Mist and Vapors

Minerva McGonagall was going over the Herbology schedules when the door to her office burst open. "When were you in my quarters?" a livid Potions master demanded as he leaned over her desk.

"Heavens, Severus, what is the matter?" Minerva gave him a stern look. "Do have a seat."

He roundly ignored her. "Was there a ward on the door when you came in?"

Minerva looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Do you think I would break into your chambers if you had them warded? No. There was no ward. Now, would you please explain what this is about?"

"I found a... present in my bedroom," he said grimly. "Someone's idea of a practical joke, maybe?"

"Could you please be less cryptic? A present?"

"Would you care to look and see?" he asked with exaggerated politeness. "It's quite lovely."

Minerva sighed. It was obvious that whatever bee he had in his bonnet would not leave until she gave him the proper attention. "Very well, let's go then."

Without a word Severus swept ahead of her in a cloud of billowing black cloth. He pushed the door to the bedroom open when they arrived. "After you."

"Good heavens, Severus, what is that smell?" She spotted the dark area on the bed cover, and cautiously stepped closer with a wrinkled nose. "Oh, that is disgusting."

"Lovely surprise to come home to, is it not?" Severus asked facetiously. "Did you notice anything out of the ordinary when you came in to leave the schedules?"

"No." Minerva looked around. "But I didn't go into the bedroom, and the door was closed. So I probably wouldn't have noticed anything anyways." She thought for a moment. "Wait a second." Purposefully, she marched out of his chambers. Within a few minutes, she was back, a house elf in tow.

"Severus, this is Gwinny." Minerva McGonagall pointed to the disgruntled looking creature. "I thought maybe the house elves might have noticed something. They are usually better informed than any of us about what is happening in the castle. Even if they are very discreet."

Gwinny looked unhappily at the Potions master. "Gwinny already explain that Sir not be liking any house elves in his quarters." She reproachfully turned to the Deputy Headmistress. "We messes up his things, says he. Not be wanting any elves, here or in the office. So we stays out. We sees nothing."

Minerva sighed. "Very well, Gwinny, but I think he'll make an exception now. You can go ahead and clean up that mess over there. And do something about that smell. Please."

"Yes, Mistress McGonagall," the elf said obediently, and then turned towards the bed, muttering quietly. "Master Snape not be needing house elves, he says, and then something very revolting happen, and all of a sudden he be wanting elves again. Good enough for that, we is..."

With the corner of her mouth twitching slightly, the tartan-clad witch motioned for Severus to leave the elf to her business, and they returned to the sitting room.

"I don't think you are particularly popular with the house elves," Minerva said with a smirk.

"If you have not yet noticed, I am not particularly popular with anyone," Severus said dryly. "That is entire beside the point. What I am interested in right now is how that thing got to be on my bed."

"Severus, it happens." The Deputy Headmistress sat down in one of the chairs. "Some poor rodent just climbed into your bed and expired. It is a large castle, and there have been some small animals known to wander in from the outside. Rats can get through just about any nook and cranny, after all."

"I don't think it is a rat, "Severus said dismissively.

"Then what is it?"

"I don't really care. The only pertinent point is exactly how it got where it is." He leaned again the wall, arms crossed.

"Severus, as I said, probably just an unfortunate coincidence..."

"Minerva, there is one small problem with your theory." Severus was speaking slowly and succinctly.

"And that is?" McGonagall said, a bit of bite to her voice.

"For your theory to work, the unfortunate animal had to have the ability to break wards. Quite an unusual accomplishment for the average rodent, wouldn't you agree?"

Minerva rubbed a finger over her upper lip. "You had a ward in place?"

Severus nodded, an exasperated look on his face. "And you said there was no ward when you came in. Which begs the conclusion that...? " He looked at her with mock expectancy.

"That someone must have taken it down." McGonagall's face took on a serious look. "So you think this was done deliberately?"

"Ten points to Gryffindor," he said with a sneer.

"Who would do such a thing?" Even as Minerva asked the question, she knew that it would have probably been easier to ask about who wouldn't enjoy giving the Potions master an unpleasant surprise. The list would be shorter. "What I mean is, are you suspecting anyone in particular?"

Snape shrugged. "No. But I can tell you I intend to find out." The expression on his face left no doubt that if he ever did, the individual in question would be quite sorry.

"Anything you want me to do?" Minerva asked.

"Just to keep an eye out. Let me know if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary."

"Done." McGonagall got out of her chair. "And watch out for yourself, Severus. This worries me."

The Potions master spent the next hour placing wards around his quarters strong enough to rival the ones that secured his office. He had never seen the need before - his life revolved around his classroom and his office; anything of importance was kept in there. Other than the few hours needed for sleep, he hardly ever entered these rooms; even an hour of leisure would be more likely to find him reading in the leather chair in his office than anywhere near his chambers.

