O.W.L.s

O.W.L.s

Unsure how to address what he called The Flight Disaster at the Academy with its many ears, Severus had restricted all communication with his wife to the unavoidable until they were safe at Spinner's End. Hell, it had been too chaotic there to even think how he would address it in safety.

And even back home, Severus first visited the cellar. The rote of brewing the medical potions and a few batches of the thrice-be-damned Ludwig's Lust finally allowed him to ponder how to proceed.

How could he make Ginevra see what she had risked by her actions? For four days he had alternately cursed her heroic Gryffindor mindset and admired her steadfastness. She had not given in to Stunt for weeks, and despite the risk, this attitude had garnered the respect of some of her mates. Flint for one would howl in glee if Ginevra returned to class meek or broken.

She would not give in to him simply because of his position. He had to steer the discussion cleverly. How he hated it all! Cunning was all fine and well, but not this manipulating of people he would rather be honest to! A teenage girl, and completely dependent on him alone!

As he was wont to do, Severus started cursing Dumbledore and Merlin for handing over another impetuous teenager, for trusting that Severus' mind, body and soul would stretch and bend to bring them through whatever peril they ventured in. He wanted to blame the fates that had weaved yet another net around him. But Severus found that his heart wasn't in it this time.

This time, Severus wanted to save a person because they'd proven themselves worthy and because he... he cared.

Severus' best flint blade and carbon steel knives descended on the ingredients with vigour, and the pestle of finest Oriental alabaster ground the crickets into the finest dust. Yes, he cared deeply for Ginevra, and he badly wanted to see that smile on her face that made his heart jump.

Finished, Severus filled phial after phial with steady hands and headed upstairs. A considerable number of containers clinked in the basket. How long have I been down here? I should have forgone stocking Ginevra's hair conditioner or lotion! At least we can leave this afternoon and go looking for crocuses. Maybe even coltsfoot.

But Severus found Ginny sitting cross-legged on the dusty floor, next to a stack of dirty trousers and carelessly rolled-up robes, whirling her wand sharply over four damp socks to have them march over a pile of unwashed shirts. Two lonely socks were floating in mid-air over the bathtub, obviously cleaned.

As the door behind Severus snapped closed, she lost control over the parade but didn't seem to care at all.

Severus swallowed down a sharp remark, flicked his wand at two of the socks, and they found each other. The second pair even folded nicely.

He Banished the washing into the bathroom, saying as casually as possible, "To be dealt with."

Ginevra did not look up. When nothing more was forthcoming from Severus, she addressed the scratches in the floor, asking dully, "What now?"

"Sit."

"I am."

"Ginevra, look at me."

"The way you looked at me in the last days?"

"I didn't..."

"My point exactly!"

Severus chose not to answer, but decided to test Molly's claim that tea soothes the nerves. He conjured two mugs of water and Accio'd two teabags of the fruity type his wife preferred.

"Fervefacio!"

He sat down on the wonkiest chair, gesturing for her to take a seat as well. Reluctantly, she complied and heated her water.

Severus leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers. The tension it took to keep this position on the rickety chair matched his inner tension. Leaning back and crossing his arms would precariously endanger his goal here as well as his dignity!

"I wonder how you see the Academy for yourself," Severus started.

"I... You think I don't want to learn!" she blurted out. "I don't achieve enough, I don't fulfil your expectations. That's nice to know!"

Severus squinted and stroked his chin. Aiming for a soft voice, he replied, "I did not say that, Ginevra."

"You didn't say much about anything."

"True."

His unconditional confession finally drew her eyes to him. They looked so empty and sad that something constricted around Severus' heart. He wanted to cross over and... no! She'd blast off his hand without hesitation.

"That was," Severus began calmly, "because I didn't know what to say, or how. We're not free in that place. Only in this hovel here we are safe. I renewed the wards the other night."

"We could have left," Ginny spat. "You leave all the time, the Sands took their spoiled daughter to a concert, and Albert Flint was Merlin-knows-where with that troll of a brother."

Severus looked up sharply at the last piece of news.

"I did not notice this. I'd be glad to hear more, but now is not the time. You realise that Mulciber kept me busy all week. We have three days now. I'd like to use them."

"For brewing?"

"Ginevra, please. I needed some time for thinking and for wondering how we shall proceed."

"Aah, the Slytherin approach, letting me brood until I'm easier to... handle."

"Maybe we should indeed have left. We might have..."

Ginny jumped up, knocking over her chair. "Oh, spare your noble words, Severus," she said. "I do not need them. Just leave me alone. Go down to your knives and phials. Or go harvest your precious crocuses."

Only Severus' well trained reflexes saved the tea from spilling, and seconds later Ginevra was curled on the sofa, showing him nothing but her back.

She stayed that way while Severus called for a rapidly improvised lunch and as he handled their dirty clothes.

Severus announced he'd be preparing tea and closed the kitchen door to leave her a chance to use the bathroom, which she did. She had changed into soft, college trousers when Severus returned.

"Ginevra, will you join me?" he asked and stepped over. He bent forward to see her face, but her wand emerged from under her armpit and deftly cast a deflection shield. A pungent stench wafting from his own, smouldered hair set Severus back on his heels. "I see."

Angry as well as depressed, Severus retreated upstairs but could not concentrate on whatever work he tried to accomplish. Her sad and disappointed eyes overlaid every roll of parchment he opened, and he found her face in every graphical illustration. Had he not tried to be civil? And, why was he even trying to accommodate for her mood?

