XI
"This is indeed an unfortunate setback, Severus." Dumbledore looked worriedly down at the now sleeping girl. "We are not out of options, as there are many there medications we can try, but my greatest concern is there is a waiting period between them all."
Snapes black eyes pierced his. " How long, exactly is this waiting period? Poppy said that Cassandra is dehydrated and has an irritated stomach lining, but that she should be fine again by tomorrow. Can she not start something else immediately? What if she had a seizure while in between drugs?"
"Yes, I conferred with Madame Pomfrey about this, and she said it would be one week for the first medicine to clear her system. Apparently they are too volatile to take at once. So we have a week, starting from today, to watch Miss Caliga and hope the charms keep her safe."
Snape frowned, sighing heavily. " Can nothing ever be easy? This entire week has been an exercise in frustration and worry. One bloody thing after another." And then , as an afterthought " At least she has ceased her midnight wanderings."
Albus eyed the other man amiably. " Nothing worth having comes without some sort of fight, Severus. We each have to fight our own personal battles in our own way. Cassandra will persevere over this, I have no doubt."
"Indeed." Severus spoke through tight lips. " but will I?"
Eyes twinkling now with amusement at Snape verbalizing his feelings, Dumbledore tipped his hand to his hat and wished Severus good night.
"I assume you will NOT be eating in the great hall for supper?" He asked.
Shaking his head "no", Snape looked pointedly at the girl. " I do not want her waking alone. "
Dumbledore continued. "I will have the elves send something up then. No need to have two of my favorite Slytherins getting sick on me."
He left the room without another word.
Snape resumed his vigil from the previous week, waiting for Cassandra to wake up. Picking up a stack of parchment known as the fifth year potions essays he sighed and took out his quill. It would at least be a start if they could bloody well spell the words….he stared down at an unintelligible jumble of ink that belonged to Ron Weasley, and without even attempting to read it, assigned an automatic D. He was disturbed from his painful task when he heard the click of the door to the infirmary. Looking up, he was most surprised to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway.
"Professor Snape!" Draco spoke in a startled tone " I was, that is, I am…" his voice trailed off.
Snape looked up wearily form his marking , noting the thin boy was more pale than usual
"Looking for something or someone Malfoy?" There was an acid tone to his voice, he had not forgotten the Death Eater's sons tirade in his class this afternoon.
"Yes, er rather, no, umm " the boy faltered " I'll just leave."
The boy was nearly out the door before Snape caught him by the arm.
"If you need to see Madame Pomfrey, then go over to her office. Don't let me of all people stand in your way."
Malfoy twisted around to leave, then quickly turned his arm back and cringed, graying as he did so. Snape let go of the arm as if he had touched Manticore skin, and then took the boy's robes and lifted the sleeve. He was shocked at what he saw. Ugly looking bruises covered most of the forearm, and there was a large lump just below the elbow.
"What have you done to yourself, boy?" Snape looked at him hard. From the discoloration and type of swelling, this was clearly no new injury.
"Just, um, broomstick, no, er stairwell, I just banged it!" Malfoy spurted out lamely.
"Hmm. Indeed." Snape eyed the boy again, looking hard into his sheltered silver eyes. Draco was trying furiously to ignore the look, to distract himself from this uncomfortable situation, but it was futile. Once Snape locked his black eyes on yours, it was game over. Nothing could escape him, your soul was bared. The intensity of the moment was overwhelming.
Draco trying so hard to evade Snapes' looks, Snape shocked with a sudden awareness of how horrible Malfoy's Christmas had been, and wanting so badly to kill Lucious Malfoy his blood boiled in his veins. Sadistic son of a bitch! Doing this to his own son, and over Christmas break no less. Over three weeks ago this happened, and this boy has been hiding it for that long. Unfuckingbeleivable. Quelling his rage momentarily, Snape let out a deep sigh. Draco was staring hard at his feet, mortified.
"You need to go and speak to Madame Pomfrey immediately. If she wants a bone repairing potion, I will make you some fresh this evening."
Releasing the boy's robes, Snape placed an arm on his shoulder. Malfoy flinched from the touch, and the Professor felt a twinge of guilt for upsetting him further.
"Should you ever need to talk, I am a strong ally to have, Draco."
