The Mistakes That Change Us
Part II
By: Deep Shadows and EckoStalker
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Author's Note: This is part 2 to Fernanda's b-day story... And we unexpected came up with a Part 3 as well,whihc is being worked on as we speak...
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 8:13 am. The Great Hall…
Severus sat down in his usual seat at the Head Table, noticing with a quick glance that the seat next to him was empty, void of the damning presence of Fernanda Porcel. He smirked with the warming thought that perhaps she had returned to Ravensdorm, finally unable to stand him any longer, but he knew better of her. He could admit one thing about that girl though, she was bloody persistent.
"Hey Sev, where's Nanda?" Remus questioned him lightly, looking around curiously and Severus glared at him as he poured his coffee.
"Do I look like her babysitter to you, Lupin?" He snarled and the were-wolf rolled his eyes and shook his head as he went back to his food.
"Probably just late…" Remus mumbled in general as Severus purposely ignored him.
That girl… She had better not be up to her old tricks… He mentally grumbled as he recalled Fernanda's own school years, along with her fellow accursed pranksters. He grimaced as he remembered one particular event that would forever haunt him.
Porcel was sitting casually on the stairs looking extremely suspicious to Severus, as usual. Severus, in his normal frustration, questioned her, as was his wont to do when he felt nosy and it concerned her. Mid-answer, she suddenly and without warning crumpled to the floor in what he thought was a dead faint or something of that nature. Severus in a concerned, but teacherly, manner, leaned down to check on her, and that was when the other three stooges ambushed him in his vulnerable state. He remembered as clearly as it was yesterday, Trysta and Kelsey rushing him from the sides, tackling him to the floor with both their added superior weight as Ashley walked up, grinning madly and brandishing the torture devices, toilet paper and shaving cream. Fernanda then got up, laughing of course, and she and Ashley proceeded to mummify him while the other two held him in stunning spells, leaving him there for all the school to see upon finishing their work.
He had unfortunately never forgotten that cursed event, though he doubted that they forgot the detentions either, all fifty of them.
Damn girls…Why I'm their target, I'll never know… He thought darkly, but was pulled from his grim thoughts by a familiar stern female voice.
'Severus, what did you do with Ms. Porcel?" Minerva Mcgonagall questioned in her usual suspicion of him and he looked at her in genuine confusion.
"Excuse me?" He asked and over her glasses she gave him the Look.
"Severus, she's not in her rooms, your classroom, or the library. Where did you lock her?" The stern woman demanded and Severus shook his head in annoyance.
"As much as it would delight me to lock my understudy away, I have yet to do so. Last I saw of her was dinner last night. Perhaps she is on a walk?" He growled, as he got up indignantly, finished with this meal and the twenty questions on the uninteresting subject of Fernanda.
"Fine Severus. When you see her though, tell her I have a question for her." Minerva called after him with exasperation in her voice and he ignored her as he stalked to his classroom with many a glare and growl at passing students.
He noticed that Fernanda's usual worktable was littered with things and he grumbled, making a note to yell at her about it when she finally made her way in. He sat down in his office resignedly and spent the next half an hour reading essays and adding his own red pen remarks wherever he saw fit, biding his time and anger for his unwanted understudy.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 9:46 pm. The hall outside the Potion's Classroom...
"Hey Tammy, you better hurry, you don't want to be late to Potions." Called Marilyn, knocking Tamantha from her meandering reverie as the two young students headed together down the hall to the Potion's classroom.
Tamantha hated Potions, but recently, the new understudy had made it interesting spectator sport these past few weeks. Everyone enjoyed watching the quick-tongued woman dance on Professor Snape's last nerve, though no one appreciated the homework the ticked professor had dished out in reply to their laughs. Tammy rushed into the classroom, seeing Marilyn had already claimed their seats in the back of the classroom near the far wall. In fact, right next to the new understudy's workbench. Tammy rushed over and dropped her bag by her desk in her usual manner. But instead of the usual muffled sound of textbooks striking stone and the rattle of quills and ink, all she heard was a dull thud.
