A one time thing {Severus Snape}

Chapter 10: Man of many Syllables

Severus Snape stood at the front of his class, eyeing the seventh years in front of him.

His temper was mean today. He'd woken up with a headache in the early hours of the morning and he'd been annoyed, and disconcerted, to find Meg no longer in his bed.

She'd slept with him each night now for nearly three weeks. She'd come to his rooms and stay till morning. It annoyed him to admit it, but he had grown accustomed to her being there when he woke, curled into a ball beside him, the only part of her touching him would be her feet, which she would tuck against his leg.

After the first time she'd seemed to accept that he didn't like unnecessary contact and didn't ask him to hold her again, instead she'd let him turn away from her.

But this morning she wasn't there and he didn't know why.

He let his gaze wander over the class of Slytherins busy writing an essay on ways to identify and combat vampires.

His gaze fell on Malfoy's bent head and once again he found himself wondering about the whole Weasley/Malfoy business. It had been two weeks since Meg had informed him of their relationship and nothing more seemed to have happened. Pansy appeared to be taking Draco seriously and kept away from Ginny. Neither had openly admitted their relationship, and as it stood, it was still a secret from the rest of the school. How long for though?

He still couldn't get over why he hadn't noticed anything. How had Meg stumbled on that one? He was the head of Draco's house and he'd been blind to it.

His eyes narrowed on Malfoy, it seemed in the art of deception he took after his father. He hoped for Miss Weasley's sake that was the only thing he'd inherited from him.

His eyes went to Pansy who was as usual sitting behind Malfoy; her eyes were on his back now, the quill in her hand motionless.

He watched her silently for a few seconds, not liking the look on her face, or the expression in her eyes.

"Miss Parkinson, the inspiration for your essay is not on Mr. Malfoy's back," his sneering voice made a few students who'd been immersed in their essays' jump.

Pansy looked at him quickly, her face flushing before she lowered her head to her scroll and began to hastily scribble.

Snape's eyes went to Malfoy. He was looking at Snape with a funny expression on his face.

It struck Snape that he was probably wondering if he knew about his clandestine affair with the Weasley girl. He raised an eyebrow at Malfoy who gave him a half grin before returning to his own scroll.

Snape narrowed his eyes, he had sixth year Gryffindors next. He might sound out the girl; see what kind of reaction he'd get from her.

Part of him was loath to admit that something as big as this escaped him. Meg had told him he didn't know everything that went on round here, obviously not, but he knew most things and this had completely escaped him.

He became aware of the restless disturbing of his students and realised the lesson had finished and they were waiting for him to dismiss him.

"Scrolls on my desk!" he ordered and swept to his desk to sit down and watch each student leave the scrolls as they filled out.

The last student went out and he had ten minutes before the next lot would file in.

He went to the windows and looked down over the grounds below.

"Interesting?"

He turned and saw Meg leaning against the doorway.

"Not really," he replied and went back to sit as his desk. He watched as she crossed to stand where he'd just been.