Teacher's Pet | Severus Snape

Chapter 14 - Serious Concerns

By Monday morning my soreness had turned into a sweet memory.
I roamed the Halls on my way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. A subject, I was very passionate about, taught by a teacher who, as skillful and great as he was, never had my full sympathy: Remus Lupin.
Towards his students he proved to be immensely caring and interested in supporting us. His lessons were fun and well thought through, teaching us valuable lessons without us even realizing.
I still remember very fondly his famous boggart lesson back in year three, where he told us how to use the Boggart-Banishing Spell. In front of me, the creature had turned into a paper that turned out to be a Potion's exam, graded a T – yes, I was that kind of student, and subconsciously already bonded to Snape as I later figured. I shouted "riddikulus!" and the paper folded itself into a paper plane, swiftly flew around and had crashed into the curly, coarse hair of a Gryffindor girl.
But as good a person Lupin appeared to be towards his students and the other teachers, Snape always seemed to get very tensed up when they had to interact and that's what made me suspicious of him, never quite trusting his warm personality fully.
Also, from time to time, he came into classes looking rather beaten up and lousy, which appeared to me a little bit unprofessional.

Lupin was in the middle of lecturing us about Nogtails, showing us slides and explaining their behaviour and what to expect, if we ever crossed one's path as the door swung open. I didn't have to turn my head and face him to know who was entering. The unmistakable sound of his cloak rustling behind him as he marched was giving it away. Snape walked right up to Lupin with an indifferent face.
"Pardon to interrupt your – teaching. I have your monthly potion to ease your... sleeping problems", he sneered at Lupin, reaching him a small phial. "Also, I was ordered to tell you that our headmaster needs a word with you after class. He awaits you in his office."
"Thank you, Professor Snape, for taking such good care of my struggles, you are too kind", Lupin replied reaching for the phial and I was certain, I heard more than just a whisp of mocking swimming in his tone. "And also, for being such a good postman."
There was clearly a growing tension between the two teachers. Snape gave Lupin a condescending look and turned around, letting his cloak smash into Lupin on his way out.
As he reached my desk, he briefly stopped and gave me a dark-eyed side eye. His lips curled up into a thin smile. I quickly returned the smile, blushing slightly. Then he walked off, slamming the door behind him.

As Lupin dismissed us from class, everyone started packing up their stuff. I noticed Lupin's hand on my desk and looked up from my school bag.
"A quick word, Miss Yaeger, if I may?"
I was puzzled and didn't know what he could possibly be wanting, but I nodded and stayed behind. When all the other students had left the classroom, Lupin leaned towards a desk opposite of where I was standing and started, looking somewhat concerned.
"Miss Yaeger", he began, "I noticed Professor Snape glaring down at you, clearly intimidating you as he left the classroom today."
My eyes widened.
He continued: "Also, I've caught him multiple times giving you a lot of his infamous death stares as he crossed you in the halls."
My fingers clenched the strap of my school bag.
There was real concern in Lupin's eyes as he went on: "Miss, Yaeger, you are a remarkably talented young witch, and I don't want your potential to get suppressed by you getting intimidated by a rather envious character such as his. So please tell me: Is Professor Snape giving you a hard time?"
I had to contain myself not to burst out in laughter. I quickly regained control and with a cold, indifferent expression I answered: "Thank you for your openness and concerns towards my well-being, Professor. I truly appreciate it. But rest assured, Professor Snape is exactly as hard as he needs to be towards me. Would that be all? Charms is about to start."
Lupin looked a bit baffled. A student not complaining about Snape being mean to them was probably news to him.
He chuckled: "Happy to see, you are of a strong nature, Miss Yaeger. I just wanted to make sure. Yes, you are dismissed."
He waved his hand towards the door and smiled at me.
"Thank you again, Professor", I said cooly, I threw my school bag over my shoulder and left for Charms.

Later that day, we sat in the Study Hall noses dived deep into our books or over some parchments. I still had to finish my Potions paper for tomorrow. As it was often the case, Snape had slightly exaggerated his homework requirements. But I – unlike my classmates, enjoyed the challenge. I had some books about ingredients next to me and was skimming them for all sorts of information about herbs with restorative functions. I was taking notes about some Mandrakes when a stick whipped through the air, slashing it, and landing its tip on my notes. I jumped and looked up. On the other end of the stick was Snape. He often overviewed the Study Hall, always making sure, we stayed focused on our work.
He stared at me, rose his eyebrows, and hissed: "Wrong."
Then he proceeded his walk through the aisles. Where he passed by, you could see heads being ducked. I checked the book again and then my notes and quickly crossed out a falsely written 'Wandrake' and rewrote it as "Mandrake".
As I had finished all my required papers, I dreaded leaving the Study Hall, for it had meant leaving where he was. I decided I would buy me some time by pretend-reading in one of my books and occasionally throw an eye or two on my person of desire.
He was walking three aisles across from mine, having his usual stern look upon his face. My eyes got stuck on his lips and flashbacks of him caressing my body with them started shooting through my mind. In my mind, his lips brushed my neck and I could feel a tickling sensation on that spot of my neck. My eyes still following him, went down to his fingers. They were slender and pale and memories of them touching, gripping, and playing with me fired through my mind. I closed my eyes and breathed sweetly.
As I reopened them, he was gone from my sight. Bewildered my eyes scanned the room for him as I felt a slight smacking with a soft, wide object on the back of my head. I rubbed the back of my head and turned around to find Snape standing there, holding a notebook in his hand.
"Watch your thoughts", he growled and walked off.
As he did so his finger brushed my chin in the blink of an eye. I giggled and decided it was probably best for him, if I left the hall, so he could focus on getting onto the nerves of other students.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. I spent some time outside at the lake with some friends, chatting and gossiping about some Gryffindor brats, that saw themselves as something superior – which basically was the standard in that house. I know, usually it's Slytherin that gets connected to words like 'snobbish' or 'arrogant', but at least we stand by it.
When it was time, we headed inside to grab dinner. Snape happened to not attend tonight's dinner, so I actually got to eat properly and daydream-free for a change.

As I later was lying in my bed and trying to find sleep, I felt my body yearning for a different set of linen, in a different room, filled with a different sound of breathing than the one coming from my dorm mates. I nestled into my cushion and hoped deeply, there soon would be another chance to spend the night with him.