The Root of Protea: Of Snapes and of Lillies

Chapter 4 - Hints and Horrors

It was a little different at Hogwarts this time around.

As a graduate student, Lily was learning to manage several aspects of her life all at once.

Lily had to balance her studies, her job, and her time spent with friends.

Meanwhile, Severus was learning his limitations as a professor as well as the new freedoms that his position allowed.......

Severus had been a victim of bullying during his own school days.

Unfortunately, that did not make Severus very merciful towards his students.

Severus was quick to hand out detention, deduct house points, assign extra work.........

Severus was not even opposed to knocking a mischievous student in the head with a book occasionally.

......Not hard enough to do any real damage, of course, just enough to command respect.

Severus soon realized just how effective his iron-like grip on his classroom was.

Chatter levels in Severus's dungeon were at a minimum.

Very few students dared to misbehave in front of or talk back to Professor Snape.

Students quickly became aware that potions was not the class to slack off in.

Lest they incur Snape's wrath......

While it certainly pleased Severus to punish his students, he felt like he had to be strict, partially due to his young age.

It was important to Severus that his students view him as their teacher, not their friend.

However, Severus was a little more lenient with the students from slytherin house, particularly those whose parents were among Voldemort's ranks.

Severus felt like he didn't have much of a choice there, either.

The last thing Severus wanted was to appear suspicious.

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Soon, the third week of the semester was over.

Severus was truly playing his chess games at that point, and he quickly discovered the hardest part was selecting the next moves for each one.

Severus delivered his weekly reports to Voldemort without error.

And every week as well, Severus met with Dumbledore in private, fulfilling his role as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix.

Keeping those two games separated presented their own challenges, of course, but the game that was hardest to play was the one that Severus cared most about.

The most difficult game that Severus was playing was how to win Lily's affection~.

Severus could only make certain moves with Lily, but so far, he thought he had chosen wisely.

Severus felt that things with Lily were going well.

Were they?

Or was Severus just lying to himself?

Severus was young.

Severus was in love.

Severus was desperate to win the heart of the woman that he loved.

If Severus had been older, he would have been mature enough to shut the idea from his mind when it first presented itself and think nothing more about it.

Severus couldn't.........

He knew he couldn't......

No.