AN: This is response to a challenge issued by Taran of hproundrobin: Write a story with Sev as out of character as you can possibly make him! I'd like the main focus to be Sev, but Harry included is good! The catch is, to find a unique way of explaining it. The other thing about this challenge is, I'd like the stories to be SHORT! No more than 3 chapters.

So, with not further ado and babbling, this here is my story, about Severus, who has been having a very bad day, and is acting a little…different…

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the –hopefully - "unique" explanation.

Severus' Very. Bad. Day.

by juxtaposed

Harry Potter was still laughing to himself as he went to bed that night. Oh, I've really outdone myself this time. Poor Professor Snape, he thought, a smirk crossing his features. He was still highly amused with the memory of Snape's expressions: the tortured smile, the cheerful grimaces, and his favorite – Snape's utter confusion when he barked out laughs. It had truly been a right treat to have seen his long-suffering professor act nice, and – rather literally – grin and bear it.

That was the best part of the whole prank, he thought – that Snape had had absolutely no control over his actions. No, that wasn't quite right, he corrected himself. The best part was that Snape was completely in the dark over what had happened to him – Harry could tell by the look of sheer perplexity gracing the Potions Master's face the whole day that he had no clue what was plaguing him that day. And he could hazard a well-educated fact that it was driving the man crazy not knowing – he had no doubt that the professor, who Harry begrudgingly had to admit was indeed a very intelligent man, had surely gone through all possible charms and potions. But that was the brilliance of his prank – he had been wise enough to avoid such blatant sources. Instead, he had spent quite a great deal of time researching – and then developing – the extremely potent method of pixie dust; virtually undetectable and so obsolete that it was almost never even thought of.

And really, it had been quite simple to pull off. Well, not simple. Pixie dust was bloody difficult to make – even Hermione had been extremely impressed when Harry told her he had made it himself – and took ages; he had spent a good part of three months to do so. But once that little obstacle had been taken care of, all he had left to do was get said pixie dust on Snape – another giant hurdle in itself, normally.

Except that Harry wasn't normal.

He did, after all, have a great number of willing would-be accomplices and resources. Namely, he had Dobby the House-Elf, and his invisibility cloak. So, sacrificing himself for one night, he had caused a spectacular explosion in the Potions lab, which had, in turn, caused Professor Snape to immediately yell out "Fifty points from Gryffindor, Potter, and detention with me tomorrow night!" – something Harry, for once in his life, had hoped would happen.

And something, had he known the repercussions of doing so, Snape would deeply regret.

Later that night, Harry had carried out his diabolical scheme. He had snuck out to the kitchens, where he had quickly given Dobby a very simple and bare explanation of his plan, simply outlining Dobby's role in the whole shebang. Dobby had immediately burst into tears, howling that "Harry Potter was such a brave boy, Dobby knew, but also is he being smart and he is asking Dobby to be helping him, Dobby is not worth such an honor that Harry Potter is giving Dobby!" - and, as he had said all that in one breath, Harry had briefly worried if House-Elves could pass out from a lack of oxygen.

The next night, Harry was serving detention; the whole time, he had had to suppress a grin that was liable to appear as he thought about what would happen. When he was dismissed, he ducked out into the corridor, and took a quick look around. Assured that there was no one else there, he hurriedly put on his Invisibility Cloak and snuck back into the lab. He glanced at the clock and held his breath, if things were running according to schedule, Dobby would have stolen all of the Potions Professor's robes by now, and he was due to appear in the lab in exactly three, two, one…

CRACK!

Dobby suddenly appeared in the lab, suspended in mid-air for a second, before dropping to the floor in a roll that threatened to take down Snape, who was right in his path. But, possessing admirable instinct, Snape swiftly dodged to the side. However, that didn't stop Dobby from barreling straight into his cauldron – which then tipped over, emptying its contents on a very disgruntled Potions Master, as his robes began to smoke. Swearing in a proficiency that had left Harry gaping in shock, he had shrugged off his robes, chucking them at Dobby as he stalked off to his adjourning chambers, ordering the House-Elf to get it cleaned. Dobby had done so; then laid the robes on the bench as Harry had instructed him to, and after glancing anxiously around the room, disappeared.

Harry had promptly sprinkled the pixie dust in liberal amounts all over the black robes, and then muttered a spell, which made the robes glow brightly for a few seconds. Thankfully, it died out just in the nick of time – the professor let out a yell and promptly marched back into the lab a moment later. Harry backed away silently to the door, hearing Snape mutter something about inane House-Elves choosing the worst days for laundering, before he growled and reached for the spelled robes. Harry grinned to himself as he slinked back out of the lab, holding back a rush of mirth and triumph until he was a safe distance away. There, he threw off his cloak and let out a burst of laughter; effectively startling a little first-year Hufflepuff who had just made her way into the corridor and promptly scampered away after looking at Harry like he was insane.

This only served to amuse him, and he had returned to the dorms that night with gleeful anticipation of the coming day…and he was not disappointed. It had been brilliant. It had been obvious – to him, anyway – that Snape was suffering marvelously, completely in the dark about his predicament. It was an all-time highlight when Snape had cheerfully awarded points, not only to Hermione, but Harry himself. Harry knew it was killing the man, he could see the blazing reluctance in his eyes, even as he had that ridiculous grin plastered to his face. But that only made it that much better, of course.

Yes, that was definitely the best part of the prank, he mused with a wicked grin. Snape's ignorance regarding the cause of his condition. That, and Snape's ignorance regarding the identity of the person who caused it. And it wasn't only Snape, but everyone else – he hadn't even told Ron, Hermione or Ginny of his plans. He didn't want to risk getting them into trouble, so he had done everything by himself, even snuck out after hours to the library for research. But when it had happened, he found he couldn't keep it to himself, he was too filled with pride of his accomplishment, especially after Ginny had remarked that whoever had managed to make Snape civil ought to have an Order of Merlin, First Class. Then, he had dragged the three over to a private corner and regaled them with the truth.

At first, Ron had been a bit put out that he hadn't been involved, but quickly got over it and congratulated Harry on a prank well done – "Ah, times like these I almost wish I had taken Potions", he had commented, causing Harry to grin sardonically while Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes disbelievingly. Ginny had been utterly delighted – with both Harry's propensity for pranking as well as the fact that he had gotten Snape – and vowed to write to Fred and George about it. Hermione had, initially, been rather disapproving, but she was won over by the cleverness of the whole thing, although she did let out a sigh as she remarked, "If only you put that much effort into your actual homework".

Harry couldn't help but chuckle to himself again, even as all his thoughts were lulling him to sleep. As he drifted off, one last drowsy thought flitted across his mind - The dust won't wear out for another day…I wonder what Professor Snape is going to do tomorrow?

Severus Snape woke up with a jackhammer in his head, and a wad of wool in his throat. He barely seemed to register that he had not woken up in his bed, but rather, he had been draped over the arm of his couch in a very uncomfortable position. Of course, he took notice of this fact when he tried to sit up and his head swam, while his right arm was at once numb and tingling, and his neck and shoulders felt as though they had been hexed into a lock.

Oh, fuck.

AN: First, I'd like to thank everybody who read and reviewed the first chapter: Jessica, Danielle, lettuce, ash vault rose garden, n0b0dys-ang31, SofiaDragon, Whitethorn, crazley, Someone and Sin666; thank you all so much for your kind reviews! I hope you all enjoyed the second installment, and, if you did, may I ask that you review and let me know? ;) Thanks again!

AN: Okay, now a bit of shameless plugging. If you're bored, check out my other HP fics and let me know what you think of them, please? Thank you!