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Two Sides Against the Middle by Rose of the West [Reviews - 2]

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Disclaimer: The world and characters here are the creation and property of JK Rowling. This chapter in particular, draws heavily upon events in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone.

Emily watched her husband over a private dinner on Friday night. Hope—rather Margo's—first Potions class had been that day and the new student's mother wondered how it had gone. However, since Slytherin and Gryffindor had Potions together, it was also Severus's first experience with Harry Potter.

“I saw his face and it was as if I was eleven years old, again, Emily. There I was, defenseless against that bully. Part of me is surprised I didn't take out my wand and hex him into next week so he couldn't hurt me first, but then he looked at me and it was Lily looking at me. I was still eleven years old again, basking in that puppy love.”

Emily put out her hand and touched his, which was cold. She looked sympathetically into his eyes, remembering those days of first year, when Severus had learned to beware of Potter and his friends. She tried to remember what worked to calm him down in those days and realized that it had been Lily, who occasionally had studied with both of them from time to time before she developed her Gryffindor pride. Lily was the one who reminded Severus that James and Sirius were awful and only important to themselves.

“I don't think I can like him, Emily. It's just too wrong to see her looking out of his face. The boy seems to be like his father, too, always showing off and pleased with his own notoriety. I'm going to ask Dumbledore to find someone else to keep an eye on him.”

Emily didn't think she could say anything. She desperately wanted news of how her daughter was doing in classes but Severus didn't seem able to discuss it right then. Loyalty to her husband won over motherly curiosity and she simply held his hands and listened.

They sat on the couch together. Severus leaned against his wife's shoulder and remembered the pranks that four first year Gryffindors played upon one lonely Slytherin. A fair number of them were well known to her, either having happened right in front of her or being discussed widely after the fact. One or two were new to her. He had been so hurt and embarrassed by them that he had told no one they had happened. It seemed that if a certain Slytherin prefect hadn't stepped in as often as he had, Severus Snape might not have survived his first year at Hogwarts. Emily ran her fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his head with tears in her eyes.

Emily thought that Severus had gone to sleep when he suddenly said, “I haven't given you a chance to ask me how young Snape did at her first Potions class.” He sat up and smiled upon the mother of his child with fatherly pride. “I can tell you with a sense of gratification, madam, that young Snape comported herself admirably. Her first potion as a student at Hogwarts was just right. She was a credit to her House and a credit to her family. I couldn't resist the urge to ruffle those curls as she walked past me out the door, either, and earned a very dirty look for it. I miss having her with us in the evening.”

“So do I,” said Emily quietly. “Something seems to be missing, but this is how it is supposed to be, I guess.”

“We'll just have to find a way to pass the time,” said Severus with a playful smirk.



Margo Snape had a shadow. Whenever she went to class, it seemed that Draco Malfoy was always behind or next to her. If she went to the common room, he always sat next to her, preventing any other students from becoming her friend. She had been very careful to instruct Daddy and Mum on how to keep their distance and so far it had been mostly good, but this Malfoy boy wouldn't leave her alone. Despite her most pointed comments he seemed to get bolder and bolder in his pursuit.

A couple of weeks into the school year they walked out of Charms class and he put his arm around her. “Hey, Sweet Thing, why don't we go look for abandoned class rooms?”

Margo had had enough. “GET. YOUR DISGUSTING HANDS. OFF. OF. ME,” she hissed.

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Come on, my hands aren't—“ Hearing snickers from Crabbe and Goyle, he looked down and realized that they were covered with oozing sores. He stopped walking and screamed.

No one had seen Margo take out her wand, but they all saw it now in her clenched fist and knew what she must have done with it. Freed of her encumbrance, she tossed her hair and kept walking toward Transfiguration. Professor Flitwick came out of his classroom and looked at Draco's hands.

“Ah, Mr. Malfoy, you've been hit by an interesting hex.” He looked at the hands carefully. “I haven't seen it since...” He looked and saw the little back just turning down the next hallway and snorted back a laugh. “Well, you go up and see Madam Pomfrey. She'll set it right. In the future I would suggest not making unwanted advances?”



The letter came almost immediately from Malfoy Manor, complaining that a professor's daughter was receiving preferential treatment. It demanded that she be disciplined and that an example be set. The Headmaster summoned the girl's parents to his office and showed them the letter, his eyes twinkling.

