I was thinking... one with Mcgonagall and her being incredibly disappointed in him but then learning of everything since I know that Snape and Mcgonagall/Dumbledore is your speciality although I would also like it if it was with Hagrid.
"I am very disappointed in you, Mister Snape. I thought a student as gifted as you would not resort to physical violence when you find yourself in a disagreement with your classmates. Mister Lupin, take your friends to the hospital Wing."
Severus watched as Potter and Black departed, pinching their nose so that blood would not fall on their robes. They gave him a vengeful look, and he felt his heart drop: it would get worst... So much worst, and yet, it could never be as worse as what had already happened.
"You will serve detention with Hagrid tonight. He needs help with some of the animals. Please be in my office at 6pm."
Severus nodded, glad she finally seemed willing to let him go. He was relieved of his punishment, as Hagrid was kind and he liked animals - he tried hard not to look too relieved. But it was easy in the end, as he felt so angry and humiliated his nails started to dig in his arms' skin: she would never understand.
Minerva watched as the 16 years old Slytherin sat on the floor, cleaning a cage Hagrid had been using to keep a litter of hedgehogs he had cared for the whole winter and had recently set free just behind his house. Hedgehogs were adorable animals, but definitely not clean ones unless domesticated. Severus slightly rolled up his sleeves as he reached the bottom, worried he would get his only set of robes dirty.
Minerva was about to turn away, but something caught her eyes; red, thin scares on the boy's skin.
"Yeh are doin' a great job at this, Mister Snape", Hagrid told him, kneeling beside him. "Look what I've got here."
He carefully took something out of his pocket, which Minerva did not recognise at first; it was a small, ginger kitten which Severus slowly put down on his lap. She observed as the boy gently stroke his fur, looking more gentle and vulnerable she had ever seen him before. After ten minutes, she took a few steps forward, interrupting them.
"Hagrid, may I have word with Mister Snape for a moment, if you don't mind?"
Severus looked surprised. The half-giant just smiled.
"O' course, professor," he replied warmly. "You can go into the house if yeh want".
Minerva nodded, waiting for the Slytherin boy to follow her. He looked hesitant.
"Come on, Mister Snape. I'm not going to eat you."
She closed the door behind her, inviting Severus to sit at the big table in the center of the room. The student looked uncomfortable, looking away, absent-mindedly bitting his lower lip.
"Mister Snape", she said gently, "would you... Would you show me your arms?"
She had done it before. She still did not know how it should be done. She had done it with students from her own house and Filius' house; but it was her first time with a Slytherin, and not any Slytherin.
"No." He told her firmly, taking her by surprise.
It wasn't his refusal that startle her, of course; but his gaze. It had hardened, and his tone was suddenly so cold she thought for a second she was talking to a different person.
It was Severus' turn to look surprised. He was not used to be listened to.
"Would you like to tell me why you are doing this, Mister Snape?" Minerva tried again, her voice softer. "Anything you need to tell me."
The boy blinked. He did not understand what was happening. It was surreal.
He did not know what seemed the most astonishing, that she seemed to care for what he had to say, or that she was genuinely wondering why he felt so... So desperate for relief?
He hated himself. He should have been more careful. He did not need her pity nor did he want to spend one more second in her presence, a presence he had grown to resent.
"I don't want your help", he told her, with so much hate it was as if he had spat in her face.
Despite his behaviour, Minerva did not give up. Her facial expression did not change.
"Why not?" she asked in a neutral voice, watching as the boy grew more and more agitated.
"I thought I was here to serve detention", he replied, his gaze evasive.
"Things have changed", Minerva answered simply. "I am here to help you, Severus."
It was the first time she called him by his first name. Severus could not help but look up. But he did not speak. Minerva could tell by his body language he was anxious - she pursed her lips as the feeling was communicative.
"I am just human, Severus", she said on a defeated tone, looking for any change in his posture. "I make mistakes and there are some things I don't see."
Something in the boy's chest broke. It was anger that came out - fury as he stood there, looking at this woman who had protected his bullies for fives years, turning a blind eye on the daily humiliations and Dumbledore's favoritism and everything - of course she knew. Of course.
