IV
Rushing into the private room, the two men were shocked at what they saw. Writhing on the bed, body contorted in all angles, Cassandra was in constant motion. Every muscle and sinew seemed strained to breaking point, constantly jerking this way and that. Spittle was flying from her lips, and her eyes kept rolling back into her head.
"What in Hades! This is definitely NOT a possible side effect of the mixture! If anything this would be the exact opposite of what the side effects should be!" Snape breathed, his face twisted in horror. "Make it stop - it's like watching the Cruciatus curse."
Madame Pomfrey looked petrified at the mere mentioning of that word, and Dumbledore nodded, taking his wand out of his robes and standing over the child he called out "finite incantum!" to no effect. "I was wondering if perhaps she had been cursed or hexed, though this would be a high level of Dark Magic to create such a response. I am well aware that this is not a result of your elixir, yet still I wonder."
Sweat was pouring down the girl's forehead now, and the shaking became more violent, the bed frame was rattling and the bottle on the bedside table was jumping dangerously close to the edge.
Snape strode over to the bedside - "Let me try this" he said, peering down at Cassie, he removed his wand "Relaxo". The tremors ceased for a moment, leaving the child panting hard.
Madame Pomfrey rushed over "Cassandra, Cassandra - can you hear me? Cassandra please say something."
The child lay there motionless for a few moments, and then uttered a moan and began to retch. Moving fast, Madame Pomfrey grasped her arm and rolled her onto her side as a bedpan magically appeared. Dumbledore and Snape looked away, both attempting to deduce what could be done for the child.
"She's unconscious again" Madame Pomfrey's voice drew them out of their reverie. Snape came over to sit by the child's bed while Madame Pomfrey went to get some more face clothes. Turning around, she stood momentarily mesmerized by the scene before her. Snape was sitting there, looking entirely defeated, so sorrowful. That is itself would be nothing new- she'd seen him in that state and worse many times before. There was a dramatic change taking place now - he was looking genuinely kind and caring, something that she had never seen in him before. It was clear he was extremely disturbed by what the child was going through, but there was more than that. The familiarity she saw between the wan face laying on the pillow and the lanky sallow Potions Master was astounding... It was like seeing him look into a distorted mirror. She watched the scene a moment longer, and then shook her head at the teenaged romanticisms caused by an obvious lack of sleep. In the morning after the crisis was over, she MUST speak to Albus about an assistant.
Watching her so closely that he felt frozen in time, Snape was silently willing the girl to come to a coherent state. What if she were entering the final stages of.. 'No, he really shouldn't think of things like that' his inner superstitious voice spoke. But still, it cannot end this way.
"Cassandra." he whispered, "come back to us." There was the faintest flutter of eyelashes, and Snape gave an audible sigh of relief and reached over to take the girls hand. It was so clammy and sweaty against his cool skin, and yet equally as pale.
"Squeeze my hand" he coerced. "Even just the littlest bit; let me know that you are still here child. I am here for you, now be here for me."
He waited for a response, and it came. Very softly. Very subtle and so incredibly weak, but the pressure on his hand was definite. Part of him wanted to sob out in relief, while the other half was terrified even to breathe, that fate was once again playing a cruel joke on him.
"Can you turn your head, Cassandra?" He asked, and after a moment, her head turned to one side. Poppy rushed over with a cool facecloth and began to wipe the froth from her chin.
"Wait" he commanded, and she backed off.
"Cassie," he cooed silkily, "we want to help you. Please try and tell me what is happening to you, so we can stop it."
Her voice was so small and ragged that Snape had to lean down low over her lips, trying hard to listen to the words she was repeating. His hair was brushing her face, his ear low to her mouth.
"I disappear. disappear" came the slurred answer. Furrowing his brow Snape turned, looking questioningly at Dumbledore, then asked "where to, Cassie?" However, the child had gone limp again. Then, Her Eyes flew open unseeing, and her body went completely stiff with tension. Snape pulled back horrified, uncertain as to what was happening as the child rolled hard onto her side away from him. At that point the tremors started again, as violently as they had before.
