The Trio's conversation will take place in the next chapter -- or at least the immediate aftermath of it. No sense going through the whole thing again.


~~~ preceeds and follows a flashback.



**********
Chapter Thirteen
**********


Snape swept out of his classroom following his 2nd year Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw potions class, feeling on edge and entirely too exposed. He'd purposely been a couple minutes late to each of his classes today, well aware that, unlike usual, allowing time for gossip was the plan of the day. Even knowing it was necessary, it still didn't set well with him. Gossip was the bane of his existence normally, and the thought that his life might actually be dependent on the accuracy of the teenage rumor-mongers at Hogwarts was unsettling at best.

Of course, he wasn't about to let it all happen without some way to keep an eye on things. Potions was a dangerous subject, and his classroom was filled with dangerous substances when not handled properly. Combine that with overly hormonal teenagers with flaring tempers and the ability to cast hexs, one had to stay prepared for anything.

That's what he told himself, anyway, when he set up the spy spell that would allow him to monitor the activity before he arrived. It proved useful several times as he picked up hoped for information that things were going quite according to plan.

It had been Miss Parkinson who had brought up the meeting between his mother and Granger in the library the day before, and despite the overly smug--

**That girl has *nothing* to be smug about!**

--and whiney tone she used, Severus had never been more grateful to the girl.



~~~~~~ "First, Mrs. Snape talks with *Granger* in the library yesterday," Parkinson said cattily, her expression pure malice, despite the curiosity vivid in her eyes.

**Oh, the nosy chit is *dying* to know what's going on.** Severus smirked to himself as he watched the scene unfold.

"And now--"

"Wait," Malfoy demanded, turning angrily toward Parkinson, "you didn't tell me anything about *that*."

Parkinson turned what Severus could only guess was supposed to be a secretively seductive look -- reminded him more of his Grandmother after she'd eaten a particularly sour apple.

"I don't tell you *everything* I know, Draco," she purred, grinning, even more smug now.

**Too stupid to know what she's doing to herself.**

"That had better change, *Pansy*," Malfoy hissed back, leaning close to the girl's ear -- presumably so no one else could hear his response. It certainly made Severus glad he needn't worry about volume. The exchange, while completely irrelevant to his current situation, was quite funny.

Parkinson reared back, her expression changing rapidly to anger. "Not unless the exchange rate improves, *Draco*."

Suddenly very thankful the sound transfer was one way as he laughed aloud at the startled expression on Draco Malfoy's face in response to Parkinson's ill-thought attempt at barter. Judging by how swiftly it turned to anger, Severus was pretty sure that alliance wouldn't last much longer. Too bad that Malfoy's father expected the two to marry after Hogwarts.

Whether stupidly, or with calculated insult -- not that the latter definitively ruled out the first -- Severus didn't know, but Parkinson ignored Draco's anger to turn toward Granger. "And just *what* did Mrs. Snape want with *you*?" she asked.

Granger bridled, glaring at Parkinson, then smirked. "Something you wouldn't understand Parkinson. We *talked* . . . about mutual interests."

**Mutual interests?!**

"And what could a pureblood *lady* like Mrs. Snape possibly have in common with a *mudblood* like you?" Malfoy retorted incredulously before Parkinson could get one of her own off.

"Maybe she needed someone to clean . . . or something," Bulstrode commented snidely.

The Slytherins all laughed, while both Potter and Weasley bristled -- as did most of the other Gryffindors as well. Severus was interested to note that Weasley look like he was going to pop a blood vessel. He sighed. Perhaps it was time to end this with his arrival. He stopped just as he was about to end the spell when Granger lay a restraining hand on Weasley's arm and *laughed*, rolling her eyes.

"It's not like it's some big secret," she said, sarcasm dripping off her words. "She just asked me what my interests were." She frowned thoughtfully before continuing. "She seemed especially interested in potions," she finished with a shrug, as if she didn't understand it at all.

**Oh, good one,** Severus thought, then blinked. **Okay; that's a thought that will never be vocalized!**

Then Weasley grinned and pseudo whispered, "Maybe that's why Snape likes potions, cuz his mum does."

"What are you insinuating, *Weasel*?" Malfoy snapped, glaring as he stepped closer to the trio's workbench.

Severus wanted to know *that* one as well. If Weasley was suggesting what it sounded like. . . .

"Oh, lay off, Malfoy," Harry chided, smirking. "The only thing he was 'insinuating' was that kids tend to follow in their parents footsteps." His gaze locked on Malfoy's, his expression knowing. "Not unlike certain *people* I could name," he continued suggestively. "You're the one with the filthy mind. Wonder where you got that? Is," Harry paused just the briefest moment and Severus jumped up. "Daddy perhaps a little . . . closer than he should be?"

