Chapter 6
September 1990
“Turn that light off will you? Some of us are trying to sleep!”
The residents of the portraits along the walls groaned and shifted as you passed with your lantern. You whispered soft apologies and kept up the pace, turning into a less inhabited corridor.
Roaming the halls of Hogwarts definitely felt different now then when you were a student. Back then, there was always a strange exhilaration, straining your ears to listen for quiet footsteps or the low purr of Mrs. Norris. Now you listened carefully for wandering students or lost castle residents as part of your sentry duty.
That was an interesting part of orientation; you were not only expected to herd students back to their dormitories, but any number of lost magical beings. You weren't exactly told who or what that could entail but you didn't let the thought linger.
As you neared the end of the corridor, you heard hushed voices and giggles.
You were near the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room- it was probably just a few kids trying to get a midnight snack from the kitchens.
Sure enough, two third-year Hufflepuffs rounded the corner with a small box filled with cakes and treats.
They froze in the hall when they saw you. “Professor [Last Name]!”
“What are you two doing out and about this late after hours?”
“Oh well we can explain! You see, we were studying in the library, and sort of lost track of time.” The one holding the box started. “And by then we had already missed dinner. We were going to get up for an early breakfast but we were really hungry and just wanted a little snack.”
You looked them over carefully and considered. You recognized them from the greenhouses and Herbology. The two were close friends and, while a little floaty and gossipy, they weren't bad kids. Always on time and took notes. Besides, they seemed to be telling the truth, and at the very least weren’t causing trouble.
“Well you ladies really shouldn't be out this late but, you definitely shouldn't go to bed hungry. Why don’t you just head back to your dorms and next time something like this happens, talk to your Head of House or your prefect.”
They sighed in relief. “Thank you so much Professor [Last Name]. We really are sorry and it won't happen again.”
“Yes, I’m sure you're quite sorry.” Snape's voice was low and dripped with sarcasm as he walked out of the shadows of the far wall. “Yes, I’m sure you're sorry to have been caught out past curfew. Just as you're now sorry that I’ve found you before [Last Name] let you two leave without consequence.”
The flickering light of the lantern in your hand made him seem like a dark glaring specter as he looked from the two Hufflepuffs and then to you.
You had been avoiding him since the potions incident a few days ago, careful to always be working on something, always just leaving as he was entering a room. You knew he had wanted to say something. He kept giving you hard glares and mean scowls when you dipped away.
But now he found you in the halls on your Sunday sentry duty and it would be impossible to get away.
“Ten points from Hufflepuff,” he snapped at the two, “Now get back to your rooms quickly before I tack on a week's detention.”
“Oh, why don't I escort you two then. Make sure you get there safely.” You said quickly and moved toward the pair.
Snape held out his hand and looked at you, his expression clear: You won't be getting away that easily.
“The entrance to Hufflepuff is just round the corner, I’m sure these two wont risk another ten points each by getting distracted.”
The two got the hint, said a quick goodnight and scurried away. You watched them with envy. Why couldn't you just run to the safety of your room? You’d much rather hide under your blankets then deal with whatever quarrel Snape wanted to have.
“Nowhere to hide [Last Name].” he starts silkily.
You pulled your robes tight and crossed your arms, “I don’t hide Professor.” you replied, trying to sound unaffected.
He snorted at that.
“I can’t imagine why you would be trying to hide. All of the students have been singing your praises since you ‘bested’ me the other day.” He dropped any veneer of politeness and looked at you with dangerously glinting eyes.
Your throat felt dry and you took a step back. It really didn’t feel like you bested him at all.
You recalled the group of students that had found you afterwards and gushed about how amazing you had been. To them, you had stood up to the terrifying potions master, and when he had begun to unleash his fury you told him off with a smile and left, leaving him, in their words ‘silently blathering like a baboon’.
It was nice to hear that you weren't a joke to the students, but you were nowhere as confident as you had seemed to them- it had been like fighting against a drowning current.
“What you did was wholly unacceptable. Barging into my class, contradicting me in front of my students. Trying to show off with that gimmick.” His tone was icy and sharp.
You shrunk back as he stepped toward you, his dark figure looming over you as if to swallow you up. “I wasn’t trying to show off. I was trying to help.”
“And you thought you would help by showing how to best cut corners? To cheat out the fundamentals? It's not enough to clumsily figure out a substitution, if there isn’t an understanding of the basics rules in potion making. That understanding has to come before anything else.”
You gave him a measured look. “Then you admit it would have worked?”
“That lazy shortcut would have made a sloppy useless potion.” He snapped.
It was hard to admit, but you knew he was right. You knew that trick would work- you had used it when you had brewed a Wit-Sharpening Potion in the early morning before potions class one year, forgetting that a bottle had been assigned the week prior. But it hadn’t really gotten you a stellar grade per say. And it wasn’t fair to do that to Baranby, or any other student, when they were learning how to create the potion for the first time.
“You’re right.” You said softly and sighed.
A flicker of surprise flashed across his face and he took a step back.
“That doesn't excuse the way you spoke to me in front of the class. That was also unacceptable. But I can see your point. Understanding the fundamentals are what's most important. Even if my way would have worked, it’d be cheating Barnaby and the others out of learning. It’s not fair to them and it... It reflects poorly on me- and on you.”
You forced yourself to keep eye contact with him as you spoke, hoping he would read the sincerity on your face. He wasn’t an easy person to apologize to, but you didn’t want this hanging over you anymore.
Snape’s eyes studied you carefully, and you could swear the intensity of his gaze caused an itchy tickle at the base of your skull.
After a long pause, he straightened out and cleared his throat.“Very well then. I expect you to keep your commitment to the job you were so adamant on doing. Tomorrow night in my office, as we agreed.”
“Yes, of course.” You nodded.
“And at the correct time, [Last Name].” He spoke over his black clad shoulder as he walked into the dark hallway.
And that was that.
You let go of the sigh of relief once his footsteps were out of earshot. Thank goodness, no more avoiding or walking on eggshells, waiting for the inevitable. Hopefully it would be the last altercation you had to have with Severus Snape.