AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me to keep going!

Brace yourselves, children! These next two chapters are some of the most intense of this whole story, so buckle up! Not much fluff and an enormous helping of Snape basking in his self-righteousness and being a hard-ass.

Also PLEASE- this should be blatantly obvious— but I just want to reiterate that what Snape says and does is what SNAPE believes, and it does not at all reflect my personal views in the least. I do not condone/support what he says and does, and I certainly do not recommend ANYONE take advice from the Severus Snape Guide to Victorian-Era Parenting. He's still got a VERY long way to go in this fic on several levels, but he is a rigid person with certain deeply ingrained beliefs and ideas and like a real person, he's not going to change overnight, so be patient. And just have some faith that I will get us to the finish line with a far better version of him :)

"Whose wand is that?"

Marie knew she was screwed and bristled under his intense stare, debating whether or not she should come clean. But she was tired of the lies. She let out a deep breath. "It's mine."

"Nonsense." He sneered visibly at her response before he turned his attention back to the wand, examining it closely. "This wand is Ash, yours is made from Spruce, not to mention the carvings on this one are far more elaborate. Don't insult my intelligence. Now what is going on here? Why do you have more than one wand?"

Marie hesitated and before she could think of what to say, Snape spoke again, lowering his voice and leaning closer as he enunciated each word.

"Lie to me now and your contract will be terminated without references. I mean it, Ms. Cloutier, I am through with the deception. Tell me the truth."

"I am telling you the truth, Lord Kent, this is my wand. My actual wand. My real wand."

"And the other one? The one you've been parading around each day for weeks? The one that I found in the classroom? Where is it?"

Marie pulled the other wand from her left sleeve and he snatched it quickly.

Snape realized quite clearly now that there were two different wands, although the color of their pale wood was similar enough that if he hadn't spent so much time inspecting her wand recently, he might not have noticed. Try as he might, he couldn't make sense of it. He stared at her. "Explain yourself."

She struggled to say the words, but she knew she had no choice, and she was relieved in one sense for the charade to finally be over. She plucked her wand out of his hand. "This one is mine…" she paused for a moment before she finally found the courage to continue. "And the other one is Soren's. Well, technically it was his mother's, but he's had it with him since he arrived."

The anger shot through the man like a bolt of lightning, and even though he kept his face still, Marie could see his jaw tighten and a vessel on the side of his neck pulsing rapidly. He spoke through clenched teeth, as if he were afraid the rage would explode out of him if he opened his mouth a single millimeter more. "You knew my 7 year-old child had a wand and you didn't come to me?"

"I didn't know. I swear. Not until you found it…and I shouldn't have told you it was mine, I just… I didn't want to see Soren get in trouble."

"Excuse me?" Snape was incandescent with rage and beyond incredulous at her response. He could hardly look at her without wanting to blast a hole through the wall, yet he forced himself to respond, the fury within him growing as the full realization of the situation washed over him. "You lied to me, repeatedly, for weeks because you didn't want Soren to be punished for something you know is dangerous. Have you lost your mind or are you truly that irresponsible!"

"I don't know…I panicked." Marie felt deeply ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Lord Kent."

"I have no interest in your meaningless apologies." Snape's mind was reeling with memories from the past few weeks. Every interaction he'd had with Marie and Soren flashed before him, now somehow tainted by the knowledge that he was being actively deceived. It was a nauseating feeling to realize that none of what he'd experienced was honest or real, but a collage of smoke and mirrors devised for his benefit.

Snape blamed himself. In the past, he'd have never let his guard down the way he had over the last few weeks; he'd have never trusted anyone as blindly as he had Marie, exposing his feelings, allowing himself to get emotionally invested in some silly overgrown schoolgirl of a witch. And even though he knew Soren was only a child, he felt equally betrayed, bitter that he had soothed and comforted the boy, even praised and encouraged him, when all the while Soren had been lying through his teeth. Everything was broken.

"How dare you," he spat, devoid of words for the first time, his mind bombarded with far too many complex emotions to properly communicate any of them.

Marie could barely look at him, but she could see his anger shifting into something else. He was hurt, deeply, and it caused an ache in the pit of her stomach.

Snape took a moment to breathe and pack away his feelings, shoving them into the darkest recesses of his mind where he put all of the emotions he wasn't prepared to deal with. He pressed his lips together, swallowed and stilled his voice, his face turning to stone. "There are no words to accurately reflect the depth of my disappointment in you, Ms. Cloutier."

Marie preferred the anger, his disappointment was somehow infinitely more gut-wrenching, especially since she wanted so badly to please him. In the same way his praise wrapped around her like a warm blanket, his disappointment felt like poison in her veins, suffocating her from the inside and churning her stomach.

"I detest lying. I am not shocked that a 7 year-old would lie to avoid being punished, but you…I expected so much better from you. You are not at all the person I thought you were…I suppose I have only myself to blame for not recognizing what a fraud you were sooner. Rest assured, it is com-pletely obvious to me now."

"I'm so sorry." Marie's eyes were filled with tears. His sharp tone and his words slashed at her like whip, flaying her open and leaving her raw. "Please forgive me, Lord Kent, I never meant to lie to you, I feel terrible."

"The way you allowed me to nearly fire you, putting you on that absurd self-improvement plan when you knew it wasn't even your wand. You must think I'm such a fool." His anger was beginning to resurface as he snarled with disgust. "There is nothing more despicable than a liar. You've destroyed my trust and proven yourself entirely unworthy of this position. Pack your things, Ms. Cloutier. And leave immediately. Do not say goodbye to Soren, it will be too difficult for him to bear. Now get out of my sight."

Snape turned abruptly toward his study, Marie chasing down the hall after him. "Please, Lord Kent," she grabbed his arm.

"Don't touch me," he hissed, ripping her hand off and continuing toward the East wing

"Please!" Marie shouted after him, "I made a terrible mistake. I wanted to tell you, I really did and it was killing me. I just didn't know how. I was afraid you would get angry and throw me out…and I didn't want to leave. I don't want to leave Soren…or you. Please, please don't throw me out. There's so much I haven't told you that I wanted to but didn't know how. Please don't give up on me, I need this…" And I need you.

