Light the candle

~Four~

Severus opened the door and came face to face with a Potter who had also changed, holding his affairs in his hands. His pupil's face is emotionless. He grunts mentally as he notices that the brat is not at all intimidated by him. He takes his wand and purse from his hands and gives him a forced thank you. Potter nods and turns on his heel. The stupid Gryfondor's attitude was disconcerting him more and more. He took a deep breath and followed him. What is the meaning of all of this? What's with this emotionless mask now?

▬♣▬

They both enter a room where a table is set for them to have breakfast. They both sit down without saying a word. Snape watches Potter help himself to breakfast. He then does the same, noticing on the table what he usually eats for breakfast.

"I'm surprised you didn't destroy my presents. Why keep them in a safe if you don't want them?" Potter asks, looking his teacher straight in the eye.

"This is none of your business, Potter." Severus snarls. How does he know I put them in a safe?

The young man raises an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" He says, then starts laughing. A joyless laugh. Potter leans towards the Potion Master, dangerously encroaching on Severus's breathing space.

"Shall I change tactics? Because you don't seem to understand why I'm interested in you?" He says with a cocky smile. In no time at all Severus took out his wand and pointed it at the impertinent Potter scion, giving him an icy glare. He scoffs mentally. As if Potter would be interested in me. Me!? Like anyone would be interested in me.

"I mean if I wanted to just apologise to you, professor I would have just offered you the corpse of the Basilisk." Potter announced, placing two fingers on the older man's wand without removing it from his neck.

Sparks flew from the tip of the black-haired wand. Severus doesn't know why he hasn't cursed the churlish Gryffindor yet. Something inside him prevents him from doing so.

"You!" The Potion Master snaps. He saw the teenager's face soften and gave him a fond smile.

"I see you, Severus Snape." Potter says before sitting down properly and starting his breakfast.

The older man blinked and his face went blank.

¶HP/SS¶

"You can go, Severus." The spy nods and he leaves the director's office after making his report. He was surprised that Albus made no mention of the fact that he had not been in his quarters since the day before. Which meant that either the old fool hadn't noticed his absence. Which is impossible because Albus has eyes everywhere in the castle. Well almost everywhere. Or else something, or rather someone, has managed to fool him into thinking he's back in his quarters.

He arrives at the dungeon and decides to go and see his snakes. It's not very late and he knows that many of his snakes are doing their homework at this hour on the night of saturday. He tries to be there for them as much as possible, knowing how his house is discriminated against by the rest of the school. At least two evenings a week he comes to see them. He does the best he can to help them, whether it's with their homework, their adjustment to life at Hogwarts or their family situation. Deep down Severus knows that he does this because he would have liked to have received this kind of support when he was a pupil at Hogwarts.

"Ophiuchus." He says outside the entrance to Slytherin House.

"Good evening, Miss Parkinson." He greets the Slytherin as he enters the common room. She was sitting alone in an armchair by the fireplace, reading.