Severus

"You can't be serious." Severus said incredulously. He opened his mouth to continue as Poppy waved the hand that still held her wand from when she conjured the coaster and he felt an invisible gag cut off his furious retort.

The matron was about to speak when a soft voice drifted through the tense air. "I acquiesce to your request, Madame." Severus sent her a harsh glare and he sent a venomous one at Poppy, who released him with a flick of her wrist and a warning look. He stood and faced the petite apprentice, voice eerily calm and aloof.

"That will not be necessary, Apprentice DunBroch. Where I must accept your apology, I do not relish the notion of a novice Mediwitch mucking up my brewing." He watched as she turned to him, her small, round face a mask of quiet serenity, but he saw her eyes flash with that enigmatic lightning that belied the calm façade. She may be adept at schooling her expressions, but those eyes are an open book...he thought as they stared at each other for a moment, both to stubborn to break eye contact as they silently battled wills.

"She will, or I will make you actually do your mandatory annual physical, Professor Snape" Poppy interrupted the little war, smirking as he spun to glare at her, knowing she had won as he huffed in indignation and stomped out, the door slamming open as his magic pulsed with the force of his wrath. Poppy rolled her eyes at his antics and gave Rosearia an encouraging smile, gesturing for her to follow him. "You best run along and follow him, dear, before he changes his mind."

Rosearia sent her a look of apprehension before trotting after him, falling into step behind him.

Rosearia

She couldn't believe that Poppy was making her work with Professor Snape. Poppy knew that she didn't know a thing about Potions-making, and she feared that the austere professor would eat her alive when he found out how lacking her skills were in the area. Perhaps she meant it to be more of a learning experience rather than a punishment. It's not like I can actually attend classes, so this must be the next best thing. Besides, learning to actually brew the potions would be very beneficial if I didn't have the premade resource in an emergency. She sighed, quickening her steps when she noticed that she had fallen well behind during her internal musings. She breathed deeply a few times, calming her nerves and building up her occlumency shields to sequester the distracting feeling away. Feeling much better, she mentally ran through the few books she had read over the subject and she barely stopped in time to keep herself from running into his back as he paused outside a dark door deep in the dungeons. She looked around them, noting a large green door at the end of the hall they were currently standing in, and her curiosity got the better of her.

"Is that the Slytherin common room?" she asked him, touching his back lightly without thinking. She gasped softly and pulled her hand back as he jerked at her touch.

"Do not touch me, Madame. And yes, that is. Have you not been down here before? Shouldn't you know where all the common rooms are in case of an emergency?" he turned to gaze at her condescendingly.

She ignored the obvious implicated insult and shook her head, "No I have never been this deep in the castle dungeons before. I haven't had a lot of time to explore on my own and Poppy rarely leaves the Hospital Wing save for meals." she paused and touched her bottom lip thoughtfully, glancing around him to the dark door they were stopped at. "Am I to assume that this leads to your office and private quarters?"

He nodded once and turned around to face the door, opening it the mundane way and sweeping inside. She followed suit slowly, gazing around the room. "You are the Head of Slytherin House, correct?" she didn't wait for a reply for plowing on. "You have, I believe, of all the Heads of Houses, the office that is in closest proximity to your students. Is that on purpose or were you assigned to these rooms?"

He huffed and rolled his eyes, turning to face her as he leaned back against his desk, folding his arms across his chest "If you must know, I chose these rooms specifically because they were close to my house. As Slytherins are generally treated as dark wizards in the making, they are normally ignored by staff or other houses are favored over theirs. For example, they were in first place to win the house cup last year, when the Headmaster made some last minute point awards to Gryffindor house, which knocked them out of first place. Favoritism like that happens more often than not and makes the first years very upset, and the upper students, though more used to it, will only speak with me about their various troubles. Most are bullied in the halls when not in groups, so to make myself more accessible, I elected to have these quarters though they are much smaller than the other professors' chambers. Though the abundance of unused rooms down here allowed me to make one into my own personal lab, which is where we will be brewing the potions from the list."