When the sun stood low, Severus emerged from behind the book-covered door. He saw a book that must have toppled onto the floor. Ginevra was asleep, but tilting and turning and rubbing her knees against each other although it certainly was not cold. An odd whimper escaped her mouth every now and then.

Purposefully noisy with the dishes, he prepare a light soup for the night, which was all he could stomach and also all that they had in stock. His invitation was ignored as before, and he stared at his chipped bowl.

His nerves continued to fray as the old, worn spoon scraped loudly, round after round, over the bottom of the dish that just would not empty.

With a clang, the tool dropped out of Severus' hands. "Ginevra," he started in harsher tones than earlier that day. "You are certainly more reasonable than that. Do stop this stunt. How can we address the issues at hand if we're not communicating? I have very obviously severely failed you, but not willingly and in ways I'm unsure of. In two short days, you need to be fresh and rested, prepared for your O.W.L.s as well as facing your peers.

"Furthermore, or no, foremost, I want you to feel well," he added, still staring into his soup. "Nourishment is one part I will ensure, if I have to. You’ve proven yourself to be made of sterner stuff, and I will select my methods accordingly."

Ginevra rose hastily and left for the bathroom. She still had that haunted look when she returned, but she smelled of her soap and skin ointment and sat down opposite him primly and took up her spoon.

No words were spoken through the meal or washing up.

When Severus opened the bathroom door after his evening ablution he froze on the threshold. The sofa was turned into a bed. "If you are certain," he murmured and retired, leaving the door ajar for fresh air.

:*:*:*:

Dreams of the Dark Lord's amusement dinners, complete with captives serving and being tortured for entertainment, accompanied Severus. When he jerked up, the stark image of Ginevra being questioned, Ginevra wriggling helplessly on the floor, Ginevra nearly broken, but stubbornly standing remained as though burnt into his retina. He shook himself to get it out of his mind, and then he heard what had caused the dream. Whimpers of pain and groans of frustration came from the makeshift bed next door.

He padded over in haste. Even under the warm blanket, she was rubbing her thighs together while her upper body, arms tightly crossed around her torso, turned and tilted. Without thinking, Severus put his hand on her shoulders to pacify her, but she shrugged him off violently, annoyed when a sigh escaped her.

Disgusted by his very inadequate thoughts of how he would love to touch her, Severus returned to the bedroom and stared out of the open window until he shivered in his simple nightshirt. He stayed awake a long time, listening to Ginny's agitated suffering until finally she found sleep.

:*:*:*:

Heavy drops prattling and splashing nearby woke Severus to the first rays of sunlight. The sound came from the wrong direction though, as the first green on the misshapen, small apple tree outside was very obviously dry and dusty.

Along with the prattling of the water, an alarming rattling and hissing came from the bathroom. The shower had to be running on full power, straining the old, lime-scaled plumbing until it complained loudly in spite of delivering more water.

Severus frowned. It is not like Ginevra to expose herself to the elements like that.

Grabbing nothing but his wand, Severus reached the door to the bathroom in no time and knocked. "Ginevra," he called. "Do answer me that you're all right or I will break this door."

"You stay out of here!" she shouted more decisively than he expected. If nothing else, it at least indicated that she was well awake and not in danger.

Satisfied for the moment, Severus dressed and converted the sofa back to how he wanted it to stay. The sound of water stopped.

Porridge and tea was all they had left for breakfast, but it was warm and inviting when Ginevra came out, fully dressed but as agitated as she had been all night. Her skin was scrubbed red where it disappeared in her sleeves, and the scent of ample amounts of body lotion tickled Severus' nose, but he decided not to broach it, as the cream or the creaming seemed to comfort her.

"We'll have porridge now and go shopping for the rest of our stay. We'll return to have deft elevenses," he declared in a tone not to be disobeyed. She nodded meekly.

:*:*:*:

Paul and Theodore Nott surprised them with what could only be a check-up visit as they were about to leave the house. Being under this dubious supervision unsettled the already strained couple, but they dutifully played along with the small talk as they walked. Theodore once asked Ginny about her upcoming O.W.L.s but was otherwise his shy self.

Outside the grocer, Paul Nott stopped and observed Ginny sharply. She had kept up mum while walking, but standing still she became all twitchy again. The older man glared menacingly at Severus, very obviously little impressed by the other man's standing. "Don't you dare! I will be back in two hours."

He took hold of his son, and they Disapparated without a sound.

What the blazes does he think he is, Severus thought, playing the guardian angel, but taking his son along for backup. Is Ginevra in on the plot?

A woman in her late forties, hair rollers barely covered by a thin, lilac scarf, was warbling along to the catchy tune the infernal radio imposed on everyone. "Move over, and let me get at the greens!" she admonished Ginny. Scrutinising the girl more, she added "Blimey, you're an odd lass, dancing as a jaunty Charleston to that lovely, tragic tune."

:*:*:*:

After her first full meal in two days and three visits to the loo, Ginevra opened the conversation.

"You asked about the Academy. It is a horrible place at times. But it gives me a chance to learn a good deal. I want to pass my O.W.L.s, which you said would be filed at the Ministry and be valid to whoever wins this war."

Her elbows supporting her weight, she held her tea mug with both hands. She carefully slurped a sip, wary of the hot liquid. "Most in my year do not have this opportunity."

Severus took a sip himself and nodded. "Yes, to both. However, let's leave the academic aspects for now."