"Great Merlin's Beard! What the hell is going on here! "He shouted, as Madam Pomfrey rushed over.
"This is exactly how the first one started. She went stiff as a corpse and then began convulsing.." She exclaimed
"What did she say to you, Snape?" Dumbledore asked quietly
"I disappear" he repeated out loud. "What in Merlins beard could she mean by that, Albus?"
Dumbledore frowned, deep worry lines appearing over his forehead. "Is that all she said to you. Not much to go by. But wait!" He cried out. "Was Cassandra Muggle born?"
"I don't see where this plays in!" Snape replied sharply, unable to tear his eyes away form the miserable creature on the bed. "Where is the relevance, you've never been one to care about purity before Albus?"
Madame Pomfrey's eyes lit up, realization dawning in her eyes. "Are you suggesting, Albus, that she might have a Muggle affliction completely unrelated to the Migraine or Severus' mix that he fed her?"
"I am. Poppy, do you have a text on Muggle disorders?" At that a large heavily bound book flew over across the room, landing on the nightstand.
Using his wand to flip through the pages, the old wizard's wand came to a stop halfway through the volume.
"Status Epilepticus. May be brought on by sleep pattern disturbances, emotional distress, dramatic changes to diet, hormonal changes.. Person experiences convulsions or seizures whereby they feel they have gone out of their body. Physically exhausting.hmmm, hmm, yes.Any one of these things could have triggered this if she was genetically prone to it, let alone ALL of them"
Snapping the book closed, he pointed his wand at the child. " Stupefy". A heavy silence fell on the room as her body locked and then sagged back down onto the bed. All that could be heard were her quick harsh breaths. "We need Muggle drugs, and quickly. We have to stop this before it causes permanent damage."
"Can I not create something for her?" Snape's black eyes were sparking - there was nothing he was incapable of making, and he had a special interest in this particular case. If anything he had done had caused her this harm. he didn't want to think of it. Unforgivable.
"We do not have that kind of time, Severus, as much as I do not doubt your abilities. However, the task of getting the medicine will fall onto you. I trust you know where the Muggle Apothecary is? "
Snape nodded a reply, knowing fully that the Headmaster was well aware of his sojourns into Muggle potion lore and chemistry, his second love.
"I will need you to apparate there immediately, and get this list of medications. I will remove the Disapparation charms over this section of the castle to facilitate." With a flick of his wrist, Dumbledore had a parchment in his hand, which the Potions Master folded up and placed into his pocket.
"Very well" Snape replied, loathe to leave but knowing there was no choice in the matter. With a last look at Cassandra, he allowed a small prayer to pass his lips. "Merlin be with her." Then waved his wand over his head and vanished.
The apothecary was dark, with only a security light on near the front door. Snape apparated where he always did: behind the counter where no one could see him, should they choose to look at two in the morning. "Lumos" he whispered, reaching into his pocket to pull out the parchment. "Diazepam Injectable, Phenobarbital, Clonazepam, Sodium Valproate, Loraxepam". He had no idea of where to look for these drugs, assuming some if not most would be under lock and key. Looking upon the walls full of shelves upon shelves of bottles, a logical solution came to him. "Accio Phenobarbital." he began, and as he read out each item on the list, the bottles flew off the shelves over to the counter, lining upon the counter as they did so. Finishing off, Snape swept them all into his pocket, gave a final look around the chemist's store, and flicked his was wand over his head and reappeared in the infirmary.
"Is she still under the effects of the spell?" He asked as both Dumbledore and Pomfrey whirled around at his sudden return. Scrutinizing the scene, Severus' upper lip curled in displeasure. "What the hell is all of this?" Surrounding the girl were a variety of tubes and bottles, some leading to her nose which hissed loudly, and another two leading directly into her frail arms.
"We had to resort to giving her extra oxygen and I've set up and intravenous drips in order to get the medications into her faster. Apparently the patient can stop breathing in the middle of one of these seizures." Poppy rattled away as she accosted him for the drugs. "Did you get everything?"
