A Tale of Two Snapes

Minerva McGonagall's voice echoed through the Great Hall.

"Potter, Harry!"

Even as he heard Professor McGonagall call the name he could not believe that the day had arrived. He craned his neck from where he was sitting, looking for the young man who was next to be sorted. He recognized the wild and unruly hair immediately as his fathers, James.

Anger and rage swelled within him, only to be calmed as soon as he saw Harry's eyes. Even from this distance he could see them. Startlingly green and almond shaped. Harry had her eyes. Lily's eyes.

He was staring into them again, so long ago. It was just a couple of months into their fifth year at Hogwarts. It seemed so unlikely that they would come together, but they did.

They hid their feelings well. At first from themselves and each other, then from the prying eyes of the rest of the school. It wasn't uncommon for members of different houses to see each other, but a Gryffindor and a Slytherin? Stranger things had happened, and at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, strange was the norm.

They were there to learn magic, and was love not the greatest of all magics?

A sudden and searing pain on his left forearm brought him violently from his memories of happier and simpler times. From across the Great Hall he noticed Harry looking up at him, their eyes locked. Harry's hand suddenly shot up to his forehead, to the now famous lightning shaped scar there, the permanent reminder of what that bastard Voldemort had done to him. A look of intense pain marred his young features and reflected in his own eyes.

He looked away from Potter and noticed Quirrell's hand own his own. He was muttering something. Withdrawing his hands to his robes, he turned his venomous gaze to the turban wearing professor on his left.

"What is it," he hissed.

"The pa, pa, Potter boy," Quirrell stuttered. "Here, now of all times. What does it mean?"

"It means nothing," he replied coolly, sarcasm lacing his already acidic words. "But, if you think there some deeper meaning to it, perhaps you should speak with Sybil Trelawny as divination is her forte."

His gaze became deadly, his words cold and precise. "I am the potions master of this school, a fact you would do well to remember should you ever decide to invade my person again."

Quirrell looked even more nervous than usual. "Severus, cer, cer, certainly you are not implying," he started. His left eye twitched slightly as he began wringing his hands.

"I imply nothing," Snape snapped. "The headmaster may trust you, but I don't. If you wish to have a long and uneventful tenure here at Hogwarts I suggest you know your place." He sneered at the simpering professor before continuing. "And you best know where to place your loyalties."

Turning away from Quirrell, he sat in silence as Professor Dumbledore finished his announcements. As the students finished singing the school song, he rose from his seat and nodded curtly to his fellow professors, averting the gaze of Quirrell. He exited the Great Hall as the students began filing out to retire to their House dormitories.

The cool air of his dungeon classroom was comforting to him. He had long since finished his preparations for his first class in the morning and now sat in silence, remembering

As his gaze swept over the empty classroom, memories of his own days as a student in this very dungeon washed over him.

Lilly Evans was once again sitting at her desk, almost directly across from him. Professor Chamberlain had just started pairing the students in preparations for their upcoming O.W.L.S., making sure that each student from one House was paired with a member of another. The Slytherins liked this idea even less than the Gryffindors. Snape himself was appalled with the very idea.

Until his own partner was announced.

"Snape and," Professor Chamberlain started, pausing as he gazed at his list of students.

Not Potter, not Potter, Snape thought.

"Evans. Snape and Evans," the professor finished.

Shock and dread showed briefly in Evans' eyes. She then gathered her supplies to join Snape at his desk, as he showed no signs of joining her.

As she walked past James Potter, who was sitting, as always, with Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, Snape heard Potter whisper "Snivellus". Professor Chamberlain obviously heard this as well.

"Five points from Gryffindor," he said. Snape smiled slightly at this. He'd take the little victories whenever he could.

Evans sat down beside him, flashing a quick, if not slightly fake smile at him. "At least my partner is top in class," she said, her voice loud enough to carry back to Potters' ears.

Potter started to say something, but was quickly quieted by Lupin.

Snape made no pretense that Evans' comment was a compliment as much as a jab at Potter, who was just now paired with the worst student in class.

They worked in silence for the remainder of class, taking notes and mixing ingredients. Snape noticed that Evans was fairly skilled in her work, but did not comment. Evans never looked up from her work. It was only when class ended and they were gathering their supplies up when Evans finally spoke to him.

"Let me know when and where we can work on our homework outside of class," she said to him.

"Whatever is good for you," he told her, avoiding looking at her

She started for the door then paused and looked back at him. "How about the library after dinner?"

