A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed the first chapter! I'm a rather slow typist and it may take a bit for me to put up new chapters. Bear with me folks!
Chapter 2:
O'Kenly slammed the door behind her after she got back to her room. The noise was louder than she anticipated and clutched her head in pain. Then she slid down the door and sat on the floor. She was shaking. She swallowed. Her stomach churned and threatened to push to the food it didn't even contain. She squeezed her eyes closed, fighting the dizziness. When she reopened them, her eyed fell on her luggage. With extreme effort , she made her way to the bed and began to rummage through her things.
Come on you stupid git, you have to have some somewhere! She kept on pulling out glass potion bottles, each one empty. How can you be so dumb not to bring a whole extra supply!? She was ready to allow herself to collapse on the floor, when a knock came at her door. Not Now!
She actually made it to the door and opened it. Oh, lord, not him! There he stood tall, pale, obsidian eyes, and that greasy black hair.
"you abandoned us so quickly, Miss O'Kenly, Dumbledore bade me to ask you to meet him in his office in about a half hour." He finally looked up at her. "Good, lord, are you all right?"
She had to brace herself against the doorframe, one hand clutching her queasy stomach. Her breathing was shallow and ragged. "Do you need Madame Pomfry?"
"No," she said between gritted teeth, "and I believe you have over stayed your welcome after you delivered the message."
The concern in his eyes quickly changed to annoyance. "As you wish." He turned an left down the corridor.
You fool, he's the Potions Master, you need him! "Snape!" He turned back at the call. "I need to talk to you.....Sometime later....Its im....im......im..." The nausea she was fighting earlier had finally won. She dashed back into her room and to the adjacent bathroom. She knelt over the lavatory bowl. She hated this, dry-heaves were worse than actually having something come up, in her opinion. That's what you get for not eating lunch.
"Are you sure you'll be fine?" His voice came from within her room.
The heaving stopped, and still a little weak, she was able to stand and splash warm water on her face and wash out the taste of stomach vile from her mouth.
"O'Kenly?"
She gripped the sides of the sink. She was still shaking, but now it was out of irritation. Furiously, she yanked open the door and found Snape sitting on the edge of her bed. "Get out of my room, NOW!" He stood, but very slowly. "I said, NOW!" At a quicker pace he left the room and closed the door.
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She knocked on the office door. Being down in the dungeons did nothing for her nerves. She really wanted to get this over with. She wanted today to just be over. But she needed this, she had to get this done, especially after her discussion with Dumbledore. She wasn't sure if she could survive without it. "Enter"
She pushed open the wooden door and stepped onto Snape's office. He was at his desk, writing. Without looking up he said, "Ah, Miss O'Kenly. I thought our little date was cancelled for this evening."
"You have something I need."
He sat back, arms crossed and a smug smirk upon his face. "Really? Oh, that's right, it was something really im-im-im-im—"
She crossed to the desk and slammed her palm against its top. if she hadn't it would have made contact with his face. "Are you capable of not being an ass for more than a minute?"
He glanced at his watch for a few seconds, looked up at her and answered, "No." She let out e frustrated growl and turned heel. He was ready to let her leave, but recalled the way she looked earlier that afternoon, and it pained him. "Wait, wait." She stopped, but didn't turn. "What is it that you needed?"
She turned, while doing so she pulled out a slip of parchment from her robes. "I need access to your potions ingredients." Her voice was once again soft and almost uncertain.
His eyes narrowed in suspicion, "For what, exactly?"
"A Potion, idiot."
"Obviously," He sneered, "but why should I grant you free access? Just let me know what you need and I can get it for you, and if you need any assistance...."
"I am perfectly competent with potions!" She snapped, "They were my previous job, before coming here."
Snape pressed on, "Why won't you let me see the ingredients? Are you brewing something illegal?"
Her anger subsided as quite submission dominated again, "No, its just a personal blend if my own invention." And I rather not have you knowing what its for.
"What, afraid I'll steal it?" She shook her head. "Then what's the problem?" She made no motion. "You understand, O'Kenly, that I'm a very well organized man, I like to keep track which of my supplies have been used and how much of. I keep a record book on the subject and sooner or later I'll figure out what is on that list sooner or later." His point made, he extended a hand and wriggled his fingers in beckoning.
Slowly, she came back to the desk and handed the paper to him. He was careful not to make any contact in the transaction. "I gather you'll want to use the classroom to get started right away?" She nodded. "Go get things started whilst I gather what you need." She turned and headed for the adjacent classrooms.
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Snape watched her through the open office door. Finally he unfolded the paper and scanned the list:
Wormwood
Nightshade
Sleepy Newteyes etc...
Sweet Mab! There's enough sedatives here to tranquilize a wounded Chimera! Never the less, he went to his cupboards and gathered as much of the materials that he was capable of carrying in his arms.
When he entered the classroom, O'Kenly already had the fire going, warming the cauldron. She sat on one of the desks, transfixed with the flames. She looked up with a start when Snape not-so-accidentally, carelessly let the contents spill from his arms with a clatter onto to a desk. "Here's your starters," he told her, "I'll be right back with the rest." She just silently nodded, slid off the desk, and reached for the first bottle.
Back in his office, Snape was putting things together in his mind. Not only were there sedatives, but a good amount of nerve deadening anesthetics on the list. Then of course there was her earlier episode. He shook his head and trooped back into the other room with the last of the jars. He placed these down more gently. He sat himself on one of the desks and watched her.
Annoyance crept into her flame-lit features, "Must you stare?"
"You're using my supplies and my facilities; I have every right to watch you if I wish."
She didn't reply to this and argue further, so Snape watched her as she expertly stirred added ingredients. He noted how the fire-light reflected off her moon-pale complexion. Her movements were fluid and casual. She didn't even seem to concentrate at her task. It made him wonder what he history in potions really was. But another question was pressing on his mind, and he debated with himself whether or not to ask it. Whether to, won out. "How long have you been having these anxiety and panic attacks?" Concern was evident in his voice. Damn it, Severus, you're getting soft!
Her lips tightened in anger and Snape thought she was going to reprove him for even attempting to pry into her personal life. But it faded, and she looked up at him, her eyes pools of sadness. "Since I was eleven." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
She turned back to her potion and he didn't inquire any further. In fact, they barely spoke to another for the rest of the evening. But even after O'Kenly had finished, stored the potion into bottles, and left, Snape remained in the room. Even though she had been gone for hours now, her presence seemed to linger in the dark, musty dungeons.
