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SLYTHERIN BOY

Chapter Seven: Growth Spurt

Severus disappeared soon after the detention. He didn't appear for any classes the next day, or the day after, or the day after. By the fourth day, students where whispering about it, rumors were flying, nobody knew what was going on.

Finally, Hermione's curiosity was burning within her. During Transfiguration, she decided she had to know. They had seen her check him as absent, and Hermione took that moment to raise her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked.

"Where's Professor Snape?" She asked. "He hasn't been in class for a long time," she said.

"He's in the hospital wing," McGonagall said after a moment of thought on whether she should reveal his whereabouts or not. Hermione's eyes widened. "Why?" she asked. It must have been something very bad for him to be there for four days!"

"He's started a growth spurt," McGonagall said. Ron narrowed his eyes at her. "Snape went to the hospital wing for growing pains? What a nancyboy!" he said, looking surprised.

" Watch it, Mister Weasley. And I don't quite think you understand," McGonagall said sternly. "It should last three or so weeks, that's what happened the first time. You know how short he was last time you saw him?" She lifted an eyebrow. A few students nodded. He had been smaller than everyone, even most of the students in younger years. "And you know how he's nearly seven feet as an adult?" more students nodded.

"He grew nearly that much in one go," she said. "One growth spurt, it took three, three and a half weeks." She said. "The pain is… well it's crippling. He's growing so fast that his skin is tearing," she suddenly looked a bit nauseous at the prospect. The students stared in shock.

"Is that possible?" Harry finally broke the shocked silence. "His skin is tearing? Oh my god," his mouth dropped open.

"We never really understood why it happened," McGonagall said. "I feel very sorry for him, though, you'd think having to go through it the first time was bad enough, and now he's gone and had to do it again. You chose a bad age to send him to, Mr. Longbottom," she shook her head, and Neville looked a bit guilty.

"I didn't mean to…" Neville murmured.

"Oh, I know that. He knows it too, I think. I don't think he holds it against you, don't worry about it. In the long run, he's lucky, in my opinion. Getting to be young again. You don't appreciate it the first time, you know. Perhaps he'll appreciate it now. So far they haven't made any progress whatsoever in finding a cure. It looks pretty bleak. Perhaps he'll be your age forever," she grinned slightly. "It's a new beginning," she said thoughtfully, before realizing that she wasn't teaching. "Anyways, we do still have a lesson today, so if you would just get out your textbooks," she said, and there was a rustling of papers as the class opened their books.

****

Harry, Ron, and Hermione visited the Hospital Wing the following Wednesday. They walked in, and heard Severus's voice humming to himself quietly. Madam Pomfrey pointed to where he was and they walked over.

"Hello, Professor," Hermione said when they spotted him. He looked over at her, his humming halting. He looked painfully awake. His bare arms were placed lightly on the covers, palm-down. Fine, bright red lines were patterned over them in delicate lace-like designs, where the skin was pulling apart and desperately trying to heal over. They could see streaks where the cuts had been accidentally broken open and started to bleed.

"Hello," he looked at them suspiciously.

"We just wanted to see how you were. We asked McGonagall where you were, and she told us about your growth spurt," Hermione said. He shrugged, but the motion seemed to make his eyes cloud over and he let his shoulders fall.

Harry noticed that his hair was short again, and the orange was gone. It wasn't gelled, though, falling lightly over his forehead. "What happened to your hair?" he asked.

"I cut it. It grew out too far," he said. "I should have realized what it meant. Before the growth spurt the first time my hair grew really fast. I guess I was too preoccupied with the fact that I was young at all than to notice," he frowned as his voice cracked.

"Oh." Ron said dumbly. They stood in awkward silence for a few moments.

"Well, we just wanted to make sure you were alive," Harry finally said.

"I'll live," Severus said, and Hermione nodded. "See you around, then," she finished lamely, and they walked out of the infirmary.

"Remind me again, why were we visiting him?" Ron murmured as they walked away.

****

The next week and a half passed quickly, and they almost forgot about Snape. Until he returned.

He walked into the great hall awkwardly. He was very tall, looming as he had before. But his face and demeanor was still that of a boy. He was tall, but he still looked young. His ears turned red under the eyes of the entire school and his fingers worried the sleeves of his long-sleeved forest green t-shirt.

Hermione noticed that while he was tall enough to wear his previous wardrobe, he was, apparently, wearing the clothes he had worn as a boy. He would have had to get a new wardrobe after the growth spurt, and being fifteen at the time, he wouldn't have changed his style. It was just strange that he'd chosen it over his usual attire.

He sat down in the chair at the Slytherin table, his legs looking uncomfortably cramped under the table. He stared at his plate, picking at his food before apparently deciding that he was very hungry, and devouring a large breakfast.

The bell rang, signaling that they were to get their bags and head towards their first class.

****

They walked into potions, seeing Severus sitting at the empty table again. He glanced at them when Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in. He flicked a quill absently against the surface of the table, glaring at them when they sat down.

Professor Jericho looked at Severus, frowning. "Well, good to see you reached six feet ten," she said. "Now I know how it happened."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked incredulously.

"What it means." She said.

He looked angry as well as puzzled. "Whatever," he muttered. Hermione noticed that his voice had changed, though it wasn't as deep as it was as an adult. While his voice then was pretty nice when one thought about it, or it would be if he didn't always speak in sarcasm or malice, his voice now was moderately deep but with a strange, youthful ring to it.

The class started and passed without incidence. But at the very end of the period, Professor Jericho looked at Severus.

"Severus," she said softly, and the entire class looked up to see what was going on. She smiled at Severus, but it wasn't a very nice smile. "Dizzy's coming for a visit tomorrow." She lifted her eyebrows, and they saw Severus's mouth drop open.

"Bitch," he swore under his breath. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks. It was looking to get interesting quite soon…

            ****

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