Potions: What would a Girl do without it?

By Slave4severus

Disclaimer: I do not own any of JKR's work….does anyone ever read these disclaimers?

One minute Severus Snape was standing, and in the next ….he found himself sitting in his office, grading another batch of horridly written third year essays. His quill scratched viciously over the parchment in harsh contrast to the deafening silence. During a particular scathing comment a barely audible knock sounded at the door, which he strategically ignored.

'Venomous snake scales are not comparable to garden snake scales. Rewrite this drivel and resubmit it along with two rolls of parchment on venomous snakes and their properties to potions…'

The knocking on the door grew more insistent. "Enter," he said tersely and resumed his grading as the interruption moved to stand a few paces away from his desk. He finished the last sentence and looked up through his limp tresses at a second year Slytherin.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Mr. Smyth?"

"Professor Snape, there has been an incident by the lake…"

Severus stared.

"Well, do not keep me in suspense any longer, Mr. Smyth," his voice tinged with a sarcastic edge.

"It is about Draco Malfoy, sir…" the boy shifted uncomfortably.

Severus' mood was darkening by the second. "Mr. Smyth, if you would care to get to the point within the next five seconds, I am quite busy."

"Sir, he was thrown into the lake."

He glared at the boy. "So Mr. Malfoy has accidentally gotten his robes wet, and all activity has to cease in the castle. I do not see how this is of any importance."

"But, sir, he was pushed in…"

"Mr. Smyth, I do not have the patience for these types of interruptions. You are excused."

The boy looked fearfully at his Head of House; however, having been sent by a seventh year Prefect, he felt the need to press on. "But Professor Snape, he was pushed off of his broom by that new Gryffindor. It took him over an hour to reach the shore."

Severus pierced the boy with an unfathomable black stare. "What?"

Finally having gotten the Potions Master's attention, the boy continued his halting explanation. "We didn't know anything was wrong, sir, until the Gryffindors vacated the Pitch for tryouts. When we couldn't find Draco anywhere, Blaise Zabini went looking for him, sir. He had just gotten out of the lake when I came upon them, and Blaise asked me to fetch you right away," he finished, taking a steadying breath.

Severus rose from his seat stepping from his desk and striding to the door of his office, ushering his pupil out before him. "Where is Miss Flint?" he asked coldly as he swiftly walked down the dungeon corridor. The boy had to speed up considerably to keep up with him.

"She's gone, sir," he panted slightly.

Severus stopped abruptly and turned so fast his neck popped uncomfortably. "Explain yourself," he hissed darkly.

"She pushed him off of his broom over the lake, and then flew off with it. She stole his Firebolt, sir." He emphasized the last part with indignation, the loss of the broom more important than the loss of the girl.

Severus squashed any lingering thoughts he may have had about their 'encounter,' his hard, calculating mind running through various thought processes before coming to a halting conclusion.

She found what she had been looking for, and now the little gutter snipe was returning to her master. The question was, who was it?

"Where is Mr. Malfoy?"

"They were taking him to the infirmary, sir."

"That will be all, Mr. Smyth, you are dismissed," Severus rose from the dungeons, his jaw firmly set. His long strides were devouring the distance to the Hospital wing, which he reached in record time. Upon entering the double doors, he spotted Mr. Zabini standing to the side of an occupied hospital bed.

"Mr. Zabini, I expect you to come by my office in thirty minutes," he looked at him meaningfully, received a curt nod from the Slytherin and moved toward the hospital bed, and a dishevelled Draco Malfoy. Severus tried to hide a smirk. The Malfoy heir had never look this ruffled before, his hair having lost the usual sleek look, curling slightly after a hasty drying spell from the medi-witch, no doubt. His lips had a blue tinge to them, curled in a pain and rage filled snarl while Madam Pomfrey tried to ply him with an angry red Liquid Lava potion.

"What happened, Mr. Malfoy?" he clipped, standing at the foot of the bed.

"What happened!" Draco rasped. "The bloody bitch threw me off my broom, that's what happened!"

"Control yourself, Mr. Malfoy" Severus spat nastily, while Madam Pomfrey huffed indignantly. Draco stared up at his Head of House, snatching the vial from the nurse and downing its contents.