Cassandra lay on her bed, eyes half open, uncertain as to whether the scene she had just witnessed was a feverish dream or a reality. She knew the look on Malfoy's face - it was one she herself had seen in the mirror time and time again. The hurt, the horror, the disgust and humiliation, the awareness that nothing was safe, nothing was sacred. Let alone your own self. But Malfoy? Arrogant, rude, self-assured mouthy Malfoy? It seemed too incredible to believe. And yet, Professor Snape was turning around to walk back to her bedside, and had just allowed a pleasant expression to come to his face when he looked at her. Malfoy scurried over to the headmasters office, as Snape spoke to Cassandra.
"How are you, Miss Caliga? Would you care for anything."
"I would like a glass of water, if I may. But please, no tea."
Snape looked at her sharply, then read into the intended joke and his face softened. So sick and yet kept her chin up. An admirable trait. She would make any parent proud, this one. And yet, she had no parents.
"Water. That can be arranged. "
With that he lifted his wand and a pitcher of ice water and a glass floated over, magically pouring itself mid-air and placing itself into her hand. Dually impressed, Cassandra sipped tentatively at the water. Enjoying the cooling crystal sensation, she finished the glass quickly. Taking it from her, Snape met her eyes.
"No more for a bit. Your body can only handle so much at a time."
Pausing, he spoke again. " I trust that you and I both are good at keeping secrets not only for ourselves, but for a fellow housemate as well?"
Cassandra knew he was speaking of Malfoy, and felt that it went without saying. However, should Draco ever find out her little secrets and decide to share them, she had an incredible arsenal against him. She simple nodded, not saying a word.
"Good. We had a slight problem with your medicines, and that was what made you so ill. Next time, please don't be so doggedly determined to take care of everything yourself. Twice you have done that, twice you have become very ill. I do not wish to see the side effects of the third effort. I know you all feel the Professors are here simply to torture and task- master, however, we actually serve a higher purpose than grading exams. We are here as your support system, you surrogate parents as it were."
A Stricken look came to Cassandra's eyes, and Snape immediately regretted the last comment. Slick. Very slick Snape. Kick her while she's down. However, as quick as the look had shadowed her face, it was gone. She smiled slightly at him and nodded.
"Thank-you sir, for being here for me yet again. Relying on another is a feeling I am entirely unaccustomed to. I appreciate your efforts, and the extra time I have cost you. I'm sorry" she spoke quietly.
"You must stop your incessant need to apologize for everything you do. It is unnecessary, and not in your best interests.
"Sorry." She replied again, blushing .
Snape's temper was close to getting the better of him. Breathing deeply, he reminded himself that she was just a child, and that she was sick.
"I think, Cassandra, that you should try to get some sleep. It has been a long week for you, and I would like you to return to classes tomorrow. I will be here throughout the night should you need anything.
Anything at all."
Nodding, the girl rolled protectively into a curled ball, wrapped her arms over her head and closed her eyes. Snape returned to his marking, and a thought came to him. One he did not particularly relish. He rose to go and speak to Madame Pomfrey, disturbed. When he knocked on her office door, she was just finishing up with Malfoy, who was in a better color but decidedly embarrassed at the situation.
"..and I would like you to spend tonight in the infirmary, so that I can cast a few more charms on that arm of yours. Take bed 'C' . " Tsking, she gave him a pair of pajamas and sent him out into the other room. Malfoy avoided Snapes face as he skirted past the tall man in the doorway. Pomfrey glared up at Snape.
"some people ought not be parents." Was all she could spit out.
Snape's face darkened. So he had read Malfoy correctly. Wouldn't Lucious get a nasty little surprise next time he met up with Severus. The Potions master did not appreciate his children being hurt by anyone, for any reason. There was hell to pay, and he would exact the duty on the offenders.
"I wanted to ask you, Poppy. Is there some way to see what injuries a child has had previously?" he tried to ask the question as tactfully as possible.
She looked at him questioningly.
"Malfoy?" she asked tentatively.
"No, Caliga." He answered sharply. On second thought, he added " but Malfoy would be a good check too."
Raising her brow, the medi-witch looked at him closely.
"Dumbledore had me perform a charm which disclosed old and healed wounds on a patient when Potter came in so thin last year." She shuddered at the memory. " all those bones…" she spoke distractedly, as Snape raised his eyebrows in interest. So Potter had a reason to hate those Muggles after all, did he? One more to add to his list of paybacks: Snape made a mental note.
