Innocent Enough

When Professor Snape is given cosmetics as a prank gift, he is absolutely furious. In his tantrum, he spills the contents of the vial upon himself, only to find that this prank is much more insidious than it first seemed.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters that JK Rowling dreamt up. Obviously.

Author's Note: Took on this pairing because it was challenging and nearly impossible (Ron x Severus). I will try to be as literate and descriptive as I can, reviews are welcomed, as I have a hard time seeing what I do wrong. Hopefully I stay IC! Story occurs in 6th year, Voldemort is dead after Harry's 4th year due to complications in his resurrection. Someone had to make that concoction he used to resurrect himself... Probably Snape. And maybe he, yknow... tampered a bit?

Chapter 1: Just Another Dreadful Evening

Today had been awful. No, Severus Snape decided, shaking his head vehemently, it had been absolutely dreadful. The only highlight he could possibly have gleened from this opening evening feast was the fact that the new first years had been shaking pitifully in their line leading up to the Sorting Hat. Not that they didn't tremble every year, but Snape could not help but compliment them, the whites of their eyes in their horror had been mesmerizing. If anything, his first period Potions class would be moderately entertaining. There, he would set those nitwits in their rightful place as well as uphold his steadfast tradition of sending multiple young Hufflepuffs crying from his classroom. He let a sick warmth fill his chest as he pictured it, lifting one side of his mouth in a sinister smirk.

The smirk quickly abandoned him, however, as he remembered the rest of the students within the Great Hall. He would still have to acknowledge the existance of the Potter boy and his merry band of misfits for another two years. A small part of Professor Snape had been daydreaming about the possibility of their death by this time in their schooling career. He didn't particularly want those three wretches to die, he just admitted to himself that it wouldn't be a horrible thing.

Professor Snape let out a deep and agitated sigh as he made his way down the stairs toward the dungeons where his classroom, office, and living quarters resided. At least Potter's insufferable sense of self importance has disappeared since the Dark Lord's death... he thought exhaustedly. His footsteps fell almost silently onto the stone beneath despite his rather swift pace. Having been a spy (and enjoying the surprise in the eyes of his student "prey"), soft footfall came to him without effort.

As he came upon the thick, dark wooden doors that guarded his quarters, his baritone voice drolled, "Open". A rather large thunk followed immediately and the doors slid open smoothly before him. It wasn't the most innovative password, he admitted, but it mattered not. The castle knew who he was.

By the time the door closed behind Professor Snape with a gentle click, he had already arrived at his bed and was quickly undressing himself. He had no intention of wasting what little sleep came to him. As he slid his usual black cloak away from his shoulders, something small resting on his writing desk caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Lifting the cloak onto a wooden peg upon the wall beside his wardrobe, he turned around and approached his desk with little curiousity. The package sat upon one of his open books, Elixirs and Potions: The Odd and Curious. It was a fairly small red box, minute silver words adorning the lid shyly. He could very barely make out "Snape" from the delicate silver swirls and decided that the rest was unimportant. His heavy eyelids were not making it any easier to read such agitatingly small handwriting.

Lifting the box from the desk, he opened it uninterestedly. Within moments, his expression turned from quiet disinterest to controlled furor. The contents of the box included only two small gifts: a small, opaque, sky blue vial and a note that read very easily, the handwriting upon it bold and black.

MAKE-UP FOR THE GREASY DUNGEON BAT

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO HELP YOU LOOK LESS LIKE A DECAYING CORPSE

Teeth grinding, Professor Snape stood glaring at the bottle for many moments, the intensity from the look easily enough to send even a Gryffindor running in fear. Gingerly, he plucked the small vial from its place and held it close to his face, eyebrows meeting together in a terrifying scowl. Only when he felt his fury snap did his expression change from one of hatred to surprise. Liquid as delightfully blue as the bottle burst out from the shattered vial, spraying his face generously with the rather thick solution. Bringing up a sleeve to wipe the filth from his face, Professor Snape let out a snarl. If I ever find the drooling idiot behind this, I swear on my life, he will never again see the light of- His thoughts cut off abruptly as he felt his heart flutter sickeningly.

Barely restraining himself from retching, Professor Snape felt his strength leave him. He had only just reached his bed when he felt his body go entirely numb, all except for his heart which continued to flutter with terrifying speed. What felt like both an eternity and only a moment later, Professor Snape found himself curled into a tight ball at the foot of his bed.

Standing up wearily, he gagged once more at the intense sensation of vertigo, his vision flickering for a moment before stability found his body once more. Cautiously, he stood up to his full hieght and examined himself wearily.

He was entirely silent, body rigid, expression locked in what looked like a silent growl. He found himself bearing a smaller frame, less hieght, and a considerably healthier looking complexion (although still pale as a vampire), Professor Snape just stood there, stunned.

Another eternity passed before he found the will within himself to move, and when he did, he burst from his room, doors slamming open loudly behind him. Practically flying up the flights of stairs, it was only a matter of moments before he found himself before Albus's office entrance. Murderously, Severus Snape hissed, "Chocolate Cheesecake". Quickly pushing his way in, it was only a moment before he saw Albus Dumbledore before him, idlely glancing at a disorderly heap of paperwork upon his desk.

Looking up at him calmly, Professor Snape did everything he could to refrain from roaring at the man as his expression remained calm and dotty, a gentle smile gracing his aged features.

"Well good evening, Severus, is anything the matter?"

"Do not patronize me, Albus. Not. Now." His voice was stern and filled with venom as he forced his voice to remain quiet. He couldn't help but flinch, however, as he heard his own voice echo lightly in the otherwise silent room.

It was a voice that he had last heard in his final years as a student at Hogwarts.

It was his voice alright. But it was the voice of a brooding young man and not the Potions Master that Severus had been only moments before. Fists balled at his side, Professor Snape could not stop himself from trembling in his rage.

Someone was going to die.

(Short intro of sorts. Future chapters shall be longer! ~Cerbera)