Well ya'll, I'm back. As usual, you have to read at least one of my stories, in this case, Moony Forever, to get this one. This is from Snape's point of view, after Moony Forever. Exactly one word describes this one. Short. It kinda sets the scene for the sequel, All They Ever Wanted, which definitely makes up for the shortness of this one. P.S. There may be a few GoF spoilers, I dunno.
"I just had to open my big mouth," I complained. "Drat Potter, and that werewolf, too." By the way, in case you're scared of my rather vicious temper (most of my students are), I'll tell you a secret: as far as life and death situations go, I'm all bark and no bite. Seriously, the way Neville Longbottom acts, you'd think I went around hexing the students. I don't of course, even though on occasion I'd like to, because I daresay the headmaster wouldn't like it very much. He prides himself on not losing any students. He broke his perfect record due to the Triwizard Tournament, but let's not go into that. That wasn't his fault, anyway. And I'm not grumbling: Albus Dumbledore is probably the best headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. There are a few people who'd give me an argument about it, but let's face it: Albus Dumbledore is one of most compassionate, reasonable people I know, and he's kept this school together through good times and bad. But look at me, getting philosophical. Not a good thing. Downright scary, actually.
I unlocked the door to my office and stepped inside. I sank into my chair, still grumbling.
"That was undoubtedly the stupidest thing I've ever done," I berated myself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. By tomorrow, all the Gryffindors will know my awful life story, and since they couldn't keep their mouths shut if they tried, which they won't, the entire school will know by the end of the week. I might as well just try Hagrid's solution to the problem and lock myself in here until it all dies down." That's when I heard a timid knock on the door.
"Great," I complained. "It's starting." Without getting out of my chair, I pointed my wand at the door, magically unlocking it. The door flew open and Harry Potter went sprawling on the floor. I leaned over the desk and looked at him, unable to stop a smile from spreading across my face.
"Somehow, I have the feeling you didn't mean to do that, Potter," I commented. He got up off the floor, scowling at the door, as though it was the cause of all his problems. Then he glanced over at me.
"You'd be right about that," he said ruefully. "Actually, I'd gotten irritated and kicked the door at about the same time you unlocked it, which is the reason I ended up on the floor."
"So, have you told all the Gryffindors yet?" I asked, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"No," Harry said, looking quite shocked by the very idea.
"Yeah right," I said coolly. "It's just what you always wanted, isn't it, some nice little bits of gossip about your least favorite teacher." Harry frowned at me, but not as though he was mad at me; it was more like he was wondering how best to handle the situation and couldn't decide.
"No, that's not why I wanted to know," he said after a minute. "I wanted to know because I was concerned."
"About me?" I said with a little smirk. "I don't think so."
"Think what you like, I'm telling the truth."
"Geez, now I know why you're so good at getting out of trouble. You can lie better than anyone I've ever seen."
"That's because I'm not lying."
"Why on earth would you be concerned about me?" I asked skeptically.
"Why not?"
"Because we hate each other?" I suggested in a would-be-sensible kind of voice. He merely shrugged.
"I suppose we do, but still... I mean, if something happened to you, our new Potions teacher might be even worse than you." I rolled my eyes.
"Thanks a lot, Potter."
"You're welcome," he said smugly.
"Oh please. That's all I need. And don't lie; you had to have told at least Weasley and Granger."
"Never said I didn't. Yes, I told them, but they're on orders not to tell anyone."
"You believe them?"
"Of course I believe them, they're my best friends. Plus," he added with a slightly evil grin, "I told them if they told anyone, I'd put the Imperius Curse on them and make them tell all their deepest, darkest secrets to the entire hall." He smiled angelically, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"So, you can actually do the curse, then?" I asked.
"Yeah. It wasn't hard, you just have to concentrate."
"I don't believe it."
"Want to find out?" he said cheerfully, raising his wand.
"I'll pass, thanks," I said quickly. "So, since you can use the curse, you can also free yourself from it, can't you?"
"Well, Professor, I don't think that that's a requirement for doing the spell, but yes, I can. And no, Ron and Hermione can't," he added, correctly interpreting my expression.
