The next day, the Slytherin-Gryffindor sixth year Potions class was absolutely priceless. For the first time in Hogwarts history, other students actually made excuses to go and visit Professor Snape. Upon entering the room, Harry and Ron looked like small children on Christmas. Gleefully they fought their way through the hanging ribbons to their back table, admiring their blue and green cauldron. Draco was looking at his pink and purple one as though it were one of the bowls Madam Pomfrey gave to sick people in the infirmary.

"Bloody brilliant!" Ron gasped. "Whoever did this is my hero!" Hermione grinned at him and winked. He and Harry looked at each other, then back at Hermione, speechless.

"You. YOU!" Harry stammered. Hermione shushed him nervously. "Be quiet! Ginny and I will tell you both all about it later!" Ron's eyes opened even wider, if such a thing was possible.

"You've corrupted Ginny, too?" Ron grinned. "Oh, 'Mione, you've made me so proud! Harry, our little girls are lightening up!" Their laughter was cut short abruptly when Snape burst into the room.

"I've just had a little chat with Peeves," he snarled. "And I know for a fact that one of you is responsible for this--" he gestured wildly around the room. "This vandalism." He moved to the middle of the room, his shadowy persona looking almost comical as it glided through the happy-go-lucky classroom. "Now," he whispered, somehow projecting his silky voice into every corner of the dungeon. "I suggest that whoever broke into my classroom last night steps forward now, because I'm of a mind to dose you all with veritaserum and interrogate you personally. Believe me, it won't be pretty." Hermione kept her face blank and looked at people around her curiously, as she would have done anyway.

"Mister Potter," growled Snape, gliding to stand over Harry. "Perhaps you had a hand in this? These decorations seem to be to your taste." Harry could only look up and shake his head, his eyes betraying his innocence so clearly that even Snape couldn't find any reason to torment the boy further. Cocking his head, he moved to stand over Hermione.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Perhaps our star student, who knows so much about so many things, might know a little something about this situation as well?" Hermione looked indignantly at him, and folded her arms defiantly.

"Professor Snape, I've done nothing in the past to warrant your suspicion, and I have no appreciation for this insult to my integrity." Snape sneered at her, hiding his confusion admirably. Miss Granger's argument rang true but something about her eyes led him to believe otherwise. He opened his mouth to say something when Hermione-of all people!-smirked at him. His surprise doubled when she spoke again.

"By the way Professor," she asked innocently. "Is that Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' playing?" she tilted her head, listening. "I didn't know you liked muggle music." Snape wasn't about to go down that road, and so he was forced to retreat. But he looked at Hermione for one more moment, and nodded in a way that communicated-much to Hermione's surprise-respect. She smiled, for the first time feeling completely successful in Snape's class.

Rosalind was a much better sport about the whole situation. "It'll be gone all on its own come midnight, and the look on Snape's face when he saw his own room made it all worthwhile!"

The Halloween Ball that night was an immense success for all parties involved. Hermione and Ron went as an angel and a devil, while Harry and Ginny went as a knight and a maiden. Nothing, however, could have prepared Hermione and Ginny for Snape.

He walked in, Rosalind on his arm, looking for all the world like the dark God he was dressed as that night. Flitwick's robes, though they had been so small, now fit him beautifully. His eyes glittered and his robes flowed majestically. He exuded power, confidence, grace-and he was damned sexy.

Rosalind, too, looked phenomenal. She contrasted beautifully with Snape, her red hair shining and her blue eyes blazing entrancingly from her face. Dumbledore nodded at the pair, and motioned for them to dance. Hermione and Ginny giggled as the professors obliged him, their heads unusually close together. Ginny pointed out that they were whispering to each other.

Snape and Rosalind were having the time of their lives. Even dancing together wasn't so bad.

"You look handsome, for once," Rosalind whispered. "I knew you had it in you!"

"And you are dazzling, I'll admit," he replied, laughter rumbling in his chest. "How was your room today, by the way?"

"Excellent. I'll have to read some more de Sade sometime."

"Mine was horrendous. If I see another puppy or kitten today, I'm going to set it on fire. And I've never had so many students visit me for no good reason."

"That's terrible!" Rosalind cried, feigning anger. "You know, you're really not so bad. I'm sorry I was so nasty to you. I'm really not a mean person."

"Don't worry about it. It's I who was the nasty one. That's the closest you'll get to an apology-I'm not good at them and they're very rare from me in any form."

"I understand. You just got my first apology in twenty years-appreciate it!" They danced for another moment, and Rosalind asked, "Severus? Does this mean we're friends now? I think that's what everyone has been getting at, anyway."

"Yes, Rosalind. I suppose we are friends. But be warned-I'm not a very good one."

"You'll learn, Severus," she laughed. "Especially now that I have to teach you."