Chapter 11
Severus enter the infirmary to find Buffy, Albus, and Madame Pomfrey clustered around the sickbed of Harry Potter. Joining them, he mentally smacked himself. He pulled out various healing potions had taken with him. He had forgotten about them in the moment. Handing them to Madame Pomfrey, he mutely stood with the others as the medi-witch tended to the boy.
She bustled, shoving various potions down his throat, mending broken bones, and magically cleaning his clothes and body. When she had done all she could, she motioned for her audience to move away from the bed.
Dumbledore in a sad voice asked, "Well Poppy?"
"Albus, who has done this!?" Demanded the normally unflappable witch. "Harry's suffering from severe malnutrition, bruising all over, a broken arm, broken ribs, his ankle was smashed, it was all I could do to keep him from being permanently impaired."
"It was his relatives Poppy, they were abusing him. Will he make a full recovery?"
"In time Albus, in time, but he'll need rest, and lots of nurishing food."
"Well," A fraction of the old twinkle returning, "we shall certainly make sure he gets plenty of those. Now, Buffy, Severus, if you'll attend me in my office."
Quietly, the three made their way to the opulent office. Dumbledore conjured some tea, and bade them sit, which they did.
"Now, if you'd be so kind as to relate this afternoon's events to me?"
Severus took the initiative, telling the headmaster of how they had gained entrance to the house, and the condition of Harry, and their return to Hogwarts. He skipped over the part of Buffy beating Vernon Dursley.
Albus shot him a keen look. "And that's everything that happened?"
"Everything of importance headmaster." Snape didn't think Buffy would be disciplined for her treatment of the uncle, but he simply gave Albus blank look.
"And Buffy, you agree with this summary of events."
"Severus is right, he told 'everything of importance'." She too gave the headmaster an indifferent face, inwardly relieved that Severus hadn't shared the tale of her vengeance on Harry's abuser.
Dumbledore's eyes flicked to the blood that coated Buffy's knuckles, but didn't comment on it.
"Very well then. I imagine you both want to clean up and rest, you may go. Oh and Buffy, I sent Bert down to your quarters with some mangos after you arrived, I imagine he will be quite glad to see you. Good day."
Buffy and Snape left and in silence made their way down to the dungeons. At the point where they were to go their separate ways, they stopped, as one and looked at each other.
Buffy spoke first, "Um, thanks for not telling Dumbledore I went all psycho on Harry's uncle. I think it woulda made me seem less than professional."
"Yes well, I am hardly one to impugn another professor's reputation."
"I'm sure. Well, thanks again, I'd better get back, Bert's probably going crazy without me. Later."
"Good day."
Buffy walked off down the hallway; Snape watched her go, frowning.
(Who the hell is Bert!?)
Buffy returned to her rooms and was met with a flying hug from Bert. Giggling, she disentangled herself and sat on a couch. She saw chunks of mango sitting on the small table there, and helped herself. Bert joined her and together they ate in silence.
Buffy's mind kept flashing back to the body of the boy she had just rescued. Every bruise, and broken bone stood out in her mind's eye, her vision washed over in red again. She wiped her hands on her pants and eyed the waning light coming in from the window. She looked Bert in the eye and said, "Stay here, I mean it. I'm going out, and it's not gonna be pretty. Here, carve me something. It'll keep you busy." She handed over a knife and a few chunks of wood. Noticing the clabbert's dismayed look she said, "I'm sorry, but I gotta go beat something...Tell you what, when I get back, we'll brush our teeth."
This mollified the creature and he set to work with knife and wood. Buffy gathered her slaying gear and left the rooms.
Snape paced his potions lab. For what seemed like the millionth time in the past two weeks, his thoughts were racing, and most of them seemed to center on the tiny blond American girl. He thought about her bizarre and annoying manner of speech, and the deadly way her eyes had looked when she stopped beating that Muggle. And other, vaguely more disturbing thoughts flitted across his mind. She hadn't even commented on his hair. He hated to be so vain, but she had been the one to bring it up. And who the hell was Bert!
He let out an exasperated, "Gah!" and decided to collect some dittany, anything to keep himself busy. Gathering a trowel and a basket, he set off to the Forbidden Forest.
Buffy stalked through the dark forest, she had come across two scorpion-like creatures that her books hadn't yet identified, but as they had tried stinging her first, she gladly took out her frustrations on them. Still not satisfied, she stalked through the woods in search of something else to pummel, while unbeknownst to her, two dark eyes followed.
Severus became aware of someone else in the woods. Readying his wand, he noticed blonde hair on a very human head. The potions master thought (Bloody hell, she's stalking me.), before realizing she was moving away from him. Following her, he was well aware he was one of a very few people ever to see a slayer in action. He tensed as she came upon two large vampires trying to corner a large wolf. Armed with his wand, he readied himself to jump in should she seem to need assistance. She never did.
He watched as she fought the two undead, her body flipping and whirling, poetry in motion. Gracefully she staked the first one, and landed a devastating blow to the other's face. All to quickly it was over. Both vamps staked, and the slayer moved on. Severus just crouched there in the underbrush, legs falling asleep. As soon as she was gone, he decided to make a night of it, and limped away with his basket only half full of herbs.
End Chapter 11
A/N: Yeah, two short chaps today, my brain is now trying to lug the rest of my body into the bed, and I have no choice but to go along. Hope ya like!