Snape hurriedly unloaded his impressive supply of drugs onto the table, and Madam Pomfrey began to load up a syringe with the Diazepam. As she flicked the glass tube and shoved the metal shaft into the intravenous hook-up, she nodded sharply at Dumbledore.
"Enervate!" Dumbledore spoke, and instantly the child was in the same state as she was earlier, back arched and head pulled back. The writhing continued only she appeared to be choking now.
Panicked, Snape looked at the Medi-witch in horror. "Do something now, woman! She is dying here!" He lurched menacingly towards her, and Dumbledore placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. "In This matter she knows much more than you or I Severus. The child had to be clear of the charm before we gave her the drugs."
Madam Pomfrey had already inserted the needle into the IV line, and was slowly depressing the syringe. Snape held his breath, as he reached out and grabbed onto the writhing child's hand, uncertain as to who would be more reassured by the action, the giver or receiver. Watching the Medi- witch remove the syringe and begin drawing up another with a different compound. "She needs so many things at once? There is a grave danger in mixing potions as you are well aware." He hissed at her through his teeth, increasing his grip on the poor child's hand which had begun to turn white.
"Precautionary. In case the first one doesn't work, I have to be ready with the second drug. Certain Muggle concoctions work well together. As you well know, many of the most powerful ingredients work best in combination." Poppy attempted to shoot Severus one of her most humbling looks, but the effect was totally lost to him. 'He's distraught' she thought to herself 'He's not trying to be his usual argumentative self; he's genuinely distressed over the situation.' She vowed to keep a close eye on him, and to drop the defensive layer that the Potions Master brought out in her.
"But how long does it take to effect her?" he asked, eyes glued onto the girl who was still uncontrolled in her seizure. "It's taking forever."
This time Dumbledore spoke up, trying to sound reassuring and confident that their idea would work out well. "Not much longer now, Severus. Madam Pomfrey has what she needs to help Cassie out of this now." His chipper tone fell to the floor like a stone, and sounded fake and ridiculous even to his own ears.
Severus however was distracted by the fact that the grip on his hand had loosened, and the tremors were quieting down. In a matter of seconds, Cassandra had relaxed dramatically and was only twitching slightly. Snape reached down to replace the tubes which had been torn away from her nose, giving her more oxygen to breathe.
Madame Pomfrey was entirely chuffed by the results, and returned to her unintentionally patronizing resident Medi-witch mode. "There is a risk with these medications that she could stop breathing, or have heart failure. Her body has been through so much already tonight, and as the saline solution going to her IV has electrolytes for her heart, I'm also adding a slow-drip anti-convulsant to prevent a recurrence. There is a legitimate concern that the Muggle remedies may interact negatively with the Magical ones she received earlier. Do you think, Professor Dumbledore that these "Epileptic Seizures" have ever happened to her before?" Madam Pomfrey looked up with concern.
"I think that there may be a great deal more to this young lady than we have been informed of, and I will be interested in speaking with her when she is in a better state. However, that said, I feel that she will be safe now in your capable hands, Poppy. I hope I may now retire to my chambers for a small amount of sleep before the morning? Very good. Severus, I assume that you will be staying here in case she awakens? She will need a great deal of caring and support, and will most likely be confused as to what has occurred. It would not be surprising if she doesn't remember anything of her night. I believe she will be confused and probably, very frightened. I trust you with her Severus. Poppy, you can contact me at any point should you need me. Well done and good night."
With that, the headmaster left the infirmary as the torches dimmed to a faint glow, the fire in the small hearth creating most of the light. It threw dark shadows across the child's face, and the only sound that could be heard was the hiss of the oxygen going through the tubes to her nose. She was resting quietly now, and her breathing had gone shallow. Frowning, Snape looked up at Madame Pomfrey as her earlier concerns rang through his ears again.
"I trust that you have put an alarming charm over her, incase her heart rate or breathing gets too slow?"
