Severus, The headmaster, sits alone in a stiff uncomfortable chair. Making sure to stay in the shadows of the corner he was siting in, away from the fire he watched the flames force smaller shadows to flicker and dance before him on the cold stone floor.

A short, dark haired girl approaches the staff room door nervously and shifts her bag higher on her arm as she knocks against the wooden door and waits shakily for a reply.

Hearing the disturbance Severus wonders whether he can ignore it or not. Finally he decides to answer it: The sooner he adressed the problem the sooner it would disappear, leaving him back to his thoughts. Sighing He rises from his chair and walks swiftly through the door and opens it quikly glaring down through his dark curtains of hair at the child in front of him.

"Yes, miss Stone?" He asks coldly, continueing to stare down at her though with a slightly softened glare as she was from his own (formor) house.

Emily looked up at the intimidating form of the school headmaster with a scared expression and paling face. she quickly swings her bag off her shoulder and plunges her hand into on of the pockets. When her hand flys out of the bag it was grasping a small sheet of paper with a slightly untidy scrawl on it and hands it to Severus.

"I was wondering... s-sir... if you would sign this paper so I could borrow a book from the library... it's in the restricted section and Madam Pince told me I h-have to have a teachers signature." Her paling face blushed at her stammers. She knew Severus would know this advanced potions book and had doubts that he would sign her slip.

Severus quickly took the paper and read it. He knew Miss Stone was only a first year, He knew also that she had more advanced skills in potion making. He looked down at the girl no longer glaring at her now white face he was forcfully reminded of a black haired, bespecticaled Lily... Plus she was in Slytherin. How could he refuse her?
He turned his back on her and walked to the wooden table near his abandend chair. Pulling a quill out of thin air he signed the paper and thrust it back into Emily's hand without saying a word.

Emily blushes watches Severus. Finally deciding not to make the headmaster impationt Emily timidly takes the paper and attampts to smile.

"T-Thank you sir!" Emily said in a tone much higher than her usual and she hurried down the hall toward the library.