Chapter 9! Year 6. The first day of school, Snape and Lauren spend some quality time together. Interesting conversations are had, plans are made, and he realizes how much she's grown.

Very heavily focused on Snape's thoughts but also on their interaction. Next Chapter will be focused more on Lauren's.

I decided not to linger anymore on fifth year though there was a lot more I could have added, and to skip over the battle in the Department of Mysteries, though it will be talked about only slightly in this chapter. It was, I felt, a little too dark and heavy for this story but I have decided that, once this one is done I'll be doing one on a larger scale that focuses more upon the original plot and actions and will go more in depth with character interactions and the such.

Sorry if this chapter seems a little sudden or jarring because of that. I may go back and change things around, maybe insert another chapter between this one and the last, or I might add the battle and her reaction to it as a one shot, but for now I think I like this.

As always I'd like to thank PandaWong, SandyLovesKittens, XenaHades, nightworldangel, FonzFan, The Yoshinator, Isa'ralia Faradien and new story follower Lost Astronaut Of Apollo 11 who left a review that I very much appreciated. =3 I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and all the ones after it.


Chapter 9 – Little Miss Lovely

She had changed after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. It wasn't anything drastic, at least on the surface. Most people would not notice, did not notice. It was subtle, almost nonexistent in some aspects, but clear to anyone who knew her.

Severus had picked up on it right away. Shortly after she'd gone back to normal, for she had gone through something he suspected to be more than shock or a mental break down, that first day she was back in his class. He had noticed the clear vacancy in her eyes, not the dreamy look he associated with her day dreaming but a mirthless emptiness that made her green eyes glaze over.

It had disturbed him greatly and on several occasions he had questioned her, ordered her to tell him what was wrong but she never did, never could. Every inquiry was met with a confused and vacant gaze, as if the memory had been obliviated. A few times, when his prodding had gotten to be too much, she started to cry and would not stop for some time.

In these moments she had pleaded with him, begged him to understand, to understand and stay. She insisted that she didn't know anything, that she couldn't know anything and several times said that things were 'open.' He could find no sane meaning to this and she usually fell into babbling incoherencies afterwards, unable to articulate anything nearing intelligent.

When the summer came upon them she left him with a smile and the words "things are closing now."

He hoped it meant she was getting better, but he could not be sure. Every attempt to peek into her mind left him in mild pain. Whatever was there had been too scrambled and chaotic to sift thought and once, to his horror, something had thrown him out. Now he'd have to confirm her wellbeing today, the first, active, day of school.

At breakfast he had seen her, sitting at the Ravenclaw table and chatting animatedly with a group of friends, Ms. Lovegood and several first years included. From afar all seemed well with her and he was pleased, he only hoped that looks were not deceiving and that when she walked through the door of his new class room she would be the cheerful, bubbly young woman he had grown used to, had grown to care for.

He drummed his fingers lightly on the desk top as he waited, watching the door for the first arrivals to his sixth year Defense against the Dark Arts class. He couldn't say that he was excited to see them, but he was glad that he finally had the position he'd been vying for for the last five years. Maybe now he could teach those brats something useful.

The door creaked open and a mop of dusty brown hair came into his line of view. It was followed by a chocolate face dotted with freckles, smiling green eyes, and a grin. Close behind came a petite body, dressed in robes that miraculously fit, with waving hands.

"Professor!" she quipped excitedly, rushing into the room to stand before him. "Happy first day of school! How was your summer?"

He managed a slight, sarcastic smile. "Comparatively better than teaching first years."

She laughed and looked up at him fondly. "I suppose that's good."

"And how was your own?"

"Oh fine" she nodded. "Went to Italy, then Egypt, then New York, then came home for a while. Spent some time with my aunt, then my grandma, then went home again and lazed around… I missed you."

His eyebrows traveled upward. That was certainly new coming from a student, though he supposed she was a bit more than an average student. "Sounds riveting" he supplied. "Take a seat."

Other students were beginning to arrive and he thought it better to pick up any conversation later.

While she went to take a seat, front row, first seat to the left from the middle, he watched her. She had certainly grown and matured, in appearance at least, over the summer. There was an extra inch to her height, her hair was longer, just past her shoulder blades, and she'd taken to straightening it and keeping it down out of its usual pigtails. Her face was much the same, still round and soft, but those large, overly thick glasses had been replaced with a slightly smaller, square framed pair.

None of the changes were drastic but they did wonders in making her look less like a twelve-year-old and closer to the fifteen, two days from sixteen, that she actually was. It was a step away from her usual cute and towards the loveliness he knew she was growing into.

