Well, this chapter took a little (okay, a lot) longer than I meant it to. Especially such a short chapter. Blaming it on a combination of 1. A very bad cold, 2. A case of mild food poisoning, and 3. Five and a half bloody feet of snow that I spent five out of eight days of my spring break shoveling. Not that I'm complaining, we need the moisture and all, but really . . . Not to mention my little sisters got almost the whole week off from school . . . *grumble* It was supposed to be my spring break....
*sigh* I've noticed that the number of reviews I've been getting is beginning to drop. Is the story getting boring? *worry* I'm just trying to put in a bit of an interlude before we get to the main plot, but I can hurry it along if readers think it's getting dull. But thanks loads for all the reviews I've gotten so far! Tell me what you want to see! (My muse craves feedback and has threatened to begin chewing on my toes if I don't feed him more . . .)
Why in Merlin's name did I agree to take that multi-personalitied, little snip of a girl to Hogsmeade? Snape stared gloomily at the dungeon wall. And now I can't let her out of my sight, Poppy Pomfrey's orders.
It was only a few days after Kerri had finally woken up, a week and a half since the Death Eater had shown up on Hogwarts grounds. A week and a half and she was still not up to full strength. Yet she had declared that she was going to go crazy if she didn't get out of the infirmary soon. He had been barely able to keep himself from informing her that she was definitely not going to go crazy; after all, she was already there.
His gloomy stare turned into one of annoyance. Well, she was most certainly there but she wasn't here. Bloody little fool! Why is it my bad luck that I have to play babysitter for her when she can't even manage to be on time? He shifted his attention to the small clock on his office wall. She was a good fifteen minutes late with no sign that she was going to show up any time soon. She was probably in her room, playing with her cats, having completely lost track of time. And I have to put up with her and keep an eye on her, even if she switches to her 'I hate Severus Snape' personality. He groaned. Someone do me the favor of putting her out of my misery!
He refused to think about the week he had spent at her bedside and that he had actually allowed himself to feel a measure of concern for the girl. His blasted overblown sense of responsibility! First it had made him save Potter's worthless hide, now he was feeling guilty having not kept a better eye on Kerri. If only he could be as heartless as his students imagined him. Or at least less honorable.
He sighed and rubbed his temples. Bugger it all. As if he didn't have enough going on to make his life miserable. With that thought on his mind, he glanced uneasily at his left arm. He had yet to hear from Voldemort this term, and it was making him edgy. After his last visit to the Dark Lord, he knew what was in store for him, and it wasn't going to be pleasant. Unless something happened soon to prevent it, he was liable to end up in St. Mungo's with Longbottom's parents. He noticed his hands were trembling, and quickly clenched them into fists to stop the tremors. I'm not going to be able to do this much longer. Not after that Death Eater attack. Not with her around. I think I might . . .
A sudden noise made him glance up, relieved that his thoughts had been interrupted . Hurried footsteps echoed down the hall outside his office. That could only be one person. Pulling his robes around him, he stood and strode to the door. Just what he needed to take his mind off things. Taking a moment to listen to the footsteps, he mentally began a countdown. 3 . . 2. . 1 . . Now! He put on his best annoyed expression and yanked the door open.
Kerri had indeed been playing with her cats and lost track of time. Having not seen her in over a week, they had demanded immediate attention, the more the better, now, if you don't mind, of course you don't, thank you very much, may I have some food with that? And having not seen them in over a week, how could she refuse? So she had showered them with the required attention until she looked up and saw that she was late. With apologies to all her cats, she had grabbed her cloak and satchel (with Willow attached) before rushing out the door.
Despite the voice in the very back of her head that kept whispering: -It's just Professor Snape. Make him wait. What can he do? He deserves to wait, -the years of trying to please people kicked in. She took the stairs down to the dungeons in sets of three, nearly losing her balance several times. By the time she made it to his office, her side was one huge mass of pain, and her breath was coming in ragged gasps. She didn't much like the idea of facing him in that condition, so she leant forward to lean against the door and catch her breath. However, just as her palms touched the rough wood, the door swung open and she tumbled into the room. A situation that wouldn't have been nearly so bad if it someone hadn't caught her before she hit the ground. And, unfortunately, she could tell immediately who it was. Only one person could turn the action of catching someone into an insult. She winced and looked up into a pair of extremely annoyed black eyes.
Well, this is a very interesting situation . Oh yes. Very, very, interesting indeed. . . Bugger.
"Adding insult to injury, Miss Harper?" Snape grated out when he finally got his voice back. He hadn't expected her to lean against the door rather than knock. He pushed her to her feet and released her, not bothering to see if she'd gotten her balance back before snapping, "Or perhaps you're enjoying collapsing in my arms?" He blinked as the words left his mouth. Oh Merlin, did I just say what I think I said? I haven't been this horrible since Miss Granger got hit by that tooth curse.
"S-sorry." She stuttered, stumbling back. "I-I just lost track of time and I was in a hurry, so . . ." She trailed off, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Snape sighed and decided, for once in his life, this was not an opportunity worth pursuing. "Stop apologizing, Miss Harper." he said dully, "That remark was uncalled for, even for me. We've all been through a lot in the last few days, and my patience has been stretched to the breaking point. I'm sorry that I lashed out at you."
Discomfort turned to pure shock in an instant. Kerri could only stand there and gape at the man in utter disbelief. An apology? An outright apology? From Professor Snape? It was impossible, unheard of. It took her several tries to gasp out, "A-a-apology accepted?"
