AN: This chapter is a lot longer. It just kinda happened that way, but I'll be going back to my normal length. This is purely fluff because we are about to get to the third task and the return to Death Eater Snape and all the nastiness the return of Voldemort brings. Hope you enjoy this!

As always, thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts on this fic! It helps me become a better writer :) PS.. Sorry for the late update, I had finals last week :(

As is the nature with all things at Hogwarts, word of 'Penny's tampon vs Snape incident' spread like wildfire. Most people keeled over in laughter when they approached her and asked her if it was true that she taught Snape what to do with a tampon. No details were spared because apparently, her classmates had left their class to immediately disperse the play by play to all who'd listen.

Even Harry could not contain himself when she'd arrived from the dungeons from her fight with Snape. He did not notice her agitation and went straight into asking her what had possessed her. Even Ron, who seemed to be afraid to use the word 'tampon' (as though it were some bad word,) gave her a slap of approval on the back. Meanwhile, Hermione smiled approvingly and went on about how absurd it was that Snape had made her open the tampon and felt like his goal had been to purposefully shame her.

It wasn't until students pulled Penny aside to confess that what she did made them feel better about their periods that she realized how important the topic of periods were to many of her peers, who overwhelmingly felt ashamed of their hygiene products, carrying them like hand-grenades when racing to the bathroom. Others despaired to her about how expensive it was to purchase the products, and that they often had to ask others to share their supplies. Colin Creevey, a trans boy who was the president of the Magical and Trans club, which focused on supporting all of Hogwarts trans students as well as organized many events to bring awareness to trans experiences through some of Hogwarts favorite events, confided to Penny how difficult having a cycle was for him and his despair about the un-inclusive nature of all conversations about periods and advertisements of hygiene products were. Penny thought he summed the whole situation perfectly in his own words, "The world could do with less dunderheads who believe women are the only ones have periods, and I make it my mission to combat the ignorance!"

All of these conversations gave Penny an idea. So, on Saturday morning she got up early and made her way to Headmaster's office. She was not entirely sure that students were allowed to show up uninvited, but Penny figured it was worth a shot. And being as early in the morning as it was, she hoped Dumbledore would not already be doing something. However, she ran into a hiccup at the stone gargoyle. She did not know the password and all the random candy names she threw at the thing did not get it to budge. In her frustration, she kicked the gargoyle and said "I need to see the Headmaster, it's important!"

At this, the gargoyle sprang aside, allowing her entrance, Penny blinking.

"That actually worked?" she pondered out-loud.

"Certainly, Miss Potter, all those who ask, receive help at Hogwarts," Dumbledore's amused voice said from behind Penny.

She jumped about six feet and whirled around, startled.

"Headmaster, I was hoping to talk to you," she stuttered, feeling suddenly foolish beneath his blue gaze.

"I assumed as much, it must be pressing if you rose this early to find me," he smiled, gesturing that she should make her way up the stairs.

"I was hoping you wouldn't be busy yet if I arrived early," Penny said, apologetically, taking a seat at his desk.

"I must admit, as Headmaster I find I enjoy surprise visits from my students much more than the other tasks that accompany such a position. So let me thank you, you have so kindly given me the excuse that I am busy with you, and thus get to put off all those tasks which I wasn't looking forward to!" Dumbledore said pleasantly, interlocking his fingers and observing Penny through his half-moon spectacles.

Penny shifted uncomfortably, the man was a strange one and she never was sure what to make of him, but at least things were moving in the direction she wanted them.

"So please, tell me what you kicked a thousand-year old gargoyle to tell me," Dumbledore continued, blues eyes glinting.

"Erm, glad to be of help. You see, sir, I came here because of an, err, something happened in class on Friday that. . .uhh brought up periods. . ." Penny began, awkwardly, realizing she had not spent any time thinking about how she would frame her argument. Describing what had occurred in Potions proved much more difficult than she anticipated, she hardly describe how she whipped out her tampon and berated Snape to the Headmaster, but how else was she going to transition into her peers' needs?

