The Taming of the Snape

Harry spelled a spell-check. Read and reread for the sake of grammar, and gently rolled up the parchment. He had missed lunch but dinner could be made to make up for it.

He silently hoped that Snape would be in the hall tonight, but over the years Harry had noticed that come weekends or holidays Snape seldom emerged from his private quarters. At least that was where everyone assumed he was.

Saturday ended in a daze. Harry was remotely aware of Hermione insisting on reading his homework so he could be assured to ‘not have to do it again’ he automatically held it out for her to peruse and then mentally kicked himself. *sigh*.

“Wow… Oh Harry this is really, really good” Hermione wondered how he had come up with something like this. She secretly spelled it checking for outside help and found … none.

Silently she fumed (just a little) maybe it was beginners luck. She didn’t mind being seen as the ‘Teachers Pet” but to be Snapes pet, well that was one that she would be happy to let slide. “Good Luck Harry” Hermione smiled. She had known about his little fixation for a while, it was a girl thing this intuition, but he was kind of obvious.

Ron tried reading the parchment over Hermione’s shoulder. He screwed up his nose. “Err yeah what she said, Harry” with barely a pause and no obvious breathe or punctuation Ron flew into the ‘You are coming with us to Hogsmeade’ routine. There was no choice but to concede.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sunday dawned just like all of the days before it but somehow Harry knew something had changed. Ron and Hermione met him in the common room and together all three inhaled breakfast.

Hermione thoughtfully mentioned this lovely little shop that had recently opened in the town, and it was into there that she dragged him. With a well timed “Oopsy forgot something be right back ” she left him alone to his curiosity, and the sight of one very baffled Ron being hauled off down the main road.

Harry gazed around the shop. He seemed to be the only one there at this hour, save for the attendants who smiled at him warmly, but he could hear voices like little bells. Still it was a magical shop so maybe something here had been spelled to speak. Armed with growing interest he scanned the shop.

“I am sssssooooo bored” … “I am more bored than you ssssshall ever be” Harry honed in on the ‘little bells’ and you can only imagine his delight when he found the source. Merlin only knows what the attendant thought of this very animated customer but she was naturally happy to assist.

When Hermione and the ‘Baffled’ Ron returned Harry was grinning. He hugged them both soundly. If Hermione had been his type he may have married her right there and then, have to love the girl. Ron’s bafflement went up a notch.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Emerging from one of the better nights, correction days sleep Snape could remember, he stretched with pleasure.

His hand hit something cold on his pillow. Momentarily puzzled he picked it up and gazed at the framed photograph. Wistfully he caressed the gentle curves of the adored face, and held it to his chest feeling a familiar pain there in.

He smiled at the picture who smiled back. His portrait above the hearth knew that look, knew that ache, and watched solemnly as the picture was slipped back into the drawer with an audible sigh.

Dinner was summoned to his quarters although it was more like a combined breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fed and in muggle attire Snape apparated to his class room. He cast a disgusted glare at the heap of homework huddling on his desk, reached for the total crap pile (as he thought of it) aka Gryffindor B grade with plans on working his way up and hopefully into a better frame of mind.

(Yes one could apparate inside of the wards. You just couldn’t apparate from outside of them to inside of them. But apparition was employed by the staff and by the house elves on a regular basis.)

Saturday whispered by courtesy of such a cosy lie in he continued through the small hours of Sunday, marking with great enthusiasm and oft time’s creative use of English. He listed all of the books he had marked and noticed one was missing, Harry-bloody-Potter.

Silently fuming he thought about apparating the lad *man* directly to his quarters, possibly hanging upside down over a pit of crocodiles. When he recalled he had taken it to his rooms. **blush** He command its presence and as it popped up on his desk, his left arm went into a seizure.

When the first wave of pain passed, Snape went into automatic collecting a multitude of potions that he just knew he would need later. Some he hid on himself shrunken down to be inconspicuous some he would place at his apparation point outside the wards.

The second wave hit and he doubled over. When it passed he lay gasping for breathe. **Have to go, soon**

He apparated to his rooms, threw on snake-faces ‘uniform’ grabbed his mask, and flooed Dumbledore with the news. Before the third pain could incapacitate him he apparated to the edge of Hogwarts wards, walked through them.

In a heartbeat he deposited his small collection of vials into his usual spot and apparated away.