They stood there in silence, eyeing each other warily, as if expecting an attack. Snape, trying to decide if he should bother to be insulted; Kerri, praying that he wasn't going to get mad and refuse to go get potion ingredients. A split second before either of them thought of something to say, Willow stuck his head out of Kerri's satchel and voiced his displeasure at being stuck in such a dark place. All of her attention was immediately transferred to the little ball of fur as she carefully dug him out of the bag hanging at her side. By the time she got him calmed down, Snape was already halfway out the door. "P-professor! Wait for me!"
Snape slowed his pace by a fraction, but declined to answer. He was under more stress than he had realized. The arrival of the Death Eater had shaken him badly. Not only the fact that one had managed to get onto Hogwarts grounds unnoticed, but that he had not been told. Even though Dumbledore refused to voice his suspicions as to why the Death Eater was there, Snape knew. It was Voldemort's way of saying, You see this, Severus Snape? You're next, traitor. He shuddered slightly. The summons would be coming soon.
"-fessor? Professor Snape!" Kerri's worried voice broke through his despairing fog. He realized that he had stopped dead in his tracks sometime in the midst of his thoughts. This wouldn't do. He couldn't afford to show weakness in front of anyone, let alone her. He forced his voice to sound steady and snapped, "No need to scream in my ear, Miss Harper. I was only thinking about what I was planning to do with the wizard who decided to saddle me with someone like you."
"Actually, that would be me, Severus." Snape looked up to see Dumbledore staring at him thoughtfully. "I was just coming down to see you. May I speak with you for a moment?" He smiled apologetically at Kerri. "It won't take very long, Miss Harper. I know how eager you are to get out and about."
Kerri smiled faintly and went to talk to the portraits as Dumbledore pulled Snape to the other side of the hall. Once they were out of earshot, Dumbledore turned to Snape, eyes twinkling. "Severus, correct me if I'm wrong, but asking the general universe what you did to deserve someone doesn't really fall under the category of making her feel welcome, does it?"
Snape sighed and muttered, "Albus, I can't do this." He looked up at the older man who immediately dropped all traces of cheerfulness at the despairing look. "I can't. You know why that Death Eater was here. If Voldemort trusted me, he would have told me to dispose of her. And those he doesn't trust, he kills, or tortures, or maims, or-" He got a hold of himself, took a deep breath and continued, "All she's doing is making it harder to bear. She thinks I killed her parents, Albus. I didn't, you know I didn't, but every time I face her hate, I have to remember all those I did kill. Every time she glares at me, it's like facing the eyes of everyone I ever hurt. And now I'm going back to him, to do who knows what else, or suffer and die at his hands." He noticed, vaguely, that his hands were shaking again. "I can't do this."
Dumbledore stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So you're saying that there are only three solutions to this problem." He ticked them off on his fingers. "One, Voldemort is killed. Two, you sever all ties with him. However, neither of these solves the problem of your guilty conscience. Hence we turn to solution number three, which is the removal of Miss Harper from Hogwarts. Am I correct?"
Snape nodded and answered faintly. "Yes."
"Hmm. Well, I'm afraid I can't manage any of those solutions at the moment. However!" The Headmaster grinned widely. "I do have a fourth solution, which I believe is much more attainable, and so thus we shall set our sights on that."
"I'm afraid that part of it requires that I not tell you, Severus. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that."
"How long will it take?"
"That depends upon your actions, and those of Miss Harper. But I think that you've already achieved the first part of the solution, if that sets your mind at ease."
It, of course, didn't even come near to setting anything at ease, but since Dumbledore seemed so sure of himself, Snape decided to drop the subject. He was just about to excuse himself when Dumbledore asked, "Out of curiosity, why are you going to Hogsmeade and not Diagon Alley? The potion ingredients are of a much higher quality at the Apothecary than anywhere in Hogsmeade."
Snape's normal sarcastic smirk, though slightly strained, returned to his face. "Oh, I have my reasons."
"Pray, enlighten me, Severus."
"One, Hogmeade is closer, and I don't think Poppy would react well to me hauling her patient along on a cross-England jaunt. Two, Diagon Alley is much more crowded, and I don't want Miss Harper wandering off. And three, the Apothecary is much too near to the Magical Menagerie, and she really doesn't need a half dozen more cats. I'll only go to Diagon Alley with her as a last resort."
"Well then!" Dumbledore looked impressed, "That's quite the case you've got there. At least you needn't worry about the cat thing. I've been told that she hasn't bought one of them. They're mostly strays she befriended while she was with the Aurors." He chuckled. "Or rather, I should say that she snuck them food, so they moved in. Cats will do that, as you might know."
"Hmph." Snape glanced out the window. "The sun is getting rather far in the sky. I'll need to go now if I'm planning to be back by dinner." He made a face. "If I'm not back by then, assume one of us has throttled the other." He nodded a farewell to Dumbledore and swept off down the hall. Alerted by the paintings, Kerri scurried off after him, annoyance written all over her face.
Still chuckling, the headmaster watched them go. "I don't know if they'll figure it out." he mused aloud. "I think it's rather obvious, but it is hard to see a solution if you're part of the problem. Harder still if one refuses to admit to the solution. But I do think that they see a little of themselves in each other. That's probably why she agreed to tell him her past, when she's not told anyone else. Probably also the only reason they aren't completely at each others throats. As for the solution . . ." He trailed off and glanced up at the paintings who were listening attentively, and trying very hard to make it look like they weren't. Hiding a smile, he announced, "I think I'll have some lemon drops now," and strolled off, humming.