Disclaimer: I still don't own Snape, or anything else in the Harry Potter world, but I do own an apple :p And I came up with Anna and Thomas myself =)

Authors note: Lots of thanks to BinominalNomenclature for reviewing =) And also I love Neville, I think he's very brave, he just needs somebody to tell him that.

Well second chap then...

Snape looked at the two children standing before him, their faces trying to hide their fear. They knew they had gone too far, but also that it was true. But that was ridiculous. Who on earth would fall in love with an apple?

'Tell me, what was the reason behind your foolish attempt at a joke?' Snape said, his voice soft and dangerous.

'Well, err...' Thomas stuttered, going red. Why exactly had he done it?

'You two will be in my office, tonight at precisely 8 o'clock. Don't you dare being late. Now go.'

Thomas and Anna didn't need to be told twice. They got their bags and walked out of the classroom as quickly as possible, without it being notice by Snape. Once safely out of sight, they broke out at a run. They didn't stop until they reached the transfiguration classroom.

'Mr Parker, Miss Brown, please explain to me why you're late?' professor McGonagall asked as soon as they entered.

'I'm sorry, professor, but Snape gave us detention.' Thomas answered.

Still a bit shaken, he sat down at his seat in the back of the classroom. Anna sat down next to him.

'It's professor Snape,' McGonagall corrected him sternly, 'and may I ask you why he gave you detention?'

'Well, we asked him something about an apple.' Anna said.

A look of surprise crossed McGonagall's face, but it was gone before she could be sure.

At the same time, in the dungeons, Snape was telling poor Neville off, because his potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green turned ...

'Orange, Longbottom. Tell me, why are you still going to Potions? It doesn't seem like you learn anything. 10 points from gryffindor, and try again.'

Snape waved his wand over the cauldron, and the contents vanished.

'Unfortunately, there is not enough time left to start over, so you will be making a new shrinking solution in my office, tonight, at 7:30. Now clean up your stuff, and disappear from my sight. Don't ruin any other potions on your way.'

Malfoy was sniggering, and Parkinson didn't even try to hide her fun. Hermione was looking very upset, not understanding why he did this. True, he was Snape, but worse than ever.

Harry and Ron were standing with their fists clenched, their faces red with anger. Ron opened his mouth to shout something at his hated Potions professor, but closed his mouth when he saw Hermione's face.

Harry, on the other hand, couldn't see her face and started to argue, but was silenced by Ron kicking his shin. Lucky for him, Snape didn't notice it.

Neville, on the other hand, looked terrified. He was trembling from head to toe, and kept staring at his now empty cauldron.

'Didn't you hear me Longbottom? Get out!' Snape spat. Neville started moving as abruptly as if somebody pushed on the on-button. He gathered all his stuff, but his hands were shaking so badly that he dropped his knife multiple times, which, for as far as possible, irritated Snape even more.
Neville stormed out of the potions classroom, silent tears trickling down his face. What if his grandmother heard of this? He would definitely get another Howler. He was now also dreading tonight, when he had to get back to his office.

The bell rang, and the halls started to fill with students and noise again. Neville tried his best to hide his tear-stained face.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, and looked into the compassionate face of Hermione.

'You shouldn't let him get you down too much, he just isn't himself today, he's even worse than normal. I'll talk to professor McGonagall about this, he just can't do this. And by the way, Smile a bit more. It's just Snape. You're worth ten of him.'

At that, Neville's face lit up a bit.

'Really?' he asked, his face hopeful.

'Really.' Hermione confirmed, her face set.

'It's lunch now, so shall we go?'

Neville nodded, feeling considerably happier than before.

Professor McGonagall sat in her office, when she heard a knock.

'Come in,' she replied.

She looked up, and saw Hermione and Neville enter. She raised an eyebrow, and said: 'I'd be coming down for lunch any moment, couldn't it wait?'

'No, you see professor, our problem is professor Snape.' Hermione answered earnestly.

'And what about professor Snape exactly, miss Granger?'

'Well, he isn't himself. He just gave Neville detention because something was wrong with his potion, but I could easily have helped him. No he's got to make the potion tonight again, until he does it right. It's just not fair!' Hermione said.

'I'll talk to Severus, and see what I can do for you,' she said, with a look at Neville. 'Now, kindly go down to dinner for me.'

Professor McGonagall watched the children leave, and couldn't help but thinking to herself that something really had to be wrong with Severus.

Meanwhile, in the dungeons, Snape had decided to skip lunch. He walked to his office, and saw the apple, still lying on his desk, as beautiful as ever. He thought: 'Is this really why I'm so ... emotional these days?' He was surprised to think of himself as emotional, but for no reason, all right, for just an apple, he felt like his emotions didn't stop doing loopings, from happy to sad to angry and back again. He looked back at the apple, and he felt an odd sensation in the region of his stomach. He mentally cursed himself for calling it just an apple, and then for being stupid, because apples don't hear thoughts, they don't hear at all.

He walked over to the apple, and picked it up. It's skin still felt still so soft and smooth beneath his fingers, and he had to resist the urge to kiss it again. He looked over his shoulder, to make sure no one was there, and caressed the skin of the apple with his thumb. The feeling of its skin beneath his thumb was awesome, and Snape got into a sort of trance. It was just him and the apple now. The bell rang, and Snape's head snapped up. Had that much time passed already? He hadn't even eaten a thing. All he had done was just trace circles with his finger over the apple.

He quickly summoned some food and ate it, before walking the few metres to the potions classroom.

When he entered the room, the fifth year hufflepuffs and ravenclaws were already waiting for him. He told them what they had to now before starting their potion, and then sank down in his chair, thinking about what punishment he had to give to Brown and Parker, were they to come to his office that night.

He wanted them in his office, so he could keep an eye on them. He couldn't make them write lines, it had to be a little more original and less boring. Then it hit him: he would make them clean his office, without magic. That way, he could control them, they would be punished and he would have a clean office. He would have to hide miss Apple, otherwise they would definitely know it for sure. Even though it was not true. He wasn't in love with his miss Apple, oh wait what, his miss Apple? An apple of course. Just an apple. But Snape couldn't help but feeling that it wasn't just an apple, it was way more special than that.

He gave the fifth years homework, now feeling thoroughly confused.

I hope you liked it, please review =)