**I really hope you guys enjoy this :) Just another random plotline that I think illustrates Snape's fondness for his house :) I'm also working on second part to Homesick, although it's still very much a work in progress at the moment :/ Anyway, enjoy, and please review, but if you have any suggestions or anything you didn't like, or anything you might fix, please be kind when sharing them with me! Thanks so much!**
An ear-splitting shriek broke the peaceful silence of sleep, and Severus sat up abruptly with a barely-suppressed groan. Why he returned, year after year, to teach the miserable dunderheads at this school was anyone's guess. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. Sodding brats gave him migraines, which could only be cured by adequate sleep, and thanks to a certain population of immature, hormone-ridden twelve year olds, adequate sleep was nothing more than a silent longing that had yet to be fulfilled. Wearily, Severus lurched to his feet, and after swaying unsteadily for a moment, tugged the long sleeves of his dressing gown down firmly over his arms, and ran a large hand through his tangled hair. No use giving the children another fright that would keep them up for the remainder of the evening.
He cast a quick Lumos and stepped into the hallway, vaguely wondering which dormitory the ungodly sound had come from. Surely a girls' dorm, at the very least. He shuddered to think that any of his male Snakes would be capable of producing such a high-pitched racket. He cautiously approached the door to the boys' dormitories anyhow, and was relieved to hear nothing but a few soft snores and the shifting of small bodies underneath green comforters. That relief was short-lived, however, when he realized that this meant he would have to venture into the girls' hall. He rolled his eyes. Overly-dramatic, catty creatures they were at this age. He gave the doorknob a sharp twist and entered stealthily. Would he be begged to swat a spider to pieces? Be forced to endure the melodramatic whining of a lovesick first year whose boyfriend was 'the one' and had left her regardless? The possible horrors he might encounter in these passageways knew no number, and Severus steeled himself for whatever nonsense was surely romping about.
The sound of harsh, wailing sobs betrayed the culprits' location, and as Severus neared the door, he could hear the faint, hushed voices of the other girls in the room, who seemed to be frantically attempting to quiet their friend. Severus wasted no time entering, snarling under his breath at the startled gasps that chorused throughout the small group of girls, and found his scowl deepening at the sight that befell him. One girl, Caroline Orthener, sat tightly wedged into a corner, trembling and sobbing into her hands. To her right, a group of three boys, each looking rather frightened and sheepish, stood wringing their hands together nervously, save for one, who clutched at a grotesque paper mache mask in his hands. Severus immediately felt his initial irritation escalate into real anger, and he lunged for the closest of the three boys.
"And just what," he snarled softly, "do you three think you are doing in here, Mr. Michaelson?" The large boy gulped audibly in his enraged professor's grip, and managed a tremulous explanation.
"C-Caroline said she w-w-was afraid of w-werewolves today in c-class, s-s-sir," he said in a whisper. "We j-just thought we'd have some f-f-fun…" Snape dropped the boy to his feet and gestured wildly at the distraught girl, who still cried loudly in the corner and shivered with what Severus was sure was not the cold.
"Pray tell, Mr. Patrick, does Miss Orthener look as though she's having…fun?" His voice was venomous and the thin, toe-headed boy hesitated nervously before shaking his head in silence. Severus stepped toward the boys once more, towering over them with arms folded tightly across his chest. He eyed them sternly, noting the lack of eye contact he received in reply. He stared at them unwaveringly for a few long moments before turning a somewhat concerned gaze to the girl in the corner, who had still not calmed in the slightest, despite the harem of girls that had flocked to her side during the confrontation.
"This school does not tolerate bullying," Snape growled as he turned back to the boys, who leapt at his sudden glare. "And I can assure you that I find the practice disgusting. Mistreating another person to the point of personal injury is sheer cowardice, and I will not have such appalling behavior taint the name of my House!" The Michaelson boy's brow furrowed and he risked a confused gaze upward at his Head of House.
"But we didn't hurt her, Professor Snape, all we did was-"
"Didn't hurt her?" Snape practically roared as he gestured another large hand in the Orthener girl's direction. "I beg to differ, Mr. Michaelson. And I'm sure when Miss Orthener is sufficiently calmed, which may take hours thanks to you three, she would agree as well." The boys hung their heads dejectedly and shuffled their feet in embarrassment on the floor. Snape glowered down at them for another long moment.
"Out with you," he hissed. "You will all meet me in my office and serve detention for the remainder of the night." The third boy, who until this point remained motionless and contrite, with the ugly mask hanging limply from his hands, raised a defiant face to his Head of House and opened his mouth to protest, but Severus was too quick.
"Silence, Mr. Worthing. You three seemed to have decided that frightening a fellow student was far more important than going to sleep as required. I assure you that, at this time, I care very little if you are well-rested come morning. You've brought this punishment upon yourselves, gentlemen." The three boys exchanged defeated, irritated glares, but made no move to argue with their professor. Severus regarded them for a moment more, staring down his hooked nose at foolishness personified, and swiftly pointed a long finger to the doorway. The band of dejected boys grudgingly obeyed, trudging miserably to the door with shuffling steps. Severus snorted softly to himself as they exited, and turned to address the group of girls who had moved to crouch beside their roommate, who was still crying into her hands, though the noise level had dropped somewhat.
