Draco was curled up on a couch by the fire. He was in the Common Room, waiting for Hali to
come back with the Sleeping Draught. He heard someone walking down the corridor. Deciding to
ignore them, he closed his eyes, and willed himself to sleep.
"Draco?" It was Goyle. He sighed, and sat up. "Are you okay?"
"What are you talking about Greg?"
Goyle sighed too. "Well, you have never really been so nice to someone. Especially not an
outsider, or a girl, for that matter.." Draco noticed he looked uncomfortable. 'Blaise or Pansy
probably talked him into talking to me' he thought.
Out loud he said. "What is wrong with being nice to her, it isn't like I like her like Pansy thinks I
like her." Goyle looked at him, clearly not understanding him. "What I mean, Greg, is that she's
like a sister or something. It is weird, I just feel like I could talk to her, you know?" Goyle shook
his head.
"Oh, well, I'll have to explain it to you later, why don't you go to bed, I have a Chocolate Frog
sitting on my trunk, you can have it if you want." Goyle nodded, and went back to their dorm. He
sighed, and lay back down again, hoping that Hali would hurry, so he could get some sleep.
********Snape's Office*********
Hali shivered and sat down on a chair near the fireless fireplace. Severus was in his room,
presumably looking for a Sleeping Draught. After about ten minutes of waiting, she got up, and
walked over to the door which led to his private quarters.
"Uh, Professor Snape?" she asked, timidly. She heard a muffled "What?" and she opened the
door, and stuck her head in. He was standing in front of something, the Sleeping Draught in his
hand. She pushed the door open farther, and walked in. "Are you okay?" she asked him. He
looked over at her She noticed he had been in front of a mirror..
"No, I am not," he sneered. She took a step back, but then went over to stand in front of him.
"I noticed, well, you don't have to be so rude about it." Severus looked at her, mildly surprised.
"Well, do you want to tell me why?"
"Why should I? I don't even know you." he snapped.
She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe because I am offering to listen to you. Maybe because I am
trying to be nice to you, the coldest professor in the school. Maybe because I know you want to
talk about it, and I want to know why you are so upset." she said, in a cold voice.
He stared at her, surprised. "Okay, if you want to know. But it is a long story, and I don't want to
tell you standing up." he said, and he walked over to his bed, and sat down. She came over, and
sat beside him. He stiffened, but didn't say anything.
"First of all, call me Severus. As I am currently not in professor form." She looked at him, and he
continued. "Well, my problem right now, is the fact that, as you can see, I am fifteen again."
"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you really?"
He looked at her oddly. "I am thirty-three next month. I am guessing you want to know how I
turned fifteen?" she nodded. He sighed, and then told her the story of how Hagrid wanted to get
his schooling, how Dumbledore found the potion, and what happened when the last ingredient
was added. When he was done, she had a look of half amusement, half pity on her face.
"So you look fifteen. Okay, you are fifteen. But that is okay. It just means you get to live 17 years
longer. What's wrong with that. You can still teach, I am sure Dumbledore will let you." she
said, hoping to cheer him up. He just frowned.
"Yes, I know that. But how is a fifteen year old supposed to teach Potions to students older than
me. I will have no respect." he said, sadly.
"But, Severus, you said the other teacher's were too?" he nodded "Well, I am sure everyone will
respect you, except for maybe some of the students who really hate you."
"That would be all of them." he said, his frown replaced by a sneer.
"Yes, well I don't see why. I don't hate you, and I have probably spent more time talking to you
than the rest of the school combined."
"Yes, well, you aren't around me when I teach." She looked at him, confused, and he continued.
"I am strict and mean around my students, because if they knew how I felt about things, then they
could use that against me, and they wouldn't be afraid of me." She looked at him, amused.
"So, you want them to fear you, huh?" he nodded. "Well, I don't." He looked up suddenly, and
looked her in the eyes.
"Yes, well, you haven't been in my class yet. You will grow to hate me, just like everyone else."
He said, sighing.
"Severus, people would respect you, and they wouldn't hate you if you actually were nice. Being
strict is okay, McGonagall is, and everyone still likes her, and respects her." she said, and he
looked down once again. "Oh Severus," she said, sighing. "Oh, crap, look at the time, I promised
Draco I would hurry." she picked up the Sleeping Draught and walked over to the door.
Severus stood up, and walked over to her. "Yes, you better get him to sleep. He is my favorite
student, and I can't have him fall asleep in class, now can I?" he said, with his sneer almost gone.
"No, can't have that." she started out the door, but stopped, turned around, and hugged him. He
looked shocked. "Don't worry, Professor Snape!" she said, cheerily, "It will be okay." she said,
and walked off, leaving a bewildered Severus standing in the doorway.
