Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you all!! This chapter is dedicated to all of you!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own it nor am I making money off of it. If you sue me, I will be forced to become a hermit and live alone for the rest of my life. I simply could never get back on my feet if I had to suffer from computer-depravation.
Chapter One:
Severus Snape was lying on the white cotton of the sheets in the Infirmary, staring at the ceiling. Thinking back to his school days, he remembered that he had occupied this very bed numerous times before. Mostly for Quidditch accidents -- he had never really gotten the hang of a broom,-- but sometimes for various pranks that he had pulled.
Though his expression was turning sour, he recalled one incident that had him burning with humiliation for months afterward. Clenching his fists, his mind went back to how he had felt waking up after a concussion on the school lawn -- butt naked. He had been hanging upside down at the wand of one James Potter and had obviously been dropped on his head. No one had even bothered to call the school nurse, even after it became clear he had been knocked out. Transfiguring some leaves into clothes, he had gone down to the common room.
However, Severus was never very good at Transfiguration, and the clothes had turned back into leaves and fallen off at precisely the moment he had entered the common room. Of course his classmates had laughed, it was the last day of O.W.L.s and the fifth years were of good-humour.
The next day he had turned Potter's hair green with a potion slipped into his pumpkin juice. It wasn't quite payback, but it was slightly satisfying to see everyone in Gryffindor laughing at Potter. Even his best friend, Black, had laughed at him. Some might say that he was jealous of Potter's popularity, but that was not the case. It was only that like most people, Severus didn't particularly enjoy being singled out and laughed at.
"Professor Snape, how are you feeling, dear?" Madam Pomfrey called, interrupting his musing.
Pausing for a moment before he responded, Severus took the time to ponder over his new title, Professor. It sounded odd to him, but he accepted it nonetheless. "Fine. May I be released?" He fought the urge to plea, that was undignified. Severus Snape would never be undignified.
"If you promise to eat three times a day, no skipping meals!" Seeing his not, she turned. "You're far too thin as it is…" she muttered as she walked off.
A silent cheer came from within him as he sat up. He detested the colour white. It hurt his eyes and reminded him of the snow glare from atop a mountain in wintertime. That probably says something about my personality, he thought. Doesn't white have something to do with purity and all that nonsense? I haven't been considered pure for a very long time. After managing to turn his laugh into a snort, he got dressed in his habitual black robes and walked out of the Infirmary.
Moments later, he realized his mistake. He had forgotten to ask Pomfrey where he was to be staying. In fact, he didn't even know what day it was. There was no way for him to determine the amount of time he had spent in either Dumbledore's office or in the Infirmary. Feeling like a complete dunderhead, he became conscious that the time of day also remained uncertain. Inwardly cursing his mistake, he headed purposely for the Headmaster's office.
Before he could reach the gargoyle, however, he was accosted by the man himself. "Severus, child! Would you care for a lemon drop? My great-niece, the one who married the Muggle, sent me a bag. Delicious little things, they are." The Headmaster started ranting as soon as he was spotted.
"No, Headmaster." Severus responded, barely managing to keep the disdain from his voice and the roll from his eyes.
"Your loss, I'm afraid." Dumbledore said, popping another one into his mouth. "Didn't Poppy instruct you to not miss a meal?" He inquired.
"Headmaster, one lemon drop is hardly a meal." Severus replied, annoyance evident in his voice.
"I'll be 'aving one, if ya don' mind, Headmaster." Hagrid said from behind Severus. "Good little things, them are. I need ter make a special trip to Honeydukes meself, just for some of 'em."
"Splendid, Hagrid!" The Headmaster cried cheerfully, offering the huge man one.
"Wut 'ave we 'ere, 'eadmaster?" Hagrid asked, directing his comments at Severus, who fought the urge to roll his eyes at the garbled speech. In fact, Hagrid's jumbled speech was even more muddled then usual, due to the lemon drop.
"Surly you remember Severus Snape, Hagrid. I daresay you picked him up off the lawn more then once." Dumbledore said, not bothering to notice Severus' expression darkening.
"Why's 'e back, though, sir?" inquired Hagrid, the lemon drop had quite obviously been swallowed.
