"Have you not been informed of the detrimental effects of drinking
alcohol," Severus asked as Hess squirmed and wiggled on the sofa before
him. She nodded uncomfortably. "And are you not aware that you are to be
setting an example for the rest of the students in this school," Severus
asked with more of an edge to his voice. What was her problem, this girl?
He decided to continue with his lecture and attempt to ignore her annoying
gesticulations. "I hope you realize that you have been saved from the
truly embarrassing and humiliating experience of being reprimanded for your
actions by the Headmaster himself." Again she nodded frantically and
pleaded with longing eyes for him to hurry and let her go.
"What exactly is causing you to behave so wildly, Miss Maddigan?" He leaned forward and clasped his hands together in front of him on the desk. Her tongue had been swelling slowly and it felt about the size of a basketball in her mouth, but she attempted to answer him anyway.
"Mahidqionvdios."
He furrowed his brow and leaned forward even more. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Mioasidfhigoieowias."
"Yes, well, the shepherd's pie was rather tasty at dinner this evening but I -" A frustrated groan came from her side of the room and she dashed over to his desk and tore a sheet of parchment and a quill from the top of it, scribbling the words "claustrophobic, small office," across it and standing up straight, pleading even harder with her eyes and her frantic pants.
He took the parchment and quill from her, giving her a confused look before reading it. His eyes grew wide as he realized what was going on and exclaimed, "oh," rather more surprised sounding than he had hoped, stood, and opened the door to the office for her to exit. The two stepped out into the corridor, Hess stumbling under the weight of her still present intoxication and gulping at the air.
"Better," he asked as gently as possible, though still sounding gruff and uncompassionate.
Her eyes were still darting around her at breakneck speed and she was still breathing rather quickly, but her heart had slowed a bit and she was beginning to get her bearings back. She nodded her head and leaned against the wall, cooling her cheeks on the stonework. She held up her index finger and thumb about a half an inch apart to indicate that she was feeling a tiny bit better.
"Well, I hope you don't think that this little display will get you off the hook quite so simply. You've still violated several school rules this evening and it's only fair that you do some sort of penance for it."
Hess rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and then fixed her gaze back on Severus, asking without saying a word what he expected her to do.
"Since we would both most likely find ourselves in bad odor with the Headmaster should he find out about this little incident, I suppose I'll need to find something for you to do under my own supervision."
Hess held her hands up to her shoulders, palms up, as if to ask "well, what is it then?"
"I am a very busy person with many constraints on my time." Hess rolled her eyes as if to ask whether he was aware that his head was highly inflated. "I could use some help marking papers, keeping order in the potions classroom, that sort of thing. I shall ask you to present yourself to me each evening at seven o'clock to assist me. For the remainder of the term."
Her eyes grew as round as saucers and she looked as if someone had just murdered her puppy. This was ridiculous. Since when did getting caught a little tipsy turn you into someone's slave? She opened her mouth to protest and remembered that her tongue was betraying her at the moment. This angered her even further, as it was Snape's fault she couldn't speak to begin with. She settled for a disgruntled growl and a crossing of her arms across her chest, putting a look on her face as if to ask, "is that all?"
"Do we have an understanding?"
She nodded her head, looking put out, and asked with her eyes whether or not she was free to leave.
"Your nose was bleeding tonight," he informed her, ignoring her agitated huff. "There were no breaks or abrasions upon my inspection, which leads me to believe one thing. There is irritation inside the nasal passage. You haven't been picking it raw, have you?"
Hess scowled at him and crossed her arms even tighter, avoiding his stare now and rolling her eyes. All her weight was settled on her right foot.
"I didn't think that was it. So what else could it be?" He was thoroughly enjoying drawing out his theory because he could tell she was becoming annoyed. For some reason, and he had no idea why, he thoroughly enjoyed watching people squirm. Especially his students. "These," he went on, pulling a silver razor blade and a length of thin black tubing out of the lining of his cloak, "fell out of your pockets whilst I was carrying you down here."
Hess' eyes regained their wideness and she refused to look at him as she made a desperate lunge for the two incriminating pieces of evidence. He snatched them back, out of her reach, and took her outstretched hand in his own, enveloping it. Her hand was freezing to the touch and trembling, as well.
"I have to confiscate them," he told her as gently as anything he had said that evening. "Believe it or no, I'm not entirely out of the loop when it comes to things of this nature." He gripped her hand more firmly, even though she was trying to pull it away, and drew her closer to him. When she was near enough he took her other hand in his free one and squeezed. He bent his head down to try and make himself seem a bit more compassionate, more attainable, more able to relate to. His voice became soft as the velvet of her shoes and he seemed to drop all pretense and façade at that point.
"You are such a brilliant girl, Hess," he told her with honesty permeating his voice. You have such a future ahead of you. You're kind and loyal, and so - so beautiful. Why gamble it all away on the risk of getting stuck on this?" His eyes seemed to search her for a reason and, finding none, he went on. "I know it seems as though I've no right to counsel you on something like this. I'm sure you think I have no idea what I'm talking about. But trust me, Hess, I do. I honestly do. Take it from someone far more experienced than yourself. These things do not bring happiness. They only bring apathy, selfishness, greed, and eventually, despair. You're too good for those."
Severus looked down into her eyes, searching for any hint of acceptance of what he was saying. Finding none he dropped her hands and waved her off in the direction of the stairs toward the main hall. "I will see you here tomorrow evening at seven. Dismissed."
