Another Visit

"So why haven't you been sleeping well?" Severus asked as he walked her to her chambers.

"I've been having the same nightmare over and over again for the last few months.  At first they occurred once every other week or so, but now they come almost every night."

"What are you seeing?"  Orion explained her visions to him.  He listened intently as she described every detail.  When she was finished, he asked, "Do you think it's some sort of warning?"

"I don't know.  If it is, how would my parents be involved?  They've been dead for thirty-five years."  They stopped at Orion's door.

"Their meaning will come in time.  For now, if you feel you need more of my sleeping potion, don't hesitate to ask."  Avery thanked him.  She went into her room and shut the door.

***

That night there was a knock on the Potions master's door.  It was close to midnight, and after reluctantly inviting the intruder in and receiving no answer, he got up and swung his door open.  Orion, half standing, half leaning against the wall, had streaks running down her face--dried tears.  Her hair was a mess and her pupils were dilated.  Something was very wrong.

                "Sev, I need to (hic) talk to you."  She pushed her way inside.

                "What's the matter with you?"

                "Nothing (hic) is wrong with me.  I just thought that (hic) we could (hic) have a little....chat."  She smiled as she swayed back and forth on his rug.  The man took hold of her shoulders just in time to stop her from falling.  

                "Thank you," she breathed in his face.  Her breath reeked of something he was unfamiliar with.  Then he saw it--tucked inside her robes was a bottle of Jack Daniel's.  She was drunk.

                "Orion, have you been drinking?"  Her eyes glazed over and she hiccupped once more.

                "Heavens no man, I've just been talking with my friend, Jack," she pulled the bottle from her robes and took another swig, "and he said that I should come and talk to you," she took her index finger and jabbed it into the man's chest.  Severus rolled his eyes and took the bottle from her.

                "Where did you get this?"

                "A liquor store, where do you bloody think I got it?"  She staggered once more, and fell into the man's arms.  "Kiss me," she whispered to him.

                "What?  No.  Orion, you are drunk.  Go upstairs and go to bed."  The woman's eyes narrowed.

                "I am not (hic) drunk.  I know perfectly well where I am, who I am, and (hic) what I am doing."  She grabbed his head and pressed her lips against his.  Severus tried to pull away, but the woman just held on tighter.  Despite the alcohol on her tongue, he couldn't help but eventually give in to her kiss.  But when she started to fumble with his robes, he pushed her away.

                "Orion, you don't want to do this.  Not now, not with me."

                "Yes I do."  They stood, looking into each other's eyes--Avery's tired and dilated, Snape's mysterious and calm.  This time the woman came out victorious in the staring contest.  Severus turned away.

                "Please leave.  Go to bed."  Orion hung her head.

                "Severus?"  He turned to her.  She was such a mess.  "I think...I'm going...to pass out now."  She fell.  He barely caught her before her head hit the floor.  He placed her in his bed once again, but before he could head to the chair, a hand came up and held his wrist.

                "I don't want you to sleep in that chair."

                "And where do you suggest I sleep instead?"

                "Here.  With me."

                "Orion, I don't think that is such a good idea."

                "Please," she pleaded, "I'm tired of being alone."  He sighed.  He shared the same feeling.  He took off his robes and slipped into bed next to her.  Orion slid her arm across his chest and pushed herself up against him.  His eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened.  The woman let out a heavy sigh and drifted off to sleep.

Severus woke up several hours later.  Orion still slept soundly as he lifted her arm from his chest and got out of bed.  He was pulling his robes on when he heard her stir. 

                "Good morning."

                Indeed it was.  It was the best night of sleep she had ever had.  She felt warm and safe.  But as Orion's eyes started to focus, she realized she wasn't in her room.  When she heard the man's voice, she shot up from the bed.  That's when her head seemed to explode.  She let out a long and painful moan.  Her face ended up in her hands.  'What happened last night?  Where am I?' she thought as she raised her head.  Severus Snape was looking at her with that damned eyebrow raised. 

                "Oh no," she shook her head.  She looked around the Potion master's room, her eyes stopping on the table.  There stood the liquor bottle she had sipped on last night in her own chambers.  She looked down.  Thank Merlin her clothes were still on.  The man laughed at her.

                "Please, child.  Don't think so low of me."

                "Not you...me.  Oh my head."  The man came over to her and pushed back her hair.  Her eyes seemed to be back to normal, but she was sweating.  She looked almost feverish.  He got up and went to his office.  Orion sat in his bed, trying to remember what had happened after she left her room the previous night.  She hoped she hadn't done anything foolish.  Severus returned, this time with a vial filled with a bright orange liquid.  He handed it to her, and she looked reluctantly at him.

                "Relax, you can drink this here.  It's for your hangover."

                "So that's what these bloody things are called."  She drank the liquid and the color immediately returned to her face.  "Thank Heavens for the Potions master."  She smiled at him.  He left her side and she got out of bed. "Severus?  I want to apologize for any of my actions that may have made you uncomfortable last night."  He glided closer to her.

                "You don't remember what happened?"  Orion's eyes widened a bit.

                "I kissed you, didn't I?  I can see it in your eyes."

                "Why do you look so worried?  Nothing happened.  I am not the type of man who would take advantage of a drunken woman."  Her eyes were still wide.  It was as though he could read her mind.  "Has this happened before?"  The woman turned away.  "Orion," he spun her around, "tell me."  She pulled away from him and sat down on the bed. 

                "A couple of years ago, I was out with a friend of mine.  We thought it would be fun to go to a Muggle bar.  We didn't plan on getting drunk, but it happened nevertheless.  It was late, and this muggle guy offered us a ride home.  He was nice enough, but I said I wanted to walk back.  I tried to convince my friend to come with me, but she said no.  Instead of taking her home, he took her back to his place," she paused to wipe the tears from her eyes, "A month later she found out she was pregnant."  Severus looked down at his feet.  "Three months after that," he looked up again, "she tripped over a rug and fell down her stairs--and lost the baby."  The man uncomfortably placed a hand on her shoulder.        

                "Is your friend all right?"

                "I don't know," she whispered.  She raised the liquor bottle off the table with her hand and smashed it against the wall.  Snape jumped.  "Alcohol is the devil--worse than any poison in the wizarding world.  Muggles are so dumb in thinking that this stuff is good."  She got up and waved her hand over the mess and it disappeared.  "Sorry," she said as she grabbed her robes and walked to the door.  She stopped before opening it.  "Severus?"

                "Hmm?"

                "The kiss.  Did you like it?"  He loved it.

                "Yes."  She smiled satisfactorily and opened the door. Avery exited the room, and Severus let out a sigh.  It had been the best night's sleep he'd had...ever.