it didn't stop her from ignoring him.

Speaking of detention though, she guessed it was getting late and her detention was drawing nearer. Personally she though it was fairly unfair. The school rules might say that punching Mary Loker in the face and pulling hair while she screamed abuse at her, was forbidden, but the stupid cow had been irritating her.
She pouted and tossed her long hair over her shoulder, the pins long ago discarded when she had been messing around with the whomping willow. The bright red was almost painful on the eyes and, while it may be a sign of the annoying Gryffindors, she loved it. It cost a fortune in hair dye though.

She had her detention with Snape, in exactly, she checked her watch, twelve minutes. Which explained her surprise at seeing him out of the dungeons and in the fresh air. He was smoking, leaning against the tree like he owned the place.
She smirked and walked closer.
"Well, that's a great example to set for the students isn't it. Think of the ideas you will be placing into the little first years minds..."
She tutted, shaking her head sadly though a grin did catch her features for a second.
She was being cheeky, of course she was. Why not?
She was in trouble anyway.

[snape]

Severus was somewhat disappointed when the voice of someone else intruded upon his private time. The sight of Miss Scarlett Rosen surprised him because he knew that she was due to serve detention in twelve minutes and it would probably take just about that long to reach Hogwarts from the Black Lake; not that it really mattered much since she was scheduled to serve out her time with the Potions Master who was currently smoking and had the same problem as she did. Rather than stubbing out his cigarette as he usually did, he decided to keep it lit.

"That is precisely why I don't smoke in my classes, Ms Rosen. I may place ideas into the minds of some, but I will crack down on any student I catch with a cigarette who isn't old enough to have one."

He was a little lenient with the whole 'no smoking' policy that Hogwarts had than most teachers due to his habit. The Professors themselves often criticized Snape because of his cancer sticks, but he was under the protection of Headmaster Dumbledore and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. Short of a miracle happening, Severus would probably be smoking until the day he died. He didn't mind the cheeky attitude either; although that was mostly in part to the nicotine already calming down his system and he was more relaxed as a result. Scarlett was rather lucky to catch him in such a mood.

"So... What are you doing out here and why do you have a detention already? You should all know how I feel about that." He gave a brief scowl before taking another draw from his cigarette.

[Scarlett Rosen]

She grinned as he didn't start shouting for her rudeness, clearly the smoking helped. She made a mental note of the fact, just in case.
She settled down on the grass, bringing her waist-length hair round so she didn't sit on it and looking up at him a smirk darting across her face.
"You don't hide the smell of smoke though, so it's no real secret. Anyway," She shrugged. "I don't care, it's your funeral."

She tilted her head up to look at him, wincing away from the plumes of smoke that had been carried in her direction by the faint breeze. She laughed at his question, for some reason the fact that he bothered to ask amused her.
"Why do you think? It's so dull inside. Anyway, everyone is always saying I should get outside, thought I might go for a little stroll. Surprised to bump into you though, not good for you to be late to the detention."

He scowled at her, she merely responded with a cheery smile, proving that even a slytherin can smile. Scarlett liked to play games with people, act in the certain way, while really she was analyzing every way to get them out of her life.
"Mary Loker was being rude to me sir. Stupid cow had the cheek to say some stuff about Slytherin. Well most of the other kids took it. But... She paused, a scowl of her own marring her features and a dangerous glint coming to her eye.
"She said something about my Grandmother and you know how I feel about that. So I hit her."

She managed to finish the long explanation off with a smirk, the glint still in her eyes.
"I knew you wouldn't like it, but Flitwick wasn't going to do anything cause she is in his house so..."
She shrugged.

[snape]

He gave a dry snort at her first comment. "I never said it was. It would be pretty damn impossible for me to try hide my habit... After so many years of smoking the smell just kind of sticks."

Severus could only shrug when she told him it was his funeral. People could point out the many drawbacks of cigarettes a thousand times over and it never seemed to help. So far he had actually been rather lucky... He had been smoking since he was sixteen, after all. You would think that it would have had some effect on him by now, but the only thing Snape really noticed was his jitteryness when he denied himself the proper relief. He drummed his fingers a lot and his leg shook somewhat as a direct result of that. His teeth also had seen better days, but then they had never been that great to begin with since his family couldn't afford to send him to a doctor, let alone a dentist

He chuckled at her next words. "Mm... I seriously doubt you'll mind..."

The Potions Master tapped off more ash from his cigarette before placing it back in his mouth. He took another deep inhale from it as he felt himself actually begin to relax. His shoulders slumped a little against the birch tree that he was using for support, but that was all. He nodded his head slowly as the Slytherin teen explained and then stared down his long crooked nose at her. He wasn't sure what to say. The excuse to him made sense in his head because he too had dealt with some rather rude people in his life, but he was also not the type to coddle anyone... Even if they were from his own house.

"I see." Was all he said as he finished off the cigarette and threw the butt to the ground, stamping out the still-smoking end with the heel of his boot. "You know... I don't really do this... But I'm not in the mood to head back to the castle at this moment. What do you think about serving your detention out here on the grounds?"