Tammy looked down in curiosity, her eyes catching sight of a sneakered foot. Entranced, her gaze followed the foot up to a face down person. All Tammy could think to do at that precise moment was scream as she realized it was their beloved understudy, Ms. Porcel.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 9:51 pm. Snape's Office...
Severus was preparing to go begin his class of sixth year students when a blood-curdling scream pierced into his mind. Taken off guard, he immediately ran out of his office door, seeing Tamantha, one of his sixth years, screaming bloody murder as she stared at floor in terror. He stalked over in confusion, following her gaze to the floor below and recognized Fernanda laying face down on the cold stone floor.
"Silence you fool girl. Get back to your seat." Severus hissed angrily, glaring at the now pale and scared girl. She quickly scampered away, sitting timidly next to Marilyn, both watching the Potion's Master with wide, fearful eyes. Severus narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Ms. Porcel once more. He knew this trick, and he wasn't falling for it this time.
"Ms. Porcel, you can get up now. And you other three can come out of hiding, I'm not falling for this again." Severus stated loudly, looking around the classroom warily as he nudged Fernanda with his foot. She didn't respond.
"Fernanda, I don't have the patience for this. Get up this instant!" Severus yelled with growing frustration, but she refused to move or stir.
"Fine. I'll humor you to an extent..." He grumbled darkly as he knelt by her, tensed for any ambush as he rolled her over. Upon touching her though, he almost drew draw back in shock, for her skin was burning hot to the touch. Maybe she wasn't pranking him this time...
"Ms. Porcel?" He asked cautiously, feeling her soft throat for a pulse. He was relieved to find her heart was beating, though slowly. And upon inspection, he realized that she had a thick work glove on one hand meaning she had to have been working on something.
Severus stood quickly, looking at the desk that he earlier shoved aside as one of her messes. There were several cleaned up test tubes, and Severus searched her table, spotting a purplish vial. Picking it up carefully and inspecting it, he audibly cursed as he recognized it.
"One of you, get Dumbledore or McGonagall. Another, go to Pomfrey and tell her we have a poisoning in the Potion's classroom. The rest of you, get along the left wall near my office, take you belongings." He demanded to the growing class of confused students as he stalked to his storeroom, hearing students listening to his instructions with little to no words, eyes either glued on him or Fernanda. He bounded up the ladder and looked around frantically for what he was searching for. Shoving aside several bottles and vials, he found it, sighing as he quickly climbed back down, jumping from the third step. Vipertooth Anti-venom. Fernanda had been messing with a very deadly substance, Vipertooth Dragon venom. Where the blasted girl had acquired it, he didn't know and on that thought he realized also that he had no idea how long she had had it in her system. He rushed back to her, kneeling as he pulled her up effortlessly, leaning her head back against his shoulder gently.
"Bloody idiot." He thought aloud as he forced her to drink a portion of the anti-venom via a swallowing spell.
"Severus, what is the pro- Oh my god, what happened!" Minerva's voice quivered as she raced in the classroom, dropping to her knees near him, looking at Fernanda with wide-eyed concern.
"I need my class out of here. Ms. Porcel somehow managed to get ahold of some Vipertooth Venom, and I am not sure where all she had it." He stated with underlying urgency. Minerva looked at him grimly.
"How long as she been like this?" She questioned and he shrugged.
"Maybe all night. Luckily I had some anti-venom. Very luckily, because I usually don't." He told her and Minerva huffed at him, showing clearly that she thought it was his entire fault somehow as she ushered his reluctant class out of the door.
In the process over looking her over, his eye caught sight of her other hand, which was without a gloved. Being very careful to avoid the gloved hand, he noticed a burn mark in an irregular pattern on her bare hand. Shaking his head, he struggled to get her up and he finally got her seated slumped in a chair. Checking her hand, he realized that the venom had entered her system through her skin, which fortunately made it a bit less dangerous, but still deadly without an anti-venom.