Something in her pleas hit him directly in his gut. Part of his anger was feeling like he had been taken advantage of, or worse, that she was mocking him somehow, laughing at his stupidity behind his back. That she was just playing along in what was a silly little game for her, when it meant something much deeper to him. Yes, he had enjoyed the banter and the subtle power games, but it was more than that. He'd genuinely wanted to help her, to take care of her. And more than that he desperately wanted to connect with her and believe that she valued him for more than just his money…that she trusted him enough to want some kind of relationship with him that went beyond the transactional relationship of employer-employee. You're so pathetic.

Marie let out a guttural cry of frustration and powerlessness, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Please!"

He paused in the hallway, but refused to turn around.

Marie took a few small steps, approaching him cautiously like a wounded animal. "I can do better…I swear…And I wanted to tell you everything—desperately—I just didn't know how. I know I was wrong. But please, give me another chance." She slowly inched closer, lowering her voice to almost a whisper. "You told me as long as I was trying to do better, you wouldn't fire me. I made a mistake, but I'll do whatever it takes to fix this, I swear. Please don't give up on me. I need you…I need you to help me."

Despite his rage and the pain that ached deep in his chest, those words made his heart flutter. Snape wrangled with his thoughts, part of him wanting desperately to believe her, the more logical, cynical side in utter disbelief that his body dare betray him by responding to her lies. She doesn't need you, you silly fool. She needs a job. She needs your money.

Snape slowly turned around. His face still contorted in anger, his eyes flashing with fury. "I have no reason to believe a single word that comes out of your mendacious mouth. You've said all of this before, and it is clear that you'd say anything to keep your job, I know that now. You've proven to me what great lengths you'll go to to play along with my requests, no matter how many lies it required or false emotions you had to conjure. But I refuse to be played for a fool. I'll give you one month's severance. Given the generous salary I've paid you, that should be more than sufficient for you to survive until you find someone else who requires your…expertise."

Marie shook her head. "No, please, Lord Kent, it's not like that. Please, please give me a chance…just to tell you everything."

He sneered at her pathetic begging, but her tears seemed genuine, and she was more distraught than he'd ever seen her. "You don't deserve my time, and I certainly do not owe you a chance to explain yourself. You had plenty of time for that over the last few weeks and now your opportunity has passed."

"You're right…but I'm begging you, please let me explain. I know I made a terrible mistake, but I was afraid, and then I didn't know how to fix it. I know I was wrong for lying about the wand, but I liked how it felt when you gave me the self-improvement plan. I liked how it felt having your time, your attention. I liked knowing you were holding me accountable, it made me want to be better. Yes, I need this job, but that's not the reason I am asking you to let me explain." Marie broke down into real tears. "I need your help, please. I'm in trouble and I don't have anyone else."

"That's hardly my problem, now is it?" Snape was indignant that her tears were affecting him and he lashed out. There was a small part of him that wanted to forgive her— to comfort her, and wipe away the tears, but he loathed himself for it. Weak, stupid little man. A far bigger part of him wanted her to suffer for her sins. "And now that I see how little respect you have for the truth, I understand perfectly why you don't have anyone else."

Marie tried to ignore his brutal words, but they stung, and it caused a fresh flood of tears to come pouring down her face. "I know... Please don't make me go. Please."

Snape stood staring at her for a good thirty seconds before he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. You're a world class imbecile, Severus. Do not give in to your feeble emotions, she doesn't deserve a thing from you. She's a liar. A swindler. She's only here for your money, can't you see?

"I will allow you one chance to explain yourself. But if you are not prepared to be completely honest— about everything—then I will ask for your resignation. If you want me to even consider letting you stay, the lies stop now and we have a fully transparent conversation…only then will I decide if it is even remotely possible for you to earn back even a modicum of my trust. Which I can tell you, at this given moment seems highly unlikely." Snape couldn't believe the traitorous words coming out of his mouth, the rational part of his brain having been completely by-passed by whatever pathetic part of him still wanted a reason to keep her. You're the biggest dunderhead of all.

"Please Lord Kent, I mean it, I'll do anything." Marie's eyes held hope for the first time since their conversation began. "I want to fix my self-improvement plan. I'll work really hard, I'll do better, please."

"I make no promises. I am going completely against my better judgment, but I feel pity for you. It has become exceptionally clear to me over the last few weeks, that in addition to your penchant for lies, you cannot be trusted to make even the simplest decisions like a responsible adult. You are clever, and while I find your teaching methods rather indulgent, you are obviously very capable. That being said, you're an absolute disaster in every other aspect of your life, completely lacking in self-discipline. You may look like a grown woman, but at times you act like a petulant child in dire need of a trip or two over the parental knee. Believe me, you require far more than a simple self-improvement plan."

"I know." Marie conceded, tears streaming liberally down her cheeks. "I'll do whatever it takes. Please."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "You have until 8pm to think about what is important to you and whether you're ready to be honest…but I'm cautioning you, do not get your hopes up. You've gone too far this time, Ms. Cloutier, and once my trust has been destroyed, I can assure you, it will not be so freely given again." He turned without another word and walked five paces before pausing and glancing over his shoulder briefly to add: "I wish to dine alone this evening. Tinny will bring your supper to your room."

His implication was clear, he didn't want to see her face for the rest of the day, maybe forever. She stood in the hallway and watched as he stormed to his study, the door closing firmly behind him with enough force to emphasize his displeasure.

It took her a moment to soak it all in before she threw herself onto her bed and collapsed in sobs. How could you let this happen? You've ruined everything! Things had been going so well. He had taken such good care of her when she was sick, and now everything was a disaster, he'd never trust her again. She knew she had pushed him too far, but she just hoped, somewhere there was a part of him that wanted her to stay, that saw her as more than a liar and an immature brat.

Snape spent the next hour alone in his study, working through his feelings before he finally felt prepared to even think about dealing with Soren. He was enraged every time he thought about the series of lies he'd been fed over the last few weeks. His mind cycled between a dozen emotions, many of which he was loathe to admit. He was angry, of course, but most of all he was hurt that he'd been lied to by both Soren and Marie. The years of solitude had obviously weakened him, and he'd let his guard down, allowing them to take advantage of his vulnerability and his loneliness. He could feel the iron walls creeping back up around his heart.

