AN; Hey guys, here's the next chapter without much further ado. I hope you enjoy!
DISCLAIMER; HP belongs to Queen Rowling. OCs and plot belong to me
CHAPTER ELEVEN; CRUCIO
Madam Pomfrey, a middle-aged woman with a clearly defined face spun around as she heard the sound of Eleanor and Professor Snape's arrival. Eleanor recognised the woman, during Eleanor's 5-7th years Eleanor spent a lot of her time in the hospital wing. It was mainly to gain experience so Eleanor could apply for a University course to do Medicine.
"Ah Severus, I wondered when you'd get here. This is the patient?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she approached Eleanor.
"Yes," Professor Snape said tersely, Eleanor waved awkwardly and shuffled her feet.
"For Merlin's sake man, you should have come here last night, I can see from here that the injuries this woman has sustained are serious," Madam Pomfrey ranted as she moved closer to Eleanor and dragged her rather unceremoniously towards a spare bed. Eleanor looked back at Severus with an alarmed expression on her face.
"They were obviously not fatal or else she would be dead, I know I should have brought Eleanor here earlier but because she felt nauseated after apparating I didn't want to risk any further discomfort," Professor Snape said irritably as he followed the two women further into the wing.
"Hmm-what? Oh. Yes, I suppose that would have brought about discomfort," Madam Pomfrey muttered absentmindedly. "Here we are, if you could take a pew Miss?"
"Leveson-Browne," Eleanor said as politely as possible.
"Ah, yes of course. I remember you. You helped a lot whilst you were here. Was your application to do Medicine accepted?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she cast several diagnostic spells over Eleanor.
"Yes Madam Pomfrey, I qualified and have been a practising doctor for the past year or so," Eleanor replied with a sad smile. Professor Snape watched as Eleanor's smile turned into a frown.
"Professor Snape?" Eleanor asked, Professor Snape's eyes shot to her.
"What's going to happen to me after I've been healed?" Eleanor continued, after James' death she was unsure of her future. She knew that she was now in danger, and wondered how it would affect her.
"I- we will discuss this after you have been discharged," Professor Snape said, obviously feeling caught out that he didn't have an ample answer for her. "Besides, would you refrain from referring to me as 'Professor'? I am no longer your teacher nor you my student," Professor Snape said with mild irritation. Eleanor bristled slightly and nodded.
"Miss Leveson-Browne lie down, I need to run some more diagnostic spells," Madam Pomfrey said sternly pushing Eleanor down onto the bed.
Eleanor felt a jolt of pain shoot up her side and her face contorted into agony. This happened a few more times and Eleanor felt her eyes start to well up in reaction to the excruciating shocks she was being subjected to. She looked at Severus in anxiety to see a hint of empathy in his eyes.
"Most likely after-effects from an Unforgiveable Curse. Miss Browne were you exposed to such curses?" Madam Pomfrey asked, her brows furrowing into thought. Eleanor felt another jolt of pain and yelped in agony.
"Yes, the Cruciatus Curse!" she cried out as her head flung back and hit the bed hard.
"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for the pain," Madam Pomfrey said loudly over Eleanor's shrieks of anguish.
"The effects shouldn't last more than a week, I'm unsure as to why the pain has suddenly been brought on it seems like a rare effect," Madam Pomfrey said with a puzzled expression on her face.
"It's not that rare," Severus muttered, through her haze of pain Eleanor's eyes snapped to Severus. She gleaned from that that Severus had been on the business end of more than a few Cruciatus Curses.
"A weak?" Eleanor croaked out before jolting with pain once more.
"All I can do right now is fix your broken arm, and give you some salve for those nasty-looking bruises. You won't have any scars, you're lucky Miss Leveson-Browne," Madam Pomfrey said ruefully. Thankfully the jolts of pain subsided for a few moments so that Eleanor could nod at what Madam Pomfrey said without feeling as though she was going to burst with the pain.
"Lucky," Severus scoffed quietly.
"When can I-" Eleanor started before another jolt shot throughout her body "leave," she said after biting her lip to stop her from crying out.
"You look exhausted Miss, so I advise you stay until you have had plenty of rest and have recovered from the-" Madam Pomfrey cringed as yet another jolt made Eleanor's petite frame flinch on the hospital bed. "aftershocks."
"Will you…stay with…me?" Eleanor asked, her words directed to Severus. Severus looked at her with an unreadable expression.
"For the time being, yes. But I will need to leave to teach my lessons," Severus replied, doing his best to sound comforting.
"O..kay," Eleanor said, grimacing against the pain.
"I will be back later to check on you. For the time being would you like a cup of tea Severus?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she eyed the Professor with caution.
"Yes please," he said as he took a seat next to Eleanor's bed. He watched her as more jolts were sent through her body.
He remembered the many times he had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse. It was mainly when The Dark Lord was upset with him, for doing something wrong but sometimes it was purely for his own sadistic pleasure. Severus was usually hit with 5 or more waves at the curse during the course of a meeting. The Dark Lord didn't constantly use the curse, for it was known that extended periods of exposure to the Curse often invoked insanity and irreversible nerve damage.
