A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

Word count: 1424

"Is that really the best you can do?" Severus asked, staring at the mediocre potion in front of him. Luna blinked, biting her lip. She had wanted to prove to him that she was just as good as anyone else, prove that her innovations were the same caliber as his. She'd never thought failure was an option.

"Why don't you just see how it works," she suggested, trying to keep her voice from breaking. Impressing Severus had always seemed like an unobtainable goal, one she didn't know why she even tried to accomplish. The man would never be impressed by something she'd made, something she'd created. She knew her other teachers, Flitwick especially, had taken a noted interest in her abilities to create things, things that no one else seemed to think of.

"And what is it supposed to do?" Severus asked, ladling the glowing azure potion into a vial. It seemed to grow brighter as he held it.

"It's supposed to detect loneliness, feelings of despair. I was trying to create something that would help change the way the wizarding world views mental illnesses, such as depression. I know there's not much in the line of research done on any of this, that mind healers didn't even really exist until after the war when it became obvious the mind is just as important as the body."

"It is glowing."

"Yes, I had hoped it wouldn't do that for you, but apparently you're lonely and potentially depressed," Luna explained, her eyes watching the potion. She had seen it work before, had chosen this one purposely for this mission. She'd always known Professor Snape was a lonely man, now she had confirmation. Now, she just had to see if she could steer this discovery to him drawing the same conclusion she'd come to before arriving at Hogwarts today.

"I see, and what would be the next steps if this potion was being used in a medical field?"
"If I were your healer, I'd recommend talking to someone, seeing if you could figure out what is making you feel this way. It could be a chemical imbalance that would be helped with potions, or perhaps talking with a mind healer would help. The loneliness part, that's to help identify people that might feel isolated, people that might need help and can't, or won't, ask for it. For that, I would recommend making some friends, finding someone like minded with whom to discuss various things. I know you're friends with the other teachers, but I think you keep even them at an arm's length."

"I was a spy for over a decade, Miss Lovegood. It is very hard for me to as you say, 'let people in'," Severus muttered, watching Luna bottle up the rest of the potion to take back with her. He wondered if she would leave him a few vials, it could be something that was useful to have on hand.

"See, you have at least identified one of the problems, what about someone who isn't on the staff here, someone you don't know as well? There's several owl pal services where you will get a quill pal, someone to write to who will write back-"

"I know how quill pals work," Severus muttered, nearly rolling his eyes. It was an old program, one that Hogwarts had done before Severus had started school. He didn't remember why it had been discontinued and made a mental note to find out. It might be high time to bring it back, give the students something to do other than cause trouble?

"Of course, sir. I did recently hear about one aimed at professionals in their fields, perhaps they could match you with someone who also shares your passion for potions and your dislike for actually teaching the subject?" Luna suggested. She could see the corners of Severus' mouth turn up into an almost smile. She was starting to reach him, starting to get him to think about what she going to be offering him. She knew it was going to be a hard sell, that he had spent years dodging similar offers.

"Or, alternately, there are other ways to meet people. St. Mungos' is looking for a consultant to help create the potions for the mind healers, most of them are not complex and wouldn't present as a challenge to your skills. There are some though, extremely complex and fickle, even with our state of the art brewing lab and tools, could still present a challenge to even some of the best, although I'm sure you'd have little problem brewing them," she pitched, wondering how he'd respond. A little bit of flattery never went awry, especially when it was the truth. Luna had always wanted Severus for her head brewer, ever since starting the Department of Mind Health at St. Mungos'.

"Is that the point of your visit then? To convince me to work for you?" Severus asked. He had suspected as much. St. Mungos' had been trying to poach him for years now, even before the war they'd been watching him.

"Not entirely. I did want to show you my potion, had no idea it would do that, but yes, I was sent to give you an offer. I didn't know if I actually would, mind you, but it could help. We do have potioneers from around the world working for us, could be interesting to meet them at the very least. I know one was a professor before he turned to research. You two could compare stories about dunderhead students and how many times they've blown up your lab."

"You do realize St. Mungos' has sent representative after representative trying to woo me into joining their program. What makes you think you'd fair any different, Miss Lovegood?" Severus asked, setting the vial of potion into a holder and watching it glow for a moment. He wondered if it could be used at the school to help find those who were being bullied, who felt like outsiders the way he had when he'd been a student. Maybe if they could locate those individuals, they could help them and keep them from joining whatever came after the Death Eaters. Severus knew there would always be some charismatic witch or wizard who came for those who felt alone, who needed to feel as though they were part of something. The idea of the next one not being able to use Hogwarts as a recruiting ground did bring a smile to his face. The idea of maybe preventing the next war; what if Riddle had never become Lord Voldemort? What if he'd – no, there was no point in dwelling on that. It was in the past, but preventing the next one, could that even be possible?

"Because, I know nothing I say will honestly convince you to do anything. You're a man who makes up his mind and sticks to it for the most part. Best way to convince you to do anything is to present you with the facts, show you something that piques your interest and go from there. By the look on your face, I see I have done just that. You're thinking about something, something my potion can do, something that you feel is going to change things for the better."

"I am. I am also thinking I still do not wish to St. Mungos' the satisfaction of finally recruiting me."

"The blame would fall solely on me. I was the one who brought you into the fold. You're thinking about something, something that I might be able to make happen, what is it?"

"Mind healers. I want one stationed here. The stress of being a student, how many students ended up in the hospital wing with anxiety during O. W. Ls?"

"A fair number from my yea, more N.E. students though."

"And then there are the students from muggle families, students away from home for the first time. I will offer you a deal, Miss Lovegood, my help with the brewing program in exchange for a mind healer stationed here at Hogwarts, on both payrolls, mind you. No one is getting stiffed on that account."

"Deal," Luna said, giving Severus as wide smile, offering out her hand. He shook it as a glowing scroll with the written contract appeared, everything they'd discussed written in Luna's scrawling cursive handwriting. It landed on Severus' desk, along with a large white quill, waiting for them to sign it and seal the deal once and for all.