In his room, lying on his bed staring up at the ceiling Severus was trying to make sense of recent events. He was completely confused. Girls normally didn't pay him any attention, which truthfully was fine by him. If they weren't paying attention they weren't going to laugh at him, and that was a good thing. He had been totally floored when that fourth year girl had stood up to Potter on his behalf.

At first he'd been furious, not wanting her damned pity. Who did she think she was anyway? Did she really think that she was so much more capable against those bloody Gryffindors than he was that he would need her help? If she hadn't been female she would have gotten herself cursed within an inch of her life by Potter and Black for the stunt she pulled and in Severus' mind she would have deserved it. Occasionally they caught him off his guard just as occasionally he caught them off theirs, it certainly didn't mean he needed to be rescued. He had wanted to point out to little Miss Sasha Innes that it was almost always four against one between him and them, and that he still usually managed to hold his own. When they did get one over on him it was almost always by surprise.

Then she had come to the hospital wing with that mouthy friend of hers. At first he had thought it had been to gloat, or demand thanks, or something equally ridiculous, but then she'd said to Madam Pomfrey that they simply wanted to see if he was all right. Honestly, that in itself was still a little bit insulting, but Sasha had seemed genuinely concerned, and other than a few of the teachers, nobody ever really got concerned about his welfare so he had decided to let it slide.

When he'd seen her in the stairwell being ambushed by those Gryffindor witches his first thought was that she would get what she deserved for butting into a feud that was none of her business, but his conscience had got the better of him and he'd stepped in. Besides, he didn't want to be thought of as a coward who didn't look out for someone who'd tried to look out for him, whether he wanted them to or not.

It was then that he had noticed that she really was quite pretty. Very pretty in fact with her dark brown hair and big hazel eyes. She was nearly a foot shorter than he was, and her petite stature gave him a disturbing urge to protect her. He'd also caught a rather intoxicating smell of ripe pears. He thought perhaps it was coming from her hair, but he couldn't seem to get it off of his mind. Bloody girls and their fancy shampoo...

Other than Lily he had never really thought of anyone that way. In his heartbreak of losing her friendship he had sworn to himself that he would live out his life completely devoted to her memory and never again allow himself to even look at another girl… but it seemed his accursed teenage hormones weren't going to stand for that. He wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad one.

His guilt at thinking of anyone but Lily was causing some pretty extreme self-loathing, even by his usual standards. Also, he knew that more likely than not whatever it was that was going on between him and that Innes girl would soon end in disaster just like everything else in his life always seemed to. It really seemed quite foolish to open the door for such trouble. Then again… what if it didn't blow up in his face? She had tried to defend him, and suffered backlash for doing so. She had worried about him enough to come to the hospital wing. Then there was that kiss on the cheek she'd given him for defending her against the girls on the stairs. That had shocked him so much he tried not to think about it for fear of going completely mad.

Also, she'd taken him up on his offer to help her with her potions.

She could have been just thinking like a Slytherin and accepted his help because he was the best potions student currently attending Hogwarts and it was bound to be a great boost to her grade to get his assistance… but he wasn't sure that she was aware of all that. Not many people realized how extensive his talents actually were, and he didn't think a fourth year would have figured it out, full of Slytherin cunning or not. Most people just ignored him, and had no idea what he could or couldn't do. The ones who didn't ignore him either attempted to use him or were so blinded by their own egos that they pretended he was inferior to them even though they only ever attacked him if they had him outnumbered by four to one.

Sasha had seemed appreciative of his help, and she hadn't tried to blackmail or manipulate him into helping her like others did when they were looking to use his talents to their own benefits. Then, on top of that she had asked him to sit with her at dinner. That was surprising and totally inexplicable. He would have been rather pleased by the opportunity if he hadn't been worried about what that boorish friend of hers would do. Naturally, as he had feared, she had come along and ruined what could have been a chance to strike up a friendship of his own with Sasha. He was feeling rather bruised by the spoiled opportunity. Though he knew she wasn't like Lily he couldn't help but think that it would be nice to have a real friend again. Someone who he could talk to without having to constantly question their motives.

As for Sasha, she too ended up laying in bed thinking about their interactions and what she was going to do about them. So far it had actually been easier than she had expected. For the most part, as long as she kept Adrianne away from him he didn't seem to mind spending time with her. Since Adri was like a sister to her though, she figured she'd have to find a way to get him past his aversion to her.

"Let me guess what… or should I say who… you are thinking about?" Adrianne teased, watching him Sasha from her own bed across the room.

"Oh shut up Adri" she grumbled. "I'm still annoyed with you for mucking it up earlier. You've got to watch what you say as well, I know what you were running in to ask me earlier and you very nearly asked it all right in front of him!"

Adrianne groaned. "You ought to beg to me to say it in front of him. You only have a few weeks left this year so you need all the push you can get. Maybe if he realized you wanted him so bad…"

"Don't you dare! I couldn't look him in the eyes ever again, and it's hard enough doing that now as it is. I guess… well the way I look at it, this year is the start see? We get to be friends this year, and then next year, when I'm fifteen and he's seventeen, well then maybe it can be more than that. Makes more sense doesn't it? I just have to figure out a way to get him thinking about me this summer."

Adri laughed. "Ah, so you are still a Slytherin after all are you? Good to know, I was really getting concerned. I've got a few ideas about that. He's tutoring you right, well maybe you could slip a pair of your knickers into his pocket or something?"

In spite of herself, Sasha had to laugh too at the ridiculousness of the suggestion. "Oh sure, that's just subtle enough." She shook her head. "No. There's got to be something better than that. I want to get his attention without making him think I'm a nutter or a slut."

