Hogwarts i am snape

Dragging himself and the Headmaster back to the castle from the Forbidden Forest, Snape had but one thought echoing in his mind: a long, hot bath, followed by collapsing into bed and sleeping until morning.

Upon entering the Entrance Hall, Dumbledore headed towards the marble staircase. Snape hesitated for a moment, then followed suit.

"Why are you following me, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, without turning around.

"Oh, I'm not following you, Professor," Snape replied. "I just fancy a bath. The way to the prefects' bathroom is this way, too."

"Alright then," Dumbledore chuckled softly, saying no more.

They walked in comfortable silence for a while.

"Goodnight, Severus. Remember not to soak too long," Dumbledore paused at the stairs on the sixth floor. "Don't forget classes tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Professor," Snape returned, watching Dumbledore continue upwards, his robes vanishing around the corner.

After parting ways with the Headmaster at the staircase, he proceeded along the moonlit corridor until he reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a confused-looking wizard wearing his gloves on the wrong hands.

Just as he was about to search for the bathroom door, a faint glimmer of light in the corner caught his attention. Looking down, he saw what looked like two small lamps glowing in the darkness.

"Good evening, Mrs. Norris," Snape whispered. "And please, no caterwauling."

Mrs. Norris was bristling, her tail erect, seemingly poised to raise the alarm.

"Stop!" Snape darted forward, scooping her up by the scruff of her neck.

Mrs. Norris instantly froze, as if struck by a Petrification Charm, her four paws dangling helplessly in the air, her yellow eyes wide with shock.

"Shhh," Snape whispered, leaning his face close to the cat. "No howling, alright? I can give you treats."

Mrs. Norris blinked, appearing to genuinely consider his offer.

Snape carefully set her down, one hand expertly scratching under her chin, the other pulling a small pouch from his pocket. These were special snacks he'd prepared long ago.

"See, I came prepared," he said, opening the pouch. A rich, fishy aroma immediately filled the air. "These are house-elf specials, much tastier than any scraps Filch ever snuck you from the Great Hall."

The little cat's nose twitched, her wariness slowly replaced by curiosity.

Snape placed a small dried fish on the ground. Mrs. Norris hesitated for a moment, then pounced, swiftly carrying it off to a corner.

In less than a minute, she was purring contentedly, even rubbing her head against Snape's wrist, demanding more.

"Good girl," Snape's lips curled slightly upwards as he continued to massage the cat behind her ears. "I knew you'd like them."

In under five minutes, Mrs. Norris was completely won over. After finishing her fish, she even rolled onto her back, exposing her belly and wriggling on the floor, inviting Snape to tickle her. Seeing her like this, Snape couldn't help but think that Filch would surely go mad with rage if he knew his "sweetheart" was so easily swayed.

"Alright, my little darling," Snape picked up the cat. "Come with me; you might as well enjoy this too."

To his surprise, Mrs. Norris offered no resistance, instead curling up comfortably in the crook of his arm.

Counting four statues to the left, Snape reached the entrance to the bathroom. He leaned in and whispered the password: "Pine fresh."

The door creaked open. Snape, cradling the cat, slipped inside, then turned and bolted the door. Only then did he have a chance to properly take in the legendary Prefects' Bathroom. His first thought was one of regret: why had he never sneaked in here before?

The Prefects' Bathroom was leagues beyond the common student washrooms, at least three times as wide. His previous bathing experiences consisted of a few rudimentary showerheads and two perpetually cramped bathtubs, whereas this place was like a miniature spa.

A luxurious, candlelit chandelier cast a warm, soft glow over the room. Everything was made of pristine white marble, including the rectangular sunken pool in the center, large enough to be called a swimming pool. Around the edge of the pool, about a hundred golden spouts were lined up, each with a different colored gemstone embedded in its handle. There was even a diving board suspended in the middle of the pool.

Snow-white linen curtains hung at the far windows, and a pile of soft white towels lay in the corner. The only painting on the wall, set in a gilded frame, depicted a blonde mermaid fast asleep on a rock, her long, flowing hair draped over her face, trembling slightly with each breath.

