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"Severus!" The voice called from behind him again, causing him to sigh. Why couldn't he have a moment alone? Just one moment where people were not bugging him about trivial things. "Severus wait!" He closed his eyes and stopped walking.
"What is it Miss Burbage?" He asked, turning slightly to look at her. "I have classes to plan."
The woman, apparently unperturbed by Snape's icy tone, bounded up along side of him and smiled pleasantly. "Oh Severus, don't be such a buzz kill. We both know you already have your lessons planned through the next week at the least." She continued smiling at him is if they were best of friends, and even slipped her arm through his as they walked. "Anyway, you have to make time for me today Severus, as I am here on official Hogwarts business." Snape stopped attempting to extract his arm and instead stared at her, eyebrows raised.
"What?" She laughed. "You don't think I am important enough to be trusted with the official business of Hogwarts?" She laughed again as she watched his perpetual frown deepen. Severus noticed, not for the first time, how familiar Charity Burbage's eyes were.
"Well?" he asked, snapping himself out of his musing on her eyes. "What 'official business of Hogwarts' are you here for?" They had reached the Entrance Hall by now, and had stopped walking. Snape detangled himself from her grasp, and turned to face her directly.
Charity's eyes flickered for a moment, but her smile stayed true. "There are actually two things. Number one, Professor Dumbledore requests to see you in his office when you get a moment. And number two is Professor Sprout would like to know if you are coming to the gathering tomorrow night. She said she needed a rough headcount to know how much bean dip to bring."
Snape sighed again, of course the headmaster wanted to talk with him. Dumbledore always had a knack for knowing when Snape was feeling down. And as for why Pomona had the young woman to ask if he were attending the gathering, it was beyond him. He had not gone to one of them since he had first started his job as Potions Master ten years before. Of course, Charity Burbage had no reason to know that, this being her first year teaching at Hogwarts. Maybe that is why she asked, maybe Professor Sprout had just become tired of asking, but didn't want him to be put out for not getting an invitation - not that he would be in the slightest. Maybe Sprout thought that this woman, with her never ending smiles and beautifully familiar eyes could somehow entice him to go.
He looked at the Muggle Studies Professor again, trying to avoid staring into her eyes for too long. "Thank you, Professor Burbage. I shall attend to the Headmaster's request right away. As for the gathering-" His words were cut off as laughter eschewed from across the Hall. Harry Potter and his friends, who had been laughing hysterically over something, all fell silent under Snape's quelling gaze. The Potter boy looked away and they all exited the Hall quietly, leaving behind a stunned Severus Snape.
His eyes, Lily Evans' eyes, Charity Burbage's eyes. That is why they looked so familiar. They were the exact shade of green, the green. They were Lily Evans green. Snape gasped a startled breath and excused himself from the other professor, walking quickly towards Dumbledore's office.
…...
"Is there something the matter Severus?" Dumbledore asked, peering over the top of Transfiguration Today to watch Snape fidget. The poor man had a dazed look in his eyes, which frequently switched from furious to sad and then back to dazed at least ten times per minute. Albus Dumbledore watched as Severus sputtered about eyes and parties for a few seconds, before standing up and pacing.
"Is something the matter! What isn't the matter? Every Bloody thing is the matter!" He continued ranting about eyes and counting beans until Dumbledore stopped him, truly worried for his Potions Master's mental state.
"Severus, how about we talk about something different? The weather maybe, or what you think of Harry?"
This only seemed to trigger yet more pacing, and finally Snape proclaiming; "That boy has no real talent, he is 'mediocre, arrogant as his father, a determined rule-breaker, delighted to find himself famous, attention-seeking and impertinent-" He continued in this manner for so long that Dumbledore returned to reading his magazine, hoping that Snape would wear himself out. He finally stopped, and without ever lifting his eyes from the magazine, Dumbledore said; "You see what you expect to see, Severus. Other teachers report that the boy is modest, likable, and reasonably talented. Personally, I find him an engaging child." He turned the page, ignoring the seething Snape and finally getting to the point of the meeting said; "Keep an eye on Quirrell, won't you." Snape muttered an agreement, and was about to leave when Dumbledore said "You should really go to that gathering this year Severus. The company is good, and Pomona's bean dip is to die for."
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