Despite the beatings and hexes he received, Poppy was able to stabilize
Professor Snape - although barely.
The Headmaster sat in the chair next to the bed of the unconscious but thankfully alive potions master. Now convinced that his spy status was exposed, he made the decision he'd wanted to make for years.
~@~
Severus Snape awoke to a small room. The sun out the window shone down through the drapes over the windows, but not so much that it was an irritation. Looking around the room, immediately noted that this was not the hospital wing. He'd never seen this room before.
The room housed the small bed he was in, a rolling tray with a pitcher and glass, and nothing more, other than the drapes on the window and rug on the stone floor. The room was slightly dim, and decorated with runes carved in the stonewalls.
His first thought: "Am I dead?" He began to sit up and received a shot of pain for his efforts that told him the answer was 'no'.
The oak door on the opposite wall opened, and a young man with blonde hair walked through.
"Ah, Professor. Glad to see that you are finally awake. How are you feeling?
Professor Snape looked at the man. "Like I've been hexed and physically beaten to within an inch of my life. You?" He said with dripping sarcasm.
"You always were a snarky one." The man replied.
"Excuse me. Do I know you?" Snape asked.
"You did. But you probably don't remember me." The man replied, taking down some notes. "I was Madam Pomfrey's assistant about 10 years ago. Your student 11 years."
Snape pondered this information while the man took out his wand and cast an observation spell, taking down more notes. "Ah. You seem almost fully recovered. I'll fetch you some lunch and than you can move into your apartment."
"Where am I?" Snape asked, but the man either did not hear or he ignored the question. He left, closing the door behind him.
Snape arose from the bed and went to open the door. He'd rather know where he was than wait. But the door was locked and he was without his wand.
Stalking back to the bed, he sat down. It was than he noticed a vial sitting on the tray with a note.
Professor,
I did not have any pain relieving potion available to administer, but one of your students volunteered to brew it in the absence of our resident potions brewer. I tell you this because you would be a better judge of her skills. I believe it was a Miss Granger.
Pardus Malfoy
'Malfoy? Why a Malfoy?' Snape eyed the vial with suspicion. Miss Granger was a competent brewer, but he just could not trust a Malfoy. He set the vial back down carefully. 'I'd rather be in pain.'
A few moments later, Hermione stepped in the room. She carried a tray with her. "Good afternoon, Professor." She said while placing the tray on the table.
"Miss Granger. What are you doing here?" Snape asked irritably.
"Pardus thought that I should take you your lunch and bring you another pain reliever." She replied. "Said that knowing your distrust of his Uncle's family, you may be more comfortable with me. I can't imagine why." She added in answer to the scowl.
"He also told me that I should tell you that I made your lunch and that this," she said, bringing a vial out of her pocket, "has been on my person since I brewed it."
Snape snatched the vial from her. "Did he now?" He gave her a penetrating look. "And is this all true?"
"Yes, sir." Hermione replied honestly.
Looking at her for a few more moments, he nodded, uncapped the vial, and downed it. The potion had a minty taste to it.
"Miss Granger. This potion is not supposed to taste like mint." He scowled.
"No, sir." Hermione replied. "I added a few sprigs to make it taste better. It should not affect the potency or desired result." She took a book out of her robes. "Professor Dumbledore told me to give you this when you awoke."
Snape took the book from her. "Where are we, Miss Granger? And how long?"
"I'm not sure where we are, Professor. But we've been here almost two weeks." She was a bit surprised at his lack of snark. "Pardus said he'll tell us all about this place once we are settled in. I think he's tired of me asking questions." She missed the amused look that Snape gave.
"All?" He asked.
"Yes. You, myself, and Harry." Hermione replied.
His memory suddenly struck. Albus had mentioned that they all would be sent away. But he never said where it was. So now, he was stuck with Granger, Potter, . . .wait a minute. Where was Weasley? He asked her.
"Ron is a few rooms away, still unconscious. He was found outside the gates the morning after you were found. He may not wake for a few more days." She paused a moment.
"Professor?" She began. "About those dreams I've been having."
Snape looked up.
"I didn't tell you before, but they began in this hallway that had many portraits and windows." She paused again.
"Go on." Snape said.
"Well, I found that hallway when I was exploring." Hermione said.
Snape thought for a moment. "What happened in this hallway, Miss Granger?"
"Well," she hesitated. "I found what appeared to be a muggle painting of an elvan battle. When I looked at it, it began to move and I heard screaming. Beside that was a door. In my dream, I opened it and saw Voldemort speaking to Harry, but it wasn't Harry."
"How do you know it wasn't Mr Potter?"
"Because the real Harry was lying on the floor looking at the scene also. He looked just as confused as I felt."
"Why did you not mention this before, Miss granger?" Snape asked with slightly narrowed eyes.
"It had nothing to do with the attack in the astronomy tower." She replied.
Snape sighed and looked at her. "How do you know that?"
Hermione looked at him, and than to her feet. "I thought it was just a dream." She whispered.
"Miss Granger. You may have had a premonition." Snape said. When Hermione's head shot up, he added, "Trelawny divination I don't believe in and I don't blame you for your dislike and disbelief of it because of her. But I do believe some do have the power. I have rarely seen it, but it's there."
Hermione nodded and lowered her gaze. "I found the door, but did not open it."
"Why not? Were you afraid of what you would find behind it?" Hermione nodded. "Miss Granger, when I am able to leave this forsaken room, I want you to take me to this hallway and show me this door."
"What door?" Pardus asked as he reentered the room. Before he could get an answer, he looked at the full food tray. "Eat up, Professor. I'm sure you would like to be settled in."
