𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹 || 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓.

Harry squealed with delight when Professor Snape came into the office to check on him.

"Napey!" he called out happily, but it only took him one look at the Potion Master's face to see that 'Napey wasn't happy to see him also.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said sternly, his voice a whisper. "I hope you are absolutely delighted that you have completely destroyed my image on the first day of class!" the last words were sharply enunciated.

The smile dropped from Harry's face. He knew he was in trouble. Little tears welled up in his eyes and he covered his face with his hands.

"No, no Pot!" he said sadly.

Snape reached out to pick him up, because the hiding in the office arrangement clearly wasn't working. As soon as Harry saw Snape's hand extended however, he drew breath in sharply and shrunk back, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

Snape's countenance softened in an instant. "Harry," he said quietly. "Calm down." He removed Harry's hands from his face and looked into his frightened eyes. "I am not going to hit you."

He picked Harry up, and Harry buried his face in Snape's shoulder, clinging to his robes with both fists. Snape held him there for a moment, but time was wasting away. He needed to go back to his class.

"Alright Harry," Snape said, trying to free himself from Harry's grasp. As soon as he got one of Harry's hands detached from the robes however, Harry would just grab on tighter with the other one, and would snuggle his face even more resolutely into Snape's shoulder.

"Harry," Snape said, not in an angry voice, but forcefully.

Harry shook his head. "No. Pot be!"

It seemed Snape had no other option. With a great feeling of dread, Snape stepped back out into the classroom, wondering how he was ever going to correct this situation.

The students regarded their professor with wide eyes and questioning glances.

"Who's that?" asked a frizzy haired, blue eyed girl, a couple rows back, pointing at Harry.

"This individual," Snape said. "Is my assignment from Professor Dumbledore. He is not to be a distraction,"

Harry took that moment to turn his head to look at the room full of students.

A little girl in the front with blonde pigtails shot her hand up. "Professor? Are you married?"

"No."

"Where did he come from?  Whose is he?"

"Why do you have to watch him?" students were asking.

"I highly doubt any of you need answers to those questions. We are not discussing the details of either my life of his. Potions Class will-"

Snape was interrupted by another student. "Do you also teach Child Development, Professor?" a boy called out.

Snape really was beyond such taunts. He'd been made fun of for "cooking" just about as long as he could remember. Now he was going to be mocked for child care? He didn't think so. Instead of turning red or getting angry, a small smile actually passed Snape's features. "Twenty-five points from Hufflepuff," he said in an even, bored tone.

"What? But Professor!" cried the girl in the front. "It's the first day!"

"Oh, I'm aware of that fact, Miss Wyman," Snape said. "And I don't find that fact particularly disturbing." His voice dropped to a quiet, tense level. " In fact, I would feel no remorse in taking fifty points from your house and giving you all detention, if provided with a reason."

The classroom was quiet.

Snape felt triumphant. "Get out your cauldrons," he told the students. "And, if I were you, I would take notes. I'm only going to give these instructions once."

------------------------ ~♥~ ------------------------

The Hufflepuffs left his classroom as nervous as they'd come in, despite the fact that Snape was still holding Harry on his hip. Well...maybe a little less terrified because Harry began waving goodbye to them as they went out. But still. Snape felt very accomplished. Snape was ready for a short break, and decided not to eat lunch in the Great Hall, but in his rooms. He feared this whole eating alone thing may become a habit-less chances to show the students what an intimidating figure he could be- but decided not to worry about it. If he could keep a classroom quiet and under control, holding a little boy all the while, well, it meant he was good. Real good. Snape was just setting Harry in the booster seat when Dumbledore tapped lightly on the door.

"Severus?" came the Headmaster's voice. "Severus, I brought you your mail. Your owl came, but you never came upstairs to receive any of your letters."

Snape opened the door and accepted the two envelopes which Dumbledore was holding out. "Thank you, Headmaster," he said. "Is there anything else you need? Harry is hungry,"

"No, I'll be on my way," Dumbledore said. He smiled, "But I expect to see you in the Great Hall tonight."

Snape nodded and shut the door. He heard Dumbledore humming as his footsteps echoed through the empty corridor. Snape sat at the table and opened the first letter. It was in a plain white envelope, addressed with shimmery purple ink. Snape set the paper on fire, after reading only the first couple lines.

'Dear Professor Snape,

Come now Severus, these charades must come to an end. I know you have always dreamed of being with me. Our connection is so strong that you cannot hide anything from me, and I can so easily decipher your innermost thoughts. I know you want me, Severus! I know you need me!"

Snape was not sure how angry Dumbledore would be if Professor Trelawney got pushed off the Divinations tower. It would make the whole school a better place, after all. Picking up the second envelope, which was a dark gray, Snape hoped its contents wouldn't be quite so horrifying. What he found, however, was worse.

"Professor Snape,

We are aware that you are acting as Protector for a young boy named Harry Potter. Why are you not doing your duty? We are all very suspicious of you, despite the confidence the Dark Lord had in you. You know how dangerous the boy is, he must be killed. We will know if you do not complete the task."

All that served as a signature was a grotesque drawing of a skull with a snake issuing forth from its mouth. Severus dropped the letter, and shut his eyes. This was getting dirty much faster than he'd anticipated. He needed to talk to Dumbledore, before anything else could happen.