Marie was taking up the bulk of his mental space at the moment, but he tried to push it away. He could only deal with one thing at a time, and he was going to start with Soren, which was far more cut and dry. He paced back and forth for a good half an hour in front of his large window, thinking about the boy and what he should do with him. He'd be lying if he said part of him didn't want to just call the Ministry and be done with it, but the moment that thought crossed his mind, he felt ashamed.

There really was no question as to what he had to do. He'd made it clear from day one that there was to be no magic, and certainly playing with a wand was an absolute gross violation of his most sacred rule. Not to mention Snape had promised Soren that if he ever put himself in serious danger again, he could expect to be punished severely. The numerous lies just compounded it all.

Snape had never in his life had difficulty carrying out a punishment, in fact there were times when he felt particularly righteous about meting out harsh justice to someone who had willfully disobeyed him. But what surprised him was that instead of anger, he felt fear, disappointment and betrayal. He knew he wasn't the most loving and affectionate man, but he'd started to finally feel like Soren was his son, and he'd been stupid enough to believe the boy respected him. Sentimental fool. He felt like a failure, that not only had he been so naive, but that the boy had gotten away with breaking his most important rules and apparently had no remorse, content to lie and pretend like none of it had ever happened despite his multiple attempts to communicate with him with some amount of tenderness. That was your first mistake.

He had obviously been far too indulgent with the boy, and that was the problem. If Soren really believed he could get away with such blatant disobedience and lying right to his face, it was because he'd failed him by allowing him too much freedom, too many liberties. Like an idiot, he'd let Marie convince him that perhaps he should take a softer approach, and just as he'd feared, it had backfired and now his son was turning into a delinquent. As he thought back over the last few weeks, remembering the dangerous stunts the boy pulled in the tree, and then the fire, instead of being harsher, Snape had attempted to be kind and understanding, and now he was regretting it. The boy obviously thought he could get away with such things, so he was going to have to lay down the law. Soren was going to learn the hard way that Snape had no tolerance for blatant disobedience, and even less tolerance for lies.

Once he was sure he had come to a decision, Snape steeled himself and made his way to Soren's room, determined to teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget. As he approached the door, he saw the little boy sitting in his miniature armchair, his rabbit scrunched up to the side of him, and a book laid out on his lap. He looked so innocent and sweet sitting there peacefully sounding out each word, that it nearly robbed Snape of all his resolve.

He deliberately disobeyed you. He nearly got himself killed and burned down the manor. He lied to you, repeatedly. You gave him plenty of opportunities to come clean and he continued to deceive you. Snape hyped himself up, reminding himself that he would be doing the boy a great disservice if he didn't follow through. He'd been far too lenient in the past, but he wouldn't dare make that mistake again.

Finally he hardened his voice and put on his "angry Professor" face as he walked through the door. "Get up, Soren, you're coming with me. We are long overdue for a very serious discussion." He snapped his fingers. "To my study. Now."

Soren set down his book, his large brown eyes wide with fear and confusion. He knew that tone and one look at his father's face and it was clear this was bad news. "What's wrong father, am I in trouble?"

"That's the understatement of the century. I know all about your wand and the lies you've been telling. Now get up, you've got a lot to answer for."

Soren's face crumpled into tears immediately and he leaned forward into his arms, cuddling his rabbit tightly. "I'm sorry!"

"Not nearly as sorry as you're going to be, I can assure you." Snape's tone was bored, he would not be affected by meaningless tears and apologies.

When the boy didn't move, Snape walked over and took him by the upper arms, lifting him effortlessly out of the chair and depositing him on his feet on the ground. He yanked the rabbit out of his arms and tossed it back in the chair. "You're in enough trouble, I suggest you don't make this worse for yourself."

Soren didn't fight him, but he cried the entire way down the hallway, his father leading him by the wrist while his small legs moved quickly to keep up with the man's long, angry strides.

When they got to the study, Snape pulled him in the door and left him standing and crying in the middle of the carpet while he continued to his desk. He stood for a minute and exhaled deeply before opening the top drawer, pulling out his wooden ruler and tucking it into his coat. On his way back toward Soren, he grabbed up one of the chairs from the front of his desk, and deposited it firmly in front of the boy.

Snape sat down so he was now at eye-level with Soren and grasped him firmly by both arms, pulling him slightly closer and ensuring he had his full attention. "Enough of your tears. Look at me," he commanded with a small shake. "I cannot believe that you deliberately disobeyed me, using your wand when I told you that you were not to ever do magic or touch a wand before you turned 11. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? You could have been killed, or permanently disabled!" But it wasn't anger he was feeling, it was true fear and concern. Even just thinking about the boy covered in soot, screaming about a fire in his room made his adrenaline rush. It was a miracle he'd escaped without being hurt.

These thoughts only strengthened his resolve. Snape was determined that by the time he was done, Soren couldn't even look at a wand without having flashbacks to this whole ordeal.

He pulled out the wand. "Whose wand is this."

Soren wasn't stupid, he knew the gig was up. "My mummy's," he said softly.

"Why didn't you tell me immediately that you had your mother's wand?"

"I didn't want you to take it from me," Soren said, tears still streaming down his face. "Mummy said to keep it safe and not to let anyone take it."

Snape let out a slow breath. "I understand that, but when you came here, I made it extremely clear you were never to touch a wand or do any kind of magic, did I not?"

"Yes, father."

"So you knew you were breaking the rules. How many times did you play with it?"

Soren looked down at the floor, pausing for a moment before he answered. "Almost every day. But I wasn't playing, father, I was practicing."

Snape grabbed the boy's chin and forced him to look up. "I beg your pardon? You are seven years-old, you do not practicemagic. Ever. With or without a wand. Now tell me the truth, how did your room catch on fire?" Snape was having to work hard to keep his tone even and emotions under control. He couldn't believe Soren had been casting spells everyday without his knowledge. How dense had he become in his years since leaving Hogwarts? How could he be so oblivious? It was his own naïveté that truly infuriated him.

"I wanted to see if I could do incendio because it was boring just doing lumos and nox. I couldn't do it at first so I tried again until I got it."

