Sorry I haven't updated for such a long time. I've been busy with my artwork. Enjoy this dumb chapter. My writing is rusty, so no heart breaking flames that make me want to cry. Only jokes.
Chapter 3: a secret revealed...by nature??
Ten years passed Severus slowly and painfully. His skills in the art of potions had reached an optimum level, but his personality had become as hard and black as onyx. The years of depression had piled on him, forming a thick icy layer, and everyone around him felt the chill.
Though he had passed the trial Dumbledore had organized, he was still scarcely trusted and had no friends but Albus to confide in, but even he didn't have the time for Severus.
Ever since his first day as a teacher, he had received narrow and judgmental looks from the other members of staff. Severus didn't have room in his already heavy mind to even begin worrying about the old biddies. So they were also out of the question for socializing. Severus had suffered bad socialism since his first day at school and beforehand. He was used to being isolated. It was merely a way of life!
He only kept his sanity by thinking about Harry. He thought about him during all his free time, wondered if he was happy with his "family", wondered if he was a good student at his primary school and wondered if he was as kind and gentle as his Angelic mother...wondered if he looked anything like his real father...
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About a week before the first day of school arrived, all teachers received their annual supplies.
Being the potions master of the school, Severus was kept very busy during this time of the year. He had to organize the supplies in his stores and check everything he ordered had come through undamaged. He also and to make many test potions to check whether any ingredients had gone bad or passed their brewing stage.
A primary problem for Severus every year was that he never received enough viper venom. This year he had taken a step ahead and ordered a larger supply than the previous year. And he would never forget it!
In the great hall (the day the supplies had arrived) all the teachers who had arrived at Hogwarts for the first term were discussing their teaching plans for the year ahead. Severus announced his arrival with a loud bang at the oak doors. He marched in his usual stiff fashion up to the staff table and took his seat with out a single greeting to any of his fellow teachers. He was bluntly aware of their sniggering as he sipped his coffee. His patience was becoming short as his curiosity at what they were laughing at increased.
Mcgonnagal noticed the crease in-between his dipping eyebrows and hushed the others. She approached Severus in caution, like the way one would approach an angry cat with its tail waving irritably. He noticed her presence but didn't look up.
"Morning Professor Snape." She said quite briskly.
Severus replied with a small "hmph".
"I suppose your wondering why the staff are laughing at you?" she continued.
"Enlighten me!" he replied
Mcgonnagal was used to his rudeness and continued.
"Well, are you aware the supplies arrived this morning?"
Severus replied in the affirmative with a small "hmm" into his coffee mug while he drank.
"Then I think you had better go and, er, check out your supplies. The rest of us have already moved ours out of the staff room." She said.
"And how is that at all funny?" he snapped quietly.
"You find out for your self!" she replied, trying to suppress a smile.
Fifteen minutes later, Severus was walking briskly to the staff room. He approached the polished mahogany door and twisted the knob. The door creaked open gently and Severus let out a loud groan of anguish. Inside there were piles upon piles of large boxes and crates, all with His name on it.
"Big fucking, funny joke!" he hissed through clenched teeth.
Severus had a lot of trouble transferring the crates and boxes from the staff room all the way down to his dungeons. He could have shrunk the boxes to pocket size to make it easier, but there was also a risk that all the contents would remain the size of pins. He had to carry all of them to the dungeons and that was a hard and sweaty job. After placing the last box onto the floor of his office, he wiped his sweaty brow and picked up his checklist.
"Shit." He mumbled.
He had 2000 separate ingredients to check.
First thing's first. He was going to check out his viper venom supplies. After searching through a few boxes he found the words printed onto the side of a very large box. He straightened up in surprise of the size of the crate.
"Damn! That's a lot of venom!" he thought.
He grabbed a crow bar and prized open the wooden lid expecting to find large bottles of venom. Instead he found himself gazing upon a large, muscular green coil under a glass lid. Severus jumped in surprise and knocked over a small box behind him. The coil lifted its small, triangular head and blinked. Severus stared into the Glassy, amber eyes of the viper. It flicked is tongue, apparently interested in the startled man before it.
This must have been a mistake! Severus ordered viper venom, not a real bloody viper!
Did the suppliers send the snake as a joke or to take the piss out of their complaining customer?
Well it didn't matter. First thing the next day, he would contact the suppliers and have the snake returned.
He lifted the glass case out of the wooden crate (he noticed the air holes on the sides) and placed it on his desk, out of the way of all the mess. The snake was still staring at him. Severus could see a slight bemusement on the reptile's lipless mouth.
Severus continued unpacking the supplies, every now and then looking over his shoulder at the ever-staring snake. It was very quiet for a long period of time. The snake knew something, Severus could tell! So he kept his mouth shut as he worked. The snake's patience grew thin. It was time to test his knew master.
"Atchoo!" it exclaimed flatly.
"Pardon you." Severus replied.
Severus froze, suddenly realizing what had just happened. After standing motionless for about 30 seconds, he resumed in what he was doing before, as if nothing had happened.
"AHA!" the viper yelled triumphantly.
Severus jumped about a foot in the air.
He whirled around to face the snake. It was laughing, slapping its tail on the sandy floor of its cage.
"Oh Ho Ho!" it laughed, now pointing its tail in Severus' direction. Severus felt a cold horror and boiling embarrassment mingled together as he stared wide-eyed at the howling viper.
"Oh, I knew!" it laughed, wiping a tear away with its tail. "I knew as soon as I saw you! Oh MAN! How I knew!"
Severus' refused to open his mouth to ask what the viper meant.
"You a puuuuure, authentic pastletounge, you are!" it exclaimed.