Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

"D a n g e r o u s . S e c r e t s"

B y : T s a v o r i t e

– S e v e r u s . S n i v e l l u s . S n a p e –

The holidays went perfect. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny taught me everything about Hogwarts and the four Houses. I learned that there was Gryffindor, which valued bravery, chivalry, daring, nerve and courage. The Head of House was Professor McGonagall, she taught Transfiguration and the House ghost was Nearly Headless Nick. Then you had Hufflepuff which valued hard word, loyalty, tolerance and fair play. The head of this House was Professor Sprout who taught Herbology. The House ghost was The Fat Friar. Next you Ravenclaw, which valued intelligence, learning and wit. The Head of House was Professor Flitwick who taught Charms and the House ghost was The Grey Lady. Last there was Slytherin, which valued ambition, cunning and resourcefulness. The Head of House was Professor Snape, the Potions Master and the House ghost was The Bloody Baron.

Snape, I grinned when his name was mentioned. Let's just say we shared a history. I became closer with Harry and Ron and I found out that they weren't as bad as I had thought, even Harry. We celebrated Harry's sixteenth birthday and the three of them received their O.W.L. results. It turned out that Harry and Ron both did very well and Hermione even collected eleven O.W.L.s, that was for all her subjects.

It would have been a happy holiday if wasn't for the stories in The Daily Prophet about disappearances, strange accidents and even deaths. I knew by now it was necessary for me to attend Hogwarts and I managed to accept it. The night after Harry's birthday Lupin, Bill, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and I were sitting in the small living room, in front of a cosy and warm fire. I wanted to talk to them about Hogwarts. We would receive our letters soon and the train would leave within a week and there was so much I wanted to know!

"Harry, Ron and Hermione have been super nice and all, but they can't possible change me in this short amount of time!" I started, guessing that was the reason Dumbledore made me stay with them. "I mean, I'm sure that I will be sorted in Slytherin and the moment that happens they at least know I'm not a Muggleborn. And half of the students there have Death Eater parents or they are one themselves..."

"She does have a point, she can get recognised and students might tell their parents about the new student," Mr. Weasley said.

"We don't have a choice, Arthur, Jenna, we have to send you to Hogwarts. It's the only place were you will be safe."

'Safe, yeah, I feel pretty safe among those Slytherins, sure.' I shook my head. "I'm just as safe when I'm here! Why can't I stay?"

Lupin shook his head while laughing. "Albus has already made his decision and when he has something in his mind, it's not easy to get it out of him again."

I sighed because I knew it was true. When Dumbledore made up his mind, there were only few people who could tell him different.

"And even if you do turn up in Slytherin you don't have to worry. I'm sure Professor Snape will look after you as good as he can," Mrs. Weasley tried.

'IF? I'm sure I'll end up there...' I thought and I looked at the serene fire. "I don't trust Snape one bit!" I suddenly spat out but they already knew my hatred towards the Potions Master. I had made his life very difficult, there wasn't one greasy hair on his head that would think of helping me out!

"We know you and Severus had had your difficulties, but he is working for The Order and that means he will do anything to keep you safe. And you might as well turn up in Ravenclaw, you're such a smart girl. The hat takes your personal favour in account."

'Difficulties? Ha!' I needed to try my hardest not to break out in laughter. What ever was going on between Snape and me wasn't something based on some difficulties, it was based on pure hatred. I still didn't forget the time he stopped teaching me Occlumency. The reason for that was very simple and maybe a little awkward for him. OK, more than a little but it really wasn't my fault that I saw what I saw. It had happened last year, he was coming to the Grimmauld Place where I had lived since the beginning of the school year.

It was halfway through February and Sirius an I were the only ones there, I didn't count Kreacher and to be honest I didn't even know if he was there.

I sighed loudly while Sirius was sitting across the table, a smirk on his face. I hated it when he did that, I hated it so much that it could ruin every mood I was in.

"Wipe that stupid smirk from your face!" I yelled which made him laugh.

"Whenever you go to Hogwarts there's no denying your House!"

I gave up and returned staring at my plate. I carefully poked my grey looking eggs and I played with some dry bread. Sirius wasn't that much of a cook and Kreacher, well, neither was he. Especially not when he had to cook a meal for Sirius.

Suddenly the front door opened and Snape entered the House. He walked straight to the kitchen where he saw Sirius an me. I pretended not to notice him and I continued teasing what Sirius called my breakfast.

"Miss Tate, why are you still sitting down here?" he asked and I slowly turned around. His chilly eyes stared at me and I got up from the table without saying anything.

"Good to see you too Severus." Sirius tried to control the rage in his voice, something in which he never really succeeded when Snape was near.

Snape didn't answer him and he took me to one of the empty rooms on the first floor. He closed the door behind me and I walked towards a dusty, old desk. He took a seat behind it and I took a seat in front of it.