"Potter was pretending to gag as he headed out of class. Snape glared at him before answering. "I will meet you there," he said, making sure that Potter had heard him.

"I look forward to it, Severus," she said.

He watched her exit the classroom and sat there in silence for a full minute before leaving himself.

She called me Severus, he thought as he walked as he walked to his next class.

He fought to hold back the single tear that tried to escape his eye as his mind and attention returned to the present. The glass jar he was holding fell and shattered on the floor when a whispered voice sounded from the dungeon door.

"I see I'm not the only the only one still up," echoed Dumbledore's' voice across the empty classroom.

"Headmaster, I did not see you enter."

"Severus, we've known each other and have been friends far to long for such formalities," Dumbledore said as he pulled his wand from his robes and casually flicked it. The broken jar quickly reassembled itself then flew to a shelf.

"I'm sorry, Albus. Force of habit." Snape walked over to the headmaster, the only person he truly trusted and called friend. "What has you up this late?"

Dumbledore shrugged. "Same as you, I imagine. Last minute preparations for start of term tomorrow." His smiling eyes hinted, as they often did, that he knew more than he was letting on.

"Yes, final preparations," Snape agreed, hoping that the conversation would lead in another direction. "I hope the new students won't prove any more disappointing than some I have had to deal with in the past."

"I'm sure they will be fine," Dumbledore said as he laid a hand on Snape's shoulder. "There are some that I am certain will do exceedingly well. One young lady in particular, Miss Hermoine Granger, promises to be a most astute and excellent pupil."

"To bad she's in Gryffindor," Snape replied sardonically. "I am thankful, however, that Lucius Malfoy's son is in my House."

Dumbledore nodded. "I knew that would please you. It should make a great many things easier." Torch light flickered in his eyes, reflecting the quiet fire that burned behind them.

"Indeed, Albus. I very much look forward to educating young Mr. Malfoy." The grin that spread across Snape's face just moments ago suddenly disappeared, replaced by a stern look of determination. "It should be most difficult, to be sure, but I am confident that we can prevent him from following in his fathers footsteps."

"I have the utmost faith in you, Severus. But, I must remind you, Draco Malfoy must not know what we are doing. Rest assured, he will be in constant contact with his father. Lucius has already sent me numerous owls," he trailed off, glancing around the dungeon classroom.

"He has insisted on meeting with me, without your knowledge, of course," Snape said. "Draco is not the only one who is to report him on a regular basis." He sneered in disgust at this.

Dumbledore looked into Severus' eyes, concern and a trace amount of fear in his own. It was not fear for himself, but fear for his friend. "He does not suspect your true intentions, does he?"

Snape looked almost offended at this. "I assure you, he no more suspects me of betrayal any more than he expects you to join "our side"." He spat the last two words out like they were made from stinksap.

Wanting to turn the conversation lighter once again, Snape broke the uneasy silence with another observation of the new students. "I noticed that we have another Weasley darkening our halls this year. Just how many are there in that brood?"

"Arthur and Molly Weasley have my respect and admiration, Severus," Dumbledore said warningly. "If you remember, not all the Weasley boys were like Fred and George are. One was head boy and another is currently a prefect. I'm certain that young Ronald will follow more closely in his oldest brothers' footsteps than those of the twins."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Still, it does promise to be an interesting year."

Shaking his head in agreement, Snape surprised himself by the next words out of his mouth. "Especially with the arrival of the Potter boy."

"Ah yes, Harry Potter. I almost forgot he was here," Dumbledore said teasingly. Seeing the look on Snape's face, he decided not to joke further. "Severus, he is not James. Please, do not allow the past interfere with the present or disrupt the future."

Snape strode back to his desk, not looking at the headmaster as he busied himself by shuffling around parchments and jars. "I shall treat him no differently than I have any other student."

Dumbledore laughed out loud at this. "I am familiar with your treatment of students, Severus. Especially Gryffindors."

Snape looked up at Dumbledore. The smile that greeted him said that the headmaster was only half serious in his joking.

"Come Severus," Dumbledore said suddenly. "I know for a fact that Minerva is still up. I also know," he added with a wink, "where she keeps her personal bottle of firewhiskey."

"Is that an invitation?"

"We may not always see eye to eye, Severus, especially in matters of teaching and handling students, but you are my friend." He smiled warmly at the potions professor as he held the classroom door open.

"That would be nice, Albus." A sly grin crept across his face. "I've been dying to get into Minerva's private stock."