Severus was actually feeling rather ashamed of himself. To be sure, he'd made more than one first year cry before, but there was just something about those green eyes in a face so like his enemy's, and perhaps the fact that he should have been the boy's father, that made him lose his head. But that didn't excuse the way he had been treating him. The boy, a Potter or not, was still one of his students, and in his house, and he had no right to treat him like that. He tried to forget the pain in that emerald gaze, the curl in pale lips as he spoke achingly familiar words, but somehow he couldn't, and after a few minutes of trying desperately to get back on track, he dismissed class ten minutes early- something he'd never done in his life- and began to pack up in a rare temper, shooing the little menaces out as he did so.

And then he grudgingly went to look for the boy- not to apologise, just to- to what? Why did he care? Potter probably just went crying to Professor Sprout, who would give him sweeties and sympathize with him and other such nonsense, and then Dumbledore would call him into his office and give him a lecture, and then he would endeavour not to torment the arrogant brat until he graduated, or until the unlikely but welcome occurrence of him being expelled or Dumbledore allowing Severus to quit his teaching duties, and that would be it.

So why did he feel so bad about himself? Perhaps it was because Potter was one of his little snakes.

He only began to worry when Professor Sprout told him that she had not seen the poor boy at all that day, much less in her office. Severus then went to Hagrid's hut, but the half-giant had not seen Potter either, nor was he in the library...or the kitchens...or the Great Hall...or the common room. And then, at last, he found him.

Potter was huddled into a small ball, back against the cold and dropping-splattered wall of the owlry, and what Severus could see of his face was red and puffy with tears. He was evidently asleep. Severus watched him breathe for as long as he dared, strange emotions that he could not understand sweeping over him. At last, he seemed to snap out of it. "Mr. Potter?"

The boy's head jerked up, cracking painfully against the owlry wall, green eyes flying open. "P-professor Snape?" he asked, unusually hesitant.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said again, unable to think of anything to say. "I- I apologize for being so harsh with you."

Those eyes, so like the boy's mother, widened, staring up at him with an almost hopeful expression, as though he had just offered him sweets instead of apologizing. Somehow it made him feel worse. "It's...it's okay, sir, really," the boy replied in a tone that made it clear that it was anything but. "But thank you so much."

Were those words calculated to make the guilt rise in him? Severus scowled and regretted it as he saw the boy flinch. "Still...it was...unprofessional of me. Especially as I am supposed to be your head of house."

"Apology accepted," was the soft reply. "And- oh! I'm going to be late for Charms!"

"I will write you a permission slip," Severus told him, conjuring a quill and transfiguring a bit of floating owl fluff into a perfect permission slip.

Potter stared at him, a sort of...longing in his face that Severus couldn't understand. "Thank you sir," he replied, reaching out to take the slip once Severus had written it. And that was when a black and grey snake popped out of his collar.

Severus froze. "Potter," he began in a low voice.

Potter blinked at him, and then went cross-eyed looking at the snake, which Severus had by now identified as a highly venomous exotic karait. And then he hissed. Severus had only ever heard that noise once before, and that was when he was with the Dark Lord. Potter was a parselmouth? By the way the boy was hissing away, Severus certainly thought so.

And that was when the boy realized that he was still there. "Oh, Merlin, am I in trouble?" he asked.

Severus could barely pull himself together enough to reply. "No, except perhaps for having a pet that is not regulation, but we will have to go speak to the headmaster."

Potter froze, green eyes glinting with panic. "Please don't- I don't want- Dumbledore can't know!"

The snake hissed, and Potter tensed even more, replying to the snake with a stream of quiet hisses. A last he straightened. "Please sir, don't tell him- if you need to tell anyone, please just tell Professor Sprout. I have to- I don't want-"

The snake gave another hiss; it sounded calming.

"No!" was the boy's agitated reply. "Jewel, ssshssiss ssethss ssh!" he told the snake forcefully. "Ssss shzz ssessis!"

Severus could not easily forget that horrible sound flowing from innocent pink lips, and it was all he could do not to run. The boy seemed to see his fear at that moment though, or perhaps the snake smelled it, because his eyes flew to Severus's face.

"Sorry sir, I forgot that- I- never mind," he said uncertainly. "But please, please don't tell Dumbledore."

Severus blinked. "He will not punish you," he began.

"I wouldn't care if it was just punishment," the boy replied in a tone that really unnerved him. "But he can't know- it's already bad enough that I'm in Slytherin- he'll never trust me- he'll think I'm 'going evil' and try to stop me-"

Severus was startled by these accusations. "The headmaster-"

"Please, just promise me-" the boy gasped out.

Severus thought for a long time. He wasn't sure why Potter was so afraid, and Dumbledore did need to know, but there was no reason that Dumbledore had to know right now. And the boy seemed so desperate! "I...very well. I promise that I will not tell Albus Dumbledore your secret unless it is absolutely necessary."

Potter seemed a little relieved. "Th-thank you, sir."

"Now you'd best get to Charms, or at least to the library, seeing as the class is likely almost over," Severus said, shaking himself out of his stupor. "And twenty points from Slytherin for having an unregulation pet."

The boy nodded and rose shakily, putting one hand out to steady himself and then slowly walking down the spiral steps, descending from the owlry, and hissing to his snake out of the corner of his mouth. Severus stared after him for a long time and left the owlry himself, to go to his next class.

He really needed a calming drought or maybe even something stronger. Potter was a parselmouth. Potter did not at all act like a Potter. Potter had a pet karait which he apparently hid in his shirt. Potter was going to drive him to drink within a month!