This story was originally written for the Creative Game n°13 "Un anno di Sorrisi per Severus (A year of smiles for Severus)" for the Italian forum "Il Calderone di Severus". I've translated it in English only for you :D

Forgive the huge quote from HP5, at the beginning but it was necessary, because the story is directly related to what happens in the book, so I thought the most logical thing to do was to include the passage from the book. The quote is from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", chapter 38 ;)

I do not own Harry Potter universe, and I am not a native English speaker.

Enjoy!

And thus the Serpent smiled

"Potter!"

The voice rang across the Entrance Hall. Snape had emerged from the staircase leading down to his office and at the sight of him Harry felt a great rush of hatred beyond anything he felt towards Malloy… whatever Dumbledore said, he would never forgive Snape… never…

"What are you doing, Potter?" said Snape, as coldly as ever, as he strode over to the four of them.

"I'm trying to decide what curse to use on Malloy, sir," said Harry fiercely.

Snape stared at him.

"Put that wand away at once," he said curtly. "Ten points from Gryff-"

Snape looked towards the giant hour-glasses on the walls and gave a sneering smile.

"Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hour-glass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to ."

"Add some more?"

Professor McGonagall had just stumped up the stone steps into the castle; she was carrying a tartan carpetbag in one hand and leaning heavily on a walking stick with her other, but otherwise looked quite well.

"Professor McGonagall!" said Snape, striding forwards. "Out of St Mungo's, I see!"

"Yes, Professor Snape," said Professor McGonagall, shrugging off her travelling cloak, "I"m quite as good as new. You two - Crabbe - Goyle ."

She beckoned them forwards imperiously and they came, shuffling their large feet and looking awkward.

"Here," said Professor McGonagall, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe's chest and her cloak into Goyle's; "take these up to my office for me."

They turned and stumped away up the marble staircase.

"Right then," said Professor McGonagall, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall. "Well, I think Potter and his friends ought to have fifty points apiece for alerting the world to the return of YouKnow-Who! What say you, Professor Snape?"

What?" snapped Snape, though Harry knew he had heard perfectly well. "Oh - well - I suppose…"

"So that's fifty each for Potter, the two Weasleys, Longbottom and Miss Granger," said Professor McGanagall, and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor's hour-glass as she spoke. "Oh - and fifty for Miss Lovegood, I suppose," she added, and a number of sapphires fell into Ravenclaw's glass. "Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr Potter, I think, Professor Snape - so there we are…"

A few rubies retreated into the upper bulb, leaving a respectable amount below nevertheless.

"Well, Potter, Malloy I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this," Professor McGonagall continued briskly.

Harry did not need telling twice- he thrust his wand back inside his robes and headed straight for the front doors without another glance at Snape and Malfoy.

Draco, however, casted a quick look at his professor, then darted away like a hare, leaving the two teachers facing each other in the hall. A hall almost empty if it would not been for some Hufflepuff students whose curiosity had taken over and had lingered for a moment before resuming quickly their walk.

Snape kept staring at his colleague for a long time, his arms folded on his chest, and the few students, who happened to be near him at the time hurried discreetly their pace.

"Pray, Professor, do not look at me like that", Minerva said carelessly, raising her eyes on him, while straightening the hair that had escaped her severe bun.

Snape kept quiet. He looked like he had been petrified at the centre of the huge entrance hall. Funny. The old snake had suddenly lost his forked tongue? McGonagall just raised an eyebrow questioningly. It was not like Severus to stand there looking at her - albeit with murderers eyes - without saying a word. His black eyes retained a strange sparkle. It was small and shy, and seemed hesitant, confused. And although her colleague's face tried to give an impatient frown to his eyes, he could not erase the strange twist that seemed, at the same time, struggling to show itself and retreating in fear.

Minerva's eyebrow slowly returned to its place accompanying the slow climb of a smile on her lips.

"Very kind of you giving me the opportunity to award points to those kids", she said sarcastically, and this time she received from Severus the withering look she knew very well. She turned her back on him and walked away toward the marble staircase, determined to retire into her office and spend the rest of the day in peace, before getting back into the swing of things.

