Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, so clap your hands! (clap, clap!)
J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, so clap your hands! (clap, clap!)
J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, and ya know I don't, you rotter!
J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, so clap your hands! (clap, clap!)
Comments
XiaoGui: Thanks for all the quick reviews!
Q-BriarXJade-Q: Well, I have a person who's kinda like my beta (but she doesn't want me to call her "my beta"), but I appreciate your kind offer!
Silver Sorceress: Yes, after a hard day, there's nothing Snape would enjoy more than snuggling into his pillows!
kidarock: Poor Severus indeed! I'll try not to hurt him a lot!
Rikki8879: Gryffindors play dirty! Well, only sometimes, but they play dirty! :)
Quill of Minerva: I'm sure Dumbledore will have to watch out for those attacking shirts!
Aurinko: Thanks for your comments, and here's the next chapter!
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, I love you all! I had dance all day today (Saturday), so I'm sorry this is being posted so late!
Sorry guys, this is a short chapter!
saiyanwizardgurl
Chapter 6: It's All Potter's Fault!
Eleven hours later, the door to Severus Snape's private quarters shut with a snap! The Potions Master sighed deeply and snuggled closer to his pillow. And people say Slytherins are sneaky. Trust Gryffindors to be the real deceivers.
Snape had spent the day in bed listening to McGonagall and Dumbledore talk about…well, everything: work, problems with Dolores Umbridge, students, classes, complaints made about Dolores Umbridge, Quidditch, the war, and reasons why the Transfigurations teacher hated Dolores Umbridge. The Potions Master quite enjoyed listening to the witch and wizard, but he kept dozing off. McGonagall and Dumbledore did not seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, they seemed quite pleased that Snape was taking a break from his usual schedule. The headmaster once again offered the younger wizard an opportunity to eat something around lunchtime, and the Potions Master once again declined the offer. Before leaving, McGonagall reminded him of their threat to stuff him with food. After mumbling a farewell to McGonagall and Dumbledore, Snape closed his eyes and sighed in exhaustion.
To tell the truth, Snape was more than exhausted. In addition to his entire body being sore, he felt that all the energy had been drained from every muscle. He flexed the fingers of his left hand and felt his entire arm strain from the movement. He sighed again. The Potions Master had been perfectly content with lying where he was all day, floating in and out of a blissful sleep, but he knew he had to get up. He had papers to grade, potions to brew, and there was a chance that Voldemort would summon the Death Eaters for another meeting.
Snape tried to roll over so he could get up, but his body did not want to listen to him today. "All right, Severus," he mumbled to himself, "I'm gonna count to three," he yawned, "and you're gonna get up. One…two…three!"
Nothing. Oh, screw that!
Since the Potions Master was fairly certain that he would not be going anywhere anytime soon, he had time to brood on why he was in such a horrible condition. Reason one: last night's meeting with the Dark Lord. The meeting had lasted three hours, which was much longer than usual. It was the second meeting since the ten Azkaban escapees had returned to Voldemort, and he was eager to utilize his faithful servants in a ministry attack. Severus had not heard too much of the plans since he was a part of another mission, but he now knew that the attack would happen sometime before the end of the school year. This was much sooner than the Dark Lord had planned, but the return of Bellatrix Lestrange and the others would make it possible.
Reason two: Longbottom blowing up his cauldron during Potions…again. Honestly, the boy was hopeless. One might think that his aptitude for Herbology would help in his brewing of potions, but he continued to blunder. Just one more year, Severus, he thought. Only one more year and the dunderhead will give up on your class! And another year and Weasley will be gone! Granger will stick with it, seeing as she must be Pretty Miss Perfect Prefect. And Potter…POTTER!
There was reason three. It's all Potter's fault! He had to look…he…he had to…to…look…and…and bring that up again. As if I don't think about it enough every day. I only have to remember every time I look at him!
At that moment, the memory came rushing back like a flood. Potter and Black torturing him, turning him upside down. Pettigrew lurking behind the scenes, sniggering with the rest of the on-looking students. Prefect Lupin under a tree, pretending to read and ignoring his friends doing something wrong. Lily standing up for him. Him calling her a Mudblood in return. Potter preparing to strip him naked. Someone shouting, "Teacher approaching!" Being dropped on his face. Scrambling up, grabbing his bag, and running off into the Forbidden Forest. Tripping on a tree root and falling on his face again. Lying on the forest floor for hours, falling in and out of sleep. Not shedding a single tear.
The memory was more than he could handle at the moment, and Snape felt like throwing up again. He got up quickly and rushed into the bathroom, leaning over the sink in case he had to puke his guts out. Fortunately, all he managed was a huge coughing fit (his stomach was probably empty). Breathing heavily, he stumbled back to his bed and threw himself on it again, letting the coolness of the sheets rub against his warm skin. He looked at the clock on his bedside table, which read 7:23 pm. The Potions Master fumbled around for his pillow and pulled it to his chest, squeezing it in a hug.
A sudden burst of pain shot through Snape's left arm. He flinched as he felt it spread through his arm, but quickly put on an expressionless face. He was way too accustomed to this type of pain to be hindered too much by it. He got up quickly and put on a shirt, his robes, and his thick black cloak. As he was still a bit tired, Snape stumbled out of his rooms, into his office, and out into the dungeon hallway.
Fortunately, he met no students or teachers in the hallways. A second, more persistent pain burst through his arm, and the Potions Master winced ever-so-slightly. "All right, you old gargoyle, I'm coming!" As he passed the Great Hall, Snape's vision began to get blurry and his right knee began to give. "Oh, not now! Severus, suck it up! You can collapse and die after this meeting!"
The large oak front doors burst open, sending in a wave of cold air that blew in the Potions Master's face. Snape stumbled out onto the lawn, grateful that he met no one (and nothing). When he reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the Potions Master turned around and stared at the castle. The gentle flickering lights seen from each window and the inundation of soft moonlight made the castle look as if it was glowing. It was so beautiful at night. Hoping that this would not be the last time he ever laid eyes upon the Hogwarts grounds, Snape retreated into the forest to Apparate.
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