Chapter 15
Miss Cockerham! That bloody girl! Voices from far away, muffled footsteps on the frozen leaves and moss reached my ears.
I must be dreaming, I thought blearily. But where am I? This bed is hard… I willed my eyes to open, but my eyelids were too heavy.
"Not again! How many times do I have to rescue you, blasted fool?" The voice, whoever it was, sounded angry at first, but then when it received no reply, it changed its tone very much and sounded almost concerned. "Miss Cockerham! Meta? Where are you?"
I don't know where she is, sir. Now kindly get out of my forest! Being in the semi-conscious state that I was in, I seemed to think that this last bit was very funny and I let out a loud giggle. The footsteps stopped.
"Get out of my forest!" I mumbled out loud to the figure that was now approaching me.
"Miss Cockerham, what are you doing here?"
"What does it look like?"
"I honestly can't say," replied the cold and haughty voice.
Wait, I know who this is! This is—
"Snape!" I shouted furiously and shook off the overwhelming feeling of sleepiness.
"Professor Snape, Miss Cockerham. Now stop all of this foolishness, and come on." He reached his hand down to help me up, but I shook my head and gripped the tree trunk I was sitting against instead.
"I'm not your damsel in distress!" I puffed, pulling myself up rather wobbly.
"I know," Snape replied smoothly, apparently amused. "Let me help y--"
"No! You don't have to rescue me! I'm perfectly capable of rescuing myself!"
Snape opened his mouth to interject some snide remark, but I went on, gathering steam.
"You- you made me cry like a baby in front of the whole entire class, and you think you can just waltz right over and everything will be alright again? Think you can put me in my place, do you? Well, you can't!" I took a breath. "I also think you are a rude, patronizing, arrogant, jerk! And you should have stayed in your stupid, ugly dungeon with your stupid, ugly self and frittered away at your useless little potions instead of coming out here to find me!" I glared up at his face, which for the moment was void of expression.
"I would have," he said after a few seconds, "if your little… friend hadn't pounded on my door in hysterics, claiming that you hadn't been back to the castle since your little temper tantrum." The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly, and I would have given anything to slap him at that moment. "Polley, in case you were wondering exactly which boyfriend it was," he added.
What does he mean by that? Did he overhear somehow? What does he think? Wait, you're angry, remember? You're angry!
"I'm angry!" I shouted.
"Good job, Miss Cockerham, yes you are. I'm glad you can finally express your emotions." He rolled his eyes. "Now, let's get going. We wouldn't want any more trouble."
I tried to take a step to rush away from him because his face was irritating me to no end, but the moment I did, I felt like I had been plucked up by my feet and held upside down.
Snape quickly caught me, much to my chagrin, before I hit the ground. Mixed in with the fury that he was "saving" me once again was that same electricity I had felt when he touched my hand…
"Miss Cockerham, did you hit your head?" He pushed me back down against the tree and kneeled to look at my face. This time it was my turn to turn away from his eyes.
"Maybe," I grumbled. "So what if I did?"
"You could have a concussion. Your eyes look a bit odd." Then he reached his long, slender hand toward my face and gently turned my chin back towards his face. He brushed a few stray hairs from my face and my heart practically jumped out of my chest. He squinted at my forehead and then pressed on it.
"OW!" A sharp pain went through my body and I turned away again.
"You've got a large welt coming on your forehead. We better get up to Madam Pomfrey before it gets darker."
"You could have just told me that I had a bump on my forehead, instead of jabbing your fingers at it!" I grumbled, covering my forehead with my hand.
"Don't be such a brat!" He helped me to my feet and brushed the leaves off of his cloak. Suddenly , I remembered how cold it was and hugged my arms around my chest. Snape noticed, and sighed.
"Oh, fine." He snapped and un-hooked his cloak. "Here." He threw it roughly over my shoulders. I was shocked by how warm and heavy it was. I wonder if it smells like him…
"Come on, stop dawdling." He grabbed my shoulder and began to lead me out of the dark forest, holding his lit wand aloft with the other arm.
"Can't we slow down?" I pleaded after tripping for the umpteenth time, attempting to keep up with Snape's impossibly long strides.
"No." He pulled me back up and brushed me off like a four-year-old. "And stop tripping."
"Oh, sure, right away," I replied sarcastically.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and said, "Here, walk on this side of me, there are less roots." He practically picked me up and set me down on the other side of him and he switched his wand to the other arm and we went on.
