"It tipped - of course. Have the decency to think through your stories before you tell them to me, will you?" Snape puzzled over it as he went back to the cabinet, this time with the luxury of selecting things a little more thoughtfully. He couldn't see what anyone would have to gain from intentionally burning his own arms off, and doubted it had anything to do with anything Dumbledore had a hand in. He could be very squeamish about putting students in harm's way. Most of the time.
He returned to the table, and began deftly peeling roots. "It's just as well you're here. We haven't spoken in some time. But I imagine you've been terribly busy."