A one time thing {Severus Snape}

Chapter 2: Defending Neville

Author's Note: The Title for this story comes from the very excellent Song "Cracking" by Suzanne Vega.

It'll actually make more sense later on in the story. I hope you're enjoying this story...please let me know if you like it. How I can improve it, etc, etc...I'm not a teenager anymore...(not even close) so Meg is written completely from a twenty something's point of view...hopefully she'll be acting like a twenty something and not a schoolchild herself...anyway, here it goes!

As always...J. rules (and owns the lot!)

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Meg surveyed her class and sat herself down behind her desk.

"I've looked through all your past work grades and found that, well, all is not as it should be, with the exception of a rare few." Her gaze went to Hermione Granger who was watching her with a look of complete attention. Meg had already heard of this student, now she knew what they'd all been saying.

"But... this is a new year and so we'll all start with fresh clean sheets. Pardon, Mr Malfoy?" Meg had heard his whispered "Bed sheets?" to the pasty faced girl beside him that Meg knew to be Pansy Parkinson.

Nine tenths of the staff had warned her about the four Slytherins sitting towards the back. The tenth professor being Snape who had remained tight lipped about anything regarding his previous position.

She looked down at Malfoy now; her face perfectly blank. Malfoy looked up at her and coughed.

"Just a cough, Professor," he lied smoothly, smiling nicely at her.

Meg kept her blank stare on him. If Snape was the master of the sneer, then Meg was mistress of the unreadable expression.

"Really? Well it is rather cold in here and damp." She looked around her and raising her wand, gave a quick flick and a command. The fire shot into life and clouds of smoke billowed out into the room, making everyone start coughing loudly.

"What the... Did the man never light a fire in here?" The words left her mouth before she could think; instantly cursing herself for saying such thing in front of her students.

"Stand back!" She called in a sharp, controlled, voice and waving her wand dispersed the smoke, but not before Snape who had been in his office beside the classroom came out to see what was going on.

"Is this a new potion I haven't heard about?" His calm, silky voice spoke from the doorway where he stood; arms folded to hold each elbow inside his robes.

Meg felt her skin prickle with annoyance, damn the man for living in an ice-block and damn him for arriving now of all times.

She turned to him, a tiny smile on her face, her eyes wintry.

"Not at all, Professor Snape, just a little smoke from a fireplace that hasn't been used in a long time." She smiled politely at him and returned to her class. The tight grip on the back of her chair;  the only give away sign that she was uptight.

Damn him if he tried to undermine her here, in front of her first class.

"I see." He swept the room with his black eyes; glaring at Harry, Ron and Hermione "I was rather expecting to hear Longbottom had made an idiot of himself again," he intoned coldly, his black gaze swept to Neville who visibly shrank back in his chair.

"Mr. Longbottom?" asked Meg innocently, while seething inside "No. Mr. Malfoy was having trouble with a cough; I thought we'd have a bit of heat in here. I'm not used to Arctic conditions after all, thank you for your concern, Professor Snape. Now class, turn to page 49 of your books and read the list of materials required. Ten points to anyone who can figure out a better substitute for arrowroot." Meg had dismissed him and was smiling warmly at her students, well aware of his cold eyes on her; but Meg continued to teach, not looking back at the door until it was almost the end of the lesson. When she did glance quickly at the door, Snape, as she had figured, was gone.