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Neville Longbottom could not have been more proud when his daughter, Sophie, has gotten her Hogwarts letter. True, he missed her during the school year, but she spent every holiday at home, telling him excitedly all about her friends and classes. He was proud of her good grades, and happy how she fit right in. There was only one thing that made him really uncomfortable.
“I think potions is my favorite subject” she announced, while they were both outside, enjoying the summer break.
“That is great, pumpkin” he answered cautiously. “What do you like about it the most?”
“Well, Professor Snape of course!” she exclaimed, looking up from her drawing. A very heavy, slightly nauseous feeling settled in Neville’s stomach.
“Professor Snape is the best! Patient, kind, and very good at explaining stuff.”
Neville had a very hard time imagining a kind Snape. Maybe war had changed a man. Or maybe someone was drugging him with a potion, though he had no idea how anyone could pull that off with a potions master. Or maybe an impostor was using polyjuice potion to impersonate him, though he could not fathom why someone would want to do that.
“Last year the professor even organized a valentine’s day event, wore a pink robe and taught us to make love syrup! I wish all my classes were taught by Professor Snape” she beamed, oblivious to the discomfort of her father. “Though Professor McGonagall is cool too.”
“So… Professor Snape never calls anyone a dunderhead? Or blatantly favor Slytherin? Or sneak up behind them unnoticed and whisper in their ears five points from Gryffindor for pure idiocy?”
Sophie looked up from the drawing indignantly.
“Of course not! When one of my potions went wrong and I started crying, Professor Snape hugged me, and showed me how to fix it.” Neville shuddered at the idea of being hugged by Severus Snape, and steered the conversation onto safer waters.
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When Neville received a letter from Hogwarts announcing that they were organizing an open day for parents so they can see how their kids were doing in class, he knew he had to attend. Even though he has grown up and had a successful carrier, and he knew perfectly well that professor Snape had no hold over him, he still had had a heavy feeling in his stomach while he walked down the well-known corridor towards the dungeons. Some old fears were hard to shake, however silly they might seem.
When he entered the potions lab, he saw that he was early, there was only one other parent there: Hermione.
“Hermione” he beamed. “Long time, no see” he stepped up to his ex-classmate to give her a hug.
“Neville!” she smiled, returning the hug. “It is good to see you too. How are you doing?”
“I am doing great, thank you” he smiled taking a step back. “My herbology business is booming, and I am a proud father. I am here to see how little Sophie is doing. I did not know you also had a kid her age.”
“Oh, no, I don’t. I teach here” Hermione explained.
“Well, I suppose I should have expected that” Neville said, scratching the nape of his neck. “After all, you really were the smartest of us all. What do you teach?”
“Well, potions. This is my classroom.” Neville looked at her confused.
“But… I thought it was still Professor Snape teaching potions?” he asked bewildered.
“Oh” she smiled. “I am professor Snape.” Neville gaped at her. Hermione lifted her right hand, showing off a wedding ring. “Severus and I got married a few years ago.”
Neville suddenly felt dizzy, and steadied himself on one of the benches.
“Oh. Well. Congratulations” he said still reeling from the information. “I guess it does explain a lot, though. I mean, Sophie kept telling me how kind professor Snape was, or that professor Snape dressed a mine for Halloween, or that professor Snape was organizing a Valentine’s day special event, and I could just not see Severus Snape in pink robes.”
Hermione giggled “I would love to actually see that.”
“Hermione, please don’t tell him…”
“Your secret is safe with me, Neville.”