Finally, after walking for what seemed like hours and darkness had completely enveloped the forest, we saw a bit of bluish light peeking out of the trees.
"Is that the end?"
"Yes, come on, just a little bit more."
I was sorer than sore, bruised, battered, and exhausted beyond belief. "I'm so tired…"
"Come on, Meta, stay awake. Just a little bit further."
He said 'Meta', I thought stupidly. I wonder what that means.
"I can't…" I whispered and nearly fell down again. Snape shoved his wand in between his teeth and with one swift movement, he lifted me up in his arms. "Don't carry me," I mumbled.
"Be quiet, you're too slow, I have no other choice."
"Okay," I said wearily and rested my face against his chest.
"Don't fall asleep, Meta."
"I'm not… Just resting my eyes..."
"Liar." He squeezed my arm with his hand. "Keep your eyes open. I know it's hard, but keep them open."
"Okay."
"Meta!" Franco shouted as Snape carried me into the entrance hall. "Meta, I'm sorry, we were so worried, I'm sorry, Oh, I'm going to get you killed someday--"
"Polley, please." I heard Snape say from right next to my ear, and I felt the vibrations against my cheek. His heart was thumping loudly. "Spare the waterworks. Madam Pomfrey, she's hit her head, I think she has a concussion."
"Oh dear, come on, take her up to the hospital wing, Severus," Pomfrey said.
"Get to bed, Polley."
"No, Professor Snape, please, let me just make sure she's alright!"
"I'm alright, Franco, you can go to bed." I mumbled.
Franco made a small noise.
"Fine, Polley! You can come along if you keep your mouth shut!" Snape snapped and I felt him practically run up the stairs, Pomfrey and Franco following behind.
He has to be getting tired… I must be heavy.
I felt him set me down on the bed a few minutes later and Madam Pomfrey fed me an awful tasting liquid.
"There, she can sleep safely now," she said.
"Will she be alright?" I heard Franco ask pleadingly.
"Oh yes, she'll be quite fine, quite fine. She should be back in class tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, Pomfrey?" Snape's voice said as I drifted off. "Don't you think that is a bit too soon?"
Finally, I fell into a deep, heavy sleep.
Miss Cockerham! That bloody girl! Voices from far away, muffled footsteps on the frozen leaves and moss reached my ears.
I must be dreaming, I thought blearily. But where am I? This bed is hard… I willed my eyes to open, but my eyelids were too heavy.
"Not again! How many times do I have to rescue you, blasted fool?" The voice, whoever it was, sounded angry at first, but then when it received no reply, it changed its tone very much and sounded almost concerned. "Miss Cockerham! Meta? Where are you?"
I don't know where she is, sir. Now kindly get out of my forest! Being in the semi-conscious state that I was in, I seemed to think that this last bit was very funny and I let out a loud giggle. The footsteps stopped.
"Get out of my forest!" I mumbled out loud to the figure that was now approaching me.
"Miss Cockerham, what are you doing here?"
"What does it look like?"
"I honestly can't say," replied the cold and haughty voice.
Wait, I know who this is! This is—
"Snape!" I shouted furiously and shook off the overwhelming feeling of sleepiness.
"Professor Snape, Miss Cockerham. Now stop all of this foolishness, and come on." He reached his hand down to help me up, but I shook my head and gripped the tree trunk I was sitting against instead.
"I'm not your damsel in distress!" I puffed, pulling myself up rather wobbly.
"I know," Snape replied smoothly, apparently amused. "Let me help y--"
"No! You don't have to rescue me! I'm perfectly capable of rescuing myself!"
Snape opened his mouth to interject some snide remark, but I went on, gathering steam.
"You- you made me cry like a baby in front of the whole entire class, and you think you can just waltz right over and everything will be alright again? Think you can put me in my place, do you? Well, you can't!" I took a breath. "I also think you are a rude, patronizing, arrogant, jerk! And you should have stayed in your stupid, ugly dungeon with your stupid, ugly self and frittered away at your useless little potions instead of coming out here to find me!" I glared up at his face, which for the moment was void of expression.
"I would have," he said after a few seconds, "if your little… friend hadn't pounded on my door in hysterics, claiming that you hadn't been back to the castle since your little temper tantrum." The corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly, and I would have given anything to slap him at that moment. "Polley, in case you were wondering exactly which boyfriend it was," he added.
