Rated M

New Beginning: The Same Refrain

Chapter 9

Severus stood in the middle of his new Hogwarts quarters looking around the sitting room. His noticed that his rooms here were lager than the entirety of Spinners End. His sitting area alone was spacious enough that the previous owner had divided it in half by placing a sofa in the middle of the room facing the floo. Behind the sofa was a desk and bookcases, while the sofa facing the fireplace joined a small coffee table and two matching chairs. He opened the only door visible and found a massive bedroom. A large four-poster bed sat in the middle of one wall, facing two large wardrobes that flanked a door.

Opening the door, he smiled seeing that he had his own tub again. A tub and shower was not an easy thing to come by in the Muggle world, unheard of at Spinners End. The shower was large and lined with smooth stone, unlike the plastic lined closet his father had installed in the old house. Magic was indeed a powerful thing. He almost laughed at Albus's assumption that the poor Muggles would only seek power in this world. He walked over just to flush the toilet, smiling when the pipes did not rumble and vibrate the floor. Maybe it would be good to be back at Hogwarts.

Returning to the bedroom, he sat on the edge of the bed and laid back in exhaustion. He had only been sleeping in two-hour increments. Between the softness of this bed, the quiet and the relief of knowing his talk with Albus was over, and the potion still running in his veins, he fell asleep in moments.

Lily waved at him, smiled, and took Alice by the hand. Then stopping and pointing to a hill in the distance, she left Alice and began walking away. Alice looked back to the babies laying on the field and looked to Narcissa, asleep with them. She turned her back and walked in the other direction.

Severus sat up quickly. The dream had again terrorized him for no reason, leaving him cold and again gasping for air and reaching for a wand, and he did not know why. Unaccustomed to his new surroundings it took him a full minute to get his bearings. He cursed himself and began to pace, a full minute of hesitation could mean his death. He felt closed in, trapped. He needed to get out.

He walked to the fireplace and searched for the floo powder. Finding none, he began opening the drawers in the small desk he had seen earlier, and then tried the cabinets in the bathrooms, he even searched the wardrobes in the bedroom searching in vain.

Cursing he walked into the hallway and warded his door before starting the long climb up to the main floor. As he was cursing at his situation Albus stepped around the corner in front of him.

"Headmaster." Severus gave a clipped greeting.

"Professor." Albus let the title roll of his tongue as if it was meant to sting. "I see you have plans for this evening."

"I need to go out," Severus replied not hearing the title thrown at him, only confused at the word evening.

"I am afraid that for the next week I can not allow that Professor." Albus frowned at him stressing the title. "Hogwarts must prepare of the new term and there is much to do."

"I am a prisoner then?"

"No, I do believe you need to join me for a quiet chat."

"Have we not just done that?" Severus looked at him coldly.

"It has been two days from our talk, Master Snape." Albus clasped his hands behind his back. "I have not seen you in that time. I would have assumed that you used your time wisely."

Severus did not let on that he had been unaware of the passage of time. He put his hand to his chin and feeling the stubble of his unshaven face hastily looked down at this rumpled clothing.

"You will join the rest of the staff in the Great Hall this evening for dinner," Albus said taking in Severus state. "You may use the rest of the time to freshen yourself."

"Rest of the staff?" Severus scowled at him. "What are you taking about Headmaster?"

"Surely you did not expect to walk out of here with your new resolve untested?" Dumbledore looked back at him evenly. "I will send a detailed list of your duties to your chambers. Once you have reviewed them you may sit with Minerva to ask your questions."

"You know I have never taught," Severus said quickly. "I have no experience with this."

"Yet, you are the youngest Master known," Headmaster said. "I would not think it easy for such a young man, with such a past as yours, to obtain employment in the field of potions, you should welcome this."

"I plan to open my own lab." Severus lifted his chin. "I have several new potions that will prove quite lucrative."

" I am relieved to see that Hogwarts will benefit greatly from its new potions Professor," Dumbledore said with a sly smile knowing that the institution of a Potions Master shared in the profit.

"I can't do this." Severus said near panic still trying to keep his feelings in check. "There are still students here that would remember me. Perhaps in a year or two…"

"Professor, I am not aware that I had asked you." Albus raised his voice. "I am in need of a Potions Master and you have pledged me your oath."

"Yes, Headmaster," Severus sneered getting his first taste of the oath.

"You may leave these halls from noon on Saturday to noon on Sunday." The Headmaster said firmly. For the rest of this week you will prepare your lesson plans for the upcoming term and inventory the supplies. You will request a meeting with Minerva to go over the rest of your duties."

"Yes, Headmaster," Severus replied concentrating on controlling himself as he felt anger boiling.

"You have not been seen in the Great Hall for meals." The headmaster turned to go. "From now on you shall be there on time."

Severus suddenly felt ravenous. He turned back to his chamber to ready for the evening meal thinking of pickles. As he began to disrobe, he heard the soft pop of an elf enter his bedchamber.

"I did not call you." He looked at the elf coldly.

"No Sirs Master Snape." The elf looked up at him blissfully.

"I remember you." Severus looked coldly at the elf. "You were assigned to my common room when I was a student here."

"Yes Master Snape," he squealed, jumping up on down.

"Why are you here? I am no longer a student." Severus folded his arms looking down at him.

"I is your's servant." The elf now started hopping from one foot to the other in delight. "My olds Missus Master, she sent me here."

"Explain," Severus scowled.

"You's mother the great Eileen Prince she was." The elf smiled and stopped hopping.

"My mother did not have an elf."

"When she was borns, I was given to her, bonded to her." The elf stood up proudly. "She was mine. Missus Prince, she was then. Her new mean master he said I am not good. So I hide in the cupboard until you come. You were mine when you come. You given to me."