"Now this is living," Snape muttered, setting Mrs. Norris down. The little cat immediately began exploring curiously, sniffing and poking around, completely engrossed in her new surroundings.

Snape walked towards the pool, his footsteps echoing in the spacious bathroom. He was eager to try out a few of the spouts, so he reached for his robes, preparing to undress, but then suddenly froze.

"Wait—" He narrowed his eyes, scanning the empty bathroom warily. A thought flashed through his mind: Hogwarts had a famous female ghost with a peculiar penchant for watching people bathe.

"Myrtle!" he cleared his throat, calling out in a deliberately loud voice that echoed off the tiled walls. "I know you're in here, come out!"

Mrs. Norris, startled by the sudden shout, let out a small meow in response.

Otherwise, only his voice reverberated through the bathroom. The mermaid in the painting shifted on her rock, undisturbed, merely muttering something unintelligible in her sleep.

Snape frowned. Knowing Myrtle, it was highly likely she was hiding in a corner, waiting for him. So, he decided to conduct a more thorough search of the bathroom. He took out his wand, pointing it at every corner and every tap in the bathroom, incanting the "Aparecium" charm. Yet, no hidden person or ghost materialized.

"Did I imagine it?" Snape straightened up, his gaze falling on the mermaid painting. He approached the painting, lifting it to check if anything was hidden behind it. The mermaid, startled by his action, tumbled off her rock and splashed into the painted water with a gasp.

When Snape put the painting back, the mermaid emerged from the water. Her long, beautiful hair was soaking wet, plastered to her face, still dripping. Seeing Snape, she angrily thrashed her tail, splashing water everywhere, and let out a series of piercing, ear-splitting screams. Instantly, the horrible shrieks filled the bathroom, echoing and vibrating off the marble walls.

"Quiet!" Snape roared, covering his ears. Mrs. Norris's fur bristled, and she arched her back, letting out a low growl. He swiftly jabbed his wand at the mermaid: "Silencio!"

The mermaid's scream cut off mid-way. Her mouth continued to open and close in furious silence, unable to produce a sound, so she merely glared at Snape, puffed up with indignation.

"Sorry to disturb your rest," Snape rubbed his ears, his tone softening slightly. "Go back to sleep."

The mermaid rolled her eyes, climbed back onto her rock, and lay down again with her back to him.

After a thorough inspection, Snape was finally convinced that there was only one person and one cat in the bathroom. "Looks like she really isn't here," he let out a long sigh of relief, nodding with satisfaction.

Finally at ease, Snape grabbed a soft towel, laid it by the edge of the swimming-pool-sized tub, then knelt down and turned on a few taps. He immediately discovered that these spouts emitted various types of bubble bath mixed with hot water—he'd never experienced a bubble bath before!

The first tap sprayed pink and blue bubbles as large as footballs; the second produced crystal-clear, dense foam—Snape thought that if he tried, it would probably keep him afloat, preventing him from sinking; the third tap released a fragrant purple mist that diffused over the water.

"Amazing," he murmured, opening a few more taps. One particular tap's arching stream captivated him, the water flowing like an arching bridge across the surface.

Hot water and foam filled the deep bath at an astonishing speed, and the steam quickly permeated the room. Snape turned off all the taps, then swiftly stripped off his shoes and clothes, tossing them casually aside.

He walked boldly onto the diving board, stood naked for a moment, then executed a rather ungraceful dive, plunging into the pool with a splash.

"Ah—" Snape sighed contentedly as his entire body submerged in the warm water.

The prefects' bath was indeed extraordinary. The water seemed to contain potions for muscle relaxation; he immediately felt the fatigue from his escapades in the Forbidden Forest begin to melt away. The hot water enveloped him, as if countless gentle hands were massaging his aching muscles.

