Chapter 1

April 15, 1981

Vivienne waited in the small, private potions lab just down the hall from the main potions classroom. She had used floo powder to go directly from her private chambers to the lab completely undetected by the remainder of the students.

Upon learning that her parent's death after her father had betrayed The Dark Lord, Headmaster Dumbledore had helped it appear as if she had simply vanished from the halls of the school. She was to attend private lessons once a week to finish her studies, and Monday evenings would be spent in the potions lab with the newly hired assistant professor.

Sitting on one of the stools she only had to wait a moment for the back door of the classroom to open and for the identity of her new professor to be revealed. Vivienne felt her eyes widen a bit in surprise when she laid eyes upon a very familiar face.

"Severus?" she asked softly, rising to meet him. "Is it really you?"

His physical appearance had changed little since his graduation, yet he seemed more haunted then in the years she watched James Potter and Sirius Black torment him in school. She could not help wondering if perhaps the rumors of his alliance with The Dark Lord were true, but surely he would not have been allowed to teach at Hogwarts if he were a Death Eater. She had not seen him in nearly three years, since his graduation and her second year in Hogwarts. Their age difference at the time had seemed so great so she had rarely talked to him, despite the urge to do so whenever she would see him along in the library. Yet now he did not seem so much older.

"Hello, Miss Campbell," he sneered in return and Vivienne felt the smile that was starting to creep across her face slowly fade. "Since I will be serving as your professor for the remainder of the school year I must insist on you referring to me in the proper manner."

"Of course, Professor Snape," she replied coolly. "I apologize for my surprise at seeing you back in these walls."

He moved towards her slowly, leaning on the opposite side of the table were she sat. She felt her breath catch slightly as he came closer to her, but she held her ground, unafraid of her former schoolmate.

"I was never your friend, Miss Campbell," he said softly, "much as you and your friends Potter and Black were not mine."

"I was never the one who was cruel to you," she told him, causing him to raise an eyebrow slight. "If I had been sorted into Slytherin and followed my parents blindly in their ridiculous quest for 'pure blood' that they insisted on believing in until last year you would not be treating me so coldly now."

"You're working on the Drought of Peace, correct?" he asked, ignoring her statement and moving to sit at the table in the front of the room.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Yes, what?" he asked a small smirk playing at his lips.

"Yes, sir," she nearly spat. "I was last studying the Drought of Peace."

She could feel her temper flaring up a bit at his pompous attitude. She knew though it would do her no good to take part in a war of words though with this man.

"Alright, get to work then," he told her sitting back slightly.

Turning away from him she quickly set to work gathering her cauldron and other supplies. Turning sideways so he could watch her work, but she would not have to see him, set to work and somehow managed to forget he was lurking slightly in the shadows at the front of the room.

"You're stirring it to fast Miss Campbell," Severus said after nearly a half hour of watching her brew the potion.

She felt herself shutter a bit at the reminder of his presence, but quickly recovered and began stirring again, this time a little slower as instructed. She could not stop her hand from shaking a bit though as she heard and felt rather then saw him rise from his seat and move to her side to inspect her work.

There was nothing improper about his nearness, yet she couldn't help the goose bumps that were beginning to form on her arms. She could smell the earthy scent of his soap and also the scent that belonged solely to him.

The correct amount of stirring time passed a moment later and Vivienne once again stopped her motions and looked up at him. Stepping aside she allowed him to examine her work more closely and tried to busy herself with something else in another part of the room.

"Miss Campbell, I believe despite your obvious lack of skill with basic stirring, you've managed to produce a draught that will not poison the recipient," he told her with a slight smirk.

"Thank you, Professor," she said, not meeting his eyes.

It was the closest thing to a complement she was sure she would receive from him that evening and she began to gather her belongings. She felt him watching her, but still did not look up at him. She had been thinking of her parents suddenly and the night they were killed. Yet to ask him if he had been there would mean his admittance taking part in their demise.

"Is there something on your mind, Miss Campbell?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"No, sir," she said softly. "If the lessons over I think I should like to return to my quarters to finish studying."

Placing her bag over her shoulder, she started to move towards the fireplace so that she might go directly to her room and remain unseen by the other students, but he stepped into her path, blocking her exit. She was forced to look up at him then, meeting his questioning gaze.

"You are not the best at keeping secrets, Miss Campbell, nor lying," he said smoothly.

"Is there an assignment for next week, Professor?" she asked, ignoring his statement as he had hers earlier. "I find I'm rather tired and should like to retire to my chambers to study and rest."

"Miss Campbell, do not try my patience," he said coolly.

"Vivienne," she said, meeting his eyes. "You have never called me 'Miss Campbell' until tonight. The name is Vivienne. Now, sir, if there's no assignment, will you excuse me?"

"You will answer me, Miss Campbell," he said, holding his ground. "You thought of something just now, I imagine something pertaining to your parents. Now, what is it?"

"The night The Dark Lord murdered my parents," she began slowly, "were you there?"

"Miss Campbell, while it is regrettable your parents found themselves on the wrong side of The Dark Lord's wand, I don't see why my whereabouts should make a difference," he said.

"I'm not just some nameless first year, Severus," she told him. "I have known you for as long as I can remember, even before Hogwarts. Perhaps we've never been friends, but I deserve an answer! Where you there?"

"Yes, I was there," he replied, and she immediately began to push past him. He took hold of her though, and despite her best attempt to struggle to free herself, he was too strong.

"Let me go," she spat, still trying to break his grasp.

"No, Vivienne" he said softly and she stopped her struggle when he used her first name. "They were already dead when I arrived."

She felt her knees buckle and he slowly sank to the floor with her as she fought to hold onto her emotional control. She had buried her parents less then a week ago, and had virtually disappeared from the wizarding world that same evening.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, thankful for his physical support as she felt she was barely able to hold herself up. "It's still so fresh for me. I suppose I'm one of the most sought after witches in his circle. I've heard there quiet a reward for me."

He said nothing, and she needed no further response to know the truth. Slowly she pulled away from him and forced herself into a standing position, leaning on the desk for support. He stood a moment later, and turned away from her quickly, moving back towards the front of the room.

"Is there any homework for next lesson, sir?" she asked, and she could almost feel the wall return between them.

"Please be familiar with the next potion in your book," he said, his voice steady and cool. "I'll expect you to be prepared to demonstrated the brewing process correctly and please practice more steady stirring."

"Yes, sir," she said softly, gathering her things as he continued to move foreword and slipped out the door.

She lingered for a moment, filling her lungs with a deep breath and trying to clear her thoughts. Severus had confirmed her suspicions that he was a member of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters, yet the fact that Dumbledore had allowed him into the halls of Hogwarts and to teach her meant he must be a spy. She wondered if perhaps he had replaced her parents as Dumbledore's source.

Moving towards the fireplace, she looked back over her shoulder one final time before taking a handful of floo powder and returning