Author's note: This chapter is mainly how I imagine the confrontation between Moody and Severus going. It was fun to write, but I found it so hard to get to Moody's characterization, especially knowing Moody isn't Moody at this point. I hope I've done it justice and that you enjoy this chapter. Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Lines in the Sand

Severus was in the Potions classroom double checking that he had enough ingredients for the next days' lessons when he heard the door bang open and the new Defence professor's gruff voice shouting, "Snape! Snape!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he abandoned the list he'd been writing and emerged from the storage cupboard. "For Merlin's sake, man. Has no one ever told you to use your indoor voice?" he began, but stopped abruptly as he took in the sight of Moody standing with one hand on his hip and the other clutching the arm of Draco Malfoy, so tightly that Malfoy's arm was probably going numb, his pale hand even paler than usual.

"What the-" he stopped himself from swearing, although he was sure Draco had heard plenty of expletives coming from Lucius's mouth, and of course, Moody was no saint. "What is the meaning of his?" he asked instead.

"Turns out this one"—Moody gave Draco a shake and the boy gave a yelp of protest—"is the same type of cowardly, pathetic scum as his father."

"Don't talk about my father like that!" Draco mumbled indignantly, clearly already planning what he would write to Lucius the moment he got back to his dorm.

"Only cowards run from justice," Moody sneered, "cowards like him and you."

Severus, utterly bewildered but understanding that this had something to do with Moody's vehement and personal loathing for Death Eaters, finally cut in, "Let the boy go. He needs both arms to prepare potions ingredients properly. I won't have him blowing the place up just because you held on to him for so long his arm fell off."

Moody glowered, but released Draco as Severus demanded. Draco couldn't hide his wince as the feeling flooded back into his arm. He took a good several steps away from Moody, almost falling backwards over one of the desks as he did so.

"What happened?" Severus repeated, giving Moody the look he gave idiotic students when they were babbling incomprehensibly, although he knew it would take much more than a mere glance to intimidate the ex-Auror.

"Caught him hexing another student while his back was turned."

"He turned me into a ferret!" Draco piped up, falling silent again as Severus turned his stern gaze on him.

"Is that true?" asked Severus, attention back on Moody.

"Yep," Moody half-said, half-snarled, magical eye rolling around wildly. "Can't stand cowards. Thought this one needed a bit of sense knocked into him."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Literally or figuratively?"

Moody barked out a laugh. "Literally. Would've tossed him around a bit longer, but McGonagall had an issue with it."

"Yes, that would be because it is against the rules to transfigure or rough up a student." Really, Severus thought, even he'd never gone that far, and the entire student body was terrified of him.

"Don't see why you care so much, Snape," said Moody with a shrug. "Thought you would be pleased to see a Death Eater get taken down a notch, seeing as you're all reformed now."

Severus heard the air quotes around the word "reformed" and had to refrain himself from snarling back. Moody had pushed the hardest to get Severus sentenced to Azkaban after the war, despite all the times Dumbledore had assured him that Severus was on the right side of history. Behaving badly now would only increase Moody's hatred, and Severus had enough to worry about without Moody tracking his every move, although Moody was probably already doing so, paranoid as he was.

"Next time there's an issue with a child in Slytherin House," Severus said, gritting his teeth, "you'll let me deal with it first."

Moody walked up to Severus until they were face-to-face. Severus had a couple inches on the other man, but he could still smell Moody's sour breath as the Defence professor breathed, "He may be a child, but he's the child of a monster, and they become monsters young. Mark my words, Snape, I've got my eye on you, you and blondie here. One day you, and all your associates, and all of their children will pay."

Moody turned around and, as quickly as his wooden leg would allow, limped away. He turned to give Severus one last glare before slamming the door shut with a flick of his wand.

"Professor-" Draco started after the slam had stopped echoing through the Potions room.

"Go see Madam Pomfrey," Severus interrupted. "If she finds no reason to keep you, return to your dormitory, and stay out of trouble. Detention with me on Saturday."

Draco's mouth dropped open in a way that was not particularly flattering, especially in combination with the way his hair was tousled and plastered to his face in some places. "But- but I-" he sputtered, "but I didn't even do anything! That man is mad in the head, not just the eye!"

"You did or you did not hex another student while their back was turned?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow again, although he had no doubt it was true. Brawling in the halls was decidedly un-Malfoy-like, but the boy was fourteen and still hadn't learned the virtues of calculation over impulse in the face of fits of temper.

"Yes, but it was Potter," Draco reasoned, albeit in a whining tone, as though the fact his target had been Potter made it okay—which it didn't, because physical fighting was never okay, but knowing it was Potter made the Slytherin's actions understandable. If Severus got a galleon every time he wanted to hex Potter into oblivion, he'd have riches to rival the Malfoys. At this moment, though, it was Draco he wanted to hex. He'd been hoping to avoid having a confrontation with Moody for as long as possible.

"I don't care," said Severus. "All you've proved is that you're willing to sink to Potter's level. Now, go see Madam Pomfrey."

"But Professor-"

"You are dismissed."

Severus crossed his arms and watched as Draco slunk sullenly from the room. Before the door closed behind him, Severus heard him mutter, "My father will hear about this."

When Draco was gone, Severus let out a long-suffering sigh. For some reason, he hadn't expected the drama to begin until the other schools arrived for the Tournament, maybe not even until the Goblet was accepting names for the competition.

He thought about Moody's stale breath and hissed threat and the wild gleam in his good eye, the way his magical eye constantly swung around as though trying to catch out an enemy before the enemy had even revealed itself, and the way Moody had clutched Draco Malfoy's arm so tight his knuckles had turned white and the boy's skin even whiter. Why on earth had Dumbledore hired him? Severus almost would have preferred Lockhart.

Almost.