"Ah yes, the infamous tampon story, Minerva told me just last night that the students were abuzz because you had taken it upon yourself to explain the function of a tampon to Professor Snape. I told her, it goes to show even teachers are never done learning. Though I am somewhat bemused how Professor Snape has gone this many years of his life not learning this particular lesson," Dumbledore offered kindly, saving Penny from her floundering.

"Well said Professor, but you see, I have to argue that learning is not enough, and Professor Snape's. . .ignorance?" Penny said, her infection indicating his uncertainty if Professor Dumbledore would scold her, but he said nothing, allowing the silence to encourage her to continue. "made me realize that the school is not doing enough, well anything really, for its menstruating students. They carry a disproportionate burden and the topic is often stigmatized, creating feelings of shame about normal bodily functions," Penny said, ploughing onward.

Perhaps disagreeing with the Headmaster, calling Snape ignorant and saying the school was failing its students was not the best way to start her argument, which Penny realized too late. She bit the inside of her lip as she studied the Headmaster's face, who startled her with the intensity with which he was listening to her. He waited patiently for more, spurring Penny to finish her thought.

"I came here to ask you to make hygiene products freely available to all students, " Penny finished, lamely.

"A well supported request, I understand why Professor Snape likes to describe you as 'a rhino that charges first and thinks later'" said Dumbledore, looking rather impressed with himself.

Penny had to forcefully stop herself from glowering. She was certain that Snape in no way meant that as a compliment, but she felt it would be unkind to inform the Headmaster of this. So she opted for an awkward half smile instead.

"So where do you propose to keep these supplies, the Hospital Wing?"

"No sir, I believe going to the Hospital Wing could be a large inconvenience and infringe on the privacy of students, possibly preventing them from utilizing the resource. I believe every bathroom in Hogwarts should contain hygiene options so all menstruating people, including the trans community, in this school can have access to what they need," Penny replied.

"It's settled. Another wonderful contribution I have witnessed to the betterment of Hogwarts, and here Professor Trealawney tried to tell me this morning when I went to visit her, that I was to have a dreadful day. I am only embarrassed I did not perceive this need sooner, but will put it into action as soon as we're through here," he said, clapping his hands together as though it was decided. Then he reached gingerly for a small piece of parchment which he began scrawling a large looping note upon.

He only looked up when a soft knock at the door alerted them to a visitor. Penny looked around to see who entered as Dumbledore said, "Come in." She stared as the last person she wanted to see stepped through the threshold.

"Ah Severus, thank you for coming, I know how you like to sleep in on the weekends."

Snape gave Dumbledore a stiff nod and glanced at Penny who quickly turned back around to face the window.

"Please sit," Dumbledore said.

Snape did no such thing, but took up residence behind Dumbledore, leaning against the window frame with his arms crossed and his lips a thin line. He really did not look like much of a morning person. His hair was slightly disarrayed and his eyes were heavier than usual. It was like the man hadn't slept at all. The idea he might have been up all night because of their fight nearly made Penny snort in derision. Like Snape even knew what remorse felt like. From his position at the window, he was given the leisure to study her without excuse, forcing Penny to advert her eyes forcefully

"You'll forgive me Penny, I asked Professor Snape here because I was actually hoping to speak with you today. You can imagine the happy coincidence it was when you showed up accosting my door," Dumbledore continued with a smile, as though he did not notice the tension between student and pupil. "The tale of your tampon made it to the ears of the Daily Prophet, they remembered that brilliant essay you wrote for them and asked if they could interview you for an another piece on the controversy over how research in potions on the dealing with menstruation and symptoms lost funding because the Minister deemed it 'unnecessary work'" said Dumbledore.

Behind him, Snape's jaw clenched in irritation, a sight that brought Penny much satisfaction.