"Well, can you do it on the girl while she sleeps? It would mean much to me, she has done a few things which raised my suspicions." He looked at her hopefully.
"I'm not really supposed to, but I will. I wish there was some way to bring the parents to justice." She sighed, walking out to the main ward. Looking at the dark, driven man brooding in her office with his hand to his head, she added
"Well, come on then."
"I have to tell you, this is very disturbing. The charm disclosed a surprising amount of bone bruising, tendon and ligament tears in her wrists and forearms, and a fracture to her nose and cheekbone. The two fractures were healed with a home spell, not treated by a medic."
Snape sneered at the thought. DO your dirty little deed and then not have the guts to get proper care for that which you have broken? Hideous. Was it her mother? He highly doubted it. In fact, he instinctively knew a man had done this to her. A sharp clear memory of Cassandra pulling away from him in his study came in front of his eyes. No, definitely NOT her mother. The girl had called out for her before, and had only said great things about her mother. But then ,who could it have been? The question would be worrying him for a while, he was sure.
"He went after her face" the malice was heavy in his voice, Snape was sickened by the thought. He swore under his breath " sonofabitch."
"Professor ? " Pomfrey asked him, concerned.
"And Malfoy?"
"Malfoy is not yet asleep. I can't run the charm until he's out. It's too upsetting to the person receiving the charm, as it brings out phantom pains in the old injuries. I'll deal with him later."
Behind his screen, Malfoy ducked down under the covers, willing himself to stay awake all night. He already remembered all of his injuries, and cared not to share them with others. Oh, the mortification. Having Snape guess the cause of his agony earlier was bad enough. He heard footsteps approaching his bed, keeping the covers up and not daring to breathe.
"Still awake." Pomfrey's voice was tinged with sadness. "Let's go and get a cuppa, Severus."
Malfoy recognized the weight on his shoulder as Snapes hand, giving his a reassuring squeeze. Then the hand was gone and the footsteps went away. Heaving a sigh of relief, Malfoy brought his good hand up around his head, thinking about the girl in the bed next door. Who was she? He hadn't had a chance to see earlier, but it seemed she was of great importance to his Head of House.
"This is indeed an unfortunate setback, Severus." Dumbledore looked worriedly down at the now sleeping girl. "We are not out of options, as there are many there medications we can try, but my greatest concern is there is a waiting period between them all."
Snapes black eyes pierced his. " How long, exactly is this waiting period? Poppy said that Cassandra is dehydrated and has an irritated stomach lining, but that she should be fine again by tomorrow. Can she not start something else immediately? What if she had a seizure while in between drugs?"
"Yes, I conferred with Madame Pomfrey about this, and she said it would be one week for the first medicine to clear her system. Apparently they are too volatile to take at once. So we have a week, starting from today, to watch Miss Caliga and hope the charms keep her safe."
Snape frowned, sighing heavily. " Can nothing ever be easy? This entire week has been an exercise in frustration and worry. One bloody thing after another." And then , as an afterthought " At least she has ceased her midnight wanderings."
Albus eyed the other man amiably. " Nothing worth having comes without some sort of fight, Severus. We each have to fight our own personal battles in our own way. Cassandra will persevere over this, I have no doubt."
"Indeed." Severus spoke through tight lips. " but will I?"
Eyes twinkling now with amusement at Snape verbalizing his feelings, Dumbledore tipped his hand to his hat and wished Severus good night.
"I assume you will NOT be eating in the great hall for supper?" He asked.
Shaking his head "no", Snape looked pointedly at the girl. " I do not want her waking alone. "
Dumbledore continued. "I will have the elves send something up then. No need to have two of my favorite Slytherins getting sick on me."
He left the room without another word.
Snape resumed his vigil from the previous week, waiting for Cassandra to wake up. Picking up a stack of parchment known as the fifth year potions essays he sighed and took out his quill. It would at least be a start if they could bloody well spell the words….he stared down at an unintelligible jumble of ink that belonged to Ron Weasley, and without even attempting to read it, assigned an automatic D. He was disturbed from his painful task when he heard the click of the door to the infirmary. Looking up, he was most surprised to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway.
"Professor Snape!" Draco spoke in a startled tone " I was, that is, I am…" his voice trailed off.
