For Crazy-Miss-Imperfect, marydidlaugh, CeresMaria, Dara-si, Jamberine, Coinside, and xheartbreak-yourheartsfake. Thanks for reviewing!
It wasn't always just my brother and I. We had a sister once, Isabelle. When I was eleven, she was diagnosed with cancer. When I was twelve, she died. That was when I decided I wanted to be a healer. I worked hard since my third year, working off the healer training hours. And when my mother died, during my sixth year in a car accident well, that only made me double my work efforts.
But I hadn't ever worked on someone like Severus Snape. The other patients of mine had been other students, people I knew well. People who were injured in Quidditch or Defense Against the Dark Arts. Never before had I attempted to treat someone with a heart condition – it would help if I knew what heart condition he had, too.
"Miss Russell, are you awake?" The whisper came at three the next morning, and I was indeed awake. I sat up in the bed I was sleeping on and looked over at the potions master.
"Is there a problem, Professor?" I whispered back. "Are you in any pain?"
He shook his head. "I just… I can't sleep. Is there anything you have that I can take?"
I quietly got up and sat in the chair next to him. "I'm not allowed to give you anything to sleep. Madame Pomfrey's orders. Now, if you're in pain, I'm allowed to give you a minor pain potion."
He shook his head again. "No, there isn't any pain." There was silence for a moment. "What made you want to become a healer? Surely there's something you'd rather be doing this week then babysitting me?"
I smiled sadly. "Not really. My boyfriend cheated on me, so I'm in no rush to go back to the Ravenclaw common room." I stopped. Why had I told him that?"
"I'm sorry to hear that," was all he said. A silence filled the hospital wing for a moment. "But really, why did you want to become a healer? It's not a common goal for a thirteen year old."
"I was twelve when I decided I wanted to be a healer. Madame Pomfrey said she couldn't train me until I was thirteen," I said softly. And before I knew it, I found myself telling him about my sister, the diagnosis, the long treatments, and finally her death. Snape, to my surprise, sat there and listened.
We talked nearly all night, neither one of us being able to sleep. He told me about his mother, dead from cancer as well, and his father, dead from a drug overdose. I told him about my mother's car accident, and my father's upcoming nuptials.
It was nearing six in the morning when Pomfrey left her office and found us still awake. "Ali, what do you think you're doing, keeping him awake? He needs to sleep!"
"My fault, Poppy," Snape said, before I could say anything. "I couldn't sleep. She was just keeping me company."
She narrowed her eyes at us. "Ali, you may go down to breakfast." As I left, I heard her start in on Snape. I smiled.
The week flew by, and before I knew it, it was time for me to go back to classes. Surprisingly, Snape and I had managed to get along, and I now knew more about him then I ever thought I would. Like, for instance, the fact that he snores. The first night he fell asleep before I did, I had to keep from bursting out laughing.
He was also extremely stubborn. This, of course, was kinda obvious, even in classes. But he acted like some of the students when it came to taking his medical potions.
Sunday night, when I was packing up my stuff to move back to the Ravenclaw seventh year dorms, Pomfrey called me into her office.
"Ali, there's something I want to ask you if you'd be willing to do," she began, once I took a seat. "Becoming a healer is your dream, correct?" I nodded. "There is a program that I think you would be qualified for, with all the hours you've put into training."
"What is it?"
"It's a sped up seventh year. You would learn everything you normally would in a full year in a single semester, take your NEWTs in December, and graduate before Christmas." I stared at her. "You would need consent from your teachers, and a guardian. But if you can do this, Ali, you can be a registered healer by January."
"What's the catch?" I asked.
"I'd need something from you. You and Severus… I've never seen him get along with anybody, like he did with you this past week."
"So?"
"So, you would become his personal healer. You would make sure he doesn't overdue it, be there if there's an emergency, things like that." Silence filled the office for a moment. "Do you agree?"
"Yes, of course I do!" I whispered. "This is… wait. Umbridge. Would she allow this?"
"She's only been a teacher here for a week; she'll have no say. You need to pass your NEWTs with at least an E in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Don't ask much, do they?" I muttered. "Are you sure the Umbitch can't stop me from doing this?"
"No, she can't. Defense teachers haven't had a say in this program for nearing fifty years." Pomfrey sounded impatient. "Well, do you want to do this or not?"
"Yes, of course I do!"
Monday arrived, and with it, the first Potions lesson of the year. For the seventh year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, anyway. Since I couldn't start the program until I had consent from my teachers and father, I was sent to the normal classes.
"Where have you been, Ali?" Samantha whispered, entering the classroom and seeing me sitting at my normal seat. "You haven't been to any of your classes in a week, and that's not the way to start seventh year!"
"I was working with Madame Pomfrey," I whispered back. "She needed my help."
She started to say something, but Snape entered the room. I found myself watching him. How was this the same man that I had befriended this past week?
"Russell!" His voice made me jump. "How long does the Polyjuice Potion have to be stewed?"
"Twenty one days, sir," I said. For an instant, it looked like he smiled at me, before turning and firing a question at another student.
"What the hell was that?" Sam asked. I simply shrugged. "Did he smile?"
"Is there a problem, Miss Fawcett?" Snape asked from his seat behind his desk. Sam shook her head. "Then get to work." The rest of the class flew by. At the end, as I was packing up my things, he called my name. "Russell. Stay behind."
"Do you want me to wait for you?" Sam whispered. I shook my head.
"No, go ahead. You can tell Flitwick that I might be a little late." She left. "Yes sir?" I asked, approaching the desk.
"Two things. First, you haven't told Miss Fawcett about… anything… have you?"
"No sir. That would be betraying not only your trust, but Madame Pomfrey's as well," I told him. "Besides, Samantha can't keep anything secret for more than an hour."
"Good."
He was silent for a few minutes. "Sir? I have another class."
"Right. Poppy told me that you want to apply for the early graduation program. Is that correct?" I nodded. "So you know, I expect you to pass this class with an O. You have some of the best work of my students. You have my consent. Don't screw up. Now, go to your next class."
Omg. FIINALLY! I had this finished a long time ago, but it wouldn't let me updte. But here ya go. Review and I'll love you forever.