"Yes?" Severus was still waiting.

"After a while, she says come here. Come here and waits for you." The elf was again smiling. "I don'ts wait no more."

"She gave you to the school?" Severus asked still confused.

"No Master Sirs, I belongs to you." She bowed grandly, no longer smiling.

"What is your name elf?" He asked thinking he might enjoy this.

"Millie," She squeaked sadly.

"Well Millie, I do have a small job for you." He looked down at the clothes he had lived in for at least the past four days. "I want these cleaned while I shower. It appears that I am rather short on personal effects at this time and must have these laundered daily."

Severus finished stripping down, tossing his clothes in a heap at the elf's feet. He smirked as Millie threw a claw up to cover her eyes as his boxers slid off. He walked into the bathroom and set the temperature on the water magically for future showers, and stepped into the smooth stone enclosure.

Two days, he kept thinking. He had slept for two days before his dreams had woken him. He felt lethargic and slow, as if Albus's potion was still in his veins. He remembered the taste of the potion and closed his eye concentrating of the ingredients he could identify and could find no fault in it. Finishing his shower, and wrapping himself in a towel and returned to the bedroom to ready for dinner.

He saw his clothes set out on the chair, neatly pressed and spotlessly clean. He sat on the edge of the bed, allowing the towel to slip away. Pulling the blankets up around his shoulders to ward of the sudden coldness he felt, he lay down and pulled the blankets to cover him completely, thinking only to get warm before dressing, only to fell asleep. He was still sleeping when Albus asked for him at in the Great Hall for evening meal.

The Headmaster floo-ed directly into Severus's chamber intent on reprimanding his newest staff member until Millie met him with her finger pursed to her lip.

"He sleeps Headmaster," Millie whispered.

"Your Master must raise and dress for dinner Millie." The headmaster stroked his beard looking down at the elf. "He has not eaten now for the fourth day."

"Yes Headmaster Sirs." Millie flattened her ears and looked up at him sadly. "He does not know Millie Sirs, he does not knows me."

"Strange." The Headmaster tugged on his beard and frowned down at the elf. "Not at all?"

"In his common rooms Sirs," Millie said hopefully.

Albus went into the bedroom and looked down on Severus. He called to the Professor, once again without his title, and then a third, softly calling him by his given name. Severus did not wake, nor make any movement that indicated his slumber was disturbed. Albus frowned and signalled Millie out of the room.

"Millie, do not worry about your Master." Albus smiled down at the claw twisting Millie. "I will send Madam Pomfrey to look in on him."

"Yes Headmaster Sirs." Millie hopped up and down again. "I wait with him."

"Very good," Albus said , as he turned to return to his dinner.

Albus walked into the Great Hall to join Minerva and Poppy for evening meal. Madam Pomfrey had just returned that morning to start putting in the year's supply of potions she would need to get though the term.

"Poppy," Albus sat down at his place and addressed the Medi-Witch. "When you are done with dinner perhaps you could have a look at our new Professor of Potions."

"Who might that be? I was unaware that you had filled the post." She looked at him with sudden interest.

"Master Severus Snape has honoured us with his knowledge." Albus smiled at he short witch.

"Severus? Albus," she stood up in shock. "How could you bring him in here? With all the children no less?"

"Madame Pomfrey, I have told the rest of the staff, as I am now telling you. I have complete faith in our newest Professor and will expect you to respect him in all things."

"You and your oath you mean," Minerva snipped at him.

"Oath?" Poppy echoed.

"Yes, oath Poppy," Minerva scowled at Albus.

"This old man has made Severus give him a …."

"Suffice to say an oath that shows the wizards complete loyalty to me and by extension to Hogwarts." The Headmaster continued to eat his dinner.

"To yourself and the Order is what you mean." Minerva pushed her plate back and stood up. "I have lost my appetite."

"You said I should take a look at him. What seems to be wrong?" Poppy stood up with Minerva.

"Professor Snape came to us two days ago." Albus said lightly. "I happened on him in the hallways earlier today. His appearance gave me every indication he had spent those two days, sleeping in his already dishevelled clothing."

"No doubt he was merely exhausted." Poppy sniffed waving her hand to dismiss the illness.

"Yes, so I thought as well." Albus frowned at the Medi-Witch. "However, just now I was unable to wake him. More disturbing was the fact his house elf says he has no knowledge of her before he came here as a First Year."

"Tell me Headmaster," She frowned. "What state was he in when he arrived?"

"You know what path he has taken, and what horrors he has taken part in." Albus peered over his spectacles. "For a Death Eater to seek forgiveness what state do you think he was in?"

"I would guess the same state we found him in each year when he returned to us as a student." Minerva turned to face Poppy.

"Madam Pomfrey, an adult wizard has returned to us this time, not a child." Albus said sternly.

"As I told you then and I tell you now," Poppy pushed her chair back into the table. "You mind the children and raise the wizard. You ignored his needs then and this is what you reap."

Albus sat and watched Poppy hurry out of the Great Hall on her way to the Dungeons. He took his glasses of and laid them on the table. Bringing his hand up to the bridge of his nose. He remembered Severus as a student. He remembered an unpopular boy always fighting with the others and he remembered a sharp mind and cutting wit. He remembered the underweight bruised boy that wore long sleeves and high collars to hide the scars left from his father's beating.

Albus thought there was nothing he could have done. No Wizarding laws prevented a father from raising a child as he saw fit. Albus had kept his distance and said nothing, hoping it would only harden the boy and teach him how to survive. Perhaps Poppy and Minerva had been right after all. Perhaps is he had intervened things would have been different.

He rose to follow Poppy and see what he could do.