Disclaimer: Don't own it, would like to, but don't – as for the money
making part – yeah, right…do you think I would actually unglue my rear from
my chair if I were making any from this? ::huge grin::
********
(A/N: A million thanks to you reviewers, and your encouraging remarks – I was expecting nothing but flames for this! And I had a whole bag of fluffy marshmallows ready…thank God I don't have to torch 'em! Your opinions are noted, and appreciated!!!
As for the continuation of the story – again, it's probably not the most original plot, but I'm trying to write it in an 'original' way – your opinions are still very welcome! The chapters will probably be a bit shorter than the first, depending on how much time I get to write – but they should be updated at least every other day. Thanks again. - Key)
********
2. Homecoming
Four Years Later…
Severus spent the day before the arrival of the students for the new term as he always did – shut away in his private rooms with a migraine and a bottle of Ogden's Old Fire Whiskey.
This was why the knock that sounded on his chamber door that evening was both unwelcome and very irritating.
He remained where he was, sprawled in his chair before the fire, not bothering to answer.
"Severus?"
He closed his eyes at the sound of the Headmaster's voice. He raised his glass to his lips and listened as the older man let himself in.
There was a loud thud in the darkness, and Albus cursed – the dark haired man in the chair smiled slightly.
"Must you always keep it so blasted gloomy in here, Severus?"
Severus rolled his head lazily to look at white bearded wizard standing in the shadows a few feet away.
"It suits me, don't you think?"
Albus Dumbledore eyed the potions master with a critical eye. The younger man had discarded his ever-present severe black robes, and was wearing black trousers, boots, and a high collared white shirt that was open halfway down the front. From the bleary look in his black eyes, and the amount of spirits left in the bottle on the floor by his seat, he'd been in the chair for quiet some time.
"I have come to retrieve you for dinner this evening, Severus."
"You know I never attend the pre-term 'festivities', Albus," he murmured tiredly.
"Ah, but this year is different, my friend," stated Dumbledore, laying a gnarled hand on his lean shoulder. "The new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher has arrived – and she is very keen on meeting you, I may add."
"She?" Severus snorted in disgust. "I get thrown over for that position for the – Jesus, I've lost count of how many years it's been…and you're telling me it's a woman? On top of that, you want me to waste my last evening of peace for the next ten months on the joy of greeting her, which I am loathe to do, by the way?" He continued to stare moodily into the fireplace as a sneer curled his lips.
"It would be remiss of you not to greet a fellow colleague," Albus countered softly.
"She won't last the year, Albus, mark my words." He set his glass aside impatiently.
"Oh, I don't think so…I believe she may surprise everyone. She's a rather hardy sort," the headmaster said with a merry twinkle in his blue eyes.
"You mean she's a heavy set matron with the makings of a prize winning mustache," Severus muttered, rising from his chair with obvious reluctance. He winced as his joints cracked loudly, and he paused, rubbed his temples briefly before drawing on his robes and buttoning his shirt with swift, practiced motions.
He gave his bottle of whiskey a mournful last glance before following Dumbledore from the shadowed, familiar comfort of his rooms.
**********
"Why Severus, how kind of you to join us," Professor McGonagall murmured as he took his seat at the teacher's table near her.
He looked through his disheveled, stringy black hair and noted her pinched expression. "Something wrong, Minerva?"
"Not at all…have you met her yet?"
He paused in the act of pouring a glass of wine, and looked at the older woman out of the corner of his eye.
"Unfortunately, no, I haven't had that purportedly great honor as of yet…" he muttered with thinly veiled sarcasm. "Have you?"
Minerva smiled tightly. "As a matter of fact, no…but I do know her name – "
"Minerva, may I have a word?" Albus appeared beside the professor's chair with an unusually grave look.
"Of course, Albus." The witch removed her napkin from her lap, and stood.
Severus watched the pair go with narrowed eyes, his brow arched suspiciously.
He looked around the nearly empty great hall, his sharp, quick gaze taking in everything – including the billowing black robes of a young woman exiting through the doors at the opposite end of the room.
He stood up with such haste that his chair screeched behind him, and several startled stares were sent his way from along the table.
Ignoring the unwanted attention, he folded his arms across his chest, and stepped down from the raised dais the long table was set upon to stalk down the long aisle after the girl.