"Indeed." The Medi-witch said abruptly. Crisis over for the moment, she once again misread Severus' concern as criticism. She was none too impressed with Snape's antics tonight, nor his blatant disregard for her skills. "I am going into my office for a bit, I trust you might be able to handle things without poisoning the child?"
The words hit home, but did not elicit the usual biting response. Hair cascading over his downcast face, Snape nodded. "I should not have second guessed your abilities or knowledge. I apologize, and thank you for everything you have done for Cassandra.. And myself."
Shocked into silence and feeling a pang of regret, the witch nodded, checked the child one more time, and left the room. Never in his many years at the school as either student or professor had Snape apologized for anything to her knowledge. This had indeed been a strange night. She had much on her mind as she went to check the other patients.
Meanwhile, the Potions Master had much on his mind. 'Am I going soft?' Snape mused 'I have never felt this level of concern about a student before, and yet she has worked her way under my skin in the span of five hours. How can this be? The part of him which had sworn many years ago never to love or be hurt again bristled at the thought. Looking down on the now peaceful face, his expression softened. 'I will kill myself if my potion did this to her. I was so certain that it would alleviate the pain, and then going forwards I could try some sort of a preventative with her. Migraine is one of the few disruptive conditions a wizard can get; we are immune to most of the problems which plague Muggles. '
He realized with a shock that it was unheard of for a Muggle born to wind up sorted into Slytherin House. Rubbing his hand across his forehead, he realized exactly how exhausted he was feeling in that moment, and exactly how throbbing his headache was. Placing a hand on Cassie's cheek, touching her nearly translucent skin, he was pleased to note that her skin no longer felt clammy or hot, and that her color was improving slightly from the bluish gray tinges of earlier. He left his hand there for a moment, wondering what it would be like to have a child. It had never crossed his mind before; he didn't particularly like them as a rule, and it was one more thing to grow attached to. Standing up and stretching out his now very stiff joints, Snape quietly walked over the window, and noted that the first striations of pink and turquoise had begun to cut across the star filled sky. So, it was almost daybreak and yet he had not gotten a wink of sleep. Instantly glad that it was Saturday, and there were no classes to teach.
With his head still pounding and all his attention on the motionless figure on the bed. Turning away from the window, he looked over to note that Pomfrey was again checking on their patient, and was administering more medications into the IV. Fear struck him like a thunderbolt again, and he was instantly back beside the bed.
"Has something gone wrong?" Worry was heavy in his voice.
"Just preventative medicine now - She will probably have to take medication for the rest of her life, Severus. From what I read last night, I highly doubt that she is out of the woods yet. She is a very sick girl." Her face softened seeing how stricken the man looked upon hearing those words. "However, I do believe that she will be fine physically after all of this - she's already gaining weight from the looks of it."
And indeed, the girls face had filled out slightly, with a relaxed dreamlike expression about her. Snape went back to his bedside vigil, even as the Medi-witch insisted that he go and get some sleep.
"I will be fine here." Snape scowled back. "Thank you for your concern."
Leaving the room, Poppy again marveled at now receiving not one but two thanks in one evening. How peculiar. He looked like hell, and she was certain that some pain or illness was currently plaguing him which he wouldn't mention. 'Probably punishing himself again' she worried inwardly.
Severus didn't know how long he sat in the chair, nor when he fell into a fitful slumber. Nor was he aware of Madam Pomfrey entering the room, checking on the girl, and then running her wand over his slumbering form. Clucking her tongue, she returned a moment later with a pain-relieving lotion of a kind stronger than Snape believed she possessed, placing a few drops carefully onto the man's forehead, smiling in the knowledge that he would awaken in a far better state. If only he would trust her a bit to help him with his own medical problems. But she really couldn't expect that of such an arrogant, pained man. Again, watching the two of them resting, Snape in the chair with his hand on the girls arm so he would wake when she did, Poppy stared at her two unwitting patients. Funny how so many of those from the same houses were so similar.
