Ezmerelda -- Thanks! And yes, it is *definitely* a far too familiar feeling. LOL Glad you're enjoying the story.
Electryone -- Thanks and agreed, poor Severus. Umm, as far as making Hermione "gorgeous" I had to go back and reread, cuz I didn't remember doing that, and I have to say, nope. Didn't do that. LOL Hate that cliche, myself. I merely said, paraphrased, that she'd learned to control her hair, and that she now looked "different". It was striking to Trelawney because for the first time, Hermione looks *exactly* like she always has in the Professor's vision dreams. : ) Hope that clears that up for you.
Dragonsdaughter -- Oh, yes, agreed, and the poor guy hasn't even gotten to the worst part yet. LOL



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Chapter Two
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Sybil forced herself not to fidget during breakfast. Glamours did much to hide the sins of sleepless nights, but nervous twitches were easily seen by her colleagues. A week ago, she'd finally given up hope of both staying *and* managing to change her vision. There was a packed bag in her chambers, one that held everything she couldn't leave behind. Now, she was simply biding her time. She would leave the moment she heard 'the good news'. That way, there would be no chance of her actually being present at the crucial moment of her vision.

Frowning, she resisted the urge to sneak a look at the Potions Professor. As far as she could tell there was *still* absolutely nothing between the two. It was only the increasing urgency of her nightly visions that told her it would be soon . . . very soon. And they did continue to arrive nightly. Only when she resorted to taking dreamless sleep potions did she manage to avoid the dreams, and even then her sleep was restless.

She took it far too often, she knew, carefully mixing where she received her supply from. She didn't want anyone to know. Even if her so-called colleagues would pass off her nightmares as nothing more significant, word leaking to Albus that she was having them so often would be disastrous.

//Why would it?//

Sybil froze. Albus would believe her. He *knew* she had the sight.

"Are you alright?"

**Speak of the devil,** Sybil thought with a start.

"Yes, Albus, quite alright, I assure you. Just a vision of the future happiness of one of our very own," she cooed dramatically, fluttering her eyelashes ridiculously. She couldn't believe she'd said that. Was she going to tell? Was she going to bring it all out into the open? Sybil's breath caught in her throat. Could *this* be the opening she'd been waiting for?

"Oh, *do* tell," Albus encouraged, his eyes twinkling merrily.

Sybil hesitated, covering her indecision with the false trappings of popular divination. This might get the man fired. Even the accusation of such a thing might be enough to permanently ruin his reputation. Was she willing to go that far in the cold light of day?

"It's rather shocking," she hedged, still uncertain whether this was the course she should adopt.

"Indeed?" Albus asked, his grin, nearly hidden by his beard, widening.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Albus!" Severus snapped, keeping his voice just low enough not to be heard by the students just finishing up their first dinner back from winter break. "This is utter rubbish, and well you know it."

Sybil's eyes narrowed, her mind suddenly made up. "Well, I'm quite delighted that I'm the first, thanks to my visions, to tell you that our very dear Potions Master will be getting married soon."

Severus' fork clattered to his plate as he graced her with a scathing look of contempt. All side conversations at the head table ceased abruptly, their attention now focused on none other than the source of her nightmares. Sybil merely grinned at him.

"Congratulations, Severus," she purred, holding tight reigns on the fear raging through her. Even speaking of it obliquely gave free reign to the terror that usually only assaulted her alone in her chambers.

Severus' gaze hardened further, but Sybil saw something else. Was that the faintest tinge of horror she saw lurking behind the contempt? Did her pronouncement scare him? "Sybil, please tell me what medication you are on," he drawled, mocking her. "If it's of your own making, you could make a fortune bottling it for the incurably insane."

Her grin faltered, but she held her pose. She would *not* let him get to her. Beside her, Albus let out a short, strangled chuckle. Minerva didn't bother hiding her mirth. She laughed full out, her voice ringing through the hall, and suddenly every single eye in the room was focused on the high table. If she was going to do it, now was the time. She could fell the high and mighty Severus Snape in one fell blow.

"Oh, you *have* to tell us, Sybil," Minerva said through continued laughter. "Just *who* is the lucky woman?"

