Samantha knew that Severus may act like a mean, grumpy bastard but she also knew that he would do anything she wanted. A bat of her eyelashes was all it took for him to give in and she had been dying to get a familiar recently. So with a well-rehearsed expression, she set out to his room, ready to start her melodramatic acting, but was taken aback by what she saw. His whole room was in disarray: the desk near the wall had lost a leg so was slanted precariously, all of its content strewn on the floor. There were shards of glass from broken bottles scattered across the floor dangerously, the contents of the bottles plastered on to the walls. Even Severus' bookshelf had taking a beating with pages ripped out and many books lying open carelessly. The glass on the far window was also broken. Severus stood by the shattered frame of glass, staring outside, oblivious to the blood that dripped from his knuckles and his tattered clothing. Samantha knew that Severus had always had a temper. She just hadn't been on the wrong side of it very often but she knew how volatile he could get. However, the sight in front of her was something she'd never witnessed. Even Harry Potter at his worst had never managed to get Severus this angry. Slowly tip toeing around all the junk on the floor, she reached the tall man and stood by his side. For a few minutes, neither said a word.
He broke the silence without looking at her, "You wanted to ask me for something." It was a statement, not a question.
"It doesn't matter," she replied, hesitantly, reluctant to ask for what seemed like such a selfish request when he must be going through agony.
"Of course it matters: you are up and ready at seven in the morning, you even have your adult clothes on instead of your kitty pyjamas, and I am sure you practiced that pout in front of a mirror before you came down," he smirked as he finally turned to look at her, expelling the tension, just like that.
"You know me too well," she smiled as she shook her head but spread her arms to hug him, anyway.
"I will tell you what I want but first you have to tell me what is wrong," she countered as she looked around the room, creasing her brow in wonder of what could have made him this mad.
Severus handed her the Daily Prophet he had been clutching in his left fist. On the front page was the picture of a man in dull black hair, waxy white skin and shadowy eyes. Below it the article read:
BLACK ESCAPES AZKABAN
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress managed to escape from his confinements last night. He is the first person to have ever escaped from Azkaban. The guards are clueless as to how he may have done so. Even the minister has no idea as to how this came about. The mad man is considered one of the most loyal followers of 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. Minister Cornelius Fudge has described him as dangerous and deadly, and warns the magical community to be on its guard.
"The guy certainly looks scary but I guess twelve years in Azkaban would do that to anyone," Samantha said as she handed the paper back to Severus. Her brow creased as she continued,"What I don't understand is why this has you so wound up. I mean, he isn't coming after you…is he?"
Samantha was fully aware of Severus's past as a death eater. He, himself, had told her about it once she was old enough to understand. She also knew that he had turned against the Dark Lord before the evil Lord was vanquished and was worried that Sirius Black may want revenge against Severus.
"He is the reason your mother is dead," he admitted quietly as he walked out of the room, leaving her completely stunned.
The tranquil lake near the cottage had been his retreat for a long time. After Samantha's arrival in his life, things had changed; a tinkle of laughter from her was enough to light his world. But today, he was back to his solitary retreat. He knew he should not have shared that titbit of information with the girl. Black's betrayal of the Potter's was well known and Samantha was sharp enough to put two and two together. He needed to calm down before returning home. Thinking of taking a walk around the woods, he rose from his seated position on the ground only to notice Dumbledore walking towards him.
"Albus, to what do I owe this visit?" He snarled.
"I was by the house and Mrs Prince was kind enough to tell me that I might find you here," the old man replied calmly as he sat down on one of the rocks near Severus.
"What do you want?" Severus questioned wearily, not at all pleased by this unexpected visit.
"Severus, sit down, please. I am not here to discuss Sirius Black," he promised in a rather resigned tone.
"What do you want then?" Severus asked suspiciously as he sat down once more.
"I made an appointment for the DADA post. I had to do it. You know that I cannot accept your application to the post," Albus looked away as his tone turned apologetic.
"I don't get it. You do this every year. Why would you warn me this time? Unless… Who did you hire Dumbledore," his soft voice was a sure sign that he was on the brink of losing his cool.
"It's Remus." Dumbledore's voice was strong but soft as he rose, not looking at Severus.
"What?! You hired the werewolf to teach children. Are you out of your mind?" He snarled.
"Severus, don't take this personally but with Black on the loose, he wanted to look after Harry and I agree that he could help us keep the boy safe," Albus attempted to calm the infuriated man next to him.
