Who: Millicent Bulstrode and Severus Snape
What: Practicing against Veritaserum
When: Backdated to some evening this past week (before she's tested, obviously)
Where: Millicent's Flat
Rating/Status: Low/Incomplete


"Cuddly" was never a word anyone would have used to describe him during his tenure as Head of Slytherin. Severus Snape didn't do "cuddly." Even when he did ... he still didn't. Oh, he had comforted the occasional homesick first year -- held them and rocked them, stroked their hair, whispered that he would take care of them and that everything would be all right, and carried them to bed once they had finally drifted off to sleep. None of his little snakes had ever spoken of such things after the fact, however, because Severus Snape didn't do "cuddly." Everyone knew that; they accepted that fact as an axiom. And even if anyone had said, no one outside of Slytherin House would have believed them.

So even after he had put his arm round her shoulders to lead her out of Knockturn Alley, he doubted Millicent Bulstrode would have described the encounter as "cuddly," despite the way she had clung to him and his robes. Because Severus Snape didn't do "cuddly." "Comforting," perhaps. Even "desperately needed." But "cuddly?" Not on your life. As Head of House, he had provided for his students' needs, certainly, not their wants (and the occasional cuddle certainly qualified as a need, even if it would not be thought of, or spoken of, as "cuddly"). Their wants were solely up to them to sort out, being Slytherins and all, and he, of course, encouraged them to use whatever means necessary.

Tonight, however, those lines appeared to have blurred somewhat. Millicent was no longer his student, and though he was certain she needed a job, she obviously wanted to keep the one she had. What she did not need, however, was to be persecuted if the fact that she was a Parselmouth became common knowledge. Yes, Lord Voldemort could talk to snakes, but so could the bloody savior of the wizarding world, and Potter hadn't been evil. An unmitigated pain in the arse, no doubt, but hardly evil. While Millicent had also displayed a certain level of ... difficulty ... herself in school, neither was she evil, and she deserved the chance to prove herself as much as Potter or anyone had.

That was why Severus was here, a vial of Veritaserum and sea salt treated sprigs of peppermint in tow. He would do his level best to see to it that she received that chance, Ministry regulations regarding the use of Veritaserum be damned. When he arrived at the block of flats, he fished the slip of paper from his pocket on which Millicent had written her address to verify the number. Only a few minutes more and he had located the flat in question: second floor, back corner, overlooking a play park. Not a bad view, all things considered, though he didn't expect Millicent spent a great deal of time out of doors, watching the children on the swings. Tucking the slip of paper back into his pocket with his left hand, Severus raised his right to rap soundly on her door.