"Really, Professor! I'm aware of the situation and think it's absolutely appalling that the only draught currently on offer is the 'woman's curse.' I know the naming is archaic, but even worse are the side effects. Not only is it nearly impossible to drink, but the drinker actually sprouts antlers for up to a week after administering, which apparently the inventors thought was a necessary condition because they believed it was better for society if everyone was aware when someone was menstruating!" Penny fumed.

"I knew I was correct in telling them you were uniquely qualified for this piece," Dumbledore smiled, turning to Severus with a glint in his eyes. Severus look disgusted by the man, but remained determinedly silent.

"As you may be wondering, I asked you here, Severus because Miss Potter will need an escort into London today. I remember you saying just the other day how you'd love an excuse to, what was it? Oh yes, 'get away from the wretched brats.' The interviewer will be in the Mammoth Mouth Cafe in South London at noon today, which I believe you are familiar with?"

All of Penny's excitement dissipated as she looked up angrily , her eyes flashing to her Potions Master, who was eyeing her carefully, his mouth twisting into a horrific smile. Why today! On any normal day Snape would complain about being a 'babysitter', but not this day, no, it was evident by the look on his face that the prospect of irritating her was precisely what he wanted to do with his day.

"How good of you to assume I had no plans today, Headmaster. If you require it of me, I can hardly decline," Snape said delicately, inclining his head slightly.

Why hadn't Penny seen this coming sooner. Did the Headmaster know they were fighting? The crazy old man always knew too much, so it wasn't unreasonable to suspect he was trying to torture Penny into talking to Snape. What better way than to force her into hours beside him on public transport.

Penny's eyes narrowed as she sunk into despair, Snape moving through the fireplace to change and retrieve some items before their departure. Dumbledore accepted Penny's cloak and offered her a puffy pink muggle jacket in its place, which he found in the 'lost and found' cupboard in his office. Apparently, nobody had claimed this garment in over a year, so he did not feel its owner would miss it if Penny took it.

She merely nodded, dreading the moment Snape would return, which came much too soon. Penny had to do a double take, uncertain the man before her was actually her surly Potions Master. His normal batsuit had been replaced with some bizarrely cool muggle clothing. Something most wizards could not get right. He wore a white t-shirt and a light suede jacket in black, paired with black slacks. What was most shocking and sent Penny's mouth a-gape was the Potions Master's hair. The curtain of doom was pulled back into a neat, stylish low ponytail, showing a much sharper jawline than Penny ever realized he had. If Penny were not annoyed and did not know better, she would believe she was looking at a male model. He caught her staring at him in bewilderment, and raised his eyebrows at her, forcing Penny to look away, mortified. This was clearly a new tactic of his, but whether he looked good or not, Penny could not let her guard down, she was after all, still furious with the man.

Silence spanned the distance between them as they walked through the quiet castle full of sleepy people. When they entered the grounds the morning light was peaking over the Forbidden Forest, dancing over the dew clinging to the ends of the grass. They sparkled prettily, causing Penny to realize she'd never taken a walk on the grounds this early before. The loud chattering of birds and the pleasant chill felt so much different than the blaze of midday when most students had a free period to spend outside. But at this time, just after dawn, it felt as though the grounds were whispering secrets, returning that which only comes out when no one is looking to their hiding places.

Snape stopped before Penny and looked down his hooked nose at her, startling her yet again with how put together he looked. She pulled herself together and crossed her arms in juvenile defiance.

"We'll be taking the train to London station, the carriage should be here momentarily. And then we will take the underground, I assume you know what the underground is, considering your upbringing," he said, stressing the word as though doing so made him sound less offensive.

"It's a train, not a machine that will turn you into a muggle, so chill those prejudice Death-Eater-vibes," Penny said, lazily, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Is poor popular Penny unhappy? But you're about to have your face blown up on every wizarding family table, is that not all you've ever aspired to?" Snape said, sardonically, not looking remotely irritated by her jab.

