It became even more so when after only a few minutes on the path she'd been directed to to get to the shop, Angelina caught sight of Hyacinth Elixirs.

"Well, that's a bit of a let down," she muttered, slightly in awe of the unexpected building.

After an hour of searching for the little weed-ridden cobblestone path that led to 74 Diagon Alley, Angelina had been expecting something a bit more... Snape-like. Something with stone towers, lightning flashes, and ravens cawing on a turret. Basically, she'd been expecting a black-and-white horror film castle. Whereas Hyacinth Elixirs happened to be... Kind of cute. It was a circular, slightly squat one-story cottage that looked freshly whitewashed with a gong out front that Angelina's fingers itched to bang on.

Squashing the impulse, Angelina instead stepped up to the door, wondering momentarily if she should knock. It was getting late and she didn't see any sign that indicated it was open. On the other hand, Snape was expecting her. Deciding not to take her chances this time, she knocked.

Hearing a knock, Severus looked up from his batch of Hang-Over potion and sighed.

"Come in."

It was probably the Gryffindor girl for her interview. Why he had agreed to interview her was beyond him, but he had. At the very least it would be an interesting to find out what would possess a Gryffindor student to apply for a job under his supervision.

He watched as the girl walked cautiously into the shop and looked around, taking in the floor to ceiling shelves covered in ingredients and vials of pre-made potions. Her eyes swept the room, growing accustomed to the dark, and then lighted on him.

"Good day, Miss Johnson. Welcome to Hyacinth Elixirs. You are right on time."

He ushered her to the back room, where his lab was.

Once inside Hyacinth Elixirs, Angelina scaled back her first impression of it's cuteness. It was dark and gloomy inside, just as she had expected, and utterly bursting with potions. Most of which she had no idea of their purpose. There was a particularly odd one that glowed a neon green that she'd only ever seen on Muggle stripper signs before. She had really no interest in knowing what that did. Unfortunately, if she wanted the job, she'd have to learn.

Surprisingly, Angelina didn't mind the darkness as much as she thought she would. It reminded her of the lighting of Avalon. It was set for a certain mood, just as the club most certainly was. Angelina didn't visit potions shops very often but the ones that she had entered had all shared the same gloomy lighting. Maybe it was a guild requirement. If potions shops had guilds.

After a standard greeting that was surprising in its not completely loathsome tone, Snape directed her into his lab, which happily met every expectation of a mad-scientist's workshop that Angelina ever had. At least something expected was coming out of this interview, and maybe she'd be lucky and not be laughed out the door. Maybe.

"Hello, Mister Snape. I'm very pleased you agreed to see me, and a little surprised as well."

Severus waved her into the empty seat and sat across from her. He knew that this was an interview he'd have to conduct carefully... It would not be like Daphne Greengrass, with whom he could say "Speak" and she would spill her guts. He remembered Angelina Johnson as a slightly outspoken girl, but likeable if she weren't directing her wit his way.

"What are you hoping for today, Miss Johnson?"

He chose his words carefully, watching her to gauge her response.

"Well, sir, a job," Angelina answered, "And, honestly, a way to make rent."

There was really no point lying about it. She was sure he remembered her from Hogwarts and knew that potions was not her passion in life, far from it. She was there to get a job so she could continue living in her dingy, disgusting little flat. Possibly even upgrade, if at all possible. She loved to sing but she had no illusions about how well artistic types did in the Wizarding world. There was a reason Celestina Warbeck continued to top the charts, and it wasn't because she was a brilliant singer or lyricist. Her songs actually made Angelina want to stab herself in the ear. For a world filled with magic and possibilities, it sure hated change.

Snape smirked, "Thank you for being honest. Tell me, about what percentage of the potions did you recognize in the front?"

Angelina mentally cringed. Bugger all. "Less than half, more than a quarter? About forty percent, I suppose."

Snape pressed his hands together in front of him, and studied her. "Indeed, that is better than I had expected. Would you care to tell me of a... Difficult customer interaction you've worked through?"

"I am in the habit of not punching a man for pinching my ass, if that's what you mean," Angelina replied saucily. "You'll have seen from my resume that most of my work experience is from performing or waitressing in clubs both Muggle and Wizarding, some of which that do not have the most sterling of reputations. I've dealt with many kinds of people, Mister Snape, most of them pissed and many of them angry for some reason or another. I've only ever been fired from one place and it wasn't due to customer interaction."

Snape pressed his lips together, determined to stop himself from asking what had been the cause of her being fired, and instead chose a new line of questioning.

"What sort of job would you hope this would be," Snape smirked, "aside from paying, of course."

Hmph, so much for that answer.

"One with regular hours, things to actually be done, and a not completely terrifying work environment. I'm open to a bit of terror but hoping it's not a constant."

Damn, damn, damn. Why did her mouth insist on blurting out things that she didn't really want to say? Angelina determined that she would work on not saying every damn thing that popped into her head and thought was funny. Especially during rather important interviews with ex-professors.

Snape was taken aback for a moment, and then began to laugh... A genuine, hearty laugh.

"Did you know, Miss Johnson, that I fully enjoyed that first day of classes when I got the first years, so that I could scare them? It was a very interesting test to see who would be able to make it in the world." He smiled, "Not many people are able to peg me so well."

He looked at her, and considered what he could say. He scowled slightly, and then spoke.

"I will get back to you, within a week, if that is agreeable?"

Oh, dear Merlin. He had laughed. And smiled. He thought she'd been funny. In a strange Snape-y way. Angelina was quite possibly in shock. Complete and utter shock.

"Um, yes, that is quite fine," Angelina replied, trying not to look like a gaping fish or a complete dullard.

Rising from her seat, Angelina could think of nothing else to say so settled on a basic response drilled into her over the years from hanging around the twins, "Thank you for your time. Have a lovely evening. Hope nothing blows up."

With that she beat a hasty exit, wondering what the bloody hell actual laughing did to her chances of receiving the position.

And Severus Snape, having recovered from her 'hope nothing blows up' quip, burst out laughing once again, turning his attention back to his Hang Over Potion, and shaking his head slightly.


{Summary: Snape interviews a Gryffindor. She blurts out things she doesn't mean to say, and Snape is amused}