*10*
Minerva McGonagall was still glaring daggers at Snape at breakfast the next morning and things between them did not improve until lunch.
"You know, Severus," the witch growled, "I've got used to you attacking Potter at every opportunity and part of me – unlikely as it may be – understands you. I know the history of yourself and the Potter family. But what you did to Lavender Brown yesterday was low, even by your standards. It took me more than an hour today to get her to leave bed." She pointed down at the Gryffindor table where the blonde was picking at her food, obviously trying to become invisible.
"Isn't she old enough for a proper notice me not charm if she doesn't want to be seen?"
It was the wrong thing to ask because McGonagall got up and left the table after accidentally – if she had tried to climb over the table the movement had been more believable – knocking a full jug of pumpkin juice over and leaving Snape soaked in the orange liquid. It was clear, Snape had to do something to get back into her good book.
The opportunity arose only little later, when Snape had double potions with the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins. The potions master forewent his usual fun of creeping up at the Gryffindors from behind when their brewing was in a crucial state and stayed at the front of the classroom unless a student called for his help.
Everybody seemed to be happy about this new behaviour; the Gryffindors, because they were left alone, and the Slytherins, because they could ask their fill and he actually had time to answer their questions.
Draco Malfoy – Snape was tempted to take points for showing up with cat hair on his school uniform, but the boy was a Slytherin – even discussed some minor changes in the recipe with Snape. The potions master was pleased. Only few witches and wizards understood the fine art of potion making well enough to even think of daring to change a recipe. It turned out that Draco was one of those few who could change a brew to even better fit its purpose.
At the end of the lesson Snape stalked to the Gryffindor side of the classroom to look at the students' potions. He grudgingly praised Granger for her work, acknowledged that Weasley and Potter had produced potions that might not poison the drinker so fast that medical personal had no chance to arrive in time. Even Longbottom's cauldron held a liquid that had the right colour if not the right tone.
"Longbottom! Do miracles never cease?" Snape cried. "After waiting more than six years I finally witness you not only leave your cauldron intact, but brew an acceptable potion!" He rummaged in his pocket. "Here, boy, open a window. This may very well be the only time in your entire school carreer that you do well enough in here to earn a reward. We'd better not let it pass."
The Longbottom boy opened the window with trembling hands. "Oh," he cried excitedly, "this is holly!" He beamed at having got the picture of a plant. "It's a highly useful plant. You can make wands of the wood, but the leaves are highly useful for potions!" He cried out in pain when a big twig of the plant appeared in his hands.
"And it stings," Malfoy drawled from the other side of the classroom.
Longbottom tried to save his hands from more damage and before Snape could do anything the holly had landed in the boy's cauldron.
"Duck and hide!" cried Snape. He took Longbottom down when he dove under the boy's worktable. Scrambling sounds told that the class was obeying without question. Snape growled when he found himself nose to nose with Harry Potter who had chosen the same table as a hiding place. In spite of his intention to make his peace with the boy's head of house, Snape could not overcome the temptation to purse his lips as if he was going to kiss Potter. He laughed when the boy scrambled away with a little shriek.
Then it came. The holly needed only a few seconds to react with the potion they had made – Snape hoped dearly that everybody was tucked away safely under a piece of furniture – and blow it up spectacularly. There was a bang and then the sound of Longbottom's potion splattering back to the ground.
"Wands out!" cried Snape. "Banish every single drop of potion you find! Don't touch it! Banish also your own brews, we can't know whether some of Longbottom's has fallen into your cauldrons!"
"I'm sorry, Sir," Longbottom piped from behind Snape.
The potions master sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, this time it was not your fault." He scrambled out of his hiding place to help the students clean up the mess.