4. Summoned
While Bobbie was in the infirmary she learned a lot about potions. Since she wasn't magical she couldn't heal anybody with magic. The only option she had was to administer potions if she knew what she was dealing with. She also loaded up on books about the subject and later went back to her rooms to read. On the way she thought about asking the Headmaster if there was a way to put electricity into her rooms. It would be nice having at least a coffee maker, so she wouldn't have to bother Millie every time she wanted a cup of coffee. It also would be a way to load the battery on her cell phone or plug in a computer. Just because she was staying in the Wizarding World for a while didn't mean she needed to be cut off from her world and all of her Muggle friends.
She piled the books onto her desk and grabbed one that had to do with different potions and how to use them. She made herself comfortable on her window seat and started reading and jotting down some notes of the things she had questions about. Maybe she could ask Professor Slughorn about them later. Then again, hadn't Poppy said something to the effect that Professor Snape made better potions than Professor Slughorn? Maybe she should go to Severus Snape instead.
Thinking of Snape she thought about what Poppy had said, about him making a bad patient. How often did he have to go to the infirmary? She had said 'when' he comes to the infirmary, not 'if'. To Bobbie that sounded like he was going there quite a bit. Was he sick? She thought about going through Poppy's past that she had seen while shaking hands with her. When she did she 'saw' that Professor Snape was sometimes in very bad shape. Like he had been beat up or tortured within an inch of his life. The realisation caused her to get out of Poppy's flashbacks and into Snape's. She remembered how she had felt when she had touched his hands for the first time. This time she paid attention to the things she saw and it was the most horrific experience she ever had. No wonder he was the way he was. From the neglect and abuse in his childhood, to the constant bullying in school. Then the bullying when he came to Hogwarts. Four boys in Gryffindor robes were especially cruel and one time almost killed him by luring him to a werewolf. And Albus Dumbledore didn't do a damn thing about it. She felt nauseated and had to swallow the bile threatening to come up her throat. She also 'saw' that his own house mates ignored or even belittled him - unless, of course, they wanted something from him because he was an excellent student. Then came the time as a Death Eater, where he was forced to do the most unimaginable things in the name of Voldemort. It was either obey and kill, or be killed. She 'saw' him go to Dumbledore trying to save the life of the only person who ever was his friend, a redheaded girl from Gryffindor. It was going to be the turning point in his life. Dumbledore saved him from going to prison and Snape became his spy. She couldn't imagine the danger he was under in the last couple of years going to Death Eater meetings. And the irony was that the people whom he was helping despised him. What a miserable and lonely life! The only person he could trust was the Headmaster. He looked up to him almost like a father figure and had a strong sense of loyalty to him. And now that father figure was asking to be killed by him. She knew from Dumbledore's flashbacks that he had started a long time ago to love Snape almost like a son, but she still couldn't understand why he would ask him to do such a thing. In her mind that was just something you didn't ask of people you love.
Another thing she 'saw' was that he often came back from meetings with the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse - she had learned about this curse going through Poppy's flashbacks - and instead of going to the infirmary, he usually didn't even say anything and medicated himself. He was a very private person and too proud to ask for help. And, of course, nobody was offering any help anyway. After 'seeing' the lonely and tragic life of Professor Snape she knew that she had to help him. She had the feeling that it was too late to talk the Headmaster out of his plan and she also knew that Severus Snape was too loyal to Dumbledore to turn him down. The 'mercy killing' was going to happen whether she liked it or not. She laid the book aside and left to see Dumbledore.
Bobbie marched straight to the gargoyle and said the password. A few seconds later she was knocking at the Headmasters door. The door sprang open by its own account and when she looked into the office she saw the Professor standing in front of the Phoenix perch. He motioned for her to come inside. She looked at the perch but there was no bird. Where was Fawkes? Then she saw a pile of ashes underneath and some movement in there. She walked up to the Headmaster and saw a tiny chick that he was cleaning up. What was going on? What...? ...wait... a phoenix...! According to the mythical stories she had read as a child a phoenix was rising out of the ashes. Incredible! She would have never guessed that the legend was real. She watched a little while longer and finally spoke, "I have thought about my job here. Even though I still think it is an abysmal idea I will stay and do as you ask."
"Thank you Dr Carter! I truly appreciate it."
"Oh, don't thank me Professor. I'm not doing it for you. I am doing it for Professor Snape. He needs all the help and compassion he can get. In my eyes he is a hero for the things he has gone through and the things he still does, and on top of it he still has the strength to stay halfway sane."
"Ah, I see you have made contact with him," he said with twinkling eyes.