She smiled at him from her desk, eyes bright and alert, and he decided that she had, for the most part, gone back to normal, perhaps matured a bit in mind as well as body.

Class went by with no problems other than Potter being Potter, Granger being Granger, and Weasley being Weasley. When the bell rang they all vacated the room and went off to lunch, all but Lauren who had gotten used to being called to stay after class. He hadn't even had to do it, a nod before lecture started had sufficed.

Now she was standing in front of him all smiles and happiness and he conjured her usual chair.

"So" she beat him to the word "get up to anything interesting while I was gone?"

He folded his hands on the table top and thought about it. "I finished mulling over the book. It was always hard to find time to read with papers to grade. Your notes were, as usual, very interesting and…" another, barely there half smile quirked his lips "your letters were amusing, even the ones I read more than once."

She beamed at him. "I'm glad. I was a little worried they were kinda stupid."

He rolled his eyes. "Have more confidence in yourself you daft girl."

"Maybe I would if you'd stop calling me daft" she teased and he could hardly believe those words had come out of her mouth. Standing up to him was she? Interesting.

"I'll stop when you stop" he contended.

"I'll stop when you stop" she replied.

His brows rose up to hide under his hair and she began laughing.

"I missed you so much Professor!" she giggled. "I hardly got to see you before summer so it feels like it's been forever since we've talked."

"It's hardly been forever Ms. Dari" he said, shooting down her exaggeration. He was in good spirits though, to see she really was back to herself and that he had not been the only one to note the other's absence before and during the summer. "It is nice to see you again however."

She pushed at her bangs and rested her head on her open palm, gazing at him fondly. "Glad you think so" she told him happily. "Kinda sad you're not my potions professor anymore. Does that mean you won't still tutor me?"

"You do not like Slughorn?" A part of him wanted her to say no.

"I've only just met him" she laughed, though a part of her was saying no, "and he seems nice but…" she frowned and sat straight again. "He's not you."

Severus was sure his eyebrows were going to get stuck in his hairline with all the raising they were doing today.

"Most students would see that as a step up."

"I'm not most students." She said it with the same finality as he had in her third year when he'd let her know that he was not those other people she could easily lie to, not one of those people who would take her pathetic lies and excuses at face value. It surprised him a little and he nodded in response.

"No, you most certainly are not."

She smiled at him again, leaning back in her chair, looking victoriously smug. He would have laughed if he was anyone else because she had absolutely nothing to be smug about, but wasn't that her way? She found little victories in everything. It was one of her more endearing qualities and he was glad she kept it as she grew.

"You didn't answer my question by the by" she said after a moment of silence had passed between them.

"No I did not" he acknowledged. "Your first two periods are free, are they not?"

"Answering a question with a question? Not fair" she pouted, crossing her arms as she slumped in her chair. Oh good lord that pout. When would she stop with it? Why wouldn't she grow out of it?

"Did I ever agree to fair play?" His face was neutral but his tone was positively devilish. Did she detect a hint of teasing? Almost like Draco, only more subtle. Maybe it was a Slytherin thing? Her arms crossed over her chest and she frowned.

"Another question!" she gave him an exasperated sigh and he continued his solid stare. He was quite enjoying this little game, if it even was one. They had, a few times, engaged in talk like this, a forceful back and forth, but not in quite a while and not for too long. She usually backed down much faster and did not fall into further promptings. Despite his earlier jab it seemed she had gained some confidence and he had to wonder where from.

Their eyes met, onyx to green, held for a long, unblinking moment, then broke away as she looked down into her lap.

"No, you didn't and yes, they are." Ah, he'd won this round. How fun. But why then was he giving her a prize. Unsure, he still answered.

"My preparatory period is first, second I deal with the small, unwashed masses." She made a noise suspiciously close to a snort and he continued talking. "If you agree to be my assistant I suppose I could be bothered to bring my potions equipment and teach you a few times a week."

"I'm sure the firsties bathe Professor" she giggled again. "And I'd be happy to help with them but" she gave a sly smile and continued sarcastically "I'd hate to inconvenience you like that. Perhaps I should just leave you to grading all those papers on your own and stay out of your hair."

He shrugged "perhaps that would be the better course of action. Lest I have you smear their papers all over your face."

She made another noise he wasn't sure counted as human and blushed. So she did remember that part of her fevered fourth year night.