"Mr. Malfoy! You were to sip the potion and not drink it in one go!" Madam Pomfrey admonished, not so gently fluffing his pillow and tightening the blankets around his body. If looks could kill, Draco Malfoy would have committed murder. The tell tale sound of the floo announced the Headmaster's arrival, stopping Madam Pomfrey's pinched expression and harsh bedside manner.

Severus regarded Dumbledore with an unreadable expression as he joined them at Draco's bedside. "Severus, I have just heard the news," he said gravely and turned toward the student. "How are you feeling Draco?"

Before Draco could respond with an acidic remark, he was overwhelmed by a violent coughing spell, his shoulders doubling over as he gasped for breath. Madam Pomfrey stood by, shaking her head, muttering about 'stubborn Malfoys'. Severus smirked as Draco let out an almighty belch chased by a plume of magenta fumes.

"Bloody hell!" he rasped between puffs of smoke that merrily rose in curling tendrils from his mouth and nose.

"That's what you get when you drink the entire bottle in one go," Madam Pomfrey dead panned, focusing her attention on the Headmaster.

"I believe I would like to hear exactly what happened," Dumbledore said, looking pointedly at Draco over his glasses.

"I saved her, for Merlin's sake! She was about to crash that inferior school broom when I pulled her off it," he grumbled, pulling off a few blankets as the potion took affect, his usually pale cheeks tinged with a crimson glow. "She was hanging onto me for dear life and when I finally stopped my Firebolt," he paused meaningfully, scowling at the magenta fumes he emitted, "She just pushed me off!" He shuddered as he thought about the lake.

"Which direction did she fly?" Severus narrowed his eyes in thought.

"I was slightly preoccupied with the Squid, Professor," he sneered venomously. Severus crossed the distance to the side of his bed like a graceful bird of prey, clutching the front of his infirmary gown in a claw-like grip, and hauling him close to his face.

"Let us try the question once again. Which direction did she fly?"

"Severus!"

He reluctantly let go of Draco, whose anger was only apparent by how quickly the smoke was expelled with each breath.

"She flew into the forest due east," he hissed through clenched teeth. Severus' head whipped around to look at the Headmaster, both in silent agreement about the severity of her escape.

"My father will not be happy about this turn of events, especially when he finds out that my Firebolt…" A deadly look from his Head of House stopped his ranting, forcing him to focus his attention elsewhere.

"And how bloody long am I going to be…fuming at the mouth!"

Severus followed the departing Dumbledore, while Madam Pomfrey continued to argue with her charge. "Flint Manor lies in the south," Severus stated quietly, then turning to look at the Headmaster. "I do not think she has been trying to return home in the past few days."

"What are you suggesting, Severus?"

"I am suggesting that we have been infiltrated by a spy in such an elaborate manner that even you think it is unfathomable."

"Perhaps you are a bit paranoid."

"If you found a student rummaging through your private study, I believe you would have an elevated sense of 'paranoia' as well, Headmaster."

The headmaster stayed silent.

"It would not be the first time that the Dark Lord used a tool such as this." Severus pressed on. "A girl of her talent could easily manipulate her professors with her advanced techniques, not to mention that rather convenient scar she has on her neck." He paused. "I have seen Potter interact with her, Albus, and it is more than casual." They had stopped in front of the fire place. "I suggest Veritaserum and Legilimency."

The words hung between them, pregnant with meaning.

"I will have to contact Lucius about his son's welfare. I need you to find Alanna and bring her back here, even if you have to look in unconventional places."

Severus nodded grimly and turned on his heel. He was not looking forward to spending the afternoon in the vicinity of the Dark Lord. First, he would make another trip into the dungeons to ready a room to be used as an isolation cell…in case the need should arise. A malicious sneer graced his thin lips as he descended into his dank domain.

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It was past midnight and there was no sign of the girl anywhere. Severus bore down through the driving rain; his last attempt at finding her was the drowning village of Hogsmeade. The weather was ominously mirroring his dangerous thoughts as he strode to the door of the Three Broomsticks. A wave of warmth and smoky candle light greeted him with a hard slap, the establishment brimming with patrons. He muttered a quick drying spell while searching the inn for Madam Rosmerta and finding her in a corner serving a rowdy bunch of goblins their evening ale.

