House Meeting

After dinner at the Great Hall, Severus called a house meeting to give the younger students a chance to meet him and for the older students to be introduced to their new house parent.

"Professor Quirrell has agreed to share my quarters. You shall show him the same respect you give me." Severus sat down.

"He's a fifth year," Pansy said.

"My memory has returned. The lines of time have corrected their error. If you're interested, I have several books on body switching you can borrow. It suffices to say that my soul is continuing Professor Quirrell's life after a minor interruption." Inus faced a room full of snakes without trembling. He had his shields down so he could hear silent encouragement from Severus, but it also allowed him to hear the students' not so encouraging thoughts.

He sounds like Potter, one of the boys' thoughts seemed to scream. Other Slytherins were thinking Potter, go back to Gryffindor , Potter, go home and stuff along similar lines.

"I'm new to being a house parent," Inus said. "I'm here if you need help on your assignments or if you just need a friendly ear. I'm also here to break up fights, disagreements, and give you detention if you should deserve it."

Severus asked, "Any questions?"

"So the rumours about your relationship are true," Millicent said.

A number of Slytherins seemed to understand the implication and felt disgust loud enough that Inus didn't need to scan individuals to hear it.

"My relationship with Professor Quirrell is my private business," Severus said.

Crabbe said, "There are laws against sex with minors."

The fact that it came from Crabbe meant there was no reason to reply to that.

After staring at the room full of students for a few more moments, their heads were full of questions, but none of them were brave enough to ask, Inus returned to the house parents' chambers to look at his notes for the classes that he would teach on Tuesday.

A few minutes later a first year knocked on the door. "I haven't had much exposure to magic," she said.

"I was homeschooled. My mother didn't believe in using magic when a muggle solution was easily found. The doctors at St. Mungos told her I was a squib, but she had the last laugh when I received my letter," Inus told her.

"My mother is a witch and my father is muggle. My father doesn't like her to use magic and she doesn't as a service to him. I only saw my mum use magic when she was angry at Father."

Inus made a face. His imagination was far worse than the images from the child's mind.

"Nothing horrible. She would clean the dishes with a charm or charm the broom to sweep the floor. My father owns a muggle music store and my mother helps out at times so no magic was a rule that needed to be followed," she explained.

"Your name?" Inus asked.

"Susan Black. No relation to the famous Sirius Black. I know a few sorting spells and cleaning spells, but I've never been near a cauldron and Professor Snape acts like we all should be experts our first class." Susan started to cry silently.

"No one has touched a cauldron before starting Professor Snape's first year class. I recall when I sat in his class during the last two years that he had an attitude that everything should be perfect. He wants you to read the instructions, take your time preparing your ingredients, and move in a steady pace so you finish in the time allowed. To be good in Potions you need to find a smooth even pace so you don't feel hurried but you complete the task on time."

Inus could only remember the talk Ron and he had about Professor Snape's first class. He could no longer remember attending his first class as Harry Potter. When Inus was a first year, Horace Slughorn was teaching. He recalled Slughorn leaving Hogwarts and them getting a new Potions teacher, who died without completing the year, to have that new teacher replaced by Severus Snape, who wasn't all that much older than his students. Inus couldn't remember the name of the man who replaced Slughorn which was too soon replaced by Snape.

Severus came into the lounge. "Giving away my secrets."

"I was telling her that you expect perfection and how to achieve it," Inus said.

"No laziness or daydreaming in my class. Read the potion instructions before attending class. I don't always tell you the exact potion that we'll do the following class so read the next five potions ahead. During the first year, I follow with one of those. Know how to prepare your ingredients in advance. There isn't time to chop your ingredients two or three times until they look prefect. If you need help, I have office hours and I'm willing to show you preparation on an individual basis," Severus explained.

"Thank you." Susan left their flat.

Inus smiled at Severus as the girl left their flat.

"A false smile doesn't fool me." Severus undressed and put on his nightshirt. He didn't care to walk around naked since concerned about the scars on his back; he didn't truly believe that they were faded by the ointment that Inus rubbed into his back.

"I couldn't keep my shields down while instructing," Inus admitted.

"You could, but you were afraid of what you might hear." Severus helped Inus out of his clothes. "Your leg is getting stronger. You might try using a cane."

"Around the flat. I don't much feel like falling on my face in front of the students."

Severus took Inus's crutches and leaned them against the wall. Severus put the walker in his reach. "You're hurting."

"I can't remember Harry's life. I tried to remember Harry's first Potions class and there was nothing there. I remembered Ron's and my talks about it, but there is no memory of Harry's life."

Severus helped Inus into his pyjamas. "Perhaps, you can only remember one line at a time."

"I promised myself that I wouldn't forget Harry's life, but I have. I don't like what I remember of my life since meeting the Dark Lord. I was selfish; I didn't care who I hurt." Inus cried. "Do you think he's in Hell?"

"He's in the portrait." Severus's smirk and mind were saying any fool knows that.

"Was in Hell before the portrait was painted?" Inus restated. A portrait wouldn't remember Heaven or Hell. A portrait would just remember the person's life. That was how the magic worked.

"I don't think God only judges someone by their last year. You believed in good and evil before the Dark Lord bore into your head. Harry's soul is good and you need to remember that you were given a clean slate since the heart attack." Severus kissed Inus lightly.

"I have a blank slate." Inus put his arms around Severus and pressed his head into the taller man's shoulder.

"You've done many things since you woke up in the hospital. You're no longer blank. I've written on you and the men at the Quidditch match wrote on you before I had my chance."

"Lying down with a man as you would lie down with a woman is a sin. Or do they lie down with me as they would lie down with a woman since I take it up the arse? Then being a witch and practising magic is a bigger sin according to the Bible then fornicating. Either way I'm no longer a blank slate, am I?"

Severus held Inus tight. "You still went to Heaven. So the gods are forgiving."

"I couldn't ask people for forgiveness until I remembered that I wronged them." Inus climbed into the bed.

"But you were kind. You cared about other people."

"I've had my share of tantrums."

"We all have selfish moments. That doesn't make us selfish." Severus climbed into the bed and cuddled him.

"You favour your own house." Inus's licked around Severus's ear.

"Because Dumbledore favours Gryffindor." Severus kissed Inus's nose. "You're good hearted. Your soul is pure."

"I want a dog." Inus said without thinking, putting his head on Severus's shoulder. A real dog not a godfather that turns into a dog.

Severus stroked Inus's hair. "Dogs are high maintenance. What about a cat or a snake?"

"A snake would be cool. I could talk to it. That way the students would see me as Slytherin since Salazaar was a parselmouth." Inus thought about it a moment. "Then again, a cat might be good. People always want to know what their cats are thinking."

"You can have a cat if you clean the litter box."

"Deal." Inus lifted up Severus's nightshirt and started to play with his naughty bits. The time for conversation was over.

After a brief nap, Inus remembered he was suppose to see Dumbledore about the portrait. Severus insisted on coming along. The prefects could handle Slytherin for a few hours.