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"Please take out a writing implement and parchment," Snape said to his class of 6th years.
"We will not be brewing a Sleeping Drought today as to your lack of brains." Ron Weasley frowned at
Snape and said "bastard" under his breath. "Mr. Weasley, I can assure you I have a father.... so
calling me a bastard was quite incorrect."
Ron blushed a color as red as his hair as the class snickered. Even the Gryfinndors were
impressed by the comment. Snape glared at them and continued, "I expect to have an essay on the
way a Sleeping Drought is brewed by the end of class. Your essay shall be 10 inches long. If it
is not, I will deduct 10 points from your grade and your house."
Draco Malfoy raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. You have a question?" Snape asked Draco, visibly not interested in the
question.
"Yes, sir," he drawled, his face smug. "We did an essay like this a couple nights ago. Why
are we doing it again?"
"Because most of you failed the assignment, and did not have the slightest idea on how the
Sleeping Drought is performed or the ingredients that are involved."
"What about the people who didn't fail the assignment? Do they still have to do it?" Malfoy
asked, clearly stating that he was one who didn't fail.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy... they do." Snape replied losing his patience. "And if you continue to nag
me, I will deduct 20 points from your house."
The class gasped. Damnit, Severus!, he thought, where did that come from? Draco immediately
shutup. He frowned and shook his head in a way of saying that his idol had lost it.
There was a huge pause in which the class stared at Snape with wide eyes and their mouths gaping
in surprise. Severus was starting to feel uncomfortable under their awed gaze.
"Well... what are you all waiting for?" he snapped. " I believe I said the essays were due
at the end of class!"
The students quickly searched for their quills and parchment and began to work. During the
lesson, most of the students kept glancing at Snape, who was sitting at his desk, looking at a picture
frame. What they didn't know was that the frame had a picture in it. In the picture, Becky was beaming
at the camera with Severus' arm around her. Severus and Becky were either smiling at the real Severus,
or they were kissing. Severus wanted to see Becky so badly right now. He knew she was with him only 10
minutes ago, but it didn't matter. She was so beautiful. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with
her. But that meant one scary thing. Marriage. He would never be able to marry. Let alone have a wife.
His past weighed on him to much. If he asked Becky to marry him, she would be in much danger. Even though
the majority of the Death Eaters were in Azkaban, there were still evil people out there that knew he had
betrayed Voldemort. He was the reason why Becky was kidnapped by Voldemort last week. He was surprised
she still loved him, even when he put her in danger. But she had saved his life. If she hadn't threw him
that gold knife, he would have been.... well... dead. And he loved her immensely before that. Right
now.... he couldn't think of life without her. She would never understand how truly,madly, and deeply he
was in love with her. He just hoped she loved him as much.
"Sir?"
Severus woke up from his musings and looked up at the boy standing in front of his desk.
"Potter." he acknowledged.
"Would it be okay if we finished our essays up for homework. The class has ended and none
of us are even close to done-,"
"I am!" Hermione Granger shouted from her seat. "It's a couple inches over, I think."
She ran up to him and set the essay on his desk. Snape raised an eyebrow at her and she
blushed furiously.
"Overachiever," Malfoy murmured from the back of the room.
Snape gestured Hermione to move so he could look at Draco.
"Mr. Malfoy," he started. "I would not be talking if I were you. At least she can get an
assignment done, unlike yourself."
Once again, the class gasped as well as giggled. Or at least the Gryfinndors did. Ron
couldn't control his laughter. He was pounding his fist on the desk. What the hell is up with you,
Severus?, he thought, The Gryfinndors are actually starting to like you!
"Sir? Did I hear you correctly?" Malfoy asked confused.
"Unfortunately you did," he said more to himself.
The bell suddenly rang.
"I expect the essay to be handed into me on Tuesday," he drawled to the students that were
now filing out of the room. He turned his head to Hermione and said, " As for you, Miss. Granger.
You will be receiving extra credit because you had completed the assignment early. You are dismissed."
"Thankyou, Professor Snape," she said with glee and pranced out after her friends.
There then was a crashing noise from a corner of the room. Snape looked over in the corner
and saw a petrified Neville Longbottom staring back at him.
Severus sighed and said quietly, "Longbottom, what are you doing?"
"I was ju.. ju.j..just ppuut-t-ting the cauld-dron a-a-a-a-a-away," he stuttered in fear.
Severus motioned him over to his desk, and Neville ran over quickly. He was now shaking
furiously. Snape suddenly felt pity for the boy that was now cowering in front of his desk.
"Longbottom, why are you so scared of me?" he asked unexpectedely.
"I-I-I-,"
"I know I am quite rude to you... but you have to learn that everyone you come across
will not always be kind," he said slowly, making sure he caught every word. "And," he added, making
sure Neville was paying close attention. "You need to learn how to stand up to your enemies.. as well
as your fears."
Neville nodded, presumably calmed down. "Yes, sir."
"I have noticed in the past years that you have been struggling in Potions. I am sorry I
have not offered you this earlier, but if you are willing to come to my classroom after lunch
everyday... I will tutor you so you may understand the material better."
Neville nodded again and said, "I would like that very much, sir."
"Good," Snape replied with a small innocent smirk. "You are dismissed then."
Neville smiled at him for the first time in his life and left quietly without another
word. Snape then smiled to himself.
"Becky would have loved to see that," he said to himself.