"We literally ran into each other in the corridors. By the way Headmaster, I was wondering if there would be a way to have electricity in my rooms to plug in a few things."
"Of course Dr Carter. Our Muggle Studies teacher has it in her rooms also. She wanted it for her box that is showing moving pictures. I think she is calling it a TC."
"Oh, a TV." Bobbie grinned. "No, I don't need it for a TV. I'm not much into TV watching. I'd rather read. I know some people can't be without it and don't know what to do with themselves not having one. That is why I call it an idiot box." She laughed.
The Headmaster chuckled and promised her it would be done. Before she left he said, "It looks like we are going to see more of each other and I know your grandfather for a very long time. Wouldn't you agree it would be okay if we go by our first names? You used to call me Uncle Albus when I came to Canada visiting Anton and you were only two or three years old."
"I have to admit I was too young to remember but, yes okay Uncle Albus," she said and winked at him.
He chuckled again. "Let's drop the uncle this time around though. It will only raise unnecessary questions, my dear child," he said and winked back. "By the way, you have a lot of your grandfather, Bobbie. You are just as outspoken as he is."
"I'll take that as a compliment." She grinned and waved at him before leaving his office.
Coming back to her room she saw that there were a couple of plugs over her desk. I could get used to that magic stuff, she thought to herself. It definitely beats having to wait for the electrician. She plugged in her cell phone to load it up and then called her family in Canada to let them know she was alright.
888
A few minutes before dinner time Bobbie made her way to the Great Hall. She walked right up to Poppy who waved at her and had saved a seat next to her. Dinner came and went but Professor Snape never showed up. She had hoped to ask him her questions that came up while reading the potions book. Professor Slughorn was there but he seemed to be in a nice conversation with Professor McGonagall and she didn't want to interrupt. To be honest, after she had met Professor Slughorn and gotten his flashbacks she wasn't too keen on knowing him further. He was nice enough alright but she didn't care for his bragging about all the famous people he knew. She subconsciously patted the notes she had in her pocket and resolved to walk to Professor Snapes quarters after Dinner. She didn't make it right away because Professor Slughorn left and she and Poppy had gotten into a conversation with Professor McGonagall - or Minerva, as she insisted on being called. They were talking about Animagi. She was amazed when Minerva turned into a cat in front of her eyes. Ever since Albus had talked about the two Animagi who could turn into a rat and a beetle she wanted to know more about it.
By the time she left the Great Hall and walked to Professor Snapes Quarters it was almost 11 o'clock. Knowing that nobody in the castle ever went to bed before midnight - beside the students, of course - she thought it was okay to pay him a visit. The sooner she knew the answers to her questions, the better. Just when she was getting ready to knock on his door she saw that it wasn't all the way closed. She knocked anyway and the door opened a little more and she thought she heard a moan. There was no light and when she pushed the door open a little more it suddenly didn't open any further because something heavy was lying on the floor which prevented it from doing so. She called "Hello" and then "Professor?" Something was definitely wrong. She pushed whatever was blocking the door a little further, just enough so she could slip in and then she saw in the dim light that the object that was lying on the floor was actually a human being. As soon as she closed the door some candles flickered into light and she could see the Professor lying on the floor. She knelt down next to him and touched his forehead just to 'see' the latest things that had happened to him. She 'saw' him at a meeting and Voldemort torturing him with the Cruciatus Curse, collapsing on the floor, writhing and twitching in agony on the cold stones tearing his robes and biting his tongue until it bled. She 'saw' that Snape had stalled making a dangerous potion for Voldemort pretending he couldn't get one of the ingredients. Voldemort suspected but didn't know for sure because he failed to read the Professors mind. Nonetheless he punished him just in case his suspicions were relevant.
Bobbie called to him, "Professor, can you hear me?" And then she thought to herself, Oh god! I've got to get Poppy. Then she leant in and told him, "I'm sorry, I can't do magic. I'll be as fast as I can..."
She was getting up, when she heard him say quietly, "No..., no! Just... help me up... couch!"
"Professor, you need help. I'll get Poppy!"
"No... potion... drawer on nightstand...," he rasped. "Please..."
She ran to the door she thought was the bedroom and opened the top drawer on the nightstand. There were several potions. She looked at the labels and found one saying 'Cruciatus'. She grabbed it and ran back and knelt back down beside him. She pulled the stopper and asked him, "How much of it?"
He said, "All...!" in between twitches.
She helped him by laying his head on her legs and put the vial to his lips and let him have small sips of it in between coughing fits. Finally his body quieted down. She said, "I need to get you off the floor, it is too cold. But I can't do it myself. I...I need to get somebody to help."
