Hey, this is the second chappie! The story's written till the 5th chappie now...
Severus was absolutely baffled. No one had ever called him 'love', not even his mother. So what was this slip of a girl, correction, young woman, insinuating? The Bludger must have hit her too hard and taken away all remnants of logic, so it appeared.
Or she would've never kissed him. The kiss had been so soft, so passionate, so unlike anything Severus had ever experienced, that's why he hadn't pulled back the very minute she had touched his lips with hers. He knew that he had taken advantage of her befuddled mind; then again, she was an adult and responsible for her own actions, though he had never been against being snogged by a rather pretty woman, especially if he could gloat about it to Harry Potter and all his chums Yes, this thought made him feel more comfortable.
He looked at the crying witch on the cot again. He shouldn't have yelled at her, he knew, but that was just his self-preservation mechanism to stop himself from deepening the kiss. So much for his famed self control. He was just a man, a man who hadn't gotten laid in ages, and his body had urges which were out of his control, much to his chagrin.
Another weakness, which he could not fight, was crying women. There was just something unsettling and terrifying about them. And this crying woman reminded him that it was he who had behaved like a bastard, like his idiot Muggle father who had mercilessly hit his poor, wandless mother. Cold and harsh Severus might be, but he wasn't a mindless abuser.
'Now, now, Miss Granger, where's your Gryffindor courage?' he asked her in a soft, silky purr, smoothing a few strands of her messy hair. She made him feel terribly guilty very easily.
Slowly, she turned around to face him, wiping a few tears away with her small hand.
'So you're not angry at me? Please tell me you're not angry…'she pleaded.
What was he to do? He knew he was crap at emotional stuff. Heck, he couldn't sort himself out, how was he to handle an emotional woman who had been hit into the head? If it wouldn't have been such a sissy thing to do, he'd run to Minerva and let her sort it out.
'I'm not angry. I just want to make sure you're alright,' he said, trying to pull his hand away from the side of the cot, as he felt her small hands clasp his large palm in a dead grip. Sneaky little chit, he thought, but decided that her touching his hand was far more acceptable than snogging.
'I know that you always have a way with words. But you don't have to hide your emotions from me, Severus. I love you and I want to share everything with you. You don't have to worry about me; I'll be fine, if only that little dunderhead could get me a pain reliever.' She sighed, her hands still holding Severus'. It felt so good to know that he was here and worried about her. Sure, he wouldn't say it in words, but she knew that deep down under the layers of robes beat a heart, even though right now his face remained the neutral mask he wore every day.
'Umm…sorry to interrupt you, Headmaster, but could I talk to you for a few moments? I'm St. Mungo's Principal Healer Doolittle.' A little chubby wizard was standing right next to Severus.
'Will you excuse me for a moment?' Severus asked Hermione, who nodded with a happy smile. She looked oddly blissful; somehow he couldn't place why she would be so happy.
'I've talked to Miss Flower and she showed me the wrongly administered potion bottles. Tell me, what happened after the patient woke up?'
'She…Professor Granger called me her 'love' and kissed me full on the lips,' Severus answered, sounding as composed as usual.
'Did you have previous liaisons with) Professor Granger?' the healer asked.
"I did NOT have a liaison with her!" he snarled. "She signed her contract today to become a professor here and I am far more professional than that!" He should lose his temper first, then regain control of himself. The thought of having a relationship with her would be rather infuriating to him. What idiot had Draco found? Was that really the Principal Healer?
'Now, now, Headmaster, calm down,' the healer said in a patronising tone. 'We both very well know that relations between two consenting adults are not forbidden.'
'Are you going to teach me morals or tell me what's wrong with her?' Severus demanded, deciding that it was time to show the idiot Healer who was the boss here.
'I have a strong suspicion of a rare magical malady, but first I need to talk to the patient,' the healer said quietly, yet confidently before he strolled towards the direction of Hermione's cot. The cheek the man had--no one walked away from Severus Snape without being properly dismissed.
Turning to look over to the cot where Professor Longbottom had been deposited, he held back the urge to gag. The dunderhead Healer was cooing over a seemingly healthy Longbottom.