Emily started to seethe. “That woman tried to sell me as if she were the madam of a whorehouse, and now she complains when my daughter doesn't want to be manhandled by her son, who, it would seem, is behaving exactly like his father?” She took a breath in order to continue, but Dumbledore slid his voice in.

“Emily, it may all be as you say, but there are other sides to this to consider. The Malfoys are quite powerful in the Ministry and on the Board of Governors here at Hogwarts. They hold some sway at St. Mungo's, too. At such time as Voldemort comes back, we need Severus, here, to be on friendly terms with the Malfoys. And finally, there is the angle of a certain professor complaining about preferential treatment that another student may or may not be receiving. How does it look for that professor to make complaints when his own daughter appears to be receiving preferential treatment?”

Emily folded her arms, crossed her legs, and bounced her foot in annoyance as she looked over at her husband. Severus scowled, knowing he was trapped by his own demands. He sighed. “It would appear to be a House matter, so as the Head of Slytherin, I shall look into the matter and deal with it. Snape will receive a detention, as will Malfoy, if while questioning witnesses I discover he somehow caused the incident.”

“Excellent. I shall send a response to Narcissa immediately.”

Emily's eyes narrowed while the Headmaster's twinkled. “Albus, he won't leave her alone. Are we supposed to let him rape her?”

“I think she will find more subtle ways to discourage his advances before that is a concern, my dear. He can't be any harder to hold off than Mr. Black was. And just how did you escape detention when you used that hex on your cousin?”

Severus looked up in surprise. “You used that hex on Stevie MacMillan?”

Emily waved her hand dismissively. “It was fourth year and he was presuming on the family relationship. There weren't any witnesses.”



In gathering the evidence of the first year Slytherins, the House Head found that there was more than enough evidence to indict both young Malfoy and young Snape. During the beginning of the detention, the students scrubbed cauldrons quietly, though a certain young lady did send him scowls that rivaled anything Professor Snape had seen in a mirror. It was hard not to laugh and the professor had to look a great many things up in reference books in order to keep his smiles from becoming visible.

After a while the boy started whispering things to the girl and the professor could not ignore what was being said. “Your father's a teacher and your mother's a Healer. They're practically in trade.”

“My father is a Potions Master, thank you, and both my parents are brilliant. They do honest work for honest pay. There's nothing wrong with that. What does your family do?”

“You need to make good contacts in order to get in with the right people, though.”

“Oh, yeah? Who would that be?”

“Like me, Sweet Thing. I can get you into the right groups.”

“I don't want to be part of any group that involves you.”

“No? Your parents have been at dinner parties at my house. My dad said--”

“Malfoy!” Professor Snape was standing over them. “Why don't you come into my office while Miss Snape clears up.”

He let the boy precede him into the room. “Mr. Malfoy, it would please me no end if you would leave Miss Snape alone. She's just a child and not worthy of your more sophisticated interests.”

“She does something to me, Professor.”

“Yes, well, I could use your help with something else. As you may have been told by your parents, Harry Potter was the mortal enemy of the Dark Lord. I would like you to help me keep watch of Potter to see what he is up to. Do you think you can do that?”

“Potter? I hate him. He thinks he's so great.”

“Well, then, we have a common interest. Perhaps you should work on this other project instead of wasting your time with a mere child?”

“I'll think about it, Professor.”

“See that you do.”

The boy left and Severus went to rescue his seething daughter. “Why did you let him leave early?”

“Because I couldn't resist a little time with my Hope,” he said, flicking his wand and stacking the cauldrons neatly in their proper corner. “Your mother is worried about you and the Headmaster suggests you use more subtle means of controlling would-be suitors.”

“Aren't I 'Miss Snape,' right now, Professor?”

“No, you're my little girl. You have to be more careful around young Malfoy. His mother is a snob and his father is a lecher, and Draco appears to have inherited the worst of both of them. Yet we need to avoid making trouble with them. We have a very comfortable life because they don't hate us.” The blue eyes turned a bit less truculent. “Come, give your mother a chance to lavish affection on you and then I'll walk you to the common room.” He put his arm around her shoulder in a familiar way and she reached up to hug him.

“I love you, Daddy.”

“And I love you, my best of Hopes.”

A/N: I had pondered including bits of that first actual Potions class but decided against it. I decided to let it stand as it happened in the book and then give Snape's impressions after the fact.

Two Sides Against the Middle by Rose of the West [Reviews - 2]

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