Why Would You Hide. A Severus Snape Fanfiction (Stopped)

Chapter 3: Step One

Severus's POV

I looked at the young woman sat defiantly in front of me. The woman who, the only woman who had ever shown me any kindness and felt a mass of jumbled emotions. I was mainly confused, annoyed, that's for sure, no student usually talks to me like that, but I also felt an overwhelming surge of admiration. She was so brave.

"Well Miss Baxter as..." I said, hating myself immediately for my cold voice, so I tried to speak softer. "Inspiring as I find your loyalty to your... Friends. I feel it is not in your place to take their punishment, seeing as it is Mr Weasley's potion so he should have stopped you. And as to your potion, try adding two pinches of powdered Mandrake stem. That should work." I turned around and began to walk back to my desk, awaiting the inevitable reply.

"What?! That's it... no points, no detentions! Sir?"

"Yes?" I replied, slowly turning back around to face Amelia.

"What...? What?" I smiled slightly at the confusion I was giving her.

"Miss Baxter, if you wish to say something, then say it. If not please stop distracting the class and wasting my time." I quickly strutted over to my desk, completely aware that the conversation was unlikely to be over. I reached my desk and turned around, leaning against it. I brought one hand up to my face and began tracing my bottom lip with my middle finger, something I often do when I'm thinking.

"Sir?" She spoke again, her voice shaking terribly. "What do you mean?"

I looked straight into the beautiful, wide blue eyes, usually so full of happiness, and hated myself instantly. I felt so guilty, she looked as if she was about to cry. Had I done that? I suddenly felt so sad. She sat down quietly and looked at the floor. I had to say something, after all she had done for me, helped me, stood up for me, just accepted me, I can't bear the thought that I was the cause of her being upset. So, with a voice I didn't recognize as my own, I said the only thing I could think of.

"Miss Baxter... Amelia. I would like to speak to you at the end of the lesson please." And with that I quickly turned around and acted as though I had to tidy up the papers on my desk. Hiding my glistening, tearful eyes from the class, and especially, Amelia.

Amelia's POV

I put the various papers I was holding in front of me and watched with a smile as Snape looked up at me, on eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Step one in the Professor Snape improvement program!" I said, smiling. Snape laughed and sat forward, mock seriousness displayed on his face, but he was obviously intrigued.

"Step one..." He repeated quietly.

"Right, okay..." I said, pushing the papers towards him. "What do you see is wrong with these essays?"

"A lot, they are all childish drivel that makes me..." He stopped. I had help up my hand. "What?" He asked.

"Sir, I don't mean what is wrong with the actual essays, I mean what is wrong with the marking?" He looked suddenly confused and picked up the top essay. I watched as his eyes scanned over the page, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Eventually, he looked up.

"Amelia? What do you mean the marking? My corrections? What's wrong with them?" I crunched my eyelids together and let out a small breath, exasperated that he couldn't see what was missing. I opened my eyes to see Snape looking at me, worry etched on his face.

"What?!" I say suddenly, surprising him.

"What's wrong with my corrections?" He asked. I took the piece of paper from him and placed it down on the desk in front of me so it faced him.

"Right." I said, taking my Transfiguration essay out of my bag and placing it next to the Potions one. "What can you see is different in the way these two essays have been marked?" I watched him as he studied both carefully. Slowly; he picked them both up and carried on reading them. Eventually his hand holding the Potions essay lowered and he carried on reading the Transfiguration essay. After a while he quietly said...

"Oh..."

I looked up. "Sir?" I asked.

"I see." He replied, finally looking at me.

"What do you see Sir?" I asked, pleased at the look of realization on his face.

"It's so... So different. This is Minerva's marking?" He asked, holding up the transfiguration essay.

"Yes, it is. So you understand what I mean?" I asked.

"I think so." He put the two papers in front of me and turned them around. "This." He said, pointing at the bottom of my Transfiguration essay, which showed Professor McGonagall's neat hand labelling exactly what I could do to improve my essay, and what I need to revise.

"What about it?" I asked gently.

"I never put this at the end of essays, is it needed? It seems like such a waste of time."

"Professor, I can assure you it's not a waste of time, and it does help us. To know what we have got wrong. But that is not my main point."

"Oh." He replied. "What is then?" He asked with a look of deep confusion on his face.

"Sir, you never help anyone. With essays, in lesson, or just generally. In class, you are extremely rude about people's work and don't tell them how to improve. You almost did today though, when you told me to add the Mandrake stems? That's what you should be doing more often, and not just for me! I finished, laughing.

"But why should I help them? All they have ever done is be rude to ME! I only help you as a way of returning the favour." He said, looking at me with a smile.

"Professor Snape!" I said, putting my elbows on the table and my head in my hands. "Why must you be rude to them because they have been rude to you? That is childish and you end up as low as them. You are an intelligent man. You should know better." I sighed to emphasise my point, and was startled when Snape took my wrists and removed my hands from my face.

"May I ask a favour please Amelia?"

"Depends on what that favour is." I said playfully, which just made Snape smile and shake his head. He leant back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. Eventually he sat forward again.

"May you please meet me here, every Tuesday after school, and show me how to improve my ways?" Snape asked, wide eyed.

"Sir! How much do you think you need to change?" I said, laughing. "Of course I will come and help you!" His eyes lit up at my response and he got up suddenly, coming round to my side of the table and kneeling down. He took my right hand and kissed it.

"Thank you, thank you! Ha ha! Yes!" He was suddenly full of energy and started racing around the room, leaving my mind no room to think about what just happened. I threw back my head and laughed. He was weaving in between the tables, dancing and humming randomly to himself. All of a sudden he stopped and looked at me, panting slightly, and smiling. "Sorry, I'm not usually like this in..." He stopped and frowned, looking away for a few seconds before looking back. "In front of people. Hmm..." He said quieter, looking incredibly confused.

"You okay?" I asked tentatively.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. I'm just surprised that I feel so normal in your company." He said casually, making me frown. "Oh well!" He finished, looking up at me, smiling again.

"Anyway, I will see you soon Professor." I said, getting up to leave. He nodded gently and walked over to the door to open it for me. I followed him. Putting my Transfiguration essay back in my bag and throwing the strap over my shoulder as I walked, taking out a hairband at the same time. Snape turned round and leant against the side of the open door, smiling. As I went to walk past him, he gently touched my wrist, making me stop and look up at him.

"Seriously, thank you Amelia." He said quietly. I smiled, knowing that he honestly meant it. I leant forward slightly.

"Anytime Sir." I whispered, before turning away and heading towards Gryffindor common room. I never heard the door close.