"Although your efforts have been adequate, I would like a moment alone with Miss Orthener," Severus said almost kindly. Almost. The three girls rose slowly to their feet, clearly hesitant to leave their friend with their dark Head of House, but Severus nodded to them appreciatively and allowed a line or two of worry to crease his brow, and it seemed to reassure them of his intentions. When they had gone, and he was sure they would not peer in and see, Severus slowly knelt beside Miss Orthener and cautiously reached a hand out to sweep the auburn hair from her wet face.
"Miss Orthener?" he asked quietly, stooping a little to look into her eyes, which were swollen with tears. "Are you all right? Did they cause you any physical harm?" She shook her head in reply and sniffled softly. He nodded in acknowledgement and hesitantly held out his arms in what he was sure was a ridiculously sentimental gesture. Severus was about to formally invite her in, but she wasted no time flying into his embrace. He stiffened immediately and drew in a sharp breath, but worked to steel himself and fight the urge to shove her away with a few terse words. The girl was quite distraught, more distraught than he might have expected from a silly prank, but he imagined that awakening from a deep sleep to a herd of boys armed with a hideous mask would be rather frightening indeed. He did not doubt that the boys had nearly rolled with laughter at her expense, which had likely added to the poor girl's upset. Severus clenched his jaw and squeezed the girl tightly as she cried. He hated children. Most children, anyway. Only the ones who entertained themselves by mistreating or torturing fellow students.
As Miss Orthener clutched tightly at his robes, Severus tried to pretend he was not actually holding a student, or cradling her head to his chest with one hand. He winced inwardly. Albus would have a field day if he could see this. He would accuse him of cuddling a first year with that blasted grin of his, and he wasn't cuddling her really, just trying to muffle the sound of her sobs. He certainly hadn't begun to rock her either. No, that swaying motion was a figment of his imagination, or a sign that he was feeling faint. Or a slow earthquake. And now that her tears still had not stopped, he leaned forward to speak to her, but he wasn't going to say anything comforting or nice, or use a softer tone of voice. No. None of that. But when he did speak, Severus was embarrassed to find that he really was all jelly on the inside after all.
"It's…It's all right now, Miss Orthener," he said gently as he fumbled for words, "You needn't be afraid. They've all gone." She was silent, save for the sobs, which had lessened considerably, he noted, and somewhat encouraged that she was finally beginning to calm, Severus scrambled for something else to say. But nothing nice this time.
"Children are idiotic creatures," he half-growled. "The lot of them." She peeked up at him through her tears with a startled gaze and he was quick to amend his statement. "Well, not you of course. You happen to be one of the more sensible students here. The others, however, are a gaggle of bleeding dunderheads." He rested his chin over her head thoughtfully for a moment, and pondered the vast, miserable population of children at the school. "I hate them," he shrugged flatly after a moment, startled and a little relieved when the girl gave a watery giggle in reply.
"That's better," he remarked as he pulled away, though he still kept one hand on her shoulder. With the other hand, he plucked a handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her wordlessly with a tiny half-smile. She accepted the offering gratefully and dabbed at her swollen eyes and red cheeks before folding it over and returning it to her Head of House shyly.
"I'm, I'm really sorry, Professor," she began nervously, eyes fixed upon her hands, which were now folded tightly in her lap. Severus gave her shoulder a squeeze with his hand and offered a rare, gentle smile.
"No harm done, Miss Orthener," he reassured her. His gaze then darkened considerably and he raised a dark eyebrow high into his forehead. "The dunderheads who caused this fiasco will be punished accordingly. And rest assured that I will see to it that you receive sincere apologies from all of them, Caroline." Her gaze flew to his in surprise at the use of her first name, but he paid her no mind. He instead offered her a hand and pulled her swiftly to her feet. "Bed," he declared, though not unkindly. The girl clambered onto the mattress and wriggled beneath the sheets, staring at him with wide eyes. Severus leaned forward slightly to rest a warm hand over her hair, and felt the corner of his mouth twitch upward in a small smile.
"Sleep well," he said softly. "My chambers are just down the stairs and out the door if you need anything." Caroline smiled her thanks and when he removed his hand, snuggled deeply into her pillow with a contented sigh. Severus turned on his heel once satisfied that the girl would fair well for the remainder of the night, and exited the room with a curt nod to the girl's friends, who were waiting patiently in the hall. He risked one final glance into the girls' room to ensure that all was well, and finding it quiet with one girl sound asleep, clearly exhausted from her upset, let a satisfied smile slip through the mask. He steeled it within moments, however, and turned on his heel to make his way down to his office, where a long night and three boys sat waiting for him.