"Potter. That's all you think about isn't it. It does not matter who else gets injured as long as precious your Potter is safe,' He sneered in a mocking tone. "Lupin never had the guts to stand up against either Black or Potter and I doubt he has changed in that respect." Servers put his hand up to stop the headmaster from interrupting. "Go ahead, Albus. Do what you must but don't complain when this whole thing turns against you," he declared, a resigned look on his face as he turned walked back to the house.
Severus had spent the next few days holed up in his lab. He needed to calm down before he did something stupid. He had always despised the marauders but Black took precedence. He had always blamed himself for Lily's death but if Black had not turned out to be such a conniving and self-serving bastard, she would still be alive. He dearly wished to cross paths with him and settle a few scores before the escapee was captured. As the term grew closer, he was becoming increasingly worried about Samantha. With Black on the loose and the wolf as DADA teacher, he knew Hogwarts was, contrary to popular opinion, not very safe. He would have to be careful with the girl.
The start of the term feast was a little subdued this year. The students were still recovering from the dementor scare in the train. The younger ones were still shaking. Severus instantly looked at the Ravenclaw table and was surprised to see Samantha enjoying herself, laughing with her friends. Making a note to check on her after the feast, he attempted to concentrate on Dumbledore's speech. Students were warned about Black, and Lupin was introduced at the new DADA teacher. He sneered at the werewolf, more out of habit than any actual feeling. He had never actively hated Lupin. The only thing he blamed the man for was being spineless and submissive in front of Black and Potter.
Classes started the next day and Severus tried to divert himself from thoughts of Black and Lupin. It proved to be much more difficult than he had thought as Lupin sought him out every evening. The man had tried to apologise to him for his past misdeeds but Severus refused to even let him talk. In his mind, he knew that Lupin was not the one to blame for whatever had happened between him and the marauders, but he needed a scapegoat and the wolf was an easy target. Severus had agreed to brew the wolfsbane for him when requested by Dumbledore, but it had been more to avoid any accidents with the students than for the benefit of the man.
The third years Gryffindor and Slytherin potions class was as dramatic as ever. Severus swore that one day, he would throttle Draco, the insolent child. The boy was a menace. Severus had let him get away with mostly everything but trying to goad Potter to go after Black was the last straw.
It was a free period. For Severus, this meant sitting in the staff room, marking essays. When Lupin had arrived with his dreaded class in tow, he hadn't the patience to witness those mongrels perform laughable attempts at defence so he left, only stopping to warn Lupin about Longbottom's inadequacy.
He was in his office when he heard a soft knock on the door. Thinking that it was Lupin, he sighed wearily and went to open the door. He was surprised to see Miss Granger standing on the other side, eyeing him with trepidation.
"Miss Granger, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He sneered.
"May I come in Professor?" She asked, hesitatingly.
Moving away from the door, he gestured for her to come in.
"Professor Snape," she said, and then paused.
"Come on, out with it, girl! I do not have all day," he snapped.
"Umm... Sir, Professor Lupin taught us to fight boggarts today," she started, haltingly.
"Is there some purpose to your rambling, Miss Granger?" He said, growing impatient.
"Neville's boggart turned into you and he had to imagine you wearing his grandmother's dress to banish it off," she replied in one breath.
"Why, pray tell, did you come here to share this information with me? I know for a fact that you have two consecutive classes,' he said with barely suppressed fury.
Gathering all her courage, Hermione spoke again, "Because I know that it's not just the students who enjoy to gossip, teachers are equally prone to it. I also happen to know what it feels to be bullied Professor. I just did not want you to get caught off guard," she confided softly as she turned and left.
It was not often that Severus was left speechless but the young Gryffindor managed to do so, admirably. He would be sure to kill Lupin if he heard a single joke about the incident from the wolf. He knew the girl felt she owed him but there were a lot of students who owed him and would not think before laughing behind his back. To come and warn him must have taken courage and he was not sure what he could do for her in return.
It was the day of the Hogsmeade visit for the students. Severus had completed the wolfsbane and decided to take it to Lupin, immediately. He had not expected to see Potter there, but then it was not a surprise. Handing the werewolf the potion and reminding him to drink it immediately, he walked out. It was Halloween and Severus was in no mood for chit chat.
