Grumpy

[katie bell]

Sonofabitch! Despite the extra credit work Katie had done, her mark in Potions was still so low that house elves could reach it without stretching. She was so frustrated, upon leaving Snape's study, that she could hardly stand it. Why was the slimy bastard so unfair? Storming through the dungeons, she couldn't help but with terrible things upon the potions master and all of his Slytherins.

[graham pritchard]

Seeking Miss Katie Bell out would have raised those flags of suspicion far too easily. So, Graham, with Draco's plan in mind, had conveniently positioned himself at a time and place that he knew Katie would be. When she came bustling around that corner in a foul mood compliments of Snape, Graham started walking veering in the same direction that she was from a separate corridor and catching up with her casually. "You alright?" Graham questioned purposely taking note of the unhappy look on her face.

[katie bell]

Bloody Slytherins, creeping around like stupid creeps. "I'm fine" She bristled, though she obviously wasn't fine - or even close to it. "What's it to you?"

[graham pritchard]

Snippy from the get-go, Snape must have done a number on her. Graham took a moment thinking over the best way to go about it. "Not much really." He answered truthfully. "You just seemed a bit put out and I thought I'd be nice and check up on you, see if maybe I could help..." He let that sink in for a second. "But, hey, if your not interested in someone being nice to you, suit yourself."

[katie bell]

Katie looked at him curiously, frowning. "How, and more importantly, why, would you want to help me?"

[graham pritchard]

Graham had an answer immediately for that letting his brain work quickly. "Sometimes, or so I've heard, it is therapeutic to just unload your problems on someone, it's supposed to make you feel better. Why am I offering? Because I'm not a total dick, although I do have my moments. You just looked like you could use an unbiased stranger."

[katie bell]

"My problem is your head of house," Katie informed, "Which I think makes you a biased stranger."

[graham pritchard]

"Perhaps." Graham agreed, but for his purpose now that simply wasn't the case. He needed Katie's trust before he could plant the seeds of doubt regarding Oliver. "He was pretty hard on me last year though. Apparently a Slytherin should know Potions better."

[katie bell]

"Or maybe he should actually teach instead of barking at us like we're four years old" Katie muttered, frowning at the fact that she apparently couldn't blame her problems on the fact that she was a Gryffindor. "Were you doing very badly?"

[graham pritchard]

"That might help." Graham chuckled. "Yeah, bad enough that he gave took house points from me." Small exaggeration but it would get the point across considering that Snape would rather blame someone else than take house points away from Slytheirn.

[katie bell]

"So you understand what I mean - he's terrible!" Katie said, pleased someone other than a fellow Gryffindor understood her plight.

[graham pritchard]

Graham nodded. "I have a feeling he might have been bullied as a child and is now taking it out on all us lucky students."

[katie bell]

"I'd bully him" Katie said grumpily. "Doesn't think about anyone but himself."

[graham pritchard]

Graham laughed at that. "Hostility doesn't suit you well honey, you're far too pretty."

[katie bell]

Katie cocked an eyebrow. "I'm hardly pretty," She told him, "And hostile suits me just fine."