Severus groaned inwardly as he realized he had left the girl's clothes and wand down by the lake. Oh well, he could use a walk in the cold night air to think things through. He traipsed through the corridors, glaring when the caretaker's filthy cat hissed at him from a dark corner. He couldn't wait for that cat to die, perhaps at the hands of some idiotic student miscreants. He smirked, silently slipping through the front doors of the castle, wondering if Filch would ever get a new cat. The crisp night air instantly numbed his fingers and nose. His breath swirled ahead of him in frozen, sparkling clouds. Grateful for the heavy robes he always wore, he quickened his pace, seeing the lake in the distance. Steam rose from the lake gently, and he silently cursed the inviting waters, making a mental note to deactivate the heating charm when he arrived. The stupid girl could have died. She would have, if he hadn't lowered his powerful Occlumency shields at that exact moment, or if she wasn't such a strong witch, capable of at least rudimentary Legilimency. He glared as the frozen earth beneath his feet crunched loudly; he had always preferred to travel in silence, due to his many years as a death eater. Suddenly, he froze in his tracks, turning in an ear to the lake while whispering a simple disillusionment spell.
"See! I told you we wouldn't get caught!"
Snape nearly growled in frustration as he recognized the sultry voice of his godson. Sure enough, as he crept closer, he saw the moonlight shining off of Draco's hair. He was with a girl. She wore Slytherin robes, but he couldn't see her face.
"Draco, wait! What is this?"
The potions master heard the fear in the girl's voice, and watched as she bent to inspect Miss Granger's rumpled clothes. It was time to reveal himself. He stepped as silently as possible from the shadows.
"These are Gryffindor robes!" The girl gasped, "Someone else is here!" She turned back to Draco in terror, the moonlight illuminating her face just as she saw the potions master. Her eyes widened. "Professor, it's not my fault, we can explain…" Draco whirled around, but when he saw just which 'professor' it was, he only smirked.
"I should have known," he drawled, "it could only be you, could it, Snape?" The girl squealed at his disrespectful tone.
"Draco! What are you doing?" He smiled at her, not even glancing at the professor when he started to speak.
"Miss Parkinson, Mr. Malfoy. How interesting. 50 points from each of you, and there will be more if you cannot manage to stumble upon your dormitories within the hour." He twisted the corner of his mouth up into wretched looking smile, knowing they would either have to apparate, or run to the castle gates. Draco seethed at him.
"Yes, Professor." Sneering, Draco grabbed Pansy's hand, apparating them to the gates. Snape sighed, he had been hoping that they would have to run, but of course Lucius had taught Draco to apparate. The potions master stalked to the lake, then placed his right hand on the warm surface. "Finite" he commanded, feeling his magic drain into the lake. Immediately lightheaded, he remembered that it had taken three of the teachers to charm the lake. The now freezing water lapped over his numb hand and he stood, drying his fingers wandlessly. He summoned Granger's clothes to him, drying and folding them in midair. Then, he bent and plucked her thin, intricately carved wand from the rocky ground. He felt it vibrate slightly in his hand, reacting to the strength of his magic. Not wanting it to bind to him, he quickly tucked it in his pocket. He whispered a heating charm, tired of the cold, and apparated back to the towering castle gates. Sweeping through the corridors toward the hospital wing, he suddenly remembered how late it was. Poppy would most likely be asleep at this hour. Not wanting to disturb either of the inhabitants of the infirmary, He headed to the nearest stairwell. Starting down the stairs to his bedchambers, he quickened his pace, hoping to catch Draco and Miss Parkinson snogging in the dungeons.
