Severus Snape rose early in the morning, looking again at the map as he cast the spell that showed two of his charges rather conspicuously missing from Hogwarts. Well, at least it was Minerva's job to make excuses for Potter. Snape would simply have told the world to go hang if he had to invent lies to explain why Harry Potter was Missing from Hogwarts.
His bags were mostly packed, though he tripled the number of healing potions (including truth serum, one never knew when it would be essential to know exactly which poison had been used), and carefully put in a few of the Weasley's confiscated potions. Far be it for a Potions Master to say it aloud, but they were inventive. And a useful potion was worth carrying, regardless of the source.
He checked over his bags one last time, a habit that he'd never been quite able to break. One didn't always have the chance to go back again, so he figured he'd best have what he needed.
Severus Snape stopped, and carefully pulled out an old stone from the wall, pulling out a small stash of muggle currency. He was fully capable of acquiring most of his needs through deft manipulation or outright thievery. Occasionally, it was quicker and easier to actually pay for things.
At quarter till 8 it was time to visit the Great Hall. Severus Snape strolled in, his lengthy stride for once checked as he glided across the floor near the Slytherin table. His ears were pricked, and he delighted to hear the rumors about his absence. Everything from needing to visit a vampiric childe, to having a long lost cousin in need of some navigational assistance, to needing the reassurance of a werewolf pack. One child was even insisting that he was returning to a Faerietop, of all things! As if his dark hair looked at all like the Fair Folk, long rumored to be blond and blue eyed.
As he sat to pretend to eat, Septima's owl winged over to him. On it was a letter, that read, "Agreed, but you'll give me the last month off this year. I want to work on some research for predicting students' marks." Inwardly, Severus Snape cursed - he didn't have time to dicker over this. And Septima well knew how much he hated the last month of the semester. Every girl and half the boys seemed to think that a spell of tears might actually get him to change their grades - sometimes even for Transfiguration! It was ridiculous,and Septima was far more skilled at handling the actually upset than Severus ever was.
Still, a bargain was a bargain, even if hard struck. And Severus Snape needed to get a move on. As he stood, he saw an angry McGonagall striding into the room. Ah, she's figured out that I've already had words with the Weasley twins. Best make a quick exit. He was gone before McGonagall was halfway up the entirely empty Gryffindor table.
[a/n: Gryffindors sleep in. Write a review?]