Inhuman
by Elfish Arrow
The silence in the room was oppressive to say the least. He didn't understand why this revelation shocked the Headmaster into silence when he had had a ghost, a werewolf, and more than one Death Eater on his staff in the past seven years alone.
He arched an eyebrow, "Shall I leave, then?"
Dumbledore shook himself from wherever his mind had wondered; his eyes had turned serious at Severus's direct announcement, but that he had composed himself, the familiar twinkle was back.
"No, of course not, Severus," he smiled that annoyingly patient smile of his. "Well, that explains quite a number of your mysteries-" Snape snorted at that, "Yes, well, more tea?"
Severus held up a hand, "No, thank you, Headmaster."
Professor Dumbledore nodded and poured more for himself, peering over the edge of his teacup at Severus. It was all Snape could do not to squirm uncomfortably under the intensity of the Headmaster's gaze. What on Earth had ever possessed him to confess to something that barely mattered? Surely, if nothing had happened in the seven years he attended the school, nor the sixteen years since he had returned...
"You are safe, you say?"
Severus raised his head, realizing that he had been staring at his hands, "Yes, Headmaster. There's a potion... it's as close to the real thing as I could make."
Albus tilted his head curiously, "There are no... urges?"
Snape scowled, though it was directed more toward himself than his mentor, "Occasionally. Nothing a restorative draught can't fix."
"Restorative Draught?"
"Potions are designed to work with living bodies, Professor, it took a while, and a lot of experiments, but yes, Restorative Draught seems to quell the urges best." Snape could tell that the detached way he spoke of it all unnerved Dumbledore slightly, be he'd be damned if he was going to make his dismissal any easier. Severus smirked; perhaps 'damned' was the wrong word.
Much to his relief, Dumbledore said nothing more about his experiments with potions - there were certain... controversial methods, and tools he had used in order to precisely determine what combinations would have which - if any - effect on him.
"When were you bitten?"
"I wasn't."
"Weren't bitten? But I thought that that was the only way of reproducing."
Snape shrugged, staring into the flames of Albus's fireplace, "Wasn't good enough for father. Mortals can bear undead children, but they don't survive the birthing. If you can call it that."
Dumbledore nodded, mumbling an old vampiric rule he seemed to have forgotten, "The dead cannot give birth to life..." He placed a hand on Severus's shoulder, earning a disbelieving glance.
"You touch me, without fear or disgust?"
"Severus, relax. How could you expect any different? After all you've done to help the cause, I trust you. More than that, I consider you a friend; I'm certainly not going to fire you."
Snape nodded and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Thank you."
* * *
Well, at least he still had his job, and he could trust Dumbledore not to leak the information, though Snape was tempted to face Voldemort's evil glee at the revelation if it meant watching Longbottom wet himself, fearing Snape even more than usual. Mostly, though, Snape was just glad to have silenced that annoying 'conscience' that had been forming since he began taking the Draught.
Severus screeched angrily as a horned owl flew dangerously close to him. Interesting, he though absently, how he was able to maintain his sight even in this form, and what he saw now did better his mood, if only a fraction - Harry Potter, stealing across the grounds without even that cursed cloak to conceal him. If Snape could have sneered in triumph, he would've.
Dropping from the tree branch, Severus righted himself, and swooped down behind Harry silently, transforming just as he touched the ground. Pausing only to check that his usual charm was in place to conceal his teeth, Snape strode forward until he was all but breathing down the boy's neck - luckily, he wasn't afflicted with such a disadvantage.
"Mr. Potter."
Harry yelped and his rush to turn around, he tripped over his own robes, landing in a pile at Snape's feet.
"P-Professor Snape!"
Severus gave a very small, twisted smile, "Very good, Potter; now that you've correctly identified me, perhaps you'd care to tell me why in Merlin's name you are not only out of bed, but also sneaking out of the castle?"
"I... I-" as Harry was busy struggling to overcome the shock of Professor Snape appearing from seemingly nowhere, he was unable to think up a valid excuse, figuring that Snape would only take away more points if he said he was visiting Hagrid.
Severus simply rolled his eyes irritably and cut him off in a dangerously soft voice, "Save it, Potter... I've changed my mind. Detention with Filch for two weeks. Now get inside."
As Harry started rather quickly back to the castle, Severus called after him casually, "Oh, yes, and fifty points from Gryffindor!"
* * *
Harry Potter groaned and pushed open the heavy door to the boys' dormitories, somehow, Snape always managed to catch him breaking one rule or another... and how did he sneak up behind him like that? He sighed, no matter how hard he though about it, Harry was always left with one distinct feeling: there was definitely something inhuman about Severus Snape.
~ fin.