Hermione left the room before more could be said, and Snape ate his lunch.
The Headmaster sat in the chair next to the bed of the unconscious but thankfully alive potions master. Now convinced that his spy status was exposed, he made the decision he'd wanted to make for years.
~@~
Severus Snape awoke to a small room. The sun out the window shone down through the drapes over the windows, but not so much that it was an irritation. Looking around the room, immediately noted that this was not the hospital wing. He'd never seen this room before.
The room housed the small bed he was in, a rolling tray with a pitcher and glass, and nothing more, other than the drapes on the window and rug on the stone floor. The room was slightly dim, and decorated with runes carved in the stonewalls.
His first thought: "Am I dead?" He began to sit up and received a shot of pain for his efforts that told him the answer was 'no'.
The oak door on the opposite wall opened, and a young man with blonde hair walked through.
"Ah, Professor. Glad to see that you are finally awake. How are you feeling?
Professor Snape looked at the man. "Like I've been hexed and physically beaten to within an inch of my life. You?" He said with dripping sarcasm.
"You always were a snarky one." The man replied.
"Excuse me. Do I know you?" Snape asked.
"You did. But you probably don't remember me." The man replied, taking down some notes. "I was Madam Pomfrey's assistant about 10 years ago. Your student 11 years."
Snape pondered this information while the man took out his wand and cast an observation spell, taking down more notes. "Ah. You seem almost fully recovered. I'll fetch you some lunch and than you can move into your apartment."
"Where am I?" Snape asked, but the man either did not hear or he ignored the question. He left, closing the door behind him.
Snape arose from the bed and went to open the door. He'd rather know where he was than wait. But the door was locked and he was without his wand.
Stalking back to the bed, he sat down. It was than he noticed a vial sitting on the tray with a note.
Professor,
I did not have any pain relieving potion available to administer, but one of your students volunteered to brew it in the absence of our resident potions brewer. I tell you this because you would be a better judge of her skills. I believe it was a Miss Granger.
Pardus Malfoy
'Malfoy? Why a Malfoy?' Snape eyed the vial with suspicion. Miss Granger was a competent brewer, but he just could not trust a Malfoy. He set the vial back down carefully. 'I'd rather be in pain.'
A few moments later, Hermione stepped in the room. She carried a tray with her. "Good afternoon, Professor." She said while placing the tray on the table.
"Miss Granger. What are you doing here?" Snape asked irritably.
"Pardus thought that I should take you your lunch and bring you another pain reliever." She replied. "Said that knowing your distrust of his Uncle's family, you may be more comfortable with me. I can't imagine why." She added in answer to the scowl.
"He also told me that I should tell you that I made your lunch and that this," she said, bringing a vial out of her pocket, "has been on my person since I brewed it."
Snape snatched the vial from her. "Did he now?" He gave her a penetrating look. "And is this all true?"
"Yes, sir." Hermione replied honestly.
Looking at her for a few more moments, he nodded, uncapped the vial, and downed it. The potion had a minty taste to it.
"Miss Granger. This potion is not supposed to taste like mint." He scowled.
"No, sir." Hermione replied. "I added a few sprigs to make it taste better. It should not affect the potency or desired result." She took a book out of her robes. "Professor Dumbledore told me to give you this when you awoke."
Snape took the book from her. "Where are we, Miss Granger? And how long?"
"I'm not sure where we are, Professor. But we've been here almost two weeks." She was a bit surprised at his lack of snark. "Pardus said he'll tell us all about this place once we are settled in. I think he's tired of me asking questions." She missed the amused look that Snape gave.
"All?" He asked.
"Yes. You, myself, and Harry." Hermione replied.
His memory suddenly struck. Albus had mentioned that they all would be sent away. But he never said where it was. So now, he was stuck with Granger, Potter, . . .wait a minute. Where was Weasley? He asked her.
"Ron is a few rooms away, still unconscious. He was found outside the gates the morning after you were found. He may not wake for a few more days." She paused a moment.
"Professor?" She began. "About those dreams I've been having."
Snape looked up.
"I didn't tell you before, but they began in this hallway that had many portraits and windows." She paused again.
"Go on." Snape said.
"Well, I found that hallway when I was exploring." Hermione said.
Snape thought for a moment. "What happened in this hallway, Miss Granger?"
"Well," she hesitated. "I found what appeared to be a muggle painting of an elvan battle. When I looked at it, it began to move and I heard screaming. Beside that was a door. In my dream, I opened it and saw Voldemort speaking to Harry, but it wasn't Harry."
"How do you know it wasn't Mr Potter?"
"Because the real Harry was lying on the floor looking at the scene also. He looked just as confused as I felt."
"Why did you not mention this before, Miss granger?" Snape asked with slightly narrowed eyes.
"It had nothing to do with the attack in the astronomy tower." She replied.
Snape sighed and looked at her. "How do you know that?"
Hermione looked at him, and than to her feet. "I thought it was just a dream." She whispered.
"Miss Granger. You may have had a premonition." Snape said. When Hermione's head shot up, he added, "Trelawny divination I don't believe in and I don't blame you for your dislike and disbelief of it because of her. But I do believe some do have the power. I have rarely seen it, but it's there."
Hermione nodded and lowered her gaze. "I found the door, but did not open it."
"Why not? Were you afraid of what you would find behind it?" Hermione nodded. "Miss Granger, when I am able to leave this forsaken room, I want you to take me to this hallway and show me this door."
"What door?" Pardus asked as he reentered the room. Before he could get an answer, he looked at the full food tray. "Eat up, Professor. I'm sure you would like to be settled in."
Hermione left the room before more could be said, and Snape ate his lunch.