Snape was floored. "So you mean to tell me you've been upstairs throwing spells around every day since you got here? And you got...bored so you thought you would try a much more powerful spell that shoots streams of fire out of your wand? Have you lost your mind!"

"But I did it…" Soren said quietly, the smallest hint of pride in his voice.

"Yes, well done, you successfully turned your room into a raging inferno, risking your own life, destroying practically everything in there and nearly killing poor Tinny from smoke inhalation! It took me and three other grown wizards an exceptional use of magic to get that fire under control. That is absolutely nothing to be proud of, Soren. Do not elevate yourself as some kind of magical prodigy, you are nothing more than a disobedient, deceitful little boy who is lucky that your untrained, reckless wand work didn't result in blowing up the entire manor, killing all of us in the process!" Snape was outraged at the revelation, it was far worse than he imagined. "Unbelievable."

Soren started crying hard. "I didn't mean to, I pointed it at the fireplace but the spell was too strong and I couldn't control my wand."

"Because you are SEVEN! You shouldn't even have a wand, and you certainly shouldn't be casting spells at your age. Which is exactly why I made that rule in the first place. I should put you over my knee every day for a week so that lesson sinks in. You are far too young for magic!"

"No, father, please don't!" Soren begged, putting both of his hands on his father's legs. "I'm really sorry, I won't ever do it again." He collapsed into deeper sobs, feeling extremely sorry for himself. "Please don't punish me!"

Snape was unaffected. "You're about to get the spanking of your life, my boy, so don't you dare even try to talk your way out of it."

This pronouncement did nothing to quell the boy's tears and now Soren was crying even harder than before, the cries escalating to small wails.

"Quiet down, I haven't even laid a finger on you yet. Now quit wallowing in self-pity and think about why you're here and why you're being punished." Snape sneered at the little boy, still in disbelief that a seven year-old was casting spells that powerful at his age. And with a spruce wand of all things, a notoriously difficult wood to handle even for the most talented witches and wizards.

Soren didn't respond, he was too busy crying loudly, and after a perfunctory eye-roll Snape prodded him "That's enough theatrics. Now you will tell me why we're here, I want it to be completely clear why you're being punished."

"I set my room on fire," Soren finally managed to eke out between bouts of tears.

"And?" Snape stared, unimpressed. "I think there's a lot more to it than that, don't you? Or shall I refresh your memory?"

Soren dropped his head down not wanting to hear the inevitable list of transgressions. Floods of tears rolled down his face leaving wet spots on the ancient carpet beneath him, but at his father's insistence, he toned down the audible cries, knowing it was of little use. At this point he knew his father well enough to know there was no way out, all he could do was accept his fate and try not to make it worse.

"Look at me. I want your full attention. This is for your benefit, not mine. I don't want to ever, ever have to repeat this, so listen carefully." Snape took his face in both hands until he made eye-contact. He spoke slowly and evenly. "First, you know you are not to ever touch a wand or practice any magic before you come of age or you have express permission. It is not only a violation of my own rules, but it is also expressly forbidden by the law. You do realize if you are caught performing magic underage, the Ministry could take you away? I could be fined or imprisoned, and depending on your age you could be punished as well. And yet regardless of my very clear instructions. you kept your mother's wand and were up here casting spells in your room despite knowing that was expressly forbidden, on several levels. In addition to disobeying me, you were not honest about the fact that you had a wand when you arrived here. A lie by omission. Then if hiding it wasn't enough, you had the absolute gall to cast an extremely dangerous spell that nearly burned down the west wing. When I asked you what happened, you lied to me again, blaming accidental magic when you knew quite well it was a direct result of you faffing around with a wand you should have never had. Is this starting to ring a bell?"

Soren was completely distraught but managed to give him a pitiful "Yes, sir."

"Most disappointingly, when I found your wand— which was terribly hidden, by the way—you allowed to take the blame. You do realize I nearly fired her because of that. You should be particularly ashamed of yourself for that. I honestly don't know what disappoints me more, that you would have the audacity to defy me so boldly, or that you had so much cowardice that you couldn't face up to the consequences of the rules you so readily flaunted. I expected some degree of general mischief from you, but this goes well beyond that. It is a shameful reflection of your character."

"I didn't mean for Ms. Cloutier to get in trouble, I was just scared." Soren followed this with a particularly dramatic wail and a new batch of tears, his father's clear disappointment hurting far more than whatever punishment he was about to receive.

"Obviously not scared enough or you wouldn't have been flitting about in your room every day, casually casting spells without a care in the world. You were only afraid when you thought you might get caught."

Soren knew it was true, but it didn't make him feel better. "But you did magic before you were 11." He remembered his father mentioning on more than one occasion, and it was one of the reasons he'd felt entitled to keep practicing spells.

Snape's face went rigid and anger flashed in his eyes. He clenched his jaw and spat out his words. "I had no choice. I lived in an unsafe home where I was forced to learn healing spells before I could even read. And don't you dare use that as justification for your blatant disobedience. I can assure you there is quite a difference between what I was forced to learn for my own survival, and you up here recklessly flouting the rules for your own personal amusement…because you were bored. You have no idea what you're talking about and I better not ever hear you bring that up again."

His harsh words sent Soren into another round of fresh tears.

Snape took a calming breath and waited a moment. "Right, that's enough. This has gone on long enough. I don't think there's any doubt as to why you're being punished. Is there?"

Soren cried harder, and shook his head slightly.

"Pardon?" Snape stared him down.

"No, father," Soren said, tears pouring out of his big brown eyes as he looked up at the man with his most pathetic look yet.

"Very well. Take down your trousers."

Soren looked up at him with panic, backing away slightly with his hands flying back behind him. "No! Please, father!"

"If you don't do it this instant, I will do it for you, and you will lose the privilege of keeping your pants. You have three seconds."

Soren sobbed harder as he undid his button and fly and pulled his trousers down barely half an inch.

"I meant properly," Snape said as he yanked his trousers the rest of the way down before pulling the boy across his lap. There were times when Snape had followed through on a punishment half-heartedly just for consistency's sake, but this was not one of those times. If ever a punishment had been earned, this was it, and he was going to make sure Soren remembered it for a very long time. "Brace yourself," he said before he brought his hand down hard.

