Disclaimer: In no way do I attempt to claim ownership of Harry Potter and its associated characters, concepts or ideas. JKR kicks butt and I know it.
AN: Alright, I'm starting to think that this is actually going to turn into a fic, and not just little ficlets that are of the same universe. Perhaps next time I won't continue along the same story line. Anyway, this is Snape's chapter. There are a few interesting – perhaps important – bits thrown in here. Try to find them all! Enjoy.
Harry Potter: The Orphans Chronicles
Part 3: Lunch with Snape
By: Sagi
Professor Severus Snape, the top chemist in the country who had somehow been reduced to teaching high school chemistry, had no idea how his lunch time routine had changed. More, he had no idea how it had changed to include his two top students. He had a general idea, of course, it wasn't that long ago that the two boys had been transferred into his class – Professor Slughorn muttering something about two many questions as he signed the slip – and he had to endure thought-provoking question after question.
Because Harry Potter didn't ask simply clarifying questions like other well rounded students like Hermione Granger, he asked questions about why and how do you know. For a while, Snape quite believed him to be the worst student he had ever attempted to teach. Until he received the first tests of the year. Grueling, like they always were, yet Potter's questions had given him above a perfect score and actually boosted the average of the class. Even Longbottom had received an average grade.
The changes to his schedule, however, had started with a lunch time conference, in which Professor Snape wished to discuss furthering Harry's education with projects that would further his personal learning process and put his class average back where it should be. Harry, however, still asked questions during class and the average remained generally as high as it could get, but Harry's grade (as well as his closest friend – Draco Malfoy – who probably helped with the projects) remained outstanding.
After the initial conference, however, Harry and Draco seemed to take it into their heads that his classroom was a good place to spend lunch time. They would commonly stand outside his doorway now, waiting for him to arrive so that they could eat with him. And that was exactly where Snape found them waiting the day that he had heard professors Trelawney and Flitwick gossiping about his two favorite students.
"You two certainly made a spectacle out of yourselves today, didn't you?" He asked in a would-be calm voice as he unlocked the door to the chemistry lab.
Harry, who had been staring off into space, tensed slightly. His green eyes lost some of their shine. However, it was only after they moved into the classroom and shut the door behind them that he asked, "Sir?"
Professor Snape – now that he was seated at his desk – didn't keep his eyes on Harry though, but rather on Draco. Draco continued to look unruffled, even as the steady gaze turned into an intense glare.
The blond set about arranging his lunch on his tray to his liking.
"Sir?" Harry asked again. "Is what happened in the hall a serious problem?"
He paused in eating his pudding, placing it back onto the lunch tray.
Snape sighed, snapping his eyes to Harry. "You boys are here on scholarship and Dumbledore's good word only. Weasley was left unconscious in the hallway because of you. If the board sees evidence of this or anything like it, it will reflect badly towards you. The other students pay tuition – they contribute to the boards pay-checks. It won't matter about your grades, your popularity, rules or any of it if something threatens their students. Harry – that is to say – their customers. They're going to remove the threat – their charity cases."
By the end of this, Snape was pacing a bit and a good bit of color had fled from Harry's face.
"But Weasley-"
"Has a prominent and well known family. Potter and Malfoy might have been prominent at one point, but that was years ago. The fact is the two of you are orphans. According to the board, you're nothing but lucky children."
"Our names don't mean anything, you mean." Draco said, gripping his bag of crisps so tightly that they threatened to burst.
"Your parents killed each other, Draco, for no apparent reason at all. And your memory has been wiped clean of the eternity of your life before St. Mungo's! Harry's parents were killed in a fit of rage by some mad man, before being dumped into an orphanage by his uncle five years later. At this point, it's amazing that your names have survived you this long."
Harry stared at their professor – not quite believing his words. Snape had never before used the information about them in such a manner. Draco's lips had thinned – in a manner reminisce of the advanced maths professor Minerva McGonagall – his grey eyes flashing with muted anger. In his fist, what had been a nice looking sandwich was now compressed into mush.
Harry finally slumped his shoulders. "So what should I do?" he asked finally. His voice held a note of desperate fear. "I can't loose this scholarship. I need it more than anything."
Snape's eyes gleamed with what could have been pride. "Rise above it!" He said forcibly. "Don't put the attention on ourselves like you did today. Don't actively seek rewards for your test scores. Your studies and academic achievements should be a private thing, Harry, not the talk of the hallway. You might assume that's why Mr. Weasley does antagonize you so much. After that disastrous display from first year it's no wonder."
"But Granger-"
"Is a snoop, I know. And she tells Weasley everything – and he then blows it out of proportion. But you don't help matters, Draco."
"It's not Harry's fault that Weasley is an insufferable prat!" Draco argued, his eyes flashing again, his emotions wild.
"It isn't," Snape agreed, "but the both of you have to deal with him."
The professor sighed suddenly, out of steam. He did so hate repeating an argument. He sat back down at his desk and fished his lunch again.
"Sir?" Harry asked after a bit of staring at his pudding and hating that he didn't feel like eating it anymore.
"Just be careful. Unless you boys accept my offer, you can only assume the worse in these sorts of situations."
Harry sighed as well, hanging his head again, fingers playing with Draco's, which had immediately moved to grip them.
An interesting natural instinct, Snape noticed tiredly.
No more words were said and a thoughtful silence filled the room, broken only by chewing and eventually the bell to announce the end of lunch.
AN: Again, let me know about spelling/grammar mistakes!
–Sagi
