Chapter Twenty-Two

Minerva McGonnagal arrived for her weekend visit the next day, accompanied by Madam Pomphrey and Susanna. The little girl was delighted to see her Mum again and to everybody's surprise accepted the presence of a strange man called Daddy quite easily. She wasn't shy or afraid, but climbed onto his knees and settled comfortably in his lap. She had brought her picture books and asked him to read to her. Severus looked helpless and Claire came to his rescue. "Daddy hasn't got his glasses yet, he can't read. You must tell him what you see in the book, darling," she advised her daughter and watched with a surge of happiness and pride, as Susanna pointed at the pictures with her plump little fingers and recited animals' names to her father, who listened closely, his head bent so that his cheek touched Susanna's and his face showing expressions of love, awe and wonder.

Later that day Claire went to her house to do the washing and to fetch some new clothes. She took Susanna with her and also Madam Pomphrey, who had offered her company and help. At least that was what she had said, the truth was that she had never been inside a Muggle house and was extremely curious to see what it would be like.

So Professor McGonnagal found herself alone with Severus and seized the opportunity to offer him his old job at Hogwarts, but her offer was not received with the enthusiasm she had hoped for.

"I don't think I was a good teacher," Severus answered slowly after a long period of staring at the pattern of the linoleum. "Students hated me; I know that Albus had to deal with complaints from parents about my teaching methods on a regular basis. And I must admit I didn't enjoy teaching very much, most of the students were so stupid, unable to follow even the most basic of instructions. It was hard work to keep them from doing serious damage out of sheer lack of concentration. And their essays," his voice was full of contempt now, "unstructured gibberish most of them, with bad grammar and full of spelling mistakes."

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"I was forced to stay at Hogwarts, I had to act the part of the teacher, because it was part of my agreement with the headmaster, it was part of my role as his spy, but if I had been free to choose, I would have resigned sooner rather than later."

Minerva McGonnagal winced at this confession. Fourteen lonely years in a job he had loathed – what a miserable life. And yet – now there was no need for loneliness and the strain of a double life any longer, now he could stop acting and try to really be a teacher, now there were Claire and Susanna…

"Merlin's beard, Minerva, stop being so idealistic! What is good about being a teacher?"

The old witch grimaced. She had forgotten how accomplished an Occlumens he was.

"You love potions, Severus…"

"Exactly, that's the problem," he interrupted her sarcastically.

"and there always are students who show some ability for one's subject. Surely their attitudes and achievements are rewarding for the teacher."

He rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently.

Minerva McGonnagal decided to ignore it and continued.

"With Horace Slughorn dead, we've never been able to find a competent potions teacher in these four years. The hospital wing has always been full of students who had accidents during their lessons, there were exploding cauldrons, wrong antidotes. Many failed their exams. Parents complained. It has been a nightmare. We need you, Severus and you need a job - I doubt that you have many options left," she added softly when he remained looking doubtful.

He snorted bitterly. "Yes, Minerva, you have a point there, I certainly haven't been inundated with job-offers. What I would like to do," he added wistfully, "is some quiet research far away from students and essays, but – well, as you pointed out correctly, I haven't got much of a choice, in fact, most people would think I should be beside myself with gratitude for you offering me the position."

He leaned back in the chair, resignation on his face.

"However, there remains the question whether students and their parents will accept someone who has just got out of prison."

"I'm sure they will. Nobody failed their OWLs in Potions when you were teaching. Your name has been cleared, the wizarding community knows about your role in Voldemort's downfall, knows that you have always been a loyal member of the Order - and you can't hide in a corner forever, Severus."

He sighed and avoided her eyes. "There's another problem. Hogwarts teachers traditionally are not married…"

"Oh, Severus, have you asked her?"

He shot her a look of surprise. "How do you know?"

She shrugged and smiled, "Female intuition. You two just seem to be made for each other."

Severus snorted. "Yes, I have and contrary to reason, in spite of everything she knows about my past, my character and my nightmares, she said yes. So I'm going to have a wife and a daughter, which means that my old rooms at Hogwarts will no longer be suitable, and having a family will interfere with my duties as a teacher, especially if you intend to make me head of Slytherin house again."

He looked at her expectantly. Surely this would put her off.

"Well, tradtions can be changed in modern times." The old witch smiled, there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. A twinkle which reminded him of Dumbledore, and suddenly he had the feeling that he was losing ground.

"We could find rooms that are suitable for a family. And as to your duties - we've had a single mother as a professor for the last two years and she was very successful."

"A single mother?" A witch whose husband had died during the war, was Severus' first thought. But no, impossible – married women and women with children wouldn't be teachers in the wizarding world.

"Yes, the house-elves looked after the child during lessons."

"A single mother? Who on earth…" He stopped, a suspicion finally forming in his mind. "Minerva, are you telling me that Claire teaches at Hogwarts?"

The twinkle became deeper. "Well, I thought it was the safest place for her to be. So I offered her the job. Muggle-studies and languages."

Severus stared at her in disbelief, then he started to laugh; it was a laugh, loud and free, he had not produced in years. He couldn't stop until it turned into a coughing fit; tears were running down his cheeks.

"Minerva," he finally gasped, very red in the face, "Minerva, you are unbelievable. This is so ingenious an idea, even Albus couldn't have come up with a better one. Absolutely brilliant."

"Does that mean you accept?"

He became serious again and took a deep breath.

"Yes, if you insist, if you think this is a good idea, I'll accept. For the fun of seeing Claire in robes I'll put up with the dunderheads again. But I warn you, I'm not going to change my teaching methods."

Thanks to J.K. Rowling for the inspiring characters