"Good thing. You know, I'd almost want them to tell someone. I'd love to hear what secrets they've been hiding." I grinned at Harry. "Matter of fact, I'd love to hear all your little secrets, Potter."
"Hey, don't even think about it. Voldemort tried that curse on me once, and even he couldn't keep control over me."
"Then it looks like I'm out of luck. Darn."
"Yes it does," Harry said, sounding very pleased with himself. "Now it's time for dinner, so let's go," he ordered, sounding remarkably like Professor McGonagall.
"I'm not going."
"Correction: you think you're not going."
"How do plan to get me in there, if I don't want to go?" I demanded. Harry put his hands on his hips and glared at me.
"You're going, if I have to knock you out again." I winced. That had been one of the more unpleasant things that had ever happened to me, and it was also incredibly embarrassing. But it had been under a very bizarre set of circumstances, and I wasn't really to blame for that.
"That was under very strange circumstances. You haven't got any right to tease me about that. I'll put you in detention for a month if you so much as mention that around any Slytherin. It would also have exactly the opposite effect; instead of making me come out, it might just convince me to lock myself in here for pretty close to forever," I added hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face.
"Then I'll just put you under the Imperius Curse and make you go out there," Harry said stubbornly. I considered this for a moment. I had never been put under that particular curse, and I had no idea whether I could resist it or not. And personally, I really didn't want to find out, especially at the wand of Harry Potter.
Some of my thoughts must have shown on my face, since Potter remarked smugly, "So, have you been convinced, or shall I try the curse?"
"I'm convinced, I'm convinced!" I exclaimed, finally conceding defeat. Grumbling, I fell into step beside Harry as he headed for the Great Hall. As we entered the room, there was a sudden hush as everyone stared at us. I glared around at everyone.
"What?" I barked, and everyone quickly looked away. "What's gotten into these people?" I glanced over at Harry and he promptly dissolved into giggles.
"Lot of help you are."
"Sorry," he gasped out between laughs, "but I don't blame them; I mean, it probably does look a little bizarre, since everyone knows we hate each other."
"Hated," I said firmly. "Past tense."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Very past tense."
"I just had to open my big mouth," I complained. "Drat Potter, and that werewolf, too." By the way, in case you're scared of my rather vicious temper (most of my students are), I'll tell you a secret: as far as life and death situations go, I'm all bark and no bite. Seriously, the way Neville Longbottom acts, you'd think I went around hexing the students. I don't of course, even though on occasion I'd like to, because I daresay the headmaster wouldn't like it very much. He prides himself on not losing any students. He broke his perfect record due to the Triwizard Tournament, but let's not go into that. That wasn't his fault, anyway. And I'm not grumbling: Albus Dumbledore is probably the best headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. There are a few people who'd give me an argument about it, but let's face it: Albus Dumbledore is one of most compassionate, reasonable people I know, and he's kept this school together through good times and bad. But look at me, getting philosophical. Not a good thing. Downright scary, actually.
I unlocked the door to my office and stepped inside. I sank into my chair, still grumbling.
"That was undoubtedly the stupidest thing I've ever done," I berated myself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid. By tomorrow, all the Gryffindors will know my awful life story, and since they couldn't keep their mouths shut if they tried, which they won't, the entire school will know by the end of the week. I might as well just try Hagrid's solution to the problem and lock myself in here until it all dies down." That's when I heard a timid knock on the door.
"Great," I complained. "It's starting." Without getting out of my chair, I pointed my wand at the door, magically unlocking it. The door flew open and Harry Potter went sprawling on the floor. I leaned over the desk and looked at him, unable to stop a smile from spreading across my face.
"Somehow, I have the feeling you didn't mean to do that, Potter," I commented. He got up off the floor, scowling at the door, as though it was the cause of all his problems. Then he glanced over at me.
"You'd be right about that," he said ruefully. "Actually, I'd gotten irritated and kicked the door at about the same time you unlocked it, which is the reason I ended up on the floor."
