"I beg your pardon?"

It took every molecule in Severus Snape's currently immobile body to resist the urge to crush the delicate ingredient in his hands, gloved to the elbow, as he demonstrated to his class how to property debone a Trinity Trout. With an undignified squelch, the bright pink flesh of the fish peeled away from the silvery bones beneath as his hands continued his work without his mind's permission. A few more swipes of his fingers and the unnecessary parts for the potion found themselves in the small bowl meant for waste at the corner of his desk.

The size of this class afforded him an intimacy he'd never known while teaching at Hogwarts, but Severus had grown accustomed to that distance. It made it harder for his students to see when his left eye's lower lid twitched in distress in such a situation as this.

Clearing her throat, the girl standing furthest from his demonstration table turned to face him instead of out the window at the rolling green hills beyond. She lifted one of her hands up with her sleeve to cover her nose and mouth, muffling her words considerably as she repeated, "I would like to be excused, sir. Indefinitely."

Blustering now at the indignance, his insides rolled in anger, and he kept his tone as even as possible given the impertinence. "I expect an explanation. Do you require medical attention, Miss Volume?"

"No, sir."

"Then you are not excused-"

"But if I stay I will be sick," the student interrupted, eyes locked on the shimmering gloves still covering Severus's upper arms. When he made two fists in frustration, she gasped and looked up again. "Sir!"

"Miss Volume," Severus started, now speaking through gritted teeth as the other half dozen students nearby watched in a range of abject horror to unmitigated glee. "You have just informed me you did not require medical attention yet insist you will compromise my lab with your vomit if you remain. Which is it?"

The volley thrown from professor to student once more, the others in the room turned immediately to watch their comrade's reaction. Severus noted the smug lift of an eyebrow on the boy by his elbow, his bright blond curls bouncing as he shook his head. Leave it to a Malfoy to act with such arrogance. Without any patience left, since the Trinity Trout had exhausted most of his reserves before the gong of classes even sounded, Severus snapped at the boy, "Enlighten the room or restrain your vulgar display, Marcellus Malfoy."

Marcellus, son of Draco and Hermione Malfoy, lowered the smirk from his lips but gave no quarter on what made him act so smug at the start. His twin sister on the opposite side of the table had the decency to huff in annoyance at her brother and speak up on Penelope Volume's behalf, and before her favorite tutor moved into Verbal Evisceration Mode Two.

"Penelope is a vegan, now, sir."

Still regarding his recoiling pupil with utmost scrutiny, Severus spoke to Cassiopeia out of the corner of his mouth. "Thank you. All of you, this lesson has not concluded, but would all but Miss Volume leave the room for the duration it takes you to all to count to seven hundred ninety four in Classic Druid?"

In any other situation he knew the students, save for Cassiopeia, would have groaned aloud in annoyance at the task. As it was, all six bodies that were not named Penelope Volume fled from the room. Marcellus glanced between the two of them for a moment before pulling the door closed behind him, a glare from his tutor following him out.

"Now," Severus started, removing his gloves and placing a Stasis charm over his workbench.

"I'm sorry, sir," Penelope said before Severus could open his mouth again.

"That's twice you've interrupted me this lesson, Miss Volume, which is sufficient grounds for dismissal from this course. Do hold your tongue." Furious nodding from his student, and he continued. "I was unaware of your decision to choose a vegan lifestyle, and I sincerely doubt your Department Dean would have hand picked you to attend these classes if she had known as well. Professor Krinnic is excessively agreeable to accommodating her students. Why, then, did you decide to move forward with what must surely be an extremely distressing subject for you, Miss Volume?"

Of all the things Severus Snape had grown accustomed to in the years guiding young witches and wizards to appreciate the arcane art of potions and alchemy, he'd never gotten used to crying.

"I just...I want to be a Potions Mistress so ba-ah-adly!"

He was glad he'd already removed his gloves, so he could properly pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh without gumming up his face with entrails. Reaching into the pocket of his waistcoat, he removed one of the self-replenishing handkerchiefs he kept on hand for such repugnant situations. He waited until she'd composed herself a bit further, soiling the kerchief thoroughly, though it was better than destroying the sleeve of her blouse or robes, before pressing on.

"Potions include the exact things you've decided to avoid in your lifestyle, Miss Volume. Your ambition to continue is...admirable, yet misguided. Have you considered any other pursuits here at the university?"

Shaking her head sadly, Penelope released a single watery sigh and said, "No, sir. My family has always encouraged my affinity for Potions and...it's what my scholarship to attend this school is for! Without that scholarship, I'm finished."

Severus frowned at that, scratching his chin absently, the short growth scratching back. Tuition wasn't completely insurmountable to the entirety of wizarding Britain, but losing your sponsorship or scholarship of attendance, the credentials each student needed to carry, meant a halt to funding of projects or outside pursuits. He knew exactly how precarious sponsorship could be to the Mastery University of Europe. He'd never dreamed of teaching at the school, completely tied to Hogwarts and Dumbledore until either he or the Dark Lord died (thankfully it had been the latter), let alone attending. Private apprenticeship was out of fashion these days, but without it, and a loan from the Malfoys for the apprentice fee of his Master, Severus would never have managed it.

"You may not have to abandon this thread, Miss Volume," he said, thoughts piling into place as he wove around the limitations of his station, since he was in no way inclined to or allowed to sponsor a student: too similar to favoritism. He recalled the last two years working with the distressed student before him, and started to pace. She had promise, and had never shied away from any portion of the art of potion making before today. As curious as he was, he respected her decision to change from casual vegetarian tendencies, apparent by her eating habits during the communal holiday dinners at the university, to full veganism without question. "Have you considered what your new restrictions afford you?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow, sir. I know what it means to be a vegan if that's what you're questioning…"

"No, no, no," he said, continuing to pace so that his body moved as his thoughts raced, propelling his idea forward into reality. "I mean your restrictions have not limited you, but may broaden the scope of your research. What have I strived for in these lessons since the first time you and your cohort of students walked through those doors?"

Her eyes sparked as the flash of the words Absolute Silence flew unbidden from her mind to his, but she voiced a different thought, "Don't let the light blind you. Are you suggesting-"

Takings his turn to interrupt, Severus said, "I'm suggesting you move your research to find plant-based alternatives to every item I use that distresses you. There are likely reams of books on flora properties at your disposal in the library that can assist you, and I can write you a list of other texts to request from your sponsors."

With a countenance that was more grateful and optimistic than he'd seen on anyone in longer than he could remember, Penelope burst with laughter and put a hand over her mouth to hold in the giggles that followed. "Thank you, sir!"

"Begone with you. Collect your notes from one of the Malfoy twins for today's lesson. Take this time to meet with Professor Krinnic, and get yourself back on the Herbology roster for this semester before it's too late. And Miss Volume? Do remember I expect full marks to continue in my class following this revelation. Do not keep such pertinent information from your Department Head again."

Her hand still resting on the handle of the classroom door, Penelope continued to beam at him, which was almost as unsettling as her display of emotion just minutes before, and the change made his head spin. "Thank you, sir!"

"Yes, yes," he said to himself, returning to the workbench where the Stasis charm shimmered without sound to protect his ingredients from any exposure. After checking for any deterioration, and finding none, as he expected, he looked up again. Frowning, he mumbled, "How long does it take to count to seven hundred ninety four? Honestly."

January 9th, 2017 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SEVERUS SNAPE!

Welcome to Happy Snape Week 2017! I hope to expand this universe in a few other drabbles posted within this alternative universe. Thank you to all of you who read, review, and interact with my stories. I adore you all.