A/N- Sorry for the slight delay, I have been semi depressed lately because I got my story Forced Secrets deleted from here the other day. Which sucked, but that is ok, I am going to be putting it back up, but I have lost the 70 some oddball reviews that went to it. A bit depressing. But oh well, and here I am, staring at the notebook, and realize I should be typing this. LOL, so here is your next chapter. It might be another week or so before the next one is up, so please be patient… Anyways, I love your reviews, so keep 'em comin!
Disclaimer- Once again, alas, it is not my own… *sob*
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Chapter 6- Yet another side effect
"Hello Professor Snape." I nodded my hand in acknowledgement to her. She walked up to my desk. "You said for me to come after dinner."
"Yes, I did, didn't I?" I paused and flipped through the papers on my desk. Oh dear… "Just a moment, I had it here a moment ago…" Oh sure, let the school know it all in on the secret that you're a complete and utter scatterbrain. Brilliant Severus, just plain brilliant. After a very long moment I finally found what it was I was looking for and pulled it out of a large stack of papers. "Ah, here it is." I gave a quick look to her and seen her face contorted into a half smile as if she were attempting to keep herself from laughing and I sent her my best glare. It faded, and I smirked. "As I was saying, this is the pass to the restricted section of the library, please use it only for the consigned books, and NOT for other personal literature as it were... I do not appreciate students misusing the occasional privileges I allow for."
"But sir, I wouldn't-" I raised my brow to her. I knew she had snuck in there a few times before. I had been told of the Polyjuice Potion she had brewed in her second year, and although I admired her for her accomplishment, it irked me to ill extent that she went against the rules to do it. She understood my hidden meaning and slowly mouthed an 'oh' with her lips. "Thank you Professor Snape, when will you expect the written report?"
"In exactly one week after dinner, so the same time as it is now." I looked back down to the papers on my desk and picked up my quill again. "Now then if that is all, I have work to be doing. On the back of the pass you will see a list of books that you may find helpful for your research. Goodnight Ms. Granger, you may leave." I looked up at her again and instantly regretted it. She was smiling at me softly, at me, for what I had said. I averted my eyes again, but I felt my chest tighten with the odd feeling. It was because she was getting her way, not because of me. I fought the feeling and pushed it from my mind. She was my student. STUDENT.
"Goodnight Professor Snape, and thank you again." I brought my head up from the papers again after I heard the door softly shut behind her. I sighed, and nearly ran my hand through my hair, but stopped at the memory that I hadn't washed in nearly three days… Oops. My mind must have been too occupied for me to remember… Oh well. Perhaps tomorrow. I looked at the door again where I seen Ms. Granger last. Now that I didn't have to add points for anything in this class, I could show a more… positive attitude towards the rest of my students, Ms Granger included of course. It had nothing to do with the fact that… Oh dear, there I go again. I cleared my head and once again focused on the papers in front of me, zoning everything else out as I corrected them.
"Severus." I suddenly felt a hand upon my shoulder and I jumped, and may I also mention not very gracefully either. I turned angrily to the person who startled me, but my featured and mood lightened once I saw who the culprit was.
"Headmaster, what might I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" He smiled to me kindly.
"You have taken the potion." He spoke in a tone that made his words a statement and naught in the form of a question. I clenched my jaw; he has the worst timing, honestly. I did not wish to deal with explanations to him now.
"Yes…" I trailed off quietly failing to see where the man wished to go with this, and with Albus in particular, one could never be too careful.
"Mmm, I have guessed as much. It seems you are still breathing so… Might I assume that everything has gone well?" His words spoke in complete contrast of what his facial expression was screaming at me… All of my years at full practice of occlumency, of how careful I was, this man read me without needing to know what was inside my mind. He knew… Damn him.
"You might say that." I decided to play his little game, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He looked over his spectacles at me and then fiddled with something on my desk pretending to look at it.
"It is nice of you to have helped Ms. Granger, Severus. Perhaps you no longer find her such an impudent pain, then?"
"I never-" He held up his hand for me to stop and I complied. He smiled.
