AN: Disclaimer, I own nothing. Again a new chapter. Sorry folks.
Chapter 7
Alan knew he would need to get permission from the prefect to deal with the first-year girls. He knew that meant Hermione Granger, he knew that of all the people who could work out that Alan and Severus were the same, Granger would be the one to do it first. Alan had to be careful, the Gryffindors were not ready to deal with the head of the snakes as a lion. Some things just had to be done, and this was one of them. Knowing Granger, she would likely be debriefing the boys on the events of the evening, as such, the young Snape knocked on the fifth-year boy's dormitory door. There was indeed a female voiced reply, Granger was still awake.
"Come in." Snape knew he would have to act somewhat of an anxious transfer, which he supposed he was but also wasn't at the same time.
"Hi, sorry to bother you but, could I borrow Hermione? It won't take long at all." He shut the door again and waited. He knew Granger's curiosity would get the better of her inevitably.
"Alan? You wanted something?"
"Yes, I know this will sound odd, but…"
"Yes?"
"Iwashopingyou'dletmeenterthefirst-yeardormstounhomesickthefirst-years." Snape spoke so quickly that Hermione had no real idea about what he said.
"Say that again, but maybe breath?"
"Right, I was hoping that you'd let me un-homesick the first-years. So that means I need permission to enter the girl's dormitory, and you're the prefect. So, yeah."
"You want to help the first-years to settle in? Has Professor McGonagall, okayed this?" Snape hesitantly nodded before speaking.
"I think so, I mean her words were: If you feel up to it, I see no harm in it."
"I guess it's alright then. Just I wonder why you've taken an interest to do this, no one did for us, or any of the years before us."
"Really? I thought this thing was normal for first-years?"
"Normal? What do you mean?"
"Severus does this every year with his new snakes, well I guess he won't this year, but you get the idea."
"This is a Slytherin thing? Absolutely not."
"Why not? It will help in the long run. The first years will be more outgoing, confident. I can easily make them maps so they won't get lost either. You and Ronald would be free do other prefect duties or keep Harry alive, whichever takes up the most time."
"It doesn't actually sound like a Slytherin thing. It wasn't always was it?"
"Not really, Severus got it from Professor Sprout when he first started teaching here."
"You know a lot about him, don't you?"
"We talk. He didn't tell me he was ill, or that he was leaving. So maybe we don't talk enough."
"You want to take your mind off it?"
"Partly, but I remember what first year was like in Blackfriars; you don't have dorms just private rooms, and no one helps anyone else. It was lonely." Hermione seemed to soften at the personal touch Snape had thrown in.
"Ok, I'll come with you for the girls, not that I don't trust you…" He could sense the, but she'd been about to say.
"You don't trust me?" She shrugged lightly. "That's fine."
"I best tell the boys I'll be back in a bit, otherwise they'll worry."
"That must be nice…" Snape could see her eyebrow rise, in an odd facsimile of himself. "…to have friends who worry about you and for you to worry about." She moved back in mild shock. She rushed through the door, gave a quick explanation for Ron and Harry and then came back out. They heard a pop back down in the common room. As Snape came down the steps, he saw Marshall, true to his order from McGonagall, had 17 glasses of warm milk Snape could tell that they all had a small amount of honey in them despite having no proof of that.
"Will there be anything else young mister Snape?"
"No thankyou Marshall, I really appreciate this. Could thank the other elves for me as well, please?" The elf looked strangely at Snape, before smiling at him.
"Of course, young mister Snape. Marshall will thank other elves for mister Snape, sir." The elf popped away again; he could fell Hermione's stare.
"What?" She ignored the question and one of her own in return.
"There are only 16 first years, whose, the last one for?"
"Me. You can have it if you like, I'm sure I'll manage."
"You don't have one every night, do you?"
"Pretty much, but I'm used to doing stuff myself, Blackfriars's elves never liked me. Severus and I were both raised muggle, so it never mattered much."
"Let's get this done, it is owl year, so I need some sleep."
"Speaking of owls, Professor Dumbledore has me taking mine this year as well, and apparently that locked door is mine too."
"Dumbledore?" Snape shrugged. "Yeah, sounds about right." Hermione seemed to realise something at the last moment. "But you're like four years behind us."
"Did you just forget my surname; I am related to Professor Snape." Her eyebrow rose again, having that look used against me was certainly odd. "Besides he used to send me the work he set your lot; Blackfriars didn't care so long as I got my stuff done as well. They were caped..."
"On acceptable, how awful." Snape couldn't help but laugh, and then stopped suddenly as if reminiscing about something slightly less negative.
"Yeah it was, two of my teachers knew I was better though, they'd make notes about if they could mark it normally it would be e or o. I sent those to mother, but she only seemed to care for divination."
"Now that is a nightmare."
"Yes…" Snape sighed. "We'd better get on or neither of us will get any sleep." He started to move and then stopped. "Oh, if they're already asleep put on their bedside table and maybe whisper pleasant dreams in their ears. Don't worry about it going cold, warming charms." He looked at Hermione over his shoulder hoping she had all of that, Hermione just shrugged. Snape then entered the first-year girl's dormitory, and the sight of them all huddled together like penguins was not unexpected. Although there were one or two who had already been separated due to an odder personality, and Snape could relate to that.
"Evening girls," Hermione's voice was bubblier than Snape expected it to be, her loved only child upbringing showed, Snape's own voice was almost more maternal. Hermione stared at him as he spoke softly at the easily startled girls.