Rushing into the private room, the two men were shocked at what they saw. Writhing on the bed, body contorted in all angles, Cassandra was in constant motion. Every muscle and sinew seemed strained to breaking point, constantly jerking this way and that. Spittle was flying from her lips, and her eyes kept rolling back into her head.
"What in Hades! This is definitely NOT a possible side effect of the mixture! If anything this would be the exact opposite of what the side effects should be!" Snape breathed, his face twisted in horror. "Make it stop - it's like watching the Cruciatus curse."
Madame Pomfrey looked petrified at the mere mentioning of that word, and Dumbledore nodded, taking his wand out of his robes and standing over the child he called out "finite incantum!" to no effect. "I was wondering if perhaps she had been cursed or hexed, though this would be a high level of Dark Magic to create such a response. I am well aware that this is not a result of your elixir, yet still I wonder."
Sweat was pouring down the girl's forehead now, and the shaking became more violent, the bed frame was rattling and the bottle on the bedside table was jumping dangerously close to the edge.
Snape strode over to the bedside - "Let me try this" he said, peering down at Cassie, he removed his wand "Relaxo". The tremors ceased for a moment, leaving the child panting hard.
Madame Pomfrey rushed over "Cassandra, Cassandra - can you hear me? Cassandra please say something."
The child lay there motionless for a few moments, and then uttered a moan and began to retch. Moving fast, Madame Pomfrey grasped her arm and rolled her onto her side as a bedpan magically appeared. Dumbledore and Snape looked away, both attempting to deduce what could be done for the child.
"She's unconscious again" Madame Pomfrey's voice drew them out of their reverie. Snape came over to sit by the child's bed while Madame Pomfrey went to get some more face clothes. Turning around, she stood momentarily mesmerized by the scene before her. Snape was sitting there, looking entirely defeated, so sorrowful. That is itself would be nothing new- she'd seen him in that state and worse many times before. There was a dramatic change taking place now - he was looking genuinely kind and caring, something that she had never seen in him before. It was clear he was extremely disturbed by what the child was going through, but there was more than that. The familiarity she saw between the wan face laying on the pillow and the lanky sallow Potions Master was astounding... It was like seeing him look into a distorted mirror. She watched the scene a moment longer, and then shook her head at the teenaged romanticisms caused by an obvious lack of sleep. In the morning after the crisis was over, she MUST speak to Albus about an assistant.
Watching her so closely that he felt frozen in time, Snape was silently willing the girl to come to a coherent state. What if she were entering the final stages of.. 'No, he really shouldn't think of things like that' his inner superstitious voice spoke. But still, it cannot end this way.
"Cassandra." he whispered, "come back to us." There was the faintest flutter of eyelashes, and Snape gave an audible sigh of relief and reached over to take the girls hand. It was so clammy and sweaty against his cool skin, and yet equally as pale.
"Squeeze my hand" he coerced. "Even just the littlest bit; let me know that you are still here child. I am here for you, now be here for me."
He waited for a response, and it came. Very softly. Very subtle and so incredibly weak, but the pressure on his hand was definite. Part of him wanted to sob out in relief, while the other half was terrified even to breathe, that fate was once again playing a cruel joke on him.
"Can you turn your head, Cassandra?" He asked, and after a moment, her head turned to one side. Poppy rushed over with a cool facecloth and began to wipe the froth from her chin.
"Wait" he commanded, and she backed off.
"Cassie," he cooed silkily, "we want to help you. Please try and tell me what is happening to you, so we can stop it."
Her voice was so small and ragged that Snape had to lean down low over her lips, trying hard to listen to the words she was repeating. His hair was brushing her face, his ear low to her mouth.
"I disappear. disappear" came the slurred answer. Furrowing his brow Snape turned, looking questioningly at Dumbledore, then asked "where to, Cassie?" However, the child had gone limp again. Then, Her Eyes flew open unseeing, and her body went completely stiff with tension. Snape pulled back horrified, uncertain as to what was happening as the child rolled hard onto her side away from him. At that point the tremors started again, as violently as they had before.
