Chapter Five;
[Friday, September 4th, 1998]
Sirius found that the first day back at Hogwarts wasn't as fun as when he was a student. He had given out four detentions, and taken away about twenty-five points from each house. He understood why Severus hated teaching so much, everyone was so disrespectful! When he tried to do his beginning of the year lecture in what seemed like every class he couldn't get them calmed down- all except his last class which was Slytherin/Gryffindor, Seventh year students. He was guessing that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had told the Gryffindors to be calm in his class, and the Slytherins… well he had noticed they all seemed well behaved anyway. The only reason Slytherins had lost, as he checked his paper, twenty-eight points was because of a few first-years who wouldn't stop talking or throwing balled up pieces of parchment at each other or the other house they were paired with.
The following days weren't much better; all the students were still excited about being back at Hogwarts after a long two month break, who would've thought kids would be excited to go /back/ to school? From Tuesday, the 1st, until today Friday, the 4th, he had given out a total of fourteen detentions and deducted near one-hundred and fifty points from each house excluding Slytherin, he had only managed to squeeze out sixty points from them. Don't get him wrong though, he had given points as well, it just seemed as though as soon as he gave him someone else took them away.
He sat at his desk rubbing his temples with his middle fingers, wanting desperately to push the stack of parchments every class had turned in on that day's lesson to the side and ignore them, but he knew he couldn't. He grabbed his quill and began marking slowly one by one, frowning as most of the first and second year students all had at best an A for Acceptable, most being D for Dreadful. By the time he had finished his first three classes of the days' work out of the nine classes he had taught, it was time for dinner. He stood up and walked to the Great Hall, by the time he had arrived everyone had already started and none bothered to look up at Sirius' late appearance except Remus, who looked worn down.
"Where've you been?" Remus asked, taking another bite of his raw and disgusting looking steak.
"Got caught up in work," Sirius replied as he took a seat and took a gulp of his pumpkin juice, then looking around the staff table, "Where's Snape?" he asked as he didn't notice him.
Remus looked up at the empty seat Severus usually sat and frowned, "Making my dose of Wolfsbane, I believe. He didn't have time this morning or evening because of classes. He usually makes it at night but he said he was busy with something," Remus replied turning his gaze back to his food.
Sirius frowned as he felt a little guilty, the reason Severus had not made the potion the night before was because he was in his chambers playing Wizards' Chess and talking until the wee hours of morning. He took a few bites of his food before setting his fork aside, "I should get back to grading, Moony, I'll see you later, oh and the 6th, we're going running, right?"
After Remus gave a nod, Sirius headed out walking towards Severus' chambers. When he came to the door, he knocked three times and waited patiently for an answer, hoping to get one. He stood for a few minutes and sighed as he got no answer, turning to give up he saw a house-elf with a plate of food, "Do you know where Severus Snape is?" he asked the elf.
The Elf looked up at him with its ginormous blue eyes, "Yes, sir, Whisper does. Whisper is the Prince's personal house-elf!" it explained, nodding its head.
Sirius was a bit confused at the Prince part, but shrugged it off, "Excellent, and you'll take me to him?" he asked.
The Elf stared for a moment then nodded "So long as you mean no harm to Master, then yes, Whisper will lead you there…" Whisper said calmly walking towards Severus' Potions classroom but turning down a hall and going into a door. Upon entering, Sirius' dog enhanced smell kicked in and he almost gagged at the vapors coming off the potions. He saw Whisper sat the plate on a table, turning back to him, "You make sure Master eats, yes?"
Sirius nodded and the Elf cracked in apparition away, and with the sound brought Severus out from a closet with a handful of ingredients, "Oh, Black, hello," he greeted as he walked back to his cauldron and began adding and cutting up ingredients. "What brings you here?"
Sirius nodded his hello and walked over towards an open book reading through the directions of the Wolfsbane. He noticed after the Wolfsbane is added the potion simmers for three hours, which ironically is what Severus just added to the potion by the smell of it, "To make you sure you eat, so let that simmer and eat," he demanded pointing towards the plate.
Severus frowned but obeyed, sitting down and eating slowly. Sirius took a seat across from him, toying with a napkin. They sat in silence until Severus had finished eating, "Sorry," Sirius apologized.
Severus took a sip of Firewhiskey and raised an eyebrow, "Whatever for?"
"Keeping you away from your work. You leave my chambers around midnight every night and then come back and stay up until Merlin knows when to finish the dose of Wolfsbane for Remus," Sirius explained.
Severus rolled his eyes, "Oh, do shut up, Black. It's not like I'm starving myself down here or whatever you've assumed up in that brain of yours, if there is one up there," he retaliated.
Sirius glared up at Severus, "I'm trying to be nice, git. I'm saying we can stop our games of Chess nightly until /after/ the Full Moon, if it helps you."
Severus thought for a moment on the offer, then stood up and walked over towards another cauldron he had going that was bubbling, "It wouldn't," he said, "Stopping that is, it wouldn't help me."
Sirius lifted his head to look at Severus' back, "What do you mean?"
Severus exhaled loudly, "I mean when we play Chess it makes me get my mind off anything I need to be worried about and only worry about the game. It's…. relaxing, your company."
'My company is… relaxing to him?' Sirius thought to himself and was almost sure if he was Padfoot his tail would be wagging, "I see," he said coyly, "Well, let's skip tonight; I can help you with any Potions you need, besides that Wolfsbane, then tomorrow continue our routine."
Severus stirred the potion he was working on, shaking his head, "I don't need any help, to be honest. No offense."
Sirius, again, if was Padfoot his ears would droop, "Oh, I see. I'll just go then so you can continue to work. Tomorrow at 9 'o clock?" he asked as he stood up and walked towards the door.
"Tomorrow it is, good-night, Sir- Black," Severus said, catching his self.
Sirius beamed a smile towards the door as he heard the slip up, "Goodnight, Severus," he said walking out and towards his chambers.