******Slytherin Common Room*******
Hali rushed into the common room, her brown hair flying behind her. She ran over to the couch
where she had left Draco, and he was still sitting there, staring into the fire. "What took you so
long?" he asked, not looking at her.
Hali figured Severus wouldn't want the world to know he was 15 again, so she chose not to tell
Draco yet. "Oh, sorry, Madame Pomfrey didn't have any in the Infirmary, but Professor Snape
said he had some in his office, and so I went with him to get it." Draco stared at her.
"And that took you an hour and a half?" he asked, disbelievingly.
"Well, no, but we talked for a bit." she said, smiling.
Draco gaped at her. "You had a civil conversation with Snape?" she nodded. "That has got to be
a first. He isn't civil to anyone, except some of us Slytherin's."
"You forget Draco, I am a Slytherin."
"Yea, but you are new, and you aren't like us. Besides, no one just talks to him. I mean, he
usually doesn't say more than a few sentences to me, and I am his favorite student!"
Hali smiled smugly. "Well, looks like I am his new favorite now." he opened his mouth to
protest, but she put her finger over his lips. "Shush Draco, you need sleep. Here, take this." she
told him, handing him the Draught. He drank it, and she started to get up.
He grabbed her arm. "Wait here until I fall asleep, would you?" he asked, giving her puppy eyes.
She sighed, and smiled. "Oh, fine, but if I fall asleep in class tomorrow, it will be all your fault."
He smirked, and then curled up on the couch. He closed his eyes, and she sat herself down on the
chair across from him. "'Night Draco."
"'Night Hali."
******Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's Office*******
"You know, we are not going to be able to replace all four of us!" Marilee said, grumpily. Albus
was sitting in his office, with three of the four professor's, and all of them were quite grumpy.
"Yes, and where is Severus, he should have been here by now." Remus said, calmly, as usual.
"Typical of him to be late." Marissa said, agitated.
"Now, now, he must have a good reason for being late." Albus replied, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Yes, I do." Severus snapped, as he walked into the office. "Sorry I am late Albus."
"No problem, Severus." he replied.
"Would you care to tell us why you were late?" Marissa asked, curiously.
"No, I don't care to tell you." he said, lazily.
"Well, if that's the way you are going to be..."
"Marissa, Severus, we have business to take care of here." Albus said, and Severus and Marissa
gave eachother one last glare, before turning their full attention to the Head Master. "Now, we
have the problem of classes tommorow." he said, gravely. "I want to know which of you does not
want to teach?"
None of them said anything. "So you will all teach, even though, you don't...eh... look like
yourselves." they all nodded. "Okay then, problem solved. I will tell the students at breakfast
tommorow what happened." he looked at them. "Now, let's figure out why it happened." he
looked at Severus.
"Well, my theory is that something was wrong with the last ingrediant we added. I have never
seen a potion do what that one did. It shouldn't have been ready for another couple of day's
anyways." he said, seriously. "I think we need to have someone who knows Egyptian very very
well re-read the page."
"And where, may I ask, are we going to find someone who does." Marilee asked him.
"Why here at school, of course." Srverus said, mockinly.
The other professors stared at him. "Severus, I am the only one from miles around that knows
Egyptian at all." Marissa said, haughtilly.
"And their you are wrong, my dear Marissa." he said, with a fake sweet smile.
"Oh really, Severus." Marilee retorted, coldly. "Then who?"
"Hali." he sid, simply.
"Ah, yes, why didn't I think of it myself?" Albus exclaimed. Remus, Marille and Marissa looked
at Albus questionlingly. "Hali Steyn, the new transfer student. She is Egyptian."
"Oh," Marissa said, looking miffed.
"Their, problem solved. We will ask her to go over it tommorow, why don't you do that Severus,
and..."
Marissa cut in. "Why are you having Severus ask her? He couldn't have a conversation with a
flobberworm without it getting upset."
Albus looked at her, frowning. "Because, she is in his house. Besides," he said, with a knowing
smile. "I think she finds it easy to talk with him." Severus smirked, while the other teachers
looked at eachother, confused. All thinking the same thing. 'How could Severus get along with
anyone, let alone talk with someone about something that doesn't involve a sneering contest.'
"Well, I am going to bed." Severus said, now sneering again. "I have a long day tommorow." and
with that, he walked off, leaving three bewildered Professor's, and a smiling Head Master.
A/N okay, this one is really short. I am so sorry, but i have been busy, and a bit computer-less. I
decided to take my anger out on my lap-top (and it fell, oops) and so i have been stuck using the
'family' computer to write. That doesn't give me much time. Well, hope you liked it, please
review! I wanr you, that this probably has some errors. I usually use Microsoft Word, and i have
to now use Word Perfect (which is very different from Mic. Word) and so bear with me.
come back with the Sleeping Draught. He heard someone walking down the corridor. Deciding to
ignore them, he closed his eyes, and willed himself to sleep.