He set the vial of anti-venom on the table as he stood and surveyed her workstation for any other dangerous spills. Finding one, he quickly cleared it away with a spell and took the half empty bottle of venom and walked over to his desk, locking it securely in the top drawer.
Then he heard Fernanda begin to stir.
Good, not to get to the bottom of this...
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 10:13 am. The Potion's Classroom...
Her body burned horridly, seemingly from the inside out. Yet, there was a mildly cool sensation in her parched throat, but that fire within her cooled not from it. Fernanda groaned softly, opening her eyes only to find that even the dim lighting hurt as well.
"Ms. Porcel, drink this." She heard a low and familiar voice speak urgently and a cool glass vial was pressed to her dry lips. She complied gratefully as she painfully swallowed the cool liquid. It seemed to cool some of the fire in her and she sighed. She opened her eyes once again, this time in relief, to see Severus Snape, who seemed to look concerned as he watched her.
"What... What happened?" She groaned and he crossed his arms as he leaned back on his heels slightly from her, looking at her sternly.
"You almost killed yourself. I've always said that stupidity can be deadly, and you proved me right." He barked at her and she grimaced at his piercing voice.
"What?" She whispered in confusion, barely able to speak.
"You, Ms. Porcel, somehow managed to get ahold of Vipertooth Venom. Everyone knows that a Vipertooth Dragon's Venom is deadly yet you choose to tamper with it on you own without aid." He spat at her accusingly and she shook her head, trying to clear some of the fog of confusion and figure out what he was talking about, but even her brain seemed to burn.
Vipertooth Venom... How'd I get that?... She thought fuzzily to herself as she tried to sit up straight in her chair, shaking with the effort. Big Mistake.
She lost what little balance she had and toppled forward off her chair and on to Severus, who had been kneeling in front of her. He caught her by the shoulders instinctively and moved her back to her chair, looking angry, yet underneath it she was sure she saw some concern, though that could have been a trick of the light...
The burning sensation was thankfully retreating throughout her sore body and she could actually move without wanting to scream.
"Now... How did I get... Trysta!..." Fernanda exclaimed with revelation, reaching into her jean pocket and pulling out the two letters. She threw Ashley's on the table and opened Trysta's furiously.
After reading it once more, she growled angrily. "I'm going to murder her. She could have gotten me killed!" Fernanda stated mostly to herself and Severus looked at her questioningly.
"I take it you got the venom from her?" He stated, rather annoyed yet not sounding too surprised and Fernanda nodded with a resigned sigh.
"Yeah, she wanted me to find out what it was for her. Her mentor is Professor Byron at Ravensdorm and he offered her an A and dinner if she could figure it out. So, she sent it to me." Fernanda stated with a slight growl, disgruntled as she folded the letter and set it on Ashley's paint splattered one.
"Nanda! Sev, where is she?" Remus was heard frantically as he burst into the room. She tuned to look at him and he had a scared look in his eyes as his gaze settled on her.
"Calm down Remus. She'll be fine as soon as she gets all the anti-venom. Speaking of which, drink this." Severus stated as he stood, handing Fernanda an almost empty vial expectantly. She did as she was told without argument and set the vial down on the table after swallowing the soothing antidote.
Remus was now in front of her, holding her face as he searched for something in her eyes.
"Severus, why weren't you overseeing her?" Remus asked with a growing tinge of anger as he let Fernanda go and she knew a fight was about to begin as she watched the werewolf turn and glare at the Potion's Master.
She still felt very dizzy as she watched Severus indignantly turn on him and storm to his closet, coming out with another vial like the one she had just finished.
"Because she didn't inform me of what she was doing." Severus hissed as he set down the vial and glared back, Remus shaking his head as if he didn't believe him.
