Disclamer: This story is based on characters and situations written by J.K. Rowling. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made. The plot of this fiction is all mine, though.

Pairing: Severus Snape/Hannah Abbott

Rating: M (to be sure although most parts will probably be perfectly fine as T)

Summary: Once upon a time there was a young maiden in a deserted greenhouse – and an utmost curiously acting Potions Professor...

A Weeds' Whisperess

Chapter 1 - With lightning and thunder -

It was a late afternoon in mid September and tiny rays of golden sunlight were still peering every now and then through a thick, dark-blue blanket of clouds.

The air was filled with the tension of an upcoming thunderstorm that's already heavy gust caused the fields' long, yellowish grass moving and shifting, and curled the lake's surface into countless little waves that were glittering in the restless change of light and shadow.

Severus Snape quickened his steps on his way down towards the nearby greenhouses as he needed to complete his potion ingredients to prepare himself for next day's lesson.

The trees and bushes which lined his way were already shaking and shifting in the upcoming storm. Some autumn leaves, caught by a gust, whirled up into the darkening sky.

Rainfall was immediately to start and the air was filled by an electricity that seemed almost smell – and palpable.

When he reached the nearest greenhouse the far growling of thunder was to be heard. He tried the handle – only to find the door locked.

Cursing under his breath he hurried down the narrow passageway between nettles and shrubbery towards the second greenhouse, which was – to his very anger – likewise locked.

Only the third one was not.

But since he had pretty much expected it to be, he pushed more forcefully against the door than necessary. With loud clattering it burst open and in a blow of whirling leaves and dust he rushed inside and started to impatiently search for his colleague as soon as he had passed the threshold.

"Liana?!" he called, "Liana, are you there?!"

Everything was calm and quiet in here. The soft, moist smell of fresh watered plants reached his nostrils.

In foul mood as he was Severus Snape did not allow the rich, earthy odorous and the quiet, benevolent atmosphere to do him any good, though.

He already rushed along, around a large pile of empty buckets of sound quality to gaze into the next dim, green path between the thick growing plants, cursing under his breath.

"Liana?" he called again, storming into the narrow path, he had just peered into. The soft bark mulch on the ground muffled his hurried steps.

"Where on earth is that witch again?" he muttered under his breath. "I don't have time to spend all day in here."

Aloud he called: "Liana!? I would prefer to return to the castle before it starts raining cats and dogs. So if you would not mind –"

"Professor?"

He whirled around.

A young witch rose from behind one of the plant boxes. Brushing some earth off the front of her robes she looked at him, interrogatively.

"How dare you sneaking up into here, foolish girl?! There are plenty of sensitive plants in here that could be harmed easily!" he rasped. "How did you get in here in the first place? And what have you been doing at all?!"

After a moment of consideration he suddenly frowned. Looking at her obviously earth-flecked robes he slightly pursed his lip as he supposed her to have sneaked in there for secretly snoggling some fellow student.

"Oh, I see – there would not be anyone with you, would they?" he scoffed.

With that he immediately started to scan the greenhouse, expecting to find a young wizard hiding between some large plant or bucket in the background, but could not view anyone.

Instead of shrinking away the young witch looked at him – surprised – though not frightened, before she shook her head.

"No, there's no one further in here, Professor Snape," she answered calmly.

It might be a trick of the light, but he could have sworn her huge, amber eyes lit with sudden joy and her already rosy cheeks turned slightly pink as her gaze met his.

He could not help, but stare at her. Which witch in her right mind would actually blush looking at – him? And she did not seem to be the slightest bit afraid of him either.

He rose his brows, frowning at the mere idea of such strange behaviour. But this girl did actually posses the nerve to truly smile at him.

"Professor Sprout is absent today. May I be of assistance, Professor?"

He slightly remembered her face from class. A seventh year. Hufflepuff, if he was not much mistaken. But a quiet one.

"What are you doing in here in the first place, Miss – Avet, isn't it?"

"I'm just looking after the plants, watering them and such. And it's Abbott, Sir. Hannah Abbott."

Severus Snape, who started to feel utterly confused and nearly embarrassed, eyed her suspiciously.

She was actually smiling at him. It was no kind of flattery flirting – that he would have supposed to be ironical at once – but a calm, open and friendly smile that confused him and made him feel uncomfortable somehow.

And even while frowning at her, he could not help but notice, how some sudden beams of fading sunlight added a golden glow to her honey-dark hair.

"So you are actually looking after these plants then?" he asked, somewhat confounded.

"Yes," she smiled.

"Why?"