"I dunno, maybe if he thought you were a…"

"Adri! No. He's not like that, besides it'd be a lie wouldn't it? No, I can see him wanting to be with a girl who's smart and quiet like him. Somebody who understands him, unlike everybody else. He's one of the best students in the entire school, the best at potions, and he's better at most everything else even than the seventh years, yet he gets no credit for it at all. Everybody pays attention to the Quidditch stars and they either ignore or harass the most talented fascinating wizard…"

"Sasha you're gushing again. It's tedious. I know all about how fab you find him to be, you don't have to go over it all again. I just think maybe you should let him know how fab you think he is." She chewed her lips in thought, and Sasha knew she was scheming something. "Can't be too direct though, you're right. That doesn't turn anybody on does it? No, you've got to be a bit devious about it. Don't worry; we'll come up with something."

Over the last weeks of school Sasha did her best to cement a friendship with Severus. He helped her with potions nearly every night and walked her through improved versions of everything that Slughorn assigned. He was right, by the end of the year she had in fact received a belated invitation to be in Slughorn's little group of favorites, the Slug Club. She did her best to remember everything he taught her, but not so much to impress the teacher as to impress him, her tutor. It seemed to work. She could tell by the little smiles and the proud comments he made upon seeing her success that Severus enjoyed having her as a protégé.

One day, when they were sitting outside under his usual favorite tree, going over Slughorn's comments on her latest potions essay, she called him on it. "You seem happier about my grades than I am" she teased.

He smirked. "Of course. If you were still failing what would that say about me?"

She giggled. "Well, as it turns out you're apparently a very good teacher, if a bit unconventional. You should consider making a career of it. What do you say? Fancy yourself someday being Professor Snape?"

He made a face, and she laughed harder. "Not likely. As the muggles like to say, Those who cannot do, teach. Personally I'd rather be doing."

"Doing what pray tell?"

His smile was sly, and it gave her a little thrill. "Something much bigger than myself. One more year here and then I'll be a part of something much more."

She studied his face, intrigued. "Like what?"

Still that sneaky, secretive smile. "Can't tell you. Sorry, it's confidential." He looked her over thoughtfully, as if considering something, then shook his head. "No. Can't tell you."

He had in fact, for a moment, been tempted to tell her. The thought of having her involved in his future plans had been an appealing one. She was clever and ambitious. With his help she might be able to gain the favor of… certain people. When he thought of her being called upon to do the sort of things he knew that those people often required though… that just wasn't an option.

"What will you be up to this summer?" she asked, changing the subject.

He sighed and scowled. "Wishing the days away until I can get back here, just like I always do."

Sasha was puzzled by that. She'd seen enough of how he was usually treated at Hogwarts to know that by rights he should hate the place. "I didn't think you liked it much here?"

He shrugged. "I learn things here. I can be a wizard here."

She wasn't ready to let it go just yet. "What's so bad about your home?"

His look became one of annoyance and she immediately regretted being so pushy. "This is my home, not there. For now at least, until I find a better one. It's horrid there and I see no reason to keep talking about it. Suffice it to say that my situation will be improving; it's just a matter of time."

"Can I write to you over the summer?" she asked.

His dark expression lifted and was replaced by surprise. "Of course, if you want to." Inwardly embarrassed yet again by sounding overly eager he added "I might not be there for the whole summer though. Lucius Malfoy invited me to stay with him for a while. If you send an owl to Severus Snape at Spinner's End I'll get it eventually."

"And you'll answer?" She gave him a playful swat on the leg.

He rewarded her with a little chuckle. "Sure."

Sasha stretched and let herself flop back unto the grass. Her shirt lifted a bit and she noticed Severus' eyes wandering to her bare navel. It took all her self control not to laugh out loud. Instead she stretched a bit more, making the shirt lift even higher. He might be a different sort of boy she thought, amused, but in some ways he's just like the rest. Feeling naughty, she bent the knee that was farthest from him to make her green skirt rise up a bit too and give him a good view of her legs. To her satisfaction, she caught those black eyes she so adored nearly staring holes into her thighs.

Adrianne sauntered over, just getting out of her divinations class, and noticing how Severus' eyes snapped quickly away from her friend's exposed bits, she grinned evilly. "Whatcher' lookin' at hmmm?" she asked sweetly.

Sasha sat up and yanked her skirt back down. If she could have cast the killing curse with her eyes Adri would've been dead.

Severus was blushing furiously, and was studying Sasha's potions essay as if it held the secret to eternal life. "Certainly not you" he mumbled under his breath.

Sasha snickered; glad he got a little jab in. Knowing that it was kindest to him not to force him to endure Adrianne's teasing, she stood up. As always, she hated to have to walk away. If she could, she'd spend every minute of every day next to him, she knew. On an impulse she brushed her hand over his hair, and was pleased to see it made him blush all over again.

"I'll see you later Sev" she said.

Once they were out of earshot she smacked Adri in the back of the head. "What is it with you? You keep on me to stop wasting time but it never fails just as I've got his attention you turn up and step in it."

Adrianne laughed. "Nah, I helped you there" she said.

Sasha looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Really!" Adri insisted. "He was sneaking a very good gander at your assets, nice trick by the way, and then along comes that dreadfully obnoxious friend of yours to call attention to it and thwart him as usual. That boy lives for the fight doesn't he? If something came easy to him he wouldn't trust it. I've been thinking about it, and realized it's better to let him think he has to work for his eventual conquest of your person." She laughed.

Sasha had to admit, she had a point. "Hmm. You're right I suppose. Thanks."