She continued, clearly probing where to go. "Since you are teaching there, it also allows us to stay together. I like that. Normally. I would be utterly alone here, though, and unprotected."

Here we are, Severus thought, considering her intently.

"Protection, then?" Ginny copied his head movement and slung her left arm tightly around her upper body. "It is quite a safe place, I should think. All kinds of security are in place. They control everybody's whereabouts; the headmistress made sure we know that," she grumbled.

"The place is protected against ill-wishers from outside," Severus corrected.

Her head tilted more, and she continued, forming sentences while thinking. "Could we be at a risk from inside? Well, we certainly cannot know whom to trust." Severus nodded gravely, and now she understood. "He had been after my life; do you mean that?"

"Even if not Stunt himself..." Severus hinted.

"...then one of the students could have... provoked a fatal accident?" She paled. "Do you really think they would get away with it?"

"Not by me!" Heat threatened to rise to his head, and Severus swallowed it down as he was wont to, but he had stood without noticing. He strode over to reach for her shoulder, but the girl hastily gathered the sandwich platter and went to the kitchen.

This has to end! Severus purposefully blocked her way and touched her elbow. Ginny groaned deeply as Severus suddenly felt all blood gather in his guts, and he wanted nothing more than to ravish her on the spot. How he had missed her touch! Now she melted against him, sighing deeply.

With a pained cry, "No!" Ginny suddenly pushed off him and stumbled away.

Severus finally cottoned on. "The curse! Ginevra, are you... but of course you are!" How could he not have noticed that it was sexual tension she was suffering? He caught her in his arms awkwardly, saying, "I had never considered that it could affect the women so badly."

Severus carried a sobbing bundle to his bed. Their bed. When he lowered her gently, she buried her red face to his body and fumbled frantically to get her arms under his robe and shirt. Severus abandoned the offending layers, toed off his shoes and socks and applied the mouth protection on them both. He hissed in need when she reached for his hard member and hastily Banished her trousers and knickers.

Not a minute later, he collapsed over her, spent but certainly not satiated.

He rolled aside, drawing her with him before she could flee. "Ginevra," he started, but he could not find the words to express his disgust over their situation.

"Are you better now?" he finally asked.

She nodded into his chest.

"Good. I will get you some healing cream. Then we will finish our discussion, because it cannot wait either."

Severus was a lot more relaxed than months back, as he once again applied the ointment to raw and irritated skin. "Please don't do this to yourself again," he murmured and handed her a soft sweater.

On the sofa, Severus opened the discussion. "As I said, I'd prosecute anyone who harmed you, but it is rather futile for you to wonder about that, Ginevra."

She swallowed. "You're right, of course. The way these lessons are organised, even a pair of overconfident second years can plot an accident that would end fatally."

Her view unfocussed, she finished her thought. "They might receive backup from home. Or they only believe in it."

One of Filch's spiky, well-oiled vices must have clasped Severus' heart; it was so difficult to press his next question out neutrally. "How would this difference matter to you?"

"I might not have survived it to know. So... it makes no difference."

"Indeed."

"I... I should not have taken such a risk."

Severus found himself cradling her gently as he implored, "Ginevra, your Gryffindor way can only go so far."

With a huff, she sat straight. "This has nothing to do with any founder of Hogwarts. Not even with pride."

Severus caught her arm before she left. His tone very matter-of-fact, he said, "Then explain yourself." He was about to cross his arms, but he quickly stopped himself from the provocation. He wanted her to feel as if she was taken seriously. No, he did take her seriously. Everything else was dangerous and unthinkable.

Ginny's face changed expression as she was so obviously searching for the right words. "I might be young in your eyes, but I have been a student for more than five years. I have always thanked my brothers to let me take care of my problems by myself. You of all people do not want someone who annoys you with petty little problems. I don't expect you to arrange a solution for me!" She went silent and almost glared at him.

When she started again, she put on a softer and calmer voice. "You have so much to worry about. Too many lessons, struggles with colleagues, not enough information on what is going on and little chance to influence it. Do you think I did not see that? I could not load you with more than the obvious."

"Hmm."

"You noticed that I have trouble, too, and honestly how could it be otherwise. You considered me capable of handling it, and so I did."

"I often must leave you to yourself for I have no chance to be present. This does not mean," he added before being interrupted, "that I doubt your abilities. However, others than me were involved here."

"You don't care much about the opinion of the staff."

"Not their opinion. But I do care what they say about you or me, and to whom."

"Who listened? Not the Dark Lord?"

"Indeed he did. He was planning to visit anyway. Our master asked me how it could have come to that situation. At first we were not yet discussing anyone in particular. I insisted that pupils must learn to gauge danger, not ignore it. But he redirected the focus, went personal, suspecting that you... would not trust me. That you would withhold information from me. Ginevra!"

Now she understood fully. "He must not think that!" she breathed. "Firstly it is not true, but secondly… oh, this can become so dangerous. What did you say you would do, Severus?"

"I would have a word with you, which I'm doing now."

"He did not leave it at that, I'm sure! I know the boy Tom Riddle; he was always inquisitive, always searching for an entry. He was always prodding, 'Tell me! Tell me now!' He pressed you for your view right at that very moment, did he not?"

"He certainly has not changed. I replied that I knew very much about your academic progress, and we shared whom you avoid or who avoids you. I mentioned that you socialise with selected few: Malfoy, Nott and Hestrop. I preferred not to mention Heather Brookhurst."

