A/N: Okay if someone could come and tell Minerva McGonagall that she is not in control of my brain that would be great. Until such a time, I present 8 chapters of fluff and angst between the friendship that I ship more than any actual relationship in this fandom. My goal is to post a chapter a week for the next 7 weeks, but with the end of term, holidays, and general craziness that may not happen. So here's to plot driven madness that keeps me from finishing my other stories. Hope you guys enjoy!

It had long been the habit of the two Heads of House to meet in the staff room on Fridays for a session of venting and a few drinks. On several occasions throughout the years other staff members had attempted to join in, but none had managed to hold on to the habit.

The meeting began on Severus's second week as a new professor at Hogwarts. As the youngest on staff and a former classmate of many that he taught, the young man experienced several setbacks. Added on to the fact that he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a Death Eater in Voldemort's inner circle, it came as no surprise the young man spent the first few weeks of his career in a perpetual bad mood.

It was in the second Friday of the new term that Minerva found him in the staff rooming glaring at the fireplace. Despite the feelings of mistrust that lingered around the new professor, the older woman couldn't leave him in such a black mood.

"So how have your first two weeks gone?" She asked pulling the young man's attention to her as she sat in the armchair next to his.

"Splendid," Severus answered with a glance in her direction.

Noting the sarcasm that bit through his answer, Minerva couldn't help her smile. "That bad then?"

"Slughorn's left them so far behind," he spat never taking his eyes off the fire. "it will be a miracle if I can get any of them on track before they graduate. And the first years..."

Taking pity on her colleague, Minerva decided it was about time to introduce him to the proper ways of Hogwarts. "Sounds to me like it's time for you to take part in the oldest of teaching traditions Severus."

"And that would be?"

With a wave of her wand a bottle of Ogden's finest and two glasses appeared on the table between them. "Getting knackered on Friday night, relaxing on Saturday to work through the after effects, and regretting your life choices on Sunday."

Unless Minerva was mistaken, the corner of Snape's mouth pulled up ever so slightly at that.

"Sorry McGonagall, I don't touch the stuff," he answered without a trace of humor in his voice.

"Give it another week or so and you'll acquire a taste," Minerva answered with a wink. Pouring herself a glass she noted that despite his cold voice and off-putting body language, something about the young professor seemed to be begging her to stay. Maybe it was the gleam in his eyes as she joked with him or the way his sour expression had melted into something kinder as she spoke. Whatever the reason, she decided it wouldn't kill her to spend this one Friday evening drinking with company.

"I think I'll pass McGonagall," Severus intoned as she slid a glass over to him.

"You'll think differently after a couple and it's Minerva now Severus. We're colleagues now, might as well act like it," she responded as she picked up her own glass. "Now which students are giving you a hard time?"

Severus fixed her with a long calculating look before picking up his glass and taking a sip. Knowing the strength of the whiskey she'd sat in front of him, Minerva was pleasantly surprised to see a lack of reaction in the young man's expression. Perhaps there was hope for the young Potions Master after all.

"The simpler question would be which students aren't giving me trouble," he finally answered turning his gaze back to the fire.

"Fine then, which students aren't giving you trouble?"

This time there was no denying the slight upward tug of his lips into what, might soon become, an actual smile. "Well the first and second years are thoroughly intimidated."

"So, I've heard. You frightened poor Bill Weasley to death earlier with your talk of accidentally poisoning himself and his peers if he didn't stop acting foolishly." Despite herself, Minerva felt a smile of her own tugging her lips.

"Then I made the proper impression," Severus responded before downing his glass in a single gulp.

"And yet you're finding it difficult to suitably intimidate older students?"

"It is difficult when the older students remember you as a student yourself."

"Yes, I imagine that would be rather the challenge."

"Not helped by the fact that your bloody Gryffindors still worship the ground Potter and Black walked on. They at least seem determined to drive me mad."

A frown quickly took the place of her previous good mood. "Any specific names you need me to deal with?"

Surprise flitted across Severus's face before an apparently iron-clad will forced it away. "You'd condemn your precious Gryffindors?"

"I'd condemn any student who refuses to respect one of his or her professors. Especially those from my own house."

"Thank you… Minerva," Severus responded with a nod.

"Of course. I'll have a talk with all of them tomorrow. If they're still giving you grief after that, let me know. I'm still dealing with trouble makers attempting to take the places of Potter and Black," fondness born of several years of teaching such students seeped into Minerva's words. "As fond as I am of those two, they really were too much for the school to handle at once. I dread the day we see another duo like them."

Severus snorted. "You're telling me."

A comfortable silence permeated the room as the two companions refilled there glasses once more. Severus fixed his eyes on the crackling of the fire, but the older professor could tell she still retained his full attention. The boy she remembered had a similar ability to pay rapt attention while he was seemingly far away.

Comparing that teenager to the young man who sat beside her, forced Minerva to realize that yet another of her wards had grown into themselves. Severus remained awkward and unsociable, but there was a surprising strength to him these days that hadn't been present when he last roamed these halls. Rumor throughout the Order was that the young man had not truly turned from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's side. Rumors helped along, no doubt, by a certain duo of trouble makers that held a long-standing vendetta against Severus.

Yet the former Death Eater still had not engendered himself any trust from the other members. In truth, Minerva refrained from placing too much faith in a young man so entrenched in darkness and hatred. The only reason she'd been civil to him thus far had been at Albus's behest. However, sharing drinks tonight with Severus Snape felt right. It felt as if she might actually be making some headway in the game of shadows that surrounded the world at the moment.

"You know there's a Quidditch match coming up soon," Severus drawled slowly, pulling the older woman from her thoughts. "I'd hate for you to put your players in detention and force them to miss the match."

Minerva blanched, unless she was very much mistaken Severus Snape had just made a joke. A joke veiled in a threat, veiled in information concerning those students troubling him. But a joke, nonetheless.

"They'd only be stuck in detention for the match if they truly deserved it," she answered in kind.

"Well we'll have to see if we can't help them earn it," the young man replied in kind. "I'd hate for Slytherin to be at a disadvantage because their team members spent more time in detention than those of Gryffindor."

"That would imply that Slytherin wasn't already at a disadvantage."

A true smile graced the young man's face at that before being quickly pulled into a sneer. "Perhaps I will acquire a taste for this awful stuff after all," he said as he placed his glass back on the table. "Thank you, Minerva."

"Of course, Severus," she smiled in return. "Same time next week?"

A brief nod was her only response, but it was enough to begin a long-standing tradition between the two.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments/reviews below.