Chapter Ten
It was more then twelve hours since Alex has passed out. Snape has whisked her back to Hogwarts, before the Order was even done fighting. She was immediately set up in the hospital wing, where Poppy did all she could to stabilize her. It seemed that the reason Alex wouldn't wake up was because her body was repairing itself from the damage. Everyone just hoped that with Poppy speeding up the process, Alex wouldn't be out much longer.
Snape was finally forced to leave Alex's bedside that afternoon, to go get something to eat and some rest for himself. Lia took his spot at her bedside but it wasn't long before Alex came to.
"It's about time you woke up." Lia grinned, happy to see her friend awake. Alex frowned, slightly disorientated from sleep and from being in pain.
"How long was I out?" she asked, her eyes settling on Lia, who was sitting next to her bed.
"Almost sixteen hours." Lia said, glancing down at her watch. Alex struggled to sit up but gasped as pain shot through her side.
"Careful" Lia warned and helped Alex prop herself up with her back leaning against a pile of pillows.
"Thank you." Alex sighed, leaning back. "What happened last night?" Lia frowned. Poppy had explained that Alex might not remember much of what happened because of the shock of the situation.
"Well how much do you remember?" Lia asked. Alex frowned and took a moment to try and filter through her thoughts.
"I remember being in a house and then Scott took me to Voldemort. He tried to get me to tell what I knew about the Order but I refused. I don't remember much after that except that Scott was about to kill Severus. Is he okay?" Alex asked, worriedly. She remembered waking up to see Scott pointing his wand at Snape, but everything else was a blur.
"Severus is fine, Alex. More worried about you then anything else. It was hard enough trying to get him away from your side." Lia assured her.
Alex nodded, relieved that he was ok. "But what about Scott? Did he get away?" Lia looked at her, not really knowing how to tell her what happened.
"Alex, Scott is dead." She said. "You killed him in order to save Severus." Alex leaned back into her pillows, now remembering what had happened.
"He was going to kill him but I saw Severus' wand laying close by. Scott wasn't paying attention to me as I made my way over. I couldn't let Scott kill him." Alex explained.
"You don't have to explain that to me, Alex. You did good." Lia said, wrapping her arms around her friend. Although Alex has been working undercover and had gone against many death eaters, she never once had to kill one of them. She usually just stunned them and brought them to trial. Then again, no one had ever messed with someone she loved.
"So Severus is okay then?" Alex asked again, to reassure herself.
"For the most part, yes. He ended up revealing himself as a spy though." Lia reminded her. This was a loss to the Order, since now they had no one on the inside to reveal Voldemort's plans.
"Is he an idiot?" Alex exclaimed, sitting up straighter.
"He did it for you. According to him, if you had followed his plan you would have never been through this."
"What plan?" Alex asked confused on what she was talking about.
"I'm not supposed to tell you this but the reason that Severus never said anything when you told him that you loved him, was so that you would leave. He wanted to make sure you would be safe back in the United States, working as a teacher. He refused to let himself love you in order to protect you against Voldemort. I guess it didn't work out too well." Lia explained.
"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of." Alex declared, not wanting to believe what she was being told. Snape actually loved her but he purposely denied it?!
"He did it to protect you. You know the necklace he gave you?" Lia said gesturing to the jewelry that hung around her neck. Alex nodded, fingering the charm that hung on the chain. "Well, that's actually a protection charm. If you are close enough in vicinity, it summons him when you are in danger. Severus ran into the room just as Scott apparated with you."
"I don't understand why he would do this?" Alex stated, severely confused. She had just become accustomed to the thought that Snape wasn't in love with her. Now was she supposed to believe that he was?
"I don't know either. But he does care about you even though it may not seem like he does." Lia assured her. It was then that both women glanced towards the hospital wing entrance and saw Snape standing there, glaring at them.
"Severus! I thought you were getting some rest." Lia exclaimed, startled to see him. She had a feeling that he had been there for awhile.
"I was told that Alexandra had awakened but it seems that I should have waited so you two could have your gossip session." He said moving forward. He did, in fact, hear a good part of the conversation. Enough to know that it had been about him and his feelings for Alex. Lia really did need to learn how to keep her nose out of his business.
"I see. Well, I need to get going. Sirius is attempting at putting together a crib without the use of magic. He has probably torn the room apart by now." Lia said causally, rising from the chair. As she passed by Snape, she paused, "just tell her the truth." Snape frowned at her but moved to stand next to the bed as the door closed behind her.
"I thought this might help." Snape said, handing Alex a small vial of pepper-up potion. She smiled thankfully and quickly drank it, surprised at its unusually pleasant taste.
"I added in some flavoring to hide the bitterness. Consider yourself privileged." he smirked. He purposely left out the flavoring for the students. Especially for the ones who used the potion for getting over a night of partying.
"Thank you." Alex said, placing the empty bottle on the bedside table. She could already feel it starting to take effect, lifting her spirits a bit.
"How are you feeling?" Snape asked, taking a seat at the chair that Lia had vacated.
"Like I have been hit with the Cruciatus a couple of times." She retorted, grinning slightly. He gave her a hard look. "I am fine, Severus. A little sore but nothing life threatening."
"Good." He stated, relieved to know that she was healing well. Snape had been worried about her but he would die before he admitted that aloud to anyone.
"Why did you do it?" Alex asked, clearly talking about him giving up his identity as a spy. "I am not worth that big of a sacrifice. Not when there is so much more at stake."
"Don't be absurd. I only regret not stepping forward sooner."
"Severus..." Alex said but he quickly cut her off.
"No. You listen to me, Alexandra. You are too good to die at the hands of Riddle. You have so much more to live for then for your life to be sacrificed in this war."
"And like you don't?" Alex cried out. "You have made the ultimate sacrifice for us all. You have risked your life everyday by pretending to be a follower of Voldemort."
"Do not try and make a saint out of me. I have done more terrible things then you could ever imagine."
"That person is not you! You are different then everyone that was at that meeting last night, Severus." She told him.
"Oh and how is that?"
"You care about people."
"Sorry to disappoint you but the only person I care about is myself." Snape declared.
"Are you saying that you were willing to die for me, but you don't give a damn about me?" Alex demanded to know. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"
"What do you wish me to say? That I madly and deeply in love with you?" he questioned.
"If that is the truth, then yes!"
"Then the truth is, is that I am in love with you and have been since you turned by bloody classroom pink!" Severus blurted out, not realizing at first what he was saying. Both of them just froze, astonished at the revelation.
"Severus..." but all she received was a door slamming closed as he quickly exited the room. Snape had just admitted to her that he was in love with her. And what does he do? He flees the room. Snape paused farther down the hallway. He could go back and explain everything. Tell her everything about how he felt. But no, they both needed time. Admitting this one thing was enough for one day and he headed back down to the dungeons to mull over the day's events and revelations. But what Snape didn't know was that back in the hospital wing, Alex was sobbing...but not out of sadness but happiness and relief.
Next chapter: An order meeting and Alex confronts her boss about the entire incident...he is NOT going to be happy!!!
Wow! Some big revelations, huh? It's about time!!! Hehe. Anyway please review.