AN: Ok so this story sprung into my head fully formed (almost), meaning
that hopefully I will be able to update it regularly as long as I get
reviews. I have become suddenly obsessed with a certain Potions Master so
this is my story focusing on the always entertaining Severus Snape. You
may also notice some similarities to my other story "Secrets of the Mind,"
I admit that I have a bit of thing for fish out of water stories and also
mysterious main characters who hide a great secret and all that. It seems
that this story has stolen all of my writing mojo so please forgive it if
you like "Secrets of the Mind" I promise at some point I will update that
one but right now this one is struggling to get out and I am giving it
precedence. I have a good amount of the chapters written so updates depend
on reviews, if I get review, you get updates. Anyway..
Disclaimers: The title comes from a quote from Ambrose Bierce that I will borrow heavily from later but I will be sure to give proper credit as has been drilled into my head. Speaking of crediting people, I do not own any of the Harry Potter franchise, they come from the mind of J.K. Rowling as we all know.
REGION OF SOBS
Chapter One - Summer Assignment
*****
Professor Severus Snape sighed as he sat back in his chair. He could hear the shout of children outside headed to the train. He allowed himself a moment of respite, rejoicing that he was rid of them for the summer. He quickly recomposed himself, sitting arrow straight in his desk chair, remembering Dumbledore's urgent request for a meeting.
He left his office in the dungeons and headed towards the headmaster's office. He quickly came to the gargoyles and speaking the ridiculous password (Wizarding Wheezes) he headed into the headmaster's office. He knew that this meeting was about the Order and what he was needed for over the summer. He had never been much for vacations so losing his vacation time did not bother him in the least.
When he entered he found Dumbledore sitting behind his desk flipping through a file. He looked up as the potions master entered. "Ahh, Severus. Thank you for coming so quickly." He laid the papers he held onto his desk and gestured for the younger man to sit.
Professor Snape took a seat in a large wingback chair in front of the cluttered desk of the headmaster. He silently waited for the headmaster to reveal the reason for the urgent meeting. He had learned patience through the years and knew that allowing people to come to things in their own time was always better than pressing them.
Dumbledore rearranged the papers in the file in front of him then looked at the professor that sat patiently awaiting him. Dumbledore studied the professor in front of him for a long moment; he was beginning to look old, the lines in his face more pronounced and dark circles forming under his eyes. His black hair hung limply into his face which had become very gaunt and his eyes appeared emptier than they had been only a year before.
"Severus I have to ask you to carry out a special assignment for the Order. I believe that the time has come for you to disentangle yourself from Voldemort. I believe you have possibly outstayed your welcome with the Death Eaters, it is likely they are becoming suspicious of your actions." Here the headmaster paused allowing the information to sink in. Professor Snape made no move, his face reflecting no emotion. "I have an assignment that is much more important and I believe your skills will be well suited for the job."
Dumbledore closed the file in front of him and handed it to Professor Snape who leaned forward and took the file, placing it in his lap. "Severus I ask that you keep an open mind, first impressions can be deceiving. This file was made by a Muggle detective that was hired to find somebody. The person described in the file will need protection; she is of the utmost importance to both sides of this war. She has been the target of much of Voldemort's time and energy recently. Please look over the file now; I'm sure there will be some questions."
Professor Snape opened the manila folder in his lap and found within it a stack of thin white papers with perfect writing in black ink down the page. He quickly realized that it must have been from a Muggle machine. Why couldn't they just write like normal people? The neat printing read:
Name: Beth Ann Jackson
Age: unknown, approx. 22-27
Date and Place of Birth: unknown
Place of Residence: Savannah, Georgia, USA
Occupation: Elementary School Teacher
Education: Masters in Education from unknown school
The paper continued with her interests, people that she associated with, stores and shops she frequented, and finally ended with a conclusion by the detective that she was not who she claimed to be due to the many unknowns. Behind this were some notes taken by hand then a collection of photographs, the Muggle kind.
Snape did not bother with the photos yet. He flipped slowly through the notes from the detective and asked, while still looking at the notes, "She lives in the Muggle world?"