In fact, in a flex of his composure, he removed his jacket, exposing the bare arms beneath. Penny's eyes nearly bulged from her head, Severus Snape never wore short sleeves, not even on the hottest June or September days. Yet, here he stood before her, unperturbed by the exposed, pale skin of his arm that goosebumps spread-across.

It was possibly more irritating than if he'd chastised her, how dare he remain unaffected by her snark, did he not know she was mad, and he should have the decency of doing what he normally did and allow her to get angrier. This had to be a new tactic of his, perhaps he'd read in a book somewhere about reverse psychology and wanted to try it to get her to relent, but Penny would not be fooled, or beguiled by his change in appearance.

"Perhaps they'll ask for your picture too, 'The Hogwarts Professor Who Played With Potions Prodigy's Tampon'" Penny said, imagining the headline with a smirk.

"Potions prodigy? But clearly your natural inclination for elaboration and lying points to a successful future in journalism," Snape said dryly.

"Maybe, potions feels a bit stifling these days," Penny replied, sourly, moving away from the man toward the horseless-carriage slowing to a halt.

To Penny's horror, Snape took the seat beside her, his much taller and broader frame pressing against her own.

"There is a seat open there," she pointed, furiously.

"Clearly," Snape said.

"Then why don't you, you know, move," Penny said, incredulously.

"I'm not inclined to spend the ride being forced to look upon that atrocious jacket of yours," he said, looking down at her as though the answer were obvious.

"It's not my jacket! Dumbledore gave it to me, he said it looked nice," Penny mumbled, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"A blind man would say that, but by all means, if you're uncomfortable feel free to move," Snape smirked, watching her features contort in anger.

He knew what he was doing, he knew Penny's weaknesses too well and how she found it impossible to back down. Like hell she would let him force her to move. No, she would bear it, which was a nightmare all on its own because there was not very much space and the path bounced Penny more than she had ever noticed when she rode squished beside Harry. Penny was much too aware of the distance, or rather, lack-thereof, between her and Snape. Furthermore, the stupid electricity that emanated from Snape had the strange affect of causing Penny to feel unnaturally relaxed when she remained connected to it for so long. Furthermore, it seemed to act as a magent, causing her to subconsciously inch closer to Snape.

Before she realized it, Penny was leaning into him, her shoulder resting against his frame, the tingling blurring her focus and consciousness of the situation. Snape only peered curiously at her once from the corner of his eye, but Penny was too overcome with the amount of points of connection that she had not realized the change in her demeanor. It was like every part of her body had been super charged, as though bursting with tension, and when connected with Snape her atoms could finally stretch and release all that unnecessary stress.

It wasn't until they hit a particularly large bump that Penny was jarred, to her horror, from her stupor and instinctively recoiled from the man, wrapping her arms around herself as though protecting them from him, squishing herself against the window.

Obviously, none of this was done gracefully, and there was no way Snape hadn't noticed, but Penny did not care. This was a battle of wills, she had no time to be embarrassed about her lack of subtly. Penny would not give him the satisfaction of breaking her.

When they arrived at the train she ran away like a child fleeing their angry parent, selected a compartment and promptly locked the door. With a sigh of relief she collapsed against the window, but could not relax long because the door slid open, Snape stepping inside nonchalantly.

"How'd you do that!" Penny cried.

"Ms. Potter, are you asking me how I opened a door?" said Snape, condescendingly, sitting down beside her, yet again.

"Don't play dumb, you're terrible at it."

"Please feel free to give me some pointers, seeing as it's your natural state," he said, cooly.

"I realize you were raised in a different era " Penny said, stressing the word with a raise of her brows, "but these days putting down girls, especially, young impressionable ones you are paid to support and encourage, is seen as a product of toxic masculinity. What was it for you, Professor, did your dad leave you so you blamed your mom?" Penny jabbed as she scooted further away from Snape, who was exhibiting classic male behavior by sitting in the middle of the seat, leaving almost no personal space for Penny.