That evening, after the feast, Severus got his first scare when the news that Black had broken into the castle got out. He had been satisfied to know that Potter did not have permission to visit the village and hence, would be safe in the castle but it seemed Black was more resourceful than Severus had previously realized. It was either that or Lupin was being his usual, spineless self. Severus was satisfied that Black had made his way directly to Gryffindor tower, meaning that he only had Potter to worry about as Samantha was safe.
It was the day after the full moon and Severus was covering for Lupin's classes. It was in third year defence class and when he saw Miss Granger that an idea stuck him. He decided to cover the werewolves in this lesson hoping that Miss Granger would make the connection. He was not trying to get back at Lupin, he just wanted the students, and especially the three Gryffindor's to be on their guard. Insulting Miss Granger was the best way to get the girl to put in an extra effort. He was sure she would be the only one to be researching on the homework.
Hermione was in the library finishing her homework. She was determined to put in the best effort for the werewolves essay. She was furiously taking notes and going through every text available when a thought struck her. It was so farfetched and yet made the most sense that she was completely shocked. Professor Lupin's pattern of getting sick near the full moon. The white orb as his boggart and Professor Snape making a Potion for him. She just could not believe this. Her DADA Professor was a werewolf. She was contemplating how to use this information when Samantha joined her.
"Hey, Hermione, what's wrong? You look worried," she observed as she took out her books.
"I just found out something," Hermione confided, sharing her views with the younger girl.
Samantha looked more thoughtful than shocked. "It does make sense," she finally replied. "I don't think you should share this with anyone as of yet. Werewolves are generally despised and he may end up losing his job."
"Yeah, you're right," Hermione relented, deciding to be on her guard from now on. The Professor may be innocent but there had to be a reason for Professor Snape setting this essay.
Samantha was working in the greenhouse when Severus walked in. Seeing her alone, he walked over, silently.
"I see you are busy," He drawled, startling her.
"Severus! You gave me a scare," she said as she got up, all covered in the mud she'd been working in.
He smiled as he hugged her. "I have hardly seen you this term," he said in an apologetic tone as he scourgified both of them.
"I've been busy with the plants. You know how much I miss the gardens. Anyway, I was planning to visit you this evening. I had something to ask you," she said in a serious tone, and on Severus' inquiry, went on to share Hermione's findings about the DADA teacher.
Severus had hoped for Hermione to make this deduction but was impressed, nonetheless. He knew she was smart enough to keep her guard up and watch out for Potter. He went on to convince Samantha that this was, indeed, true, and that she should be careful but the man was not a vicious animal in general. It was Longbottom's arrival that made him realise that he should also be heading back. He sneered at the boy mostly out of habit than any other reason and walked off.
Severus had seen Potter fall off his broom during the match. His reaction to the dementors was worrying. The Dark Lord had employed them during his first reign and if he ever came back to his full power, he would most probably employ them again. He knew that he would never be able to teach Potter the Patronus charm even if he was inclined to do so. It would have to be Lupin but the man was dim and had to be fed the idea. The moment presented himself on its own accord when Lupin came looking for him to thank him for the wolfsbane.
"Stop with the incessant 'thank you''s. You know it makes no difference to me," he snarled at the man.
"If you really want to be useful, do something with Potter. In his current state, he would be easy pickings for that lunatic friend of yours. I was told you were here to help protect him. Unless…" He left the thought hanging, knowing that his job was done.
It was just before the Christmas holidays that Samantha had coming running to Severus. He was in his private lab, working on few St. Mungo's request when she had all but barged in. One look at her and he immediately stopped his work, putting a stasis charm to hold them.
"What's wrong?" He questioned, sitting down next to her.
"I just found out that Sirius Black was the reason Harry's parents were killed," she said softly.
Severus had gone rigid. "I was not aware that you were so close to Potter," he replied rather coldly.
"Hermione told me. They had recently overheard some conversation among the Minister and teachers in Hogsmeade. She is really worried that he may do something stupid. They have been trying to distract him by working on the Hippogriff case for Hagrid," Samantha continued as if she hadn't heard him.
Severus was relieved that Samantha had not drawn the conclusion that he had been worried about. But with Potter aware of Black's transgression, he had his work was cut out for him. He suddenly realised that the boy did not have permission to visit the village.
"How did he manage to overhear a conversation in the Three Broomsticks?" He muttered, knowing that the boy was just thick enough to sneak into the village even after all the warnings. "You need not worry. Potter has lots of well-wishers here," he reassured her, patting her shoulders.
