Snape's Interlude

A/N: As always, thanks go to CharmedForce for her talented betaing skills.

Chapter 4.5

Snape's Interlude

The headmaster looked around for a moment before he spoke. "What happened here, Draco?" His eyes probed the boy.

"Nothing," Draco said dismissively.

He assumed that it must have been Hermione's screech that alerted Snape, bringing him to the grounds – any other explanation being just plain creepy.

"Obviously, that is not the case. You are here, and Miss Granger is missing. So, I will ask you again, what has happened here tonight?"

"She's out there." Draco jerked his head towards the vast grounds.

He futilely hoped this explanation would be enough, not wanting to go over the events that had just transpired. Especially with Severus Snape, close friend of his father, and Draco's own supposed warden while Lucius was... away.

Draco still didn't understand how the two men remained friends after the war. What he did know was that Snape's testimony kept his father from spending the rest of his life in Azkaban and kept him from going at all.

Draco had heard the two men talking the day the Aurors came. Do not worry, friend. I will look after the boy while you can not be here to do so yourself, Snape had said. Draco knew what this meant. Any wrongful deeds would reach his father's ear, forcing him to answer to both men in turn. Each confrontation posed its own difficulties, and each needed its own unique tactics to prevail.

"Draco." Snape's voice brought him back to the problem at hand. "Why would Miss Granger want to walk the grounds alone? Somehow, I don't think her Gryffindor bravery extends to werewolves, do you?"

"What are you asking me for?" Draco snapped. "Why would I know anything of some Mudblood's bravery?"

Snape 's eyes narrowed at the comment, but he kept his voice calm. "As unpleasant as her company no doubt is, I'm quite sure Miss Granger does not deserve the petty, bigoted name you are placing upon her."

Draco scoffed, shooting his own glare toward the headmaster and then out unto the grounds. "She deserves anything she gets."

At this statement, Severus furrowed his brow and contemplated the boy. He'd known Draco since his birth, knew he wasn't easily unnerved. There was more to this than mere anger over some childish row.

He made a decision, conjured two chairs and a small table out of thin air, and motioned for Draco to sit. When the younger man reluctantly took the proffered chair, Snape conjured two glasses and a pint of Firewhiskey. Draco eyed the drink for a second, then allowed his lips to break into a small grin.

"I have chosen Firewhiskey because you are of age, and I believe you are mature enough that we could have a drink amongst men. Am I wrong?" Snape looked at him suspiciously.

"No, sir," Draco answered.

"Good." At this, Snape filled the two glasses on the table and lifted his own in toast. "To... a pleasant life... of women, money, family, and friendship."

Draco raised his glass as well and allowed some of the amber liquid to flow down his throat, giving him a slight burning sensation before warming him with a feeling of contentment.

The headmaster eyed the boy over the rim of his glass. "So... what is it that has transpired here tonight?" And with Draco resting his hands on the table, Snape noticed the small piece of paper clutched in his fist.

"Maybe she was playing with fire and she just got burned," Draco answered secretively.

Knowing that Snape was an accomplished Legillimens, Draco pointedly kept his gaze at the glass in his hand.

"Or maybe she was playing with you and she just got burned?" Snape questioned. They seemed to be playing a strange verbal game of chess.

"Maybe it's not your business, or that of my father, as to what I play with," Draco spat, not realizing that Snape had just put him in 'check'.

"Am I to assume that whatever went on between you and Miss Granger is not for your father's ears?" Snape was cool and calculating with each sentence.

Draco realized he had given something away and chose not to answer.

"Draco, you are a grown man...still an adolescent in some respects," Draco glowered at this statement, but Snape just held up his hand in recognition of the boy's feelings and persisted, "but a man all the same. I believe your father has taught you the value of confidences amongst men. What kind of example would I set if I was to betray yours now? If you do not wish me to speak of this to Lucius, he will never hear it from my lips."

Draco glanced up at the man in silent request and was answered with a curt nod.

"However, as I am willing to treat you as a man, I expect you to act like one. Why is Granger out by the lake crying?"

Draco looked at Severus curiously, wondering how he knew where Hermione was, and that she was crying, but then quickly returned his eyes to his glass.

After another moment's consideration, he reluctantly answered, "She wanted something that was mine."

"Is that 'something' what you're holding in your hand?" Snape motioned to the tiny paper clutched in Draco's fist.

With a sickened look on his face, Draco nodded lightly and handed the paper to the headmaster.

Snape looked at it for a moment and then lowered his head, rubbing his hand along his brow. With a deep sigh he asked, "Where did you get this?"

"Some little git gave it to me earlier today."

"And did Miss Granger see it?"

"No! Why would I show her that?" Draco's anger was rising again just thinking about what had transpired.

"So?" Snape questioned.

"So... what?" Draco responded, glancing at the older man.

