Ch. 5 Morning is broken

A little over an hour later Severus Snape sat up, the little sleep he acquired the night before had be haggard and disturbed, resting his elbows on his knees he cupped his face in his hands.

"This is not going to be a pleasant day" his voice muffled by his palm.

Still holding his head with one hand he reached to the side of the worn leather sofa, grabbed his boots and proceeded shoved them on with a huff. Leaving his black coat thrown over the sofa he stood up and raked his hands though is long black hair. He looked over to the mirror and saw that his eyes were heavy with dark circles around them, the white of his collared shirt brought out the paleness of his skin making him look more like the living dead, then an actual person.

"Gah" he groaned

Stumbling over to his desk he put his hand on the corner of the dark wooded piece to stable himself, he sat down in the large dark leather high back chair. Severus then pulled the draw open and started to riffle though the contents. His fingers moving bottles, and scraps of paper around till he found it. A dark blue bottle half full of liquid. Pulling the small cork from the top Severus brought the bottle to his lips and in one motion lifted the bottle and threw back his head.

The liquid tasted awful, like sulfur and oil mixed and Severus nearly gagged as his wiped his mouth with the back of his white sleeve. But Severus knew that in a few moments he would feel as if he slept for a week. Leaning back he closed his eyes and let the potion work on him.

"There are perks to being so skilled in the art of potion making" he thought a small smile crossed his face.

Within moments Severus was alert; standing up from his desk and striding over to the sofa he grabbed his black overcoat and flung it over his shoulder slipping his arm though. As he pulled the coat over the next arm he looked up at his bedroom door.

He was acutely aware Tabatha was in there and he was wondering just what she was doing. As his long pale fingers manipulated each of his large buttons his eyes never left the door. Severus felt a sudden fluttery feel in is stomach and his mouth went dry quickly, he forced his gaze away,

"Damn it," he gritted "I need to get away from her"

He leaned over to grab his long black robe he threw them over his shoulders and marched out of his office, to head out side for some fresh air.

Though the bedroom door Tabatha was also stirring, she glanced over at the clock and saw that it was now close to seven am. Early but not too early she decided, and flung the heavy green quilt off her legs and with one swing brought her legs onto the cold the stone floor.

"Burr" Tabatha shivered and brought her legs but up to the mattress, the fire was out and though some light shown though the dirty windows the room was dark and cold.

"This robe is not going to cut it down here" she sighed.

All of a sudden there was a small knock on the bedroom door. Tabatha looked up in surprise and caution.

"Who could that be" she pondered "P.. Professor Snape?" she called out her voice was smaller than she wanted it to be.

From the other side of the door came a small pleasant sounding voice. "No Ma'am my name is Mipsy, I'm a house elf here at Hogwarts, and I have something from Master Dumbledore for you."

Tabatha slid her legs down again, this time stepping on to the cold floor, she pulled the large quilt with her and wrapping herself up in it, she made her way to the chamber door and slowly opened it peering out into the office.

"Hello" she glanced around "is anyone here?"

A small voice called to her from below "down here Ma'am"

Tabatha eyes moved down the length of the crack of the door and finally reached the being that was addressing her.

Mipsy was about two and half feet tall, his arms and legs were long in comparison to his body and head and eyes looked too large for his face, which gave him a childlike quality that caused Tabatha smile warmly. In his arms was a large package, of brown paper tied with string.

Mipsy looked up at the tall woman and smiled back, he could feel that she was kind and he liked her immediately. "May Mipsy come in Ma'am?" he questioned politely.

Tabatha smiling shook her head "yes of course" she then moved away from the crack letting the little creature and his large package though the door.

Mipsy walked over to the small leather loveseat glancing around nervously.

Tabatha followed him concerned "are you ok" she questioned.

Mipsy turned around and tried to hide his nervousness in voice but was truly touched by her concern. "Oh! Yes ma'am Mipsy is fine; you are too kind to worry about the likes of me, a lowly House elf".

Tabatha smiled again but cocked her head to the said "First off I see nothing lowly about you but why do you look so nervous Mipsy?"

Mipsy eyes darted around again he took a step forward and said in a low voice "T…this is Master Snape's room, No house elf has been here since he took the office."

Tabatha's head went back an inch and her brow furrowed. "Why is that" her look deepened "Is he that cruel?"

Mipsy jumped on the loveseat package still in hand "Well no not really directly cruel ma'am, but M.. Master Snape is known to not enjoy much of anything ma'am and we find it just best to leave him alone"

Mipsy looked around again then looked up at Tabatha and smiled, causing Tabatha to smile back and the look of concern washed off her face.

"Mipsy almost forgot!" he exclaimed as he lifted the package toward her. "Master Dumbledore sent these for you; he said you would feel much more comfortable."

Tabatha reached out and took the package. No sooner than the package left Mipsy's hands he hoped down and scurried to the door.

Tabatha turned her head "good bye, please come visit again" her tone was warm.

Mipsy paused and turned around "Thank you Ma'am I think I will, it's so wonderful to have met you!" he quipped and with that the door closed and he was gone.

Tabatha looked away from the door and down to the package and started to open it. Pulling at the string and tearing at the paper soon the contents of the package was in view.

A sea of black material looked back at her it was a robe, and where a left breast pocket would be there was a patch. The patch was that of crest which was broken into to four squares, each square had a color and an animal. She noticed the green square with the snake she slept under last night and was currently wrapped up in right away. Above the crest was the word "Hogwarts". Moving the robe out of the way a dark grey sweater emerged with the same crest on the left breast.

Tabatha looked up slowly "a uniform?" She stared off into nothingness "I have to wear a uniform?" Suddenly her face twitched her lips pucker and she held her breath but she couldn't help it. "A uniform!" she giggled and soon that giggle was into a full laugh, she wasn't quite sure why but she found this hilarious.

Shaking her head slowly she composed herself she got up and walked to the bed and placed the quilt on the soft mattress. Her eyes flashed up "oh no!" she gasped and ran over to the package picking it up. She then raced over to the large bed and sat down as she rummaged through the clothing.

"Oh no…" she exclaimed again as she lifted up another dark gray clothing piece. Closing her eyes she fell back onto the bed in an exasperated huff coming from her lips as her head hit the mattress.

"Yay!" she grumbled sarcastically under the dark gray material that now covered her face.

"A skirt."