"Watch your step, laddie!" A rather rude goblin pushed at his leg to get to move him by force and before Severus could draw his wand at the misshapen miscreant, Rosmerta appeared with a serene smile and a hospitable greeting. The woman could sense a good hexing a mile away.

"Professor Snape," she greeted him all the while directing his attention from the goblin to a secluded section by the bar. "What can I get for you?"

"I am here on Hogwarts business, Madam." He spoke softly not to be overheard. "A student is missing, presumably on her way home."

"Homesickness can make anyone irrational," she responded sympathetically.

"Has a young woman tried to use your floo connection during the course of the day?"

Rosmerta looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "There have been women, but none that could have passed as a Hogwarts student."

"It is imperative that any floo activity of a student be reported to the Headmaster."

"Of course, Professor, I shall keep my eyes open," Rosmerta watched the Potions Master leave her establishment with a thoughtful expression. She found it odd that a student actually wanted to leave Hogwarts, but the thought was quickly disgarded for the thirsty wizards at the end of the bar.

The darkly clad figure hidden in the shadows by the bar left through the back door without being noticed, having heard enough of the conversation between Professor and proprietor and thus Disapparating with a muffled pop.

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Severus Apparated to the Gates of Hogwarts, slipping through them soundlessly as his thoughts analysed today's findings; which was absolutely nothing. There had not been a Death Eater alert or impromptu summoning, nothing out of the ordinary with Lucius, who had spent a good portion of the afternoon at the Ministry, and finally, nothing in Hogsmeade. Where was she!

Unexpectedly, a pungent odour assaulted his senses, his acute nose burning with the stench of unwashed flesh and rotting breath. He scanned the darkness for the origin of the smell when in the distance the door to Hagrid's hut opened, expelling a coughing pair of professors and a cloud of smoke. By the time he reached the pair it had become obvious where the stench was coming from. Just beyond the Headmaster and Hagrid stood a giant the size of a house, clutching something to his chest and demanding, rather loudly, retribution for his find.

"Headmaster…" he stopped mid sentence and stared at a human form being crushed by the giant's grip. With an almighty shove he released his quarry, letting it tumble through the water logged turf. The intensity of his eyes grew murderous when he finally recognized her. She had been hiding out in the forest for the past twelve hours? It was preposterous!

"Severus, would you see that she gets there?" Albus had been speaking, but he had not been listening. Not that it was hard to deduce where he wanted him to take her. The girl was a shivering, and foremost, smelly mess. He scowled in annoyance, his jaw set defiantly at having to play the girl's nursemaid yet again.

"As you wish, Headmaster," he said curtly, focusing solely on the bane of his existence kneeling at his feet. The small amount of patience he possessed had been used hours ago, turning his request for her compliance into an angry "Get up, Flint!"

He waited.

"If you think I will levitate you all the way to the castle then you are sorely mistaken," he spat icily, waiting only seconds for her to respond to his statement. Without preamble his fingers curled around her upper arm, hauling her to her feet roughly only to have his digits swat at with a grimy hand. He let go of her in seething surprise as she stepped back from him, drunkenly attempting to distance herself.

With a deathly glare he produced his wand and trained it on her. This was absolutely the last time he would help her to the hospital wing.

He could hear the running approach of the creature prior to its wet, snarling growl, stopping his stasis charm mid sentence. He barely had time to brace himself for the inevitable impact of the unidentifiable creature that in the darkness could only be spotted by its glowing red eyes.

One minute he was standing, and in the next his back connected harshly with the ground, his wand arm firmly lodged between the teeth of a nasty looking dog. Although his robes were thickly layered, the beast's teeth penetrated his skin easily. Severus clenched his teeth, a strained groan caught in his throat while he braced himself against the pain, his other hand slung blindly toward the head of the beast. After the third punch his fist finally connected with a more vulnerable spot right above its eye allowing him to breathe through the pain as the animal finally let go with a cowering yelp.

"Peaches!"

