Chapter 2

A/N: This story was written quite a while ago, and some of you may have read it on another archive. Slytherinlaurel has given it an overhaul for me and it came out even better. She is a wonderful beta, and I couldn't repost these without her wonderful assistance. This is one of the first fanfics I ever wrote and was inspired by the Gary Allen song “Man to Man.” It is not a song fic, really, but a recognition of the song's universal situation. This is a three-chapter ficlet from Severus. The next story, "Something to Talk About," will come from Hermione. Both are completely written and will follow in a timely manner.

Disclaimer: I will say this once. My initials are not JKR. There. End of Story.

He was just covering Hermione with a blanket when he heard his classroom door slam open for the second time that evening.

Severus Snape sneered to himself as he heard his ‘visitor.’ That boy could wait until Lucius Malfoy grew wrinkles before Snape would hurry with this task. He flicked his wand over the girl, and the accumulated potions smears, dribbles and mess on her face and robes disappeared. Another flick lit the fireplace. Yet another dimmed the candles and sconces.

With the unhurried grace that he had perfected over years preying upon unsuspecting Hufflepuffs, he moved from his office – via a door that he now had to open – and into his classroom. As he had suspected there was a rather irate, male Gryffindor standing over Miss Grangers’ belongings.

Though most of the students could guess Professor Snape had a temper, very few had ever seen it in full force. Severus had grown very good at hiding the storm that raged inside him, most of the time. But this insolent Gryffindor was lowering the walls separating his freckles from Severus' fury very quickly.

“Well, well, if it is not one of the resident Gryffindor dunderheads. Come for a volunteer detention? Gryffindor bravery is certainly strong tonight.” The soft, menacing words somehow managed to echo off all the walls of the dungeon, producing an effect similar to Stupefy in its victim. Finally, the tall, lanky young man straightened his shoulders before gathering that same maligned bravery. When he managed to turn around, he faced a Professor who seemed to be oozing more evil than usual.

“I was just…” he paused, reflexively swallowing, “looking for Hermione. We had a d-- meeting this evening, and she didn’t come. She missed dinner, too.” The boy’s eyes were large, bright and slightly dilated.

Black eyes, cold and harsh, bored into the student’s. Snape’s mind remembered the girl’s eyes when she entered his classroom earlier that evening. Whatever the reason that she had not wanted to be with this little... dunderhead... it was something serious. “You have missed her, apparently. When you find her, you may tell your friend that she has lost Gryffindor five points for littering my classroom.” Snape sneered at the boy who was now looking more indignant by the second. “And as for you, I suggest you get back to your tower before curfew. If I catch you still about, it will be fifty points from Gryffindor for you and whomever you are with.”

The boy said nothing else, but clearly wanted to speak the disrespectful thoughts running through his head. His eyes widened and flared; his temper was begging to be let out and given a few minutes reign. However, in one of the smartest moves he had made since first year, he held that temper in check and left the Potions classroom - but not before he slammed the door behind him.

Snape glowered at the door as if he could pierce the boy who had just left. Damn male Gryffindors. They were always acting so… Gryffindorish. At the thought of Gryffindors, his mind flashed a picture of the female lying on his office couch. Why she was worth such consideration he did not yet know, but he was finding that she was different from her housemates. She, at least, could keep a civil tongue in her head and had learned how to keep her own mouth shut – most of the time.

He, out of habit, started to bottle the cooled and completed potions and placed her freshly prepared ingredients under a holding charm. In just a few minutes, he was done, but he still did not know what to do about the sleeping girl on his couch. If this were any other student, he would have woken her with a rather rude jinx and sent her about her way with a nice deduction of points. However, as she was not any other student, and the situation was definitely not a normal one, he could not. Minerva was not in the castle now, so he could not send her there.

Severus sighed as he walked back into his office – via a door that once again opened for him and his armful of supplies. As he sat the supplies down on the shelf next to the door, he saw the answer – a flask of a very special potion. A wicked smile appeared on his face. She could go there, and no one would think anything of it.

He walked over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Just as he was about ready to throw it in the fire, he saw a burst of green flames.

And Albus Dumbledore’s head.