Sincerely yours I Severus Snape - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Rules

It was Monday, 3 September 1990. Warm sunlight dripped through the windows as Mary and Clary made their way to the Great Hall. On their way, a tall boy called Elias MacGavin handed them their timetables.  Clary thanked the boy and Mary smiled as they continued their into the Great Hall. They entered the grand doors and found themselves seats near the end of the Slytherin table. Whilst loading their plates with breakfast they eyed the parchments in their hands. After a while Mary and Clary compared their timetables, and to Mary's relief, they were nearly identical. Mary hadn't had a chance to engage with other students yet, and she was glad to find out that at least one familiar face would be attending the classes.

"So, what do you have after lunch?" Clary stuffed her mouth with toast as she spoke to Mary. Mary placed her teacup on the table and leaned over her plate to read the tiny piece of parchment lying on the table.

"After lunch?" she repeated and glanced at Clary. The blonde Slytherin nodded. "I have Divination", Mary announced. "Divination?" Clary's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Did I say something funny?" Mary raised an eyebrow. Clary giggled and shook her head. "No no, it's just, the teacher, Sybill Trelawney, is a little crazy", she explained. Mary blinked her eyes in confusion.

"Crazy?"

"Yes, and some people say she doesn't even know how to make real prophecies", Clary gossiped, "Anyway, we better hurry, we have History of Magic in ten minutes", Clary stood up and started gathering her books which she had spread on the table. 

 "Was that in the dungeons?" Mary asked.

 "No, that's Potions. We have potions after History of Magic. Double lesson", Clary stressed the word "double".

"Oh, don't be too excited!" Mary teased as she ran after Clary, who was already rushing out of the Great Hall.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew the teacher", remarked Clary.

"And who was that again?" asked Mary, trying to remember the faces she had seen two nights ago.

Clary stopped and turned to face Mary, her expression surprisingly serious "Professor Snape", Clary's voice was ice cold.

"The man you thought should get laid?" Mary giggled.

"Hush! You do not want Snape to hear that. He may favour Slytherins as he is the head of our house but cross the line with him and not even a Slytherin badge can save you from his fury", Clary whispered agitatedly.

Mary felt shivers running down her body. "Damn", she whispered as they entered Professor Binns' classroom. 

*****

After the History of Magic, Mary and Clary started making their way into the dungeons. They rushed through the corridors, weaved through the crowd of students, and ran down the cold stone stairs. As they reached the dungeons, Mary had to strain to be able to see properly. There was a dark corridor lit by torches decorating the walls. The air was cold and stagnant and a subtle scent of herbs hovered into Mary's nose.

"Gloomy, isn't it? Fits him just perfect", Clary said, placing her hand on her hips.

Maryk, who was still in awe, was unable to answer for a while. She hadn't felt more like home after arriving at Hogwarts. Finally, she was able to speak. "More like cosy", she admitted. Clary, surprised by Mary's declaration, glimpsed at Mary and furrowed her eyebrows. 

"If you say so", she noted. "Come on, let's go, I'll show you the Potions Classroom", Clary said and started walking towards a wooden door on the left.

 Before opening the door, Clary turned around to face Mary and said: "And if you call this room cosy, you are officially the strangest witch I have met".  A wide smile spread across Clary's face as Mary gave a small laugh. As they entered the Potion's Classroom, Mary was flushed by a much stronger scent cocktail, the sound of boiling water lingering in the air. In awe, she wandered around the classroom, trying to internalize the scene she was viewing. Clary smirked and crossed her arms as she watched the enchanted Mary admiring the room surrounding her.

"So?", Clary prodded.

"I'm going to say it", Mary grinned.

Mary's green eyes locked with Clary's blue ones. "It's cosy", Mary announced, and they both burst out laughing.

"What in the Whomping Willow is going on in here", a low, calm voice asked. Quickly, Mary and Clary spun around, facing a man dressed in black robes. The man was around his thirties. His long-ish black hair sank onto his shoulders, dark onyx eyes glittered in the firelight. He raised his left eyebrow as his mouth climbed into a gleeful smile.

"Professor Snape", Clary gasped in schock.

Mary's eyes widened as she realized who she was faced with. So, this is the famous Potion's Master? she thought.

"I'm waiting", Professor Snape inquired.

"I was just showing around the classroom. Mary's new", Clary's voice was shaking as she tried to answer to the Potion's Master.

"I see", he mumbled and for a moment his dark eyes locked with Mary's green eyes.

Mary's heart skipped a beat as she waited for him to break the silence. To Mary's disappointment, Snape only narrowed his eyes and swished away.

"Come on, we better find our seats", Clary said and rolled her eyes as she passed Mary.

"Yeah", Mary whispered and followed Clary.

*****

After the Potions lesson, Mary and Clary rushed upstairs for lunch. While eating, Mary couldn't stop thinking about the previous lesson. She recounted the moment she had sat next to Clary, the moment she had swift through the pages of her book and the multiple times her eyes had met with the ones of Snape's. He didn't seem that bad, Mary thought. He wasn't too pleased to see me and Clary snooping in his classroom, that was clear, but it wasn't anger I saw in his eyes. It was more like curiosity. 

"Hello? Anyone home?", Mary heard a voice calling. Clary was poking her shoulder with a fork.

"What?" embarrassed, Mary turned to face her.

"Dumbledore is about to speak; he says it's important. We ought to listen if it suits you", Clary snapped.

"Sorry", Mary mumbled, her cheeks burning as she raised her gaze to the teacher's table.

"If I now have your attention, I have few things to say", Professor Dumbledore spoke. "Yesterday I informed you about our little project for this year", he waited for a few seconds before continuing. "There are few rules to set before we can begin sending letters. No form of bullying is allowed; if there is any, it will be followed by heavy consequences. The reason why we are doing this is to bring all of you closer as a school. I fear that your houses are creating walls between you. That is why I will set the following rule: You are not allowed to bring your identity to your pen pals' attention until the very end of the school year." The Great Hall was filled with babbling students.

"So that's why we are given numbers, not names", Clary whispered, Mary nodding in acknowledgement.

"Aren't we supposed to take our numbers today?", Mary asked.

"Oh yeah, you are right. You think we can take them after lunch?" Clary asked.

Clary was right. After lunch students were set in a line to wait and take their numbers from the hat, Mary took her number and ran out of the Great Hall.

"Can I show you my number?" Clary asked and tried to peek over Mary's shoulder.

"What if we are each other's pen pals?" Mary giggled, an excited gleam in her eyes.

"I hope not, I want some excitement in my life!" Clary said and winked.

They opened their letters which then revealed their numbers.

"My number is 55", Clary said. "What's yours?" she asked and took Mary's letter.

"114".