Random Stupidity

by Ethra Esme

A/N: Another chapter. :)

Chapter Twenty-One

Stop Getting Hit in the Head

Ethra awoke slowly and didn't remember anything at first.

She looked around foggily. She was on a large, velvet blanketed bed with a black silk canopy and blue candles in the sconces on the walls. Stone walls.

"Oi, this getting knocked unconscious thing is getting old." She mumbled grumpily.

There was movement from her right side, as Severus emerged from the bathroom, carrying a blue and white china bowl. He looked over at her, a brow perked.

"Oh? Awake, are we?"

"What happened this time?" She sat up against the feather pillows and mahogony headboard.

"No, no, lie down." Severus stated firmly.

"Gladly." Her head had tightened like it would explode, and her vision had begun to darken. She laid back down, resting her head gingerly and Severus sat on the bed beside her, pulling a wet black washcloth from the bowl and putting it to her head. She realized it probably wasn't just water in there, because she immediately felt warm all over, and she smiled up at him.

He looked back at her suspiciously. "What?" He snapped.

She grinned. "Nothing. Anyway, what happened?"

His face darkened considerably. "That Potter brat. Tried to stun me. Got you instead."

Ethra's eyes widened. "Is he alright?"

"Yes, Minerva wouldn't let me slap him too hard."

"No, I mean, why is he acting like this?"

Severus shrugged. "Well, he IS seventeen."

"Ah."

Severus dipped the cloth back into the solution and dabbed it back on her forehead, softly dabbing.

"You know, for such an asshole, your touch is quite gentle."

Severus smirked. "You have no idea." He said quietly.

"Oh? Is that a come-on?" She whispered to him, her breath catching in her chest. What was this stuff he was putting on her head?

"Of course not. You're in no condition..." He suddenly got somber and trailed off, lifting the rag and looking at Ethra's split head. "It's healing nicely, though. All thanks to my potions, of course."

"Why didn't you take me to Casualty?"

He looked at her blankly, and then got up and removed his cloak, flinging it onto a chair beside him. "Because I knew I could handle it. And Pomfrey was busy with Potter, at the moment."

"Did you talk to Lucius today?" Ethra asked as He undid the many buttons on his overcoat.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What did you talk about?"

"None of your business." He sat down on the bed and untied his boots, pulling them off and setting them neatly beside the chair with his coat on it.

"Oh, I think it is my business."

"Well I think not." He snapped, removing his shirt and walking around to the other side of the bed. He lay down beside her and folded his arms under his head, glaring at the canopy.

"You can take off your pants..."

"No." He snapped, a little too quickly. "I mean, um.."

Ethra looked over at him. "Ohhhhh."

"'Oh' what?"

She shook her head lightly, not wanting to disrupt her wound. "Nothing."

"What?"

"Well just one of the things from the books-"

"NO!" Severus suddenly yelled, jumping out of the bed and looking at her in horror. His hair was in his face but he didn't seem to notice.

"What?" Ethra asked, a little hurt.

"Ethra...you must promise me...that is...to say...NEVER tell me anything you know."

"What?"

"Don't tell me anything from the books. I and Dumbledore and the entire Order have tried our hardest to ward your mind from the Death Eaters, bu there is no guarantee that...that I will be...strong enough." He moved his hair quickly from his eyes and folded his arms across his bare, pale chest.

He spent the next half hour pacing, padding in his bare feet on the cool stone floor. Ethra finally drifted off to sleep, disconcerted and lonely, but when she awoke it was to find him beside her, his arm wrapped protectively around her.