Author's Note: Hey Everyone! This part is much longer than the last one and DOES have Snapeykins in it! (I'm sure Snape appreciates being called that…hehe.) Anyway, I just wanted to say that Eleanor's nickname Elle is pronounced like Elle in Legally Blonde. A friend of mine thought it was pronounced differently, so I figured I'd just make that clear to all of the readers. I hope everyone enjoys this part!

"You should go to St. Mungo's, Elle," Leigh breathed, clearly trying to remain calm for Eleanor. "I bet Dumbledore would let you Floo there."

Tears lingered in Eleanor's eyes. "Leigh – my mum is in a magical coma. She could be asleep for weeks, and that's if she ever wakes up. There is no reason for me to go rushing there. I'll go this weekend; that's only two and a half days away."

Leigh studied Eleanor for a moment and sighed. There was nothing she could do about the situation to convince her friend just to forget about school and go. However, it would not hurt to try. "Why don't you just go lay down in the dorm this period?"

"No."

Just when Leigh was about to protest further, Professor Dumbledore appeared over the girls. His eyes were grave behind his half-moon spectacles. "Miss Vector, may I borrow Miss Reynolds?"

"Of course Professor Dumbledore," Leigh murmured. "See you later Elle."

Eleanor hoisted her heavy schoolbag onto her shoulder and followed Professor Dumbledore quietly up towards his office. He gave the password, Licorice Wand, and they climbed up the stairs. Eleanor had never been in Dumbledore's office; if it had been any other day, it would have been fascinating to be up there. There were bizarre instruments spread throughout the room, and then there were all of the portraits: every inch of the study's walls were covered in portraits of previous headmasters.

"Have a seat Miss Reynolds," Dumbledore said, motioning Eleanor to a chair in front of his desk. He took the seat behind the desk as she eased herself into the chair he had offered her. "I assume the owl you received in the Great Hall was from your Aunt Marianne. She sent me one as well. I'm so very sorry to hear that your mother is hurt. I remember her being a wonderful student, quite like yourself, and incredibly smart."

"If she was smart she wouldn't have married Rupert," Eleanor muttered underneath her breath, tears welling in her eyes again.

"What was that Miss Reynolds?" Dumbledore's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Eleanor shook her head. "Nothing, sir. May I just go on to Potions?"

"I thought you would want to go see your mother," Dumbledore said, his tone full of surprise. "Would you like to? I believe Professor Snape and all of your other professors would understand you missing the rest of today and perhaps tomorrow."

"I don't want to go Professor Dumbledore!" Eleanor snapped. "Oh, oh Professor, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just – I'm just a bit upset."

Dumbledore smiled sadly at her. "I know this is hard to believe, but I understand how you feel. Look, I won't make you go see her right now if you don't want to; that is not my place. You should go see her soon because she's your mother, but it doesn't have to be today. However, I am going to insist that you take the rest of the day off. Go to your dorm. Maybe you could take a nap."

"Yes, sir. Perhaps a nap would be good." Eleanor stood up and walked towards the door. When she reached it, she turned around and quietly said, "Thank you Professor."

Eleanor woke up several hours later with her Arithmancy book underneath one cheek and several Ancient Runes translation splayed across her chest. After her meeting with Dumbledore, she had come back to the Slytherin common room and had attempted to do her homework. After finishing her translations, she had fallen asleep reading for Arithmancy.

Now the common room was filled with students just returning from their final period of the day. Or were they returning from dinner? Arianna walked by with half an apple in one hand; clearly it was after dinner. Eleanor yawned, sat up, and began to gather her school things back into her bag. Then she slipped up to the dorm room, which was empty except for Leigh.

"Are we still going to help Professor Snape with his ingredients?" Eleanor questioned, sitting down on Leigh's bed as her friend rustled through her trunk for something.

"Ah ha!" Leigh pulled out a short denim skirt. "Oh, I forgot all about that. I told Derrick that I would sneak out with him to Hogsmeade. Do you mind going on your own? I can cancel with Derrick…especially considering your mum."

"No, it's fine. In fact, I salute you for being able to sneak out of this castle when your mother is one of the teachers. I think I should be fine with Professor Snape; he doesn't seem like the type to sexually abuse me or something. Besides, this will give me the chance to ask him about what I missed in class today. Go enjoy Derrick."

"Thanks Elle. I owe you one darling." Leigh shimmed out of her school uniform and into the tiny skirt and a tight green top.

Eleanor waved as Leigh left and then changed into a pair loose jeans and a simple, black, button-down shirt. After pulling her curls back with a scrunchie, Eleanor made her way out of her dorm and headed in the direction of the Potions' room.

Professor Snape was seated at his desk, grading what appeared to be some summer work that Slughorn had assigned before he had resigned. Snape's slightly greasy black hair was hanging limp around his face as he murmured to himself about a poor description of the Strengthening Solution. Eleanor stepped through the door and walked over to his desk. Snape looked up. His shiny black eyes met Eleanor's aquamarine eyes, and he gave her a slight smile.