Ginny nodded sadly, and Severus continued. "He asked how I could have missed your considerable problem in flying lessons over weeks. I had no ready explanation myself. I argued along the same lines you did: that I was busy, and you would not want to add to it. That you are generally a very capable witch. I even admitted that I am easily annoyed. I knew of your flying abilities and had not imagined a problem in that area at all."

Without realising it, Severus had approached the window and gave the chimney with its yellowish exhaust a glare before turning around. "But we are not talking about a torn robe here, Ginevra. You could have fallen only a little differently and hit a stone, fainted, and drowned. Don't you see?"

"I saw it clearly that very day. But Stunt? He should have seen that, too!"

"I said as much. Our master reprimanded me, pointing out that he would care for that separately. I had to apologise. I blamed your juvenile spirit for misjudging this danger as a mere annoyance. And your Gryffindor stubbornness, which, after all, amuses him." When she started with an answer, he held up his hand to stall her. "We can both be glad if he went for it. But remember that you are only one witch out of so many for him. Provided he even sees you as one of us. First of all you are the coming mother to lots of Snapes and a means to keep me in good mood. If he ever suspects that you could have an agenda of your own... Your status as my wife is a fragile one."

Severus continued after a while, as much to himself as to her. "When others sneered at you, I blamed your extraordinary status or the decades-old, house-based rivalries. In the future I will probe deeper. Miss Sands was still lucky."

Severus sat back down purposefully. He had to incur a sense of belonging. "You now have a Colour to associate with, mates who consider you a part of their group. They expect you to gain credits for their Colour and will want you unharmed."

She huffed. "Albert Flint declared in his dorm that you were too disgusted to have me in Green."

"He comes right after Miss Sands on my agenda then. Even with people like him breaking the pattern, the pedagogical concept of grouping the student body is beneficial in general. Yet it does not replace my responsibility. That is what I told our master. I still do not understand how you kept going with such treatment, or how you managed to hide it from me."

"You were close, at times... Maybe it is pride after all that made me keep quiet."

They each followed their own thought for a while.

"Severus," Ginny finally tried, and he looked up. "Stunt triumphing was no fun, but having you solve it for me would only have made him find vile means to get back at me. I shudder to imagine his next lesson."

"He does worse than shudder as we speak. A war depends on skilled leaders and on group work. Stunt did not spread that spirit. I trust the Dark Lord has his ways to remind him."

There was another pain Severus wanted to resolve. He took her hand and made her stand up, close to him. "Do not put your life into danger, Ginevra. I could not stand the thought of losing you, having failed you."

For a while, she relished in the caress. Then she drew back. "What should I say about you then?"

Severus swallowed hard. "Yes, I'm a warrior. You depend on me more than I can bear."

"That is not what I mean, Severus! I never know if you return or what shape you might be in. Last time, it was frightening."

Severus growled as he recalled that event. "You took the liberty of changing my wake-up alarm."

Lifting her chin, Ginny retorted, "Of course. I cannot well rouse you and ask for your permission to let you sleep. I'm not only your pupil or responsibility, Severus; I'm your partner. I will decide when I'm the one who can. There was no risk."

"There was no need either."

"You were twitching in your sleep and so exhausted you didn't even notice me rummaging in the drawers. You must promise me to be careful, as careful as you possibly can be. I can promise the same. I was not careful with Stunt, I agree, but I decided for your best on that morning."

:*:*:*:

True to his announcement Paul Nott checked on them but left soon, satisfied.

"Let's go for crocuses before the sun sets."

Her skin and mood all better, Ginny thoroughly enjoyed the time out.

Hours later, she did not oppose being gently seduced. "Last time was for the curse," Severus explained, "but this is for you."

"For us, Severus."

:*:*:*:

Two days later, her long essays furled up when Ginny finally leaned back and stretched her arms. It was done, and there was still half a morning and the whole afternoon to relax.

The memory of Orkney didn't hurt as much anymore after she had mentally gone through the details again.

"Have you been thinking about the courses you want to advance in?" Severus interrupted Ginny's musing.

"A little, but not concluded yet."

"I suggest Potions and Charms," Severus told her. "We train in Defence and Duelling at home."

"I would prefer Defence, though. And for the record: we are not duelling here!" Ginny protested.

Severus almost smiled. "Charms are mostly not applied on yourself, so you can continue Barnes' class even... " He still could not say it.

"When I'm pregnant. Good thinking, but it won't explain why I should advance in Potions. I could certainly not stay in this class."

"No, you'll face restrictions then. But many potions in the syllabus are useful in daily life. A capable brewer will always save money. This is why I want you to learn the recipes and see many brews before you must indeed be excluded. The lab at the Academy is better equipped than my cellar. We can always refine your techniques with any salad or stew for dinner."

"You let me advance to allow you to turn dinner into remedial lessons. Merlin, how charming."

"And if I'm very demanding with you, it will divert the doubts I might be favouring you." He smirked.

"As if you ever had! I would have been the first Gryffindor you ever favoured."

"Year after year I have allowed Mr Longbottom to stay. What more favours could I give to this house of unthinking heroes?"

Ginny snorted with what sounded very much like Drillstrand, the worst brewer in her own year, who was a Slytherin. She sobered quickly. "Severus, do you seriously believe I'm up to advancing in Potions?" she asked hesitantly. "For a N.E.W.T.s class in Hogwarts you required Outstanding. Not that Percy disagreed, mind."

"I hardly crave for approval from the most ambitious Junior Assistant to the least ambitious Minister of Magic. But think of what happened to those who failed to gain access to advanced Potions at Hogwarts?"

