"Ron, Hermione!"
"Oh, hello, Harry," said Hermione, covering Harry's eyes with her bushy hair and kissing him on the cheek.
"Hi, mate," said Ron.
"Oh, I'm glad you've come. I'm moulding here, stuck in this bed."
"Ugh, and with the greasy git breathing down your neck all the time!" Ron grimaced.
"Don't talk like that, Ron," Hermione scolded him. "Professor Snape is doing his best to help Harry."
"Only because Dumbledore's ordered him to. Otherwise, he would be slicing Harry to pieces and boiling him in his cauldron!"
Harry smiled. This was the good old Ron.
Hermione glared at Ron.
"If you want to know, we're here only because professor Snape has insisted with the Headmaster. Dumbledore asked us to keep it secret. In fact, nobody should have known that you are here."
"Not even the Order members?" Harry asked. "Why?"
"I don't know, Harry. Things are getting weird. Maybe there is suspicion of a spy inside the Order."
"That would be terrible," said Harry. "What's happening? I don't know anything about anything."
"Oh, they still treat us like kids, they don't let us fight for real," Ron complained.
Hermione's eyes twinkled.
"We, the twins and Remus are doing researches to develop an artefact similar to the Marauders Map to locate Voldemort's base. It's a shame that Sirius isn't among us anymore... Remus said that he was the main brain behind the Map."
"'Remus'? Are you already on a first name basis?"
Hermione blushed scarlet.
When Ron and Hermione left, Harry let his breath out in a huff. It had been wonderful to meet them again, he had been able to entertain him, but the truth was that his friends had left him very tired.
He was so sleepy he almost didn't see Snape entering the bedroom.
"Your potion, Potter."
"Thank you. And not only for the potion," said Harry.
"For what else, then?" asked Snape, surprised, while Harry emptied the flask.
"For having invited my friends."
"Oh, I thought that was the only way I could have some peace to work this afternoon, without you pestering me every second about being bored."
Harry listened to the harsh words quietly. He was too tired to even feel the blow. But something inside him seemed to die. The professor continued to talk, and Harry tried to pay attention.
"Nevertheless, it seems that their company hasn't made you feel any better."
"I'm just tired; let me sleep."
Snape pivoted on his heel and left the room.
Almost two hours later, Harry woke up and read one more chapter of Why Didn't They Ask The House Elf?, another one of Emerald Elyod's novels. Then, tired of reading, he decided to give standing up a try. He put his feet off the side of the bed, and began to lower them to the ground. When his left foot touched the small carpet at the side of the bed, however, it rose off the floor and wrapped itself tightly around his torso and pushed him back to bed. Harry let out a shout of fright.
Snape showed up immediately.
"Potter, you idiot! I knew you would try to get up," stated him, smugly.
"Damn you! Did you enchant the carpet?"
"Of course."
"I'm tired of being stuck here! I wanna get up!"
"Tomorrow we can try it. Now you're too tired for that. You will stay in bed and have your dinner. I'm going to call the house elves."
Harry had an almost uncontrollable desire to stick out his tongue, but he only grimaced at him.
The professor still stared at him for a brief instant and Harry noticed that he was... uglier than ever. His hair was greasier and stringier, and his face was hollow and pasty white. He was cadaverous.
TBC...
Author's Notes:
Yay! Nymphadora Tonks1 has volunteered to be my beta. This chapter was betaed by her. She's already sent me the first chapters betaed too - I will repost them next time I update, OK? You're fantastic, Mandi. I love you.
Thanks Njoenen, Heather Snape, NarcissistcNienna and Sameda!
Thank you, Arili. I think you're right, he's a little OOC. But then again, even in canon we see two different Snapes, don't you think? The guy who says to Hermione "I see no difference" is a bastard. But the guy who, at the end of PoA, conjures stretchers even for Sirius, his greatest 'enemy', seems good enough for me. Besides, he was ordered to take care of an ill student. Maybe this is a good opportunity for him to show his best side.
L.G.F., "Perseus Evans" is an anagram of "Severus Snape", just like "suaveserpens". LOL! There are many crazy theories on the Internet about this "Perseus Evans". I'm only playing with this anagrams.
Rikku Motomiya, thank you, you rock too!