Chapter two:
Severus took a moment to repair his robe and face as the other professors were leaving. He was thoroughly sick of the plague of aggression after spending the last two weeks analyzing everything at Hogwarts that was drunk, eaten, touched, or breathed. The results were a number of confiscated drugs and potions, but nothing to cause the real problem. "Well, that was another waste of time." He said acidly to Bill who also remained seated.
Bill shrugged. "You know Voldemort better then I do. Do you think he might be indirectly involved in this?"
Severus scowled at the reminder of how close he had once been to the dark lord, but thought seriously about the question. "Not if this is all there is to the disturbance. It's too petty for him to even care about. If it's meant to get worse, though...." He shrugged and rose from the table.
Bill couldn't help but admire Severus' lean form as he strode from the room. As a student, he had had a crush on the potions master. Although now all he felt was respect and admiration, he was still drawn to the aura of power and control, and a few other attributes of course. Hagrid wasn't the only one feeling frisky. "I think it's reached a plateau, actually. And it's helped to clear the air in a lot of the cases. If the force remains constant, the fighting will die down."
Just then a fourteen year old girl ran by sobbing, followed by a friend with a handkerchief begging her to slow down.
Severus raised an incredulous eyebrow at Bill. "You are forgetting that we're dealing with teenagers. Bundles of uncontrolled hormones and repressed aggression. It's a miracle they haven't all murdered each other."
Bill was surprised by the bitterness underneath the sarcasm in Severus' voice. "I take it you didn't enjoy your student years then." Receiving no reply, he went on, "They're not all that bad. There must be a few that you actually like." Bill grinned. "After all, who could resist the charm of the Boy Who Lived?"
Snape actually looked amused at this, which Bill considered a small victory. "The only thing good about Harry Potter is that he isn't quite as bad as James Potter, which isn't saying much."
They reached the great hall then, and took their seats at the table. Severus refused to discuss the subject further.
Severus finally relaxed in his own dungeon. Supper had been exhausting, with the food fights that had become a regular occurrence at almost every meal. Only when he was in private behind locked doors did he dare relax his control. Severus wouldn't call himself frisky, but he had noticed a change in his mood almost before the spring fever began. He felt unsettled and anxious, almost as though something was missing but he couldn't quite remember what. Sometimes it felt like the tension before the storm broke, and it made him impatient with the students. Of course they weren't likely to notice the difference in their current state. In addition to the spring fever problem, they were all in a state of anxiety over Voldemort. The spies, no longer a group he was part of, agreed that Voldemort was preparing to attack Hogwarts before the end of school. He could not allow Harry to live on as proof of his defeats and a constant challenge to his power.
Severus sighed, wishing it was still last summer. Just a few students to deal with, and one or two that he actually enjoyed spending time with. After this year, though, those students would be gone. Severus went to bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. It wasn't right to think of a student that way. There was no chance that his feelings would be returned, and he the boy deserved someone as young and innocent as he was. Not a bitter old potions master. Severus glanced at his wall clock and sighed. It was time to supervise detention again.
Severus took a moment to repair his robe and face as the other professors were leaving. He was thoroughly sick of the plague of aggression after spending the last two weeks analyzing everything at Hogwarts that was drunk, eaten, touched, or breathed. The results were a number of confiscated drugs and potions, but nothing to cause the real problem. "Well, that was another waste of time." He said acidly to Bill who also remained seated.
Bill shrugged. "You know Voldemort better then I do. Do you think he might be indirectly involved in this?"
Severus scowled at the reminder of how close he had once been to the dark lord, but thought seriously about the question. "Not if this is all there is to the disturbance. It's too petty for him to even care about. If it's meant to get worse, though...." He shrugged and rose from the table.
Bill couldn't help but admire Severus' lean form as he strode from the room. As a student, he had had a crush on the potions master. Although now all he felt was respect and admiration, he was still drawn to the aura of power and control, and a few other attributes of course. Hagrid wasn't the only one feeling frisky. "I think it's reached a plateau, actually. And it's helped to clear the air in a lot of the cases. If the force remains constant, the fighting will die down."
Just then a fourteen year old girl ran by sobbing, followed by a friend with a handkerchief begging her to slow down.
Severus raised an incredulous eyebrow at Bill. "You are forgetting that we're dealing with teenagers. Bundles of uncontrolled hormones and repressed aggression. It's a miracle they haven't all murdered each other."
Bill was surprised by the bitterness underneath the sarcasm in Severus' voice. "I take it you didn't enjoy your student years then." Receiving no reply, he went on, "They're not all that bad. There must be a few that you actually like." Bill grinned. "After all, who could resist the charm of the Boy Who Lived?"
Snape actually looked amused at this, which Bill considered a small victory. "The only thing good about Harry Potter is that he isn't quite as bad as James Potter, which isn't saying much."
They reached the great hall then, and took their seats at the table. Severus refused to discuss the subject further.
Severus finally relaxed in his own dungeon. Supper had been exhausting, with the food fights that had become a regular occurrence at almost every meal. Only when he was in private behind locked doors did he dare relax his control. Severus wouldn't call himself frisky, but he had noticed a change in his mood almost before the spring fever began. He felt unsettled and anxious, almost as though something was missing but he couldn't quite remember what. Sometimes it felt like the tension before the storm broke, and it made him impatient with the students. Of course they weren't likely to notice the difference in their current state. In addition to the spring fever problem, they were all in a state of anxiety over Voldemort. The spies, no longer a group he was part of, agreed that Voldemort was preparing to attack Hogwarts before the end of school. He could not allow Harry to live on as proof of his defeats and a constant challenge to his power.
Severus sighed, wishing it was still last summer. Just a few students to deal with, and one or two that he actually enjoyed spending time with. After this year, though, those students would be gone. Severus went to bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. It wasn't right to think of a student that way. There was no chance that his feelings would be returned, and he the boy deserved someone as young and innocent as he was. Not a bitter old potions master. Severus glanced at his wall clock and sighed. It was time to supervise detention again.