They fought back and forth for a while with indistinct yells as Fernanda fought to keep from falling asleep. After half an hour she lost that battle, falling to the floor in a heap of tired poisoned Fernanda.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 11:07 am. The Hall outside Fernanda's Quarters...
Severus, shaking his head at the whole predicament, walked out of Fernanda's quarters after having seen her escorted to them and set in her own bed. Now that she was taken care of, he had every intention of retiring to his room for a hot shower and a cold bottle of vodka.
But he didn't get two steps out of her doorway when a form set itself square in front of him, and he halted in surprise. He looked at Minerva as she stood there rigidly, arms crossed and a sour glare on her features, directed at him of course.
"And where might you be going?" She growled in a stern voice, daring him to answer.
He took up that dare and answered back sharply. "To my quarters the last time I checked."
Minerva raised an eyebrow as she spoke almost mockingly. "Oh, is that what you think? Well, who might I ask is going to watch over Fernanda then?"
Severus looked at her with a bit of surprise. Surely she didn't mean for him... He shook his head as he answered gruffly. "That is not my problem. Remus I believe is more than capable-"
"No he is not. The last time I checked, she was your understudy. Correct so far?" Minerva spoke with that almost angry-mother-ish glare that he hated dearly.
He decided to just answer as bluntly as possible. "Correct."
Minerva nodded, then smirked as she continued. "And I also believe that since she is your understudy, she is also your responsibility."
Severus saw where she was getting at, but he wasn't about to give in. He crossed his arms as he countered. "I understand this. And I did my duty. She's cured for the most part, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't need my help to sleep."
Minerva sighed with frustration, shaking her head as she napped at Severus. "She is your responsibility, and she was almost killed. You should've been there overseeing her work, or at least knew of her location-"
"She's a grown woman! I'm her mentor, not her babysitter! That stunt was mostly due to her carelessness. You cannot expect me to be at her side twenty-four seven." Severus growled, narrowing his eyes at the older woman.
Minerva was never one to just take Severus's snappy remarks and she growled back. "No, but as she was entrusted to your guidance and watch, it is yours, not Remus's, not mine, but your duty to see that she is restored to perfect health. The least you can do is push aside your childish grudge against Ms. Porcel and sit with her to make sure that is done."
Severus was silent for a moment as he looked away from her penetrating glare, knowing it was useless to argue with this stubborn woman. He tried to find a logical argument, but came up with nothing at the moment. So trying to muster as much dignity as he could, he gave Minerva one last glare and turned heel, storming back into Fernanda's quarters, not hearing Minerva's triumphant huff behind him.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 11:35 am. The Potion's Classroom...
Remus grumbled darkly to himself as he surveyed Fernanda's workbench with a careful eye. He had been asked to gather Fernanda's things and reorganize her work area in place of watching over her healing sleep; of which Minerva had told him was going to be Severus's duty. Why Minerva had let that insensitive dork take up that job, he would never know.
"Wouldn't put it past him to fall asleep if she went into a relapse..." Remus growled, still angry with the Potion's Master. She was still young and learning, and Severus had merely shoved her off on her own regardless of the possible risks. She was almost killed!
He angrily piled some notepapers, shaking his head and thanking God Severus had never been granted with children. He was putting up some empty flasks when his eye caught sight of a few pieces of folded parchment, one splattered with bright orange and green paint. Looking around for any eavesdroppers, and his curiosity getting the best of him, he picked them up and opened the first one, seeing that it was a letter from one of Fernanda's friends and his former pupil Trysta.
From the looks of it, the vial of Venom had been hers, of which he wasn't to surprise. When it had come to situation involving a guy she liked, everything else she seemed to put on the backburner, be it her work or the obviousness of a deadly poison.
Remus shook his head, opening the other letter. The writer of this one he knew well, another of Ms. Porcel's cohorts, and he read Ashley's letter with a curious smirk.
