2
-Oh, god. Albus has me working with that twit, Granger. How she ever became a teacher I do not know. The bastard! Thinks he can boss me around like he's my mother. I'll make Granger work, oh, yes. I'll make her pay for her incompetence all these long years. Damn you, Albus! As if I didn't have enough to worry about already.-
Severus tore down the halls, leaving parchment and textbooks in his wake as he knocked over any student in his way.
-Filthy children. Damn-it! Move!- he thought to himself as he walked.
**
-I can't believe Albus would ask me to do that! He knows how much every student hates Severus, especially Harry, Ron and I. But a duty is a duty, I suppose-
Just then Marigold Thomas tapped on her shoulder.
'Professor? Erm, could you please help me with my feather?' she whispered, pointing at a peacock feather floating high up near the ceiling. Hermione smiled and made it disappear, then reappear in her open hand.
'There. Is that all?'
'Thank you, Professor Granger.'
Hermione smiled. First years were always such a pleasure to teach. They very rarely fought, and if they did it was easy to solve. The early morning sun shone in the open window, and a tiny breeze ruffled the replacement feathers on her desk. The first class of the day was always the best, as was the last. Hermione shook herself mentally and turned her attention once more to grading yesterdays papers. She frowned as Hillary Mitchelton, a wonderful girl with lots of wizarding talent, got only twenty percent on her test. She sighed, setting it aside so she would remember to talk to her about it.
A knock at the door made Hermione look up. She saw a dark figure through the pane of glass.
'Come in, please.'
In came Professor Snape.
The class gasped, and one or two of the students dove under desks to hide. It was only the second day, so many of them had not had potions yet, only heard of Severus's reputation through older members of their houses or siblings. Severus slowly walked down the rows of students until he was up against the desk. Hermione had risen when he came in. He scowled at her before he spoke.
'May I have a minute, Professor?' he spat, looking down his nose. Hermione nodded and went around the desk to speak to the class.
'Alright, now just keep practicing until I get back. I shouldn't be gone too long. Jason? You can be in charge. If anyone gets hurt go tell Madame Pomphrey,' she said softly, looking around to make sure everyone was listening. They all were, and she left quietly, letting the door fall to behind. Severus led her down the hall to an unused classroom, filled with trash cans and old chalkboards that had long ago lost their ability to be drawn upon.
'Alright. I trust Albus has spoken to you about the nature of our work…' Hermione nodded. Severus gave her a look of discust.
'He has, yes.'
'Very well. I will expect you outside my office at nine o'clock sharp, and no excuses. Bring a quill and pleanty of parchment.' He sneered.
'We have work to do.'
'Nine o'clock? Excellent. Should I bring something to snack on, or are we just going to go without.' She made an attempt to be friendly, ignoring his disbelief in her abilities as a teacher and research assistant.
'No snacking. We work, and that is all,' he barked, turning around and heading for the door. He opened it silently, looked back with a look of loathing, and left. Hermione slumped.
-What does he think he's doing?! I'm every bit as intelligent and resourceful as him, probably more! He has no right to speak to me like that, the bastard. I must talk to Albus about him.-
And with that, she, too returned to her classroom for the remainder of her lesson.
**
'Sit up! Chesterfield! Daragon! Twenty points from Hufflepuff for your slouching. And if you don't sit up I'll make it fifty! Each!' they quickly sat up. Severus turned away, mumbling. He was in an unusually bad mood, and he could only attribute it to his meeting with Albus, and then again with Granger. He dipped his quill in the red ink before striking out all the answers, correct or otherwise, on the papers in front of him. –Zero percent, the lot of them. Absolute numbskulls- When he had finished he went on to walk around the classroom, checking cauldrons here and there as he walked. He came up to Hunting's cauldron, sneering distainfully.
'Hunting!' he barked, making him jump and send his crushed Beetle-bugs all over the room. A few traces landed in the cauldron, and it instantly bubbled and began growing, changing colour from a harmless blue to a neon green and back again. Snape cursed, muttering a spell of some sort and causing the cauldron to freeze in its bubbling. The fire underneath also ceased movement.
'Fifty points from Gryffindor for your inability to brew anything, Hunting!' he snapped, conjuring a bottle of bright red potion from no-where, and proceeding to un-freeze the cauldron and pour the contents of the bottle into it. The bubbling stopped, and it returned to a dull blue. Severus grabbed Hunting by the scruff and dragged him up to the front.