"Did you practice?" he asked coldly and I nodded stiffly. "You do know I will find out if you haven't practiced?"

I nodded again and I didn't really got what he wanted. "You wanted me to practice, right? It's not like this I the first time you teach me, sir."

He looked at me with his dark, emotionless eyes and I immediately looked away. Snape got up and he pulled out his wand. "Alright, are you ready?"

I got up as well and I took a deep breath. I tried to empty my head while I heard Snape getting closer. I looked up and I looked him right in the eyes.

"One – two – three – Legilimens!"

The next thing a saw were my Muggleparents, before my mother got hit with a green flash... my father tried to flee and he send me out the room when he got hit with the same Curse... next I saw Alastor Moody take me away to meet the Order... my eleventh birthday on the Grimmauld Place... every Order Member was present... than I saw Snape, not the Snape that was attending my birthday but the Snape that was standing in front of me in the dusty room... he mumbled some kind of Spell and he became clearer by the second...

I raised my own wand and I yelled: "Protego!"

Snape staggered and he took a few steps back – his wand fell to the ground – and now it was me who saw the memories, Snape his memories: a little boy who was crying in the corner of a room while a man and a woman were arguing... a teenager with greasy hair who was sitting in his lonely bedroom... the same boy who was at what you thought was Hogwarts, he was being bullied by a group of four boys, he was hanging upside down in the air –

"ENOUGH!"

I took a few steps back and I fell to the ground. Snape was towering over me, shaking and deathly pale.

"Good, you are starting to learn, Miss Tate."

I didn't know what to say and I kept my mouth closed, just to be sure. I knew how important my lessons were and I couldn't risk it to piss off my only teacher.

"We will try again," Snape said, recovered from earlier and he counted down again.

That's what happened the rest of the day until Snape had had enough of it. He would come back next week, same day, same time.

"I'm already looking forward to it," I muttered under my breath when I wanted to leave the room.

"What was that?" Snape asked coldly and I turned around so fast the room was spinning a little. I put up a innocent smile and looked at him. "Nothing, sir." I left the room as fast as I could and I walked towards the living room. I plopped down on the large, green leather couch and I coughed when all the dust erupted from the piece of furniture.

"How went things with Snape?" Sirius walked in the room and I proudly told him that I finally had blocked Snape.

"... and then I saw his memories! That was way funny! First I saw him as a little boy who cried about his parents and next I saw him at Hogwarts being bullied by a couple of guys. Almost all of the whole school was there and -"

"Thoughts are supposed to be private!" I heard a voice filled with anger say.

It scared the shit out of me and I fell from the couch with a loud THUD.

"Sir, I didn't know..." I stammered and I looked at Sirius for some help.

He was wearing a huge smirk on his face and he was looking at Snape with eyes filled of amusement. Snape ignored him and looked at me, his face was portraying rage. "What happened Snivellus? Did the cat catch your tongue?" Sirius asked and his smirk got even wider, if that was possible.

"You can forget about next week, Tate, you can find yourself a new Occlumency teacher! And don't you dare tell anyone else about what you saw!" he snarled at me and he stormed out of the room. I heard his footsteps on the stairs, going down and a few moments later the front door was being closed with a nice loud BANG, which resulted in a series of foul words leaving the mouth of Mrs. Black.

Sirius burst out into laughter and I climbed back onto the couch again.

"What did I do wrong?" I asked. "They weren't the best of memories but he has been watching my parents die over and over for a couple of weeks now! It is only fair that I saw his thoughts, right?"

Sirius tried to pull a straight face again and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "It's not just that memory, it was about who you told it to that made him angry. I was one of the boys who bullied him. The guy who performed the Charm on him was none other than my best friend, James Potter."

"Oh," was the only thing I could say. I felt really bad that I had lost my teacher but that feeling didn't win it from the other part of me who wanted to celebrate because I finally got rid of Snape! He would no longer humiliate me with my own thoughts and memories!

A couple of weeks later I had discovered that I wasn't his only Occlumency student. Harry Potter was practicing it too and he too had seen Snape's thoughts. Maybe that was one of the reasons he blew the thing up like that.

"Jenna?"

I looked around and I saw everyone staring at me. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention," I chuckled and I tried to look as innocent as I possibly could.

"We decided to contact all Heads of Houses on Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore will personally inform them about you," Mr. Weasley told me and I nodded. It was looking like I couldn't change anything about their conclusion.

"So, you need to try and attract as less attention as you possibly can and you have to stay out of trouble," Bill laughed and I grinned.

"You know I always pay very good attention to the rules," I said, still grinning and Lupin laughed loudly. Just at that moment Ron decided to go and look for me.

"Everything going alright here? Jenna, what are you doing?" He pulled me upstairs with him and I waved to Lupin. "What were you doing there?" he repeated himself.

"Nothing, they wanted to know some things about the attack on my house," I told him a bit too quick but he didn't notice it and he pulled me towards Ginny's room.