Eleanor's breath came in shaky and uneven bursts. She felt as if every nerve-ending in her body was on fire. The pain was not as substantial as the Curse itself, but the constant jolts almost equalled the pain.
The atmosphere was tense, and mostly silent apart from Eleanor's yelps and cries. Severus found himself at a cross-road. There was pretty much nothing he could do to stop the pain apart from giving Eleanor a Dreamless Sleep potion. This didn't always work, and sometimes trapped the drinker in a sleep they couldn't wake up from, all senses were optimised during this time and that of course also meant sensitivity to pain.
He came to a decision, calling Madam Pomfrey he requested she bring him a vial of Dreamless Sleep. The consequences were severe but he could no longer stand to see his ex-student in so much distress. Whenever he looked into her emerald green eyes he was constantly reminded of Lily on the night of her death. Finding the experience too painful to deal with any longer he decided that giving Eleanor some much needed rest was the best option.
"Madam Pomfrey is going to give you a vial of Dreamless Sleep, it should help you rest and help you through the pain," Severus said quietly as he stood over Eleanor's bed. Eleanor's eyes flashed with hope.
"However, there is a chance you could be trapped in your own body with heightened pain and there would be no way to wake you up until the effects of the potion subsided. Are you willing to take the potion?" Severus asked. He knew it was a silly question as he asked it.
"Give me the…potion," Eleanor whimpered. Severus locked eyes with her for a few more seconds before Madam Pomfrey arrived.
"Here we are, now is Miss Leveson-Browne aware of the possible side effects?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she held out the vial and a cup of steaming tea.
"Yes," Eleanor gasped. Madam Pomfrey looked at her patient and the now impatient Potions Professor and handed the vial to Severus.
"I think you should give her the potion Severus, Miss Leveson-Browne most likely lacks all motor control," Madam Pomfrey said kindly. Severus snatched the vial out of her hands and unstopped the purple vial.
"I will see you later," Severus said with a quirked brow as he lifted Eleanor's head gently and tipped the contents of the vial down her throat. Eleanor's face scrunched up at the metallic taste slipped down her throat but immediately felt herself becoming drowsy.
"Thank you," she whispered before her eyes became too heavy lidded to keep open. Severus watched her as her jolts eventually subsided and her limbs became limp, her face relaxed and a small smile quirked at the edge of her lips. He almost sighed in relief as he noted that she was no longer going to feel any pain. He found himself watching her for a few minutes before sitting back down and drinking his tea.
Eleanor felt no pain whilst she was sleeping. And as soon as her long eyelashes fluttered open she noted it was much darker than before. She looked around, groaning slightly as her neck was stiff from sleep. She stretched her limbs and noticed she was alone.
"Severus?" She croaked, her voice unused to being used. She heard a few shuffled footsteps before Madam Pomfrey came into view. Eleanor's heart sank slightly and watched as Madam Pomfrey stood next to her bed.
"He isn't here Miss, he was called out on business a couple of hours ago. He should return soon enough," Madam Pomfrey said quietly.
Eleanor's heart stopped. He had been summoned by You-Know-Who, she knew it. She began to feel worried for the man, she wonder what would happen to him. She took a deep sigh and tried to rid her mind of the horrific thoughts that danced its way around her brain.
"What time is it?" Eleanor asked as she tried to sit up, the harsh contraction of her muscles worked against her and Eleanor gasped in pain.
"It's 9pm Miss. You shouldn't do that so soon after waking up, you've been out for a while," Madam Pomfrey said as she waved her wand over Eleanor.
"How long have I been out?" Eleanor asked, her voice still cracking as she spoke.
"4 days Miss Browne," Madam Pomfrey replied. Eleanor looked at her in shock.
"4 days?" Eleanor asked in confusion. "You only gave me a small vial."
"It was highly concentrated. It works well for cases such as your own. Severus brews them specifically," Madam Pomfrey said with a light chuckle. Eleanor smiled at the old woman, but felt a chill in her bones. That must mean Severus was hit with the Cruciatus Curse more often than Eleanor cared to imagine.
After Madam Pomfrey left, leaving a book behind for Eleanor to read, Eleanor scanned the pages absentmindedly whilst she waited for Severus to arrive. It was at least another couple of hours before she heard the heavy footfalls of her ex-Potions Professor approach her.
"Severus," Eleanor croaked as she took in his sullied state. He looked exhausted and a nasty-looking cut stretched across his strong jaw-line. His dark eyes locked with hers, his expression unreadable. He was about to approach her bed when Madam Pomfrey dashed towards him.
"Severus, what on earth are you doing here?" Madam Pomfrey hissed.
"I came to visit-"
"Like hell you are in that sorry state. Off with you, you can visit Miss Leveson-Browne in the morning, she only woke up a while ago and needs more sleep. You do too by the looks of it," Madam Pomfrey ranted. Severus huffed impatiently in resignation and as he turned to leave he caught eyes with Eleanor once more, her eyes swimming with disappointment before storming out of the Hospital Wing.
AN; Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I've almost finished the next one already! Please read and review, it lets me know my work is appreciated. Thank you xoxo