Soren yelped loudly, not realizing how much more it would sting without the extra layer of fabric to protect him. He was crying hard after the fifth smack, but they just kept coming.

Snape was trying to pace himself, he wanted this to be a memorable punishment, and he was trying to drag it out while being careful about how much force he was putting into it. Nonetheless, he spanked with gusto until he was sure his message had been thoroughly delivered.

When he stopped, Soren was completely limp over his knees, his hands grasping tightly onto the wool fabric of his father's trouser legs, sobbing.

"That was for using a wand, disobeying me and putting your life in danger. But you also lied. Repeatedly. I am exceptionally disappointed in you for this. Had you told me about the wand on the day you set fire to your room, your punishment would be over by now. But you didn't, so we're not done yet."

Snape pulled out the wooden ruler. He had already given the boy quite a thorough spanking, so he knew he would have to be very careful not to overdo it. He silently added a sound amplification charm to the ruler and brought it down solidly, the sound of the smack far out of proportion to the force behind it, wanting to make sure Soren was suitably terrified. He waited several seconds between each one, taking his time delivering five more evenly-spaced smacks, the last one right across the boy's sit spots where his briefs offered little protection.

When he finished, Snape tucked the ruler away and put a hand on Soren's back, giving him a moment to let it all soak in before helping him stand and putting his clothes back in place.

Soren was crying so hard he couldn't speak, so Snape brought him between his knees and pulled out a handkerchief. "It's over. Now take slow breaths." He wiped carefully at the boy's tears, but Soren was still crying hard, both hands flying back to try and soothe the fire in his bum.

Snape gave him another minute of quietly wiping his tears before he began to talk in a calm, low voice. "Hush. You've been punished, and now we move on. That's more than enough tears, take some deep breaths and calm yourself."

After another minute, when Soren's cries had settled down a bit more, he cupped his hand on the little boy's chin. "I don't want you to ever put yourself in danger like that again. And I swear to Merlin, if I ever catch you doing magic again without permission, I will give you a hiding that makes this one feel like a pleasant Sunday stroll in the park. Do you understand me?"

Soren still couldn't string two words together but nodded his head. He couldn't imagine anything worse than what he was feeling right now but he swore to himself he would never do magic again.

Standing up, Snape replaced the chair and took Soren by the arm to the couch where he deposited him on the dark leather cushion. He walked over to the bar cart and filled a tumbler with cool water before handing it to the boy. "Take a few minutes and calm yourself. Then we'll finish our conversation and move on."

This was the part that made Snape feel uncomfortable. When he punished his students, it was a relatively quick affair. A lecture, some good solid whacks with a ruler or a slipper, a harsh reminder that any repeat of said offense would result in a worse punishment, and then he sent them off to lick their wounds in the dorms. Comfort certainly wasn't a part of the package. But it was different with Soren. He was much younger, of course, but it was also his son, and no matter how harsh or cold Snape might appear, he didn't have the heart to send the boy out without som kind of reassurance.

When Soren's glass was nearly empty, Snape lifted it from his hands and set it aside before taking a place next to him on the chesterfield. "Is there anything else you would like to say?"

"I'm sorry for doing magic, I promise I won't ever do that again. I promise, father," Soren looked truly heartbroken, tears still streaming down his face, his brown eyes rimmed in red, his lashes wet and dark.

"And no more lying. We're going to have another discussion about that soon, but I will not ever tolerate lies. It destroys trust and is a terrible reflection of your character. Not to mention, once you start lying, no one will believe you even when you're telling the truth. If you had told me about the wand right after the fire, I would have still been angry because you disobeyed me, but I would have respected your honesty and been proud of you for admitting your mistake. Everyone will make mistakes, but I want you to be the kind of person who can own up to them, accept responsibility, and be truthful. Otherwise your life will be lonely and sad. Trust is the only currency that matters in life, do you understand? And once it is gone, it is nearly impossible to earn it back."

"Yes, father," Soren squeaked out. "I'm so— soo- sorry," his breath stuttered, releasing a new gush of tears.

Snape nodded his head, speaking in a softer tone now. "I'm sure you are." He tapped Soren gently on the leg. "But you should be aware that I will always punish you severely when you lie, so it isn't worth it. Ever."

Soren heaved another deep sob and collapsed onto his knees, burying his face into his arms.

"It's finished, Soren. That's enough." Snape patted him awkwardly a few times on the shoulder. "Take some breaths or you'll make yourself ill."

Before Snape could even fully process it, Soren had thrown himself on top of the man, desperate for some genuine affection and reassurance as his tiny body wracked with sobs.

"I'm sorry father, please don't be mad at me," the little boy said. "I promise I'll be good." He threw his arms around his father's neck and laid his head on his shoulder, halfway onto the man's lap, reaching out desperately for some semblance of an embrace.

Snape's initial reaction was to recoil and tear the boy off of him, but instead he wrapped a single arm around him and patted him gently several times on the back. He spoke in a low quiet voice. "I'm no longer angry with you, but I want you to understand that I make rules to keep you safe. I don't like having to punish you, but it is important that you learn to obey me. Do you understand?" He tapped him softly twice on his hip with a single finger.

"Yes father." Soren took the gentle pats on bias back as a sign he could stay and he crawled the rest of the way, adjusting himself so that he was sitting fully on his father's lap, his head buried between the man's neck and chest, settling his body into the crook of his right arm. "I'm really sorry."

Snape was completely uncomfortable and his body went rigid, he was not a man who gave out cuddles, but even he didn't have the heart to get up and dump the vulnerable boy onto the floor, despite his initial impulse to do so. He took a deep breath and allowed Soren to cradle himself between his arm and his chest, "I'm sure you are, so I hope that means you've learned your lesson and we don't ever need to have this particular conversation again."

Soren lifted his head up and shook it hard back and forth. "Never! I promise." He was sniffling and his breath hitched a few times, still feeling quite sorry for himself.

"Good," Snape gave the boy a few more gentle pats before he reached his limit on affection and picked Soren up, setting him on his feet as he stood from the couch. "Now, I want you to go to your room and have a rest."

One of Soren's hands went subconsciously back to rub his bum, those last few whacks of the ruler had been especially unpleasant and he hoped that was the first and last time he ever experienced that.

