Eye of the Beholder

Author’s Note:

This story was kicked off of ff.net, so I am re-posing it here.

The story starts off a bit slow to get the background set. Once the main characters hit the school dance, the pace of the story will quicken, as Lucius enters the scene, and things get complicated for Snape. The later chapters do get a bit ‘dark’ (themes of torture, but not really graphic stuff). Please be forwarded.

I was a bit tired of the Harry/Hermione/Ron do-gooder scenario, so I have them make an appearance, but they will not be the focus of this story.
 
Disclaimer. J.K. Rowling owns all characters (except for Sasha and a few other new ones). I make no claim to creating her wonderful characters, or settings, and do not intend to make any money from the story.
 
Chapter 1. Potions Class
Snape surveyed the sixth stu students in his potions class through hooded eyes. They are pathetic, he thought. It was now November, and they were struggling with the current assignment - a simple potion that when applied to the skin would temporarily reduce pimples. These students were of an age that this tended to be a major issue, and if they were successful with their potions, it would actually benefit them. If they were not - Merlin help them, Snape thought, he did not want to think of the consequences of applying a botched pimple potion. At least this would be a good test to see how they were progressing with their practical skills.
 
Without appearing to, Snape watched the students around the class, and listened into their conversations. Two of his least favourite Gryffindors were hunched over their cauldrons, and Snape realized they were adding double the quantity of ragwort called for.
 
\"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, exactly what,\" Snape stood up and slowly advanced towards the students, \"do you think, you, are, doing?\" At the sound of Snape\'s clipped, cold tone, both students froze then looked up.
 
\"Uh, adding ragwort, sir?\" Weasley squeaked out. Snape narrowed his eyes even further and leaned over the table where they two boys still stood frozen, and placed his hands on either side of their cauldrons. He was an intimidating figure.
 
\"And how much are you adding, hmm?\" Snape\'s deliberately quiet, falsely inquisitive voice easily rang throughout the room. In response, the rest of the students in the class quieted, and all attention was focussed on the two Gryffindors.
 
\"Uh, a lot, sir?\" Weasley\'s face went deep red, and his voice cracked on the final ‘sir’.
 
Snape knew the answer to his next question before he asked it. \"And why are you adding twice the quantity required?\" Snape spoke in the same deadly quiet voice, and moved his face in close to Weasley\'s, so the two were almost nose to nose. Ron could hardly speak at this point, and was visibly shaking under the intensity of Snape’s frosty stare. Ron’s mouth opened to reply, but no sound came out.
 
\"So we would achieve twice the strength of the potion. Sir,\" Harry responded for his friend since Ron was, at this point, unable to speak.
 
\"Forty points from Gryffindor, for your blatant stupidity!\" Snape maliciously spat out, pushing himself away from the desk and turning to face the rest of the class. He eyed the students who, at this point, had all resumed what they were previously doing, and were desperately trying to avoid meeting his stare. \"Can anyone tell me why the oh-so-brilliant idea of adding more ragwort will not increase the strength of the potion? Hmm? Anyone?\"
 
Hermione\'s hand shot straight up into the air, wiggling to get Snape’s attention. Snape looked at her and rolled his eyes in resigned disgust. \"Anyone else besides Little Miss Know-it-all?\" Snape asked in his most caustic, sarcastic tone. There was nothing more he hated than Harry and his little groupies. Especially Hermione Granger, who took every opportunity to answer questions in class, and show-off. At Snape\'s reply, Hermione deflated somewhat, but mustered her courage to answer.
 
\"Because ragwort is not the active ingredient in this pimple potion,\" she smugly replied. \"The wormwood is.\" A slow smile spread across Snape face, which in this case, was not a good thing for Hermione.
 
\"Oh really? Ten points from Gryffindor for Miss Granger’s failure to provide a correct answer.\" At this, Hermione\'s face dropped, and her mouth actually gaped opened.
 
\"But sir, Potions Today ran an article that said wormwood is good for the skin, helps reduce blemishes, and can even fade scars,\" she whined.
 
Snape crossed his arms, looked at Hermione and smirked. \"If you had read the article carefully Miss Granger, you would have realized that wormwood was but one of the ingredients mentioned, and it is mainly used as a cleanser in a clarifying potion. It is NOT useful in reducing pimples.\" Hermione looked shocked at the rebuke and looked down, speechless for once.
 
At this point, Snape turned to face the rest of the class. \"Now, can anyone else tell me what the active ingredient in the pimple potion actually is, or do I have to assign a foot of homework to provide incentive?\" Snape took his time and carefully examined the face of each student around his class. All but one desperately tried to appear busy, avoiding his gaze. In the back corner of the class Sasha Rowan sat alone. She calmly returned Snape’s gaze, but did not make any attempt to volunteer an answer.
 
\"Miss Rowan, perhaps a Ravenclaw would have more insight into this?\" Snape inquired coldly. Sasha was surprised that Snape had noticed her, but if it was one thing she knew about, it was concealing and fading potions. She had been brewing and testing them as long as she had been practicing magic. As long as she had her scar.
 
\"Actually,\" Sasha began in a quiet, matter of fact voice, \"the ragwort is the stabilizer in the reaction, the wormwood is an astringent, and it is the driets bts blood that is the active ingredient. However the potion cannot be activated until the blood has absorbed the essence of the ragwort and congealed, then liquefied under prolonged heat. Longer simmering will actually increase the potency, but only up to a point. Too much heat, and you will denature the proteins in the blood, and the potion will be irreversibly ruined.\"
 
Snape was impressed, very impressed, however he was not about to let Sasha know that. \"And exactly how did you come by this information, Miss Rowan, seeing that this is the first time I have introduced this potion to my students?\" Snape was genuinely curious. At this point, the rest of the class had turned to stare at her, some sniggering. Sasha could just imagine what the others were thinking, and felt an embarrassed heat rise to her face. This just made the long scar stand out more visibly across her cheek and jaw. She looked down at the desk in front of her, letting her hair fall forward to hide her hated scar without being overtly obvious about it.
 
She would not give Snape, or more importantly, the rest of the sixth years, the satisfaction of knowing she has tried brewing hundreds of potions, desperately looking for something that would remove, or at least slightly fade the scar that marred her face. She had tried so hard to hide the fact that she cared what people thought of her.
 
Snape was getting impatient, and narrowed his eyes at Sasha. \"Well, Miss Rowan, don’t keep us in suspense.\"
 
\"I… I don’t know sir, probably just from reading, I guess,\" she stammered. It sounded like a weak excuse even to her own ears, and she could feel the heat of embarrassment rising even higher up her face.
 
\"Really,\" Snape said, the disbelief clear in his voice. \"Since I believe you have failed to be honest with me, then you deserve a detention for your efforts. Here, tomorrow evening, at six.\" With that, Snape turned his back on Sasha, effectively dismissing the issue.
 
Oh no, Sasha thought to herself. Just what she needed, a detention with Snape. Well, there was not too much to do except show up she thought. She forced herself to focus on the rest of the class, as difficult as that would be under the circumstances.