She didn't see Severus raising an eyebrow in his best mocking expression, but felt perfectly the biting bitterness in his voice as he answered: "Do not mention it, Professor."

Knock on the door.

Professor McGonagall distanced the cup of steaming tea from her lips for a moment glancing icily at her office door. And now who was it? She had just returned from St. Mungo's Hospital, not from a pleasure trip. A few hours of peace were too much to ask? Thanks Merlin, school year was almost over, but this, as it seemed, did not prevent students and others from bothering her when clearly it was not the right time.

"Oh, come in," she found herself sighing. Very little excited by finding out who the visitor was. At the time she was much more interested in enjoying her well deserved black tea and consulting the book of Advanced Transfiguration which laid open in front of her, on the desk. She did not even look up when the door opened and the visitor entered the office.

"If you are a student: I'm not currently available. If you are a colleague: idem", she said harshly, without bothering to see who actually had just walked into the office.

"And this is what is called good manners," said a deep voice emphasized by a not hidden note of sarcasm.

Minerva was surprised to hear that voice. Of all those who she expected, the actual person who stood now in front was the last possibility. Furthermore she had certainly not given him a reason to want to have again to do with her in a short time, given what had happened just before in the hall.

"Severus," she said finally raising her eyes on the young professor. "Waiting to give vent to your murderous instincts when there would be no witnesses?" she mocked him.

Snape curled the corner of his mouth and said: "Oh, it was very kind of you, a short time ago. And saying that I was truly happy to welcome you back", he said acidly.

Minerva put down her cup of tea on the shiny desktop and examined him closely. Severus' behaviour, she had to admit, was confusing. He said what he said simply to make joke of her, or was it a truth hidden behind sarcasm? Which was not at all unusual for Severus when he went to touch dangerous (for him) topics.

"Forgive me. I thought I was doing you a favour: I know how not being able to taking points from my House annoys you" Minerva replied with a smile.

Snape let out a long sigh, but did not move, he stood there, beside the door, without daring, or without any intention to take a step forward towards the teacher's desk.

He folded his with an elegant gesture, and his long black cloak waved slightly under the movement of his shoulders. "You say well before: very good excuse to shower with points those dunderheads of Potter and his friends", he hissed.

"So you don't think they deserved those points?" McGonagall teased him.

"I think that threaten with a wand a schoolmate provides for the loss of House points," Snape replied, pointedly.

McGonagall leaned back heavily against the carved back with, as if, suddenly, all her strength had abandoned her. A long sigh slipped from her lips, while her eyes seemed to lose a little of their gloss.

"Severus," she said in a half sigh, wearily rubbing the hand over her eyes, "I just got back from St. Mungo's. I'm sorry, but I do not want to quarrel with you for these same old issues. So if this is why you came, please, leave me", she said gently. And every word was true. She knew she had indeed asked for it earlier, but she did not feel like to hold a discussion with that big bat, however brilliant their discussions were.

To her surprise, anyway, Snape did not move. He stood still near the door, silent as a shadow whose eyes watched her careful catching every movement of her face, as if probing deep into her own mind.

Minerva could not bear that look. She did not like being stared at in that way: it was a teacher with her dignity and not a dying woman in need of pity.

"Forgive me. I did not mean to bother you", said Severus clearing his throat uncomfortably as soon as he had finished that sentence, almost as he was ashamed of the words which had just left his lips.

Minerva looked at him in amazement. That was really weird. Had Severus just apologized? And since when that unsociable bat apologized to anyone? And to her, especially. Perhaps... perhaps she was beginning to understand why he had come to her. Perhaps she beginning to understand what that alien sparkle in her young colleague's eyes was.

She smiled slightly. "You always bother me, Severus," she said, teasing him again. Snape did not answer, he only made a slight grimace showing he had taken the blow.

Minerva took advantage of that moment of silence, "Severus," she said, "I know you since you were eleven: please, do not think of making fun of me that easily. Tell me frankly: why did you destroy my well-earned moment of peace?" She asked. She knew that question would make him very uncomfortable, because Minerva was now sure of the reason why he was there, and the thing, she had to admit, made her very pleased. But that was Severus Snape, you had to pull every single word out of his throat with meticulous shrewdness.

