If you've found me from a random petting I gave you, I guarantee it's because of the animal you put on your profile. Felines of all varieties get preferential pettings!
Unknown "NFS Muffin" Sleepy - 16 years, 9 months, 17 days ago

Part the Fifth!

Severus calmly scanned the faces before him. Dumbledore, Flitwick and McGonagall he recalled from his own days as a Hogwarts student. He was unsure of the name of the rather bedraggled witch to the other side of Dumbledore, but strongly suspected her to be a Hufflepuff.
His attention shifted to the little blond witch who was smiling so enthusiastically back at him, a flat basket loaded with some sort of baked goods in her hands. He detected the aromas of apples and cinnamon. Faintly puzzled, he shot a piercing look at the woman.
She was certainly no Occlumens, this one. He caught quickly the determination to 'win him over', though to what, he didn't care to consider. Her mind was blindingly optimistic, so he quickly withdrew from it and turned to address Dumbledore.
"My quarters, I assume, are to be in the dungeon near to the potions classroom," he asked in a posture of idle disinterest.
"Yes, yes, exactly so, Severus, and now, if I may, some faces here you surely recognize, but for those you do not, allow me to make the introductions. This," he started, extending his arm towards the bedraggled looking witch, "is Pomona Sprout, our Herbology professor, and head of Hufflepuff."
Severus executed a brief, polite-looking bow to Professor Sprout, mentally congratulating himself on yet another well-proved observation. The Hufflepuff Head tipped a courteous nod of her own in return.
"Filius and Miverva, you know," Dumbledore continued.
"Yes, I wouldn't soon forget you, Severus," McGonagall remarked with a hint of irony in her voice.
"Nor I, you," he assured her quietly, recalling all those times that she, as head of Gryffindor, had championed his tormentors out of nothing he could think of beyond house loyalties.
"And this," Albus continued, turning towards the little blond witch, "is our Muggle Studies instructor, Charity Burbage."
"Welcome to the faculty," the little blond witch chirped. Severus restrained himself from cringing from her cheerfulness. "Here, I baked these myself, 'from scratch', as the Muggles call it," she added, holding out the platter of apple cinnamon whatever they were. "Muffins, they are," she told him, noticing the dubious look that briefly crossed his expression.
Severus debated the pros and cons of refusing to accept the 'muffin', then decided that with Albus right there beside them, it would be best to do the polite thing. He took the muffin nearest him, and with a tiny smile that evidently pained him, he told Miss Burbage, "Thank you."
Her face lit up pathetically. He had a sinking feeling the woman was already well on the way to forming an obsession over him. He shot a look of faint pleading to the Headmaster, who moved in close to them both and said to Miss Burbage, "They smell absolutely delicious, Charity. May I?"
"Oh, of course, Albus," she declared, blushing as she turned to the other members of the faculty. "Please, everyone, enjoy!" she invited.
Unknown "NFS Muffin" Sleepy - 16 years, 9 months, 24 days ago

Continuing on to part four of Charity's Tale

The doors swung open, the light of the sun spilling onto the stones of the floor in the front hall of Hogwarts. Charity Burbage bit her lip to stop herself from squealing with excitement.
Outside of her notice, Filius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagall and Pomona Sprout had all made their own way to the entry, making a line respectfully behind Albus Dumbledore. Charity, in her eagerness to get a glimpse of the new Potions Master, had moved out in front of them all. Her fingers tight around the wicker handles of her tray of apple muffins, she nearly bounced in excitement.
As she looked, the light in the doorway went slowly dimmer. A passing clous, she thought abstractly, peering through the open doors. A thin shadow stretched across the threshold, growing longer as a silhouette rose within the frame.
Charity found her mouth going inexplicably dry,a faint chill runing up her back. Her smile slipped half a notch, but stayed mostly intact.
A thin figure stood just outside of the open door, seeming to be awaiting an invitation into the building. Albus obligingly extended one.
"Welcome, Severus, to your second home," the Headmaster called out. Severus raised his head slightly, a faint twitch of a smile touching his lips so briefly it might never have been there at all.
"Thank you, Headmaster," said Severus Snape in a soft, low tone that Charity Burbage found absolutely entrancing.

(I believe I've written all I can muster on this for today, but it will continue tomorrow!)
Unknown "NFS Muffin" Sleepy - 16 years, 9 months, 25 days ago

Being the third part of the tale of Charity Burbage

The clattering of hooves from outside pulled her attention to the huge doors that were the entrance to Hogwarts.
"Ah, I believe that will be Severus now," Albus Dumbledore announced, with a clasping of his hands before him. A less generous minded person might have seen that as a form of self congratulation, but Charity Burbage merely viewed it as the enthusiasm which she shared.
Outside, the carriage that to most eyes would appear to be pulling itself was coming to a halt at the foot of the steps leading up to the school. Severus Snape, however, regarded the skeletal Thestrals with the barest hint of his combined fascination and distrust showing in his otherwise well-schooled expression. He stepped down, then pulled his battered trunk down from the rear of the carriage. As he turned to look up at the edifice where his education and his torment had coexisted over a decade before, he set his jaw and trudged his way up the steps.
Unknown "NFS Muffin" Sleepy - 16 years, 9 months, 25 days ago

The Tale of Charity Burbage and the Muffins, continued.

So at last, to her satisfaction and the house elves' great relief, her apple muffins were finished. The appley, cinnamony scent pleased her, as she hoped it would please Severus Snape.
"He ought to be arriving soon," she reasoned as she stacked the muffins on a wicker tray layed over with a yellow and black checked cloth. "Thank you for your patience," she added, addressing the now emerging house elves as she backed through the doorway leading out of the kitchen. Most of the house elves, in their turn, were uncertain how to respond to such thanks, and simply bowed in confused silence before getting back to their usual tasks.
Humming softly to herself, Professor Burbage made her way to the front hall, giving Argus Filch a cheerful grin. His response was more of a sour grimace, but she let that roll off of her high spirits with good grace. His everpresent companion, that dreadfully thin Mrs. Norris, eyed her with as much suspicion as her master, but this too did nothing to dampen her mood.
"Ah, Headmaster," she trilled at the sight of Albus Dumbledore, clearly himself waiting to greet the soon to arrive new Potions Master.
"Charity, you've been industrious, I see," he answered with his usual twinkling grin. His eyes skated over the smudge of muffin batter that had caked onto her left cheek. Feeling his gaze, she reached up and touched the cheek in question, then flushed pinkly as she drew a handkerchief from within her robe pocket and turned away slightly, as if wiping it away while turned from Dumbledore would make it as though it had never been there to begin. His expression was placidly pleasant when she turned back, clean faced.
"So, how much longer before he gets here," she asked a little breathlessly.
Unknown "NFS Muffin" Sleepy - 16 years, 9 months, 25 days ago