Chapter 2 - Certain People They Could Name.

Tired and exasperated, Severus was not looking forward to the awkward meal awaiting him in the mostly-deserted dining hall. No, not at all. The ex- potions master was not exactly the most social of Hogwart's esteemed faculty - and he had no desire to be. But this was only one meal, and, as the hardened cynic he was, Severus could handle the one hour of uncomfortable solitude. And besides which, he was hungry.

Taking a deep breath, he quietly trudged into the cavernous room, seating himself at the nearest of the Slytherin tables and hunching over.

A minute later, much to his chagrin, a bevy of bonding new professors strolled in; their idle chatter resounded against the thick walls, multiplying Severus' irritation tenfold. And, just as luckily, they decided to sit down next to him at the Slytherin table, as to be in the vicinity of one of the more notorious professors. Great.

"Extra-ordinarily incredible, don't you think?" queried one, obnoxiously balancing her glasses on the tip of her nose. The rest nodded and murmured in agreement. Severus slid down the bench a meter, hoping to escape the annoyance of staff gossip. What children!

And so he spent a good half hour eating silently, wearing his trademark scowl and grinding his teeth as he chewed, trying to block the voices of the other teachers from reaching his ears. It worked to some extent, until his attention was unwillingly drawn in by a chance remark.

"-terrible! And how creepy is that? All black, all the time." Severus' ears perked up in time to catch the next comment.

"-never seen the sun in years! Like a ghost or something." The woman-with- the-glasses quipped. The others laughed. "Straight out of a Tim Burton movie, I swear. It's utterly unnerving."

Opening his mouth in preparation for a scathing retort, Severus was caught off guard when the group turned towards him.

"Don't you agree, Professor Snape?" asked one of the newcomers. Severus blinked.

"Excuse me?" he replied icily.

"Professor Tome is the eeriest thing since white rap. I mean - it's unbelievable."

"And they said you had a reputation!" another blurted out. Inquisitive-Joe shushed her. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid we have yet to be acquainted. I only just arrived this morning."

"Oh really!" Lady-four-eyes gasped, smirking unattractively. "You're in for a great treat, I can assure you that. Crikey, what a fright."

"I see."

And as the conversation hurried down a new vein, Severus was left pondering the enigma of his replacement. He imagined an older man, with dark eyes . possibly a Potter-esque scar. He could also be younger, tall and thin, towering ominously like a spectre. It didn't really matter, in the end. Either way, Snape was jealous.

Severus knew he was often compared with a vampire. He was dark, pale, intrinsicly evil-looking. He was also aware of the rumours and misjudgments passed around behind his back by professors and students alike. But the stories insured his privacy, so he didn't mind. Anything that kept him alone was to his benefit.

And yet, he couldn't help but wonder what impact this new associate would have on his authority. If the students no longer feared him, enthralled with the terror of a more devious teacher, could he keep them in check? Or would he have to follow through on his reputable threats? Despite gossip, Severus did not strive to be a harsh professor. He was not out to get his students. But, he desperately needed to protect his seclusion. So was everything about to change?

Calming himself back into reality, Severus vowed to solve the problem immediately. And first he would need answers.

* * *

Y'okay, so that's the second installment. I promise sevvy-poo will be meeting his creepy-arse replacement. And by creepy, I mean . really creepy. Ta for now!