A/N: So, we're on Half-Blood Prince now! For those who don't know why Snape called himself that, look it up! It's really interesting.

After an hour, I put my quill down and sighed loudly. Then, I remembered something I had seen in Dumbledore's office. He had a phoenix named Fawkes. A beautiful creature. Its wings were bright red and orange like a sunset. It's beak was dark, as if it had been burned. Phoenixs had a habit of setting themselves on fire when they felt they were in danger.

They had tears that could heal and could fly at great heights. I grabbed my sketchbook and began to draw a phoenix. The colors of Fawkes's wings hypnotized me.

Slughorn was holding a Christmas party and only a few of the staff and students were invited. I wasn't invited since I hadn't gotten a chance to acquaint myself with Professor Slughorn. I had much homework to grade, anyway. After leaving the teacher's lounge, I headed back to the classroom.

Holding a cup of tea in one hand, I reached out to open the door. Then, when I stepped inside, I froze. Snape was holding my notebook and staring at me. My teacup fell from my hands and shattered on the stone floor.

"What are you doing with that?" I asked, harshly.

I hurried towards him, ignoring the broken cup. Snape took out a slip of loose paper from the notebook and showed it to me. It was the picture I drew of him. I just wanted to die. I snatched the paper from his hand, glaring at him.

"Is this some sort of game you're playing?" he asked, sternly.

"I am not playing any games with anyone. Least of all you. What gives you the right to search through my things?"

He hesitated. "I...was looking for something."

"Well, I don't have anything of yours." I snapped.

"You have my face in your notebook. Don't I have a right to know why?"

I groaned, loudly. "No, you don't. I can draw whatever I please."

"I thought you drew what interested you." he said.

"You got me, okay?" I yelled. "You found my drawing of you! Do you want some kind of reward?"

He said nothing.

"Oh, there you go with that stupid look on your face." I snapped, throwing my hands in the air.

Still nothing.

"Is it too much of your pride to swallow to actually answer someone?" I asked, clenching my fists.

The paper crumpled in my hand, but I didn't care.

"It's no wonder you spend so much time with Draco Malfoy. You both are despicable, not caring for others. Just doing whatever you please." I continued.

He lifted his head a bit. "I am nothing like that child."

I laughed. "You're like father and son. And, you're inseparable."

"Enough." he said, a bit loud.

He grabbed my arm and held me close to his face. I was immediately sure he would strike me in the face.

"You, like everyone else, don't know me." he sneered.

I said nothing.

He turned away from me, saying nothing more. His words stabbed at my heart. Snape may have been proud, but he did take me in, and helped me become the teacher that the students know.

"You're right." I said, quietly. "Many people do see you that way. I used to see you that way, but not anymore. You're much more than that."

He turned and looked down at me. We stayed that way for a moment, until I reached out my hand and touched the side of his face. He clearing his throat, and pulled away.

"Have a good evening, Miss Strauss." he mumbled.

"Professor Snape." I said.

I headed for the door until he cleared his throat again. I turned and he stared at the floor.

"Severus."

"What?"

"Call me Severus."


I often enjoyed going into the library for some quiet reading time. As I sat reading, I recalled the mysterious textbook I found on my first days at Hogwarts. Snape was rather insistent on me returning it.

Half-Blood Prince…

The name haunted me and pulled at my mind. I decided to research who this mysterious prince was. I scanned the "H" section, but couldn't find anything about the prince. My finger reread the spines of the books, hoping to find something.

I paused when a rather strange title came into my view.

HORCRUXES

I pulled out the book from its place and stared at it. The cover was worn and the material was shredded. Because Snape was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I was also required to learn more about the class.

But, I had never heard of anything dealing with horcruxes. I decided to take the book with me and read it.

It was quite interesting, but it was definitely filled with dark magic. I was sure it wasn't any trouble for me to be reading it. As a teacher, I must be well informed on what I'm teaching. That's a given.

Except, after getting deeper into the book, Horcruxes were part of a rather disturbingly, evil magic. A horcrux is where a person can rip out part of their soul and put into something. That way, they can't die. The only way to rip a part of your soul was through murder.

I shut the book and shoved it into my desk. I had never heard of such magic. It sounded dreadfully cruel.

Is all dark magic this dreadful?

For days, I studied the book, eager to learn more, but still afraid of the knowledge I was filling my head with. I decided not to show Snape the book, fearing he would tell me I couldn't handle the knowledge I was consuming. He would've been right, but my curiosity always got to me.

By the end of the week, I had finished the book. I kept in my desk as class was starting. The students walked in and took their seats. Class went well. Except, Harry wasn't really paying attention. He was busy reading a Potions class textbook. Snape stood behind him, staring at the book.

"Potter." he said.

Harry jumped and turned.

"As important as potions class may be, I would truly appreciate it if you read on your own time, and not during my class." Snape said, strictly.

"Yes, sir." Harry nodded.

Harry slipped the book beneath his desk, and plopped it on the floor. As the class continued, he picked up the book again and read.

Snape frowned and hit him in the head with a book. Harry groaned and rubbed his head. Some students laughed aloud.

"Book. Away. Now." he mumbled.

Harry obeyed, and he didn't pick the book up for the rest of the class. Afterwards, Snape came by my desk when class had ended.

"Will you be engaged tomorrow night?" he asked, quietly.

I looked up from grading papers. "Tomorrow night?"

He nodded.

"Well, you've asked me to grade all the assignments, as usual. I'll be engaged until the evening."

He nodded, softly. "I see. Well, do you suppose you'll be occupied by 8:00?"

I shook my head. "I shouldn't be. Might I ask why?"

"I'd like you to accompany me to the Christmas festivities being thrown by Professor Slughorn tomorrow evening." he replied.

My heart skipped a beat. "Me?"