It was Christmas night when Professor McGonagall came rushing to his office. Severus was just finishing his grading and was quite surprised to see her there. She was carrying a broomstick, a Firebolt, if he was not mistaken.
"Severus, Mr Potter was sent this broom anonymously as a Christmas gift. I am rather worried it may be jinxed. If you could check it for dark spells?" she explained in a hurry, the worry plastered clearly on her face aging her a few years. Gryffindors, he thought, mentally shaking his head.
"I am surprised that Potter had the sense to come to you and not race off on it at the first available opportunity. Is he willing for me to look into such a priceless possession?" he sneered, disbelieving of such an occurrence.
"It was actually Miss Granger that informed me of this and I have not told Potter that I was coming to you," she admitted, a little embarrassed.
"Well, that explains it. At least your precious prodigy has some sense, yet. I will look into it and get back to you," he replied, bringing the conversation to an end.
In the next few days, Severus was alarmingly aware of Hermione's alienation from her friends. They were both idiots but he knew from personal experience that for someone who was a misfit among peers, friendship meant far more. He had even encouraged Samantha to spend time with her. The girl was working towards helping Hagrid and his hippogriff so he had asked Samantha to help her as much as she could. If there was someone Severus had never had a grudge against, it was Hagrid. He maybe a little queer with his love for deadly animals but the man had never once insulted or bullied him. And with Miss Granger occupied with his case, he would not feel compelled to worry about her current state of alienation so much.
Severus had kept the Firebolt longer than necessary because he knew it would irritate Minerva. There were just certain pleasures in life that he could not deny himself. Baiting the transfiguration Professor was one of them. He knew from Lupin that Potter had been practicing the Patronus charm as a precaution for his next match. Severus did not care one wit about the silly sport as long as the boy-who-lived continued to do so. He had assumed that, with the broom back, the squabble between the boys and Miss Granger would be resolved.
It was Samantha that informed him of Weasley's fight with Miss Granger over their pets. Not ever having owned any kind of familiar, Severus was not sure how to resolve the issue. Samantha had told him that Potter had sided with Weasley and though he did not blame Hermione, he did agree that Crookshanks was at fault. Severus did not want the girl to end up isolated but he could not see any way to help her. Samantha did spend more time with her than with her own classmates due to their shared fondness for the library but children from different years were never close friends and she would never be able to take the boys place in her life.
It was the day of the Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw match. The Gryffindors won zealously and Severus hoped that the celebration would be enough for Weasley and Miss Granger to amend their friendship. He walked back to the castle thinking that, in all thirteen years of his teaching, she was the only student he had bothered about on such a personal level. He had never cared much about the pointless quarrels among students. Maybe it was Samantha's closeness, he tried to justify to himself, but knew that was not true. Samantha was popular among her peers as well, but he had never concerned himself with any of her other friends' wellbeing. Not comfortable with his current train of thought, he went to the library hoping to distract himself. He was there reading the new Potion monthly when he saw Miss Granger enter. She had clearly been crying. Cursing the redheaded prat, he did something he himself would be surprised at in the years to come.
Hermione could not believe that Ron could be so mean. Crookshanks was a cat. Not some puppet she could control at her will. His behaviour at the after-game celebration had been cruel and she was devastated. She had come to the library seeking a safe haven. Sitting on the table with her book open, she attempted to regain control of her tear glands when Professor Snape had come and sat opposite her and, without saying a word, had offered her his handkerchief. She had been dumbstruck and had sat there, frozen, probably gaping at him.
"Miss Granger, I do believe that it is polite to accept the handkerchief, or you are worried I have laced it with poison somehow," he drawled, albeit quietly, not drawing attention to the two of them.
Slowly, with a shaking hand, she took the offered handkerchief and wiped her tears. Looking at the Professor but not sure what to say, she kept quiet.
"I am not sure I will ever understand why an intelligent girl like you would be bothered by that moron's opinion. But then, I am no expert on friendship. What I do have an expertise in is Potions. So if you really are looking for a distraction, you may join me in my lab and help me prepare a few ingredients.' He then got up and left without looking back.
Hermione was so giddy with happiness that she ran all the way down to the dungeons. She had always craved for Professor Snape's approval and was over the moon at the idea of helping him. She forgot all about Scabbers, Crookshanks and Ron as she worked alongside the Professor. She was here when she heard the commotion and Professor Dumbledore himself summoned the Potions Professor to the Great Hall.