He broke out into the hall looking left and right, a thunderous frown on his pale features.
"Stop!"
The slight figure in black halted several feet away, and he saw her back stiffen in the dim light of the hall.
Severus took slow, deliberate steps, approaching the girl with rising ire.
"What do you think you're doing here, Miss? How did you get in here? The students are not due to arrive until tomorrow…"
As he closed the short distance between them, he noticed that the girl's hair was a dark, flame red, and something long forgotten stirred within the icy depths of his chest.
The girl turned, slowly…and he felt his cold lump of a heart give a wicked, painful thud.
Ginny Weasley's fair, slightly freckled face turned up to meet his with a slight smile.
"Hello, Professor."
*********
Professor Virginia Weasley stood before her old teacher with a calm outward countenance that came from years of practice and experience – but inside she was quaking.
She'd seen a lot in the past four years – she'd come face to face with vampires, werewolves, and innumerable other dark, dangerous creatures in her travels, and yet the sight of Severus Snape standing before her with a scowl as dark as any she could recall, in his familiar black robes, made her feel like that naïve seventeen year old girl all over again.
Her eyes moved over his face, noting the fact that he hadn't changed a bit – the lines around his cruelly sensual mouth and glittering black eyes hadn't deepened or extended like she'd thought they would. His raven colored hair was the exact same length, and fell across his furrowed brow in the exact same manner.
She crossed her arms over her chest and strived to look as disinterested as possible, as if her heart wasn't truly racing madly in her chest with his name tattooed across it.
"I imagine you're rather surprised to see me, here," said Ginny at last, rather coolly.
"I don't think surprised is quite the word I'd use, Miss Weasley," he snapped in dour tones.
She felt her hackles rise as his dark eyes raked her, blistering in their intensity. "It's actually 'Professor' Weasley, now, if you don't mind," she bit out just as harshly.
She had the satisfaction of seeing his dark brows rise in surprise before sudden understanding lit his eyes and they drew downwards again.
" 'Professor' is it?" He looked at her skeptically. "I don't suppose you're the one Albus had been blathering on about…" he looked her over once again, and shook his head, obviously finding her lacking.
" 'You' are going to teach the Defense Against The Dark Arts class?"
Ginny frowned, arching her brow. "I may be young, but I assure you, Professor, I know what I'm doing."
"Actions speak louder than words," he drawled acidly, before pursing his lips slightly and raising one loosely fisted hand to rest against his chest in a too familiar pose she'd seen a thousand times.
Nostalgia and memories of unrequited love overcame her self – righteous anger, and she longed to lean her head against that chest again, and never leave the circle of his arms...
"Weren't you going to dinner?"
His abrupt question broke her from her girlish thoughts, and she swallowed, before meeting his eyes steadily.
"I'm sorry, Professor, but I seem to have lost my appetite all of a sudden."
He scowled at her. "I believe, 'Virginia', that since we are now colleagues," he spat the word as if it were distasteful to him, "you may call me Severus…"
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I really dislike being called Virginia…call me Ginny, please."
"I can't call you that – it's a – a 'pet' name," he muttered in disgust. "'Virginia' is a much more suitable name for a woman of your station."
"In that case, you won't mind my calling you Snape – I always thought your first name was a bit of a mouthful," she countered blithely, her tone even and controlled.
Snape raised his chin sharply and drew in a quick breath suddenly, and Ginny recognized the signs of his rising temper from her days as his student.
"I'll see you at breakfast, Professor…Snape. It was good speaking with you again." She turned before the smile tugging at the corner of her lips could give her away, and forced herself to walk at a maddeningly sedate pace down the dimly lit corridor.
*********
Severus stared after the girl with something burning in his chest that he couldn't begin to interpret. He felt angry with her…but also strangely protective of her.
There'd been things he'd noticed, things that had changed about her that he hadn't seen in his first glimpse of her.
She hadn't been lying a bit when she'd said she'd known what she was doing, he didn't doubt that. The experiences she'd had with the darker side of the world were written all over her lovely little face – and proven in the barely noticeable scar bisecting one of her finely arched brows.
So why had he given her such a hard time of it, belittling her obviously hard earned title and insulting her abilities?