"You're all homesick, aren't you?" They all nodded, intimidated by the older girl and boy in front of them. Snape gestured to the milk and honey glasses, "Who wants one, it's always helped settle my nerves in a new place." They knew what it was from the smell. One of the girls in the centre of the huddle looked up.
"Mum used to give me that, then she'd read to me." Her eyes glistened hopefully at Snape.
"Looks like a perfect time for a story to me. Now, into bed." He tucked in each of the girls in turn and placed their drink by the side of them. He returned to the centre of the room and began to read from memory. Hermione had never seen anything like it. The girls were asleep in a couple of minutes, but Snape continued just to be sure; when he was, he kissed them each on the forehead and whispered pleasant dreams in their ears. As he shut the door, he turned to the fifth-year prefect, his voice was not whispered anymore but it was softer than before clearly trying to not wake the now asleep girls.
"You do know you don't need to help with the boys, it won't be as pleasant as that was." Hermione looked thoughtfully at the unknown to her de-aged professor.
"You know Snape, you look like you've settled in already." Snape snorted disdainfully and seemed to puff himself up like an angered avian creature.
"Granger, I know Hogwarts from an adult Slytherin's point of view; neither of which I am. I just hope Severus doesn't think I'm a disgrace to the family."
"Somehow, I think the Professor will be pleased. I think he might also be pleased if you could say you beat me. Academically, of course."
"Like that needed to be clarified, Granger." Snape's eyes narrowed as he glared at Hermione, and while she could see elements of the adult Snape, she had no context to prove her beginning to be formed idea. For the time being, all she could tell was that these two seemingly grumpy people were related. Eventually Hermione just grinned at Snape, hoping that her honest expression would prove to him that she was open to the idea of a rival for the title of insufferable know-it-all. Snape's lip curled seemingly of its own accord; it wasn't quite a smile, but it was close enough.
"Okay, Hermione. I won't beat you too badly." Hermione stared at Snape with her head tilted trying to decipher the fourteen-year old.
"It's weird, sometimes I think you might be our Snape." Snape's eyes widened and he stepped back instinctively. "But that's impossible, and you're not half bad. For the head of Slytherins cousin and all." There wasn't really any way for Snape to respond to this.
"Thankyou I think?" But Hermione was gone, she had probably returned to Harry and Ronald as she had said she would, all Snape could do was hope that the boy-who-lived would give him a chance since he was among the few who knew who Snape actually was.
Snape entered the boys first-year dormitory, as he expected they were not asleep either. None of them seemed to notice him entering the room. "Boys, you ok, in here?" Snape could see most of them shrugging but one answered him.
"You're the transfer, aren't you?"
"Yes, I came from Blackfriars Academy."
"Can we ask you some stuff?" Snape had not been expecting an actual conversation with the boys, but he seemed pleased by the usual development.
"Sure, we can. I've got warm milk with honey, if anyone wants one?" There were many positive replies, but Snape's ears caught one that stood out for a different reason.
"You're nicer than we thought from what the older years were talking about your relative." Snape could not help but laugh at the statement, he already knew how the older years despised him. But for him to not even be their and them still be afraid of him, truly gave him a sense of pride. The other first-years just glared at the bolder of them. "What? I'm just saying."
"Alright then. Tell me how much you think you know about the Potions Master."
"You promise not to tell him? We heard he's got a nasty temper."
"That's how I know somethings wrong. No one will tell me where he is. So, I couldn't tell him even if I wanted to."
"That's sad."
"He does have a twisted sense of logic, so he probably thinks he's trying to protect me."
"Has he ever hurt anyone, like deliberately?"
"During the last war yes, in recent years no. He does like to belittle people, however, does it all the time to mum."
"Belittle?"
"It's his way of protecting himself from someone who wants to hurt his feelings. He hurts theirs first." Snape could see the first-years shudder. "He's not here so you don't need to worry about it." They just nodded and Snape smiled painfully, he knew the pride he had felt earlier at their fear had just been destroyed. One of the first years spotted the look.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just…" Snape sighed not sure how to say what he wanted to. "Sometimes I think people don't quite get the professor, I mean he's a hard man to like but he can be brave, he does have loyalty in him, he wouldn't be a professor without intelligence and he couldn't be the head of Slytherin without being the personification of the house. I guess he just doesn't know how to deal with people nor them him."
"So, he's emotionally stunned?" We all turned swiftly to face the prefect who had snuck into the room.
"Damn Granger; give us some warning next time. Anyway, I'm sure you all remember Hermione Granger, fifth year prefect."
"Hi. Still going ok in here Alan?"
"Yeah, we are now. Just putting their minds at ease about Severus."
"Right. If you want my opinion, the professor's a good guy with a bad guy attitude and people act up around him because he's… well, he's different." Hermione looked over at Alan how seemed to be going pale with her involvement in the conversation. "Well, get some sleep." She closed the door as she left again.
"She has a point; you all need sleep and so do I. So, pleasant dreams." As Snape moved over to the door, he paused. "Does anyone what the light left on?" There was a chorus of No's across the room. Snape nodded and left the room, with the door shut the lights went out automatically. Snape swore he could just hear a thankyou from the other side of the now shut door.
Snape moved to the suite the headmaster had assigned as his, a clock on the wall read 02:53 in the morning. Snape shook his head at the time, set up his usual security wards for privacy along with a normal silencing charm. He knew that regardless of how well the day went his screams could still wake the dead, and he didn't want them to wake his new housemates.