"Draco?" It was Goyle. He sighed, and sat up. "Are you okay?"
"What are you talking about Greg?"
Goyle sighed too. "Well, you have never really been so nice to someone. Especially not an
outsider, or a girl, for that matter.." Draco noticed he looked uncomfortable. 'Blaise or Pansy
probably talked him into talking to me' he thought.
Out loud he said. "What is wrong with being nice to her, it isn't like I like her like Pansy thinks I
like her." Goyle looked at him, clearly not understanding him. "What I mean, Greg, is that she's
like a sister or something. It is weird, I just feel like I could talk to her, you know?" Goyle shook
his head.
"Oh, well, I'll have to explain it to you later, why don't you go to bed, I have a Chocolate Frog
sitting on my trunk, you can have it if you want." Goyle nodded, and went back to their dorm. He
sighed, and lay back down again, hoping that Hali would hurry, so he could get some sleep.
********Snape's Office*********
Hali shivered and sat down on a chair near the fireless fireplace. Severus was in his room,
presumably looking for a Sleeping Draught. After about ten minutes of waiting, she got up, and
walked over to the door which led to his private quarters.
"Uh, Professor Snape?" she asked, timidly. She heard a muffled "What?" and she opened the
door, and stuck her head in. He was standing in front of something, the Sleeping Draught in his
hand. She pushed the door open farther, and walked in. "Are you okay?" she asked him. He
looked over at her She noticed he had been in front of a mirror..
"No, I am not," he sneered. She took a step back, but then went over to stand in front of him.
"I noticed, well, you don't have to be so rude about it." Severus looked at her, mildly surprised.
"Well, do you want to tell me why?"
"Why should I? I don't even know you." he snapped.
She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe because I am offering to listen to you. Maybe because I am
trying to be nice to you, the coldest professor in the school. Maybe because I know you want to
talk about it, and I want to know why you are so upset." she said, in a cold voice.
He stared at her, surprised. "Okay, if you want to know. But it is a long story, and I don't want to
tell you standing up." he said, and he walked over to his bed, and sat down. She came over, and
sat beside him. He stiffened, but didn't say anything.
"First of all, call me Severus. As I am currently not in professor form." She looked at him, and he
continued. "Well, my problem right now, is the fact that, as you can see, I am fifteen again."
"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you really?"
He looked at her oddly. "I am thirty-three next month. I am guessing you want to know how I
turned fifteen?" she nodded. He sighed, and then told her the story of how Hagrid wanted to get
his schooling, how Dumbledore found the potion, and what happened when the last ingredient
was added. When he was done, she had a look of half amusement, half pity on her face.
"So you look fifteen. Okay, you are fifteen. But that is okay. It just means you get to live 17 years
longer. What's wrong with that. You can still teach, I am sure Dumbledore will let you." she
said, hoping to cheer him up. He just frowned.
"Yes, I know that. But how is a fifteen year old supposed to teach Potions to students older than
me. I will have no respect." he said, sadly.
"But, Severus, you said the other teacher's were too?" he nodded "Well, I am sure everyone will
respect you, except for maybe some of the students who really hate you."
"That would be all of them." he said, his frown replaced by a sneer.
"Yes, well I don't see why. I don't hate you, and I have probably spent more time talking to you
than the rest of the school combined."
"Yes, well, you aren't around me when I teach." She looked at him, confused, and he continued.
"I am strict and mean around my students, because if they knew how I felt about things, then they
could use that against me, and they wouldn't be afraid of me." She looked at him, amused.
"So, you want them to fear you, huh?" he nodded. "Well, I don't." He looked up suddenly, and
looked her in the eyes.
"Yes, well, you haven't been in my class yet. You will grow to hate me, just like everyone else."
He said, sighing.
"Severus, people would respect you, and they wouldn't hate you if you actually were nice. Being
strict is okay, McGonagall is, and everyone still likes her, and respects her." she said, and he
looked down once again. "Oh Severus," she said, sighing. "Oh, crap, look at the time, I promised
Draco I would hurry." she picked up the Sleeping Draught and walked over to the door.
Severus stood up, and walked over to her. "Yes, you better get him to sleep. He is my favorite
student, and I can't have him fall asleep in class, now can I?" he said, with his sneer almost gone.
"No, can't have that." she started out the door, but stopped, turned around, and hugged him. He
looked shocked. "Don't worry, Professor Snape!" she said, cheerily, "It will be okay." she said,
and walked off, leaving a bewildered Severus standing in the doorway.