Dumbledore, his fingers steepled in front of his face, cleared his throat and for a moment looked nervous. "She is a Muggle." He answered apprehensively.
The man in front of him slowly raised his eyes to the headmaster in front of him, "A Muggle?" He said, at a loss for how to respond.
"Yes Severus, she knows nothing of our world and that will be a most important detail to remember." Dumbledore said calmly, watching his spy for a response.
"And the Dark Lord is in search of her? For what reason?" Snape said disbelieving.
"She may be a Muggle but she harbors a secret that Voldemort is willing to kill for and has killed for. Unfortunately all we know of her and her secret is what you find in that file." Dumbledore said grimly.
The man in front of him seemed stunned, his eyes widened momentarily before he recomposed himself. What kind of secret would a Muggle carry that the Dark Lord would need or want? More importantly, why had he not found her if she was only a Muggle?
"Under what pretext will I be protecting her?" Snape said slowly, wondering what he could do that would keep him close enough to know if something was wrong but not divulge the secrets of the Magical world to her.
"You will be living with her. She has been convinced that she needs a housemate to help pay the bills so you will be her boarder. She has a room with a fireplace set up for you so that you may remain in touch by floo powder. She believes that you are a Muggle professor who needs quiet and solitude to finish a textbook that you are working on. I believe that this is the best situation, you will be in close proximity if she should be in danger and you will be allowed a certain amount of privacy."
The potions master registered complete shock, his eyes widening and mouth momentarily parted in surprise. He dropped his gaze to the file in his lap as if looking for answers there. The shocked look slowly turned into a glare as he became angry at the thought of spending his summer with a silly Muggle girl. He cannot be serious, Snape thought, how can he expect me to agree to this.
"Severus, I understand your shock but please allow me to reiterate how important this girl is." He paused allowing this to sink in before saying, "You of course have a choice whether to accept this assignment or not."
Snape slowly brought his gaze away from the file in his lap up to look the older man in the eye, "Headmaster, there must be other members of the Order who are better suited for this task. I know nothing of young Muggles," especially females, he thought, as he paused collecting his thoughts "I am not an expert in the Muggle world, I know very little. Perhaps someone who could relate better to a young Muggle would be more appropriate." He said a bit flustered. Who would choose him, Severus Snape to protect a young girl? Most girls believed they needed protecting from him.
"Severus, do not underestimate yourself. You know enough about the Muggle world and as I said before you are the best person for this assignment, I would not think of sending anyone into this situation but you. You are gifted at the skills that may be required when living in such close proximity to Miss Jackson."
"Are you implying, sir, that this Muggle girl could be dangerous?" The professor sneered.
"Severus as I said before first impressions can be deceiving as can appearances. I do not know what it is that Voldemort wants with her but she must hide something that could be of use to him. Whatever it is it could be dangerous and I believe that you are the person to help her hide that secret." Dumbledore replied calmly.
"Then I am to help her keep this secret, not to find out what it is that the Dark Lord wants?" Snape questioned.
"Our number one priority is her safety and that may mean keeping the secret, well, secret. After all, the secret once told is no longer a secret, even if told to only one other." Dumbledore said, the familiar twinkle lighting his eyes.
Professor Snape looked back down at the file in his lap. He flipped past the notes from the investigator and pulled the pictures out. They were color Muggle photos of a girl in various locations. She was very pretty; her hair was strawberry blond, her features childlike and soft. He flipped to a picture that showed her looking almost directly at the photographer. Her ice blue eyes were shining; a few hairs had escaped from beneath her large straw hat and framed the soft features of her face. She wore a conservative dress with a flowing skirt that showed her to be thin with a beautiful figure without revealing an unreasonable amount of skin.
The girl was a beautiful women-child and suddenly Severus Snape the most hated professor at Hogwarts understood. His special skill that Dumbledore had referred to was his unsociability, his aloofness, his animosity toward any other human being. There was no fear that he would begin any sort of relationship with a girl like her. No one need worry that she would become infatuated with her house guest cum bodyguard or that he would become infatuated with her.
