Absolution

After yesterday’s performances, Vixen decided that today she would be more careful around Severus as he always managed to get the brunt of her clumsiness. She couldn't get it out of her head as to how it must look to Severus, he must think that she was targeting him on purpose; only he had been soaked and landed on. Vixen was rather hungry when she awoke so she got washed and changed in lightening pace and tore off out the door, knocking paintings down on her way. She stopped at least four times to put the paintings straight again gaining her no favours from the portraits that yelled at her. was was rather flustered when she arrived in the hall and sat down in her seat in-between Severus and Minerva. As she sat down heard Severus groan, Vixen got the impression he didn't want to sit next to her. Few moments later she knew he didn't want to sit next to her. She was half way through her breakfast when she started to choke on a sausage; she made to grab a glass of water but sent it spilling in to Severus's lap. They both stood up simultaneously and she grabbed a cloth and tried to dry him off a bit, Minerva who was next to Vixen was trying hard not to laugh. With her cloth Vixen touched forbidden areas and Severus finally snapped at her.

"Why you clumsy wench! Get off me, I do not trust you, you'll probably ruin my manlihood, you're a ticking time bomb, a disaster waiting to happen" He hissed at her, Vixen went red in the face, Minerva could see this getting out of hand and was about to calm down Severus but Vixen stopped her.

"I’m so sorry Severus,” she muttered feebly

"Sorry doesn't flaming well cut it, does it?!"

"N-No I-I suppose it doesn't S-Sorry" Vixen started to let tears roll down her face, Minerva shot Severus a deadly glare but he hadn't noticed, Vixen got up pushed her chair back which toppled over and crashed on the floor. Vixen stumbled as she pulled it up and then was about to make a quick exit when Severus spoke again.

"One more thing, call me Professor!" As he said it Vixen stormed out the great hall, just as well the students hadn't arrived otherwise they could have used it against her in lessons.

"Severus grow up" Minerva snapped at him and then followed in Vixens direction

Later on Minerva paid Vixen a visit to see if he was OK after her earlier encounter with Severus, Vixen was sitting in her vacant classroom wishing that she could go hide under a rock.

"He's not that bad you know" Minerva tried to defend her colleague not that she really wanted to.

"I really didn't want to make him angry with me" Vixen stated

"I know, he knows it too, he just has a different way of showing it" Minerva tried to reassure her

"I don't know why I left the great hall next time he speaks to me like that I will turn him into a pig!" Minerva laughed at this; she remembered their conversation the other day

"I don't think Severus would make a good pig, maybe a-" Minerva started off but was soon finished when Severus came swooping into the room

"An over grown bat who makes peoples lives hell perhaps?" he sneered, Minerva looked at him and gave him an 'its rude to butt in look' but didn't say it and left Vixen to talk to Severus.

"Not much point in turning you into that, no one would know the difference" Muttered Vixen under her breath but Severus heard her and slammed the door so hard Vixen jumped and knocked over a few chairs.

"Why Albus hired you I'll never know, you are the most clumsy, foolish, in experienced wench ever to step foot in Hogwarts and believe me its a hard feat when you have students like Longbottom and Parkinson around!"

"Why don't you do me a favour and get lost Professor, I do not desire your presence!" Vixen snarled

"Do you a favour? You don't deserve a favour from me so I'll be on your back until you're out the door!" Severus spat at Vixen who stood up close to him glaring at him

"Careful Snape any one would suspect you of stalking me" She sneered; Severus grabbed her by the arms so tight that she couldn't move. She looked into his eyes and vice versa, it was impossible to say who loathed who more

"Ahem, I trust I'm not disturbing anything?" Came the calm voice of Dumbledore, Severus looked at Vixen and let go, both of them shook their heads "Severus I need a word with you" Severus nodded and followed the Headmaster out the door, Vixen shook her head and went about sorting out her book shelf.

It was four in the afternoon and the day had passed by without incident since Severus had been in. Vixen was now happily humming to herself and was doodling on a scrap piece of parchment when a shadow came across the parchment, without looking up she knew who stood before her.

"And what do you want?" she muttered with a bitter tone, he used his finger to lift up her face so he could look her in the face.

"Don't use that tone with me, I came to inform you that we are needed in the Great Hall as the sorting will begin when the first years arrive, you are also to be sorted" Vixen nodded at him, he turned on his heel and trailed off out the door, Vixen put down a book and followed him. As they entered the hall Vixen saw many smiling faces, she did notice however that Minerva and Hagrid were not present. Vixen took her seat next to Severus, she had no one to talk to seeing as Severus was on one side and the seat next to her was empty because Minerva was fetching the first years. She hadn't got to wait long in the silence as Minerva and Hagrid came in with the new students, once the first years came in they all stood nervouss ons one by one they were called up to the stool in which the sorting hat sat. Once all the students had been sorted it was Vixens turn, she walked round the head table and over to the stool where she sat down, Minerva placed the hat on her head and the Hat started to speak

"Hmm interesting, stubborn and fiercely loyal, bright but has a tendency to be clumsy when nervous also brave and level headed - Gryffindor!"

Minerva smiled at Vixen as she made her way back to her seat; Severus stared at her so she stuck her tongue out at him, which made him give her a deadly scare. After Albus had introduced her and two late arrivals in the staff department, Blaine Winters the new Muggle Studies Professor and Helen Bywater the new assistant for Poppy in the Hospital Wing he then summoned for the students to eat. Minerva struck up a conversation with Vixen, who was relived that she didn't have to sit in silence.

"So Vixen are you happy with the house you were sorted into?" Minerva asked, Vixen smiled and replied

"Yeah, too right, I had a feeling he was going to put me in Slytherin, didn't want to go in that house though seeing as I'm not a grumpy sarcastic-"

"Bat?" Severus overheard her and interrupted, Minerva gave a little cough, which was mistakably like a little laugh.

"Yeah Snape, if you like, any way do you think you could keep your substantially large nose out of a conversation in which you have no belonging to?" Vixen hissed quietly so only Minerva and Severus could hear.

"I wouldn't need to stick my 'substantially large' nose into your affairs if you didn't have house favourites" Severus hissed back.

"Well S, It, Its not houses I favour its the heads of houses, Minerva is a much more tolerable person than you could ever hope to be" Vixen snapped, Severus didn't seem to have an answer for that and carried on eating his dinner, Minerva shrugged when Vixen looked at her. Soon after Severus bid good evening to Minerva and others around him but totally blanked Vixen was was actually relieved as she didn't want another argument.