"Please take out a writing implement and parchment," Snape said to his class of 6th years.
"We will not be brewing a Sleeping Drought today as to your lack of brains." Ron Weasley frowned at
Snape and said "bastard" under his breath. "Mr. Weasley, I can assure you I have a father.... so
calling me a bastard was quite incorrect."
Ron blushed a color as red as his hair as the class snickered. Even the Gryfinndors were
impressed by the comment. Snape glared at them and continued, "I expect to have an essay on the
way a Sleeping Drought is brewed by the end of class. Your essay shall be 10 inches long. If it
is not, I will deduct 10 points from your grade and your house."
Draco Malfoy raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. You have a question?" Snape asked Draco, visibly not interested in the
question.
"Yes, sir," he drawled, his face smug. "We did an essay like this a couple nights ago. Why
are we doing it again?"
"Because most of you failed the assignment, and did not have the slightest idea on how the
Sleeping Drought is performed or the ingredients that are involved."
"What about the people who didn't fail the assignment? Do they still have to do it?" Malfoy
asked, clearly stating that he was one who didn't fail.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy... they do." Snape replied losing his patience. "And if you continue to nag
me, I will deduct 20 points from your house."
The class gasped. Damnit, Severus!, he thought, where did that come from? Draco immediately
shutup. He frowned and shook his head in a way of saying that his idol had lost it.
There was a huge pause in which the class stared at Snape with wide eyes and their mouths gaping
in surprise. Severus was starting to feel uncomfortable under their awed gaze.
"Well... what are you all waiting for?" he snapped. " I believe I said the essays were due
at the end of class!"
The students quickly searched for their quills and parchment and began to work. During the
lesson, most of the students kept glancing at Snape, who was sitting at his desk, looking at a picture
frame. What they didn't know was that the frame had a picture in it. In the picture, Becky was beaming
at the camera with Severus' arm around her. Severus and Becky were either smiling at the real Severus,
or they were kissing. Severus wanted to see Becky so badly right now. He knew she was with him only 10
minutes ago, but it didn't matter. She was so beautiful. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with
her. But that meant one scary thing. Marriage. He would never be able to marry. Let alone have a wife.
His past weighed on him to much. If he asked Becky to marry him, she would be in much danger. Even though
the majority of the Death Eaters were in Azkaban, there were still evil people out there that knew he had
betrayed Voldemort. He was the reason why Becky was kidnapped by Voldemort last week. He was surprised
she still loved him, even when he put her in danger. But she had saved his life. If she hadn't threw him
that gold knife, he would have been.... well... dead. And he loved her immensely before that. Right
now.... he couldn't think of life without her. She would never understand how truly,madly, and deeply he
was in love with her. He just hoped she loved him as much.
"Sir?"
Severus woke up from his musings and looked up at the boy standing in front of his desk.
"Potter." he acknowledged.
"Would it be okay if we finished our essays up for homework. The class has ended and none
of us are even close to done-,"
"I am!" Hermione Granger shouted from her seat. "It's a couple inches over, I think."
She ran up to him and set the essay on his desk. Snape raised an eyebrow at her and she
blushed furiously.
"Overachiever," Malfoy murmured from the back of the room.
Snape gestured Hermione to move so he could look at Draco.
"Mr. Malfoy," he started. "I would not be talking if I were you. At least she can get an
assignment done, unlike yourself."
Once again, the class gasped as well as giggled. Or at least the Gryfinndors did. Ron
couldn't control his laughter. He was pounding his fist on the desk. What the hell is up with you,
Severus?, he thought, The Gryfinndors are actually starting to like you!
"Sir? Did I hear you correctly?" Malfoy asked confused.
"Unfortunately you did," he said more to himself.
The bell suddenly rang.
"I expect the essay to be handed into me on Tuesday," he drawled to the students that were
now filing out of the room. He turned his head to Hermione and said, " As for you, Miss. Granger.
You will be receiving extra credit because you had completed the assignment early. You are dismissed."
"Thankyou, Professor Snape," she said with glee and pranced out after her friends.
There then was a crashing noise from a corner of the room. Snape looked over in the corner
and saw a petrified Neville Longbottom staring back at him.
Severus sighed and said quietly, "Longbottom, what are you doing?"
"I was ju.. ju.j..just ppuut-t-ting the cauld-dron a-a-a-a-a-away," he stuttered in fear.
Severus motioned him over to his desk, and Neville ran over quickly. He was now shaking
furiously. Snape suddenly felt pity for the boy that was now cowering in front of his desk.
"Longbottom, why are you so scared of me?" he asked unexpectedely.
"I-I-I-,"
"I know I am quite rude to you... but you have to learn that everyone you come across
will not always be kind," he said slowly, making sure he caught every word. "And," he added, making
sure Neville was paying close attention. "You need to learn how to stand up to your enemies.. as well
as your fears."
Neville nodded, presumably calmed down. "Yes, sir."
"I have noticed in the past years that you have been struggling in Potions. I am sorry I
have not offered you this earlier, but if you are willing to come to my classroom after lunch
everyday... I will tutor you so you may understand the material better."
Neville nodded again and said, "I would like that very much, sir."
"Good," Snape replied with a small innocent smirk. "You are dismissed then."
Neville smiled at him for the first time in his life and left quietly without another
word. Snape then smiled to himself.
"Becky would have loved to see that," he said to himself.