"I would prefer that you not carry on this conversation as if I was not present." Severus interrupted in one of the most condescending voices he could muster. Greeted by silence from the other two, he continued, "I shall be the new Potions professor here at Hogwarts." Feeling the little burst of energy that he had acquired from the silence that greeted his condescension, Severus threw in a sneer. He was rewarded by the overgrown man's raising of eyebrows, obviously Hagrid had thought Severus was still the snivelling little child he had been in his school days.
"Yes, Severus will indeed be the Potions professor." Dumbledore confirmed, and for some reason he looked sadly at Severus. "I think there are a few situations to discuss, such as your living quarters and other miscellaneous things." Severus nodded, relieved he would not have to broach the subject. Suddenly he pictured himself looking at the Headmaster as a lost puppy would, and had to suppress a shudder.
"Well, Hagrid, I'll see you in a bit, dinner is only an hour away." The Headmaster said, and Severus had the feeling that he was not the only one in the room that had the talent of Legilimency.
Well, at least I won't have to admit to the fact that I'm completely clueless, it's certainly not something I'm used to or something I find pleasant.
Moments later, he was being led away to the dungeons to his new chambers. They were situated quite close to his office, which Severus found convenient. He had never paid much attention to where his teachers were when they were out of class. In fact, Severus had probably stupidly assumed that teachers didn't exist outside the classrooms.
That they weren't people. A nasty voice whispered in the back of Severus' head. Mentally shaking the voice off, he forced his mind to return to what the Headmaster was saying.
"Now, these rooms are rather bare, but I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to decorate them! You have all summer, you have conveniently chosen to appear the day after term is over."
Severus barely managed to contain a snort at the thought of him decorating. Maybe he should conjure some red paint and toss droplets of it on the walls, if students ever dared to sneak in they would think it was blood. Not that was a very amusing thought. Then he realized something. He was actually going to have to teach Potions. Bloody hell.
"Headmaster," he started suddenly, interrupting Dumbledore's ranting about what colours might look nice in his rooms, "how long to I have to get to you the proposed programme of study?"
Pausing, Dumbledore stroked his beard. If Severus didn't know better, he might think that the Headmaster was senile. "Oh, sometime before the start of the term…" he muttered vaguely.
Well, that was helpful. Severus thought sarcastically to himself. A thought occurred to him, making him feel like a dunderhead for the second time that day.
"What am I going to tell the Dark Lord?" He asked, trying very hard to keep the mask he wore devoid of any emotions.
"Oh, that you're sorry that you suggested a change--" Dumbledore answered before he was cut off.
"How did you know about that?" Maybe the rumours were true and the Headmaster was omniscient.
"You were muttering it to yourself when Poppy put you in that Healing Sleep." Dumbledore replied, the twinkling in his eyes becoming more apparent. Severus wondered what else he had muttered in his sleep.
"Ah." Was the only answer he could think of.
"You classrooms are adjacent to your office, which is adjacent to your quarters. There is a storage cupboard that was recently filled by the Professor that last held the position, Professor Sparrow. I daresay that the Slytherins were upset to see their Head of House leave…"
Severus' interest was awakened. "Sir, who will the next Head of House be?"
"Oh, dear me! I must have forgotten to mention it." Dumbledore responded, the irritating twinkle in his eyes was really starting to bother Severus. "You are the only current former Slytherin on staff…"
Severus smirked, for some weird reason proud of this fact -- before the implications hit him. Oh, no. The man is bloody insane! I could not possibly accept such a burden atop my spying duties. Severus was quite aware of how many times the Head of House had had to talk several Slytherins out of suicide when he had been a student.
"I'm sure they'll take an immediate liking to you --" Severus snorted, for the moment forgetting his irritation with the man. "-- but, I've got to be off. You may use the floo to bring any belongings you wish over from your apartment." Then he dashed off, obviously aware of the displeasure Severus was feeling with him.