"She is expecting you tomorrow, if you consent to carrying out the assignment." Dumbledore broke into his thoughts.
"I will go." Came the whispered answer. Professor Severus Snape felt as if he had just signed his freedom away but he was willing to do whatever Dumbledore asked of him, including this.
Disclaimers: The title comes from a quote from Ambrose Bierce that I will borrow heavily from later but I will be sure to give proper credit as has been drilled into my head. Speaking of crediting people, I do not own any of the Harry Potter franchise, they come from the mind of J.K. Rowling as we all know.
REGION OF SOBS
Chapter One - Summer Assignment
*****
Professor Severus Snape sighed as he sat back in his chair. He could hear the shout of children outside headed to the train. He allowed himself a moment of respite, rejoicing that he was rid of them for the summer. He quickly recomposed himself, sitting arrow straight in his desk chair, remembering Dumbledore's urgent request for a meeting.
He left his office in the dungeons and headed towards the headmaster's office. He quickly came to the gargoyles and speaking the ridiculous password (Wizarding Wheezes) he headed into the headmaster's office. He knew that this meeting was about the Order and what he was needed for over the summer. He had never been much for vacations so losing his vacation time did not bother him in the least.
When he entered he found Dumbledore sitting behind his desk flipping through a file. He looked up as the potions master entered. "Ahh, Severus. Thank you for coming so quickly." He laid the papers he held onto his desk and gestured for the younger man to sit.
Professor Snape took a seat in a large wingback chair in front of the cluttered desk of the headmaster. He silently waited for the headmaster to reveal the reason for the urgent meeting. He had learned patience through the years and knew that allowing people to come to things in their own time was always better than pressing them.
Dumbledore rearranged the papers in the file in front of him then looked at the professor that sat patiently awaiting him. Dumbledore studied the professor in front of him for a long moment; he was beginning to look old, the lines in his face more pronounced and dark circles forming under his eyes. His black hair hung limply into his face which had become very gaunt and his eyes appeared emptier than they had been only a year before.
"Severus I have to ask you to carry out a special assignment for the Order. I believe that the time has come for you to disentangle yourself from Voldemort. I believe you have possibly outstayed your welcome with the Death Eaters, it is likely they are becoming suspicious of your actions." Here the headmaster paused allowing the information to sink in. Professor Snape made no move, his face reflecting no emotion. "I have an assignment that is much more important and I believe your skills will be well suited for the job."
Dumbledore closed the file in front of him and handed it to Professor Snape who leaned forward and took the file, placing it in his lap. "Severus I ask that you keep an open mind, first impressions can be deceiving. This file was made by a Muggle detective that was hired to find somebody. The person described in the file will need protection; she is of the utmost importance to both sides of this war. She has been the target of much of Voldemort's time and energy recently. Please look over the file now; I'm sure there will be some questions."
Professor Snape opened the manila folder in his lap and found within it a stack of thin white papers with perfect writing in black ink down the page. He quickly realized that it must have been from a Muggle machine. Why couldn't they just write like normal people? The neat printing read:
Name: Beth Ann Jackson
Age: unknown, approx. 22-27
Date and Place of Birth: unknown
Place of Residence: Savannah, Georgia, USA
Occupation: Elementary School Teacher
Education: Masters in Education from unknown school
The paper continued with her interests, people that she associated with, stores and shops she frequented, and finally ended with a conclusion by the detective that she was not who she claimed to be due to the many unknowns. Behind this were some notes taken by hand then a collection of photographs, the Muggle kind.
Snape did not bother with the photos yet. He flipped slowly through the notes from the detective and asked, while still looking at the notes, "She lives in the Muggle world?"
Dumbledore, his fingers steepled in front of his face, cleared his throat and for a moment looked nervous. "She is a Muggle." He answered apprehensively.
The man in front of him slowly raised his eyes to the headmaster in front of him, "A Muggle?" He said, at a loss for how to respond.
