Chapter 7 – The Golden Cage
Additional Disclaimer: I mention here something about the composition of a poison. I state hereby that I am not responsible for anybody making it. I would like to give credit where credit is due, but I fear a link here, if it were permitted, could bring people to wrong ideas.
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Severus didn't move at all for several minutes. Not only had they agreed to use each other's given names – though somehow Severus doubted that would come to feel natural to him very soon – no, the girl had even kissed him. Though it had been only a short touching of their lips, it was by far the most romantic experience he had had in years. He sipped a little of his champagne. As he had expected, the bottle coming from Albus, it was a very good one. But the girl hadn't had enough of it to be drunk. That could only mean... No, he thought, it was impossible she could have taken a liking to him. He was her Dark Professor, the man she had accused of willing her death not two months ago! She couldn't; it just wasn't possible. He quickly drained his glass and poured himself another one. Some things he just couldn't process without alcohol; being kissed by a student – a Gryffindor at that – quickly became one of those things.
Probably, he thought, after yet another glass of Albus' marvellous champagne, the girl had just thanked him – or pitied him. Yes, that would be it. She pitied him. Well, he wouldn't let himself be pitied. Draining the last of the champagne, he took to the other so-called solution to his problems: work. During the remainders of the night he read through most of the Herbology section of the extensive library of Aberforth Dumbledore. Not that there was much they hadn't covered already, but he told himself he had to check it all over again 'in case the Mudblood had missed something'. Another voice, more in the back of his head, told him it wasn't fair to call her that, just because he could not accept she had dared to kiss him. And it wasn't fair either to suppose he would find now what she supposedly had missed earlier.
Severus only became aware of the time when light started coming through the windows. The house-elf now entered the library.
"Master, has you been working all during the night? Would you likes some breakfast, sir?"
"Just coffee, please," he answered shortly. The elf should know that by now, he thought. He went to the breakfast parlour, only to find the girl there as well. A quick glance in the mirror told him he deserved the awkward look he got. His appearance was even below his standard at Hogwarts, so it didn't even come close to the standards she had come to expect here. Having nothing to say that wouldn't sound weird, he resorted to silence. The girl, however, did not.
"Have you been working all night, professor?" she asked, seemingly forgetting their agreement on using given names instead of titles. He merely nodded, then added,
"Yes, Miss – Hermione, I have." He did correct himself, but cursed inwardly for needing to correct in the first place. She looked guilty.
"You should have said you would, so I could have joined you," she said accusingly. Yes, dear girl, I should have - he thought - were it not that the point was avoiding you, be it in presence or thoughts. She seemed to sense his reserve and remained silent for a while. Not for long, however.
"Severus?" she dared. When he didn't look as if he would curse her for using his given name, she added, "Is there something bothering you?" He hesitated, wondering if he could get it out with.
"You mean, apart from the obvious absence of lethifolds and the still being locked up in a golden cage?" He paused and she nodded. When he didn't continue, she did.
"Is this about my kissing you last night?" Of course, she had to be the Gryffindor know-it-all, now even in psychology. He didn't react.
"Right, then I will retain some distance from now on," she said in a voice he could only interpret as rejected. They were silent again for a while. When he rose to leave, she asked lightly,
"By the way, did you discover anything useful tonight?" With that, they lapsed into the umpteenth discussion about the composition of the inner poison.
The following day, Fawkes delivered a strange box with several warnings written on it. Lethal contents. Class A non-tradable goods. Warning! It was magically sealed as well, set on Severus' fingerprint.
As expected, the box contained a – dead – lethifold. It looked like a black cloak, about half an inch thick, and felt oily to the touch. They decided to isolate the venom straight away and headed for the dungeons.
"Wear gloves," Severus ordered the girl. She did as she was told without questioning. When they had put the lethifold tissue safely into a closed cauldron, together with some organic solvents and acids and had lit a nice fire to let it simmer on, they continued their discussion.
"As the outer poison will be of hydrophobic nature, we'll to make the inner poison hydrophilic. That way, it will also mix more readily with body fluids," he stated. She could only nod in agreement.
"Well, I think we should settle on on how exactly we want Voldemort to die, and then decide which substances would give that particular effect," she supposed, then added, "I for one would want him to suffer."
"Right. I can understand that, as many people do, I am sure. What do you think as proper punishment for him?" Severus answered.
"Probably vomiting out his complete intestines?" she asked. Severus tried to imagine Voldemort writhing on the ground with agony, as if put under Cruciatus.
