Loved By You. (A Severus Snape Love Story)

Chapter Twenty: Teaching Trials

2nd November 1995

Soon enough Monday came and we were all back to our normal classes.
I hadn't completely gotten over Draco but after talking to my friends and spending a bit more time with Severus I started to forget about him and enjoy myself some more.
I joyfully skipped into the potions classroom where I would be assisting Snape with the first years. I was early - as I had planned - but just in time to catch Snape coming from his private quarters to take a seat at his desk. His eyes shot up when the door clicked shut. I smiled, clutching my textbooks to my chest and made my way over to him.
"Hey." I grinned, sitting my stuff on the nearest desk to me.
"Hi." He nodded in acknowledgement but didn't show too much emotion, I hadn't expected him to anyway. Quickly Severus went back to looking at his work and ignoring me. Frustrated I pushed it all aside and sat on his desk facing him. Still he didn't pay attention and continued with the remainder of the papers he had access to. I sighed in exasperation, balanced my foot on the edge of his chair, and finally took his chin in my hands and physically forced him to look at me.
"Severus." I groaned.
"Do you mind?" He grunted.
"Actually yes, I do." I stated. "We've barely spoken a word since the other day and now you're ignoring me, Severus."
Begrudgingly the professor put down his quill, and with one hand rubbed an eye before resting his thumb on his chin and pointer finger on his temple, sighing lightly.
"I'm not ignoring you." He insisted. "I just have work to get on with. Whatever's going non between the two of doesn't change that, this is still school hours and I'm expecting a class, I have to prepare." He explained.
"Fine." I crossed my arms, pushing myself off his desk. "Whatever. I get you're not keen on this I'll just give you some space." I informed, wandering around the class awaiting the students.
"Don't be stupid." Snape's gruff voice echoed from behind me.
I went to open my mouth to agrue and complain that he should not insult me in such a way, but was stopped when I felt his strong hands on my shoulders, turning me around.
This time it was his turn to take my chin in his hand, and gently make me look at him. I looked up through my eyelashes and watched as he closed the gap between us. For the third time I felt his lips on mine and I knew I would never grow tired of this action. Severus' hand sweeped from my chin over to my cheek and brushed my face with his thumb, before running a hand through my hair, his lips slowly parting from mine.
Even when he had stopped kissing me I kept my eyes closed savouring the moment, a large smile spreading across my face.
He reached for my hand, shortly grasping my fingers before the door was thrown open and a buddle of children stormed in. At that moment my eyes fluttered open and I was brought back to reality.
We jumped away from each other, putting some distance between us and before I knew it Snape was already at his desk and back to his usual cold demeanour, no longer looking at me.

The children scrambled in, screaming and shouting as they took their seats until they were stopped.
"Silence." The potions master bellowed, instantly quieting them. A few children that were still standing or in mid-position to sit froze before daring to make that extra second of noise to be properly seated. Snape threw them a deathly glare, as the fidgeted nervously and avoided eye contact by looking down at their shoes. I returned an equally threatening gaze, reminding Severus they were only young. He sighed and reconsidered his position, attempting to make himself look a little less threatening. I smiled to him and then to the class, reassuring everybody.
"Now that you have all settled down, I would like to announce that today's lesson shall be taken by Miss Dumbledore." I was completely caught off guard by this announcement, never once had he mentioned I would be teaching the class and I had absolutely nothing prepared. "Everyone get out your cauldron and ingredients." Snape finished.
Quickly I made my way over to the professor, with panic in my eyes.
"What am I supposed to do? I haven't got anything planned." I argued, lowering my voice as I stood looking down at the man by his desk.
"Improvise." He droned.
"Is this supposed to be some kind of punishment? are you trying to embarrass me? what have I done?"
"You've done nothing, and I'm not trying to embarrass you, it's the opposite in fact." He explained. "I want to push you to do better, this is an opportunity to work on your skills, think on your feet. When you become a teacher that is often the case, you don't always have the luxury the plan out everything."
"Who says I want to become a teacher?" I shot back instantly.
"Its just a suggestion." Snape replied. "It's certainly the best way to put your potions skills to test, no other job would allow such flexibility to choose which potions you create."
"I'll think about it." I smirked, before turning back to address the students.
They were all sat quietly waiting, watching as I went to speak.
"Ok, so today I would to do something a little more fun with you all. As Professor Snape has already asked you to collect your ingredients, I want you all to look through your textbooks and create any one potion of your choice. It has to be something simple enough to be brewed within our 2 hour period and within your range of skill. At the end of the lesson Professor Snape and I will judge your potions and the best will earn a prize of their choice." I informed them all, receiving quite a few smiles and some small cheers from the students and one large scowl by the monochromatic man sitting behind me. "Off you go." I encouraged watching every student jump up and get to work deciding and preparing their potions. There was a mad rush of people going to collect their textbooks, and the rustling of paper filled the room as they tried to decide on the winning potion.
One girl sat alone up the back, her textbook lay untouched and unopened and yet she had already got to work on her potion. It was only then I realised which class this was; it was the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor mix with Lucy Weatherfield, the young girl Severus made cry. I watched her for a while before deciding she was perfectly fine and returned to Snape.
"Really?" He asked sceptically. "I practically give you free reign and this is what you do with them, a game?"
"It will help them, they'll try harder if they know they're getting something out of it. Besides I want to show them that potions can be fun, they're always getting a hard time from you. They're young, influence them now, get them interested."
"This is exactly the kind of attitude which will serve you well as a teacher, you're extremely eager and passionate, young people want to see that in a teacher."
"And yet you continue to keep your old ways?" I scorned, sardonically.
"That is not to say that severity is not as equally important in receiving a perfect grade on all of your theory and practical skills."
"Of course not." I assured.
"Well, I suppose one day of... fun wouldn't hurt, if that's what you think will motivate them, then why not?"
"Thank you." I smiled. "Maybe next time you could give me a little more warning then."
"I'll think about it." He smirked.
I stood looking down on him for a while but after receiving no response I finally decided to grab a spare chair from one of the front desks and whipped it round beside Snape and sit with him behind his desk.
"Whatcha doing." I asked like an impatient, bored child watching over a parent.
"Work, and you should probably be doing some too, why don't you go and check on some of the students?"
"Fine." I sighed. "But there's nothing to do they only just started everyone's getting on good."
"Please, just make yourself useful." He grunted.
Reluctantly I agreed and went around to check on the potions.
Everyone had chosen their potion and had at least started on adding the ingredients, whereas when I went to check on Lucy she was already starting to think about brewing.
"What are you making?" I asked curiously.
"Sleeping Draught" She answered simply.
"But that's Second year work, are you sure you can handle it?"
"Yeah, I'm fairly confident, I've practiced it quite a few times before." She stated.
"Ok, good, as long as you know what you're doing, Professor Snape would have my head if there was any casualties."
"Oh I doubt that." She whispered softly, adding the last ingredient before leaving it on heat for the next 30 minutes.
I didn't bother questioning her or asking what she meant by that and so I instead left her to get on with it.