Severus enter the infirmary to find Buffy, Albus, and Madame Pomfrey clustered around the sickbed of Harry Potter. Joining them, he mentally smacked himself. He pulled out various healing potions had taken with him. He had forgotten about them in the moment. Handing them to Madame Pomfrey, he mutely stood with the others as the medi-witch tended to the boy.
She bustled, shoving various potions down his throat, mending broken bones, and magically cleaning his clothes and body. When she had done all she could, she motioned for her audience to move away from the bed.
Dumbledore in a sad voice asked, "Well Poppy?"
"Albus, who has done this!?" Demanded the normally unflappable witch. "Harry's suffering from severe malnutrition, bruising all over, a broken arm, broken ribs, his ankle was smashed, it was all I could do to keep him from being permanently impaired."
"It was his relatives Poppy, they were abusing him. Will he make a full recovery?"
"In time Albus, in time, but he'll need rest, and lots of nurishing food."
"Well," A fraction of the old twinkle returning, "we shall certainly make sure he gets plenty of those. Now, Buffy, Severus, if you'll attend me in my office."
Quietly, the three made their way to the opulent office. Dumbledore conjured some tea, and bade them sit, which they did.
"Now, if you'd be so kind as to relate this afternoon's events to me?"
Severus took the initiative, telling the headmaster of how they had gained entrance to the house, and the condition of Harry, and their return to Hogwarts. He skipped over the part of Buffy beating Vernon Dursley.
Albus shot him a keen look. "And that's everything that happened?"
"Everything of importance headmaster." Snape didn't think Buffy would be disciplined for her treatment of the uncle, but he simply gave Albus blank look.
"And Buffy, you agree with this summary of events."
"Severus is right, he told 'everything of importance'." She too gave the headmaster an indifferent face, inwardly relieved that Severus hadn't shared the tale of her vengeance on Harry's abuser.
Dumbledore's eyes flicked to the blood that coated Buffy's knuckles, but didn't comment on it.
"Very well then. I imagine you both want to clean up and rest, you may go. Oh and Buffy, I sent Bert down to your quarters with some mangos after you arrived, I imagine he will be quite glad to see you. Good day."
Buffy and Snape left and in silence made their way down to the dungeons. At the point where they were to go their separate ways, they stopped, as one and looked at each other.
Buffy spoke first, "Um, thanks for not telling Dumbledore I went all psycho on Harry's uncle. I think it woulda made me seem less than professional."
"Yes well, I am hardly one to impugn another professor's reputation."
"I'm sure. Well, thanks again, I'd better get back, Bert's probably going crazy without me. Later."
"Good day."
Buffy walked off down the hallway; Snape watched her go, frowning.
(Who the hell is Bert!?)
Buffy returned to her rooms and was met with a flying hug from Bert. Giggling, she disentangled herself and sat on a couch. She saw chunks of mango sitting on the small table there, and helped herself. Bert joined her and together they ate in silence.
Buffy's mind kept flashing back to the body of the boy she had just rescued. Every bruise, and broken bone stood out in her mind's eye, her vision washed over in red again. She wiped her hands on her pants and eyed the waning light coming in from the window. She looked Bert in the eye and said, "Stay here, I mean it. I'm going out, and it's not gonna be pretty. Here, carve me something. It'll keep you busy." She handed over a knife and a few chunks of wood. Noticing the clabbert's dismayed look she said, "I'm sorry, but I gotta go beat something...Tell you what, when I get back, we'll brush our teeth."
This mollified the creature and he set to work with knife and wood. Buffy gathered her slaying gear and left the rooms.
Snape paced his potions lab. For what seemed like the millionth time in the past two weeks, his thoughts were racing, and most of them seemed to center on the tiny blond American girl. He thought about her bizarre and annoying manner of speech, and the deadly way her eyes had looked when she stopped beating that Muggle. And other, vaguely more disturbing thoughts flitted across his mind. She hadn't even commented on his hair. He hated to be so vain, but she had been the one to bring it up. And who the hell was Bert!
He let out an exasperated, "Gah!" and decided to collect some dittany, anything to keep himself busy. Gathering a trowel and a basket, he set off to the Forbidden Forest.
Buffy stalked through the dark forest, she had come across two scorpion-like creatures that her books hadn't yet identified, but as they had tried stinging her first, she gladly took out her frustrations on them. Still not satisfied, she stalked through the woods in search of something else to pummel, while unbeknownst to her, two dark eyes followed.
Severus became aware of someone else in the woods. Readying his wand, he noticed blonde hair on a very human head. The potions master thought (Bloody hell, she's stalking me.), before realizing she was moving away from him. Following her, he was well aware he was one of a very few people ever to see a slayer in action. He tensed as she came upon two large vampires trying to corner a large wolf. Armed with his wand, he readied himself to jump in should she seem to need assistance. She never did.
He watched as she fought the two undead, her body flipping and whirling, poetry in motion. Gracefully she staked the first one, and landed a devastating blow to the other's face. All to quickly it was over. Both vamps staked, and the slayer moved on. Severus just crouched there in the underbrush, legs falling asleep. As soon as she was gone, he decided to make a night of it, and limped away with his basket only half full of herbs.
End Chapter 11
A/N: Yeah, two short chaps today, my brain is now trying to lug the rest of my body into the bed, and I have no choice but to go along. Hope ya like!