... You and I Collide - Part II

A/N: Thanks to my beta, ImOnMedication! She's awesome. I would love to get some feedback on this. I'd love to know your thoughts on Snape being a victim. Remember, reviews are better than chocolate!

***

"I must say, Severus, that was the most disappointing display I have ever seen," said Dumbledore reprovingly. "You acted like a fifth year...damn your infernal temper!"

Snape sulked in his chair. It was uncharacteristic for the Headmaster to speak to him in such a tone, but Snape had never acted in such an unprofessional manner towards a student during all his years of teaching. And in front of the other Heads of Houses! It was a good thing she ended up a Slytherin, or one of the other professors may well have had his hide for breakfast!

Dumbledore sat in his chair behind his desk and observed the surly young wizard.

"Severus," he began in his normal tone. "I have never asked or pushed for you to divulge information that was not pertinent towards the defeat of Voldemort. However, it seems there is some history, some deep-seated...dare I say hate...towards this young girl?"

"Headmaster, I have precious little privacy as it is. May I please ask that you not force this issue?" he spat bitterly. "I shall give you my word that I shall treat Miss Dangler no better or worse than any other student."

"Severus, I received an owl today. I was going to discuss this while Miss Dangler was with us, but alas, we must do this now. You do know Madam Peale?"

Severus frowned. "Peale? You don't mean the Potions mistress, Margaret Peale?"

"The very same. She lives here in this country, but years ago, she moved to France when she married and had a child. Soon after the birth, she divorced and returned to England. Her husband refused her to take the child out of France. The child is our Miss Dangler."

Severus was stunned. "Margaret Peale had a child? Isn't she old?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, yes, she was 40 when she had Amanda, but that is not the point. You are aware of her reputation. She is one of the most honoured and well-respected Potion mistresses in the country. She is very determined that Amanda be apprenticed in Potions. It seems Amanda wants to become an Auror, and that is unacceptable to Madam Peale. She is insisting that you take her on for a two-year apprenticeship after she finishes her term here."

Snape was incensed. "Absolutely not! Absolutely NOT! I don't want that little chit around me anymore than is necessary!"

"And again, Severus, I cannot seem to avoid the issue. What history could there possibly be between you and a 17-year-old girl?"

"It's her father!" Snape blurted out bitterly, annoyed at the insinuation of impropriety.

"Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "Not another student that will bear the brunt of your spleen because of the 'sins of the father'? Aren't you rather occupied in that area with Mr. Potter?"

Snape glared at the old man. "This is nothing like Potter. This is nothing like that. And I refuse to talk about it. It's private."

"What shall I say to Madam Peale? Taking her daughter on as an apprentice...that would be a wise move. Very ambitious move, Severus." Dumbledore knew he was playing dirty pool. Ambition and recognition were what fueled the Potions master.

Snape glared darkly at the old man again before he swept out of the office with a loud bang.

***

Amanda woke early, before anyone else. She took her trunk and made her way into the bathroom, showered, and changed. She managed to find her way to the seventh-year girls' dormitory and slid her trunk under an empty bed. A girl stirred in the bed next to her. She quietly stole away and made her way out of the common room with her satchel.

She wandered the halls and stumbled upon the Great Hall. She sat on a chair near the door, fiercely clutching her wand. She must have fallen asleep, she woke up with a start...someone was near her. She jumped.

"I apologize for startling you, Miss Dangler," said Dumbledore. "I noticed you were up rather early and that you had made your way here. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, sir," she answered.

Dumbledore observed the girl. She was clean, showered, dressed appropriately, but had horrible dark circles under her eyes. There was a look there in her eyes, like a hunted animal. Her eyes never stayed still. She was edgy and nervous.

"Is there something I need to know about, Miss Dangler? Something about Professor Snape?" he asked quietly.

"Snape?" she blurted as she whipped around.

Dumbledore was deeply concerned. The girl was extremely paranoid and clearly frightened of the Potions master.

He tried in vain to meet her eyes. "I want you to know that Professor Snape gave me his word he would treat you like any other student. You have nothing to fear here at Hogwarts, Miss Dangler. I promise you."

"Okay," she muttered. But she still shook. She was trembling with fear.

Students were filing in as well as the teachers. Dumbledore pointed Amanda towards the Slytherin table, and she sat back at the end, far as she could from the High Table where Snape sat.

***

Amanda had been thoroughly embarrassed when Dumbledore had announced her arrival as a new Hogwarts student. She stood and refused to make eye contact with anyone. If she had observed, she would have seen the smarmy leers from some of the Slytherins, and the angry look upon Professor Snape. All she could think of was getting through her Advanced Potions class.

She came in and did not know where to sit. Snape roughly told her he wanted her to sit at the front of the class opposite him at his desk. She wearily went forward and went about her business.

Snape announced they would be making the Draught of Peace Potion. Amanda had precious little room to work with, as his desk was full of all his papers and other students' scrolls waiting to be graded. She felt as if she was being baited, but she knew she couldn't risk getting expelled if she lost her temper again. If she were bold, she would try to pry into his mind, but she was too exhausted and jittery to concentrate. If she had infiltrated his mind, she would have seen his plot to vex her into attacking him again...and in front of her classmates as well! As she worked, she felt his glare on her. Then he began his verbal assault, his voice soft and quiet. Only she could hear his bile.