Severus rubbed his temple and turned back the way he'd come, careful to avoid the great hall at all costs – the last thing he needed to hear was the glowing qualifications of "'Professor' Weasley…"
*********
To Be Continued…
********
(A/N: A million thanks to you reviewers, and your encouraging remarks – I was expecting nothing but flames for this! And I had a whole bag of fluffy marshmallows ready…thank God I don't have to torch 'em! Your opinions are noted, and appreciated!!!
As for the continuation of the story – again, it's probably not the most original plot, but I'm trying to write it in an 'original' way – your opinions are still very welcome! The chapters will probably be a bit shorter than the first, depending on how much time I get to write – but they should be updated at least every other day. Thanks again. - Key)
********
2. Homecoming
Four Years Later…
Severus spent the day before the arrival of the students for the new term as he always did – shut away in his private rooms with a migraine and a bottle of Ogden's Old Fire Whiskey.
This was why the knock that sounded on his chamber door that evening was both unwelcome and very irritating.
He remained where he was, sprawled in his chair before the fire, not bothering to answer.
"Severus?"
He closed his eyes at the sound of the Headmaster's voice. He raised his glass to his lips and listened as the older man let himself in.
There was a loud thud in the darkness, and Albus cursed – the dark haired man in the chair smiled slightly.
"Must you always keep it so blasted gloomy in here, Severus?"
Severus rolled his head lazily to look at white bearded wizard standing in the shadows a few feet away.
"It suits me, don't you think?"
Albus Dumbledore eyed the potions master with a critical eye. The younger man had discarded his ever-present severe black robes, and was wearing black trousers, boots, and a high collared white shirt that was open halfway down the front. From the bleary look in his black eyes, and the amount of spirits left in the bottle on the floor by his seat, he'd been in the chair for quiet some time.
"I have come to retrieve you for dinner this evening, Severus."
"You know I never attend the pre-term 'festivities', Albus," he murmured tiredly.
"Ah, but this year is different, my friend," stated Dumbledore, laying a gnarled hand on his lean shoulder. "The new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher has arrived – and she is very keen on meeting you, I may add."
"She?" Severus snorted in disgust. "I get thrown over for that position for the – Jesus, I've lost count of how many years it's been…and you're telling me it's a woman? On top of that, you want me to waste my last evening of peace for the next ten months on the joy of greeting her, which I am loathe to do, by the way?" He continued to stare moodily into the fireplace as a sneer curled his lips.
"It would be remiss of you not to greet a fellow colleague," Albus countered softly.
"She won't last the year, Albus, mark my words." He set his glass aside impatiently.
"Oh, I don't think so…I believe she may surprise everyone. She's a rather hardy sort," the headmaster said with a merry twinkle in his blue eyes.
"You mean she's a heavy set matron with the makings of a prize winning mustache," Severus muttered, rising from his chair with obvious reluctance. He winced as his joints cracked loudly, and he paused, rubbed his temples briefly before drawing on his robes and buttoning his shirt with swift, practiced motions.
He gave his bottle of whiskey a mournful last glance before following Dumbledore from the shadowed, familiar comfort of his rooms.
**********
"Why Severus, how kind of you to join us," Professor McGonagall murmured as he took his seat at the teacher's table near her.
He looked through his disheveled, stringy black hair and noted her pinched expression. "Something wrong, Minerva?"
"Not at all…have you met her yet?"
He paused in the act of pouring a glass of wine, and looked at the older woman out of the corner of his eye.
"Unfortunately, no, I haven't had that purportedly great honor as of yet…" he muttered with thinly veiled sarcasm. "Have you?"
Minerva smiled tightly. "As a matter of fact, no…but I do know her name – "
"Minerva, may I have a word?" Albus appeared beside the professor's chair with an unusually grave look.
"Of course, Albus." The witch removed her napkin from her lap, and stood.
Severus watched the pair go with narrowed eyes, his brow arched suspiciously.
He looked around the nearly empty great hall, his sharp, quick gaze taking in everything – including the billowing black robes of a young woman exiting through the doors at the opposite end of the room.
He stood up with such haste that his chair screeched behind him, and several startled stares were sent his way from along the table.
Ignoring the unwanted attention, he folded his arms across his chest, and stepped down from the raised dais the long table was set upon to stalk down the long aisle after the girl.
He broke out into the hall looking left and right, a thunderous frown on his pale features.
"Stop!"