"Yes Severus, she knows nothing of our world and that will be a most important detail to remember." Dumbledore said calmly, watching his spy for a response.
"And the Dark Lord is in search of her? For what reason?" Snape said disbelieving.
"She may be a Muggle but she harbors a secret that Voldemort is willing to kill for and has killed for. Unfortunately all we know of her and her secret is what you find in that file." Dumbledore said grimly.
The man in front of him seemed stunned, his eyes widened momentarily before he recomposed himself. What kind of secret would a Muggle carry that the Dark Lord would need or want? More importantly, why had he not found her if she was only a Muggle?
"Under what pretext will I be protecting her?" Snape said slowly, wondering what he could do that would keep him close enough to know if something was wrong but not divulge the secrets of the Magical world to her.
"You will be living with her. She has been convinced that she needs a housemate to help pay the bills so you will be her boarder. She has a room with a fireplace set up for you so that you may remain in touch by floo powder. She believes that you are a Muggle professor who needs quiet and solitude to finish a textbook that you are working on. I believe that this is the best situation, you will be in close proximity if she should be in danger and you will be allowed a certain amount of privacy."
The potions master registered complete shock, his eyes widening and mouth momentarily parted in surprise. He dropped his gaze to the file in his lap as if looking for answers there. The shocked look slowly turned into a glare as he became angry at the thought of spending his summer with a silly Muggle girl. He cannot be serious, Snape thought, how can he expect me to agree to this.
"Severus, I understand your shock but please allow me to reiterate how important this girl is." He paused allowing this to sink in before saying, "You of course have a choice whether to accept this assignment or not."
Snape slowly brought his gaze away from the file in his lap up to look the older man in the eye, "Headmaster, there must be other members of the Order who are better suited for this task. I know nothing of young Muggles," especially females, he thought, as he paused collecting his thoughts "I am not an expert in the Muggle world, I know very little. Perhaps someone who could relate better to a young Muggle would be more appropriate." He said a bit flustered. Who would choose him, Severus Snape to protect a young girl? Most girls believed they needed protecting from him.
"Severus, do not underestimate yourself. You know enough about the Muggle world and as I said before you are the best person for this assignment, I would not think of sending anyone into this situation but you. You are gifted at the skills that may be required when living in such close proximity to Miss Jackson."
"Are you implying, sir, that this Muggle girl could be dangerous?" The professor sneered.
"Severus as I said before first impressions can be deceiving as can appearances. I do not know what it is that Voldemort wants with her but she must hide something that could be of use to him. Whatever it is it could be dangerous and I believe that you are the person to help her hide that secret." Dumbledore replied calmly.
"Then I am to help her keep this secret, not to find out what it is that the Dark Lord wants?" Snape questioned.
"Our number one priority is her safety and that may mean keeping the secret, well, secret. After all, the secret once told is no longer a secret, even if told to only one other." Dumbledore said, the familiar twinkle lighting his eyes.
Professor Snape looked back down at the file in his lap. He flipped past the notes from the investigator and pulled the pictures out. They were color Muggle photos of a girl in various locations. She was very pretty; her hair was strawberry blond, her features childlike and soft. He flipped to a picture that showed her looking almost directly at the photographer. Her ice blue eyes were shining; a few hairs had escaped from beneath her large straw hat and framed the soft features of her face. She wore a conservative dress with a flowing skirt that showed her to be thin with a beautiful figure without revealing an unreasonable amount of skin.
The girl was a beautiful women-child and suddenly Severus Snape the most hated professor at Hogwarts understood. His special skill that Dumbledore had referred to was his unsociability, his aloofness, his animosity toward any other human being. There was no fear that he would begin any sort of relationship with a girl like her. No one need worry that she would become infatuated with her house guest cum bodyguard or that he would become infatuated with her.
"She is expecting you tomorrow, if you consent to carrying out the assignment." Dumbledore broke into his thoughts.
"I will go." Came the whispered answer. Professor Severus Snape felt as if he had just signed his freedom away but he was willing to do whatever Dumbledore asked of him, including this.