Severus took his eyes off her for a second, a sign that he had expected that question. To some extent, he had sought it, had wanted it and at the same time he had feared it, because he did not know how to answer. The points matter was a pretext. Actually a pretext for both... it was always their excuse.

"I wanted to make sure I had back my favourite hobby", Snape said, carefully weighing every word.

Minerva smiled sweetly. "Had it been a difficult time for you, not being able to release the stress on your poor, old former teacher?" she asked.

"Quite enough," said Severus, "There was almost no pleasure in taking points from Gryffindor. Except for Potter", he added with a grin.

McGonagall frowned, as if considering something wickedly objective. "You know, Severus, I'm glad I can fight with you once again," she said.

Snape nodded stiffly.

"And I'm fine. Thank you for worry about me", said the professor, with a smile. She knew very well that those words were like little needles biting her colleague, and she felt an evil satisfaction, along with a nice feeling of gratification, in front of Severus' hidden, but sincere, concern.

Snape began to cast swift and fleeting glances around him, trying to avoid McGonagall's eyes. To say that he was uncomfortable was an understatement. Why had he to torture himself like that? Straight into the lion's den he went, looking around uneasy as a lost puppy. He was a Serpent. He had to act like a Serpent, biting that impudent woman as he could do very well.

"I'm glad you're back, Minerva," he said finally, pointing his black McGonagall's, instilling in that look all the frost and the dignity that he felt he had lost earlier. Good job. This is what is called biting the impudent woman. Well done, Severus.

The smile widened on McGonagall's face as her eyebrows rose up on her forehead, clearing some space for the wonder and the contentment.

"So am I, Severus", she said. "I did not expect such kindness on your part: it made me very glad", she smiled cleverly, like an old cat.

Snape said nothing. He nodded rigidly again and turned around determined to leave before the situation could worsen, but her colleague stopped him before he could put his hand on the handle.

"You know, I'm really proud of having you as a colleague, Severus," she said seriously, "and, believe me, I am also very happy you've come. You are not only a good teacher or an excellent wizard or a good Head of House: you can also be nice when you want to, and I tell you this – and believe me for it's the truth: being the object of this rare externalization of yours makes me really happy."

Severus turned toward her in disbelief. He had expected some attempt from McGonagall to embarrass him, but where did that come from?

"Minerva, what potions you've been given at St. Mungo's?" he asked sarcastically, but the Transfiguration teacher smiled shaking her head.

"Do not play with me," she said taking up a serious expression, "I really think that. I'm truly proud of you."

Snape raised his eyebrows in confusion. He did not know how to deal with that statement. He had never faced anything like this. Nobody had ever told him such a thing. It was... strange. He wanted to get away from those words, to argue sourly as he usually did, but... but he could not, because those words, for some reason, had brought a strange calm in his tense spirit.

And thus Severus smiled. His lip curled up, but not in one of his usual grimaces, no: that was a light and soft smile. A shy smile, careful in not attract the attention on itself, slipped on Severus' thin lips. It flickered like a ghost on his face, lighting up, for a moment, those black and freezing eyes. A moment only, as the leap of a small fish, then again the marble mask took over and his eyes returned as strong as cast iron.

That smile, however, was not quick enough to escape the McGonagall's cat eyes, and the Professor caught that slight movement with singular contentment. She knew that Severus was not accustomed to compliments, and she knew that they made him uncomfortable. And who was she to not take advantage of him?

"Obviously, this is applied when you act properly and not like a crabby manticore," said Professor McGonagall and she peered at him through the lens of her square glasses.

At that, Severus' eyebrows arched down, darkening the already dark eyes, and those same lips that before had curled into a smile got back to shape a daunted grimace.

"Good day, Severus," Minerva dismissed him holding back a smile. And again she grabbed her cup of tea and began to sip it slowly, her eyes again lying with no real interest on the printed words of the book in front of her.

Snape shook his head heavily. He whirled around and snapped the handle. However, before leaving the office, he turned around one last time toward the Transfiguration teacher.

"In any case, do not think that the points issue ends here," he said menacingly. He then left the room followed by the faithful waving of his black cloak.

Hope you enjoyed! And don't forget to leave me a comment ;)