"Minerva!" Severus snapped instantly, turning his rather intimidating glare in the older woman's direction.

"Oh, yes, you *must* reveal all," opted Poppy, grinning.

It was obvious to Sybil that none of them believed her, they'd simply latched on to the best opportunity any of them had ever seen to twit Severus. Her grin widened. All the better for her. Humiliation coming right up! She opened her mouth to deliver the coup de gras, then hesitated suddenly, her conscience pricking her. Ruining Severus Snape was bad enough, but there was another party to consider. The poor girl wouldn't be able to show herself for weeks -- at least until the student body found something *else* to gossip about. With purely a mental sigh, she altered what she was going to say.

"Well," she began, purposely allowing her voice to sound mischievous. "No, I think perhaps I should leave it to Severus to reveal the lucky young woman. He should have *something* to announce, should he not?" Her grin widening, she lowered her gaze with false humility, all the while keeping a very close eye on her target. She almost laughed. If the man had been a porcupine, every quill would have been standing straight up. He was fairly *vibrating* with outrage as the faculty once again turned their eyes to him. Surprisingly, it seemed they'd all kept their voices low enough that the students could not hear them -- though it was obvious they were dying to know what was going on.

All except Albus, she suddenly noted, whose eyes -- while still twinkling -- held a question. She nodded minutely and his eyebrow shot upward, the only indication of his surprise. He returned his attention to Severus at once.

Madam Hooch -- Sybil balked at thinking of her on a first name basis; the woman was positively cold most days -- beat them all to the question of the moment, her normally stern mouth curled upward in the biggest grin Sybil had *ever* seen on the woman. "Severus, you've been keeping secrets. Surely, you would tell us if someone had caught your elusive attention."

"I most assuredly would *not*!" Severus snapped angrily.

"Oh!" Minerva grinned. "So someone *has*?"

Groaning, Severus stood abruptly. "I'm suddenly reminded of a table of 1st years!" he snapped as stepped away from his seat.

"Why, thank you," Albus replied charmingly.

"It wasn't a compliment!" Severus growled, spinning away and striding toward the side door.

"You neatly avoided answering the question, Severus," Minerva called after him, her voice finally loud enough to carry to the students, who were suddenly looking at the Potions Master with intent interest.

He stopped, but didn't bother to turn around as he replied. "The answer is *no*, Minerva." With that, he continued toward the door.

He'd almost made it to freedom, Sybil noted, when Albus rose and called to him. Hand gripping the handle, Severus half-turned and waited, warily watching as the older man approached. "Yes, Albus?" he asked, his words overly polite as Sybil strained to hear.

"You're mother owled me this morning, asking for a tour of the school."

"What!?" Severus yelped, immediately calming himself as he cast a sidelong glance at the students who had jumped at his shocking outburst. Sybil had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. As he continued, his voice lowered, and Sybil once again found herself straining to hear the quiet conversation. She noticed, with a certain amount of satisfaction, that side conversation had yet to resume at the head table -- or anywhere else in the great hall.

"You told her no, of course," Severus continued.

"Well, no, of course I didn't."

"Why not?" Severus asked, and even to Sybil, his voice sounded a touch petulant. Her eyes widened.

"I saw no reason to deny her request, Severus. It isn't exactly the first time we've had family members of either students or staff that wished to inspect Hogwarts."

"When?" Severus asked flatly.

"Tomorrow."

"Fine," Severus snapped. With one last glare at the head table, whose occupants were studiously looking anywhere but his direction -- though they remained absolutely silent -- he finally made his exit, slamming the door behind him.

"Well, that was fun," Minerva murmured, her grin still full, "but I need to get going."

Sybil only paid Minerva slight attention as the older woman made her way to the same door Severus had slammed, her desertion an example the remaining staff members followed. Most of Sybil's attention, however, was on Albus as he strolled slowly back her direction.

"Sybil, if you would be so good as to join me in my office?" he asked, after the last of the staff disappeared.

She nodded, rising to join him as he too left the great hall.



TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: Food of the Muses and definitely craved. Constructive critisism welcomed. : )
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com

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