Chapter Three - Too much wine
Snape really should have known better than to let Bellatrix take off with all that booze. She spent the rest of the night raving drunk, throwing things around and breaking his entire china collection before returning to the study where she threw up most of the contents of her stomach all over his leather couch and Deadly Potions book.
Snape let her sleep in it for the night before tiptoeing into the study and clearing away the mess with a flick of his wand.
Carefully he felt Bellatrix's forehead. It was burning up.
Bellatrix woke up with a start and half-heartedly pushed him away.
'Gerrof me.' she muttered. Attempting to sit up, she clutched her head suddenly and moaned, sinking back into the couch.
'Here.' Snape procured a small vial of potion from his pocket that he had brewed that morning. Unplugging it, Bellatrix watched suspiciously as a cool fragrant mist floated up and wound its way gracefully around the study.
'Drink this.'
'What is it? You're not trying poison me are you?' Bellatrix would have argued further if she had had the energy, but she didn't struggle when Snape hissed 'Drink!' and forced the vile into her mouth. 'It will help.'
A smooth, cool feeling flooded her senses and cleared her head. She was still sucking on the end of the vial like a greedy baby when Snape pulled it out of her mouth and popped the lid back on it. She glared at him through half-opened eyes for a while, and then the most amazing thing happened.
'Thanks.' She muttered, and flopped back onto the sofa suddenly in a heavy drowse.
Snape shook his head. The poor woman obviously did not take to drinking well, this thanking was very out of character.
'All right, Bellatrix. It will take a a few hours for the potion to do its work, until then you will be rendered immobile. And then you should be up and demolishing my study again.'
He wasn't sure that she was fully concious now as she did not respond. Picking her up, he cradled her in his arms and carried her to the spare room down the end of the hall where he gently placed her on the bed and quickly sponged her forehead, his hand tingling every time thier skin met.
She was dozing now.
'Sleep tight, Bella.' Snape whispered. Unable to resist it, perhaps taking advantage of his situation, he swiftly kissed her forehead, her nose, her sleeping mouth and her strong, jutted chin before he quitted the room.
PR&R/rigamortis.