Hess turned and cruised along the wall, her hand supporting her against it as she walked down the corridor in a stumbling, dismantled gait. Severus watched, his hands clasped behind his back, until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight. He bowed his head a moment in thought before turning and re entering his office and shutting the door behind him with a quiet click of the latch.
"What exactly is causing you to behave so wildly, Miss Maddigan?" He leaned forward and clasped his hands together in front of him on the desk. Her tongue had been swelling slowly and it felt about the size of a basketball in her mouth, but she attempted to answer him anyway.
"Mahidqionvdios."
He furrowed his brow and leaned forward even more. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Mioasidfhigoieowias."
"Yes, well, the shepherd's pie was rather tasty at dinner this evening but I -" A frustrated groan came from her side of the room and she dashed over to his desk and tore a sheet of parchment and a quill from the top of it, scribbling the words "claustrophobic, small office," across it and standing up straight, pleading even harder with her eyes and her frantic pants.
He took the parchment and quill from her, giving her a confused look before reading it. His eyes grew wide as he realized what was going on and exclaimed, "oh," rather more surprised sounding than he had hoped, stood, and opened the door to the office for her to exit. The two stepped out into the corridor, Hess stumbling under the weight of her still present intoxication and gulping at the air.
"Better," he asked as gently as possible, though still sounding gruff and uncompassionate.
Her eyes were still darting around her at breakneck speed and she was still breathing rather quickly, but her heart had slowed a bit and she was beginning to get her bearings back. She nodded her head and leaned against the wall, cooling her cheeks on the stonework. She held up her index finger and thumb about a half an inch apart to indicate that she was feeling a tiny bit better.
"Well, I hope you don't think that this little display will get you off the hook quite so simply. You've still violated several school rules this evening and it's only fair that you do some sort of penance for it."
Hess rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and then fixed her gaze back on Severus, asking without saying a word what he expected her to do.
"Since we would both most likely find ourselves in bad odor with the Headmaster should he find out about this little incident, I suppose I'll need to find something for you to do under my own supervision."
Hess held her hands up to her shoulders, palms up, as if to ask "well, what is it then?"
"I am a very busy person with many constraints on my time." Hess rolled her eyes as if to ask whether he was aware that his head was highly inflated. "I could use some help marking papers, keeping order in the potions classroom, that sort of thing. I shall ask you to present yourself to me each evening at seven o'clock to assist me. For the remainder of the term."
Her eyes grew as round as saucers and she looked as if someone had just murdered her puppy. This was ridiculous. Since when did getting caught a little tipsy turn you into someone's slave? She opened her mouth to protest and remembered that her tongue was betraying her at the moment. This angered her even further, as it was Snape's fault she couldn't speak to begin with. She settled for a disgruntled growl and a crossing of her arms across her chest, putting a look on her face as if to ask, "is that all?"
"Do we have an understanding?"
She nodded her head, looking put out, and asked with her eyes whether or not she was free to leave.
"Your nose was bleeding tonight," he informed her, ignoring her agitated huff. "There were no breaks or abrasions upon my inspection, which leads me to believe one thing. There is irritation inside the nasal passage. You haven't been picking it raw, have you?"
Hess scowled at him and crossed her arms even tighter, avoiding his stare now and rolling her eyes. All her weight was settled on her right foot.
"I didn't think that was it. So what else could it be?" He was thoroughly enjoying drawing out his theory because he could tell she was becoming annoyed. For some reason, and he had no idea why, he thoroughly enjoyed watching people squirm. Especially his students. "These," he went on, pulling a silver razor blade and a length of thin black tubing out of the lining of his cloak, "fell out of your pockets whilst I was carrying you down here."
Hess' eyes regained their wideness and she refused to look at him as she made a desperate lunge for the two incriminating pieces of evidence. He snatched them back, out of her reach, and took her outstretched hand in his own, enveloping it. Her hand was freezing to the touch and trembling, as well.
"I have to confiscate them," he told her as gently as anything he had said that evening. "Believe it or no, I'm not entirely out of the loop when it comes to things of this nature." He gripped her hand more firmly, even though she was trying to pull it away, and drew her closer to him. When she was near enough he took her other hand in his free one and squeezed. He bent his head down to try and make himself seem a bit more compassionate, more attainable, more able to relate to. His voice became soft as the velvet of her shoes and he seemed to drop all pretense and façade at that point.
"You are such a brilliant girl, Hess," he told her with honesty permeating his voice. You have such a future ahead of you. You're kind and loyal, and so - so beautiful. Why gamble it all away on the risk of getting stuck on this?" His eyes seemed to search her for a reason and, finding none, he went on. "I know it seems as though I've no right to counsel you on something like this. I'm sure you think I have no idea what I'm talking about. But trust me, Hess, I do. I honestly do. Take it from someone far more experienced than yourself. These things do not bring happiness. They only bring apathy, selfishness, greed, and eventually, despair. You're too good for those."
Severus looked down into her eyes, searching for any hint of acceptance of what he was saying. Finding none he dropped her hands and waved her off in the direction of the stairs toward the main hall. "I will see you here tomorrow evening at seven. Dismissed."
Hess turned and cruised along the wall, her hand supporting her against it as she walked down the corridor in a stumbling, dismantled gait. Severus watched, his hands clasped behind his back, until she turned the corner and disappeared from sight. He bowed his head a moment in thought before turning and re entering his office and shutting the door behind him with a quiet click of the latch.