Severus Snape was not usually seen as an agreeable man. In fact, one could say, that he was seen as rather disagreeable the majority of the time by most everyone that had ever had the displeasure to know him. He was dour, he was mean, he was difficult, and he could make a grown man cower in fear with just a single glare; these were all facts about himself that he was actually rather quite proud of and were the most prominent proponents of his particular personality.
All in all, it was agreed that Severus Snape was, generally, not a very nice man.
But that isn't to say that he was like this all the time or to everyone.
In fact, it was the well kept secret of nearly everyone that had been under his care as head of house of Slytherin that he had a rather soft spot for those certain students. In further fact, Snape was very protective of his snakes, and made damn well sure that they were well and happy and successful.
This included, even, extremely troublesome students such as Daniel Fenton.
The boy always, always, had one too many bruises for Severus Snape's liking. It reminded him far too terribly of his own time as a students at Hogwarts (of his own bruises and hidden bleeding wounds; both physical and- not so physical). But for the life of him, he couldn't find a cause. Fenton's parents were far too cheerful, he got along well with a majority of students, and the boy himself seemed far too nonchalant about everything in life for the bruises to have come from something more suspect.
It enraged him.
First and foremost because someone, something, was hurting one of his own. Hurting achild, of all people, and such a kind one at that. And then secondly because he, Severus Snape, brilliant potions master and extraordinary spy, could not figure out what was causing it. He was frustrated to no end and his sour disposition only became more so the longer it went on.
Until one day he came across the reason, the secret, quite by ludicrous accident.
He'd been knocked to the ground, in his own office of all places, by an over exuberant ghostly teen. A ghostly teen that he immediately noticed looked suspiciously like a certain bruise-covered Daniel Fenton that liked to disappear at odd times like this.
Severus Snape was thoroughly unimpressed.
Especially when the ghost teen set about cursing up a storm, in his office.
He had no patience for foul language from a student like that.
"10 points from Slytherin for inappropriate language, Mr. Fenton," he growled.
He watched the boy give a satisfying start and immediately try to protest, "But Professor, I didn't-," before slapping a hand over his mouth as he realized his mistake.
Snape gave a cruel smirk, his initial suspicions confirmed and an answer to his earlier frustrations finally found. Just another student that liked to play hero.
He'd heard of Phantom after all, as had most of the staff at Hogwarts as he was the talk of the castle ghosts, but this was the first time he'd been seen. And having ghostly attributes while still being alive wasn't too far fetched of an idea when magic was involved.
But again, Snape frowned, Phantom liked to put himself in harm's way when it came to protecting others, liked to take the brute force of an enemy's punch in the name of saving others.
Just another student that liked to play hero.
Snape gave a long suffering sigh as he got back to his feet and brushed the dust from his robes before glaring up at the still shocked face of his student.
Daniel looked panicked and looked about to open his mouth and, likely, spew a torrent of excuses and denials and useless protests, before Snape raised a silent hand and set about digging in one of the drawers of his desk.
He promptly pulled out a jar of bruise-healing paste and tossed it over to the floating ghost teen who fumbled with it but still managed to catch it, holding it close to his chest after reading the label with wide eyes.
"Be more careful next time, Mr. Fenton," he snipped before exiting his office and closing the door behind him with a decisive snap.
Why must he always deal with the troublemakers?