She blinked up at him in surprise as he explained, a warm feeling spreading through her chest, making her smile. Awwww he really is a sweetheart under all that bristly meanness he wraps himself in.

"That is so sweet of you...you know underneath all that meanness you wrap around yourself, you just might be a big softie." she beamed at him.

Severus

Severus's head jerked up in surprise from the ingredients he had been gathering from the display shelves around them. He nearly dropped his armload as she grinned at him. What? She thinks that I am...sweet? Oh if Minvera could hear this...He bit back a chuckle at the image that thought elicited, and turned to her, his usual mask firmly in place.

"If you say so, Madame." he retorted coolly and moved towards a door that sat partially hidden by shelving behind his desk, opening it wordlessly and wandlessly.

"It's Miss, professor."

He glanced back at her as he stepped through the open doorway, his brow arched as if to say "and I should care why?", before he turned and strode briskly down the dark passageway, leaving her alone.

Rosearia

She frowned momentarily at his continued aloofness, And back to the brooding, sinister professor we all know and love...she thought sarcastically before she stepped warily into the inky blackness of the corridor he had gone down, listening intently for any sound of his presence. Hearing none, she cautiously entered the pitch-black passageway, her fingertips brushing against the wall to her left to guide her way. She walked for about 5 minutes down the gradually sloping pathway before she saw a rectangle of dim light ahead of her. She quickened her steps and finally popped her head into a dimly lit, immaculate room. The multiple tables were clean and glistening softly as if they were thoroughly polished, the countertops that lined the workspace were clean and orderly, with various cauldrons of many different sizes and materials sitting in rows of increasing size, from one no bigger than a teacup to one the size of a wine barrel. There were rows of shiny metal cups on one counter, all of equal size that held what appeared to be every kind of stirring rod ever made.

She scanned the room in awe, spotting the professor bent over a sink on the far side of the room, his outer robes discarded on a hook attached to the wall beside the wash basin. The sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, his dark mark standing out harshly against his skin. She didn't really notice that though, for she found that she couldn't drag her gaze from the way his surprisingly muscular shoulders strained against the fabric of the button down he sported. She noted that he had tied his shoulder length black hair back with a leather thong, and found herself thinking about how good his rear looked in his fitted trousers.

She blushed deeply when he turned and caught her staring at him from her spot in the doorway. Her eyes jumped to his angular face as he cleared his throat, and she was once again struck at how...handsome...he looked with his hair pulled away from his face. She blushed deeper as he arched that brow of his again.

"If you are quite finished staring like a dimwitted troll, would you please prepare for brewing? You will find a bar of soap next to the sink with hand towels in the cabinet below. I will gather the rest of the ingredients necessary to complete the first item while you wash up." He turned abruptly and entered what she assumed to be a storeroom next to the sink.

She took a deep breath before following his instructions. She attempted to roll her sleeves up, grunting in frustration when they were too tight to make it much farther than a centimeter or two back from her wrist. She extended her arms out in front of her with a jerk, and her sleeves snapped back before her elbows and she grinned in satisfaction. She washed her hands thoroughly and dried them with a small towel that she draped over the edge of the sink when she was finished. She turned away from the sink just as he reemerged from the storeroom, his arms piled high with various jars and linen herb bags. He walked to the nearest table balancing the haphazard heap expertly, depositing them in orderly rows faster than she would have thought possible. Impressed, she stepped nearer to observe him as he flicked the wand he slid from an invisible holster on his forearm, silently accio-ing a large pewter cauldron and long glass stirring rod. A burner rose from a compartment on the table and lit automatically, the cauldron floating gently down on top of it and filling halfway with water as he measured out ingredients into little bowls that-once filled-sat themselves in a row on the right side of the bubbling cauldron in what she assumed was the order in which they would be administered.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to work?" She jumped as he barked out suddenly. She clasped her hands in front of her skirt anxiously.

