Chapter 10 - Vulnera Sanentur

Severus's POV

3 Days Later

"You're never going to find a potion, are you, Severus? You're up there pretending, putting off the inevitable fact that I'm indefinitely blind."

"No, I really am trying," I say honestly. "I'm turning back to the books. I'm afraid I'll have to begin spellwork…today, actually. I'm completely out of ideas."

"I'm fine with it. I don't care what the risk is. I want to be able to SEE. If I can't see…Sight has always been my life, Severus."

"I know, you've always been very observant. You're observant even now though."

"Yes, but it's not the same. My hearing and smell is seemingly heightened by this, but I have always cherished colors and light, patterns and polka dots."

I nod, but then don't bother saying anything to go with it. We've just finished breakfast, and I'm reading a book on potions now. I do something a rarely do: I toss the book aside, frustrated. Danielle raises her eyebrows at me. "That mad, huh?"

"There's nothing left…I'm no healer, Danielle. Perhaps St. Mungo's would be a better idea than my handiwork."

"You're doubting your abilities, Severus. Surely there's something in your magical arsenal that can heal."

"Yes, but your eyes are hexed…I may know one spell though, and it shouldn't hurt. I created it after I created—" I stop abruptly, not wanting to tell her about my own personal hex.

Danielle's POV

"Created what, Severus? If you had to create a healing spell, you must have created a curse or hex."

"I created a hex called Sectumsempra."

"What does it do?" I ask warily.

"It doesn't matter, just never use it."

"Just tell me."

"Well," he says, "it tears a body apart, cutting the flesh all over, and overall causing the victim to bleed to death."

This comes as a shock to me. "Don't worry; I don't think I'll be using that. How do you create spells?"

"It's a long and complicated process I don't want to go into and wouldn't bother teaching you anyways. Let's focus on your eyes, shall we?"

"I know, they're beautiful, Severus. It's OK, you can say it."

He is silent. "Let's go upstairs to my laboratory," he says, rising to his feet. He goes without helping me as far as the secret door. I hear the door slide back and then he takes my arm, just like the first time he helped me down the orphanage stairs.

The going is slow up the stairs since I'm still so cautious about falling. When we reach the top he leads me back to the chair again. "Lay back, I want a clear shot at this. Don't move either."

I nod and lay back on the reclining chair. My nervous habit of tapping my foot comes out, so my foot is wiggling, and Severus stills it with one hand and says, "I said DON'T. MOVE."

"Sorry," I whisper.

"Look at the ceiling."

"Um, I'll try…" I say awkwardly, knowing what he means.

He starts reciting an incantation, "Vulnera Sanentur."

It reminds me of a soothing song, and I feel dreary. I feel like going to sleep, actually.

Severus's POV

She's starting to drift off, a side effect of the spell. I can't see a difference in her eyes, but I'm sure I'll know when it starts working because she'll jump up screaming that she can see. My mind is completely focused on this one thing as I chant the hypnotizing spell that sounds more like a slow song.

Danielle starts to go unconscious, so I hold her chin in one hand to keep her head in position. I won't know what good I've done until she wakes up again. Her eyes are now closed, but the spell is still connecting, I'm sure.

I stop chanting a minute or two later and leave Danielle to sleep it off while I go downstairs in fix lunch. Normally the spell would need to be cast only 3 times for maximum effect, but this isn't a cut or gash. I'm not even sure it will work. It depends on if the boy who cast it intended the spell to be a hex or a curse. If it's a curse, it will probably do nothing, if it's a hex, it might help. I throw together quick toasted cheese sandwiches and heat up canned vegetable soup. I don't know how long it will take for Danielle to wake up, but I'll know immediately if she can see or not. If she comes flying down the stairs happily, I'll know I've succeeded. If I hear her careful, cautious, blind steps, I'll know it didn't work.

I almost hope it doesn't. She won't have to see my pitiful home or me for that matter. I find it much more securing when she can't gauge my emotions when my Occlumency shields drop.

The reason Dumbledore picked me was not only because of Lily, or because I was a Death Eater for quite a while, but because I am detached. I am a skilled Occlumen. I am a skilled Legilimen. That is why he chose me, but if something clouds my focus, such as foolish infatuation with a girl from Gryffindor of all houses, I could forfeit not only my value as a trusted Death Eater by the Dark Lord, or Dumbledore's trust in me, but my life, along with Danielle's.