"Oh, I just enjoy, working with plants," she shrugged, still smiling. "So I come down here, whenever possible and...practice… I do have a key, you see?"

With that, she held up a ring with three silvery keys on it.

"Professor Sprout gave them to me this morning – and she also asked me to plant some busy lizzies. I'm just working at them, you see?"

Severus Snape viewed the three neat rows of already planted flowers and a small shovel inside the plant-box between them and could also recognise a bag of dragon-dung on the ground. A basket, containing several further tiny flowers and a watering-can stood beside them.

"You supposed me to be invading in here, didn`t you?"

"My apologies, Miss Abbott," he remarked, tensely.

"Never mind Professor. You couldn't have known."

To his confusion, he found himself feeling kind of awkward at her kind smile and naïve way of self-confidence.

"I could have asked. I certainly should not have jumped to any conclusions," he added feeling awfully clumsy all of a sudden.

For some peculiar reason he did not want their conversation to end. So nodding in the direction of the plants, he quickly added: "What are you doing this for in the first place?"

"Planting busy lizzies you mean?" she asked still smiling, exposing a row of regular, pearl-white teeth to him.

He just nodded, unable to pull his gaze away from those huge, warm-shining eyes that made him feel so strange.

"Oh," she frowned, slightly wrinkling her nose and he noticed she had a number of tiny freckles.

"We do have some nasty problems with plant-lice lately. They've destroyed two of the Venomous Tentaculars and one laburnum already and now the clematises seem to have got them as well. We've tried stinging nettle juice, lavender and several charms without any real success – and now, Professor Sprout read something about planting busy lizzies instead of lavender between the harmed plants. But these ones need to grow first. So I plant them in the flower boxes."

She shrugged, pointing at the tiny flowers in disappointment. "We can just hope it won't be too late when they are due."

Severus Snape continued staring at her, feeling all mixed up with confusion. He could not quite believe to find a young witch like her talking this seriously about nursing magical plants in her spare time.

As far as he knew most of them appeared to be much more interested in hanging about with their friends, discussing robes and hair-do and who-knows-what-else foolish stuff, giggling like maniacs when flirting with boys and worshipping Quidditch-players.

He had always despised that, even as a student. He just could not deal with the light-headed, niggling behaviour. It had always made him feel awkward and uneasy.

He had not been bothered by it very much. Actually his harsh behaviour had scared away almost every girl. Only very few women had dared to glance at him a second time.

'Snivellus' or 'Snappy-Snake' the Gryffindors had called him ... Hannah Abbott seemed to be nothing like that…and as he had actually dared to ask Lilly Evans out someday in his sixth year, her bright green eyes had just widened with shock, though she had kindly tried to hide it. She had neither laughed at him, nor had she told her friends about it – a fact he was still grateful for – but she had not dated him either. She had muttered a half-heartedly excuse and continued worshipping a special Quidditch-player instead … very faintly he noticed two soft, amber eyes resting on him, constantly… he clearly remembered his date to graduation ball: Mellon McNair, who had clung to his arm all evening, gossiping about each one and everything. Like who was with whom, or had been; who had broken up with their former boyfriend and who was supposed to be planning on marrying; whose dress robes were too tight, too short, too green, pink, or whatsoever. It had been a living nightmare…

To be stuck with her all evening. To watch Lilly and Potter dancing. The necessary to hide the pain and loneliness he had felt, while everyone around was laughing and celebrating, while he had felt terribly alone and upset, wondering if there might be – anyone – to understand and match him, ever …

"What are you looking for?" a gentle voice drifted into him.

"Hm, … what?" he snapped out of his gloomy memories, finding Hannah Abbott's soft, amber eyes looking straight into his black ones.

Only when she hesitatingly repeated the question, slightly blushing, he suddenly noticed that he had fixed her gaze all the time.

Just that second a first bolt of lightning flashed the sky, closely followed by the deafening sound of thunder.

Rain started pelting down with all force, clattering and clutching at the glass. Water was running down the windows in torrents, blocking the world outside the greenhouse from view.

"Well, I suppose, you have come here to get the ingredients for some potion, didn't you?" Hannah Abbott stuttered, her voice holding a sudden confusion that seemed to match his own.

"I, … Yes, yes, certainly," he muttered, awkward to have allowed himself to get distracted.

"I am planning to teach Shape Shifting Potion tomorrow – and I have also run out of Venomous Tentacular leaves – as it seems."

"That's no problem at all. They should be due by now and we also have the other ingredients. Just wait a moment, I'll get them."

"So you… You know what ingredients I am searching for?!" he asked taken aback.

"To brew Shape-Shifting Potion?" she smiled. "Yes, I do."