[Scarlett Rosen]

It must have been odd that as he was speaking she had decided to lie down on the grass and stare up at the dying sun and watch as the pretty colours wreaked havoc on the surrounding mountains.
However when she did manage to absorb what he had said to her, a grin took over her eyes. Scarlett couldn't bare to go back into the dark, gloomy dungeons,not now. The fresh air was cleansing her lungs and reviving her from the post-school slump that she normally fell into. Anyway, he couldn't make her gut newts or anything else disgusting like that if they were outside.

She rolled to her feet, eyes alight with humor and warmth as she kicked off her shoes, and with a flick of her wand, shrunk them to fit in her pocket. Shoes were just uncomfortable, she loved being bare-foot.
"The castle sounds boring. I think it would be good to have a detention out here, you know, a change of scenery."
She thanked him silently, a half smirk shadowing her features before she killed the moment with a cartwheel across the grass.

[snape]

Severus eyed her a bit strangely when she decided to lay down on the grass and stare up at the sky, but he didn't comment. He gave a snort as she rolled to her feet, kicked off her shoes, and shrunk them with a simple spell so that they could fit in her pocket. She then cartwheeled across the grass which caused him to smirk. She was an odd sort of girl all right...

"Good. I need to collect a few ingredients from the Forbidden Forest. You might need your shoes for that, but if you want to go in as is then that's your decision." He gave a shrug of his thin shoulders. "Follow me."

He led her away from the Black Lake and towards the Forest. There was a small footpath that he soon found amongst the usual brush, which he quickly set down. As soon as they were in the Forest proper, the sounds inside seemed louder. There were chirping birds, the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, and the crunch of leaves and twigs as they walked, but there wasn't anything to be afraid of. No growls or howls or anything like that. They followed the path for a few minutes before they came to a fork and Severus went left. A few minutes later they came to the stream they had heard a little earlier. Upon the bank were several bushes that almost seemed to be moving and dancing. There were little red blooming flowers on them as well.

"We need to harvest the red flowers on that plant. It's a somewhat difficult task because as you can see it's a moving target. There are also poisonous thorns to worry about..."

[Scarlett Rosen]

She nodded eagerly, padding after him as he set of at a speedy pace. He watched his dark robes flowing out behind him, it made her think of smoke for some reason as the wind ruffled the cloth softly. It made her want to bat at it, like a cat would. Somehow she suspected he wouldn't approve or be particularly happy about her doing that. She held in a chuckle at the very thought.

She had once been told she should have been sorted into Gryffindor, she wasn't cunning enough to be a Slytherin. She had punched the boy who had said it then promptly framed him for a variety of crimes. She guessed that had been the start of her willingness to fight anyone who challenged her. She liked the power that being in control gave her. She had already got into a few fights this year, but none serious enough to warrant a detention, so this was the first real one. She smirked at the thought of her eccentricities. So what if she was a weirdo, if she did things a bit differently? It was a fantastic way to trick people into thinking you are innocent, then you strike where it hurts the most.

She looked at the twisting, curling plant for a moment, jaw slightly open. Then his words really hit her and she looked up at him, she had always hated how much taller he was than her. One eyebrow was raised and her face was incredulous.
"You brought me to a place known at the forbidden forest and now you want to me go get some flowers from a plant with poisonous thorns?"

[snape]

"Are you perhaps regretting your decision, Ms. Rosen?" The Professor drawled out. "This was pretty much your idea. You agreed to serve your detention on the grounds and I need ingredients. It's a win-win situation"

Severus drew out some heavy-duty leather gloves from one of his random pockets. He had always planned on going into the Forbidden Forest today so he was prepared. He just needed to smoke first because it cleared his head... He then gave her the second pair that he had brought as a just in case measure; one never knew what could happen here after all. He put on his gloves and then eyed the Slytherin girl for a moment.

"I assure you that these gloves should protect us and if all else fails I do have an antidote for the poison the thorns contain." He approached the plant and regarded it for a moment before he glanced back to Rosen. "If you'd rather scrub out cauldrons or something of the sort then by all means we can head back."

[Scarlett Rosen]

She looked at him witheringly, as though he were the student and she were the teacher, it was a look he had often directed at her when she managed to mess up in potions. Scarlett took the gloves from him, her eyes full of the sort of determination that would never be seen on a Gryffindor's face. It was far to cunning, to sly.
"I am a Slytherin, not a coward."
She put the gloves on, feeling the thickness of the material and eying the plant up warily. It was not so much the threat of the poison that worried her, more the idea of failing in front of her head of house.
She steeled herself and an arrogant smile came to her face as she tossed her red hair back and snorted at the plant.
"I'm not scared. I was merely questioning your professional judgment. Well done! You passed, full marks, no problems with health and safety."
She looked up at her teacher, almost hoping for him to challenge her cheek. She did like arguments, even if she knew she wouldn't win.

[snape]

The withering look she gave him caused Severus to smirk. Apparently she had picked up on a few of his habits since being here... It resembled the type of gaze he would send to a few of his problematic students and instead of being annoyed by the copy-cat expression, he was actually impressed. When she claimed that she was a Slytherin, not a coward, he inclined his head towards her. She soon put the gloves on and approached the plant.