'Miss Flower, you are dismissed from your position. Do not hope for a good reference from Hogwarts, or for an intern ship here,' Severus said in his usual poisonous drawl, revelling in the effect he had on the girl. The poor girl was white as a sheet with tears threatening to spill from her eyes, though she didn't cause a bout of pity in him, like Hermione had done.
'Sir, that was very unfair of you!' It was the voice of Professor Longbottom that grated on his already frayed nerves. 'She made a mistake for which she is sorry. Hermione will be better soon, I'm sure, and she wouldn't want to ruin Heidi's references.'
'It was her fault that Professor Granger is now suffering from this weird malady. How do you suggest Miss Flower shall repent her sins?' Severus asked in his best intimidating tone. He loved to egg on Longbottom.
'Remember, I asked you for the finances to hire an assistant for gathering the crops of valuable Herbs from the greenhouses? She is qualified enough to help me. She would do it for free as well, if you do not write a dooming reference for her.'
The petite girl nodded frantically, her face regaining a little colour.
The offer Longbottom made was plausible. It meant he would save a good few galleons on the Herbs meant for sale. And if Longbottom was capable of teaching, then the chit might be capable enough to help with the crop, as it seemed she was entranced by Longbottom's charms.
'Fine, I agree. On the condition that the crop must be picked correctly,' Severus said in a gruff tone, however it didn't bring the desired effect. The girl was now smiling widely and, to his disgust, leaning towards Longbotton and most likely going to snog the ex-Gryffindor.
Severus didn't want to have such revolting pictures in his mind, so he turned to return to Hermione's cot, but decided against it, as he saw that she was still intently talking to the healer.
He was curious as to what was being said, so he muttered a silent eavesdropping spell, letting him listen in on their conversation. No one was supposed to have secrets from the Headmaster; he thought and snickered at his own Slytherin genius. He tried to look nonchalant as he strode to the rows of chairs where Malfoy was sitting, and sat down, listening intently.
'So, how long have you been in love with...umm…Severus?' the healer asked her in a soft, fatherly tone.
'Oh, I've always admired him, but I guess I've been in love with him since we bought Snarky, my, or better our cat, in March.'
'Are you sure?'
'Of course I am sure! Such things one cannot forget!' she said in a bossy, determined voice.
'Alright, Miss Granger. I think you need to rest for a bit, and I will send the necessary medicines to treat your concussion to the infirmary shortly. However, I will need to explain more about the treatment to the headmaster, so I am afraid he won't be able to keep you company for a while.'
'That's fine. I know he'll come back to me as soon as he can. He always does…He's such a wonderful, honourable man.' She sighed contently and yawned. 'I guess I'll nap a bit.'
'Headmaster, Mr. Malfoy, would you please follow me to my office at St. Mungo's? There we will have more privacy than in this ward; my office cannot be penetrated by any eavesdropping charms, for example.' The healer smiled warmly at the two men and proceeded to the fireplace.
'So, why am I being detained from my work and forced to sit here and have tea? I have had enough of these niceties!' Severus growled as he put a fine white china tea cup on a side table rather loudly.
'Well, the matter is rather delicate and I do not know how to approach it correctly, as I know it will not sit well with you.'
'Just tell me what it is,' Severus demanded, ignoring Malfoy's chuckles.
'Professor Granger is suffering from the rare, but possible Disastrous Amorous Syndrome. The mix of the potions she had been given, plus the concussion as well as the visual fixation…makes her think she is deeply in love with you, Headmaster.'
'Then I'll just tell her that she's lost it.' Severus huffed, thinking how much glaring he could've done while stalking the hallways of his school.
'Alas, that is something you cannot do. If you outright reject her, or even give her the notion of rejection, her now unstable magical balance will be ruined and she'll turn into a squib, and what's even worse, she'll lose her sanity, too,' the healer said in grave tones. Draco was sitting dead quiet now.
'I do not believe it! There must be a cure!'
'As you don't want to do what will help her remain her own self, I will show you a patient who has been suffering from this illness for fifty years now.'
Reluctantly, Severus and Draco got up from their chairs and followed the healer to the long-term residents' ward. Judging from the hallways, it looked harmless enough.
The healer knocked at a white door, similar to all others in the hallway.
'Mary, you have a visitor.'
'Oh my god, oh my god, just give me a second to look decent!' came a cheery voice from behind the door.