"Great Merlin's Beard! What the hell is going on here! "He shouted, as Madam Pomfrey rushed over.
"This is exactly how the first one started. She went stiff as a corpse and then began convulsing.." She exclaimed
"What did she say to you, Snape?" Dumbledore asked quietly
"I disappear" he repeated out loud. "What in Merlins beard could she mean by that, Albus?"
Dumbledore frowned, deep worry lines appearing over his forehead. "Is that all she said to you. Not much to go by. But wait!" He cried out. "Was Cassandra Muggle born?"
"I don't see where this plays in!" Snape replied sharply, unable to tear his eyes away form the miserable creature on the bed. "Where is the relevance, you've never been one to care about purity before Albus?"
Madame Pomfrey's eyes lit up, realization dawning in her eyes. "Are you suggesting, Albus, that she might have a Muggle affliction completely unrelated to the Migraine or Severus' mix that he fed her?"
"I am. Poppy, do you have a text on Muggle disorders?" At that a large heavily bound book flew over across the room, landing on the nightstand.
Using his wand to flip through the pages, the old wizard's wand came to a stop halfway through the volume.
"Status Epilepticus. May be brought on by sleep pattern disturbances, emotional distress, dramatic changes to diet, hormonal changes.. Person experiences convulsions or seizures whereby they feel they have gone out of their body. Physically exhausting.hmmm, hmm, yes.Any one of these things could have triggered this if she was genetically prone to it, let alone ALL of them"
Snapping the book closed, he pointed his wand at the child. " Stupefy". A heavy silence fell on the room as her body locked and then sagged back down onto the bed. All that could be heard were her quick harsh breaths. "We need Muggle drugs, and quickly. We have to stop this before it causes permanent damage."
"Can I not create something for her?" Snape's black eyes were sparking - there was nothing he was incapable of making, and he had a special interest in this particular case. If anything he had done had caused her this harm. he didn't want to think of it. Unforgivable.
"We do not have that kind of time, Severus, as much as I do not doubt your abilities. However, the task of getting the medicine will fall onto you. I trust you know where the Muggle Apothecary is? "
Snape nodded a reply, knowing fully that the Headmaster was well aware of his sojourns into Muggle potion lore and chemistry, his second love.
"I will need you to apparate there immediately, and get this list of medications. I will remove the Disapparation charms over this section of the castle to facilitate." With a flick of his wrist, Dumbledore had a parchment in his hand, which the Potions Master folded up and placed into his pocket.
"Very well" Snape replied, loathe to leave but knowing there was no choice in the matter. With a last look at Cassandra, he allowed a small prayer to pass his lips. "Merlin be with her." Then waved his wand over his head and vanished.
The apothecary was dark, with only a security light on near the front door. Snape apparated where he always did: behind the counter where no one could see him, should they choose to look at two in the morning. "Lumos" he whispered, reaching into his pocket to pull out the parchment. "Diazepam Injectable, Phenobarbital, Clonazepam, Sodium Valproate, Loraxepam". He had no idea of where to look for these drugs, assuming some if not most would be under lock and key. Looking upon the walls full of shelves upon shelves of bottles, a logical solution came to him. "Accio Phenobarbital." he began, and as he read out each item on the list, the bottles flew off the shelves over to the counter, lining upon the counter as they did so. Finishing off, Snape swept them all into his pocket, gave a final look around the chemist's store, and flicked his was wand over his head and reappeared in the infirmary.
"Is she still under the effects of the spell?" He asked as both Dumbledore and Pomfrey whirled around at his sudden return. Scrutinizing the scene, Severus' upper lip curled in displeasure. "What the hell is all of this?" Surrounding the girl were a variety of tubes and bottles, some leading to her nose which hissed loudly, and another two leading directly into her frail arms.
"We had to resort to giving her extra oxygen and I've set up and intravenous drips in order to get the medications into her faster. Apparently the patient can stop breathing in the middle of one of these seizures." Poppy rattled away as she accosted him for the drugs. "Did you get everything?"
