AN: This is a Snape/OC story, post-war, post-Nagini bite, etc. He obviously survived the bite and is recovering in the hospital wing at Hogwarts and when Madam Pomfrey is away, my little OC keeps a curious eye on good ol' Severus. He's going through quite a few changes now. Merlin knows that man has a lot on his mind- he's got his whole future ahead of him and with only himself as the captain. Exciting, right? Yes, I thought so as well. Have fun! :)

"Miss Nova, when you are finished with that patient, I need your help with something," Madam Pomfrey called out.

Penny quickly replied with a "Sure thing, Madam Pomfrey, right away!" She just had to grab a potion and wrap a fresh bandage around the girl's mangled leg and it would almost be time for a lunch break. Merlin! I'm just about starved! she thought to herself.

She could hear low grumbling behind the curtain next to her patient as she tied off the wrapping. With the girl asleep, she cleaned up the area before stepping over to where Madam Pomfrey was standing next to the man in the bed. It was not the first time she had seen that tight-lipped look on the older woman's face.

"You needed me, Madam?" she politely inquired. Penny was too new and temporary to be able to become friends with the woman, but they were nice enough to each other. While she waited for a reply, she briefly glanced over the patient. His legs were long enough to slightly be off the end of the bed. Of course, the beds at Hogwarts were for children, so it would make sense that such a tall man would not fit. He does not exactly look very comfortable, though...

But then Madam Pomfrey turned to her with supplies in her hands and gestured her to step closer to the bed. "He needs more Blood-Replenishing Potion and Murtlap Essence. Can you make fresh batches of both as soon as possible?" Without waiting for an answer, she began unwrapping the man's bandages on his neck. "Professor, stop wiggling around. Do you wish to get an infection after all that work we did?"

Without another word, Penny decided to just skip lunch and immediately went to her brewing station in the other room. She did not know that by volunteering to help out in the hospital wing at Hogwarts would lead to her own starvation of food and sleep!

She worked in silence, just like she preferred to, while hovering beside her cauldron. Her potions professor back in America had taught her well. Penny was top of her class and had graduated with an apprenticeship at the school's hospital wing waiting for her. So she was used to that kind of environment and was not really nervous when the head nurse had told her about an opportunity at Hogwarts. She was not much of a traveller, but she would choose portkeys over planes any day.

They had told her about the war, but it was very different when she actually saw the destruction afterwards in person. By the time she had arrived the war was over and the deceased had been taken away. She was brought straight to the hospital wing and had begun treating patients immediately. The other volunteers rushed all around her, but somehow she remained calm during the most hectic times. Patients would certainly not benefit from the nurses panicking. But she also had an odd ability to soothe a person's injuries as well as their anxiety. It was the main reason she even decided to take up Healing. She was a natural at it and did enjoy helping others. Luckily for her, she could combine her talent in potions with her healing apprenticeship.

When the Blood-Replenishing Potion was ready, she took it off the flame and waited for it to cool. She started to prepare the ingredients for Murtlap Essence and her mind drifted into relaxed nothingness.

"Madam Pomfrey, I brought you three bottles of each and put the others in the cupboard by your office. They are labelled and sitting in the front of the middle shelf. I hope th-Oh!" Penny had been talking aloud, thinking that the woman was in the room. However, she stopped short when she saw the man sitting stiffly in his bed, with nobody else around. "Excuse me, sir, but did you see where Madam Pomfrey went?"

He lazily glanced in her direction before simply saying in his rough voice, "I did not."

Well. Okay then...

It had been quite some time since she had left to brew, so she had no idea where to find Madam Pomfrey when she was not in the hospital wing. Maybe she had gone to lunch? Although that would have been pretty crappy of Madam Pomfrey to tell her to make potions, and therefore be forced to skip lunch, because she had asked her to!

She knew she could not ask the patient what he was supposed to take, and she could guess that he needed one of each, however he was not her patient. So she would have to wait. But the vibe the dark haired man was giving off was not exactly inviting, so she put the bottles in the pocket of her apron and left to check on the other patients.

Right after the battle, there was not enough room for all of the injured, so they had to be split up. Hogwarts' hospital had been clearing out for a few weeks until only about ten to fifteen people were left. They were mostly students from the school, except for the mysterious professor.

She could remember when he had arrived in the ward with a horrifying amount of blood on himself. Penny and Madam Pomfrey had worked quickly to stop the bleeding, but it really was a bad injury. His neck had been ripped open and he was gargling blood as he tried to talk. The only reason he had survived was because he had patted a pocket of his black robes after Penny had touched the skin of his neck. That odd little power she had had brought him down from his frantic movements and she was able to retrieve a bottle from him that turned out to be anti-venom. She remembered thinking, "A snake did this?" and was disturbed to say the least.

About a half-hour later, Madam Pomfrey walked into the room with a happy look on her face. Oh, sure, I would be smiling too if I'd had a sandwich... or even a crumb! she thought, a bit annoyed. Even though she was a relatively calm person, hunger and exhaustion would make anyone a little edgy.

With an inward sigh, Penny followed the school's nurse into her office. "Madam? I just wanted to tell you that I finished brewing and put the extras in your cupboard. I have three of each here in my pocket for you. Was there anything else you needed?" She handed over the bottles and was dismissed.

She had to stop herself from sprinting to the kitchens where a very nice elf made a delicious meal for her. It certainly made up for the fact that she had not eaten since the night before!