As always, thank you all for reading my story. I do not own the rights to any of J.K. Rowling's characters. The only one of my creation is Elaine. The interactions therein are of my own imagination except for what follows the original story line. Please let me know how I'm doing. I've never written anything other than book reports and school papers and I would like to try my hand at writing and am using this as a daily practice to sharpen my pen so any and all feedback and critique is appreciated.*

Remus and Elaine were pouring over their new lesson plan when Elaine caught a dark movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up just in time to see Severus, his eyes burning with hatred and a strange resignation. His lip curled in contempt and he turned on his heel, fleeing the classroom. Elaine frowned, and Remus sighed.

"Sniv- Severus does not like me much, Professor. I was not kind to him when we attended school together." He said, shame touching the edges of his eyes.

"You were children. He probably wasn't nice to you either, Remus."

Remus gave a crooked half-smile, "Actually, he spent most of his time trying to avoid me and my friends. We were merciless to him..." he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I think we've done enough planning for the day, Professor Chapel. Please excuse me."

He stood up from the desk, replacing the chair he had borrowed from a student desk and left in a hurry, not looking back. Elaine mulled over his words, thinking of the young Severus Snape and his childhood bullies.

They were children, after all. Surely Severus didn't still hold a grudge?

With a sigh, Elaine decided that she should go find him and talk, if he wasn't avoiding her. She didn't particularly want to be bothered so she slipped into her animagis form, a simple red fox. She had a shiny red pelt with black paws. The only thing that gave her away as an animagi and not a real fox was her eerily human grey eyes and the small golden hoops in each ear. They tinkled like chimes as she shook herself.

She made a note to check on the status of her new license. The Ministry of Magic and MACUSA had different laws regarding animagi, and it would be a bad ordeal indeed if her license were to be rejected. Unregistered animagi could be deported or imprisoned in Azkaban.

A couple of students pointed and glanced at her curiously as she ran through the castle. She paid them no mind as she followed the scent of the potion's master throughout the castle. It led her to the dungeons, into his office. She peeked around the corner curiously, just watching him as he measured out and stoppered potions. He discarded the stoppered vials to one side, reaching with barely a thought to the next empty vial and filling it.

Severus's movements were jerky, his face fixed into a stern frown as he worked. Elaine curled her fluffy tail around herself and hunkered down close to the floor, observing. Severus happened to glance up and saw her. He frowned, rising from his desk as if he were debating on whether he should catch her or shoo her.

Elaine straighted up, transforming back into her human self quickly before he made up his mind. His eyes widened a fraction, but then he resumed his stony expression.

"Professor Chapel, I did not realize that you were an animagis..." he drawled, "one would hope that you have the proper license. I would hate to be forced to report you." His eyes narrowed on her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The daylight Snape was always a joy.

"As a matter of fact, I'm expecting my Ministry sanctioned license any day now. The paperwork and laws are different in America, and so it is taking awhile to be processed. There should be no problem." She said shortly, her temper flaring.

He inclined his head, his eyes glittering with anger. "I see."

"What's wrong, Severus?" She sighed, suddenly feeling very drained. She didn't want to trade quips or barbed remarks. She just wanted him to let her in.

He scoffed at her, curling his lip. "I do not need to speak of my feelings like some sniveling child. I'm perfectly capable of attending to my own internal struggles without your help. Besides, you seemed to be having a rather enthralling conversation with Remus-"

"Is that what this is about?" She asked, shocked.

Severus's nostrils flared, his teeth clenched as he turned away from her. "Do not seek to flatter yourself, as if I should care who you keep company with."

"Don't speak to me like that, Severus. I won't have it!" She hissed, the anger roiling in her chest. Snape froze, his eyes hard. The tone of her voice effectively silenced him, rendering him speechless.

"Remus and I were divvying the classes and working on our new lesson plan. I know he and his friends were rude and bullied you as children, but that was a long time ago. You're adults now. Act like it." She seethed, her breathing becoming rapid with her temper.

"My apologies," Severus said, cutting in, "but I've not forgotten almost being mauled to death by that bloody flea bitten werewolf!"

Shock poured through her like ice water. "Remus is a werewolf?"

"Of course he is!" Snape spat, running an agitated hand through his hair. "Why do you think I'm brewing this potion?"

For the first time Elaine looked at the actual ingredients laid upon his table. "How was I supposed to know?" She asked him softly, her lip quivering. She bit it, trying to stave off the tears she knew would follow.

"Just leave." Severus ordered, turning his back on her. She wanted to continue, to try to get him to open up more but it seemed that at least for now that door was decidedly shut.

"Fine then, Professor. I will leave. I hope you're satisfied, you obviously go through great lengths to make everyone want to stay away so if you want to be alone so badly, then you just be alone!"

She hurried from the room, launching herself into her fox form and running blindly through the castle and out onto the grounds. Her paws ached from the terrain, rocks slicing into them. She didn't care. She just had to run until all of the anger and sadness bled out of her. Regret like the bitter tang of fresh blood coated her tongue, and her heart was heavy with misgivings.

Why did it always seem to be two steps forward and three steps back with Severus? The answer eluded her, and probably always would.

One thing that she knew for certain was that Severus Snape was obviously a man who needed no one, wanted no one, and preferred to keep everyone as far away as he could.

Not for the first time, Elaine found herself wondering what secrets the dark potions master kept behind those black eyes.