His eyes widened slightly as he came to the end of the letter, and he closed it slowly, staring at it for a silent moment. A smile then came over his face and he shook his head, pocketing both letters as he gathered the rest of Fernanda's things, making a note to tell Fernanda to send Ashley his greetings as well.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 1:27 pm. Fernanda's Quarters...
Severus sat uncomfortably as he graded papers on his knee, occasionally looking over at the sleeping woman lying in the red and gold quilted bed beside him, the room lit only by the smoldering fire in the stone fireplace, just enough to allow him light to grade by.
"Foolish girl." He remarked to himself, seeing her roll over in her sleep, hugging a silky gold colored pillow to her. Shaking his head he went back to his grading, but he couldn't seem to focus.
I wonder how long she had been on the floor?... What if I had not had a class?... She could have died... It would have been all my fault... If she had died right there in the other room while I was in my office... Why didn't I check over there?... Severus couldn't help but think worriedly to himself, seeing Fernanda having rolled over to face him. She was still sleeping, and Severus was thankful for that. He knew he looked guilty because he felt guilty, and it wasn't an easy emotion to hide.
Minerva was right, she was his responsibility. Looking at the clock with a sigh, he realized that she needed another dose of anti-venom. Standing with a slight grimace of soreness, he walked over to the bed, picking the vial up. He sat on the edge of the bed and nudged Fernanda, though gently.
"Ms. Porcel. Wake up." He asked lowly and she didn't stir, simply readjusting under the covers. He sighed as he lifted her up again, sitting back a bit against the dark wooden backboard to let her rest against his shoulder. He turned her head and put the vial to her lips, casting a swallowing charm on her as he poured it down her throat. He waited a moment like that, seeing that she was still dead asleep. He shook his head, sidling out from under her as he laid her back down carefully.
He got up off the bed and went back to his cushioned reclining chair, denying that he felt anything but loathing for the young woman that he had taught and watched grow up.
Me, care for a student?... I don't care, not anymore than I have too... Severus told himself harshly as he forced himself to concentrate back on his grading, though not finding the heart to put his usual amount of angry comments.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 2:17 pm. Fernanda's Quarters...
Fernanda awoke dimly, hearing a scratching noise she at first thought was her imagination. She groaned as she sat up stiffly, shaking her head and looking up, being greeted by an unfamiliar sight.
"Welcome to the world of the waking. Your last dose of anti-venom is on your bedside table." Severus stated, looking up from a roll of parchment, which he was grading with slight curiosity. He was sitting comfortably in a chair by her bed, grading papers and seemingly watching over her while she had slept.
"How long have I been asleep?" She asked with a bit of confusion at his presence after drinking the potion.
"Couple of hours. Professor McGonagall demanded I watch over you in case you took a turn for the worst. But now that you are awake, you can watch yourself." He stated simply as he got up, gathering his quill and ink along with the essays he was grading.
"Um... Thank you." She stated quickly before he left and he snorted, shaking his head at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Next time, don't be so idiotic as to think you can do something like that on your own. Death comes swiftly to the uncautious." He told her, sounding kind of philosophical to her as she got up, watching him leave the room with a small smirk.
"Well, That was weird." She stated as she sat down to write Trysta a nice long letter, though, it turned out to be more like a lecture that vaguely reminded her of the lectures her mother gave her.
"With best friends like her and Ashley, who needs enemies?" She snorted, sitting in the warm seat Severus had just exited.
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Three Weeks Later...
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 9:32 am. The Entrance Hall...
Fernanda looked around at the homey school glumly, not really ready to return to Ravensdorm. She was already totally packed and her train was set to leave at ten fifteen am. Now, all that was left were good-byes.
Remus was the hardest for her. He was as good a friend as a Professor could be and since the venom incident, he had taken the extra time to check up on her at random intervals and know what she was working on, all in a good natured manner. He also sent his own letter to Trysta and Professor Byron, relating to them of the accident they had unknowingly caused.
