Chapter 44: A Visit from Poppy

Snape awoke slowly. His head was pounding and he wondered what he and Hagrid had drunk that night before. He figured this was the worst hangover he ever had; his head felt like it had been squeezed by a vice and his brains had slowly leaked out. He moved a little but his body was in a similar painful situation. He hissed.

"Well, I'm glad you're finally awake," A warm feminine voice said.

"Hmmm," He slowly opened his eyes, getting them used to light in the room. At first he wondered where he was but then he recognized his own bedroom. He wondered why was it so bright in there? Then he noticed that the school nurse had placed extra lights in the room. He closed his eyes again.

Madame Pomfrey asked, "What happened here?"

"Nothing much," he opened his eyes and gave her a stern look but he could tell by her reaction it was weak.

She frowned, "It's not everyday a professor is almost beat to death."

He snorted and winced at the slight pain in side, "Beat to death, unlikely. A bit of an exaggeration, eh Poppy."

"Two black eyes, three broken ribs, a bad concussion, fractured jaw, punctured lung, with bruises and cuts everywhere. And you broke your nose again," she huffed, taking his temperature.

She seemed to be waiting for something but Snape wasn't going to tell her anything. After all, what he did in own bedroom with apprentice was no body's business; he suppressed a snort, thinking that he would hurt himself again. She huffed, "You would have died if Harry hadn't come and got me. You could have bled to death."

Snape decided to try a change of topic but was surprised about how worried his voice sounded coming out, "Where's Harry?"

"He's fine. He's fine. He's in the other room. Reading," She answered, a bit annoyed, but continued checked his injuries.

He said unsure, "He's really reading."

She sighed, "No. He's worried about you. He's pretending to read or trying to read. I'm not sure which."

He asked, "How much is he moping? Is he like before?"

"He's talking and moving but he still won't look at me but he is better than before when he wouldn't leave the bed," She murmured, checking his pulse. Then she stopped and looked in the eyes, looking for some answer she knew he wouldn't tell him, "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

He grumbled, "What did Harry say?"

She glared, clearly angry. "He said you were hurt. He said he hurt you."

He blinked a few times, what would be the proper answer to that, "As you can see, he did."

"But why?" She asked as she continued checking him over.

He answered, "Ask Harry?"

"He won't tell. No, I take that back, he can't tell me. Every time he opens his mouth, he starts crying and staring at the floor, muttering he's sorry," she said, sounding dejected. She sat down on the bed next to him, glaring at him.

He frowned, he knew she wouldn't let up until she got some answers whether he wanted to tell her or not. He decided to placate her, "Hmm. Well, I see no point in denying it. Harry hit me."

"Very funny." she rolled her eyes.

He sighed, "I decided he had enough of the bed. After talking to you for a week and a brief chat with me. I decided he needed a bit of a shake up. So I said some very cruel things."

"Cruel things. What the hell did you say to him?" she screamed at him.

He frowned, "I don' think you really want to know."

She stood up and paced the room, "What is wrong with you? After all he has been though."

"Madame Pomfrey, Harry is walking, talking, and not ignoring our prescience. As cruel as the things I said, it did result in the effects I was going for," he said sternly.

She stopped pacing an looked at him closely. She whispered, "He could have tried to kill himself again. He could have killed you."

He knew that was true and he was worried about that fact himself,, feeling sick to his stomach. He was such a basterd. He sulked, "But I'm fine and so is he."

"Severus…"

"No, I'm fine," he cut her off, "Now get out and send Harry in on your way out."

"But…"

He cut her off again and said silkily, "I believe you heard me."

"I may have heard you but I'm not leaving," she huffed.

He looked at her pointedly. He needed her out of her, he needed to be alone with Harry. He wanted the boy to trust him again. He had fix the gab that was between them because of what he told him.

She tolf him, "You're injured."

"Then fix it and leave," he said coldly.

Her lips thinned in way that reminded him of Professor McGonagal. She said, "I did fix it but because of your concussion. You need to be watched for complications."

"I doubt that it is needed," he lazily flecked at his bedding as he wasn't bothered at all and he percense annoyed him.

She sneered, "Do you realize that you almost died?"

"But I didn't," he answered innocently.

Her cheeks reddened but she did say calmly, "I can't leave you. You need to be supervised."

He had to get her out but how? Then he smiled at her because of his plan. He said amused, "Go back to your infirmary. Harry will watch over me."

"What?" she snarled, he briefly wondered if that was the first time he had ever seen her so angry. But continued listening to her when she continued. "After what you did, he won't want to talk to you."

He said dejectedly. "I really don't care. I am his master. He will do what I say."

She looked at him as if he was mad.

He told her. "Poppy. I'm a bit sore and would like to go back to sleep but before you go I would like to talk to him."

She swallowed a few times and he could tell she was thinking this over. She looked him over and then slowly nodded. She slowly walked over to the door.

That was when Snape knew he had won and she was going to do as he asked. He was delighted in the trust she was showing him but he could help to give a "helpful" jib. He smirked, "Oh, and of course, I want you to leave."