Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or place that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OCs are entirely my own.

Chapter 6: One Kind Word

"And for that despicable display of potion knowledge, a two-foot essay on Everlasting Elixirs are to be on my desk the day you return from your holidays." A groan rang throughout the potions' classroom, but with a glare from Severus, the fifth-year students quickly ducked their heads and silently began packing their bags.

"You are dismissed," Severus snarled, and with a deaf wave of his wand, sent the classroom door flying open. "All except you, Ms. Harrison."

All eyes turned towards the quiet brown-haired girl in the back of the room. A few of the Slytherin girls snickered and whispered to one another; for they had never seen Eva being held back by a teacher. Or barely acknowledged by a teacher for that matter.

With another glare from Severus, the remaining students bolted for the door. His dark eyes lingered on the entry way for a moment before slamming shut with another flick of his wand.

"Come," he whispered without even looking at the girl. He turned and headed for the door to the back of the room but paused before turning the knob. He knew the girl's footsteps were light, but with his keen sense of hearing, he knew she had not moved an inch. With a quick look over his shoulder, he confirmed that she indeed had not.

"Ms. Harrison…now," he growled lightly. The tone was enough to set the girl into motion. She quickly gathered her bag and hastily moved to follow the foreboding wizard into the next room.

Severus' office was much like him. It was dark and furnished with a mahogany desk and matching chairs. The fire in the hearth with barely burning and did not seem to emit enough heat to warm a body properly. The only color in the room was coming from the numerous bottles that walls behind his desk. Bottles ranging in all sizes and shape, filled to the brim with potions ingredients. Dusty tomes filled the remaining bookcases; all old and weathered looking.

'Sit,' he muttered as he moved quickly to his desk and place himself in his chair. Eva instantly moved across the stone floor to the leather padded chair and planted herself across from the potions master. Severus picked up his raven feathered quill and began scratching away at the parchment on his desk. The two sat in silence for a few moments, with only the sounds of the quill and the nearby tick of Severus' mantel clock to fill the void.

"Ms. Harrison," Severus said finally, as he finished with his writing. He glanced up to find her soft emerald green eyes watching him intently. Severus faltered for a moment, but not enough for her to notice. 'Merlin, why did they have to be green.' Severus cleared his throat and threw up his mental shields.

"I find myself in a bit of a predicament Ms. Harrison."

"Sir?" the word came out in such a small whisper, that Severus barely even caught it.

"Madam Pompfrey has become dangerously low on certain potions," he continued, acting as though he never heard her. "And with the cold and flu season upon us, she will require a great number of potions for when the rest of the students return to school."

"As such," he paused for a moment, eyeing the girl closely to see if she had already caught on. "I am in need of a capable student to assist me in refilling the stores over the hols."

"An assistant sir?" Eve asked quietly. He could see a small spark in her eyes; one that he had never seen before. Oh yes, she understood alright.

"I understand that you will be remaining at Hogwarts for the winter break, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Then Ms. Harrison, are you willing to assist me during that time?" Severus questioned with one raised brow.

"Me sir?"

"Honestly, Ms. Harrison, out of all of the students in this school you are the least likely one to burn my lab to the ground," Severus sneered at the thought. "And as such, you are the best candidate for the position."

The office went silent again, as Eva seemed to be processing the information. Her emerald eyes left his, casting downward in thought. But after a few moments Severus could not take the void anymore.

"Well, Ms. Harrison?" he asked impatiently. "What will it be?" Her eyes flashed up to his again, and there it was. The small spark had grown. He could see the hope behind those emeralds; the promise of being in a safe place. In a place where she could learn without her dormmates tormenting her. A place where she did not have to pretend to be invisible.

"I… I accept sir," Eva replied with a bit a confidence. It was the only time Severus had heard her speak in such a way. The Manchester accent thicker than ever, in those three little words.

"Very well," he nodded, before handing her the parchment he had been scribbling on. "This is a list of the upcoming potions we will be working on. Study them and make sure you understand every detail before arriving back here next Monday morning."

"Monday?" The spark he had seen dimmed.

'Of course,' he thought, it is a full week away. A full week for potential terror and abuse from her classmates. The other students would not be leaving until Sunday morning, and that meant Lamia would be prowling the halls with her cronies all week long.

"Until then," Severus continued, as he watched her eyes carefully. "You may use the lab to study and brush up on said potions. No physical brewing, but you may study the text and the stores in order to familiarize yourself with the location of the ingredients. I will meet you here, so you can be granted access to them during your free periods. Understood?"

"Yes sir," she replied. There… the spark had returned, and a small smile threatened to tug at her lips. It was a close to a smile that Severus had ever seen on her face.

"Very well," he said, as he grabbed another parchment and scribbled a quick note. "Give this note to Professor Babbling, to excuse your tardiness." He held out the small page between two fingers for her to take. Slowly she reached forward, brushing her fingertips against his, as she took it from his hand. Despite her frailness, they were warm to the touch, sending a small jolt through Severus' body.

'What the bloody hell was that?' he thought, as he let his hand drop quickly to the desktop. His reaction threw him off so much that his mental shields dropped, but only for a moment. Eva's eyes held his own, and it put him on edge. It was just like the day after Lily's death, when she had asked him if 'he was all.' Those damned eyes seemed to be staring right into his soul; trying to break through his mental barriers.

'Did she feel the jolt as well? Or just me?'

"Th…thank you sir," Eva stuttered over her words.

'That's new,' Severus thought, though his face did not portray his surprise.

"I assume I see you tonight after dinner then, Ms. Harrison?" Severus questioned with another raised brow.

"Yes sir."

"Very well," he replied, trying to remain as causal as possible, as he leaned back in his chair and rested his elbows on its' arms. "Then you best get along to your next class."

Eva nodded vigorously, and quickly rose from her seat. Severus watched as she scurried to the door, but with her hand on the knob, she paused.

Her small heart shaped face turned back towards his. The spark seemed to be brighter now, and there was a small tug at her lips again.

"Thank you, Professor Snape." And there was. Her lips finally broke into a quick, small smile before disappearing again. But it was enough time for Severus to see the difference in her face. It was the first time he had ever saw her happy, and he was the one to make her that way.

Severus blinked upon hearing the click of a lock.

She was gone.

'Did I black out?' Severus thought, as he did not even see her leave. What had gotten into him? What was this girl doing to his thoughts? He groaned and ran a hand across his face.

'Merlin help me.'

a/n: What? Who is this? Honestly, I cannot believe I am back either! A lot has happened since I have last written. Life has been full of ups (good jobs and YES, WE MADE IT TO LONDON!) and downs (the passing of my paternal grandfather, a close great-aunt, my husband's paternal and maternal grandmothers, and our 11-year-old fur-baby). And with the world the way it is now, I'm thankful every day that we still have our jobs and our health.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It's not as long as I'd like it to be, but we will be starting to see more of Severus and Eva's interacting now that she is to assist him. Hopefully I'll be able to get the creative juices flowing and type a couple more chapters out in the next month.

A big thank you to pennypotter128, Severus'forbiddenlove, Missyick, Xoloitzcuintle, Ella, DarkSunX, and DMLucas for their wonderful reviews! Those are what made me finally sit down and type this chapter.

And yes, I am slowly typing a new chapter for 'Forever Yours.' I promise!

Happy Reading, Happy Holidays and Stay Safe and Healthy. - FonzFan