"My mother refused to leave my father. That decision turned out to be the death of her," Snape said, his voice even, though he did not meet Penny's gaze and instead busied himself with pulling out his wand, fabricating a book and flipping to the page he was looking for.

Penny's jaw dropped, uncertain if he was being sarcastic or not, but she found no indication on his face. Of course he wanted to open up about his experiences now. But Penny would remain unswayed, she'd read enough young adult fiction to know better than to accept his sudden willingness to have feelings. His choice to be nice today did not change his cruelty from the other. So Penny turned away from him and watched the pretty landscape race by as they drew nearer to London.

The London station was loud and full of people whom Penny watched like a lost child in a mall. There was so much noise, so many movements and so much going on that it was hard to focus or to feel orientated. Thankfully, Snape's hand took a hold of her wrist and pulled her through busy streets. All Penny could manage was to watch shops go by, tripping over herself to keep up with his pace.

When he finally slowed, it was to pull open the door to a small, rundown cafe. Outside the door were several tweekers apparently having the time of their life. Inside, was a half dozen, mismatching tables with plastic chairs set as each one. Snape forced her into a chair towards the back where she could not see out the window, but could smell the wonderful scent of fresh baked bread wafting from the kitchens.

Why on earth had he chosen this place out of all places, Penny wondered, peering down at the chipped tile floor beneath her. She looked up only when Snape set down a drink in front of her. It was one of those thick white mugs one always saw in American movies set in those weird American diners that never close. Within it was a huge heap of whipped cream topped with colorful sprinkles that reminded Penny of when she was five and always begged her aunt to allow her to put the sprinkles on Dudley's milkshakes, of which her and Harry were never allowed to partake.

Sometimes, Dudley would be too full from all of the other seventy snacks he'd had all day and Penny and Harry, after being told to clean the kitchen by Aunt Petunia, would share what was left by Dudley. Harry always let Penny have the sprinkles. It was one of those things that tasted even better because they knew if they were caught Uncle Vernon would throw them in the cupboard with no food for a week. But as their identical green eyes met, they knew the rebellion was worth it, those few sips of chocolate brought giggles to them for days, and they often reminisced about them when they were uncomfortably hungry, squished together in their little cupboard under the stairs, trying to go to sleep.

Penny looked up and glanced at the man behind the counter waving and smiling at her with a smile that was missing two teeth. He was bald, his long beard white, and Penny was inclined to believe he was once one of those tweekers sitting out the front, but he smiled with a vivacious joy that shocked Penny to her core. He'd poured those sprinkles on her hot chocolate in hopes to make her day a little bit better, and Penny found herself smiling back at him for it.

When she turned away she found Snape watching her unapologetically, his pointer finger tracing the outline of his mouth and a mug of black coffee steaming beneath him. He said nothing, but his eyes did not flash away from her when she caught him, instead black held green. His still had not returned his jacket, his dark mark exposed to the world like it were an everyday tattoo. Was this just another way for Snape to assert his authority, or was this a gesture of something else. Penny couldn't help but think back to the first time he'd shown it to her and the fear she'd noticed hiding behind his eyes. There was still fear now, but it was a different kind, the kind of fear one feels when they acknowledge how few days they are given to live this life, a fear that makes you hold onto things tighter and look a a little bit longer so as to not forget what someone looks like in the here and now.

How long they stared at each-other, lost in silent thoughts, Penny did not know, but a young woman with frizzy brown hair laying two plates between them, brought them back to reality. She didn't say a word, just looked between them, raising a colored-in eyebrow.