"No! ...can do it..." He slowly hoisted himself off the floor and she helped as well as she could. They finally made it to the sofa. She made him as comfortable as she could. He suddenly screwed up his face like he was in more pain and said, "Head...ache..."
Bobbie remembered seeing a potion labeled 'Headache' in the drawer where she had found the other potion and she went and got it. She pushed up his head and sat on the sofa and laid his head on her lap. She then gave him the potion to drink. When it was empty she reached over and grabbed the folded up blanked she found laying not far away over the back of the sofa and covered him with it. Then she rubbed his head by running her fingers through his hair repeatedly. She remembered how her Ex always had liked that when he had a headache. Snape groaned once or twice and then he was asleep. Bobbie knew from his flashbacks that nobody ever had done anything like this for him, and even though his hair was greasy and he needed a shower after his ordeal she didn't mind giving him a little comfort for a change. She sat there for hours until she leaned her head on the back of the sofa and also went asleep. Before falling asleep she had thought about getting up and at least cleaning up his face and the blood that was in the corner of his mouth but she decided he needed rest much more.
888
Severus woke up feeling a little sore. When he found out what - or better who - his pillow was he was surprised. He remembered her coming by and helping him but he never would have thought she would stay with him all night. He didn't know if he should feel mad because of the invasion of his privacy, or embarrassed because he needed help, or feel comforted because somebody actually had cared. Her fingers were still woven into his hair. He remembered the feeling of her fingers stroking through his hair and how good it had felt. Then his thoughts turned to embarrassment. His greasy hair that everybody was referring to. He even was called the greasy git for it. He just never cared enough to wash it every day. Nobody ever wanted to touch him anyway. He had a mirror. He knew that he wasn't a handsome man and there was no shortage of people who reminded him of being ugly on regular basis. He didn't even know why she had stayed with him..., or even touched him. While he was laying there savoring the only comfort he would probably ever get in his life, he felt her fingers move in his hair and then she brushed some of it out of his face.
888
Bobbie woke up and when she was feeling her fingers woven into hair she slowly remembered where she was. She picked up her head from the back of the sofa and looked down at Severus Snape. His eyes were closed and his face looked relaxed. She hoped he was alright. She brushed a strand of hair out of his face with her other hand and he opened his eyes. She looked into the most beautiful black eyes she had ever seen... Okay Bobbie, stop that shit! She scolded herself. Then she asked him. "Are you feeling better Professor?"
"I am fine. I didn't mean falling asleep like that. I'm sorry about the inconvenience." His face went from relaxed to embarrassed and then to his normal stoic mask and before Bobbie could say anything he got up and straighten his torn robes and said with a sneer, "I would appreciate if the story of this little weakness of mine wouldn't get out of this room."
"What? Are you kidding me? Do I look like I spread everybody's private life around?" She was a little miffed to say the least. "The next time I feel the urge to show a little compassion I will make sure I don't let myself get carried away. By the way, you're welcome!" She was just about to stomp out of the door, when he stopped her by holding on to her arm. She first wanted to yank her arm free but then thought better of it. After all this was the man she told herself she wanted to help.
"I am sorry Dr Carter, I shouldn't have said that", he said quietly.
"No, you shouldn't," she whispered. And then a little louder, "you don't know me Professor."
He said, "I realise that. I just don't make a habit out of letting myself get into situations like that. Especially not on the first day I meet a person."
"Well Professor, since it is 4 in the morning this is actually the second day," she smirked.
Despite himself he snorted and said, "Indeed! In light of the compromising position we find ourselves in I would think we could just call each other by first names, especially since I know you already do so with most of the staff here."
"Very well, but let me warn you, if you ever call me Roberta I will have to kill you. My name is Bobbie. I don't know why parents think they have to name their firstborn - or in my case, their only kid - after the father."
"I will make sure I take your warning into consideration," he said amused.
Bobbie was glad the initial tenseness of the situation had subsided. Then she yawned. "I better go to my rooms and try getting a couple of hours of real sleep. Sitting up while sleeping was never my thing. I'm still not quite back to normal with that long trip on Friday. You may want to do the same. It couldn't have been very comfortable on the sofa. I am just glad you're feeling better. Your potions are pretty awesome." She smiled at him and then said, "Good night, Severus!"
"Good night, Bobbie!" he said and then slowly closed the door after her. He stood there a little while longer with his forehead leaning against the door thinking to himself; You are mistaken, dear Bobbie. That sofa has never been as comfortable as it was last night... and he thought about her fingers stroking through his hair. He went to bed after a thorough shower and decided he didn't want a dreamless sleep potion tonight. He wanted to keep the thought of her fingers in his hair alive in his mind a little longer.