Snape looked up wearily form his marking , noting the thin boy was more pale than usual
"Looking for something or someone Malfoy?" There was an acid tone to his voice, he had not forgotten the Death Eater's sons tirade in his class this afternoon.
"Yes, er rather, no, umm " the boy faltered " I'll just leave."
The boy was nearly out the door before Snape caught him by the arm.
"If you need to see Madame Pomfrey, then go over to her office. Don't let me of all people stand in your way."
Malfoy twisted around to leave, then quickly turned his arm back and cringed, graying as he did so. Snape let go of the arm as if he had touched Manticore skin, and then took the boy's robes and lifted the sleeve. He was shocked at what he saw. Ugly looking bruises covered most of the forearm, and there was a large lump just below the elbow.
"What have you done to yourself, boy?" Snape looked at him hard. From the discoloration and type of swelling, this was clearly no new injury.
"Just, um, broomstick, no, er stairwell, I just banged it!" Malfoy spurted out lamely.
"Hmm. Indeed." Snape eyed the boy again, looking hard into his sheltered silver eyes. Draco was trying furiously to ignore the look, to distract himself from this uncomfortable situation, but it was futile. Once Snape locked his black eyes on yours, it was game over. Nothing could escape him, your soul was bared. The intensity of the moment was overwhelming.
Draco trying so hard to evade Snapes' looks, Snape shocked with a sudden awareness of how horrible Malfoy's Christmas had been, and wanting so badly to kill Lucious Malfoy his blood boiled in his veins. Sadistic son of a bitch! Doing this to his own son, and over Christmas break no less. Over three weeks ago this happened, and this boy has been hiding it for that long. Unfuckingbeleivable. Quelling his rage momentarily, Snape let out a deep sigh. Draco was staring hard at his feet, mortified.
"You need to go and speak to Madame Pomfrey immediately. If she wants a bone repairing potion, I will make you some fresh this evening."
Releasing the boy's robes, Snape placed an arm on his shoulder. Malfoy flinched from the touch, and the Professor felt a twinge of guilt for upsetting him further.
"Should you ever need to talk, I am a strong ally to have, Draco."
Cassandra lay on her bed, eyes half open, uncertain as to whether the scene she had just witnessed was a feverish dream or a reality. She knew the look on Malfoy's face - it was one she herself had seen in the mirror time and time again. The hurt, the horror, the disgust and humiliation, the awareness that nothing was safe, nothing was sacred. Let alone your own self. But Malfoy? Arrogant, rude, self-assured mouthy Malfoy? It seemed too incredible to believe. And yet, Professor Snape was turning around to walk back to her bedside, and had just allowed a pleasant expression to come to his face when he looked at her. Malfoy scurried over to the headmasters office, as Snape spoke to Cassandra.
"How are you, Miss Caliga? Would you care for anything."
"I would like a glass of water, if I may. But please, no tea."
Snape looked at her sharply, then read into the intended joke and his face softened. So sick and yet kept her chin up. An admirable trait. She would make any parent proud, this one. And yet, she had no parents.
"Water. That can be arranged. "
With that he lifted his wand and a pitcher of ice water and a glass floated over, magically pouring itself mid-air and placing itself into her hand. Dually impressed, Cassandra sipped tentatively at the water. Enjoying the cooling crystal sensation, she finished the glass quickly. Taking it from her, Snape met her eyes.
"No more for a bit. Your body can only handle so much at a time."
Pausing, he spoke again. " I trust that you and I both are good at keeping secrets not only for ourselves, but for a fellow housemate as well?"
Cassandra knew he was speaking of Malfoy, and felt that it went without saying. However, should Draco ever find out her little secrets and decide to share them, she had an incredible arsenal against him. She simple nodded, not saying a word.
"Good. We had a slight problem with your medicines, and that was what made you so ill. Next time, please don't be so doggedly determined to take care of everything yourself. Twice you have done that, twice you have become very ill. I do not wish to see the side effects of the third effort. I know you all feel the Professors are here simply to torture and task- master, however, we actually serve a higher purpose than grading exams. We are here as your support system, you surrogate parents as it were."
A Stricken look came to Cassandra's eyes, and Snape immediately regretted the last comment. Slick. Very slick Snape. Kick her while she's down. However, as quick as the look had shadowed her face, it was gone. She smiled slightly at him and nodded.