What does he mean by that? Did he overhear somehow? What does he think? Wait, you're angry, remember? You're angry!
"I'm angry!" I shouted.
"Good job, Miss Cockerham, yes you are. I'm glad you can finally express your emotions." He rolled his eyes. "Now, let's get going. We wouldn't want any more trouble."
I tried to take a step to rush away from him because his face was irritating me to no end, but the moment I did, I felt like I had been plucked up by my feet and held upside down.
Snape quickly caught me, much to my chagrin, before I hit the ground. Mixed in with the fury that he was "saving" me once again was that same electricity I had felt when he touched my hand…
"Miss Cockerham, did you hit your head?" He pushed me back down against the tree and kneeled to look at my face. This time it was my turn to turn away from his eyes.
"Maybe," I grumbled. "So what if I did?"
"You could have a concussion. Your eyes look a bit odd." Then he reached his long, slender hand toward my face and gently turned my chin back towards his face. He brushed a few stray hairs from my face and my heart practically jumped out of my chest. He squinted at my forehead and then pressed on it.
"OW!" A sharp pain went through my body and I turned away again.
"You've got a large welt coming on your forehead. We better get up to Madam Pomfrey before it gets darker."
"You could have just told me that I had a bump on my forehead, instead of jabbing your fingers at it!" I grumbled, covering my forehead with my hand.
"Don't be such a brat!" He helped me to my feet and brushed the leaves off of his cloak. Suddenly , I remembered how cold it was and hugged my arms around my chest. Snape noticed, and sighed.
"Oh, fine." He snapped and un-hooked his cloak. "Here." He threw it roughly over my shoulders. I was shocked by how warm and heavy it was. I wonder if it smells like him…
"Come on, stop dawdling." He grabbed my shoulder and began to lead me out of the dark forest, holding his lit wand aloft with the other arm.
"Can't we slow down?" I pleaded after tripping for the umpteenth time, attempting to keep up with Snape's impossibly long strides.
"No." He pulled me back up and brushed me off like a four-year-old. "And stop tripping."
"Oh, sure, right away," I replied sarcastically.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and said, "Here, walk on this side of me, there are less roots." He practically picked me up and set me down on the other side of him and he switched his wand to the other arm and we went on.
Finally, after walking for what seemed like hours and darkness had completely enveloped the forest, we saw a bit of bluish light peeking out of the trees.
"Is that the end?"
"Yes, come on, just a little bit more."
I was sorer than sore, bruised, battered, and exhausted beyond belief. "I'm so tired…"
"Come on, Meta, stay awake. Just a little bit further."
He said 'Meta', I thought stupidly. I wonder what that means.
"I can't…" I whispered and nearly fell down again. Snape shoved his wand in between his teeth and with one swift movement, he lifted me up in his arms. "Don't carry me," I mumbled.
"Be quiet, you're too slow, I have no other choice."
"Okay," I said wearily and rested my face against his chest.
"Don't fall asleep, Meta."
"I'm not… Just resting my eyes..."
"Liar." He squeezed my arm with his hand. "Keep your eyes open. I know it's hard, but keep them open."
"Okay."
"Meta!" Franco shouted as Snape carried me into the entrance hall. "Meta, I'm sorry, we were so worried, I'm sorry, Oh, I'm going to get you killed someday--"
"Polley, please." I heard Snape say from right next to my ear, and I felt the vibrations against my cheek. His heart was thumping loudly. "Spare the waterworks. Madam Pomfrey, she's hit her head, I think she has a concussion."
"Oh dear, come on, take her up to the hospital wing, Severus," Pomfrey said.
"Get to bed, Polley."
"No, Professor Snape, please, let me just make sure she's alright!"
"I'm alright, Franco, you can go to bed." I mumbled.
Franco made a small noise.
"Fine, Polley! You can come along if you keep your mouth shut!" Snape snapped and I felt him practically run up the stairs, Pomfrey and Franco following behind.
He has to be getting tired… I must be heavy.
I felt him set me down on the bed a few minutes later and Madam Pomfrey fed me an awful tasting liquid.
"There, she can sleep safely now," she said.
"Will she be alright?" I heard Franco ask pleadingly.
"Oh yes, she'll be quite fine, quite fine. She should be back in class tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, Pomfrey?" Snape's voice said as I drifted off. "Don't you think that is a bit too soon?"
Finally, I fell into a deep, heavy sleep.