"Why you filthy little--"

Okay, it was now definitely time to interrupt, preferably *before* wands were drawn and hexs started flying. He quickly ended the spy spell and strode out of his office. The speed with which wands disappeared -- even by the Slytherins -- was gratifying.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor, thanks to misters Potter and Weasley. Wand use in this class should be *strictly* relegated to potion making." None of it showing on the outside, Severus was highly relieved to make it back into the class *before* Draco had gotten as far as actually attacking. Considering the level of Potter's insinuated insult, the resulting fight would have rivalled the worst that had ever occurred at Hogwarts he was sure.~~~~~~



The two other classes he'd spied on, had not been nearly as . . . explosive, but had been able to let him know that the rumor mill at Hogwarts was still as disgustingly efficient as ever. It didn't seem a single person who entered his class arrived completely unaware of both the scene after breakfast, and of the fact that Granger had been seen speaking civilly . . . and apparently at long length with 'Professor Snape's mother' in the library the day before.

Some of the things said made him wonder just how long the two had already been talking when he'd come upon the two of them. Of course, some of the suggested topics of conversation he dismissed outright as entirely ludicrous, the most believable rumors being that they'd discussed Granger's course work -- potions most specifically -- and how old she was, which, of course sparked all sorts of theories from fairly mundane to downright bizarre.

Surprisingly the right one even came up -- not that anyone believed it. It was, over all, the most laughed over theory put forth. Despite the hilarity, it had come up in every class so far -- with the glaring exception of his 7th year Gryffindor/Slytherin class. Of course, it was usually suggested by the acknowledged clown of each class who did so for precisely the result it got -- laughs.

It wasn't all fun and games, however, Severus had heard more than he had ever wanted know to about what his students thought of him. Several times throughout the day an old adage floated through his mind.

//An eavesdropper never hears good of himself.//

He sighed. It seemed particularly apt in this case. Since it was an image he'd assiduously cultivated, it really shouldn't bother him. He was very surprised to find it did bother him, a little. He didn't quite know what to make of that. He shook his head and, by then having reached his private chambers, carefully took down his wards and entered. He had a free period before lunch, and today he was going to use it for other than grading papers.

He'd found that his tolerance for being the subject of rampant and ribald gossip was even lower than he'd always known and he needed this time to gather his resources. It wouldn't do for him to lose his temper too soon, he had to hold it all in. He had to act as if he didn't notice he was suddenly on display, and was the subject of the worst sort of prurient gossip. The big losing of his feared temper had to wait until *after* the even bigger 'revelation'.

He grinned as he pictured his exit from the headmaster's office. He was really looking forward to letting loose and taking points *without* regard to house. And as much as he could wish that every student that crossed his path for that trip through Hogwart's hallowed halls would be Gryffindors -- he was almost even more hopeful that there would be an equal number of Slytherins. No one could expect him to favor *anyone* then . . . considering. He obviously wouldn't be in his right mind, after all. He smirked. That, and the fact that he was now comfortably ensconced in *private* was almost enough to make him believe he could get through the rest of the day sane.

He had only one remaining problem. He was curious. That in itself wasn't so unusual. The problem was, he was curious about how one Miss Granger was getting on. By now, she had surely told both Potter and Weasley what was happening. Neither of those two could be said to think well of him. He snorted. It was fairly safe to say they both loathed him almost as much as he loathed them. Considering what she was doing for him, however, Severus found he could wish that they would react with understanding.

Shaking his head at his idiotic thoughts, he snorted again. The likelihood of James Potter's son reacting at all well to this was about as likely as Severus Snape getting up and going to dinner dressed in a ballgown -- complete with tiara and makeup. And Weasley, well known in the professor's staffroom for his rather easily roused temper, wasn't any more likely to react well. He supposed, though, that if they behaved as he expected and pulled away from the female member of their trio, it would be all that more convincing to the world at large.

No matter, he told himself. How her *friends* reacted was no concern of his -- as long as the kept their mouths shut about the real timing of the events, which he had his doubts about -- was no business of his. Granger had said she was well aware of what she was letting herself in for. Let her discover the facts of harsh reality and let the chips fall where they may. The scenario laid out didn't require her to act as if she was happy about it. In fact, the worse she looked like she was taking it, the better.

As he rose, intending to make himself presentable for lunch, Severus ignored the tiny voice deep inside that scolded him for his attitude. The Granger girl had not *had* to offer herself, sacrificing any possible kind of social life for the remainder of her time at Hogwarts, but she had. A tiny part of him, the part that not even everything he'd been through could burn away, remembered what it was like to be both a social pariah *and* a teenager that ached for acceptance. If he were being particularly honest with himself. A small part of him still craved acceptance. He just wasn't likely to get it, so he had long since ceased trying for it.

He growled as he slammed open the bathroom door. He had no place in his life for silly sentiment. You lived with the cards dealt you in life and there was no sense wailing on about it. Unfortunately, as he looked himself in the mirror, the silent words rang hollow. He wasn't entirely certain, but he was beginning to suspect he felt sorry for the chit -- which was *really* not a good idea. His fiancee -- He shuddered. -- or not, he could *not* be seen to show sympathy to either a Gryffindor or a muggleborn, and particularly not to a student who happened to be both.


TBC
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