"So," Snape snapped, a little more angrily than he had wanted to, "I find it hard to believe that just because you told Granger she couldn't look at your things, she became so overcome by emotion that she had to leave your presence and have some kind of slobbering fit down by the lake."

Draco knew he had to tread lightly. This was where he was going to get into trouble. "She tried to take it from me."

A sense of loathing overtook Severus as he considered what the boy may have done. "And did you stop her from taking it?"

Draco paused. He didn't really want to tell Snape that she had gotten it from him, or more importantly, that she had tricked him. "No," was his only reply.

"I see." Severus was trying to remain patient. It was one of the many things he never envied Albus: dealing with children and their games – their lying, and their feeble attempts to cover their tracks.

"So, if I am to understand this situation correctly, somehow Miss Granger knew you had this, but didn't know what it was. And somehow she took it from you, against your will, yet never managed to see it. Am I correct thus far?"

"Yes," Draco answered cautiously.

"My questions then, Draco, are: what made Granger realize you had this 'something' that she just had to see, how did she get it from you, and why would she not look at it after she had taken it?"

The younger man let out a deep sigh. He knew that Snape would not suffer much more of this skimming around the truth. "She knew I had it because she saw me on the grounds today taking it from a second year, and she never saw it because I grabbed it out of her hand as soon as she took it from me." He conveniently left out the 'how' of Snape's questions.

"Well, I believe that just leaves the question of why she is crying then. So far, nothing you've said would seem to warrant such an emotional outburst. Unless..." Severus had a bit of disgust in his tone when he asked, "Did you harm her in some way, Draco? A punishment, perhaps?"

Malfoy looked up, confused for a moment, but then Snape's accusation sunk in. How could his own godfather think him so lowly? He wasn't beyond hexing, but physical violence against a woman, even the Granger wench, was beneath any proper wizard. He wasn't raised by Muggles!

"No," he shouted, disgust evident in his own tone as well. "Look, she took something from me! She tricked me! All I did was grab her hand and take it back."

Letting his emotions best him, Draco didn't realize that he had again given something away.

"How did she trick you?" Snape inquired.

Check.

Draco dropped his gaze, admonishing himself for his slip. Anger began welling up in him. He had done nothing wrong! "She... hurrpmf," he growled. "She..." He furrowed his brow and sneered at his glass, shaking his head with the recollection of his own stupidity. "She got close enough to reach in my pocket and grab it," he finally confessed, hanging his head in shame.

This time it was Snape who glared out into the darkness. "She tried to seduce you then?"

"Yes, sir," Draco replied with his head still bowed.

"Miss Granger's actions will be dealt with accordingly, I assure you. Now, if you would just explain why she is crying, maybe I could forget these infantile games you two are playing and go to bed."

"What the hell did I do?" Draco spat, snapping his head up to meet the older man's gaze. "She's the one that took something that didn't belong to her. She's the one that tried to use sex like some filthy Muggle whore!"

Draco was furious that he was being reprimanded. There was no reason he should have to sit here and explain the wrongdoings of some little trollop! So what if he'd wanted to snog her? At least his actions were genuine. He hadn't tried to use trickery, and he certainly didn't try to take what wasn't being freely offered.

Snape, however, was looking right into the boy's eyes with a calm, cold stare.

Checkmate.

"Did you call her a whore, Draco?"

"No," Malfoy responded adamantly.

"Did you call her a 'filthy Muggle whore'?"

Draco did not answer.

"Calling a woman a whore is certainly not going to get her to fancy you, Draco. No matter how above her station you've convinced yourself you are."

"I don't fancy Granger!" Malfoy shouted.

Snape smirked. "It's a pity that's all you've chosen to take from what I've just said, Mr. Malfoy. Although I find Miss Granger incessantly annoying, I have to assume she has at least some decent qualities as well. I'm sure you would be most benefited to allow those qualities to rub off on you."

Draco began to deny Snape's accusations again, but the headmaster cut him off.

"I am not going to argue with you about what I know to be true," he said, tapping his temple. "Instead, I'm going to give you a bit of advice, man to man."

He paused for a moment, waiting for Draco to look up and give him his full attention.

"If you feel that this woman is worth the trouble it would undoubtedly cause for you two to... consort, then I suggest that you apologize for what you've said. I'm sure there will be a bit of groveling," then added snidely, "there always is with women.

"But if you don't feel that the hardships would be worth the gain, then you should let her be. Miss Granger may be a strong witch, but I don't believe she would fare well against you in matters of the heart, and it would be best not to ruin her chances with another who would probably treat her far better than yourself."

With these words, Snape stood, waiting for Draco to do the same. He then flicked his wand over the table, chairs, and ale and they all vanished. "Good evening, Mr. Malfoy," he said, and he strolled back toward the castle.