"Um, well, about that..." she blushed as he paused to gaze at her suspiciously. An eyebrow arched high as he straightened from his work to fully face her, his expression one of distrust.

"What is the matter? I thought you had only recently graduated from Beauxbatons. Last year wasn't it? Do they not teach Potions there, Apprentice DunBroch?" he asked condescendingly, folding his arms across his chest, sneering at her.

Beauxbatons? What is Beauxbatons? Another magical school? I thought Poppy said Hogwarts was the only wizarding school in Britain. She felt as if he was looking right through to her soul, and she averted her eyes as she tried to think of an appropriate excuse for her lack of skill.

Severus

Severus frowned as confusion swam briefly in her eyes when he mentioned the school Albus had said she attended and graduated from just last year, putting this strange girl's age at a mere 19. Still a child. His frown deepened when she looked away.

"You did attend Beauxbatons, didn't you?" he asked, studying her intently. Her bright eyes snapped up and she had an air of confidence as she replied.

"Yes, of course. I certainly didn't attend Hogwarts, so where else could I have gone?" she waved her hand as if to dismiss the subject.

He smirked at her, an idea popping into his head. "Well then, I am sure you know the steps and supplies necessary to brew the next item on our list. Pepper-up, if my memory serves." his tone turned diabolical as he saw the knuckles in her tightly clasped hands turn white, her face a mask of calm. "You can prepare it while I brew the Skele-grow." He simpered, pleased with himself as he turned back to prepping his ingredients. As he finished chopping the last herb and placed the correct portion into the remaining bowl about five minutes later, he glanced in her direction to see that she was still standing in the same place, appearing to be deep in thought, biting her bottom lip.

He spun towards her, causing her to startle. She released her bottom lip and he had to work hard not to stare at the slightly swollen pout. "What is the matter, Apprentice?" he widened his eyes in mock surprise. "Don't tell me you do not know how to brew one of the simplest potions!"

He grinned evilly as her face went red. "I do! It has just been so long since I read that book, I had to think for a moment before I could recall it."

"Uh-huh. Well then do you remember it now? Or do I have to brew every potion?" he replied nastily. The girl huffed softly, raising her chin indignantly.

"I assure you that I am capable of producing an adequate potion."

"Adequate? The children and staff deserve adequate?" he inquired coldly, "Apprentice DunBroch you will have to do better than merely mediocre to brew in my personal lab. I would expect that from my 1st and 2nd years, but not from an apprentice who is so highly spoke of."

Her eyes flared with that strange lightning of hers and she glared at him "There is no need for your continued hostility. Focus on your potion, sir, and I will focus on mine." She spun on her heel and gracefully stomped-if one could gracefully stomp-into his storeroom. He couldn't help himself, he waited a moment before he followed behind her silently, expecting her to be floundering in the midst of the hundreds of jars. Instead he found her standing in the middle of the shelves, jars and bags snapping to her as she raised her hand. Her head was bent reading the label on a vial of glittering mermaid tears and when she decided to discard that, she dropped it without a second thought. He nearly jumped to catch the expensive liquid when it zoomed to its spot on the shelf. His brows furrowed as he watched this happen with a multitude of things. She doesn't even think about it. It just happens. Things obey her without her slightest direction. He found himself wondering for the thousandth time who this girl was. He slipped back to his potion, automatically adding the ingredients as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

She emerged from the storage room with her arms full. She deposited the items on the table across from him, facing him. She stared at the table, running her hands over the surface as she tried to find out how to make the burner emerge. He grunted and flicked his wrist, the appliance rising instantly, followed by her grinning hugely at him. He rolled his eyes at her and scoffed before pretending to focus on his brewing. He continued studying her as she closed her eyes momentarily. She snapped them open a moment later and her brows pulled together in a look of concentration. He smirked to himself, confident that he had her stumped, when her hands started flying over the ingredients, fluidly measuring, chopping, and pouring. A cauldron similar to his appeared with a soft pop onto her burner as he stirred the nearly finished skele-grow.

