Severus walked into the library and felt something in him unwind a little. Outside of his workroom, this place had been the place he liked the most in the school. Not that he was often in here when the students were, preferring to be here when it was quiet and he could monopolise as many tables as he needed.
Today, though, he had a different plan. He wanted to have a look through the Restricted Section and see what needed to be controlled or contained and what might have gone a little wild. Hopefully the school and the house elves had stopped everything from getting too out of control but he'd like to make sure for himself.
When he walked in, however, he found that he wasn't alone and the person in the library was someone he'd been extremely ambivalent about meeting. To say his feelings about Albus Dumbledore were mixed was something of an understatement. There were times he liked the man and there were times he hated him. Times he was grateful to him and times he'd resented the man's almost impossible expectations. He danced to the tune of two very powerful, relentless, ruthless and often cruel men. The only difference between the two was their motives and that Albus could at least be kind from time to time.
But this Albus was not the one he knew. This Albus came from long before all of that was even a thought. From the looks of things, before even his defeat of Grindelwald.
There was no point leaving now. He hadn't hidden his entrance and he probably should get this over and done with. "Professor Dumbledore," he said after a short hesitation as he decided what to call the man, finally deciding on the most neutral option.