It was Penny who looked away first to acknowledge her hunger. Before her was a spectacular looking vegetable sandwich. Ig prompted her to glance at Snape's plate, which was obviously pastrami. Had he really taken the time to know? Perhaps he'd just guessed, but Penny could not shake the suspicion that he'd ordered her the vegetarian option on purpose, like he understood and knew about her struggles since returning from the Ministry. He had seen the memory, so it would not be unusual, it was just oddly thoughtful, too thoughtful for a man Penny had set her heart on ignoring. He was infuriatingly frustrating. Penny had opened herself to him, more so than she'd intended, and her heart still hurt from the bruise he'd left on it.

Did Snape just not like feeling guilty? Or did he genuinely regret what he'd done? Penny had no way of knowing, and still did not feel inclined to force some resolution. Something inside her was unable to snap back this time, it was too hard to move past, so she ate in silence, something Snape was not about to let her do in peace.

"Ms. Potter, this isn't a race, try taking a breath," he finally said, fixing her with a look of disgust.

"Clearly you have never been forced to eat across from yourself," Penny scowled. It might not be a race, but Penny wanted to race away from the situation before what she knew was coming, arrived.

"I see, prefer those teenage slobs, do you? Can't quite get comfortable with someone who uses utensils, can you? I assure you, I won't tell on you for acting like a normal human being, just this once" Snape said with an eye roll.

"Utensils? Try can't quite get comfortable with a bipolar man hell bent on destroying anyone who dares try to open up, like a normal human being, to him," Penny replied, savagely.

"Is that so? You have my full attention now, feel free to 'open up,'' he said, calling Penny's bluff and starling her with his sudden willingness.

He leaned forward and rested his chin on his interlaced fingers, his eyes wide with his challenge, flustering Penny.

"N-no" she said simply.

"Why not?" Snape said, eyes narrowing.

"No is a complete sentence!"

"Well I'd like another sentence, since when does Penny Potter not have a further argument," he drawled, trying hard not to roll his eyes.

"What you'd like is not my problem. I have enough problems on my own as is and am thoroughly disincentivized to care about yours," Penny snapped, sliding her chair away from the table, as though putting distance between them might protect her from his attempt to expose her hurting heart.

She wanted to flee but she remembered they weren't in the potions classroom and there were witnesses to her dramatic outbursts, not to mention she did not much fancy wandering London by herself, she was not much of a city girl. So she stopped, her chair an awkward amount of distance from the table.

"Unfortunately for you, my problem is one and the same as yours, and what I'd gathered from your feminist lectures all these years is you prefer not having things dictated to you, but please correct me if I'm wrong," he said pressed, his lips twitching at the corners.

"I-uh-" Penny started, stumbling over her words as well as her thoughts. She took a deep breath to stead herself and then plunged on, "You don't get to stomp all over my feelings and then expect me to jump when you say go! It's too little too late. I tried, so many times, and for what? You've been so insistent all these years that you wanted me to leave you alone, well here you go, you've got what you wished for, enjoy!" Penny said through clenched teeth, snatching the empty dishes from the table and marching them over to the dish rack to shove them more forcefully into it than was necessary.

When she turned around Snape was gone, and for a moment Penny feared he'd left her, but found him waiting just outside the door when she stormed through it. He did not look at her, his features characteristically dark again. Penny's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at his hair, which was no longer in a neat pony anymore, but hanging as the dark curtains she was used to seeing on her Potions Master. It blew prettily in the wind, and Penny wondered why he'd let it down again.

The two of them walked with an absurd amount of distance between each other through the less crowded streets towards the Mammoth Mouth Cafe.

"I'll be back in an hour, do not leave these premises until I return," he said coldly, shoving a handful of shillings into Penny's hands. She did not have time to object or protest before he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd. Inside, Penny found Luo Qi, a pretty witch with a sharp jaw and severe eyebrows. Her intensity intrigued Penny, and the two of them had a lovely discussion over two butterbeers.

Luo Qi had been working for a while on her story, searching for the right angle to publish it so it would not be discounted as 'irrelevant.' When she heard Penny's story from her niece, Fei Weirui, she became convinced that this story was exactly the vehicle she needed to garner interest. Audiences loved a sassy young student, and Severus Snape had rather a bit of a reputation that made the story more compelling.