"NO!" he snapped loudly. She gasped and jumped, dropping a glass jar of powdered bicorn horn and shattering it on the hard table.

"What?" she asked, frowning, scanning her table for anything amiss.

He swept over to her table and snarled "That cauldron will render the potion useless. This brew requires one made of iron not pewter. A first year would know that." He glared at her as she flicked her hand and the cauldron was replaced with the appropriate one. He flicked his wand, casting a stasis charm on the skele-grow and moved to stand beside her. She glanced up at him warily as he cleared the bicorn mess with another flick before he turned to face her again.

"Well then, it seems you require assistance after all. So, Miss DunBroch, what is the first ingredient?" he asked with a cumbersome sigh. He felt a strange warmth spread through him as she smiled up at him and rattled it off. What is happening to me?

Rosearia

They worked side by side for the remainder of the potion, Snape would ask her various questions and point out things she was doing wrong. He wasn't exactly nice, but he wasn't being a total wanker either. Honestly it was nice. Over the next few days they fell into an easy routine as they made the others, like they had been brewing potions together for ages. She would walk in at 6pm, right after dinner, and they would wash up together. He would ready the burner, cauldron, and rod while she would gather the ingredients. If there was one she missed he would silently accio it from the storeroom and show it to her, explaining why it was needed and its function. She listened intently, absorbing and learning quickly. She blushed when on the last day he moved behind her, guiding her hands to show her a better way to dice rat hearts for the blood replenisher. His warmth seeped into her and she leaned into him absently, his body engulfing hers. She felt happier with this dour man than she had in a long time.

Severus

He enjoyed the girl's company more than he allowed himself to admit. Being around her felt right. She made an affable companion and she gave off this warm glow that he found impossible to ignore. He found that her sweet demeanor and genial manner made it hard for his natural hostile attitude to rattle her, and eventually he didn't even want to. They were cordial with each other in and out of the lab. He didn't know what possessed him to wrap his arms around her when they were working on the last potion instead of just demonstrating the correct way to prepare the hearts, but he had to admit that she felt glorious. He stilled when she leaned back, pressing into him. She isn't pulling away...he thought incredulously as he lightly guided her small hands. When there was nothing else to chop he reluctantly released her, stepping back into his spot beside her. He shot a sideways glance at her as she sighed, and he was stunned to see that she appeared almost sad, as if she felt as bereft at the loss of him as he was of her. They worked in continued silence as they completed the last of the potions on the list. He had just sent the remaining ingredients back into the storeroom when she spoke.

"We have one more, it wasn't on the list, as Poppy told me afterwards, but it's the Ne Mučenje."

He tensed as she named the potion he knew Pomfrey only kept on hand for him. Did she tell her who it was for? He thought as she continued on.

"I couldn't believe that a school would require such a rare potion, especially since its only use is for the aftershocks that come with the Cruciatus curse. But she told me that she keeps it on hand for a specific person. Do you know who?" she asked curiously.

"No, and I do not approve of such childish things as gossip." he snapped "I will brew that one myself, you may go." He stared down at her coldly, shame filling him at the shock on her face.

"Severus..." she stepped towards him and touched his arm gently "What is wrong?"

He jerked his arm away and turned from the hurt that filled her eyes, putting his fists on the table. "Just leave. I am sure Madame Pomfrey requires your assistance by now"

"But I..." she trailed off and sighed, "As you wish. Goodnight, Professor Snape." He didn't turn around as he flicked his wrist, sending the filled vials after her as she left; another flick shut the door behind her.

He sighed, despair filling him. He couldn't let her know. She might have seen his mark, but she would shun him like everyone else if she saw the mazes of scars that marred his body. He was disgusting, inside and out. He shoved his feelings into that little black box deep in his mind, locked it, and slammed down his occlumency shields so he wouldn't have to feel anymore.