Disclaimer: See Part One.

In a Chain of Flowers- Part 3

He had never been accused of being a sentimental man; far from it. The descriptions of him usually were variations on heartless or evil. Even those who knew him well didn't stray too far from the status quo. Carefully, he preserved that image, used that aura that he projected as an impenetrable mask. Underneath the protective shell and fluttering robes, he was not either of those things.

Underneath it all, Severus Snape was just a man.

Hogwarts greeted him back without any ceremony as the summer drew to a close. There were precious few weeks left before the hordes of ill-mannered students would descend upon the castle and there was work to be done. Stores of sensitive ingredients had to be re-stocked. There were staff meetings to attend and most importantly he had a library to put back into order. Time abroad had left him with many new additions to his collection, tomes of the new and aged variety, and he'd let literary journals stack up in his absence. If there was one thing that he prided himself upon, it was that he kept up on all new developments in his field in order to stay the best.

There was no doubt that he was the best and there was no vanity in the knowledge. He'd worked towards the ends and there was a certain satisfaction that went along with it. No matter how ignorant the students who entered his class had been, they left with knowledge honed by his lack of coddling. He would allow no less.

Severus had only been in his office quarter of an hour when there was a tap on the door followed by the arrival of the Headmaster. Albus Dumbledore, who was looking rested and more than a little bit tan, took a seat to regard his Potion Master. "Ah, Severus. I tried to come directly here when you arrived, but I was detained by Peeves who appears to be feeling neglected as more and more of the staff return."

"Did he concoct a rude limerick for the occasion or destroy something of vast importance?" He asked, knowing both his guesses were wrong as he noted the sodden state of Dumbledores' robes.

The Headmaster smiled benignly at him. He'd always gone softly on the poltergeist. "Water balloon, you'll remember, are his weapon of choice. Highly entertaining if you ask me, but more than a little distracting."

Severus merely inclined an eyebrow upward and leaned back in his chair. If he'd had the choice, the wretched thing would be out of a job and needing a new home. The only endearing thing the poltergeist had done had involved water-balloons and the former banes of his existence, the Gryffindor triumvirate. That memory brought a ghost of a smile to his lips.

"However," Dumbledore continued, with that knowing look in his eye as though he knew what sort of thoughts were being entertained, "I am here now, to remind you that there will be a meeting, to be attended by all staff with no excuses, come Saturday after dinner. By then, all of the staff should have arrived, including our new flying instructor."

Madam Hooch, Severus recalled, had taken up with coaching in the American Quidditch League. "Who exactly is filling her position?"

"A recent alumnus. One Mr. Seamus Finnegan."

"Gryffindor," Severus mused with more than a little malice. "Class of 1998, more flying skills than brains if I memory serves. I am a little surprised that he beat that class' resident know-it-all to teaching appointment."

Unbothered by his characteristic venom, the Headmaster continued to regard him with his normal cryptic amusement. "He is more than competent in the area he'll be teaching, Severus. If I understand correctly, you've recently been in contact with the illustrious Ms. Granger."

She had indeed owled him before he'd departed for the summer, requesting the loan of texts in his possession. Their following correspondence had been conducted solely away from the school grounds. How the Headmaster had come to the knowledge, however, was as worrying as it was irritating.

Refusing to be baited, he just regarded the man across the desk levelly. "I thought that the gossip mill was reserved for 6th year girls, Albus."

Dumbledore looked unrepentant, his eyes positively alive with mirth. "The before mentioned Mr. Finnegan merely passed on that fact when he was last here, nothing so sinister as gossip. Seems he's been living with Ms. Granger for years. He found it highly amusing that she should hold such respect for your opinion when he provided many colorful adjectives to describe you and your teaching ability."

"I assure you that I could also supply many 'colorful adjectives', as you put it, to describe the esteemed Mr. Finnegan, his potions ability and his decidedly vapid mother. Fortunately, all of them are beneath me," he pronounced with some irony. They had not been beneath him while he'd had to deal with that particular class of Gryffindors in his dungeon.

"It should interest you that Ms. Granger will be visiting to see Mr. Finnegan settled." Damn the meddling man. "I'm interested to see what she's been working on, if it's drawn the very selective interests of our esteemed Potions Master."

"I loaned her books, Albus. Nothing more."

"Well, be that as it may, any favorable Gryffindor-Slytherin relations are enough to appease this very old man." That was his lot apparently, as the Headmaster got up and bid him goodnight and to remember to attend the meeting. Then he was left in much desired silence to attend to preparations for the year.

As if on cue there was a tapping at his window followed by the sound of over-eager wings. Opening the clasp the tiny post owl zoomed into the room, dropped a letter on his desk and then proceeded to hop around hooting. Nudging a biscuit left over from the tea he'd neglected to attend to at the bird, he swiftly opened the letter.

Apparently Hermione Granger would be returning to Hogwarts sooner than they'd all thought, and would be bearing more than just borrowed books.

A/N: Well this and the next couple of parts have been sitting on my computer for the better part of a decade. Let's go ahead and reiterate that this is incredibly AU and very nearly finished. I intend to poke at this and get it posted in parts until I am happy with it. Hope, if anyone still reads this stuff, that you enjoy!