"Come along," Snape guided him toward the door with a hand on the back of his head, but instead of abandoning him there in the doorway as he'd planned, he walked the sniffling boy all the way back to his room. When they reached his bed, Snape lifted him carefully on top of the mattress, taking off his shoes before pulling down the corner of the bedsheets. "Get in and lay down, you're taking a nap."

Soren looked at him for a moment like he wanted to argue, but a single raised eyebrow combined with the throbbing in his backside made him decide against it.

"On your stomach, if you prefer." Snape offered, seeing his hesitancy.

Soren obeyed, crawling under the covers, unable to stifle a yawn.

Snape was about to tuck him in when Soren lifted his head up. "Oh no! My rabbit!"

"Where is it?"

"Over there, in my reading chair," Soren pointed to the miniature armchair in his reading nook.

"Stay put, I'll get it." Snape walked several steps over to the little chair and grabbed the dilapidated rabbit by one if it's crusty little ears before handing it to Soren, a look of disgust on his face.

"Thank you," Soren said as he snuggled his rabbit under the covers.

"I should cast a cleaning spell on that thing, it is absolutely filthy."

"No!" Soren said loudly. "Please don't. Sometimes I can still smell my mummy in his fur."

Snape was skeptical, but he wasn't going to do anything to destroy the one item of comfort the boy had. "Fine, it's up to you. Now close your eyes."

"I'm not tired," Soren complained, followed by another yawn.

"Somehow I highly doubt that." Snape swept his wand around until the curtains were all shut and the lights dimmed considerably. "Now get some rest. Tinny will bring you a tray for supper when you wake up. If you are tired and want to sleep until morning, that's fine too. Otherwise you may read quietly until lights out."

"Cuz I'm in trouble?" Soren sounded hurt.

"It's not a punishment, it's just been an eventful day for everyone and I have a lot of things I need to work on, so I'm going to take dinner at my desk."

"What about Ms. Cloutier?" Soren asked innocently.

"Don't worry about Ms. Cloutier, she is resting in her room, Tinny will bring her a tray as well."

"Why? Are you mad at her? Is she in trouble?"

"That's not any of your concern. The only person you need to worry about right now is yourself. And given the current state of your backside, I'd be extremely cautious about how I behaved right now." He looked down at the boy with a pointed glare. "No more questions, it's time to close your eyes and rest." He gave the duvet a quick tug upward before tucking it into the boy's sides.

"Yes father," Soren said sleepily. Now that he was all cozy in bed and cuddling his rabbit, his eyes were feeling heavy. All of that crying had really exhausted him. His bum still felt like it had its own heartbeat, but the sting was fading slowly and it wasn't painful enough to keep him awake. His body soon relaxed and he fell into a deep sleep within minutes.

Snape debated whether he would take his meal on a tray in his study or whether he would dine alone at the table, he honestly just needed some time alone to think and consider his options. Soren had been the easy one to sort out, it was going to be much more complicated trying to decide how to deal with Marie.

He was glad he'd given himself this space and time to think, and he mulled over his options in the quiet comfort of his study, a cup of tea in hand. He'd have preferred a whiskey but he knew he needed to keep a clear head. At least for the moment. And now that he had calmed down quite a bit, he was glad he'd have a chance to talk with Marie and figure out what was going on. There was something nagging at him, the way she had begged him for help, a desperation in her voice and her eyes that went far beyond just someone who wanted to keep their job.

If it had just been about the job, she would have been gone without a second thought. But if he was honest with himself, he knew that wasn't the reason she was still here. Why he was giving her another chance after all of the lies, the way that she'd roped Soren into keeping secrets from him as well. He hated himself for it, but he wasn't ready to see her go.

Yes, he was plenty angry with her, but as he put the pieces together, he started to see a different side of things. He would have to be extremely careful how he proceeded from here, but if she wanted to stay, perhaps there was a way to make this work. He mulled over the possibilities for hours, having the fiercest debates with himself yet.

At 8pm on the dot, Marie knocked on the study door. She was waiting to hear him say "Enter" but instead the door popped open on its own and she took that as an invitation to go in. After a deep breath, she crossed the threshold and made her way toward the desk.

"Sit." Was all Snape said. He stood at the window, hands behind his back staring out onto the moonlit grounds, his back to the room, the curt demand the only acknowledgement of her presence.

Marie had never been this nervous before, and it was a whole different level of intimidating. She sat down in one of the chairs and waited. It somehow felt so much worse that he refusing to look at her.

Snape waited for what seemed like ages until he could hear Marie starting to fidget from anticipation, at which point he finally turned around and walked toward his desk. But he didn't sit down, instead choosing to stand behind his chair before finally dragging his eyes relectuantly toward Marie, his face rigid and stern and his eyes as cold as stone. "You will be 100% truthful with me today or you will leave, Ms. Cloutier. Anything less than complete honesty moving forward will result in immediate dismissal. Is this clear?"

"Yes," said Marie.

"Yes, sir. For the duration of this discussion, you will address me with proper respect."

"I'm sorry. Yes, sir." She swallowed hard, she'd seen him angry on several occasions but now he was icy, almost detached, and that unnerved her even more.

Snape paced around the room slowly, keeping his hands behind his back. "Lies are insidious. Malignant. And like a cancer, deceit will fester and spread and before you know it, your world is shrouded in darkness, the lack of transparency choking the life out of your relationships and slowly rotting away anything healthy you've ever tried to nurture. You may think some lies are small or harmless, but they are not."

He paused and Marie was unsure if she was supposed to respond, so she kept her mouth shut out of an abundance of caution.

"There are few things I detest more than lying. To me, it is the greatest form of disrespect. A person who lies to you believes you are either unworthy of the truth, or too stupid to know the difference. And I particularly loathe anyone who takes advantage of the trust that has been given to them in order to further their own selfish motives. It is arrogant. Disdainful. Revolting."

His words were caustic and meant to burn, and they did. Marie felt them, viscerally and it only served to amplify her shame.

"Tell me, Ms. Cloutier, at any point did you consider the ramifications of this whole charade? What this might do to the trust between us. Or worse, how your lies might harm Soren and his relationship with me?"