"But, I have not taught it to your class, so far?"

"Well, no, but I've read about it, so …"

"You are reading about advanced potions, Miss Abbott?" he asked, rising his brow, suspiciously.

What a peculiar Hufflepuff.

"Um, actually no. I'm afraid, I have to disappoint you there. I… it has been the other way round, you see, …" she told him, blushing furiously.

Again he raised his eyebrows interrogatively at her. "Yes? Go ahead, Miss Abbott."

"I just read about the plants in here and what they are used for. So I know that fluxweed, tickseed blossoms and the sheet ropes of laburnum are important to the Shape Shifting Potion."

"That is correct," he remarked, the ghost of a smile appearing on is face.

Nothing but the downpour of rain was to be heard when they – again – just gazed right into one another's eyes and much to his shock, Severus Snape noticed his heart turning excited flip-flops as Hannah Abbott smiled at him.

"Do not bother with me," he muttered absentmindedly.

"Excuse me?" she asked in confusion.

"Well, what I meant to say was; you had better continue on planting your lizzies, Miss Abbott. I will get along fine myself."

With that he swept off into the next row of plants, where the more tricky botanicals were kept.

O O O

When Hannah watched her Potions Professor as he tried to collect the Venomous Tentacular leaves, she could not suppress a huge smile. It was quite obvious that those two did not get along very well.

Most of the tentacles had shrunken back and climbed up the trellis as far as the root-stock would allow it. At the moment they were hovering with bared teeth over the Potions Professor, who was currently seething with rage himself.

It was hard to tell which one might bite first.

Just that instant another dozen loops were darting downward to snatch at the dark-robed, furious wizard. A few of them successfully as it seemed.

"Oh! Damn you! Be off!" Snape spat with rage, slapping the attacking plant away.

"Ou… you… ouu! You wretched, nasty beast – don't you dare snapping at me again! You – ugly, lousy heap of green lace – I tell you, if your poor excuse of a plant will snatch at me, just one more time, I'll tie you up with that ridiculous long tentaculars of yours, …"

"Professor – wait!" Hannah called before matters might actually get out of hand there.

"Let me get those leaves, will you? Please –" she asked, biting back the huge grin that was imminent to spread across her face.

"Those plant-lice did already eat up two of our VTs we can't risk to lose this one as well...I'm afraid…" she declared grinning broadly now.

O O O

When addressed Severus Snape whirled around, only to find the hugely grinning Hufflepuff girl to look at him, which caused him to feel incredibly stupid all of a sudden.

"Do you think, you could do better!?" he rasped bitterly, but she just sent a good-hearted smile at him that calmed his anger down, mysteriously.

"But – you do not even wear gloves," he protested mildly, clearing his throat. "That damn thing is snapping, do you not know that?"

"I won't get bitten."

Within the next couple of minutes Severus Snape watched flabbergasted, how Hannah Abbott managed to smooth the angry plant's snappy tentacles down; how she carefully picked leaf by leaf, so she would not hurt or frighten the plant by any rushed movement and – what was even more stunning – without getting bitten at all.

"How did you do that …?" he murmured his voice for once lacking its trademark snarl.

"I don't know. Professor Sprout says it must be some kind of aura I have which comes in handy with plants. She…"

With that she blushed, breaking into another smile that actually developed into a soft giggle and he briefly wondered why it did not cause him any uneasiness at all. He actually even liked its soft, merry sound.

"She calls me a 'Weeds'–Whispererss', or sometimes 'The Twig-Tamer'," Hannah Abbott grinned, shrugging kind of awkwardly.

"She is right. You are." Now he was actually smiling back at her.

"But I am convinced you would surely not handle the Whomping Willow that easily, would you?!"

Her eyes lit up with sudden mischief. "But yes, I do."

He just stared at her. " That's not true –"

"No, it isn't…" her kind face broke into another huge grin, he could not help but giving back.

"'A Weeds'-Whisperess', indeed?" he mumbled, thoughtfully. "That sounds nice… I kind of like it…."

"Me, too."

For a moment they just stood there looking into each other's eyes, smiling.

Once again he could not deny that he enjoyed her soft, melodious laughing and much to his own surprise, he was suddenly chuckling himself.

The vivid image of Liana Sprout walking in onto this strange, quite improper situation crossed his mind. Finding Severus Snape – all mixed up and flustered, babbling like a schoolboy, unwilling to break his happy little conversation about utter nonsense – with her favourite student and precious 'Twig-Tamer' all alone at the deserted greenhouse in mid of a bloody rainstorm.

