What if

Double trouble

"Everyone is staring at me," Harry observed, watching the students at the tables of the Great Hall. It was early morning and the tables were half empty, with the majority of teenagers still in their beds sleeping till the last possible moment. Teachers usually ate their breakfast earlier on to have enough time to prepare for the morning classes.

Snape didn't have class early in the morning, but he decided it will be a good time to introduce Harry to the staff and give Potter a small tour over Hogwarts and its grounds. There were a lot of dangerous places for a 6-year-old, so it was important to explain that to the child as soon as possible, as well as organize some kind of babysitting for when Snape had to teach.

"Well, you are very young to be here. And you are sitting at the teachers' table, so you sparked everyone's curiosity. Though I think before the day is through, everyone will already know about you," Severus explained while sipping on his morning coffee.

"Because I'm the Boy Who Lived?"

"Yes, Potter. You are quite the celebrity. I should get an autograph before we have a queue here," Snape remarked sarcastically, which made Harry giggle and some teachers chuckle in amusement.

"Hello Harry, how are you? Are those pancakes as good as they look?" Kathryn said appearing out of nowhere. The redhead smiled warmly at the boy, nodding politely to the rest of the table.

"Hi! They're yummy," Harry confirmed with a wide grin.

"Miss Riley, you already know Mr. Potter?" Minerva addressed the girl with a surprise on her face.

"Oh yes, Professor, I had the pleasure of meeting him yesterday," Kathryn answered sweetly. She seemed to be quite nonchalant in approaching the staff table during breakfast as if it was a common occurrence. She didn't act awkward at all, but rather as if teachers were her colleagues, smiling at everyone with an easygoing charm. Snape didn't feel half as comfortable with his new coworkers, as Kathryn did with her Professors.

"Riley was the one who found Potter when he decided to take a stroll through the castle corridors," Severus explained, leveling the child with a stern look. Harry gave a sheepish smile sinking further in his seat.

"He was very brave though and walked me through the castle like a perfect gentleman," she said winking at the boy, that got a blushing simper out of Harry and a couple of "awws" from the adults. Snape resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Riley was so obvious in her attempt to charm everyone around her, and yet for some reason, Severus seemed to be the only one who noticed it. Despite his resistance, his mind wandered off to her message and his glance fell down on her skirt. He immediately looked away, but as if on cue, Kathryn turned her attention to him.

"Professor, did you have the time to read my punishment essay? Was it ok?" she asked, chewing on her bottom lip in an act of fake contriteness. Severus understood that the real question behind it was, whether he read her coded message.

"A punishment essay? Miss Riley, I find that hard to believe," Minerva commented, giving Snape a curious look.

"Oh, I was so unprepared for that potion, Professor. I almost ruined it and hurt myself with the improper use of a dangerous ingredient. Thankfully Professor Snape stopped me just in time before I injured myself," she told McGonagall in her angelic play pretend.

Severus was genuinely impressed. Kathryn twisted the truth around in such a way to make herself look like a chastised goody-two-shoes student that will do better and Severus a capable teacher that averted a potion accident and assigned proper consequences. That was SO NOT what actually happened. How was Kathryn ever placed in Gryffindor? She was as Slytherin as they come!