Disclaimer: Most of the characters and world were created by JKR
"This meeting will come to order."
The faculty and staff were seated around a table in the staff lounge. Headmistress McGonagall looked them all over from the head of the table.
"Class has been in session for some weeks, now, and we should discuss how the year is going. How are we doing with the special seventh year class? Is the extra tutoring too much of a drain?"
A short discussion ensued concerning whether there was too much extra work for the professors. However, the students being tutored in some areas were often assisting other teachers so that the overall work load was still balanced.
"Very good. Moving on to discipline. I know that these children have had a lot of difficulty in their recent life, but we should not withhold discipline when it is necessary. Two of our professors seem to understand that," looking at Professors Snape and Merrill who then exchanged amused looks, "but the rest of you need to maintain a proper order in your classrooms and elsewhere. Poor Argus is going crazy. Don't be afraid to issue detentions just as you would have done before.
"Next item: Hagrid, have we caught all of the magical creatures yet?"
Hagrid looked sheepish and admitted that there were one or two for which he was still looking. "They're very sweet, though, they won't hurt anyone."
McGonagall smiled but shook her head. "You'd say that if they bit off someone's head or spit venom. Okay, until they're finally caught, the students are only allowed outside with staff members.
"Finally, the issue of security has been brought up by several parents. Severus, you spoke with Kingsley before the start of the school year. What can you tell us?"
"Actually, that wasn't what we met to discuss." Barbara caught Severus' eye before he quickly turned his head.
"Well, we'll have to speak with the new head of the Aurors...what was his name? Man-, Ming-"
"Monroe," Barbara said.
"That's right, Monroe. I'll have him down to discuss arrangements. Well, that's all, then."
For Barbara, the end of the meeting was a blur of encouragement for all the teachers from Minerva, and getting out of the room.
"Barbara." She turned and saw him standing there, the truth written all over his face.
He knew about the day in Kings Cross. He had gone around her and asked Kingsley. Did he also know about...shut the door! She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving such a rage in her wake that he chose not to follow.
At dinner, she sat with the third year Ravenclaw girls, smiling and chatting while he sat at the faculty table in misery. Not being able to take any more, he walked over to her.
The fear he had instilled in students for nearly twenty years made it all too easy. At the look on the girls' faces, Barbara picked up her wand threw an invisible wall between him and herself over her shoulder. "Protego!"
"Barbara, I wanted to apologize." He broke the wall charm and was going to say more when he suddenly found himself walking back to the table.
"She's cast a revulsion jinx!" He thought with sudden anger. He released himself and turned around to see that her back was still toward him. Without really thinking about it, he was suddenly holding her knitting needle in his hand and watching her hair tumble down her back. Now she turned, but he almost wished she hadn't. The death stare was horrible when it was fixed on him, and then her eyes narrowed alarmingly.
"Severus, what's gotten into you? You didn't even behave this way when you were a student. Severus!" Minerva was talking to him, but he didn't really hear her. He left the Great Hall and wandered through the castle. He finally arrived in his study, where he wrote a note.
Barbara,
Please accept my apology. I realize, now, that it was wrong to pry.
Please, Barbara, forgive me.
Severus
He gave it to a house elf and resigned himself to a sleepless night.
The next morning, there was a potion bottle on his desk, containing the unopened scroll and an oddly viscous potion. Knowing he shouldn't do it, he pulled out the stopper and watched in disbelief as the scroll popped out of the bottle and burst into flame. He shook his head as the ash showered onto his desk.
He dressed and went to breakfast, where there was no sign of Professor Merrill.
Just as he was finishing his coffee and getting ready to leave, there was a Ministry owl.
Snape,
I don't often get howlers from ministry employees. You should let her cool down before trying to speak to her. As I said before, she throws a mean hex.
Shacklebolt
He couldn't leave well enough alone and found himself on the receiving end of tripping jinxes, and stinging hexes.
"Shacklebolt was right and she's got amazing wand work," Severus thought. Something didn't quite add up. He wasn't able to give it too much thought because he spent so much time parrying her spells and occasionally sending a few jinxes of his own but regretting it whenever he was on the receiving end of her rebounding jinx.
Thus was the situation was several weeks later when Barbara found a potion bottle and note on her desk.
Dear Barbara,
Please forgive the presumption, but I wonder if you could look over my notes on this potion. It almost works the way I would like, but there is something a little off about it. I would be most grateful.
Severus
PS: I'm truly sorry for going around you like that.
The next morning, he received his bottle back with a note from her:
Dear Professor Snape,
I think I may have seen a small mistake in your calculations. Please look at my notes and then check yours again.
Truly, sir, I don't know whether to hope you are deliberately making mistakes or if you've actually made one. I cannot decide which is worse.
I've received word that our first article will be in the February JPS. They are still reviewing the second one.
Sincerely,
Barbara Merrill
Finally contact! No matter that it was so stilted, so formal... He looked up in time to stop Jessica Elvin from slicing off Albert Deven's ear. After dismissing his third year class, he decided it might be okay to try another note.
Dear Miss Merrill,
I wonder if you would accompany me to the Quiddich match on Saturday? I understand the new keeper for Ravenclaw is very good.
Barbara, please forgive me. If only because, as you can see, it's adversely affecting my research.
Sincerely,
Severus
She was a sucker for a Quiddich match. She was also a sucker for some things she didn't want to think about.
Dear Severus,
OK, I give up. Yes, I'll come with you. I haven't much hopes for Ravenclaw this year, but perhaps against Hufflepuff they won't embarrass themselves too badly.
I forgive you for being duplicitous. I'm afraid that I have been overly reticent. I apologize for that.
I'll meet you by the great door.
Cordially,
Barbara
They were back to "cordially" and first names. He placed the scroll in a drawer and lifted out the knitting needle he had removed from her hair. It still smelled of roses and lavender. He put the needle back into the drawer and smiled.
A/N: Well, ok, so the woman wasn't actually scorned, but her request was. The end result was the same.