Innocence | Severus Snape x Reader

22 - Substitute

It was nightfall on Hogwarts, some weeks after the Malfoy incident, and the students were to be in their dorms by now. I was missing a particular someone that I had seen a lot less of now that I was a teacher compared to when I was a student. 

I walked down to the dungeons, reminding me of when I used to sneak out of the common room last year. I knocked on the door to the potions classroom before cracking it open. 

"Who is it?" I heard the stone-like voice say from within the classroom. 

"Just me, Severus," I say as I step into the classroom and close the door behind me. Severus was at his desk furiously scribbling away at a piece of paper. "Everything all right?" 

"Just the first years, as always. And the third years too." He complained while still scribbling. I walked over to him and set my hand on his, stopping him from writing. I used my other hand to take the quill out of his and then slid the paper away. 

"Relax for a moment, I think you'll find it quite helpful," I told him. He turned his hand so it fit better in mine and I felt the heat rise to my chest. I had missed this. "Better?" 

"Much." He said, but something still seemed to be tugging at his mind. 

"What is it?" I asked, kneeling on the floor beside him so I wasn't standing over him. 

"It's nothing I need to concern you with. At least not yet." He told me, the reassurance that he would eventually tell me was enough for me to back off and he knew that. 

"As long as you tell me soon. Now what do you say I go make us some tea and the two of us can sit down with a book. just like the good old days." I gave him a smile and saw the corners of his mouth go up. 

I've learned that Severus was and still is never really big on expression emotion unless there was an abundance of it going through him. I had to learn that just because doesn't;t smile or hug me every day doesn't mean he wasn't happy, and he had his own ways of showing that. He was still a difficult man to read, but I was slowly getting good at it. 

"I'd like that."

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I watched from between the columns inside the castle as the kids line up to go to Hogsmeade. I liked watching the students, it helped make me feel older and really get into the teaching mindset. Which speaking of teaching, I was enjoying. It made me consider it as a future career. I noticed one boy who stayed behind, unable to go to Hogsmeade with the rest. I walked over to the archway out to the courtyard and saw Potter standing there. I leaned against the wall and stood behind him, thinking of the best way to start up conversation. 

"Couldn't get yours signed?" I asked, looking to the boy who turned around. 

"No, I couldn't." He seemed upset, being left behind. 

"You live with your Aunt and Uncle right? They're muggles?" I asked, trying to learn more about my student and The Boy Who Lived. 

"Yeah, the worst kind too." He seemed even more upset before snapping into a better mood. 

"Do you think you could sign it for me?" He said stepping forwards and sticking the paper towards me. 

"Sorry Harry, if I could I would though. I wouldn't want you missing out on anything." I pat him on the shoulder and started walking back into the castle, he followed. 

"How did you get here? Teaching I mean." 

"Dumbledore requested I help Hagrid. I think it was a case of convenience and not preference as to why he chose me, but I'm happy nonetheless." I glanced at the boy. 

"What's that mean?" 

"It's complicated." I chuckled 

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I walked into the Potions classroom, trying to give the same level of intimidation as Severus does when he's teaching, but I knew I was falling short so I quickly gave that up. I stood over by his desk, leaning on it with the paper in my hand, I looked at the group of second years that he would have had to be teaching at this hour. 

"Where's Professor Snape?" A kid asked without raising his hand. 

"Professor Snape is currently substituting for Professor Lupin. But worry not, he left me a shortlist of work for you all to do." I informed to the class. In here it felt different, I felt like I had to be more professional compared to when I was helping teach with Hagrid. 

"But where's Professor Lupin?" Another girl asked. 

"All I was told is that he is unable to teach at this time. I would ask Lupin himself if I were you because I think we all know that Professor Snape won't be giving you a much better answer." A few kids in the class chuckled, which made me smile a bit. I looked at the paper and shook my head. "First on the list is a quiz." 

Everyone groaned, some throwing their heads back. 

"I know, I know but I don't make the rules. You still have to do what Professor Snape asks." I looked at his desk and saw the stack of quizzes and picked them out. "But that doesn't mean we can't have fun while doing it."  I picked up the stack of papers and held it in my hand flat. 

"Alright, going one by one I want you to use the levitation smell to get the paper from my hand to your desk. Understood?" I smiled and looked at the class, who all seemed much more awake. 

One by one in no particular order, the papers started coming off from the pile and onto a student's desk, once I saw that everyone had a quiz I set the stack down. "Alright, begin." 

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This is what I like to call a snippet chapter, I've done this in other books before, but essentially it's when I have ideas to go into a book but they aren't long enough to be a full chapter on their own so I cut them up and separate them with time skips. The movies do this too but obviously it's a lot less clean when you do It in writing form.