"I don't know why you are here. It seems a waste of time. You should tell your mother to make you return to Beauxbatons."

"I see the older Slytherin boys looking at you. You have not been prepared for life as a Slytherin. If you are still a virgin, you may as well kiss it goodbye. You probably won't be one by the end of tonight."

She felt her jaw clench at that remark. Her anger was rising dangerously.

"Your father was a swine, and you are probably just like him. Are you a little slut, Miss Dangler? I think I know you better than you realize."

That was it. She'd had enough.

She leveled her eyes to his and shouted out loud enough for the entire class to hear.

"What was that, Snivellus? That was your little nickname, wasn't it?"

The class fell deathly silent, and then someone tittered. Snape's eyes were ablaze. He didn't think...didn't care. He raised his wand and shouted, "CONFRINGO!"

Learning how to Wizard Duel with an ex-Death Eater had made Amanda Dangler a formidable combatant. With amazing skill she screamed, "PROTEGO!" and shielded herself from his curse. The room around her shield blew apart, sending students running for their lives. But it wasn't over.

Amanda dashed over towards the door, and flung a table on its side to shield herself and think of what to do next. She had only a split-second before Snape thundered, "REDUCTO!"

Her table was blasted to bits. She flew back into the wall, wounded from the bits of flying wood.

"INCARCEROUS!" she yelled as ropes flew out of her wand and bound Snape.

He sneered and muttered, "Diffindo."

The ropes burst off him as he slowly stalked towards the girl. Damned if he was let her destroy his room! She was fast, but not fast enough as he shut the door and warded it with a flick of his wand. She tried to work out the wards quickly as he prowled towards her. She finally gave up and ran in the opposite direction screaming, "STUPEFY!"

She missed. She stumbled as a Tripping Jinx hit her. She glanced backward at the wizard. What had she been thinking? Battling a grown wizard! She scrambled to get up and get her wand that had flown out of her hand, but Snape was already standing over her. He placed his boot on her hand and squeezed down. She screeched in pain. He let up and assessed her situation. He grabbed her by her long hair, and pinned her against the corner of the room; his hand wrapped tightly around her throat, but loose enough to allow her to talk.

"Why are you doing this? Who sent you?" he ordered.

"No one sent me," she gasped as she tried to claw at his hand.

"What grudge do you have against me?" he demanded.

"I don't have one, Snape. But you have one with my father. I know. I know everything!" she panted. "Now go ahead, rape me, kill me, torture me...just get on with it, and let me die!"

Snape was frozen in horror. He released the girl and quickly backed off from her. She slipped down the corner. Her robes were ripped, her face bleeding. Her eyes were so black from exhaustion and defeat. What had that animal told her? he thought.

Suddenly, the door blew apart. There stood Dumbledore and McGonagall with the entire N.E.W.T. level Advanced Potions class, staring in disbelief at the shambles of the Potions room. Dumbledore fixated solely on Miss Dangler, wounded and prostrate in a corner, her face peppered with lacerations and her robes torn, with Severus Snape hovering over her, seemingly in a trance, unaware of their presence.

"Severus?" he called out gently.

"Everyone, get out!" Snape roared. "I take full responsibility for this."

"Severus," Dumbledore pleaded.

"LEAVE!" he screamed.

He whirled around with anguish in his eyes. "I assure you, I will take Miss Dangler to Madam Pomfrey, and I will deal with this situation. Now if you please?" he asked curtly.

Dumbledore looked directly into Severus' eyes. The unspoken words in the young man's eyes told him it would be all right. Dumbledore then nodded and led the group away from the room.

When the room finally emptied, Snape knelt by Amanda. "Tell me," he whispered.

"Just do Legilimency. I can't say it." She broke apart sobbing. All of the terror and fear came out.

Snape saw her father hit her, leaving a scar to make her remember his name: Severus Snape. He also saw him forcing his daughter into the Pensieve and saw his own rape and the rape he committed under Dangler's tutelage. Just when he thought he could bear no more, he heard the threat, "You come across him, don't ever let him know you are my daughter, because if you do, he will do to you what he did to that poor Muggle girl, and probably worse. He is one of the most vicious and cunning Death Eaters to have ever served the Dark Lord." Then he saw the suicide. Amanda was covered in her father's blood, screaming, trying to make the blood flow stop. It was enough.

He released the girl's mind. She was lying on the filthy floor, broken in her fear. She truly believed he would do all those things and worse at the first chance. He hated Dangler, hated what he and Lucius had done to him, and hated himself for being the person that such a bright, and intelligent witch would loathe and fear. He looked down again and saw she had passed out. He reached down and picked her up and carried her into his private rooms. He tended to her wounds, and repaired the tears to her robes. He traced the scar on the side of her left eye delicately with his finger. What was he going to do? She knew...she saw the most humiliating moment of his life.

He backed off the bed as if it were on fire. His shame and self-hatred overwhelmed him. She was a mirror of his filth. He had to get her out of here! He summoned Madam Pomfrey, and she helped to get her up to the infirmary. After she was settled, he came back and wrote a letter to the girl, explaining her fears were unfounded and he would not ever hurt her again, and also that it would be best for them to never pass one another's paths. When he finished and had the letter sent, he drank himself into a drunken haze, so full of rage, fear, and shame that he eventually passed out on the floor.