Yet someone had invaded his private space, and Severus was determined not to give that person another opportunity. From now on, his office and private rooms would be equally guarded.

---

With little more than two weeks before the new term started, there was plenty to do. As head of Slytherin house, it was his responsibility to make sure the dormitories and common room were readied for the coming school year. Planning was somewhat complicated by the fact that one never knew exactly how many new Slytherins there would be until the Sorting.

There were files to get in order, lesson plans to prepare, records to update, inventory to take, new supplies to sort, store, and label. Severus did not have much time to think about what had occurred, and even though the unsolved mystery bothered him, it slipped from importance as several days went by and there were no other signs of anything else untoward happening.

Over the next week, staff members started trickling in. Severus grimaced as he caught a glimpse of the graying figure of the Defense master across the hall. The werewolf looked a bit less disreputable this year. Maybe he was finally getting close to getting his debts paid off. Years of not holding a steady paid job had left Lupin's finances in such a mess that it had taken him a while to dig himself out of that hole. It was one of those open secrets everyone knew even though no one could actually remember talking about it.

Being forced to work side by side with Lupin both in the Order and at Hogwarts had done nothing to soften Severus' feelings towards the werewolf. It didn't help that the Ministry had stipulated that it would be Dumbledore's responsibility to make certain that Lupin took the Wolfsbane potion during the school year. Someone would have to play nanny to the werewolf, or no job.

Dumbledore, of course, had promptly delegated the responsibility. And so it had become Severus' job to brew the potion, deliver it, and then stand around until Lupin had actually swallowed the disgusting brew, which could take a while. And then repeat that every day for a week. As if he had nothing else to do.

Lupin had obviously seen him too, and was now heading in his direction.

"May I have a word with you, Severus?"

"Make it quick, Lupin."

"Alright then. There is a full moon in ten days, and I need to know if I can count on you for the Wolfsbane potion."

"Do you think I would run any risk of endangering the school?" Snape said coldly.

"No, but..."

"You will have the potion at the usual time." Severus turned his back on the Defense master in dismissal.

"Were you trying to remind me not to take that for granted?" he heard Lupin's voice calmly behind him.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Last month. You were gone."

"Are you suggesting I should have come back from holiday to spend a day brewing Wolfsbane?" His lip curled as he turned back around to face Lupin. "If I recall correctly, I am only responsible for feeding you Wolfsbane during the school year."

"Severus, you know as well as I do that you haven't missed a month in more than two years. And I hope you know I am grateful for that."

"I am not interested in your gratitude," Snape said with derision.

"All I am trying to say is that next time, I would appreciate it if you would let me know ahead of time if I need to make other arrangements." There was a slight edge to Lupin's voice now.

"I am sure you figured it out in time."

"No thanks to you."

"You have dealt with the transformation for years before I started brewing the potion for you. I am sure you can handle one month out of the year on your own."

"Severus, do you know how much harder the transformation is without the Wolfsbane?"

"You are obviously here and alive and well, so I assume you survived," Snape said with a sneer. "Just for curiosity's sake, what did you do?"

"Turns out I didn't need to worry about it. I received a notice from Slug and Jiggers that someone bought one moon's supply for me, and they would have it delivered. They wouldn't tell me who." He looked over with a frown to where McGonagall and Dumbledore sat in deep conversation. "Seems one of our colleagues put two and two together. I can't think of anyone else who would have known you were gone."

As even-keeled as the werewolf was most of the time, being seen as a charity case stuck in his craw. That at least was one thing Severus could understand.

"How very nice for you," he said disdainfully. "Is that all then?"

As nothing further was forthcoming from Lupin, Severus returned to his office. Chatting with werewolves was not on the list of things to do for the day. He had wasted too much time already, and there was a requisitions list he needed to get finished before dinner.

---

A few hours later, Severus headed up the revolving staircase to the Headmaster's study, finished list in hand, and knocked.

When he opened the door, he could hear the voice of Albus Dumbledore. "...welcome to Hogwarts, and I am sure you will make a fine addition to our staff. If you will go see Professor McGonagall now, she will show you to your quarters."

At that, a figure rose from the deep armchair in front of Dumbledore's desk. Severus looked on with disbelief. Medium height, angular build, brown hair up in a slightly messy bun - it couldn't be.

"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore motioned him forward. "Miss Hannigan, may I introduce..."

At hearing his name the figure had sharply turned around. "Oh no. Not you." Her eyes were wide as her hand flew up to her mouth.

"Ah, I see you have met our Potions master already, then," Dumbledore said with a delighted smile.