"DON'T LIE!" he shouted suddenly, getting up. Minerva did not move. Severus looked straight into her eyes.
"You know everything. You watch them doing it and you don't care. Why would you care after all?! You only have eyes for your precious Gryffindors. Only them! Always them!"
He was out of breath. He felt disgusting and ashamed. He wanted to shout at her, to force her to look away, anywhere else so that her calculating eyes would stop watching him. She had no right to do this.
Minerva wondered how Albus would have reacted had he been her, confronted to this disheveled student shouting at her. But would he... Would he really find a better way to respond to this boy?
A lump formed in her throat as she felt a terrible feeling of failure spreading in her chest. What had she missed?
It was funny, James and Sirius taught Snape a good lesson. You should have seen him!
She had heard it. She had thought it was another boy fight. No one had came to complain. So she had forgotten about it.
"Tell me what they did to you", she said firmly, hiding her hands under the table. She was nervous.
Severus was trembling, standing beside his chair, his eyes on his feet. He looked at her.
"Tell me", she repeated in a more gentle manner.
She scrutinised his face. Was it... Shame she was reading there? Shame that prevented him from looking right into her eyes and swallow properly?
"You don't have to be ashamed, Severus." She hesitated. "If someone should be, it's certainly me. I have obviously failed to fulfil my duty as your teacher."
All of them had failed to see the despair on that boy's face and the self harm. She had not seen it only a few hours before, and yet some of the scares she had seen were faded; they were not new.
"I apologise for not helping your earlier. But if you tell me what's wrong - or what you think is wrong, I will help you. I promise."
There were students she was more fond of than others, she had to admit it. Severus had never been one of them, on the contrary; but no child would suffer under her watch.
The boy swallowed with some difficulty.
"I don't trust you", he told her coldly. There was venom in his voice. "I don't want your promises. Let me go."
"You do not have to trust me. You just have to know that as your teacher I will do anything in my power to help you get better."
"Then EXPELL THEM!" Severus screamed, heading toward the door. "PROTECT US!"
He was almost crying. He felt humiliated yet again,by none other than the head of Gryffindor -
"Tell me why you need protection, Severus. I need to hear it from you."
"Oh, I don't know", Severus sneered, feeling out of control. "Because they have been bullying me and others for five years? Because they--they took my clothes off? Because they tried to KILL me?"
He opened the door violently. Minerva made a movement, she wanted to stop him; but she decided otherwise. He wasn't finished.
"Slytherins, younger students, poorer students like me... What chance do we have against the golden, rich pureblood from Gryffindors? None. None!"
Severus breathed. He had said it. Finally.
"I hate you", he whispered. "You and all of those who have been protecting them. Being expelled from this hell of a place will be the greatest relief of my life."
He did not care. He did not care anymore. Not after what had happened. Not after Lily had left. Not after Dumbledore had told him to be silent. Not after the student who had tried to murder him was still mercilessly bullying him everyday, while he was the one punished, again, again.
"Anywhere's better than here."
The tears finally fell on his young face, he wanted to escape - but Hagrid was there. He stopped him, gripping his shoulder firmly: Severus turned to look at him, furious.
"Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter sad", he told him. "Never."
Severus tried to stifle his sobs.
Minerva was standing in the doorframe, trembling slightly.
"I am going to talk with professor Dumbledore. I am going to talk with the administration board. I'm going to make things right", she said in a toneless voice, searching for Severus' eyes in the declining light of the evening. "Right now."
At Severus' feet, a cat started purring.
"It is a beautiful spell", Severus said quietly, watching as the bubble like animals floated around them, glimmering in the afternoon light. He frowned in concentration and a cat appeared at the bottom of his wand, leaving him with a feeling of relief he welcomed with opened arms.
It was Hagrid's ginger kitten.
"Do you promise you will use it if you feel the urge to harm yourself, Severus?" Minerva asked gently. "I know it takes time."
The boy did not look at her, his eyes still following the cat until he disappeared in the window light.
"I'll try", he whispered.
