"Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you? Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you?" – Liz Phair, Why Can't I?

Chapter 4: Mudbloods

A seventh year Severus sat with a man who had pale blonde hair and piercing eyes. The man was Lucius Malfoy, a close personal friend of Severus and his family.

"So who is this girl you like?" Lucius inquired sipping his tea calmly. Severus looked up at him stunned.

"Come, come now. Tell me. I'd like to know. We're friends. It will be our little secret." Lucius said with a grin. Severus debated for a minute on whether or not to tell him. Lucius was his friend…but could he understand?

"Her name is Faith." Severus said quietly.

"Faith..Faith…She's not apart of the Black family…nor the Malfoy..nor yours…is she from the Lestrange family?" Lucius asked sipping his tea. Severus shook his head.

"Then what family is she from?"

"Her full name is Faith Sloom."

"Is that right?" The blood seemed to rush out of Lucius's face making him paler than he already was.

"So you've fallen in love with a mudblood have you." Lucius said flatly. It was more of a statement than a question. Severus stood up enraged

"She is not a mudblood! Both her parents are magic." He shot back.

"Severus please sit down. How many times must I tell you that you can still have magical parents and be a mudblood." Lucius chided calmly and sternly.

"Faith Sloom is the offspring of David Sloom and Carrie Sloom. David is a pureblood and comes from a very respectable family. Carrie's parents are muggles, in fact, all of her ancestors are muggles." Lucius said taking another sip of his tea.

"Your point?" Severus said through gritted teeth and slowly lowered himself down into his chair.

"It only takes one drop of muggle blood to make someone impure. Why do you think that all the pureblood families intermarry? It's to keep our lineage clean." Lucius explained touching his napkin to his face. "It'd be in your best interest to get rid of her. All she will do is cause you heartache." He noted calmly and then left, leaving Severus greatly confused.

Already a month into teaching and Severus was sick of it. The first years were complete dunderheads. The second years weren't much better. The third and fourth years didn't have a clue. The fifth years didn't care. The sixth years were completely hopeless and the seventh years were great…if they'd show up for class once in a while or stopped slacking off, whichever came first.

It didn't matter anyways because none of the sixth and seventh years would pay attention in any class ever since the HeadBoy and Girl announced that there would be a Halloween Dance. Severus rolled his eyes at the thought. A Halloween Dance? 'Oh how terribly original,' he thought sarcastically with a hint of bitterness.

No doubt they would arrange another dance too. The HeadBoy and HeadGirl this year were both big socialites and there would be no way they could resist any sort of social gathering. Severus had tried to avoid McGonagall and Dumbeldore the entire week after the dance was announced. He knew they would ask him to chaperone. Why did he always have to chaperone? Couldn't they get the other teachers. The worst part was that all the other chaperones would retire early except for Trelawney, who would get positively smashed and hit on Severus at every chance she got.

Sounds like sooo much fun.

Not.

Severus Snape boarded the Hogwarts Express. He had worn a long sleeved black button up collared shirt. The sleeves were to cover…well, he didn't like to think about it. He took his compartment in the way back and sat alone as usual. He propped open a book and immediately began to read. After a minute or two his compartment door opening distracted him. Standing there in the doorway was Faith with a small smile on her lips.

Severus's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She had…grown up, but then again so had he. Faith stood a little bit taller but not much. Her eyes were still their brilliant brown color with the same friendliness in them and, her smile was still as charming as ever. She had let her hair go into its natural curls and tumble down and around her shoulders. She had the body and curves of a Greek goddess.

"Hey Severus," she greeted. He could feel his mouth go dry and his mind draw a blank. His heart was beating incredibly hard against his chest.

"Hey Faith," he managed.

"Whatcha reading?"

"Why you being nosy?" he joked.

"Stand up," she said softly as she tilted her head to one side to look at him. He looked at her confused and closed his book while standing up. "You got taller," she chuckled. It was true. Severus was so tall that he could see the top of her head. His hair was still as black as ebony and hung in his face. His eyes were dark and cryptic and his face was still as serious as it always had been.

"I think you just shrank," he commented with a slight smile. Faith laughed, "Oh you think so?"

Suddenly there was a sharp jerk as the train started. The compartment door slammed shut and Faith pitched forward. She grabbed onto Severus's arm and he grabbed her. He winced slightly when she grabbed his arm and he hoped she didn't see it. She did though, and reached for his sleeve.

"Don't," he whispered.

She placed a comforting hand on his chest and then pulled back at the sleeve. Dark black and blue bruises were crammed onto his arm. She looked up at him and he stared down at the ground.

"Oh Severus…" she whispered sorrowfully.

"Severus, just the man I wanted to see," a voice called out. Severus turned around and watched as Dumbeldore came striding up to him. "I was wondering if you'd chaperone the Halloween dance,"

"Do I really have a choice?"

"Well, no" Dumbeldore put in with his same old smile.

"I guess I'll do it then,"

"Great! We already have Trelawney and Flitwick. I'm going to ask McGonagall and Sloom as soon as I get the chance,"

(A/N: For those of you that have finished HBP know that I will be rewriting Beauty and the Beast after I get it posted the way I originally had it before book 6, and which ever is better, well, I'll stick with that one.)