******Slytherin Common Room*******
Hali rushed into the common room, her brown hair flying behind her. She ran over to the couch
where she had left Draco, and he was still sitting there, staring into the fire. "What took you so
long?" he asked, not looking at her.
Hali figured Severus wouldn't want the world to know he was 15 again, so she chose not to tell
Draco yet. "Oh, sorry, Madame Pomfrey didn't have any in the Infirmary, but Professor Snape
said he had some in his office, and so I went with him to get it." Draco stared at her.
"And that took you an hour and a half?" he asked, disbelievingly.
"Well, no, but we talked for a bit." she said, smiling.
Draco gaped at her. "You had a civil conversation with Snape?" she nodded. "That has got to be
a first. He isn't civil to anyone, except some of us Slytherin's."
"You forget Draco, I am a Slytherin."
"Yea, but you are new, and you aren't like us. Besides, no one just talks to him. I mean, he
usually doesn't say more than a few sentences to me, and I am his favorite student!"
Hali smiled smugly. "Well, looks like I am his new favorite now." he opened his mouth to
protest, but she put her finger over his lips. "Shush Draco, you need sleep. Here, take this." she
told him, handing him the Draught. He drank it, and she started to get up.
He grabbed her arm. "Wait here until I fall asleep, would you?" he asked, giving her puppy eyes.
She sighed, and smiled. "Oh, fine, but if I fall asleep in class tomorrow, it will be all your fault."
He smirked, and then curled up on the couch. He closed his eyes, and she sat herself down on the
chair across from him. "'Night Draco."
"'Night Hali."
******Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's Office*******
"You know, we are not going to be able to replace all four of us!" Marilee said, grumpily. Albus
was sitting in his office, with three of the four professor's, and all of them were quite grumpy.
"Yes, and where is Severus, he should have been here by now." Remus said, calmly, as usual.
"Typical of him to be late." Marissa said, agitated.
"Now, now, he must have a good reason for being late." Albus replied, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Yes, I do." Severus snapped, as he walked into the office. "Sorry I am late Albus."
"No problem, Severus." he replied.
"Would you care to tell us why you were late?" Marissa asked, curiously.
"No, I don't care to tell you." he said, lazily.
"Well, if that's the way you are going to be..."
"Marissa, Severus, we have business to take care of here." Albus said, and Severus and Marissa
gave eachother one last glare, before turning their full attention to the Head Master. "Now, we
have the problem of classes tommorow." he said, gravely. "I want to know which of you does not
want to teach?"
None of them said anything. "So you will all teach, even though, you don't...eh... look like
yourselves." they all nodded. "Okay then, problem solved. I will tell the students at breakfast
tommorow what happened." he looked at them. "Now, let's figure out why it happened." he
looked at Severus.
"Well, my theory is that something was wrong with the last ingrediant we added. I have never
seen a potion do what that one did. It shouldn't have been ready for another couple of day's
anyways." he said, seriously. "I think we need to have someone who knows Egyptian very very
well re-read the page."
"And where, may I ask, are we going to find someone who does." Marilee asked him.
"Why here at school, of course." Srverus said, mockinly.
The other professors stared at him. "Severus, I am the only one from miles around that knows
Egyptian at all." Marissa said, haughtilly.
"And their you are wrong, my dear Marissa." he said, with a fake sweet smile.
"Oh really, Severus." Marilee retorted, coldly. "Then who?"
"Hali." he sid, simply.
"Ah, yes, why didn't I think of it myself?" Albus exclaimed. Remus, Marille and Marissa looked
at Albus questionlingly. "Hali Steyn, the new transfer student. She is Egyptian."
"Oh," Marissa said, looking miffed.
"Their, problem solved. We will ask her to go over it tommorow, why don't you do that Severus,
and..."
Marissa cut in. "Why are you having Severus ask her? He couldn't have a conversation with a
flobberworm without it getting upset."
Albus looked at her, frowning. "Because, she is in his house. Besides," he said, with a knowing
smile. "I think she finds it easy to talk with him." Severus smirked, while the other teachers
looked at eachother, confused. All thinking the same thing. 'How could Severus get along with
anyone, let alone talk with someone about something that doesn't involve a sneering contest.'
"Well, I am going to bed." Severus said, now sneering again. "I have a long day tommorow." and
with that, he walked off, leaving three bewildered Professor's, and a smiling Head Master.
A/N okay, this one is really short. I am so sorry, but i have been busy, and a bit computer-less. I
decided to take my anger out on my lap-top (and it fell, oops) and so i have been stuck using the
'family' computer to write. That doesn't give me much time. Well, hope you liked it, please
review! I wanr you, that this probably has some errors. I usually use Microsoft Word, and i have
to now use Word Perfect (which is very different from Mic. Word) and so bear with me.