I hear quick steps coming down the stairs and wonder if that's the sound of a girl with sight.

She flies out of the secret door once she figures out how to open it and right into me.

I take that means she can see. "Severus, I can see! Not much, but a little!" she says happily, and before I know what's happening, I feel her lips press into mine. It's brief, but shocking none the less.

"Ms. Thorne, that is not appropr—"

"Oh, shut up!" she exclaims happily.

"How much has your vision improved?"

"Well, I made it down the stairs alive, although everything is all bleary. I could see well enough to see you…I've never seen you out of your stifling cloak…"

"Well now you have. If you would, could you please sit down and eat your lunch? I suppose it should be quite a bit easier being able to see your food and all."

"Thanks, Severus," she says, then practically skips to the chair, plopping down. "It looks and smells great."

"It's only toasted cheese sandwiches, Ms. Thorne, surely you remember what they look like," I say sarcastically.

"I told you to stop that," she says seriously. "I mean, really? I'm LIVING here; you don't have to call me Ms. Thorne. I mean, we're a bit more intimate than that," she states, taking a bite of sandwich and squinting at me.

"Intimate?" I ask. "I wouldn't call us that."

"I would," she says simply. "So, since I'm going to be here all summer, I was wondering if you'd help me bring my potion E up to an O?" she says as a question, raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose I could teach you a bit ahead of time, though it would seem an unfair advantage compared to the other students."

"And do you really care if it's an unfair advantage? I'm top of the class anyway."

"I will teach you."

It's evening now, and I'm about to go to bed. I've already brushed my teeth, washed my face, and yawned a hundred or so times. It's 10:30 PM. Severus is beside me on the couch, thinking I guess. I glance over now and then now that I can see, and I catch him looking at me when he thinks I'm not looking. Of course I still can't see very well, but Severus said that he'd do the spell more in the morning. I think it takes a lot out of him; he looks and sounds much more tired than usual. I was able to read Leah's letter as well. It was as embarrassing as I figured.

We're pretty well silent, me just examining the den and watching the fire. The house is decrepit, but I can see Severus living here as a child. I don't know what his family was like, probably not too good considering there are some fist holes in the wall…it makes me wonder why Severus never fixed them. Or maybe he's the one who punched them…I don't know.

I look over at Severus again to find him slumped to one side, asleep. This surprises me; I've never seen him so…vulnerable. He obviously didn't mean to fall asleep there, so why did he? I've never seen him do anything unintentionally…he always thinks things through quite thoroughly from what I've seen of him. Of course, he's only been Potion's Master for two years; before him was Slughorn. The classes changed drastically to cheery and bright to dark and forbidding. Most students lost their interest in the subject all together, but no matter the teacher I'm still fascinated by all the potions in the world that can treat countless inflictions and cause countless others, not to mention make people tell the truth, like Veritaserum, or a simple Sleeping Draught when you're restless.

I know that it seems weird to like the Potions Master so easily, but we're a lot alike, and he's been helping me, and I don't know…I just really like him. I can't say I LOVE him, but I really, REALLY LIKE him, however shelled up and snarky he may be. Neither of us have a family, or at least he doesn't act like he does. We're living together; we might as well like each other and get along.

He ensnares my senses, as he said he would teach us to do as first years. He fascinates me in every way. I want to know EVERYTHING about him. He's so secretive, and the little insight he's given me only makes me more and more curious. So he's a spy; that is so cool. I want to know more about him.

Which brings back to mind the Greasy Git and the Dungeon Bat for some reason. I have to admit that he does have naturally oily hair, and if he doesn't wash it every day, it does look pretty greasy. And he does spend most of his time in the dungeons, but of course his class and Slytherin's common room are in the dungeons, so why not?

I think I'm making excuses for liking him, which is stupid, because I don't need an excuse. I have no one to stop me from doing anything I want to do except for Severus Snape.

God forbid him to try and become a parent figure; I won't let it happen, we're not THAT far apart in age. I will not have a father 7 years older than me.

I think about this as I drift off, how strange it would be to have Severus Snape as a father. Before I know it, I'm slumped against Snape too, sound asleep, smirking at the thought of being grounded by him.

Young lady, you are grounded until further notice; and on top of that, you still have detention September 2nd in the dungeons, cleaning flubberworms!