"Ms. Rosen, I have been doing this for ten years now. I know how to take the necessary precautions... Your cheek will earn you another detention if you don't watch yourself. You're lucky I'm in a good mood."

Snape was now watching the constantly waving plant with its small red flowers and poisonous thorns, tracking the way it moved. Even though he was wearing gloves he still had to time it right. He didn't want one of those thorns to snag on his robe and scratch his arm as a result. After a moment the young Potions Master decided to roll up his sleeves up past his elbows and used his bicep to keep the folded fabric where it was. There, that was better. He was still wearing a shirt underneath of course so the Dark Mark and the scars on his wrists couldn't be seen. He once again glanced over to Scarlett Rosen.

"Well... What are you waiting for? Pick some of the flowers."

[Scarlett Rosen]

Hey dark eyes watched the plants as they swayed and curled, teasing her into believing their benevolence. They plant's were not moving very fast, but combined with the poisonous thorns that covered the plants, the hypnotic movement made for a dangerous opponent.
She watched as he rolled up the sleeves of his robes revealing his shirt. It seemed like a good idea. Although her robe was made of a lighter material and was shorter, it still twisted and shifted in the breeze, making it easy to catch on things.
She shrugged it off, dropping it to the soft earthy ground, her short was short sleeved, but she didn't care, she would probably be alright.
She looked up at him, then back at the plant and said quietly.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but it's not you I am worried about."
At his words on the detention she smiled and looked up at him again, this time meeting his eyes.
"Go on then. Let's face facts, I am going to get another detention within a week, one more won't hurt."

Scarlett walked toward the plant, pausing just in front of it. She stared at it, watching it swaying for a moment. Then she lunged forward, almost grabbing a flower. She was so close, then another branch came out of nowhere and she was forced to duck, kick of the ground and roll backward. She let out a small breath and looked up at her teacher.
"Maybe you should go first..."

[snape]

He just shook his head when she practically dared him to give her another detention. She reminded him far too much of the Marauders sometimes... No matter what was done to her she always bounced back and followed her own path. It was a good policy judging by her house, but it kind of went against everything else. Severus watched her as she walked toward the plant and paused in front of it as she tracked its movement with her own eyes like he had done. He was ready to provide back-up if necessary when she suddenly lunged forward. She almost grabbed one of the flowers, but another branch came out of nowhere, forcing her to duck and make a hasty escape.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried using spells yet. Good girl. You would have probably only pissed off the plant more in the effort. It can sense our presence. It's sentient to a certain degree."

After saying that Snape stepped closer to the plant. He was too far away for the tendrils to reach him, but near enough so that he could pluck one of the flowers off while he had the chance. For the most part harvesting ingredients was a waiting game and he was patient enough to stand there hour after hour if necessary. Luckily he didn't have to. One of the branches came by and he managed to grab one of the flowers without any of the poisonous thrones breaking his skin.

"See? It's not that hard. All you have to do is be patient."

[Scarlett Rosen]

She pouted over dramatically as he seemingly easily snagged one of the flowers with a graceful, cat like motion.
However she was laughing again when he spoke to her. Not so much laughing at the words, but at herself.
"Well, that is lovely for you. Unfortunately I am not one for patience. You've seen my potions..."
She shuddered at the very thought of the lesson. While she loved the dungeons, they weren't the best place for brewing, at least not when she was around. Her tendency to make things explode had become legendary within her year and at first it had got her thousands of detentions until Snape finally began to accept she was just hopeless at the subject.
Didn't mean he liked it though.

"Well, here goes nothing."
She copied his movements, standing just in front of the plant, watching it in silence. Then she saw the perfect moment and her hand flicked out. Unfortunately, as good as her aim was and as good as she was at dodging things (she frequently messed around with the whomping willow), she didn't quite have the skill for this.
She grabbed the flower, but a thorn rushed to it's defense and caught her shirt sleeve. She darted back in horror, returning to her teacher's side and dropping the flower to the floor as she examine the large rip in her shirt sleeve.
"I don't think it cut the skin."

[snape]

"Patience is one of the most important virtues you should learn, Ms. Rosen." Snape intoned in his usual drawl.

However, the Professor couldn't help but to agree with her words at the same time. She was dismal at Potions; almost as bad if not worse than Longbottom. She had a tendency to cause explosions even with the simplest brews. This was one reason why he desperately wished that Potions was only mandatory til third year... Well at least he wouldn't have to worry about the Slytherin girl in his NEWT-level lessons and the thought itself made him internally shudder. For once he was thankful for his high standards. A few of the other teachers criticized him because of his harsh and strict nature regarding his subject, but Potions were dangerous... A number of things could go wrong even in the best of situations.

A slight smirk touched his features as he watched Scarlett take a similar position to his own. He hand flicked out and managed to grab one of the precious flowers, but at the same time a thorn rushed to play defense and snagged her shirt sleeve. She darted back quickly and dropped the flower to the ground as she examined the rip. Severus stepped closer.

"Are you positive? Let me see it."