Later that week she received heartfelt apologies from Professor Byron and Trysta, who vowed to make it up to her when she got back. That was enough to scare her into staying longer. Remus had given her a box of chocolate frogs, along with a strong hug, telling her that he was there when she needed anything. He asked her to tell Ashley hello, after a few chuckles. Remus vowed to 'keep Severus on his toes', by means of pranking him at every available moment of his time.
Professor McGonagall was next, with her strong motherly embrace and well wishes. From what she had heard, Severus had gotten such a tongue lashing from her that he had made it his business to know where she was at all times, which actually got kinda annoying, since she never knew when he would just appear behind her shoulder, watching her.
Headmaster Dumbledore offered a simple, yet meaningful handshake and a well wish for the future. Well, at least that's what she got out of his riddle-like lecture once simplified.
The final good-bye was Severus, whom she had to hunt down to say goodbye. No surprise there. He acted unaffected, as usual, yet, didn't seem overly eager for her to leave, as she was expecting. She found him in his class at his desk, busily shuffling papers in his usual busy manner.
"I'm leaving now, Professor Snape." She stated lowly and he looked up at her, nodding after a moment.
"Ah, yes, Farewell then?" He replied, without any sarcasm and she nodded, turning to leave with a sigh.
"You graduate this year, correct?" He questioned out of the blue and she nodded, turning to see him rubbing his chin.
"Ah, well, then I expect an announcement of sorts to let me know that the fearsome four have been unleashed on the world." Severus Snape stated with slight amusement and she shook her head at him in disbelief.
"Are you asking for an announcement, or an invitation?" She questioned warily and he rolled his eyes.
"I'm an alumni, I don't need an invitation. And out of curiosity, what are you planning to do after you graduate?" He asked her with genuine interest and she looked at him oddly, not sure what he was getting at.
"Probably starting out as somebody's errand girl at the bottom of the ministry with aspirations of making it into the Magical Substance Regulations and Creation department." She told him truthfully and he shook his head, looking back at his desk curiously.
"Well, I've got a train to catch. Goodbye." Fernanda stated, weirded out by his odd actions as she turned to leave.
"Fernanda, let's avoid anymore accidents, eh?" He stated quietly and she shook her head as she left, noticing that his behavior had changed dramatically since she nearly killed herself. It had become almost concerned and, far more odd, was that he had actually seemed to teach her some things afterwards, things she never heard of in school, and found out yielded better results. Odd as it was, she didn't complain because it had been better than acting as his clean up crew.
Shaking her head, she headed out to the carriage, where Hagrid was waiting with a wide grin. She stepped into the threstal-drawn cart and they headed off in silence as she watched the majestic castle grow small in the distance.
After getting to the platform and hauling her luggage on board, she was enveloped in an almost suffocating embrace by the half-giant, which was smiling warmly.
"Now Fernanda, you take care and tell those friends of yours I say hello. Good luck on yer exams." He stated as he let her go, or more like put her down.
Fernanda stepped on the train, waving to Hagrid with a smile as she went to take her seat, feeling confused and sorrowful for her departure. She had felt very wanted, yes, but what haunted her the most was Severus's parting questions. She shook those thoughts away though as she thought on more vengeful tones how much she was going to ream Trysta out when she got back to the dorm.
Ohh, wait till I get there... Trysta's gonna get it... She thought as the train blew one last shrill parting whistle and began slowing chugging away on its mission to bring her home and to her friends.
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Deep Shadows: End of Part II...
EckoStalker: But guess what?
Deep Shadows: There's more...
EckoStalker: This may seem like a perfect ending...
Deep Shadows: But come on! We're the Misfits, nothing ends perfectly...
EckoStalker: Or without some sort of chaos...
Deep Shadows: So look forward to Part III...
EckoStalker: The actual ending...
Deep Shadows: So Read and Review or we will give you another cliffy!
EckoStalker: We can you know... We have the pens of Doom!