The Space Between Failing and Falling • Snarry •

Chapter 4: Restlessness Before Reprieve

The first day the children are back, Potter once again goes to his office. And once again, it is a Sunday night, and it is his day off.

"It was so weird not to see you at Easter!" Potter is already sitting in the visitor's seat and seems to be reading a Transfiguration textbook. "You'll never guess—Phineas Nigellus said I ought to have been in Slytherin. How strange would that have been?"

"Professor Black," he corrects. "That would have been disturbing."

He doesn't know on what grounds he can ask Potter to leave. No one has ever shown up at his office on a Sunday before.

"Listen, before the holidays, I didn't mean to upset you...though you were really rude..." Potter rubs the back of his neck.

Severus cannot believe the audacity and before he can berate him, the boy continues, "I spoke to Draco. About his parents."

Of course he did. "And what of it?"

"They're soulmates," Potter says earnestly. "A hundred percent."

"Yes yes, this is all very moving—"

"They are! His dad can communicate with his mum but not the other way 'round, because she doesn't have a tattoo in the way."

"A tattoo—in the way—" He does not like the strangled sound his voice is making.

"Yeah. But it wasn't like they're magically no longer soulmates anymore. They just have communication issues. But I reckon that since normal couples don't have the magical-arm-message-thingy, it's no loss really—"

"No loss..." Severus shakes his head. "You should run along back to your girlfriend."

Potter folds his arms. "We broke up. Because I have a soulmate."

Of course they did. "Your love life is of no consequence to me."

"Right. Fine." The berk messes his hair up even more. "Well...goodnight, then."

****

Potter approaches him before the start of the lesson whilst everybody is still thundering in.

"Sir?"

He shifts his weight from leg to leg.

Severus raises his eyebrows.

"I'm applying to a few unis. Er, I was hoping I could put you down as one of my referees—"

Lovegood butts in to say, "I don't think the Wizarding University of London is a wise choice, Harry." Everybody looks at her. "It's a front, I thought everyone knew. The Department of Mysteries uses the students as test subjects in mind control experiments. Daddy did an exclusive article with the widow of Bartholomew Stump—"

"There will be time for gossip after class!" Severus massages his temples. "Take your seats. Now." They crowd towards their desks.

He writes today's incantations on the blackboard before turning to say, "Potter, I will fill in your forms. Luckily for you, it's part of my job description."

Various reference requests arrive by owl, and they are all pointless.

It's Potter. He'll get into anywhere he applies.

****

The second of May is upon them, and by curfew, Severus is tipsy.

Thank Merlin it's fallen on a Sunday and Minerva had some foresight not to assign him tonight's rounds.