"Why, they took other subjects. Oh, I see. The Academy does not allow dropping a subject. They would graduate with O.W.L.s, and that is it."

"The Academy has very different goals from Hogwarts. I cannot stick to my old principles. Your performance in Potions is nevertheless adequate at least. You gave me the hint that the magic was lost if we worked like Muggle chemists.

"Now, did you want to meet Miss Taylor?"

At Maud's, Ginny could not mention much about her last weeks, but the other girl was more than happy to talk about the street and what she knew about the district's past.

:*:*:*:

Ginny was glad to have Heather in her dormitory to talk to. Further, there was Millicent Bulstrode and several younger girls who were often too shy to address her. Quite a few of them were haunted by nightmares. Millie and Heather could already predict the dates: Group One had Combat Flying rehearsals. They arranged to check on them, but didn't really find anything amiss with John Missile's lessons.

Professor Stunt severely lacked body control during the next lessons, and rumours spread as to how he had been put into his place. Together with him, the pupils also corrected their attitude towards Ginny, starting with her mates in Silver Colour.

About one out of four pupils had made it to a higher class. To nobody's surprise, Albert Flint, Darren Urquhart, Heather and Mandy had not been granted any advance.

In her different subjects, Ginny now encountered one Hufflepuff, three Ravenclaws and three Slytherins from fourth year who, after a short period of adaptation, made good progress in the fifth year. Ginny was accompanied by Larry Thompson in sixth year's Potions and, to her great pleasure, Bernhard Hunt, the kind and shy Hufflepuff, was among the three who joined her advancing in Charms.

No fourth-year had advanced to meet them in Duelling, and they fired hexes freely and with force. Oddly, Urquhart managed twice to include Ginny in an extra-wide shield, effectively startling her.

Larry had also advanced in Transfiguration (with Florence) and in Herbology. He would have preferred Arithmancy or even Astronomy, he told Ginny over lunch, but neither one was taught at the Academy.

In Potions, Severus preferred to partner students of different strengths, and Ginny often ended up with a weaker sixth-year, which reassured her of her knowledge. It excluded working with Draco, but then there was Theodore, or Millicent. They managed a workable collaboration around a cauldron, as long as Ginny took over the trickier techniques.

On Ginny's plea, she was forever saved from pickling frog kidneys together with Pansy Parkinson.

With two more subjects, Ginny's evenings were crammed up with work, but she braved herself through it.

Only three periods after the N.E.W.T.s students had left, Ginny and her year was to take their O.W.L.s. All of them were very busy, and one of her mates resigned from the sixth year Charms class.

Severus left twice for the night. On these occasions, Ginny invited the small study group into their chambers until her curfew. It was easier now that she had her own desk and the old bed had been Transfigured into a small sofa. Bedtime arriving, she went up with them to sleep in the Silver dormitory.

Finally being able to show and refine her flying skills, Ginny quickly advanced to a respectable member of Group Two. Hermione or Neville would not have stood a chance. Or, Ginny mused, maybe they would finally have learnt it. Some of the Ravenclaws hadn't looked promising on a broom a month ago, but truth be told, all of them had built up considerable confidence and skills. Slytherins were generally quite skilled at supporting each other to reach a group goal, if only their goals had been nobler.

Stunt's lessons being revised, the more dangerous subject, but enjoyed by many, was now Combat Flights. They flew an obstacle course and shot strong spells on targets on the ground. Group One aimed simple colouring spells on each other that they were supposed to dodge. Group Two were given a frightening amount of freedom on the provocations on each other, ranging from spells on the nervous system that made it hard to remain on the broom to severely injuring cutting spells that had to be blocked well.

They also discussed broom manipulations, which reminded Ginny strongly of Harry's problems with the traitor Quirrell, that the three older pupils had related to her.

Only as a reward for excellent performance did they get opportunities to play Quidditch. Their trainers typically selected two weak captains who then took turns to call in the other team members for the day. After Severus' interference had cleared her name, she found herself more often in a team than not. Mostly she was a Chaser but a few times even the Seeker.

Most of her peers accustomed to her hermaphroditic position in Salazar's Academy, on one hand wife of a teacher and student on the other hand. Loaded with work, she didn't feel too awkward any more for now, but was most apprehensive about her future. She would soon take her O.W.L.s, turn seventeen in August, and with her pregnancy she would have to stop her participation in most subjects. The bleak prospect of socialising with Serina Flint and the like left her cheerless while the idea of a baby also shot adrenaline through her system.

:*:*:*:

In the first week of March, the last teaching period, lessons were devoted to revising those topics that had appeased the examiners most.

School emptied on Tuesday morning, and Draco gave Ginny the thumbs-up, as did Theodore. Even Millicent found encouraging words before she activated her Portkey.

Nearly empty, the Great Hall deflected sound very differently and almost deserved its pompous name. Salazar Slytherin scrutinised everyone passing through.

Ginny's problems with written exams were the same as ever. She walked in on wobbly knees, but once all the quills were running over the parchments, she usually calmed down.

At Salazar's Academy, the anti-cheating measures rivalled those Ron had complained about one and a half years ago. On the Dark Lord's order, they even faced a complex system for anonymity in the written exams. Pupils found a spelled stamp at their desk. They stamped each parchment they delivered and a reference slip they kept. After a week, when all exams had been graded, the stamp would become visible and the grades could be assigned to the authors. Severus and Ginny appreciated the system, as it excluded favouritism or repressions.