Severus was shocked to hear of Black's most recent escapade. He was sure that the man had some inside help and decided to watch Lupin closely. Relieved that at least Miss Granger had been out of harm's way, he went back to his labs. He was startled at the girl's reaction to the news. She seemed to be extremely worried about Weasley. Sending her off to bed, he sat thinking of the people Potter was close to. He may suspect Lupin but he was not ruling out any other source of help for Black. It was with these thoughts that an idea struck him. Potter was close to Hagrid and Miss Granger had been working really hard to help the half giant in the upcoming trial. He may not have found the traitor but he surely had found a way to patch up the 'Golden Trio'. He just needed to drop a hint to Hagrid during breakfast. Any taunt as to the abysmal behaviour of those two towards Miss Granger would be enough for Hagrid to take matters into his own rather large hands. Satisfied that he had found a solution to at least one of his problems, Severus retired for the night.
It was the day of yet another Hogsmeade visit. Severus had some inkling that Potter would try to sneak out so interrupted his meeting with Longbottom, commanding them both to go to the common room. He had then returned to his office. It was there that Malfoy came bursting in. With the tale that he had seen Potter's head in Hogsmeade. Severus was furious. Sending Malfoy back, he went to get Potter. The boy was clearly far too arrogant. He was so incensed at the situation that he could not help but compare the boy to his father. His thoughts fuelled his fury. The map was the last straw. The moment he saw the names 'Moony', 'Prongs', 'Padfoot' and 'Wormtail', he was sure it was Lupin's doing. The Marauders had considered themselves too smart for the rest of them with all the nicknames but he was well aware of them. Lupin had taken the paper and the boy away but Severus vowed to get back at him for this. He was no longer a snivelling student and Lupin would realise that once Severus was done with him.
Hermione had heard all about Harry from Samantha but had decided not to say anything this time. If they wanted to end up dead, there was little she could do for them, she thought angrily. She was on her way back to the common room when she received a note from Hagrid about Buckbeak's trial. She was so devastated that she forgot all about her anger with the boys and rushed to kind giant's modest abode. The common goal of saving Buckbeak seemed to have mended their bond and Hermione was back to her usual, busy self.
Easter had passed by and the Quidditch season came to a close. After seven years, the Gryffindors had managed to win the cup and everyone was generally in a good mood. Except for Remus Lupin. The man had tried to speak to Severus many times after the Hogsmeade incident but he had refused to entertain so much as word. Severus was amazed at the audacity of the wolf to try and explain himself. He was no better than Black. Severus wanted him out of the school. He could not bear the sight of the wolf.
The end-of-term exams were already around and he had to watch Potter even more closely than usual. The boy irritated the living daylights out of him and there were times when all he wanted to do was throttle the boy but there was not a moment that he forgot his commitment to Lily. He would keep the boy alive and safe, even if he ended up dead himself.
Hermione was miserable about Buckbeak's execution. She was walking to the one eyed witch to retrieve Harry's cloak when she ran into Professor Snape.
"Where are you hurrying to, Miss Granger?" He questioned, suspiciously.
"Nowhere in particular, Sir," she replied, not really meeting his eyes.
"I would have thought you would have learnt your lesson in the last two years. But then there has to be some reason you ended up in Gryffindor. Here, I think this is what you were looking for," he said, handing her the invisibility cloak.
Hermione was speechless. "Umm…thank you, Professor…but…" she stammered as she took the cloak.
"Miss Granger, I am not stupid and I was also a student here, once. Do you think I did not investigate every inch of this place after I found Potter, here? The boy may be the bane of my existence, but I do not want him dead." Hermione tried to interrupt but was silenced with his look. "I know that you have working to help Hagrid with his hippogriff and I think I am correct in assuming that it is to his hut you are planning to go?" She nodded silently.
"I do understand friendship and loyalty, Miss Granger," although you are probably doubtful of that, he thought to himself. "You may go but if you get caught, it is on your head. Do try to rein some control on those dunderheads you call friends," he smirked at her surprised expression and left.
Hermione was so shocked by the Professor's behaviour that she stood rooted at the spot for a few minutes. Then, realizing the task before her, she ran back to the common room.