Penny gladly spoke about what transpired that day, emphasizing specifically how her classmates had confided their experiences with her, and how Dumbledore had agreed to her idea about putting hygiene products in all bathrooms in Hogwarts. Luo Qi and Penny were having such a good conversation that Penny had to force herself away from the witch when she became conscious it was 20 minutes past the hour Snape had given her. Luo Qi took her details and promised to send Penny the first copy. They left together, the witch giving Penny a hug when they made it outside. Giving her thanks, Penny noticed that Luo Qi was eyeing something approvingly and followed her gaze to Snape, who was leaning against a wall several feet from them, his arms crossed, eyeing Penny with evident impatience.

"Is he with you?" Luo Qi asked, intrigued.

"He's my professor," Penny said, uncertain how she was supposed to respond to this woman shamelessly checking Snape out.

"Maybe I need to go back to school, they didn't have professors like that in China," she laughed before giving Penny a last squeeze on the shoulder.

Utterly disturbed by what she'd just witnessed, Penny turned to critically observe Snape. She'd never spent a lot of time thinking about his looks, she was mostly preoccupied with arguing with him. Looking at him now, his hair blowing in the wind, dressed in something other than that awful batsuit of his (as students referred to it as,) the disagreeable, foreboding feel of Snape was actually notably missing. And. . .Penny squinted, staring shamelessly at the man's chest, though he was tall and slender, the t-shirt hugging his frame definitely outlined a nicely muscular chest.

Then Penny's eyes trailed to his face, which she always liked looking at, though it seemed a bit redder than usual. That's when she realized he was watching her, flabbergasted by her blatant display, his face incredulously red.

"What? Don't look so scandalized you didn't mind that woman having the hots for you. Anyways, I was checking you out for purely academic reasons to determine what it was that she saw," Penny shrugged, unashamed "You're no Lupin, but I've concluded you might be single for. . .other reasons. . ." Penny pondered out loud.

She was just so used to hearing Harry and Ron speaking about Snape as a "greasy git", and to their benefit, she'd certainly never heard of a student 'crushing on Snape' (what a terrifying prospect.) So she'd just assumed he was single for those reasons, but now that she'd seen he was capable of being something other than the surly Potions Master, it dawned on her maybe there might be another reason he was single, of his choosing.

Penny didn't get the chance to ask because Snape was upon her and dragging her by her wrist before she could respond. She quietly wondered when someone would stop him and ask him why he was manhandling her, but no one ever did. And Snape just continued on winding through the streets with his intense purpose. She was out of breath by the time they reached their destination.

Snape handed her a ticket and led her onto a waiting ferry. The sun had finally burned off the clouds and the water was still. Unable to contain her excitement, Penny leapt onto the boat and made her way to the top deck, determined to watch their entire journey from there. She'd only ever been on the boat that took her across the Black Lake her first year at Hogwarts.

The water rippled past them as the engine rumbled and propelled them forward. Snape stood nearby, but just far enough that neither of them felt compelled to make conversation. It wasn't until they boarded a train and Penny noticed that everything was written in French that she turned to Snape, "Where are we?"

He was standing beside her, his eyes moving lazily to her face, which was closer than usual due to the amount of people crammed in beside them.

"Paris," he said quietly.

"Why are we in Paris?" Penny said, suspiciously, trying to hide her utter amazement. She could not let the man know his decision brought her any amount of happiness.

"Because this is my Saturday as much as it is yours," said Snape, turning away from her again.

When they exited the train they found a marvelous market lining the street, which Snape all but dragged Penny away from kicking and screaming, after a vendor nearly robbed her of her jacket in exchange for 'fake crystal' (according to Snape) that Penny had been convinced by the vendor would give her good luck if she rotated it in her palm three times a day. Snape dragged her past all of the delicious smelling food and pretty accessories, finally stopping when they reached the Eiffel Tower.