In each three-hour session, Ginny frowned at the long roll of parchment, crowded with questions. She was sure enough of her knowledge in the theory of Defence, and the questions in Charms and Hexes held only a few surprises, now that she had better access to the Muggle concepts involved. With a bit of luck, she had managed an E.

Even in the theoretical exam of Transfigurations the next morning, Ginny felt less lost than in many lessons; the questions made more sense to her than those in the lectures. With the few students present, it was easy to take lunch far away from Florence, who discussed the finer points of questions 16b and 23 with whomever she found.

The closer her turn in the practical test came, the stronger Ginny's urge to use the loo became. Being called in was mostly a relief.

"Snape, Thompson, Urquhart," Professor Flank called, indicated three desks with an examiner each and retreated to the back of the room. Gallantly, Darren Urquhart left it to Ginny to make her choice, and she opted for the wrinkled, old lady to the left, who must have been overseeing exams for a century.

Ginny was given a mole to demonstrate Switching a body part and make it function on its new host. She considered the creature for a moment, asking herself, What body part will make a significant-enough difference?

A high-pitched squeal from its overexcited sibling scurrying around on the next table interrupted the test. Seeing the world through owl-eyes left the poor thing scared, which proved Larry Thompson's Switch successful.

Moles don't use their eyes, of course. What else than their eyes are degenerated? If it were endowed with bat ears, how am I to prove they are functional without having it fly? Fly, that is it!

Ginny Switched its shovel-like hands for leathery bat wings, but nothing happened. She prodded the creature, and it spread them a little for balance. At the rim of the table, it bravely launched itself into the air. A fluttery, uncontrolled flight made it thud a mere foot away from the table leg, from where it could not get airborne again. A small minus decorated her exam sheet. The wings have unfolded all right, she thought in anger.

Vanishing was next, an exercise McGonagall had had them repeat twice each term. Professor Flank, though, had never even touched the subject. With a sigh, Ginny gave it a try. With its hindquarters suddenly Vanished, the bat-winged mole fluttered off the table with ease, and she was forced to chase after it. Returning with the fluttery creature in her cupped hands, she found her examiner steadfastly rebuking Professor Flank and rounding out the minus into a zero.

The owl-eyed mole was Vanished before Ginny started her secondâ€"and lastâ€"try on a new, complete mole. Urquhart's mole, void of all legs, rolled over the table and squeaked helplessly, distracting her.

She regrouped and firmly pointed her wand at her own brown dirt-tosser. Recalling what feeling her shorter wand could create in her, Ginny chanted, "Evanesco!" Only three lonely strong talons remained on the table. She received a plus and a nod this time.

Next, Professor Flank produced three shirts, and the dreaded multi-stage Transformation began. Ginny quickly produced a very Muggle, sturdy, glass bowlâ€"Flank tskedâ€"and her first rose was a brittle and transparent thing that swiftly reversed itself into the glass bowl. Furious with her carelessness, Ginny brandished her wand again. A vision of the strict Head of Gryffindor House, tight-lipped and disapproving, called her back to reality. The flower she produced in the nick of time showed a small bud in a deep shade of red, a single small leaf and five thorns around a too thick stem. Professor Flank eyed the specimen suspiciously. "Undoubtedly a rose," the main examiner said, picking it up. "A truly rosy fragrance. Ouch, but these are thorns!" he exclaimed and dropped it, eyeing his bleeding finger and then Ginny. "Dismissed."

The tea and pumpkin juice bar in the Great Hall was never more welcome than this time.

The Practical Charms exam had her align a pint of sand along a line on the floor, and then levitate a pitcher of ink along it so that it poured an even, black line on the sand. Finally, they Charmed a tablespoon to cartwheel back and forth over the line of sand. Short, easy to grade, and certainly testing the topics they had covered. Ginny was a little disappointed, but grateful for the extra hour of afternoon rest.

The next morning, Ginny found herself placed on the left side of the Great Hall for her Potions exam. Severus had selected two mandatory ointments and a set of four further brews out of which they were to select two. Out of the four extra brews, one was very simple, but it required far too much time of chopping and stirring to allow working on it in parallel with another brew. A strange idea to even suggest it, she noted to herself, but then she remembered Severus hinting at it. "I'm tempted to say that everyone in this class manages to produce Stone Softener Solution, but one of you will inevitably prove me wrong even there."

Three Ministry examiners walked around, and Severus kept himself at the right side or the middle. The officials from the Ministry examined the time schedules and bent to see the slicing and grounding techniques. They made notes on a journal, a parchment at each pupil's desk that somehow hid itself from the pupil's view.

Ginny decided on two medical brews. She was confident and found her ingredients easily. She made a time schedule to see where to start so that she would fit the busy times of one brew into a simmering period of another. If you blindly rushed into the first potion without such a plan, as the dark boy in the second row did, you could get into timing problems. Ginny couldn't remember such a task from Hermione's detailed descriptions of her O.W.L.s, but she found the idea most realistic.

They were to describe the significance of the kind of cauldrons, knives and stirring rods they had used for one of the mandatory brews. Ginny checked her schedule. If she didn't use the time while the Blood Replenisher simmered and the Shrivelfig for the pus-extractor steeped, she would not get it all down. She ground three-eighths of an ounce of Bicorn clove clippings while formulating sentences in her mind.

A sharp bang to her right and orange fumes filled the air. "Scourgify!" one examiner called and "Evaporedux!" another one. The shivering delinquent was unharmed, but one brew short.