Severus had just arrived at Lupin's office to bring him his potion but the office was empty. The bothersome map lay on the table, open and tracking the progress of all the inhabitants of the castle. He looked down to observe the map more carefully and a chill ran down his spine. The three Gryffindors were in the Shrieking Shack with Sirius Black and Lupin seemed to be running towards them. Forgetting all his fears of fully transformed werewolves, he sprinted towards the shack. It was near the bottom of the Whomping Willow that he found the invisibility cloak and, covering himself with the fabric, he swept through the tunnel quickly. The sight that greeted him was exactly what he had expected. Lupin was in collaboration with Black. They were feeding some cock and bull story to Potter. He paid no mind to it as he revealed himself. He wanted to complete what started in their fifth year and it would be poetic justice if those two were murdered in the shack by his hand.
Hermione had seen the better side of Snape a few times this year. She knew he was not a complete bastard and tried to reason with him but he was like a man possessed, adamant and unwilling to listen. The only thing he seemed to be concerned about was vengeance. She was not sure who was guilty here but she did not want the Professor to do something rash. When Harry tried to speak to him, aggravating the man further, Hermione knew she had no choice. Thus, she signalled Ron and in the same instant, all three of them disarmed him. Hermione was shocked to see the Professor pass out. She could not believe they had actually done that. Professor Lupin tried to calm her and then both of them continued with their tale, exposing Ron's rat as Peter Pettigrew, the real traitor. She was so taken aback at the whole story that she had no intelligent insights to share. She just stood there as Harry took the decision to take Pettigrew up to the castle.
Then, the most terrible thing happened. The full moon shone up and Lupin started to transform. Ron was chained to him and in the confusion to escape the werewolf, Pettigrew managed to transform and escape. The dementors were upon them, causing Hermione to fall unconscious from the plethora of terrible memories plaguing her mind.
When she regained consciousness, all she could understand from the titbit of conversation she heard was that Professor Snape was back in the world of the living and had managed to imprison Black. Before she could think of a way to save the man, Professor Dumbledore gave her a hint. Without another thought she took out the time turner she had been using to take the lessons. She put it around both herself and Harry, and they went back in time to save the innocents.
Severus was incensed at hearing that Black had managed to escape yet again. In his rage he had let the Slytherins know the secret of Lupin. Dumbledore had tried to speak to him but he had snarled at the old man fiercely, driving him away. He poured a rather large glass of drink but smashed the whole thing instead of drinking it. He had been trying to keep the boy alive every moment for the last three years for Lily's sake and today, he had trusted her murderer over him. He was blind with rage and was about to smash the whole bottle when he saw Samantha enter. He was so shocked by the girl's presence that he almost dropped the bottle.
"Are you all right, Severus?" She asked, tentatively.
"Of course. Why do you ask?" He replied, not sure what the girl knew.
"I just had a long talk with Hermione. She was rather distraught at treating you the way she did," She informed him, softly.
"All Miss Granger seems to do is apologise. At the end of every term. I don't think that I have any more patience for her useless apologies," he snapped.
"I am not here to ask you to forgive her. The only thing I am concerned about is your wellbeing. If feeding Black to the dementors would help that cause, then I would hand him over without a single thought to his innocence," she claimed as she walked over to him.
"Do you know why I was not affected by the dementors very much? Because, even though they managed to suck all the happiness out, they could not force me to remember any sad memories. I never had anything miserable enough in my life to be affected by them. And Severus, you are the reason for that. You made sure that I had the happiest of childhoods," she resounded as she went to hug him.
Severus was so taken aback at this that he forgot all about his anger and hugged her tightly. Oh Lily, he thought.
Once Samantha was assured that Severus was all right, she proceeded back to her common room.
Deciding to take a walk to calm himself, he let himself out of the castle and strolled around the grounds. He was standing near the lake when he heard Miss Granger approach.
"Please do not insult me with your apologies, Miss Granger. You did what you thought was right and this time, you were not acting out on any false assumption," he sighed, forestalling any explanation from her.
"Professor, I am here not to apologise but to thank you. After listening to the story of the Sirius's prank on you with a transformed werewolf, I am sure that it took an immense amount of willpower to walk into such a similar situation for the three most troublesome students of yours," she responded and then walked away.
Severus was, once again, taken aback at the girl's accurate supposition. A moment ago, he had hated her, blaming her for all that had happened. But now, he was not so sure.
Author's Note: Hope you like it. Please review. Suggestions are always welcome.