Snape hurriedly unloaded his impressive supply of drugs onto the table, and Madam Pomfrey began to load up a syringe with the Diazepam. As she flicked the glass tube and shoved the metal shaft into the intravenous hook-up, she nodded sharply at Dumbledore.
"Enervate!" Dumbledore spoke, and instantly the child was in the same state as she was earlier, back arched and head pulled back. The writhing continued only she appeared to be choking now.
Panicked, Snape looked at the Medi-witch in horror. "Do something now, woman! She is dying here!" He lurched menacingly towards her, and Dumbledore placed his hand on the other man's shoulder. "In This matter she knows much more than you or I Severus. The child had to be clear of the charm before we gave her the drugs."
Madam Pomfrey had already inserted the needle into the IV line, and was slowly depressing the syringe. Snape held his breath, as he reached out and grabbed onto the writhing child's hand, uncertain as to who would be more reassured by the action, the giver or receiver. Watching the Medi- witch remove the syringe and begin drawing up another with a different compound. "She needs so many things at once? There is a grave danger in mixing potions as you are well aware." He hissed at her through his teeth, increasing his grip on the poor child's hand which had begun to turn white.
"Precautionary. In case the first one doesn't work, I have to be ready with the second drug. Certain Muggle concoctions work well together. As you well know, many of the most powerful ingredients work best in combination." Poppy attempted to shoot Severus one of her most humbling looks, but the effect was totally lost to him. 'He's distraught' she thought to herself 'He's not trying to be his usual argumentative self; he's genuinely distressed over the situation.' She vowed to keep a close eye on him, and to drop the defensive layer that the Potions Master brought out in her.
"But how long does it take to effect her?" he asked, eyes glued onto the girl who was still uncontrolled in her seizure. "It's taking forever."
This time Dumbledore spoke up, trying to sound reassuring and confident that their idea would work out well. "Not much longer now, Severus. Madam Pomfrey has what she needs to help Cassie out of this now." His chipper tone fell to the floor like a stone, and sounded fake and ridiculous even to his own ears.
Severus however was distracted by the fact that the grip on his hand had loosened, and the tremors were quieting down. In a matter of seconds, Cassandra had relaxed dramatically and was only twitching slightly. Snape reached down to replace the tubes which had been torn away from her nose, giving her more oxygen to breathe.
Madame Pomfrey was entirely chuffed by the results, and returned to her unintentionally patronizing resident Medi-witch mode. "There is a risk with these medications that she could stop breathing, or have heart failure. Her body has been through so much already tonight, and as the saline solution going to her IV has electrolytes for her heart, I'm also adding a slow-drip anti-convulsant to prevent a recurrence. There is a legitimate concern that the Muggle remedies may interact negatively with the Magical ones she received earlier. Do you think, Professor Dumbledore that these "Epileptic Seizures" have ever happened to her before?" Madam Pomfrey looked up with concern.
"I think that there may be a great deal more to this young lady than we have been informed of, and I will be interested in speaking with her when she is in a better state. However, that said, I feel that she will be safe now in your capable hands, Poppy. I hope I may now retire to my chambers for a small amount of sleep before the morning? Very good. Severus, I assume that you will be staying here in case she awakens? She will need a great deal of caring and support, and will most likely be confused as to what has occurred. It would not be surprising if she doesn't remember anything of her night. I believe she will be confused and probably, very frightened. I trust you with her Severus. Poppy, you can contact me at any point should you need me. Well done and good night."
With that, the headmaster left the infirmary as the torches dimmed to a faint glow, the fire in the small hearth creating most of the light. It threw dark shadows across the child's face, and the only sound that could be heard was the hiss of the oxygen going through the tubes to her nose. She was resting quietly now, and her breathing had gone shallow. Frowning, Snape looked up at Madame Pomfrey as her earlier concerns rang through his ears again.
"I trust that you have put an alarming charm over her, incase her heart rate or breathing gets too slow?"