Six clockwise stirs later, Ginny jotted her knowledge down on parchment. Use a copper cauldron rather than pewter because of the acids, but if available, use gold for it reduces the risk of excessive foam when adding the 20 drops of black henbane essence. Select a thick one with straight walls rather than a bulgy one with narrow opening to have the heat distribute evenly.

Oily ingredients of animal origin are cut with a flint blade...

The orange light of her timer asked for four stirs in shape of an eight.

She checked the Blood Replenisher: it was almost clear. Better start slicing the oak roots now. With the newly sharpened stainless steel knife, she went for cutting the lacewing. Half done, her eyes took note of the hue of the Blood Replenisher as it lost its last grey. Add the roots and heat up.

The whole room was damp, but it was nothing compared to the inside of Ginny's robe. Strands of hair stuck at her neck, tickling slightly. An examiner passed by, smiling but rapidly forcing his face neutral. He made a lot of notes on her parchment.

Three stoppered phials with potions stood on her desk, and she was filling the last stamped phial when a commotion broke loose at the table to the right of her. A cauldron melted, and sickly grey-green porridge covered the table and splashed down to the floor where it turned bright pink. The girl working there collapsed in tears. Ginny went over to pull her away from the place, afraid that she might breathe in the fumes. One of the other cauldrons was set far too hot. Should she regulate it down and reduce the risk for an explosion? The decision was taken from her when an examiner levitated the cauldron from the source of heat.

"Come, sit down at my table now," she said to the trembling girl. She nodded and slowly, very slowly moved her chair closer. When Ginny returned to stopper her phial, it felt damp, almost greasy from the outside. She frowned; had she not cleaned it just seconds ago!? Carefully Ginny peered inside and jerked back. "Sir, sir!"

The closest examiner stepped over. "Sir, this is not what I have brewed... here is my caul..." The cauldron was cleaned! Not the least bit of her last hours' work was left inside. An empty feeling took hold of her.

"Rest assured, young lady, we will investigate this. This is not the first time something like this has happened." He looked up and reprimanded all students around Ginny sharply. "I am disgusted. Do any of you really think you can outsmart Ministry examiners, who have been doing this job since before your parents sat their O.W.L.s? We have the sitting order memorised, and we also have a doubled version of all journals. We will find the culprit and rectify this."

He asked Ginny if she was positive about the other three phials. She took them up and regarded them against the light. "I had mine stoppered and stamped before anyone could have exchanged them. I don't know if it's them though."

"Then they are genuine. What about the cauldrons themselves?"

"These two are mine, sir. There is no doubt; I recall how I scraped around the well. I'm not sure about the cauldron of the wart ointment, but nothing looks wrong."

"It will suffice," the examiner said and asked her to identify her written answers. The scroll was hers, but it had looked cleaner before.

Another supervisor declared the first ones could turn in their work now. He ordered them to also bring the cauldron with the Blood Replenisher along.

One by one, they were sent to the next room, cauldron in hand. Inside, the headmistress greeted Ginny, or rather she skipped doing so, scoffing, "This is your Blood Replenisher?!"

There was nothing amiss with her brew, she was certain. "Yes, madam."

"Well, if you're sure, go ahead, drink the foul stuff already!"

Ginny ladled a little into the beaker that had sparkled into existence. "Without an actual blood loss, I should not drink more than that," she declared. "But I've no problem drinking this much." In the last moment, she hesitated. "Am I to describe the expected symptoms?" When the Ministry observer shook his head, she looked around. No chair. She opted to sit on the floor rather than the examiners' desk to drink her brew. Dizziness fogged her vision and the blood was drumming in her ears... exactly as her book told her. It was gone in seconds, and she bade them adieu and left.

They received their lunch sandwiches and went outside in the yard, glaring daggers at the greyish sky, daring it to drench them. After all the excitement, Ginny wasn't feeling social and retreated to lean against a single tree, somewhat aloof.

Ginny was still trembling from the morning's events when she was called in for Defence. Demonstrating blocks or curse reflectors against her examiner's polite attack wasn't a big affair, though. Her examiner spelled her and made her set up different blocking shields, which didn't pose any problems. She was to explain the properties and application of each of them. Spherical ones and such with a preferred direction, wide ones and narrow ones, absorbers and deflectors.

The Ministry people put a medium amount of power into their spells. With her few own attacks, Ginny made clear what she considered a curse and had the man jump back before he could parry her full Body-Bind.

"Sir, I'd like to get some extra credits," she announced at the end.

The examiner sighed and drawled, clearly repeating himself, "We are examining Defence in the O.W.L.s, not attacks, young lady. You may not show curses that can cause irreparable damage."

"Of course, sir."

Ginny placed a stone pillar near the examiner and positioned a few light, random objects in the back of the room. She asked him to send five different, but very focused spells at them.

"Not at you?"

"That is right, sir. I will set up a deflector before the curse hits the objects."

Still confused, the examiner sent a narrow vibration curse at a phial. Ginny's acoustic bouncer directed it to the bottom of the pillar, which rang at the impact. "Something that leaves a mark on the stone, sir."

Relieved that he would not have to endanger her, he attacked the sheet of light vellum with a strong burning curse. Reflected by a green wall of magic, it left a dark, smoking spot on the pillar. A cutting curse marked the pillar three inches higher, and the examiner's face lit up. The drill, for which Ginny conjured a silver mirror-shield, bored itself half an inch into the marble. Imagining this curse on a human, she shuddered.

