Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the one I created myself. All others belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. I have only borrowed them for my amusement and hopefully yours as well.
Chapter 3
Severus was incensed! He stormed back to his rooms and slammed the door so hard, the whole of Hogwarts shook (or so it seemed). Throwing down the papers, he let out a scream of frustration and pounded his fists on his desk. Blast and double damnation! FUCK! He was not prone to using Muggle swear words, but somehow this particular expletive seemed to fit. This was the ultimate humiliation. Someone new to the school was going to teach a subject that was his expertise.
"It should have been me," thought Snape. "I have been screwed out of this job by Mr. Harry- Fucking- Potter! Why should I be punished because he is too thick to grasp the principles I was trying to demonstrate? Albus was trying to butter me up by saying it wasn't a criticism of my abilities – dragonshit. What else could he have meant," he reasoned.
He flopped down in the easy chair and brooded for days. The house-elves were terrified. Professor Snape was scary at the best of times, but this was too much for them. They snuck in and out of his rooms, bringing him food and cleaning up, all the while avoiding contact with him and his wrath.
The truth of the matter was that Severus was not the right person to teach Occlumency to Potter, although Snape could not (or perhaps would not) acknowledge that fact. He was too caught up in his 'poor little me' existence. He had had a difficult life, but it seemed to those who knew him that he used it as an excuse to shut himself out of living. There were just too many emotions between Potter and Snape. Severus never missed an opportunity to needle him and point out his shortcomings. Even though poor Harry had nothing to do with the cruel teasing that had been inflicted on the young Severus by Harry's father, James, and his friends, Snape seemed to hold it against him. Also, Potter was a celebrity in the wizarding world – undeservedly so, according to Severus. It didn't matter that Harry had not sought out this fame on his own; it had been thrust upon him by a series of astounding, but unfortunate events and that he would have given anything just to be 'the wizard next door'. Snape had only negative feelings towards the boy, and it showed.
After a few days, his rage cooled down to a simmer. He would have no choice but to face the situation. The staff meeting was tomorrow and he would be meeting this 'wonder' teacher for the first time. Severus had decided that he didn't like her, sight unseen. He would be cordial, but just barely so. He would do what was required of him, and nothing more. He would be his usual cold, hard self, but even more so towards her. He was an expert at playing that role. "You don't know what you have gotten yourself into, Miss Mi, Mo…" What had Albus said her name was? He pondered it briefly- ah yes- Medwin. "You don't know what you have gotten yourself into, Miss Medwin." Severus thought with a smirk. "You will be dealing with Severus Snape, a force to be reckoned with!" What Severus failed to consider was that, perhaps, she herself was of a similar strong character.