'She sounds normal enough,' Severus grumbled.
'Professor, would you like to come with me to the waiting area and talk about the annual ball?' The healer led Draco away, chattering about small talk issues all the time.
Meanwhile, the door had opened and an older woman, clad in a blinding red evening dress stepped out of the room.
Her dazzling smile fell as she saw Severus.
'I knew he wouldn't come,' she said in an incredibly sad voice.
'I came to see how you are…' Severus said uncertainly.
'Do you know Lucius? Lucius Malfoy?' she asked, her voice gaining again a spark of hope.
'I happen to know him…' Severus said cautiously, regarding the small, old witch. Her big eyes had faded to a bleak hazel and her now almost white, curly hair still had a few strands of dark gold in it.
'Then come in, come in,' the witch urged, her back now straight again and a smile on her face.
He noticed a large, pink and heart strewn photo frame where a picture, cut out from last week's Prophet, was put together with a smiling image of a young, pretty witch.
'Don't we look gorgeous together? I know me and Lucius are meant to be,' she said in a dreamy voice, taking the picture frame and hugging it to her heart.
'You know, we fell in love from the first sight at the Quidditch World Cup. That was 40 years ago. He looked so gorgeous in his dark robes, like a Greek god…' she paused, picking up a piece of fabric which rested next to the pile of newspapers.
'This is a piece of his robe from that day. My poor darling was so heartbroken when his father yanked him away…and all because of that Cissy bitch! She doesn't love him at all, I know! I follow every word what's written in the newspapers. He couldn't have me as he would've lost his inheritance. I couldn't let it happen. But I know that one day I will be Mrs. Malfoy.'
Severus just stood there, unmoving and listened to the witch's rant. Another secret to blackmail Lucius with was always good to have; a Slytherin would never let such an opportunity pass by.
'And now, let me show you my favourite place in this hotel-like establishment.' She took Severus' hand and dragged him out of the room with such determination that he couldn't even object in time.
Her determined stride came to a halt when she saw Draco in the lounge talking to the healer. Severus was left alone in the middle of the hallways as the witch strode towards Draco.
'Lucius?' she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
'No, I'm sorry ma'am, I am Draco Malfoy,' Draco said, turning to face the woman.
'Oh my god, it's you!' she squeaked and ran to the young man, kneeling beside him and taking his face in her bony hands.
'You look so much like Lucius, not a thing like that Black woman,' Mary mumbled.
'What?' Draco asked in confusion.
'Do not worry my boy; I will be a good stepmother to you. Tell your father that Mary still loves him, alright? I'd love to chat longer, but I have to go and do my hair. You know appearance is so important for a future Mrs. Malfoy,' she said in a cheery voice and she was gone in a second.
'Who was that?' Draco asked the healer.
'That was Mary, the victim of the Disastrous Amorous Syndrome. Obviously, her fixation is your father. He rejected her as he didn't like her at all. Her almost sanity is maintained by constant perusal of all available media. Your father has been very forthcoming and has been sponsoring Mary's stay in this ward for about 40 years now…'
'What do I do to prevent Miss Granger's degradation to such a pitiful existence?' Severus asked, his voice stern, but a hint of underlying concern could be distinguished by Draco, who had known his Godfather for all his life.
'You act as if you are accepting of her love…there have been cases when the witch has recovered from the Syndrome after a few weeks,' the healer answered uncertainly.
'If that is what it takes to save my new Professor, I will have to do it. No need to waste time. Draco, we need to return to the school to make proper arrangements!' Severus said in a strong, determined voice. He might not have warm and fuzzy feelings towards the girl, but no one deserved to be reduced to a pile of sulking love-sick idiocy.
Flooing back to the school, Severus strode towards the hospital wing, not noticing the pink fluorescent writing on the door of the great hall.
However, Draco did notice it, but didn't let Severus know of it.
i Sevvie has a limp knob /i was not the most creative slogan of Peeves' doing, but recently the poltergeist had lost his touch. Draco removed the offending inscription before any of the little dimwits he taught got the wrong idea.
Walking back to the dungeons, Draco thought of his lack of luck to not have Hermione fixated on him with her love. What good publicity he'd have then. But one can dream, right?
Please review and tell me what you liked and what you'd love to see in future.