"I'll have you know I haven't fallen asleep on one of my papers in… more than two weeks!" she said it with a confidence the pathetic reply did not warrant and he gave her a gaze she thought might just be teasing. "Anyway, I know that nifty spell and, I suppose I could be bothered to grade a few papers and escort a few clumsy kids to Madam Pomfrey's every morning, as long as I'm getting compensated… Shall I start tomorrow?"

"Eager? "

"All the time" she grinned, pushing at the glasses slipping down her nose.

"Hm… I hope you will remember that tables are not a proper place to sleep." His gaze was practically devilish now too as he watched her from over his laced fingers. She pouted; face flushed as she crossed her arms again and looked away with an indignant huff.

"I had a fever okay!"

He laughed and if it hadn't been for the quiet in the room she wouldn't have heard it. It was a soft little noise, just a single 'ha' and he was done, but he had laughed. Professor Severus Snape had just laughed.

Obviously this was a sign of the apocalypse, but she couldn't be much bothered to care. All she could really do was stare at him with that same goofy smile she'd smiled Christmas of last year and think about how amazing the man in front of her was and how happy she was to be a part of his life.

It was weird that something as simple as a laugh could make her think that but, when he was someone who didn't laugh much, it really meant the world. It meant he was comfortable enough to let that slip free, to be at least a little happy around her, not apathetic.

He stared right back, amused by that smile, amazed by himself and her for penetrating his defenses and getting him to this point. Perhaps it was a little sad to say, but she was the closest thing he'd had to a friend in many, many years. And it wasn't because he'd sought her out as one either. If anything he had wanted distance from the little girl who so closely mirrored himself. He wanted to comfort her yes, to save her from a life of pain, but never in his plans had he foreseen this connection… whatever it was.

He had never planned to know her as a person, as a girl who loved sugar quills, who danced in the rain, sang in the windows, and carried a blanket in her bag. He did not know he would meet a girl who was afraid of the dark but who willingly held the hands of those walking at the edge of shadow and tried to lead them back to the light, who would follow a foolish boy faithfully into a battle they had nearly no chance of winning, plunge herself into that darkness she so feared for a friend. He had not expected to meet a girl who would admire and adore a bitter, cold, callous old man who so often made her cry and offered no apology for doing so.

He never thought he would know Lauren, had never imagined, but he was glad he did. Watching her grow and bloom into a wonderful young woman made him happy. It was a rare and beautiful feeling. Seeing that heart of hers touch the others he so worried for, and he did worry for them, but could not tell gave him comfort and hope, hope that things might end better than he thought.

His gaze dropped away from her face as he thought about that dark future he envisioned. Did she know about Draco? About the task he had, or about the vow Snape had made? He was sure she didn't, how would she? She was so innocent in all of this, there but not… She had only scratched the surface really… She could get out.

When he looked at her again a touch of sorrow filled his eyes. How much longer could this continue? How much longer could he keep himself in her light…? If he didn't pull away soon, if all of them didn't, she would be caught in the middle. The Dark Lord was unforgiving and one could not have two sides.

Her head tilted to the side in that peculiar way that had it nearly touching her shoulder and her mouth tugged down in a little frown. It was a dreadfully sweet, dreadfully sad expression that he wished she would stop making.

"Something wrong?" she asked, oblivious to his thoughts. "You look sad."

He took a deep breath and turned his eyes to the clock. There was only ten minutes left to lunch, he was hungry.

"Just a stray thought" he supplied. "We've nearly missed lunch. Shall I have a House Elf bring you something as well?"

"Ah" she looked at the clock, realized the time, and brought her head down onto the table top a bit forcefully.

"A terrible habit Ms. Dari" he observed while she muttered into the wood.

"Can I have a cheese sandwich and some chamomile?"

"Certainly."

For a little longer, just a little longer, he wanted to stay in this lovely, lovely light.


How'd I do? This chapter was really fun for me to write so I hope you all found it fun to read as well. Once again, I know it might be a touch sudden. If it is I'm sorry and would be happy to hear any suggestions on how to make this interaction slightly more gradual, if you think it needs to be.

As I'm typing this I'm starting to very strongly consider inserting the Department of Mysteries Chapter because it might explain some of this closeness a little better, but for now I'm not going to because, as I said before, it's a touch dark and as it sort of wanders into sketchy territory in respects to Lauren's integrity as a character. (That's my nice way of saying it might be a little sue-esque, or very depending on your personal definition of a sue)

If anyone thinks that that chapter would be beneficial to have though, let me know and I'll probably post it as either a one shot or an insert between this chapter and the last.

Also, if you have any questions, comments, or advice as to how I can get better, drop a review or pm! And if not, thanks for reading. Have a good day/night/other~