Marie could feel the tears forming in her eyes and she bit the inside of her cheek to try to hold them in. "No, sir. I didn't mean for it to turn into this, I regretted lying to you almost immediately."

"And yet, you sat in this very study, lying to me day after day instead of being honest." That was the part that really needled Snape everytime he thought about it. How had she allowed the lie to go on for so long?

"I'm so sorry."

"Are you? You could have put an end to the lies at any point, Ms. Cloutier. You wrote up a self-improvement plan knowing full-well that the wand I found was not yours, yet instead of admitting to that, you played along, acting contrite for a crime you did not commit. Several times a day, you checked in with me, showing me your wand…no wait, let me correct that…Soren's wand, regaling me with even more lies as you attempted to convince me of your non-existent short-comings. Then, you had the gall to sit in my study every evening, reviewing your goals, pretending you were committed to this absurd farce of a plan, and yet in all that time you still never once thought you should tell the truth? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Idiotic. Ridiculous. Pathetic."

"Please Lord Kent. I know I was lying about the wand, but everything else on my plan was real. I put real thought into it— I wanted to do better, I still do. The guilt was eating me up every day. I never wanted to lie to you like that. Honestly."

"Honestly? Don't you dare use that word with me. I don't know why I should believe a single thing you say, Ms. Cloutier. I had hoped that the self-improvement plan would be an opportunity for you to heal from your burnout, focus on your self-care and work toward your goals, but it is clear to me that my effort was neither appreciated nor valued. It was a farcical waste of both of our time. I should have listened to my instincts and let you go long before it got to this."

Snape was seriously wounded and he couldn't explain why. He could never stand a liar, but coming from Marie, this had felt like a complete betrayal. He'd taken a real interest in her—not just for his own entertainment—but because he was desperate to connect with her on a deeper level, to grow the trust between them, to look after her. He was never one to share his emotions with words, but he wanted to prove to her that he was capable of caring for her and most importantly, that he supported her future goals and dreams. As unconventional as it might be, it was his way of showing her that he thought she was special and worthy of his time and energy, which for him was far more valuable than all of the money in his vault. But while it was very real and meaningful for him, for her it appeared to be nothing but an elaborate act, and that made it far worse than a simple lie.

Tears were pouring down Marie's face and despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop them. "I really did want to tell you, a million times…but I was afraid to upset you. I didn't want you to be disappointed in me...or fire me. Everyday felt like it was too late, but each subsequent day the lying destroyed me more. If I could go back, I would have never lied to you in the first place, I swear. I really do regret that."

"Yes, let's revisit that, shall we? The original lie. Tell me what compelled you to risk your job and the defamation of your character to lie for Soren. What did you possibly think I was going to do to him that was so terrible it was worth…" he waved his hand around. "All of this."

"I don't know…it was stupid." Marie closed her eyes and shook her head, wishing she had done things differently.

"No, you don't get to dismiss me that easily. You will tell me, Ms. Cloutier. What did you think I was going to do to Soren that required you taking the blame? Did you believe I would abuse him? Beat him black and blue?" Snape stopped pacing and stood over her now, his arms crossed in front.

"I don't know…but I figured you were probably going to, you know, hit him." Marie couldn't even say the word.

"Spank him?" Snape offered, lifting both eyebrows at her clear avoidance of the word.

Marie's face burned bright red and she just nodded her head.

"Yes, and I did. Soundly. And he survived. He has already moved on and by now I'm sure any evidence of his punishment has long since disappeared. And yet here we are, tangled in a web of lies and deceit from which I'm not sure we'll ever recover. Aside from the fact you may have destroyed your job and future prospects, your actions were far more damaging to Soren than the minute or less he spent over my knee, I assure you."

"I think it's far more harmful than you think..."

Snape cut her off before she could say anything else. "I think you're forgetting the fact that we're dealing with a magical child, Ms. Cloutier, he's not some muggle boy for whom the greatest danger is riding his bike in the street. He is going to spend his entire childhood and adolescence surrounded by powerful magic— spells capable of extreme harm, dangerous magical artifacts, and deadly potions. One error in judgment, one impulsive swing of the wand, one finger on the wrong magical item or a single drop of the wrong potion, and he could literally die. It is imperative that even if he is incapable of understanding the magnitude of the dangers all around him, that he learns to obey me and follow my rules, regardless of whether or not he understands the reason for them. It is impossible to childproof the magical world around him, so instead we have to teach him how to exist safely within it. I find harsher measures to be the most effective and easily understood, particularly for a younger child. The earlier they learn that you will not tolerate disobedience, the less you need to punish them as they get older. It may seem harsh to you now, but I am doing it for his own protection, to keep him safe. Eventually, he will learn self-discipline, but until he is capable of that, I will do it for him."

Snape had always had an authoritarian nature, but becoming a teacher at Hogwarts had turned him into a strict disciplinarian. He took his responsibility to protect his students as a sacred vow, and although he'd been limited to House Points and detention when it came to the Potions classroom, he still managed to rule with an iron fist. He refused to have any child injured on his watch, and he would rather students complain about how mean and strict he was rather than see them get hurt. This was especially true for the members of Slytherin, for whom he was responsible outside of the classroom. He was harsh and quick to punish, and his students feared disobeying him, but they also respected him and knew they could count on him to protect them. When it came to his own child, however, his desire to keep him safe was so fierce it bordered on primal.

"You could try other methods, you know, ones that aren't so…violent."

"Really?" Snape stared down at her with disapproval. "It was a spanking, Ms. Cloutier, I didn't put him on a Medieval breaking wheel, for Merlin's sake." He breathed out an exasperated sigh. "I have no doubt his backside was stinging when he left here, but I can assure you that I didn't leave a single lasting mark on the boy. No one has ever died from a smacked bottom, but countless have died from the misuse of magic. His own mother, for one. If that wasn't enough of a deterrent for him it is clear that 'natural consequences' are beyond his capability to fully understand. There is no room for error— one more childish mistake with a wand and he could be dead, so if that means I have to put him over my knee every time he disobeys me to keep him safe, I will do so. Without hesitation or guilt. He'll recover from a sore backside. Death, on the other hand, is rather permanent."

Marie would never agree with his methods, but she wasn't exactly in a position to be arguing with him at the moment so she closed her mouth.

