Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets



The start of the school year was a bit trying for Professor Snape. It started when the students came into the Great Hall and all of the girls looked over at the professor sitting unfortunately close to him. The new Defense professor sat proudly, tossing his golden curls as he turned this way and that, and waved to his adoring fans, as he saw the students. Some of the girls stared at Professor Lockhart entirely too much and caused a bit of a snarl of bodies in the doorway.

Worst of all Margo Snape, the heretofore intelligent and level-headed girl of Severus's heart, sat at the Slytherin table and craned her neck to see the blond-haired fool. It was hard for a father to watch. Last year the same child had winked at him; tonight she barely noticed him.

As the upperclassmen came in and the Sorting started, Professor Snape noticed the absence of Potter and the youngest Weasley boy. He took advantage of the opportunity to excuse himself on the pretext of looking for them. Argus Filch was haunting the hallway and handed Severus a copy of the Evening Prophet, gesticulating wildly at the banner headline about a flying car that had disturbed Muggles in several towns. The poor man was unable to speak with the excitement of the story. Severus took the paper and promised to read it.

As he walked down the pathway toward the school gates, he heard an odd whining noise coming toward him and turned to look. It was followed by the sound of a car engine sputtering and dying. As he watched, the exact Ford Anglia described in the paper swooped down, narrowly missing the castle wall and finally landing right in the arms of the old Whomping Willow tree.

As Severus watched, the tree or car or both spit out two boys, a corresponding amount of luggage, and an owl. The car zoomed off toward the Forbidden Forest and the boys started tugging their luggage toward the main door of the castle. They were making so much noise that it wasn't difficult to silently follow and catch up to them. He almost laughed when they started discussing his absence from the table in the Great Hall. Having taught angst-ridden teens and preteens since he had barely stopped being a teen himself, he hardly noticed the insults they made about him.

When Professor Snape found his entry into the conversation, he pounced. For once tonight, he smiled in enjoyment at the looks that students were giving a professor. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were looking at him in fear. He really should bring them to the office of Dumbledore or McGonagall, but they would be more frightened and uncomfortable in his own office. He took them there and then left to get the Headmaster and the Gryffindor House Head.

From there the evening had gone down hill. Dumbledore had refused to expel the boys and McGonagall would no doubt give meaningless detentions, just as had been given to Potter's father and his friends time after time. No points were deducted from Gryffindor as the term hadn't started. No Slytherin satisfaction was to be found there. Severus was forced to return to the Feast by the Headmaster, where he briefly had a ray of sunshine in the look his daughter gave him, showing that she had missed him and was glad to see him. Then that was dashed when she quickly shifted her attention back to Lockhart.

Severus made his way to the rooms he usually shared with Emily. There was no soft ear to hear his troubles, no soft body to curl up with when he got to his rooms that night. The blasted hospital had scheduled her so diabolically that she was only able to sleep for short spans of time this week and she had decided to stay at her mum's house until this rotation was over. It made the most sense, but it was hard on a man who never could sleep very well without the presence of his wife. He decided to take a long patrol around the castle and finish off with a stiff drink. It would work as well as anything else.

The rest of the week followed the pattern established that first night. On his very first day of classes, Lockhart managed to destroy his classroom by setting Cornish pixies free within it. Later that week Fred and George Weasley turned their potion into something that made Montague's hair turn pink, and Longbottom cracked the first of what would no doubt be many cauldrons of the term. The only satisfaction Professor Snape received was in writing a note to allow the Slytherin Quidditch team to practice at a time when Gryffindor had signed out the field.

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Severus was waiting by the fire place when Emily came through the Floo on Saturday, just after noon. He hugged her tightly enough to lift her from the floor and then carried her that way into the bedroom. Just enough clothing was removed to make love quickly and desperately, after which they finished undressing themselves and made love all over again, this time at a more leisurely pace.

Later, they sat propped against the headboard and wrapped in the bed sheet so that they could eat sandwiches while talking over their week. St. Mungo's had a higher number than usual of cases involving illegally enchanted and cursed Muggle artifacts, owing to Arthur Weasley's recent round up of such items, but it was an otherwise uneventful week at the hospital. Severus told the tale of his week to Emily and was only slightly chagrined when she laughed in the midst of his outrage over the Whomping Willow.

“OK, now you're joking.”

“Indeed, Madam, I am not. I fail to see what is so amusing.”

“Severus, you hate that tree. It stands for one of the worst moments of your life. You've begged Albus to tear it down, yourself.”

Suddenly Severus saw the irony of the situation and smiled along with her. He said, “How nice it is to have a wife to talk these things over with. You don't know how I've missed you, Emily.”

“I've missed you, too, Severus.”

Severus set the tray of sandwiches aside, put his head in the most comfortable place in the world, and his arms around Emily's waist. He closed his eyes and absorbed the pleasure of the comfort she gave him. Just a couple of minutes later, or perhaps it was a few hours, Emily kissed his ear and said, “It's time to wake up and go to dinner. I want to catch a glimpse of my daughter.”

The evening got better. Hope gave her father the wink he was used to receiving, although she spent the rest of the evening looking at the Defense professor. It would have stung earlier in the week, but Severus Snape was sitting with the only female in the room who wasn't looking at Gilderoy Lockhart. Instead, this female's attention was all on Severus Snape. Best of all was the moment Emily was ready to retire for the night. Severus let her tug him all the way to the door of the Great Hall, making sure that everyone in the room who cared to look would see that this lovely witch wanted to be with him. He kept his face impassive, a slight smirk showing on his features, although in his heart he was grinning broadly.


End Notes: I wish to thank everyone who has been reading this story. I don't thank those of you who review enough. I've enjoyed your insight! Thank you especially to beta reader Trickie Woo.

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