A/N: This story will be a series of drabbles detailing Severus Snape's point of view of various scenes from my story "The Serpents' Kiss". The main story is told solely from the point of view of my OC, new professor of Muggle Studies Dinah Samson, but I realized that I would like to explore how Severus sees some of the things that happen as they pursue their relationship. This will be updated more infrequently than "The Serpents' Kiss", whenever I come up with a good Severus POV scene to write. These are going to be a little more description-heavy than in "The Serpents' Kiss" I think. I'll try to keep them in chronological order, but I can't guarantee they will stay that way as I add more. This chapter details Severus's views of when he first met Dinah in chapter 1 of "The Serpents' Kiss." I also believe it answers my reviewer CeresMaria's long-ago question of what happened with the Dumbledore and Severus portraits in the headmaster's office after they were revived. :)

FIRST ENCOUNTER

The clock on the wall said two fifty-five. Two hours and five minutes left until the Hogwarts doors burst open and all number of young, awkward, uneducated witch and wizard children would flood the Great Hall.

Just like in years previously, Professor Snape thought with an irritated smirk as he put down his first lesson plan for the year. There was little satisfaction in it this time. He remained the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but there seemed no point now that there were no remaining dark entities to threaten society. Potions research seemed more attractive. Actually, what seemed attractive was having died like he was supposed to and not being here at all. Locating a purpose in all that he was doing this year seemed an impossibility. Even striking fear into the hearts of the students – especially the infernal Gryffindors – didn't seem particularly satisfying anymore.

At least his dark mood would ensure that no one misbehaved. That was one small consolation.

And now he was required to report to the Great Hall for an introduction to one of the two new professors that would be joining the establishment this year.

He already knew Lucy Ketteridge, the professor of the new Wizarding Literature elective course. The girl had been a freshly-trained Auror and somewhat reluctant member of the new Order of the Phoenix in its early years. He had no particular desire to see or work with that young woman. She had managed to fall into a rather intense romantic relationship with the infernal dog Sirius Black. The two had made their feelings for each other no secret from the moment they had met. The dog seemed to take a sick pleasure in dangling his romantic prowess in front of everyone he came into contact with, and had always done so. James Potter had been the same, dangling his romantic prowess with Lily of all people in front of Severus until he could not stand it anymore. He did not want to be reminded of that.

The other new professor was teaching Muggle Studies, and was the one who was to be introduced at three o'clock. Dumbledore had said very little about the new professor except that she was a woman and was apparently highly qualified. Snape had a sudden vision of another Professor Charity Burbage, advocating equality between purebloods and Muggle-borns and writing letters to the Daily Prophet encouraging her views. Views that had ultimately led to her destruction at the hands of the Dark Lord.

The purpose of a class such as Muggle Studies had always eluded him. Frankly, studying those destructive, horrible people was a waste of Hogwarts' time and money. And the professors were inevitably either incompetent, idealistic, or both. Quirrell had been a shining example of both in his early years, shifting to pure incompetence when he had taken the DADA role and been possessed by the Dark Lord. Burbage had been competent enough, Snape admitted, but her idealism had overshadowed it, making her rather sickening. Although, he supposed, still not deserving of her horrible fate.

He stood, scowling, and left the dungeons to greet the headmaster and other faculty. The only good thing about this year was that Albus Dumbledore had been revived through that old magic as well. It was a tiny consolation that at least his murder had been – in effect – reversed. Killing the old man had been something he had never wanted to do, but he had done it as expected. His mission had been a complete success and Dumbledore had expressed nothing but infinite gratitude at that.

Unfortunately, so had Potter.

It was unnerving to see his old enemy staring at him with all of that admiration in his eyes. Being around Potter now was a chore unlike it had ever been before, and Snape was grateful that the boy had left to pursue Auror training and stopped coming to Hogwarts regularly as he had been doing through much of the summer. The most uncomfortable moment had been when Potter insisted on having his portrait inserted in the headmaster's office. At the very least, Severus would have preferred that the boy waited until he was actually dead before doing so, but upon his declaration that he had no intention of taking on the role again Potter had decided it was reasonable to add the image now. Consequently, there were two portraits in that room of people who were still alive. Because of that, the portraits were no longer enchanted with the power of speech and sat there like Muggle images.

Severus hated seeing his face up there. Looking at himself was not something he had ever liked to do much. He preferred his intelligence and strength over his looks, and those were the qualities in himself that he liked to focus on.

"Ah, Severus," Minerva McGonagall greeted him rather uneasily at the doors to the Great Hall as the other faculty gathered around them. "The headmaster met with the new professor a few moments ago. You are the last faculty member to arrive, so I believe we can go in and be introduced now."

"Fine," he replied in monotone, not looking forward to this. He followed the group of his colleagues as Minerva opened the doors, revealing Dumbledore standing on the stage, having been setting things up for the students' arrival, and one other person in brown robes, her back facing them.

"Ah, good!" Dumbledore said with a smile, turning around to face them all, "I'd like to introduce you all to our new professor of Muggle Studies: Miss Dinah Samson."

The woman turned and stood, a nervous smile on her face as her eyes wandered amongst them.

Snape was surprised. He had suspected an older woman, for some reason, than the one he was looking at now. Professor Samson was striking in a way that he couldn't quite place. She couldn't have been too much older than he was, and was likely younger. She was reasonably tall, and her long, dark blonde hair was pulled back, leaving two loose strands in front, framing her oval-to-heart shaped face and large, grey eyes.

He was not usually a victim of such thoughts, but the woman was attractive. He watched her as she was introduced to the other professors by Dumbledore, smiling as she greeted them. Severus wondered if she was as idealistic as most Muggle Studies professors. Knowing Dumbledore, she probably was.

"And of course," Dumbledore was saying, now gesturing in Severus's direction, "Professor Severus Snape of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Severus frowned, still considering his new colleague, and strode up to her, glancing up and down at her as he got closer. "So, you're the professor of Muggle Studies, are you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am," she replied, meeting his gaze with a firm, strong expression.

Pride. She had noticed his tone of voice and her response was to defend her position. His test had proven positive. She was as idealistic as the rest of them. And yet, there was probably good in that, or the headmaster would not prize it so highly. Still, Snape could not see the value of idealism.

"I see…" he murmured with a slight smirk. He couldn't watch her proud face any longer, and so turned and walked away as the headmaster continued to introduce her to the remaining faculty.