"So, have you told all the Gryffindors yet?" I asked, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"No," Harry said, looking quite shocked by the very idea.
"Yeah right," I said coolly. "It's just what you always wanted, isn't it, some nice little bits of gossip about your least favorite teacher." Harry frowned at me, but not as though he was mad at me; it was more like he was wondering how best to handle the situation and couldn't decide.
"No, that's not why I wanted to know," he said after a minute. "I wanted to know because I was concerned."
"About me?" I said with a little smirk. "I don't think so."
"Think what you like, I'm telling the truth."
"Geez, now I know why you're so good at getting out of trouble. You can lie better than anyone I've ever seen."
"That's because I'm not lying."
"Why on earth would you be concerned about me?" I asked skeptically.
"Why not?"
"Because we hate each other?" I suggested in a would-be-sensible kind of voice. He merely shrugged.
"I suppose we do, but still... I mean, if something happened to you, our new Potions teacher might be even worse than you." I rolled my eyes.
"Thanks a lot, Potter."
"You're welcome," he said smugly.
"Oh please. That's all I need. And don't lie; you had to have told at least Weasley and Granger."
"Never said I didn't. Yes, I told them, but they're on orders not to tell anyone."
"You believe them?"
"Of course I believe them, they're my best friends. Plus," he added with a slightly evil grin, "I told them if they told anyone, I'd put the Imperius Curse on them and make them tell all their deepest, darkest secrets to the entire hall." He smiled angelically, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"So, you can actually do the curse, then?" I asked.
"Yeah. It wasn't hard, you just have to concentrate."
"I don't believe it."
"Want to find out?" he said cheerfully, raising his wand.
"I'll pass, thanks," I said quickly. "So, since you can use the curse, you can also free yourself from it, can't you?"
"Well, Professor, I don't think that that's a requirement for doing the spell, but yes, I can. And no, Ron and Hermione can't," he added, correctly interpreting my expression.
"Good thing. You know, I'd almost want them to tell someone. I'd love to hear what secrets they've been hiding." I grinned at Harry. "Matter of fact, I'd love to hear all your little secrets, Potter."
"Hey, don't even think about it. Voldemort tried that curse on me once, and even he couldn't keep control over me."
"Then it looks like I'm out of luck. Darn."
"Yes it does," Harry said, sounding very pleased with himself. "Now it's time for dinner, so let's go," he ordered, sounding remarkably like Professor McGonagall.
"I'm not going."
"Correction: you think you're not going."
"How do plan to get me in there, if I don't want to go?" I demanded. Harry put his hands on his hips and glared at me.
"You're going, if I have to knock you out again." I winced. That had been one of the more unpleasant things that had ever happened to me, and it was also incredibly embarrassing. But it had been under a very bizarre set of circumstances, and I wasn't really to blame for that.
"That was under very strange circumstances. You haven't got any right to tease me about that. I'll put you in detention for a month if you so much as mention that around any Slytherin. It would also have exactly the opposite effect; instead of making me come out, it might just convince me to lock myself in here for pretty close to forever," I added hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face.
"Then I'll just put you under the Imperius Curse and make you go out there," Harry said stubbornly. I considered this for a moment. I had never been put under that particular curse, and I had no idea whether I could resist it or not. And personally, I really didn't want to find out, especially at the wand of Harry Potter.
Some of my thoughts must have shown on my face, since Potter remarked smugly, "So, have you been convinced, or shall I try the curse?"
"I'm convinced, I'm convinced!" I exclaimed, finally conceding defeat. Grumbling, I fell into step beside Harry as he headed for the Great Hall. As we entered the room, there was a sudden hush as everyone stared at us. I glared around at everyone.
"What?" I barked, and everyone quickly looked away. "What's gotten into these people?" I glanced over at Harry and he promptly dissolved into giggles.
"Lot of help you are."
"Sorry," he gasped out between laughs, "but I don't blame them; I mean, it probably does look a little bizarre, since everyone knows we hate each other."
"Hated," I said firmly. "Past tense."
"Yeah," he agreed. "Very past tense."