Well, he would bet she might be a tad surprised.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Oh, I just wondered, what she might call me, then …"

"Oh, mmhm, … the … the 'Poisonous-Poisoner', I might guess," she suggested, laughing softly again.

"Mm,… possibly," he agreed far from being offended by her good-natured teasing. Which was probably a first. In fact there were actually sparkles of joy dancing in his dark eyes as he stepped in to look at her just a little more closely now.

"And if she had been here today, she would have probably called me the 'Plant's-Plague'!"

"Most likely...yes."

He smiled back at her.

She was even more attracting at close range. Not breathtakingly beautiful in common sense, but nubile and tantalising in a way that was much more captivating. She was not terribly tall – reaching barely to his shoulder, nor was she especially slender. She certainly was not plump, but soft and pleasantly round-shaped. Everything about her seemed to be soft and kind of round and rosy.

But most captivating of all was the fresh, sunny appearance radiating from her like pure, palpable benignity, which caused a feeling of content and warmth to spread through his entire being leaving him, calm and relaxed and kind of stunned.

One was just bound to feel pleased and content around her.

And when she smiled…

The soft amber eyes shone like molten honey and quite a couple of freckles across her nose, along with those rosy cheeks and lips gave her face the appearance of innocence and mischief at the same time.

The thick likewise honey coloured hair was wound into two long braids – reaching up to her waist – which was definitive nicely shaped…

At this Severus Snape forced himself to stop is examination.

Shocked at the intensity of his uncharacteristic beguile. He had never been one to gawp at any of his students and he had little tolerance for those who did.

Miss Abbott's waist hip ratio was certainly none of his business – as little as the rest of her appearance, no matter how kind and entrancing she was. Musing over matters like these was completely irrelevant and highly improper.

Nonetheless he was glad to be able to spend at least some more time in her sunny presence.

So they continued talking and laughing about pleasant, but irrelevant nullities like before, while they moved along the rows of plants, collecting those ingredients he had come for and despite his better intention and serious struggling, Severs Snape found himself utterly confused and deeply fascinated by Hannah Abbott.

O O O

Their happy – content time out of reality – was finally ended by the sudden clattering of the entrance door.

"Hannah?" a young man's voice called approaching quickly, "Hannah, you're still in here?

It's some wretched weather out there and I thought I'd better…come and take you ba…"

He trailed off, starring at the both of them with a mixture of shock and utter disbelieve.

Well – they had to give some peculiar sight, Severus Snape was convinced of it. Happily and oblivious of their surroundings collecting ingredients, both of them obviously enjoying each other company.

"P-Professor Snape!? Wha-what are – you – doing in here?!"

Much to his displeasure Severus Snape found himself facing an utmost shocked tall and lanky young Gryffindor, hooded in a pitch wet raincoat who stood, rooted to the spot, starring at them.

"Mr. Longbottom," he acknowledged without any marked enthusiasm.

"Neville!" Hannah Abbott called and it was almost painful to watch her features light up with pleasant surprise. Did you come to fetch me?! Oh – that's nice of you…"

At this Severus Snape noticed that the young man was carrying a second cloak over his arm, indeed. It was most obvious he had not slipped into the greenhouse for shelter but had crossed the raw weather with the intention to guide Miss Abbott back towards the castle.

He could not blame him.

"Yes, umm, I thought you might be glad not to get washed away by that downpour." Mr. Longbottom declared – definitely uncomfortable – his eyes wandering towards his least favourite teacher, questionably.

"That is… I can just leave that cloak for you, if you're not…available…" he trailed off.

"I'm almost done," she declared nodding into the direction of the plant box, where they had met. Just wait up, will you? I'm just helping Professor Snape to collect some more ingredients first."

For some reason the young Gryffindor seemed to be not very enthusiastic about that idea. "Um, OK," he agreed.

"I just have to finish planting the lizzies, then we can shut everything down."

"I can already begin with that," he offered, but she once again shook her head.

"Nah! Neville, don't be a sheep!" she smiled, good-naturedly. "Your rain-drenched, you'll only get yourself all muddy if you start working with earth now."

Severus Snape ground his teeth, feeling utterly out of place – and time.

He was rather shocked at the strange and completely inappropriate feeling of envy and sulkiness that hit him at this content little byplay of solidarity and familiarity.

He could find no fault at Mr. Longbottom's actions, though.

So he was probably interested in the girl. There was nothing wrong with. He did not push matters, but acted polite and unobtrusive. He was her fellow student – her age – and apparently she welcomed his approaches and seemed to know and like him well enough. It was exactly as it ought to be.

It was him, who was in the way here. Another feeling he had supposed to have died so many years ago.