"I know Severus. I do believe that I know your antics by this time. You ADMIRE the girls mind, not abhor her like you attempt to make people think. In fact, she reminds me a bit of a younger, more female version of you, in a way." I clenched my jaw, and was preparing myself for a witty retort when he again held up his hand to silence me. "I understand, I am delving into areas in which are unnecessary."
"Yes, you are." He suppressed a laugh and started to turn from me.
"I apologize for my intrusion, I do know how you feel about people getting into your personal affairs, but if you ever need to tell me anything, feel free to do just that, and I will give my word not to over react to what ever it is you might say." With that he walked out of the room and I stared after him. Strange, strange man… I sighed. He knew that something had happened though I don't think he knew exactly what had happened precisely. If this potion effect hasn't worn off by morning I would have to tell him then. I shuddered, what happens if it is permanent? I quickly pushed the though from my mind, I couldn't afford for that to happen, I must go back to normal… I just simply must.
After about an hour I gave up on the hopeless mess of assignment papers on my desk and then headed to my quarters; I arrived there thankfully without interruption. Once I finally closed the doors behind me, I removed the illusion, gulped down a small dose of dreamless sleep potion, flopped down into my large cushy bed and promptly fell asleep.
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I woke with an incredible headache, and brought my fingers to the bridge of my nose. Oh hell, why me? In immediate regret I forced myself to sit up, and then after a minute or two of properly put and choice curses, I swung my feet over the bed. I took a deep breath to help myself concentrate on the task of standing, trying to ignore the searing pain within my skull, and before I knew it, I was doing precisely that-standing. Of course it had taken me a moment of holding onto the wall for the sudden wave of dizziness to pass, but I was standing. Good, now for the cabinet… Slowly I made my way for hit, opened it and then took out my bottle of 'Mi-gone for Migraines' stupidly titled, the most horridly wretched thing you will ever taste, and the most brilliant thing ever concocted since the creation of the cauldron…. And… The bloody bottle was empty of every last damned drop of the bloody substance. Bloody Hell. Just like the idiot that I can be, I slammed the cabinet door shut and a sharp piercing pain reverberated throughout my entire brain. Oh bloody hell, if THAT wasn't the most brilliant thing to have ever done… Brilliant Severus, just plain brilliant…
I sighed as I quickly put on my robe and started slowly and scotching along the wall, with a few breathers in between, for Poppy's. When in short supply of necessary potions for ones health, sweet talk the local mediwitch for more. Perfect plan really. After a very long, long, long walk, I finally reached her door. As I had become closer each step I took seemed to make my head explode in a new wave of pain. I stared at her door a moment trying to figure out the time, but my head… Oh my head… Giving up on THAT thought, I proceeded to knock… Ouch. Please let her answer… I did not wish to have to knock again; a single one was enough of a harsh sound upon my ears.
Soon I heard a fumbling behind the door and then it opened slowly, revealing a night clad Poppy, something I could have done without seeing, but hey, for emergency sake… She yawned and looked at me skeptically a moment. "There something I could do for you?" I winced. Every word she spoke felt like a sharp blow to my head. This migraine was getting worse and worse with every passing minute.
"Poppy" my voice cracked and was low even for me. My legs started to give out and I quickly put my hand on the wall, squeezing my eyes shut as I waited for the strange nauseating fuzzy feeling in my head to leave. It didn't but instead became stronger, so I chose to speak again. This was worse than just a migraine, something was seriously wrong with me. "Poppy… I need… I…" I groaned. Oh hell… The fuzzy feeling suddenly had started to tingle into numbness that started to spread throughout my body and colors started to swirl together in front of my eyes, blurring together in a kaleidoscope effect. A strange monstrous came from Poppy, she was probably talking as this is what my logic told me, instead of the slow overly exaggerated guttural sounds I heard, but in truth it was hard for me to tell at the time. I suddenly felt something bump me in the shoulder and I noticed just briefly that I was on the floor before the colors started to darken into blackness, which soon consumed my vision entirely.