The slight figure in black halted several feet away, and he saw her back stiffen in the dim light of the hall.
Severus took slow, deliberate steps, approaching the girl with rising ire.
"What do you think you're doing here, Miss? How did you get in here? The students are not due to arrive until tomorrow…"
As he closed the short distance between them, he noticed that the girl's hair was a dark, flame red, and something long forgotten stirred within the icy depths of his chest.
The girl turned, slowly…and he felt his cold lump of a heart give a wicked, painful thud.
Ginny Weasley's fair, slightly freckled face turned up to meet his with a slight smile.
"Hello, Professor."
*********
Professor Virginia Weasley stood before her old teacher with a calm outward countenance that came from years of practice and experience – but inside she was quaking.
She'd seen a lot in the past four years – she'd come face to face with vampires, werewolves, and innumerable other dark, dangerous creatures in her travels, and yet the sight of Severus Snape standing before her with a scowl as dark as any she could recall, in his familiar black robes, made her feel like that naïve seventeen year old girl all over again.
Her eyes moved over his face, noting the fact that he hadn't changed a bit – the lines around his cruelly sensual mouth and glittering black eyes hadn't deepened or extended like she'd thought they would. His raven colored hair was the exact same length, and fell across his furrowed brow in the exact same manner.
She crossed her arms over her chest and strived to look as disinterested as possible, as if her heart wasn't truly racing madly in her chest with his name tattooed across it.
"I imagine you're rather surprised to see me, here," said Ginny at last, rather coolly.
"I don't think surprised is quite the word I'd use, Miss Weasley," he snapped in dour tones.
She felt her hackles rise as his dark eyes raked her, blistering in their intensity. "It's actually 'Professor' Weasley, now, if you don't mind," she bit out just as harshly.
She had the satisfaction of seeing his dark brows rise in surprise before sudden understanding lit his eyes and they drew downwards again.
" 'Professor' is it?" He looked at her skeptically. "I don't suppose you're the one Albus had been blathering on about…" he looked her over once again, and shook his head, obviously finding her lacking.
" 'You' are going to teach the Defense Against The Dark Arts class?"
Ginny frowned, arching her brow. "I may be young, but I assure you, Professor, I know what I'm doing."
"Actions speak louder than words," he drawled acidly, before pursing his lips slightly and raising one loosely fisted hand to rest against his chest in a too familiar pose she'd seen a thousand times.
Nostalgia and memories of unrequited love overcame her self – righteous anger, and she longed to lean her head against that chest again, and never leave the circle of his arms...
"Weren't you going to dinner?"
His abrupt question broke her from her girlish thoughts, and she swallowed, before meeting his eyes steadily.
"I'm sorry, Professor, but I seem to have lost my appetite all of a sudden."
He scowled at her. "I believe, 'Virginia', that since we are now colleagues," he spat the word as if it were distasteful to him, "you may call me Severus…"
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I really dislike being called Virginia…call me Ginny, please."
"I can't call you that – it's a – a 'pet' name," he muttered in disgust. "'Virginia' is a much more suitable name for a woman of your station."
"In that case, you won't mind my calling you Snape – I always thought your first name was a bit of a mouthful," she countered blithely, her tone even and controlled.
Snape raised his chin sharply and drew in a quick breath suddenly, and Ginny recognized the signs of his rising temper from her days as his student.
"I'll see you at breakfast, Professor…Snape. It was good speaking with you again." She turned before the smile tugging at the corner of her lips could give her away, and forced herself to walk at a maddeningly sedate pace down the dimly lit corridor.
*********
Severus stared after the girl with something burning in his chest that he couldn't begin to interpret. He felt angry with her…but also strangely protective of her.
There'd been things he'd noticed, things that had changed about her that he hadn't seen in his first glimpse of her.
She hadn't been lying a bit when she'd said she'd known what she was doing, he didn't doubt that. The experiences she'd had with the darker side of the world were written all over her lovely little face – and proven in the barely noticeable scar bisecting one of her finely arched brows.
So why had he given her such a hard time of it, belittling her obviously hard earned title and insulting her abilities?
Severus rubbed his temple and turned back the way he'd come, careful to avoid the great hall at all costs – the last thing he needed to hear was the glowing qualifications of "'Professor' Weasley…"
*********
To Be Continued…