When Marie didn't look convinced, Snape continued.

"You do remember what he did, don't you Ms. Cloutier? I want you to think about that for a moment. He had a wand in his possession and he was gallivanting around his room every day, tossing spells around like it was nothing. He cast anIncendio for Merlin's sake. Do you honestly believe you were doing him a favor by allowing him to get away without any consequences? He could have been killed, maimed, permanently disabled in a way no one could heal him. A 7 year-old with a wand? It could have been far more disastrous, and you believe that getting away with that was perfectly reasonable?"

"No…I agree with you, it was incredibly dangerous. But he seemed genuinely upset and scared, so I thought he'd learned his lesson, I didn't think he'd ever do anything like that again. Besides, I had his wand, so there wasn't much he could do."

Snape nearly laughed. "Oh, Ms. Cloutier, you cannot possibly be so naive. Children are not rational beings. If he got away with it once, believe me, that wouldn't be the last time he thought he could get away with breaking the rules. An attitude I believe you've mentioned describes you quite well. What was it you told me? 'If you don't get caught, then the rules shouldn't apply to you'— did I get that right?"

Marie bit the inside of her lip. "I was only joking…" She wanted to kick herself for ever saying that out loud to him, she should have known it would come back to haunt her.

"I don't think you were, Ms. Cloutier." Snape leaned down and spoke in a low voice, just above a whisper. "I think you're a naughty little girl who got away with far too much in her life and since you never had a single person hold you accountable, you believe you're somehow above the rules. But now your complete lack of discipline means your life is spinning out of control and now you're in desperate need of a firm hand to help you get back-on-track."

Marie's mouth went completely dry before he stood up and continued in his full voice as though he'd never paused for that aside, leaving her off-kilter as she tried to recover from the words lingering in her ear.

"I will not allow you to encourage my son to follow your lead. Children need rules and consequences to thrive. Soren needs to learn that he will never be allowed to get away with breaking my rules, particularly not by seeking you out to aid and abet him."

Marie could barely look at him, and had to keep reminding herself to breathe. "Yes, sir, I understand."

"In addition to the poor attitude you're modeling for him when it comes to obeying rules, I want you to imagine how difficult it has been for him to carry around all of that guilt. Not only guilt for playing with magic and nearly burning down the house, which as you saw for yourself had him physically sick for days, but the fact that he was expected to continually lie to me. He watched you lie to me—effortlessly— every single day, and because he looks up to you, he would have continued to do so for Merlin knows how long. He wanted to protect you, Ms. Cloutier, and it isn't the only time. You've gone behind my back on multiple occasions breaking my rules, gifting him things like the snitch, allowing him to play games, giving him extra biscuits— seemingly harmless things that further erode our relationship as father and son. The fact that you have encouraged him to keep secrets from me, and to lie to me overtly, Ms. Cloutier has no doubt made him to believe that he wasn't safe with me or that I wasn't deserving enough for the truth. Your actions have done far more damage to Soren than a childish little punishment ever would."

Marie felt devastated by this realization. "I'm really, truly sorry, I never even considered that. I should have come to you, about all of it."

"And yet, you did not. You didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth. You did not trust me enough as his father to handle him as I saw fit. Instead you decided you would handle things on your own. Because you obviously know best, what with your degrees in education and pedagogy. Is that correct?"

"I just wanted him to know I cared about him, that he could trust me. That I'd look after him."

"Even if you disagree with my methods, you should respect my rules and my authority as his father. You are not his friend, you are his governess and the only other adult in this household— it is your job to uphold the rules I set, not undermine me or the way I do things because it doesn't align with your own permissive ideas of child-rearing. If you cannot do that, you should not be here. Soren doesn't need your protection, he needs you to be a responsible and consistent adult who will uphold the rules and expectations of this house, no matter what your personal feelings might be."

"I realize that now. If I could go back, I'd do things differently. It was wrong of me to lie for him. I should have let you handle it."

"Well, I did," Snape said smugly, hoping she had finally seen his point. "It was far more delayed than it should have been, but I assure you, I made a valiant effort to ensure he doesn't do something so reckless again."

Marie had no doubt he would, but she still felt bad for Soren. "Is he OK?"

"He is absolutely fine, and I imagine when he wakes up tomorrow morning he will feel better than he has in weeks without all of the guilt and lies hanging over his head. It's a shame you have no point of reference, Ms. Cloutier, perhaps if you'd ever been on the receiving end of such a punishment yourself, you would realize that it is all far less traumatizing than you are imagining it to be. A few smacks, a few tears, and it is over. A lesson is learned, forgiveness is granted, and the issue is resolved, full stop. Quite effective, in my experience, and far less damaging than weeks of lies and secrets and guilt."

Marie nodded. "I understand. I shouldn't have interfered…I'll do better."

"Yes, I think we'd best shift our focus to you now. We've beaten this horse quite to death, for lack of a better phrase." Snape returned to his desk and sat down. "Now then, let's discuss what you said to me in the hallway, the only reason that I am even giving you a chance to explain yourself."

Marie's ears started to burn thinking about it. "I'm not sure I remember."

Snape slapped a hand down hard on the desk, causing Marie to jump slightly. "Don't. Lie. To. Me. You will be honest, or you will leave. There will not be another reprieve."

Tears were rising up from the back of Marie's throat. "I'm sorry…I'm nervous. I just need a moment."

Snape's face softened slightly at her vulnerability, but his voice still maintained it's edge. "Take your time, but you asked for one more chance to explain yourself, and this is it. Do not squander it."

AUTHOR'S END NOTE:

As always, I love hearing from you! But please, try to keep it positive.

Snape is dealing with a LOT of big feelings here. He is reacting by pulling back, putting up walls, and blaming himself and by wanting to exert MORE control to feel control. You know, Snape's usual ways of healthy coping, lol.

Also, I'm sorry for the harshness in this chapter- but these chapters are pivotal to the plot and each of our character's and their own journeys moving forward.

Oh, and I really didn't want to break it up, but this got TOO long so it there's another chapter coming up soon where we see Snape and Marie really deal with Marie's issues now. It's going to be a good one. I'll try to get it up ASAP. I promise.