"Indeed." The Medi-witch said abruptly. Crisis over for the moment, she once again misread Severus' concern as criticism. She was none too impressed with Snape's antics tonight, nor his blatant disregard for her skills. "I am going into my office for a bit, I trust you might be able to handle things without poisoning the child?"
The words hit home, but did not elicit the usual biting response. Hair cascading over his downcast face, Snape nodded. "I should not have second guessed your abilities or knowledge. I apologize, and thank you for everything you have done for Cassandra.. And myself."
Shocked into silence and feeling a pang of regret, the witch nodded, checked the child one more time, and left the room. Never in his many years at the school as either student or professor had Snape apologized for anything to her knowledge. This had indeed been a strange night. She had much on her mind as she went to check the other patients.
Meanwhile, the Potions Master had much on his mind. 'Am I going soft?' Snape mused 'I have never felt this level of concern about a student before, and yet she has worked her way under my skin in the span of five hours. How can this be? The part of him which had sworn many years ago never to love or be hurt again bristled at the thought. Looking down on the now peaceful face, his expression softened. 'I will kill myself if my potion did this to her. I was so certain that it would alleviate the pain, and then going forwards I could try some sort of a preventative with her. Migraine is one of the few disruptive conditions a wizard can get; we are immune to most of the problems which plague Muggles. '
He realized with a shock that it was unheard of for a Muggle born to wind up sorted into Slytherin House. Rubbing his hand across his forehead, he realized exactly how exhausted he was feeling in that moment, and exactly how throbbing his headache was. Placing a hand on Cassie's cheek, touching her nearly translucent skin, he was pleased to note that her skin no longer felt clammy or hot, and that her color was improving slightly from the bluish gray tinges of earlier. He left his hand there for a moment, wondering what it would be like to have a child. It had never crossed his mind before; he didn't particularly like them as a rule, and it was one more thing to grow attached to. Standing up and stretching out his now very stiff joints, Snape quietly walked over the window, and noted that the first striations of pink and turquoise had begun to cut across the star filled sky. So, it was almost daybreak and yet he had not gotten a wink of sleep. Instantly glad that it was Saturday, and there were no classes to teach.
With his head still pounding and all his attention on the motionless figure on the bed. Turning away from the window, he looked over to note that Pomfrey was again checking on their patient, and was administering more medications into the IV. Fear struck him like a thunderbolt again, and he was instantly back beside the bed.
"Has something gone wrong?" Worry was heavy in his voice.
"Just preventative medicine now - She will probably have to take medication for the rest of her life, Severus. From what I read last night, I highly doubt that she is out of the woods yet. She is a very sick girl." Her face softened seeing how stricken the man looked upon hearing those words. "However, I do believe that she will be fine physically after all of this - she's already gaining weight from the looks of it."
And indeed, the girls face had filled out slightly, with a relaxed dreamlike expression about her. Snape went back to his bedside vigil, even as the Medi-witch insisted that he go and get some sleep.
"I will be fine here." Snape scowled back. "Thank you for your concern."
Leaving the room, Poppy again marveled at now receiving not one but two thanks in one evening. How peculiar. He looked like hell, and she was certain that some pain or illness was currently plaguing him which he wouldn't mention. 'Probably punishing himself again' she worried inwardly.
Severus didn't know how long he sat in the chair, nor when he fell into a fitful slumber. Nor was he aware of Madam Pomfrey entering the room, checking on the girl, and then running her wand over his slumbering form. Clucking her tongue, she returned a moment later with a pain-relieving lotion of a kind stronger than Snape believed she possessed, placing a few drops carefully onto the man's forehead, smiling in the knowledge that he would awaken in a far better state. If only he would trust her a bit to help him with his own medical problems. But she really couldn't expect that of such an arrogant, pained man. Again, watching the two of them resting, Snape in the chair with his hand on the girls arm so he would wake when she did, Poppy stared at her two unwitting patients. Funny how so many of those from the same houses were so similar.