"That will not be necessary," he declared rather harshly. "I have quite enough leaves collected, already."

At the surprised and slightly hurt look that crossed her face at his dismissal he added a little more mildly: "Thank you for your help, Miss Abbott. It was greatly appreciated."

"It was my pleasure," she told him seriously.

Once again the soft honey-coloured eyes flickered with something he could not quite fathom.

"Hm, yes. Yes. Same here. Thank you, Miss Abbott…" he mumbled uneasily aware of Neville Longbottom watching the little scene with disbelieve. "Have a nice day," he added, before – with a curd nod – he turned, nearly storming off without the ingredients he had come for.

O O O

Neville could not quite believe what he had just seen. "What? Was that? About?" he asked bewildered.

"Hm?" Hannah snapped out of it with an air of confusion, finally drawing her gaze away from the entrance door through which their ill-tempered Potions Professor had stormed off only moments ago.

"What did that overgrown bat want with you?" he asked, grudgingly.

"Leave that, Neville," she requested kind of troubled all of a sudden.

"What?"

"Don't make spot of him."

"Why ever not?" he frowned. "He is asking for that! But honestly, that was strange, even for Snape."

When she did not comment, he tried again. "So what did he want?"

"I told you," she repeated slightly annoyed by his constant bickering. "He came to collect some ingredients for tomorrows Potions class. He had no idea I was working within the greenhouse."

At this a slight smile crossed her lips. "Just imagine, he supposed me to have snuck in here. He even rasped at me for trespassing at first!"

He did not like the absentminded smile to cross her face at the memory. He did not like it at all.

"No shit?" he asked sarcastically. "But especially Snape is just – so –well known for not judging upon anyone before careful consideration and listening!"

She just glared at him.

"What changed his mind?" he tried again.

"I told him."

"Oh, yes, of course!" he snorted, bitterly. This afternoon did not proceed as he had hoped for.

O O O

When Severus Snape entered the Great Hall for dinner that evening, crossing the vast room towards the staff podium, he briefly scanned the rows at the Hufflepuff table for two very special blonde braids.

She sat – surrounded by her friends – near the head of the table, wearing clean robes now. Her hair was freshly wound into two neatly set braids.

She looked all fresh and pretty.

She looked –endearing.

She…

'Stop that!' he mentally snubbed at himself. 'She is your student. You should not notice any of such details. It is inadequate. It is pathetic – and it is wrong… '

He could not help glancing at her during dinner several times, still.

And when she once looked up to meet his gaze and her face lit with a sudden, intense glow as she send him a quick but heartfelt smile, he did not feel the slightest bit better about the whole situation.

This was no good. No good at all.

Nonetheless he continued thinking about her a lot in the evening, while he was arranging his potions ingredients for the next day – thinking about her and their peculiar meeting at the greenhouse until he finally fell asleep…

AN: For a change no Hermione involved. ; ) Hope you do not mind.

The little thumbnail is part of a larger illustration I once drew for this story. Unfortunately it is not possible to upload a picture in horizontal formart. So the rest of the greenhouse with several plants mentioned in this chapter – the overgrown pathway – the downpour of rain outside and lots of little details like the dragon-dung bag, watering-can the basket with floweres and the plants surrounding the scene are not visible.

Just to spare confusion: The Shape Shifting Potion is not mentioned in the books so do not wonder you never heard of it. I made it up myself.

"...as an essence that made the drinkers' appearance switch into several different shapes of themselves. It had been developed to make it easier to hide or escape in disguise. Not unlike Polyjuice Potion, only that it was a hair of oneself that was added to the final brewage to bring out all the different shapes a person had in them. Everything they were, or could be." (What do I care - Chapter 11)

Its not important for this fiction. I just wanted to be free about the list of ingredients.

Besides that in my imagination the Venomous Tentacular bite is not deathly poisonous, just rather painful and unpleasant and the leaves are used as well, not just its seeds.

The 'busy lizzy' is botanical called: 'Impatients walleriana', or 'Fleißiges Lieschen' in German. Other than stining nettle juice and lavendel it is not known to counteract plant lice. I made that up, too. I will need it much later in the story. Not against plant lice, though. ;)

'Weeds' Whisperess' is no term I came across, either. I made that up, too – or rather; Professor Sprout did. I just kind of like it.

Against my good intention I started another fiction before I finished at least one of my others.

I will continue all of them, too.

But this story has been waiting so patiently – for about twelve years now – to be written I could not keep my hands off it any longer.

I would love to hear what you think of this! So please drop me some reviews, would you?

I wish all those of you who celebrate it a Merry Christmas!

Smiles Serpentina