He hardly gave any thought to the croaking voice of the girl, lifting his wand with his trembling hand, and supporting it with the other. The dog was shaking its head as if the clear it from the mind numbing blow. Severus cursed at his aim as the stunning spell grazed by the animal's head, hitting a nearby tree in a flurry of red sparks.

"Peaches!" Alanna desperately tried to get her familiar's attention while keeping an eye on the bleeding professor. "Don't you dare harm him!" She tried to scramble to her feet, determined to step into the line of fire.

The dog growled lowly and attacked the Potion Master's pant leg, ripping at the fabric in an attempt to sink its many teeth into the flesh of his leg. He barely managed to back up, dragging it after him as it pulled fiercely, mutilating his trousers. He tried to hex the bloody beast one more time before he would bite something more vital…

The stinging hex hit the dog's rump; Severus' delight, however, was short lived as a flurry of smelly robes and girl furiously attacked his person. The dog cowered in a frightened yelp.

"You hurt him! You bloody hurt him!" Alanna croaked, her throat too raw to hex the Professor silly, following up with the first thing she could think of. She balled her hands into fists and began drumming on the brute's chest with the rest of her strength. "Are you trying to kill a defenseless animal!" The red haze only lifted when her numb hand connected with the Professor's face in an uncoordinated slap, involuntarily raking her fingernails across his cheek.

In his rage he pushed her quite hard onto the muddy lawn, his breathing escalating to a furious pant. "If I were in the habit of killing animals, I would have done away with you a long time ago," he hissed at her, ignoring the stinging sensation her hand had left behind. His eyes warily darted to the growling dog who had taken up a protective stance in front of the fuming girl. He aimed his wand once more at the beast.

"Wha's going on here?" Hagrid bellowed, emerging from the trees. Severus' eyes never left the growling animal, that now had a frightened looking Miss Flint hanging off of its neck.

"Hagrid, if you could be so kind to take care of that animal so I can escort Miss Flint to the hospital wing," he replied coldly.

"I will not let you kill him!" Alanna looked at both professors with wild fear. She was not going to lose her familiar to these people.

"You tried to kill 'em, Professor?" Hagrid stopped ten paces from the dog with an appalled expression.

"You do your job, Hagrid, and I will do mine. Right now, it is to see this student to the castle."

Hagrid mumbled something under his breath that sounded vaguely like 'pushy snarker' while approaching the animal cautiously. He lowered himself onto one knee and spoke softly to it. "There now, no reason ta make such a racket, there is it?" He could barely make out its features in the darkness. "Aren't yeh a beautiful dog, yeh want summat to eat?"

Alanna had begun rocking back and forth, holding onto Peaches for dear life. The animal's attention was riveted onto the Gameskeeper, his growling having lessened to gruff puffs of air. "Tha's a good dog. You need to let 'em go now 'Lanna," he said cajolingly. She did not respond, but continued to rock back and forth, burying her face into his fur.

"I'm no' gonna 'arm 'im."

Alanna looked up at Hagrid's ruddy face, mostly hidden in the shadow of night, reluctantly releasing Peaches from her tight embrace. The dog slowly made its way over to him, sniffing warily then wagging his tail minutely at the half-giant.

"There now, tha's a good boy," Hagrid said gruffly, petting him with a firm hand. "Come now, let's get yeh summat to eat." He motioned for the dog to follow him, but Peaches stopped and looked over his shoulder at his mistress. Alanna swallowed painfully, knowing that she had to leave him with the Professor.

"Go on, Peaches, it is alright…I will be fine," her voice squeaked uncomfortably on the last word. He whined endearingly at her and sent another growling yelp toward the Potions Master before trotting after the lumbering Hagrid.

"Dinna worry yer self. I'll take good care o' him while yer in the castle." He waved at them and disappeared into his hut followed by an all too willing Peaches and a slamming door.

"On your feet, Miss Flint!"

Alanna carefully lifted herself from the mud puddle she had been sitting in, trying to avoid looking up into the Professor's furious face. She should not have hit him, but he had deserved every one of those slaps for what he had done. Menace!