"I've been asked to go by Professor Slughorn. He was my potions teacher when I was young. Also, I am to supervise the party, and I thought you could use a break from grading and such. I'm allowed to bring one guest along with me. I wouldn't want to show up there alone." he explained.

"Well, it should be fine. I have no fixed engagements." I said.

"Good." he said. Then, he walked out of the room.

I couldn't help, but feel excited. It was difficult to call Severus my friend. He just seemed much more than a friend to me. I wondered if he thought of me the same way.

I hurried to find something decent to wear. I didn't want to wear something plain, and nothing too fancy. With a flick of my wand, I created a decent beige lace gown. It went down to my knees and had a flower at the side of my waist.

When the night came, I was grading homework. Snape was called to examine Katie Bell in the infirmary upstairs. She was starting to feel a bit better. Harry was very concerned about her, as we all were. She was a decent student and was passing our class.

My thoughts were interrupted with the door opening. Snape stepped in, wearing a new cloak. It was black, of course, and he still had his frown as an accessory.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded and stacked the papers I had finished into a pile.

I waved my wand, and my dress popped on. Snape scanned me from head to toe.

"You are aware it's a Christmas party." he said.

I paused. "Christmas? I thought it was Easter."

He frowned at my joke and glanced at my dress. "Beige isn't a very festive color."

"What's-?"

He took out his wand and waved it at me. I gasped as magic surrounded me. My gown turned into a dark bluish, black color. It had some glitter-like sparkles on it, making it look like the night sky.

"Better." he said.

"Black? That's your idea of a festive color?"

He walked ahead. I stared down at my dress and shrugged. Quickly, I caught up and we exited the castle to the party.

I smiled when I saw Neville Longbottom. He was serving beverages with his adorable smile. He offered us one, but we declined.

"You weren't invited Neville?" I asked, with a sympathetic smile.

"I didn't make the cut for the Slug club. It's okay. Berley's handing out towels in the loo." Neville replied, with a look of relief.

"Well, do find a chance to enjoy yourself, if you can." I said.

Some students were dancing together along with the Christmas music playing. Snape looked bored and exited the tent. I debated on whether or not to follow. Nothing interesting was really going on, so I followed.

He was looking up at the night sky. It was a full moon and the stars were glistening. I stood beside him and gave a small sigh.

"They're so beautiful. The stars." I observed aloud.

He turned his head to me. "Everyone seems to think so."

I looked at him. "You don't?"

"The moon always seemed to catch my attention above anything else."

I thought about it and nodded. "The moon is beautiful. The stars just never fail to amaze me."

"That's typical. I just don't share the same opinion."

"How can you not? They look small and are surrounded by a sea of darkness. But, if you look close enough, they're majestic and are more than what some give them credit for."

"Whereas the moon is large, but people don't always see what it has to offer. Its smooth color and bright light isn't appreciated. Besides, if it wasn't for the moon, you couldn't see the stars."

I stared at him, as he kept his gaze on the moon, "I can see what you mean. That's how people can see things. They don't always see what's right in front of them or how special something can be. They don't really appreciate it."

He lowered his gaze to the ground, and then at me. I gave him a smile and looked back at the sky.

"You're a very interesting friend." he said.

"So, you consider us friends, then?"

"I'd like to think so. Consider yourself lucky, my dear."

"Lucky about what? That I've been considered a friend by the great Severus Snape?"

"I suppose that's one way to look at it."

"You have several faces. Is that so oblivious to you?"

"I've heard that I'm a difficult person to read."

I scoffed. "And, you take pride in that?"

"Being hard to read can be seen as prideful or bitter. I always liked to think of it as misunderstood...or just being that type of person."

I grimaced, not understanding.

"Some people, Miss Arabella, aren't seen as...normal when they don't socialize as everyone else does. But, that's what makes us "introverts" different. We're not like everyone else."

I was beginning to see a different side to this man. He had always seemed so arrogant and stubborn. But, he was actually being himself. He doesn't socialize like everyone else, but that doesn't make him terribly different.

"I learn more about you every day." I confessed.

He chuckled.

"I've never heard you laugh before." I said.

"It's your lucky night, then. It really is." he replied.

"You're one in a million, Professor."

"Severus." he corrected.

"Severus…"

"And, you? What makes you so different?" he asked, turning his whole body towards me.

I sighed, trying to narrow the list down to a minimum. "I've been looked down upon for wanting to be a teacher. I mean, teaching has always been for older people. For someone as young as me wanting to be a teacher is unheard of." I replied.

"A young teacher is a bit unheard of." he said, raising an eyebrow. "You're an open book, Miss Arabella. You also have a very strong case of curiosity."

I slightly rolled my eyes. "Is there no cure? For a teacher as young and useless as me?"

"People don't understand what they don't want to understand." he said, with a shrug.

He was now about a few feet from me. I brushed some loose hair from my face with a sigh. Some hair fell out of place. I reached to fix it, but he beat me to it. His hand brushed it away and he tucked some of it behind my ear.

"I suppose they'll never understand either of us." he said, quietly.

He stared into my eyes, causing me to drown in his. I felt a force dragging me closer to him. Our faces were less than a foot away. It had started to snow, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment.

"I suppose not." I mumbled.

"Arabella...there's-"

"Severus." a voice said, harshly.

We both turned and saw Professor McGonagall.

"Oh, Professor Strauss. I did not see you." she said, giving me a warm smile. "Dumbledore has asked me to inform you to ensure that no students are in the coaches parked outside the ball."

Snape's face fell and he looked back at me. "Forgive me."

"It's alright. I'll just...head inside." I said.

"I'll return shortly."

They both left and I headed back inside. My mind was clouded with the fact that Snape was about to tell me something. Once again, my curiosity got to me.