After a moment, Severus decided to go evaluate the state of the rest of these quarters, his office, and classroom. His private chambers were rather comfortable, although it saddened him to be leaving his apartment for most of the year. There was a master bedroom, with a bath the size of the prefects bath,. an extra bedroom, presumable for guests -- not that he would be having any. The only 'friends' he had were Death Eaters and fell into the category Those That Cannot Be Trusted. Something that he had not noticed before in the first room, the living room, was a rather ornate stone fireplace. Good, it often got cold down in the dungeons, from what he could remember from his school days. There was also enough room for a couch, and two chairs and a small table by the fireplace. And not to mention the space over by the door that presumably led to the office, it would be perfect for a desk.
Well, Severus thought, I might as well see the office, even if I do plan to do most of my work here. He thought as he headed out the door.
The office was much darker than his rooms, and would probably terrify his students. He didn't know why that idea was such an appealing one. There were jars full of potions ingredients, they lined the walls. To someone not experienced with potions they would appear disgusting, but Severus rather fancied them to be works of art.
His classroom was the same one that he had been taught in as a student, and it momentarily disturbed him to think about the teacher he remembered from his school days living where he would be living. However, he reminded himself that he was supposed to be an adult, even if he was only nineteen, and the thought of living in his teacher's former quarters shouldn't bother him, even though he had only graduated two years ago.
He was going to be teaching people he went to school with, he realized suddenly. They're was no way that they would respect him! Hell, he would never have respected a nineteen year old Professor, even if he had been his Head of House.
Damn it, Dumbledore. He swore to himself. Well, I'll just have to develop a plan to teach these dunderheads some respect. Oh, Merlin, what if I get a student like James Potter? Severus seriously doubted his own ability to control his temper if a student like Potter or his miserable friends showed their unwelcome faces in his classroom. Suppressing a sigh, he walked over to his desk at the front of the classroom.
A desk he had often seen Professor Sparrow sit at, grading papers.
Odd, he thought, spotting an envelope on the desk. Promptly, he picked it up and examined it. There was his name on it, Severus Snape, written in strangely loopy handwriting that Severus was sure he recognized but couldn't quite place.
Opening it up, he found two short pieces of parchment. One read:
"This prophecy was made many years ago from a direct descendent of Cassandra, Prophetess of Doom. I have no doubt that it is one of the few prophecies that are valid."
Snorting to himself, Severus didn't much care for this person's opinion as he had no idea who wrote this note. But it was interesting, a prophecy about him? Hopefully it hadn't anything to do with Doom, Severus had had enough of that, thank you very much. He read the other piece of parchment, his forehead creasing in confusion as he read:
"Severus Snape will love the One Who Lives."
Wow, what an amazing prophecy! Severus thought sarcastically. It appeared to him that this prophecy was one entirely based on nothing. "One Who Lives?" He muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards slightly betraying his amusement. Promptly, he shoved it in the bottom drawer of his desk and went off to dinner.
A/N: Okay, first off, I would like to thank all of the people who reviewed this. I would never have gotten out this chapter had it not been for all of you, you were my muse. (I have to admit to the guilty habit I have of suddenly stopping writing -- which I was quite close to doing.)
I would also like to admit to the fact that I know absolutely nothing about Cassandra, and if I mixed something up I apologize.
There was actually going to be more in this chapter, but for some reason I got into a good mood and this chapter turned out rather cheery. I suppose it's due to Dumbledore's lemon drops making an appearance that there was a distinct lack-of-angst in this chapter. I promise that there will be much, much more angst in the next one, I have it all planned out in my mind. The angst will be due to the Return of the Students… and we all know how much Severus loves students. I will use more of a motive for his angst, but you'll just have to wait and see what it is.
On another note: this story will focus mainly on Severus. He does not rescue Harry from the Dursley's. When I said that the main genre will be Angst, I did not mean Harry's angst. Repeat after me, people: Severus Snape… lmao. Hopefully this will be a slight change from the ordinary.
As to when Harry appears, chapter three. You haven't long to wait. (That is, of course, if I don't sink into depression and rebel against writing this story.) But if you review, I'm sure this won't happen. (I know it sounds like blackmail, but it's really not. I do quite often rebel against writing fanfic.)
Boring and long and tiresome A/N, I know.
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