"Where's Miss Vector? Surely your best friend did not make it where you must spend an evening alone with me."

"She's – er – busy."

Snape's smile broadened. "Ah, yes, busy. Perhaps we should get right to work." He stood and glided towards the large supply closet in the back of the room.

Eleanor and Professor Snape immediately dove into sorting the bottles and boxes by name and level of rarity. They had been sorting silently for half an hour when Snape finally turned to Eleanor and said something. "Would you like to talk about why you were not present in class today?"

A sigh escaped Eleanor's lips as she placed a flask of flobberworm mucus next to box of flobberworm skin. Before she could stop herself, Eleanor blurted out, "My mum is in a comma thanks to my bastard of a step-father, and Dumbledore just insisted that I take the day off. I just knew as soon as I left home this year that something awful would happen! I still don't understand why she married him; it's not like he was any nicer before they got married. I thought he'd be gone in a week when they started dating, but then they dated for almost three years and now have been married for five years. Oh holy hippogriffs! And now he's gone and hurt her like this." The tears that Eleanor had been fighting back all day finally began to drip down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Professor…I didn't mean to turn into Moaning Myrtle on you." Her face turned the shade of strawberry jam.

Snape awkwardly cleared his throat. "It is quite alright Miss – er – Reynolds, is it? I just realized that we never actually introduced ourselves."

"Oh, you're right," Eleanor said, sniffling. "I'm Eleanor Reynolds. Most people just call me Elle. You don't have to call me Miss Reynolds when it's just us sorting ingredients, especially when I start bawling on you. I mean, you are only six years older than me."

"Well, I am quite sure you know my name," Snape said, smirking. "I assume you have also heard some nasty rumors about me. Unfortunately, most of them are probably true."

"You mean – you were a Death Eater?" Eleanor whispered last two words despite being completely alone with Snape.

He gave a curt nod. "I am not proud of it Miss – Elle, but indeed I was. I can assure you that I am fully on the good side now."

"Because the Dark Lord fell, sir?" Eleanor regretted saying it as soon as she did.

"NO. I have a completely different reason for it. I will not share them, but I promise you I have good ones."

"Sorry Professor; that was an incredibly rude thing for me to say."

"But it was an honest question. Many former Death Eaters are only on this side because of the Dark Lord's fall." Snape placed a lavender-colored bottle on the top shelf and turned to Eleanor, his face void of emotion. "Let's change the subject. Would you like to talk about your family? You are welcome to rant; I will listen."

So that is how Eleanor found herself telling the Potions Master everything about her horrors at home. For no good reason, she trusted him almost fully at once and told him much more than she had ever told Leigh about her timid mother and atrocious step-father. Everything just came out at once. There was a level of comfort and security for Eleanor in that supply closet. It was if she had lifted her pain off of her shoulders for several hours and placed it down on the shelves among the many ingredients. Snape didn't say anything as she talked. He sat back, listened, and continued to organize the ingredients. Eleanor reached a stopping point just as the clock in Snape's classroom began to chime. It chimed eleven times.

"Well, well, well, it seems I have kept you here for four hours," Snape mused. "You should head back to the Slytherin dorms, unless you need to keep talking."

"Oh, no sir. I've bothered you long enough, and it looks like we're out of items to sort."

"You haven't been a bother Ella – I mean Elle."

"Ella? Rosaline is the only other person who has ever called me that; I like it."

"Well, Ella, you have been very useful, and I do not mind lending my ears to you. I understand your situation, and it must help to have someone to talk to about it. I would know; I've been in a similar one."

"What? You have?"

He nodded grimly. "Yes, but that is a story for a later evening."

Eleanor followed Snape out of the cupboard and fiddled with the end of her shirt when they stopped at the classroom's door. "What did I miss in class today?" she inquired, studying his face closely for a trace of any sort of emotion resulting from his confession. However, there was none.

"We just discussed the syllabus for the year, and I assigned the first two chapters to be read by Friday. I shall write up the syllabus for you by then, if you would like."

"That would be wonderful, thanks. If you need any more help getting settled into your classroom, just ask."

"I shall. Goodnight Ella."

"Goodnight Professor Snape." Eleanor gave him a tight smile and started down the hallway.

"Ella?" Snape posed, causing her to halt and turn around. "You should go see your mother as soon as you can; you could lose her forever if you don't." A trace of regret was in his voice. Eleanor felt a pang of sympathy.

"You're right; I could."

A/N: Look! It's me again! I hope you liked the part and enjoyed the developing friendship between Snape and Eleanor. I'd really appreciate some reviews if you have some time; in fact, I would really like to hear your opinions on Snape and Eleanor's relationship. I want to know how deep/far the relationship should go. Should it remain platonic? Should it get romantic? I still haven't decided, so your opinion just might influence how the story goes.