When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 37: First Step in Trusting

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 37: First Step in Trusting

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

September 1996

He tapped his quill on the parchment a few times. His eyes were focused on the last word he'd scribbled. Correcting the essays of his potion's students always showed him how wrong they were. Even the most brilliant ones. The Ravenclaw and Slytherin weren't as good as they thought. As for Granger, she still hadn't come with her essay. She was running out of time.

He put the quill down and stretched his arms and legs before he stood. With quiet movements, he grabbed an old book from his desk and moved around until his hand was on the door handle. When he walked into the hall, his senses became alert by instinct.

Fortunately, he knew students didn't crowd the corridors at those hours. It was the perfect time to return a book to the library.

-/-/-

A kid almost collided with him when he entered the library and scurried away before he could say anything.

He walked to Madam Pince's desk.

"Oh, as punctual as usual. Thank you, Severus," the woman said as he handed her the book.

"It's a pleasure, Irma. I fear some student massacred the book before I borrowed it."

The woman opened the book to check the damage. "I can't believe it. I should check who's done this and—" A loud laugh broke the woman's words. He saw her pressing her lips tighter and her neck muscles showing. "Those kids. They've been like this all the afternoon even though I told them to be quiet."

Irma rounded her desk and started to walk around the bookshelves as he followed her with his eyes. Maybe he would just leave and let the woman vent her irritation at the students.

Taking the liberty of looking at the list of borrowed books that the woman spread across the desk, he found the book name and signed his name beside it. Irma growled as she walked back to the desk.

"I'm thinking on expelling them from the library. Those students of yours may be smart, but they have the behavior of drooling baboons."

"Are you talking about my potion's students?

The woman nodded. He went towards the bookshelves. He stopped at the corner when he heard them talking.

"So what do you think? Do you think you could find a rat in that hair of hers?" A male voice reached his ears.

"Probably, it looks dirty. And did you see how she dresses? I saw her coming from the Hogwarts express and she has horrible taste," a girl voice replied. "She didn't even manage to do Snape's essay right. I don't think she's as smart as they say. She's probably faking it all and cheating."

"She is a mudblood, what do you expect? There's no way she can be as smart as she seems to be."

His frown deepened. His memories of using that word flashed in his head. His mistake, his fault, her death.