Okay, time for my very first SSHG fanfiction. Just to let you know, this will be AU. All of the books up to the end of HBP will remain the same. I'll be changing DH as I see fit to my needs. Different characters will be living/dying, and even the ending will be completely changing, most likely. If you have a problem with that, I will kindly ask you to gtfo. Thanks :3
P.S. Maybe the awesome fanbase here on FF will find me some new, awesome, roleplay partners? Nothing wrong with my old ones, of course (Lottie, CG, Hollie, and Jade, I love you guys!), but I need SSHG partners, too! Do you roleplay SSHG? Add that you do into a comment and we'll talk :B
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Even in the flickering light cast by the few candles, it was clear to see he was in pain. The tense muscles in his face showed that his jaw was clenched shut, and there was a light sheen to what she could see of his skin from the sweat. She wondered how long ago the fever had broken out, and wondered how long it had been before someone had decided he needed help.
She had been looking forward to the task, wanting to do her part as an official Order member now. Her sensibility and copious amounts of knowledge had allowed her to be sworn in, while Ronald and Harry still had not been. Remus, Alastor, and Kingsley had talked for long hours before making the decision.
Yesterday, she had been informed that she would be caring for another Order member who was injured in battle. She had been given their location and briefed about how debilitating the wound was. A list of duties she would be responsible for was rattled off; she was to tend to the wound as well as help with food, toiletries, and other necessities. The only thing she hadn't been told was who the person was.
When she arrived at the dreary house, the wards, which had been charmed to solely recognize her, allowed her in. She wondered who could possibly live in this gloomy house on Spinner's End.
Never in a million years did she expect to be nursing the man who had killed her Headmaster.
Her attention returned to the man before her. He desperately needed help. But how could she be expected to aid this traitorous bastard?
A tiny glint from the candles showed that he had now opened those obsidian eyes.
"Professor," she greeted dryly.
Severus Snape let out an exasperated sigh. Lupin had assured him that he would be helped. He had not, however, told him who he was sending to do so. Of course, he sent the Granger girl. The insufferable know-it-all who seemed to like to stir trouble with her arrogant friends, the Weasley boy and Potter.
"Granger," he replied gruffly, his normally silky voice sounding gravelly and hoarse.
"How long has this fever been raging?" she asked, though her tone was far from concerned.
Severus gritted his teeth as another wave of pain threatened to draw him under. "Eleven or twelve hours," he ground out, closing his eyes. "Did Lupin send you?"
The Gryffindor girl nodded curtly. "He did."
"Tell him to send someone more capable," he sneered, not pleased with the werewolf's decision. He should have sent someone less annoying, at the very least.
"Look, Professor," Hermione began coldly. "Neither of us want to be here, considering you're a murderous traitor and I a Muggleborn Gryffindor, but we both know I am as able to aid you as any Healer or Mediwitch from Mungo's. So you're just going to have to get used to it."
Severus had never heard the girl speak in such a loathing tone, not even in his classroom. He glared at her in a deadly manner, but merely nodded. He would explain his predicament with the ring, his godson, and Albus at a later time.
"Now let me have a look." She brushed the blankets out of the way and sat on the edge of the bed. The Head of Slytherin House didn't seem quite so intimidating when he cringed from such a simple gesture. She wasted no time in pushing up the left leg of his trousers.
The stink of rotting flesh almost made her turn away in disgust. It was much worse than she had been told. The scathe ripped through the side of his calf and almost reached the bone. The magical attempts to heal it appeared to be useless, although a strong clotting spell had stopped the bleeding. Greenish scabs crusted the outside edges and yellowish pus oozed out of them. Infection had obviously set in, hence the fever. If she didn't help him soon, he would likely die of blood poisoning.
"Shit," she breathed, surprising her former professor. "Shit."
"Language, Miss Granger," Severus replied smoothly. "Ten points from Gryffindor."
Hermione couldn't even come up with a decent retort now. So instead, she prodded his wound rather harshly with her wand, eliciting quite the growl from the moody Potions and Defence instructor. "I'm going to have to kindly ask you to stuff it, sir, or you just might die." No need for niceties when they weren't in school.
Casting a simple form of detection charm, she learned that the infection hadn't spread far. He was very lucky. "I'm going to draw out the infected blood. It's going to be uncomfortable." A bowl was conjured and she placed it on the bed beside her.
Severus had been about to make another smart remark, but that blasted girl caught him before he could, jabbing him in the leg again to shut him up. There was an unpleasant draining sensation and he peered down to see the blood siphoning into the bowl. He felt slightly nauseous as the sucking feeling faded.
"Evanesco," Hermione muttered and the bowl disappeared. She proceeded to clean up the infected flesh and muscle around the opening, then used the same clotting spell that had worked prior to her arrival. "We're going to need to check that frequently."
Before he could reply, the girl had a hand on his forehead. It was gone as soon as he noticed it was there. She looked pissed, and he couldn't for the life of him imagine why his temperature would anger her so.
She was quick to cast cooling charms on the blankets, the colors from her wand looking like the aurora borealis. "When was the last time you ate?" she snapped viciously.
He thought about this. Yesterday he had been confined to bed. The day before, he had been summoned into battle before he could eat. "Two nights ago," he answered hesitantly. "I will prepare my own meal, thank you."
"No, you're staying right here. You'll just hurt yourself worse, and I have no desire to be here any longer than necessary."
Severus abruptly sat up, setting his jaw and keeping his face strictly expressionless. He slid to the edge of the bed and placed his feet gingerly on the floor, scoffing at the witch's skeptical gaze. I'll prove to her I can walk and then she can leave, he mused to himself.
Slowly, now. Couldn't stand up too fast or he'd be sure to collapse. He carefully stood with precise, measured movements. Most of his weight was on his right leg, his uninjured leg. This wouldn't be too horrible. He could definitely handle this. Taking one uneasy step forward…
"For Merlin's sake!" Hermione yelped as her former professor crumpled to the floor, swearing loudly. "I warned you!" she griped, stepping forward to help him back up as best she could. The bright witch promptly pushed him back onto the bed, ignoring his protest. "Don't do it again, or I fancy I'll have to put restraint charms on those blankets!" With a frustrated stomp and a flurry of bushy brown hair, she spun and exited the stuffy bedroom.