"Thank-you sir, for being here for me yet again. Relying on another is a feeling I am entirely unaccustomed to. I appreciate your efforts, and the extra time I have cost you. I'm sorry" she spoke quietly.
"You must stop your incessant need to apologize for everything you do. It is unnecessary, and not in your best interests.
"Sorry." She replied again, blushing .
Snape's temper was close to getting the better of him. Breathing deeply, he reminded himself that she was just a child, and that she was sick.
"I think, Cassandra, that you should try to get some sleep. It has been a long week for you, and I would like you to return to classes tomorrow. I will be here throughout the night should you need anything.
Anything at all."
Nodding, the girl rolled protectively into a curled ball, wrapped her arms over her head and closed her eyes. Snape returned to his marking, and a thought came to him. One he did not particularly relish. He rose to go and speak to Madame Pomfrey, disturbed. When he knocked on her office door, she was just finishing up with Malfoy, who was in a better color but decidedly embarrassed at the situation.
"..and I would like you to spend tonight in the infirmary, so that I can cast a few more charms on that arm of yours. Take bed 'C' . " Tsking, she gave him a pair of pajamas and sent him out into the other room. Malfoy avoided Snapes face as he skirted past the tall man in the doorway. Pomfrey glared up at Snape.
"some people ought not be parents." Was all she could spit out.
Snape's face darkened. So he had read Malfoy correctly. Wouldn't Lucious get a nasty little surprise next time he met up with Severus. The Potions master did not appreciate his children being hurt by anyone, for any reason. There was hell to pay, and he would exact the duty on the offenders.
"I wanted to ask you, Poppy. Is there some way to see what injuries a child has had previously?" he tried to ask the question as tactfully as possible.
She looked at him questioningly.
"Malfoy?" she asked tentatively.
"No, Caliga." He answered sharply. On second thought, he added " but Malfoy would be a good check too."
Raising her brow, the medi-witch looked at him closely.
"Dumbledore had me perform a charm which disclosed old and healed wounds on a patient when Potter came in so thin last year." She shuddered at the memory. " all those bones…" she spoke distractedly, as Snape raised his eyebrows in interest. So Potter had a reason to hate those Muggles after all, did he? One more to add to his list of paybacks: Snape made a mental note.
"Well, can you do it on the girl while she sleeps? It would mean much to me, she has done a few things which raised my suspicions." He looked at her hopefully.
"I'm not really supposed to, but I will. I wish there was some way to bring the parents to justice." She sighed, walking out to the main ward. Looking at the dark, driven man brooding in her office with his hand to his head, she added
"Well, come on then."
"I have to tell you, this is very disturbing. The charm disclosed a surprising amount of bone bruising, tendon and ligament tears in her wrists and forearms, and a fracture to her nose and cheekbone. The two fractures were healed with a home spell, not treated by a medic."
Snape sneered at the thought. DO your dirty little deed and then not have the guts to get proper care for that which you have broken? Hideous. Was it her mother? He highly doubted it. In fact, he instinctively knew a man had done this to her. A sharp clear memory of Cassandra pulling away from him in his study came in front of his eyes. No, definitely NOT her mother. The girl had called out for her before, and had only said great things about her mother. But then ,who could it have been? The question would be worrying him for a while, he was sure.
"He went after her face" the malice was heavy in his voice, Snape was sickened by the thought. He swore under his breath " sonofabitch."
"Professor ? " Pomfrey asked him, concerned.
"And Malfoy?"
"Malfoy is not yet asleep. I can't run the charm until he's out. It's too upsetting to the person receiving the charm, as it brings out phantom pains in the old injuries. I'll deal with him later."
Behind his screen, Malfoy ducked down under the covers, willing himself to stay awake all night. He already remembered all of his injuries, and cared not to share them with others. Oh, the mortification. Having Snape guess the cause of his agony earlier was bad enough. He heard footsteps approaching his bed, keeping the covers up and not daring to breathe.
"Still awake." Pomfrey's voice was tinged with sadness. "Let's go and get a cuppa, Severus."
Malfoy recognized the weight on his shoulder as Snapes hand, giving his a reassuring squeeze. Then the hand was gone and the footsteps went away. Heaving a sigh of relief, Malfoy brought his good hand up around his head, thinking about the girl in the bed next door. Who was she? He hadn't had a chance to see earlier, but it seemed she was of great importance to his Head of House.