'Detention. See me at five sharp.'
'But, Sir, dinner starts at five and-'
'No excuses, Hunting. Down here at five. I guess you wont be eating, then.'
He let him run back to the rest of the students, scared and trembling. Severus gave them his most disgusted look, and a child in the back row let out a little yell of terror. He had to resist the urge to let an evil smile of satisfaction show.
**
Hermione knocked twice at a large oak door in the long wall of a dungeon passage. She shifted the quills and parchment in her arm, as the weight was pulling her down. She had brought fifty roles of parchment, tightly bound, and not taking up too much space, four quills and two pots of ink. She was going to show Severus just how good she could be. The door creaked open to reveal Severus, characteristically snarling at the sight of her. She clenched her jaw and stepped inside.
'You're late. Do Gryffindors not pay attention to time? Or are you still learning how to use an analog watch?' he sneered. Hermione ignored the comment.
'I'm sorry, Professor. My watch said I was on the dot.'
'Mine doesn't.'
'Now. Lets get down to business. This is my office. We will meet here every weeknight at nine sharp… not a minute later… to continue research on any possible means of defeating Voldermort. We will spend around three hours a night-'
'Pardon me, but three hours? We'll be here until midnight.' Severus snarled menacingly, and he stepped closer, standing at his full height.
'Do you have a problem with the times I have chosen? Or are you too tired at the end of they day, teaching children how to make things fly? Would you like me to CHANGE the time for you?' he whispered, voice full of deadly venom. Hermione cringed.
'Yes, sir. That would be nice,' she whispered. He curled his lip, what could have been a smile.
'Fine. Four hours a night. Is that better, Granger?' he sneered triumphantly. Hermione sat abrubtly on the edge of his desk.
'Fine, Professor.' She had pushed it too far, and now she would pay. She decided to keep her mouth shut from now on. Severus let off what could only be interpereted as a laugh, a harsh barking sound. He turned to face another door. He opened this with a key, and beyond lay a winding passageway. He mounted the stairs and began the accent. She followed, silently but for the rustling of her parchment against the quills, and the grinding of her teeth as she tried hard not to lash out in anger.
-Oh, god. Albus has me working with that twit, Granger. How she ever became a teacher I do not know. The bastard! Thinks he can boss me around like he's my mother. I'll make Granger work, oh, yes. I'll make her pay for her incompetence all these long years. Damn you, Albus! As if I didn't have enough to worry about already.-
Severus tore down the halls, leaving parchment and textbooks in his wake as he knocked over any student in his way.
-Filthy children. Damn-it! Move!- he thought to himself as he walked.
**
-I can't believe Albus would ask me to do that! He knows how much every student hates Severus, especially Harry, Ron and I. But a duty is a duty, I suppose-
Just then Marigold Thomas tapped on her shoulder.
'Professor? Erm, could you please help me with my feather?' she whispered, pointing at a peacock feather floating high up near the ceiling. Hermione smiled and made it disappear, then reappear in her open hand.
'There. Is that all?'
'Thank you, Professor Granger.'
Hermione smiled. First years were always such a pleasure to teach. They very rarely fought, and if they did it was easy to solve. The early morning sun shone in the open window, and a tiny breeze ruffled the replacement feathers on her desk. The first class of the day was always the best, as was the last. Hermione shook herself mentally and turned her attention once more to grading yesterdays papers. She frowned as Hillary Mitchelton, a wonderful girl with lots of wizarding talent, got only twenty percent on her test. She sighed, setting it aside so she would remember to talk to her about it.
A knock at the door made Hermione look up. She saw a dark figure through the pane of glass.
'Come in, please.'
In came Professor Snape.
The class gasped, and one or two of the students dove under desks to hide. It was only the second day, so many of them had not had potions yet, only heard of Severus's reputation through older members of their houses or siblings. Severus slowly walked down the rows of students until he was up against the desk. Hermione had risen when he came in. He scowled at her before he spoke.
'May I have a minute, Professor?' he spat, looking down his nose. Hermione nodded and went around the desk to speak to the class.
'Alright, now just keep practicing until I get back. I shouldn't be gone too long. Jason? You can be in charge. If anyone gets hurt go tell Madame Pomphrey,' she said softly, looking around to make sure everyone was listening. They all were, and she left quietly, letting the door fall to behind. Severus led her down the hall to an unused classroom, filled with trash cans and old chalkboards that had long ago lost their ability to be drawn upon.