"You are probably thinking that your actions will expel you…"

She perked up at his cold drawl, not even bothering to wipe off the clammy mud from her ruined robes. No, she had not thought about being expelled, her mood lightening considerably at the prospect.

"…however…"

The man really knew how to get under your skin, as if he could sniff out 'hope' and squash it with his index finger. Toxic and lethal in every sense of the word; she shivered appreciatively.

"…that satisfaction will most definitely not be yours tonight."

She wondered if there could have been another satisfaction worth being drenched in Giant bogies and bug guts for. For now she would just let the man talk, that seemed to be his favorite past time anyway. Well, who could blame him with that voice of his?

"Do not worry yourself, there will be punishment for this folly, and if it were me doing the punishing, I would feed you Veritaserum and make you sing like a little nightingale-"
He emphasized his words with a nod of his head towards the castle. "-and then see if you could fly off of the nearest Astronomy tower."

Alanna's voice was too far gone to respond, not that she did not have a few words to say to the nasty Potions Master, but right now she focused her entire hatred on the looming fortress which once again welcomed her with clutching arms.

Severus' obsidian eyes flashed as she passed him defiantly, not even acknowledging his presence and shakily walking toward the double doors of the castle. Upon taking his first step he swore colorfully under his breath, damning that dog to hell for his wet and foremost cold condition. His wand arm too bloodied to repair the damage to his attire, he followed the girl up to the castle determined not to let the loss of his shoe affect his gate in the slightest.

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By the time they had reached the Hospital Wing, Alanna's shoulder had become so numb from the spider's venom, her legs barely supported the weight of her body. Merlin's socks, she smelled worse now than she did twenty minutes ago, the sweat of the Giant having 'fermented' in the cold night air. Oh Gods, what she would do for a glass of water…

"You are telling me that someone tried to kill my son and you will not tell me his name!"

Alanna's hand stopped on the door handle.

"Lucius, you are misinterpreting the situation. He was accidentally elbowed off of his broom during Quidditch tryouts," the Headmaster replied, his voice muffled through the door.

"He has been plied with potions and is out cold, Headmaster, how could you describe this as harmless!"

Alanna's breath hitched. That voice…

'Shhhhh. Has your father never taught you not to trust strangers?"

Alanna blinked at the echo in her memory. She had heard this voice before.

"The matter is being dealt with as we speak, Lucius," she heard the Headmaster say with finality.

"Your 'handling' had best include expulsion!" The angry voice continued.

"Let her go Malfoy, she has nothing to do with this."

"Of course, she has nothing to do with this, Flint. Nobody even knew you had a daughter since about two hours ago."

"Miss Flint, do not develop a conscience now. If you know what is good for you, you had best open that door." The cold voice of the Professor spat impatiently.

Alanna's grip tightened painfully as the distorted images of her memory knit them into a horrid picture.

"I demand his name, Dumbledore!" The angry voice sounded through the door.

"Your parents are expecting us, my sweet."

"Miss Flint! Open it!"

The images became clearer, the sound of her mother's screaming echoing inside her head.

"Where was his Head of House in all of this!"

Everything was falling into place at a rapid speed, as if she were going through the whole ordeal once again. The empty house, searching for her parents, strangers trying to kill her, the pain, hexes, curses, flying, trees, coldness, window…

Severus would not wait any longer, shoving the girl out of the way and opening the door to the infirmary with his uninjured hand. He incredulously watched her backing up pale faced and wide eyed, as if she were walking to her death. He did not have the patience for female sensibilities, unceremoniously pulling her into the ward, scowling at its occupants. He really did not want to explain his injuries with Lucius Malfoy to witness his embarrassment.

He ran the back of his hand over her bruised face, stopping only at her bleeding lip where he gingerly wiped at the sticky substance.

"Pity. What a waste of pureblood."

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Author's Note: Biggest warmest thank you to all that reviewed! Please, do it again! It is your response that makes me write…faster….yea…faster is good. I am working on that, promise.

Special thanks to my beta Odyssia, who kindly agreed to fill in while my usual beta Mysticsong is taking a break from it all. You are the best girl!

PinkCosair, my little muse! Thanks once again for the late night phone calls.