People chattered all around them in all sorts of different languages. Lovers kissed on patterned blankets and silly tourists were trying to take photos with the tower. Penny found herself only able to plop down in the grass in exhaustion, looking all around herself in awe. No one was going to believe that she took a day trip with Severus Snape to Paris! Not that she was sure she even wanted to tell anyone.

After a few minutes of ogling, Penny looked around for Snape, who took a seat beside her. He handed her a water bottle which she guzzled, and passed her a box full french delectables that made Penny's mouth water. She didn't want to look too eager, so she took a cookie, and watched the absurd scene before her. A muggle-dressed Snape, eating shaved ice that looked to be flavored with Strawberry, sneering at a couple who clearly needed a room and were on the verge of losing their clothing. He mumbled something under his breath and the two sprang up yelling about bee's before running away. Penny had to turn away and choke down laughter and disbelief.

When she calmed herself, she laid back on her elbows, 'ignoring' the cookies while wishing she had the entire box stuffed in her mouth. It was horrendously hard, seeing as the one she'd tried was the best thing she'd ever tasted. Snape looked at the full box and then down at her with narrowed eyes.

"If they're not to your liking, I'll toss them," he said in a velvety voice, testing her resolve.

"No!" Penny said, too quickly, causing Snape to smirk.

"W-wouldn't want them to go to waste," Penny said in a feeble attempt to retain her dignity, but the effort was rendered useless because she snatched the box from the ground and cradled it in her lap, fearful Snape might feel vindictive enough to actually throw them away.

"Why would you of all people want to come to the city of love? Aren't you allergic to happiness and emotions?" Penny said, unable to hide her condescension.

She glanced tentatively at him, wondering if he thought her rude and would continue ignoring her. He spent so much time contemplating her question Penny concluded he decided on his signature 'no answer.'

"A potion's color, hue and consistency must always come out exactly the same no matter who brews it. These people. . .are bound by no such expectation," Snape said, unable to hide the bitterness from his voice.

His words hit too close to Penny's bruised heart. She knew she should say something, but she couldn't, so she laid back and closed her eyes against the bright, Paris sun, his words looping through her mind like a CD on repeat. Penny tried to ponder what he meant by them, but the warm sun and cool breeze called her into unconsciousness. . .

Penny hadn't meant to fall asleep and wasn't sure she was even awake yet, but she became suddenly aware of strong arms that held her legs and how her face was pressed against silky hair that smelled of bergamot. Through her bleary eyes, Penny saw, over Snape's shoulder, that the streets before them were dark. She didn't know how he got her onto his back or how long he'd been carrying her, and it was hard to determine where they were because Penny still felt the weight of her grogginess calling her back to sleep.

"Go back to sleep, we aren't at Hogwarts yet," Snape said, sensing a change in her.

"No, I'm supposed to be mad at you, you hurt my feelings, put me down so I can walk," Penny said, groggily, her head lulling back onto his shoulder.

"You can continue your crusade tomorrow."

"But then you won't believe that it hurts. . ." Penny mumbled, her dream state glazing over her consciousness.

"I assure you I believe it enough to wish I hadn't done it. . ." Snape said softly, "Just. . .let me try again. . ." he added, but Penny's frame was limp before he finished the sentence, lost to a the many silly dreams that filled the bright girl's head and spilled out of her like a cascade, washing over Snape like a refreshing ocean wave.

Though Snape knew that their day together could not fix what he'd done, he found a desperate comfort in the relaxed girl on his back, who's thoughts were so undeservingly open to him. He'd made the same mistake twice, even though he swore he wouldn't, but Penny was still here, breathing rhythmically like some angel on his back. Not even the walls of her mind separated them, she had not completely shut him out, though her scowling face would like to pretend as much. It gave Snape hope. Penny had not slipped from his grasp; she had not gone where he could not reach her. . .

This time, he would hold on-for her sake.