Just then, Mrs. Norris extended a paw over the edge of the pool, cautiously testing the water's surface. Snape swam over and, to her surprise, gently nudged her into the water. Mrs. Norris thrashed about in a panic for a moment, her four paws flailing in the water. Snape held her at arm's length to avoid being scratched.

"Relax," he murmured. "The water isn't so bad."

The little cat gradually calmed down, seemingly discovering that soaking in the warm water was quite pleasant. Snape let her go, and Mrs. Norris began to clumsily paddle her limbs, swimming around him.

"See, not so bad, is it?" he said with a laugh.

Around them, colorful mists drifted, and the little cat gradually adapted to paddling. The sensation was simply wonderful. Watching the little furball splash around in the water, chasing the floating bubbles, a strange notion bloomed in Snape's mind: he felt as if something delicate had just broken inside Filch.

He swam two laps in the water before returning to the edge of the pool, leaning against the wall, closing his eyes, and letting the steam redden his cheeks. The colorful bubbles in the water automatically gathered around him, gently brushing against his skin.

Just as Snape was drifting off to sleep, a ghostly voice suddenly whispered in his ear: "Sev, were you making all that noise just now looking for me?"

Snape shivered, eyes snapping open, and choked on a mouthful of bubble water. A translucent face was mere inches from his nose—Myrtle was floating on the water's surface, her melancholy eyes fixed on him.

"Myrtle!" he spluttered, coughing as he sank into the water, only his neck and head remaining visible. "Where did you come from?!"

Myrtle giggled, deliberately spinning around in front of him, her pearlescent ghostly body passing through the sculptures at the pool's edge. "I was waiting for you outside the door, you know, until the mermaid stopped screaming, then I came in." She covered her eyes with transparent fingers in mock shyness. "Don't be so nervous, Severus, I didn't miss any of the good bits."

"What exactly did you see?" Snape couldn't help but ask.

"Everything," Myrtle said triumphantly. "The things I should have seen, and the things I shouldn't have."

"Oh, don't be so shy," she floated closer, tilting her head, her thick glasses gleaming. "Especially when you were standing on the diving board, honestly, your backside is really—"

"I am honored," Snape deadpanned, suddenly realizing he was being thoroughly managed by a female ghost who was, in actual age, only a teenager.

"There," he declared, giving up, and directly stood up from the pool's edge, water droplets sliding off him. "Look your fill, what's there to see?"

Myrtle let out a high-pitched shriek and zapped into the nearest tap. "Put your clothes on quickly!" her voice sounded muffled from inside the tap, laced with obvious panic.

"So you dare to peek, but not to look when given the chance, eh?" Snape shook his head, climbing out of the pool and beginning to dry himself. "What a bother."

After getting dressed, he fished Mrs. Norris out of the pool and thoughtfully dried her fur with a spell. The little cat purred contentedly, rubbing against his legs.

"Come out, Myrtle," he said, picking up the cat. "If you don't come out now, I'm leaving."

Myrtle immediately popped out of the tap, looking at Snape with a mournful expression. "The summer holidays were two whole months—Sev—do you know what I went through those two months—do you know?"

"Oh, don't be like that," Snape quickly set Mrs. Norris down, scratching his head with a touch of guilt. He suddenly realized that for Myrtle, the entire summer holiday might have been spent alone, a solitary ghost in the castle, counting the days until her first-ever friends returned to school.

"I'll be graduating next year, and after that—" he said. "Well, why don't you just leave Hogwarts and come with me?"

"Really?" Myrtle asked, surprised, her pearlescent body seemingly brightening a few shades. "You'd let me come with you?"

"As long as you don't keep scaring me," Snape said, "I can't handle too many frights."

Myrtle nodded happily.

"Goodnight, Sev," she said with a cheerful smile, then ascended through the ceiling and disappeared.

Leaving the bathroom, in the dark corridor, Snape stroked Mrs. Norris's smooth fur and fed her two more dried fish. "This is our little secret, don't tell anyone else, alright?"

The little cat rubbed against his hand, seemingly agreeing.

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