'Alright. I trust Albus has spoken to you about the nature of our work…' Hermione nodded. Severus gave her a look of discust.
'He has, yes.'
'Very well. I will expect you outside my office at nine o'clock sharp, and no excuses. Bring a quill and pleanty of parchment.' He sneered.
'We have work to do.'
'Nine o'clock? Excellent. Should I bring something to snack on, or are we just going to go without.' She made an attempt to be friendly, ignoring his disbelief in her abilities as a teacher and research assistant.
'No snacking. We work, and that is all,' he barked, turning around and heading for the door. He opened it silently, looked back with a look of loathing, and left. Hermione slumped.
-What does he think he's doing?! I'm every bit as intelligent and resourceful as him, probably more! He has no right to speak to me like that, the bastard. I must talk to Albus about him.-
And with that, she, too returned to her classroom for the remainder of her lesson.
**
'Sit up! Chesterfield! Daragon! Twenty points from Hufflepuff for your slouching. And if you don't sit up I'll make it fifty! Each!' they quickly sat up. Severus turned away, mumbling. He was in an unusually bad mood, and he could only attribute it to his meeting with Albus, and then again with Granger. He dipped his quill in the red ink before striking out all the answers, correct or otherwise, on the papers in front of him. –Zero percent, the lot of them. Absolute numbskulls- When he had finished he went on to walk around the classroom, checking cauldrons here and there as he walked. He came up to Hunting's cauldron, sneering distainfully.
'Hunting!' he barked, making him jump and send his crushed Beetle-bugs all over the room. A few traces landed in the cauldron, and it instantly bubbled and began growing, changing colour from a harmless blue to a neon green and back again. Snape cursed, muttering a spell of some sort and causing the cauldron to freeze in its bubbling. The fire underneath also ceased movement.
'Fifty points from Gryffindor for your inability to brew anything, Hunting!' he snapped, conjuring a bottle of bright red potion from no-where, and proceeding to un-freeze the cauldron and pour the contents of the bottle into it. The bubbling stopped, and it returned to a dull blue. Severus grabbed Hunting by the scruff and dragged him up to the front.
'Detention. See me at five sharp.'
'But, Sir, dinner starts at five and-'
'No excuses, Hunting. Down here at five. I guess you wont be eating, then.'
He let him run back to the rest of the students, scared and trembling. Severus gave them his most disgusted look, and a child in the back row let out a little yell of terror. He had to resist the urge to let an evil smile of satisfaction show.
**
Hermione knocked twice at a large oak door in the long wall of a dungeon passage. She shifted the quills and parchment in her arm, as the weight was pulling her down. She had brought fifty roles of parchment, tightly bound, and not taking up too much space, four quills and two pots of ink. She was going to show Severus just how good she could be. The door creaked open to reveal Severus, characteristically snarling at the sight of her. She clenched her jaw and stepped inside.
'You're late. Do Gryffindors not pay attention to time? Or are you still learning how to use an analog watch?' he sneered. Hermione ignored the comment.
'I'm sorry, Professor. My watch said I was on the dot.'
'Mine doesn't.'
'Now. Lets get down to business. This is my office. We will meet here every weeknight at nine sharp… not a minute later… to continue research on any possible means of defeating Voldermort. We will spend around three hours a night-'
'Pardon me, but three hours? We'll be here until midnight.' Severus snarled menacingly, and he stepped closer, standing at his full height.
'Do you have a problem with the times I have chosen? Or are you too tired at the end of they day, teaching children how to make things fly? Would you like me to CHANGE the time for you?' he whispered, voice full of deadly venom. Hermione cringed.
'Yes, sir. That would be nice,' she whispered. He curled his lip, what could have been a smile.
'Fine. Four hours a night. Is that better, Granger?' he sneered triumphantly. Hermione sat abrubtly on the edge of his desk.
'Fine, Professor.' She had pushed it too far, and now she would pay. She decided to keep her mouth shut from now on. Severus let off what could only be interpereted as a laugh, a harsh barking sound. He turned to face another door. He opened this with a key, and beyond lay a winding passageway. He mounted the stairs and began the accent. She followed, silently but for the rustling of her parchment against the quills, and the grinding of her teeth as she tried hard not to lash out in anger.