In a gamely mood now, the examiner cocked his head, gauging her. His last curse was a sizzling, but oddly slowly proceeding modulation of the Blasting Curse.

Ginny noticed just in time that it would not reflect properly on any surface, but blast any deflector. She jumped towards the front to erect a concave, bluish orb at the far end, a foot before the glass flask she protected. It surely exploded at the impact, reverberating like a brass gong, but it focused the deflected frizzy spell enough to crack the top of the pillar. The phial swayed, but did not fall or crack.

The examiner beamed at her and asked if he should take her N.E.W.T.s the next week.

At tea, Severus didn't need long to find his wife. In measured steps, he approached, just to make sure nobody saw favouritism in his actions. Heather retreated instantly.

"How do you feel? Exhausted, of course," he answered his own question, wishing dearly he could brush through the clinging hair. Instead, he could soothe her verbally only. "This cheat... don't let it get to you! It is all they want. Remember that the system ensures the culprits will be found, or at least the damage is minimised. Did you drink your Blood Replenisher?" Ginny shortly told him what had happened, and his eyes sparkled just a bitâ€"just for her. "Very good."

When it came to Duelling, their examiners were already expecting quite some force. Still, the girl before Ginny took the wind out of the tiny wizard. They were to keep the protocol of a sportive duel, dodge and pare curses, and send their own curses to disarm the examiner, and their mates from the same Colour cheered generously.

Even Ginny got a few whoops for her quick parries and agile dodging. She used her deflector wall once again to direct a twitching curse at the ceiling. Whatever it was that the house was spelled with, it reflected the curse to have it hone in at Ginny's examiner from above just when he ought to put up a shield in front of himself. His shoulders twitched severely, and Ginny's iron chain passed through unblocked to furl twice around his knees. Together the two curses knocked the wizard over. Quickly Ginny shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

The room had gone dead silent.

A tad frightened now, she approached him, holding his wand in her outstretched hand. Growling and scowling, he accepted it.

:*:*:*:

With the late-night conference to be expected, Ginny stayed her last night as an O.W.L.s student in the dormitory and chatted with Heather for a long time. The girl was frustrated. One of her potions had been off-colour, and a foul stench had come from another. In Transfigurations her mole had barely become translucent, and the stem of her rose had been leafless with a single, blunt and bendable thorn. The petals had fallen off after shaking it.

Defence and even Duelling had gone well enough after all their training, but in Charms and Hexes nervousness had overruled all her senses. "That man was just awful!"

"You'll be fine in Herbology. What are your plans for the future?" Ginny carefully asked. "Something with plants?"

"Herbology is my best, certainly. I'm not afraid of tomorrow's tests. But who grows herbs in these times?"

"Don't say that. Our potions depend on them. Mum used to buy our home needs at a farm in Kent. There must be plantations with greenhouses. Hey, such a profession might even allow you a bit of travelling!" She tried a positive thought.

Sad eyes met hers. "Ginny, it won't work this way. The Dark Lord needs a whole army of new little Death Eaters. Within a year, I'm to be married and pregnant. Someone will take me, be my O.W.L.s whatever they are. I had only hoped I would do better and have a little to say in the matter. As it is, there aren't many I can refuse."

Then she looked up and realised who it was she was pouring her heart to: a girl who had not had an alternative either. "How is married life? How are you getting along, Ginny? With Professor Snape, even?"

"I... I was lucky," Ginny whispered but refused to elaborate. "Good night Heather. You'll be fine tomorrow. We'll keep in touch, won't we?"

"Thank you, Ginny. Good night."

:*:*:*:

Herbology wasn't exactly as Ginny had expected, asking a lot about generally poisonous plants like the differences between the various henbanes. Which parts of the plants would she use for pain killers, which ones contained haluconogeles. Where to find and how to collect them. She did remember the botanical names Hyoscyamus albus and Hyoscyamus niger but couldn't come up with the third.

Hellebores were to be described likewise before discussing yews and their applications against various Dark creatures.

Where to find and how to grow Jimson weed. The smell of the key ingredient to Ludwig's Lust Ginny knew all too well, but she had never bothered knowing more about the plant.

Ginny had learnt the cultivation and exploitation of Virulent Veronica for weeks, but it was not required.

The Vesicatory Vine she had repotted looked poorly compared to Heather's, but it did not lose its leaves as some did. She pruned her Shrivelfig carefully but had to use an oil-based wound healer on a cut that went too deep. At least she remembered not to use the wax that would have killed the plant.

Eventually this was over as well.

Ginny had no idea how she might have scored, nor did she feel an urge to find it out.

:*:*:*:

:*:*:*:

My warmest thanks go to to Coshie and magicAlly for their effort in improving my language.

:*:*:*:

A/N:

I'm assuming that Hogwarts is under reconstruction. It turned out not to be (in DH), but I understood HBP as if it could be so.

In Flitwick's Sorcery College only the most ambitious and skilled will pass into years 4 or 5. Next to it, Salazar's Academy is the only school in Britain.

The Ministry certainly doesn't pay or govern Salazar's Academy. But the syllabus for the O.W.L.s conforms to Ministry criteria. Barely, but it does. Voldemort is calculating that this gains him some extra students from at least Slytherin and Hufflepuff Houses who can't be home-schooled and would not make it through the Sorcery College.

Switching as a form of Transfiguration is discussed in Harry's fifth year, and he has to Vanish an Iguana in his O.W.L.s.

The mole used to be called mouldywarp (Germanic), which reflects the fact that it throws soil behind itself when digging.