Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. Only the events in this story are my own.
"I would like to read about spells to create codes, Madam," said Snape. "Where might I find books concerning that subject?"
Madam Pince blushed. "Well, Professor, they - you - those books are right over here." She nearly tripped over a stray copy of Hogwarts: A History as she led him toward the rear of the library.
"Thank you," said Snape, giving Madam Pince a rare smile. She looked as if she were about to faint. Quickly, the librarian turned away and hurried toward her office. Snape grinned. He had wondered for years whether Madam Pince fancied him; now he had little doubt. Unfortunately for her, the man was already taken.
He turned his attention to the shelves before him. Many of the books looked ready to fall off the shelves from so much use; likely, Snape thought, they had been read through and through by young Hogwarts couples seeking to keep their correspondence secret from the prying eyes of teachers. Snape selected a book entitled The Advantages and Disadvantages of Unbreakable Codes, followed by Unbreakable Codes in Poems and Odes and How to Keep Your Parents from Reading Your Love Letters. He expected that Harry would get a laugh out of the last of these; after all, it was not their parents whom Snape and Harry did not want reading their letters, it was Voldemort.
Snape now made his way to the Restricted Section, glaring at some students who were eyeing him curiously from a nearby table. He began to search among the books of rare potions. Where would he find information about a potion so rare that it had not been brewed for decades?
At last, a book called Rare Potions of the Last Seven Centuries caught his eye. He slipped it between two of his other books, making sure that no one was watching him.
"May I take these and return them next week?" asked Snape at the main desk.
Madam Pince smiled and nodded. "I must say, Professor Snape," she stammered, "that you -" She fumbled for words, looking entirely flummoxed.
"Yes?" prompted Snape.
The librarian took a deep breath. "I must say that . . . you will enjoy these books," she burst out in a rush.
"Thank you, Madam. I am sure that I will." And he left before Madam Pince could work herself up any further. As he exited the library, he heard her saying in an irritated voice, "What are you doing with those, Miss Bones?"
Snape hurried to his office and laid the books out across his desk. He hoped that this task would yield satisfactory results.
Harry started, realizing that Ron was looking at him oddly. "What's up, Harry? Did you and Cho make up or something?" Ron asked.
"No," answered Harry, grinning at his best friend.
"Well, then, what is it?" Hermione looked skeptically at Harry. "You do seem unusually cheerful tonight."
Harry lowered his eyes to his plate to keep from looking up at the teachers' table. "When is the next Quidditch game, Ron?"
"Next Saturday, against Slytherin. Want to practice tomorrow?" Ron took a huge bite of chicken.
"I don't think so," said Harry, and Ron made an annoyed sound. Harry hurried on, "It's supposed to snow tomorrow, so we'd freeze. Anyhow, don't you have that essay to write?"
"That's right," said Hermione in rather a superior way. Ron glared at her. "And don't look at me that way, Ron - you know Harry's right."
Ron swallowed his mouthful of chicken and cleared his throat most unnecessarily loudly. "Shut up, Hermione," he muttered.
Harry said nothing; he didn't want to disturb Ron and Hermione's temporary peace, which in any case seemed ready to shatter at a moment's notice. His thoughts were on finding the way to the Room of Requirement in several hours, and as Hermione went on to snap at Ron, Harry didn't hear her.
Dinner was over after what seemed to Harry like an age. He followed his friends up to the common room and half-heartedly listened to Hermione and Ron arguing. At last the mass of Gryffindors began to trickle into the rooms. Harry went with Ron up to their dormitory and dressed in his pajamas. When he heard the snores of his classmates, he stole out of bed and took his Invisibility Cloak from his trunk and crept out of the room. Carefully treading past the remaining students in the common room, Harry sneaked out of the portrait hole, ducked past the sleeping Fat Lady, and hurried off to the fifth floor, east wing.