"Yes, I think that would come closest to the Cruciatus Curse. That would rule out Digitalis and the likes of it." He said.
"I was thinking about curare and belladonna," she admitted. He chuckled, which earned him an inquiring look.
"Are you alright, Prof – Severus?" she asked.
"Yes, Hermione. I was merely laughing at the irony. To use curare and belladonna to kill someone. You know they would translate into 'healing' and 'beautiful woman', don't you?" She nodded in assent. "But I think they would do a good job, though."
Eventually, the venom should be ready. They put on their gloves again and lifted the lid. The girl took a ladle and started stirring and sampling. One strand of hair fell from behind her ear, dangling dangerously over the cauldron. Without thinking, Severus took of his right glove and put the hair back behind her ear. She, however, took the gesture wrongly and flinched, dropping the ladle in the process. Some of the venom splashed on their robes and on his bare hand. He had fortunately learned long ago not to panic at this sort of occasions.
"Remove your robes," he ordered, as he was doing the same. She hesitated. "Now! There is no time for being prudent here." He added. He had difficulties undoing the buttons of his robes, with one hand still gloved and the other injured. She had no problems shedding her robes quickly. When she saw him waver, she came to help him without hesitation. Quickly, she undid his outer robes, in which there seemed to be holes already. Then shed her gloves and examined his hand.
"This looks serious," she said, adding a hardly audible apology. Indeed, some of his skin had dissolved rapidly, now showing the raw flesh underneath. "I'd say we should clean the wound and then bandage it. Unless you are good at Healing Spells?"
"No, Miss – Hermione, Healing Spells are not exactly my area of expertise. I could make a Wound Paste to quicken the healing, though." She had in the meanwhile taken out her handkerchief – a clean one, luckily – and cleaned the wounds. She was now waving her wand, which emitted a nice clean bandage that wrapped neatly around his hand until it was completely immobile.
"At least we are certain it will work now." He said tetchily. She ignored that comment.
"Well, how do I make this Wound Paste?" she asked bluntly.
"Last time I looked, I was the Potions Master of the current assembly," he retorted irritated.
"It looks like you won't be making this Wound Paste anytime soon, Professor," she hesitated and then corrected, "Severus." A pause. "I would of course be happy to make it, even if under supervision." He shrugged. He had not much of a choice, considering the fact his right hand was wrapped in what seemed an inch of bandages. He would not be able to hold a dinner fork, let alone cut potions ingredients in even pieces.
"Alright," he said, "you can find the recipe on page 329 of 'Medical Potions for All Purposes'. It should not be too difficult, it only needs exactly the right timing at all times."
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He had to admit she had prepared the Wound Paste very well. He had to apply it every hour, but now after only two doses the wounds were already half healed. Good, he thought, maybe at dinnertime he would be able to use his hands again. He hadn't exactly looked forward to asking the elf to cut his dinner into small pieces, so he could eat it one-handed. Or, for that matter, to let the girl see him eating with only his left hand, the right tightly wrapped in her conjured bandages.
Why, why had he wanted to tuck her hair back? It had been an impulse, nothing else. And why was he disappointed for the fact she had cringed away? He could have expected that, couldn't he? He had expected that, hadn't he? Hadn't he?
"Right, Severus Snape," he muttered to himself, "Admit it. You'd expected she wouldn't cringe away from your touch. Not after yesterday. Not after her kiss." And now his train of thoughts was back at the departing station. Sighing, he applied another dose of the cooling Wound Paste.
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During dessert he decided to get it over and done with.
"I apologize for what... happened this morning, Miss Granger," he ventured. She looked at him quizzically in return.
"Why should you apologize, professor?" Not the cynical tone, however. Now it was his turn to look puzzled. "I believe it is me who should apologize, professor. I shouldn't have... dropped the ladle. I am sorry."
"Miss Granger, believe me. I am perfectly aware of my own repulsiveness and I think every girl would indeed have cringed away. I should not have touched you. I am sorry." She actually managed to look guilty.
"Furthermore, I want to thank you for making the Wound Paste. I tried, but I couldn't have made it better." She now blushed a very Gryffindor scarlet.
"Thank you, professor," she stammered. She stood up and left the room hastily, her pudding nearly untouched. Before closing the door she turned.
"I don't think you repulsive, Severus. I meant it yesterday."
And so, for the second night in a row, she left him speechless.
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Author's Note: So here I injured Severus. Don't attack! (ducks rotten tomatoes) Thank you for the reviews!