Disclaimer: Don't own it, unfortunately…..
Mak rocks, and thanks for your knowledge of tea. It certainly was a help this chapter. Well actually you were a big help for the whole thing. Thanks for sparking my muse :)
Review, you know you want to.
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Chapter Fifteen
A Late Night Chat
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Alex woke up slowly, remembering he had Hermione in his arms. He jumped suddenly when he realized someone was standing at the side of the bed. Looking up he saw a very stern looking Madame Pomfrey. Alex smiled sheepishly at her as he shook Hermione gently to wake her up. Hermione smiled into Alex's chest as she awoke. She also jumped when she realized the medi-witch was standing over them with her hands on her hips. Huffing angrily she thrust a potion towards Alex. He took it from her and asked, "So, how much longer do I have to stay here?"
Hermione had moved from his side and stood opposite of the annoyed medi-witch. "As long as it takes for you to properly heal." Once Alex swallowed another potion Madame Pomfrey left the two mumbling about teenagers and their indiscretion. When she was out of hearing range the two started laughing. "That was embarrassing," Hermione said, trying to regain her breath.
"It was more startling than it was embarrassing," Alex replied holding his bruised ribs.
"Are you in much pain?" Hermione questioned.
"Not too bad. I'll live, but, I think I'll get stir crazy if I have to stay here all day."
"Do you want me to get you anything?" Hermione sat on the edge of the bed and he took her hand in his.
"Could you bring me a book, a good one, maybe something about the Dark Arts?" he said all the while thinking of a good read, but coming up short on anything interesting. He decided he would let Hermione choose something.
"Sure, no problem. I'll try and find something in the library after breakfast. Hopefully I will be able to bring it to you after morning lessons."
"Thank you." Alex pulled her forward and gave her a kiss. "See you later." He said as he watched her walk out the hospital wing.
XXX
At lunch Alex was bored out of his mind. He needed to get out of the hospital wing. Sunday had been bearable because his friends stopped by and talked. Not to mention he had been worn out and slept a good part of the afternoon. Monday was torture, his friends were in class and he was stuck with nothing to do but ask Madame Pomfrey how much longer he had to stay. After he asked her for the fifth time, she replied angrily that if he asked her again he would be "stuck" there until exams began. He stopped asking after that.
Hermione finally stopped by and brought him two very thick books about the Dark Arts. Alex thanked her profusely and complained that he was bored out of his mind. "Between you and me, Madame Pomfrey isn't good company," Alex said in a hushed tone and a gleam in his dark eyes.
Hermione just smiled and shook her head, "When will you be released?"
"I don't know. She threatened to keep me here until exams."
"If I were you, I would behave," she said seriously.
"Yes ma'am," he answered jokingly.
XXX
Severus joined Albus and Minerva for afternoon tea, like he usually did. They were sitting on Albus's sofa and chair making idle chit chat. Severus would never admit it, but he truly enjoyed the company of Albus and Minerva. They knew him better than anyone and never tried to make him change. They cared about him, snarkiness and all. Albus and Minerva were the two people that helped him get through his grief when his wife and child died. Thinking to himself and sipping his tea, he didn't hear them change topics.
"Severus?" Minerva asked, getting his attention.
"Yes?" he asked, looking at her questioningly.
Smiling she repeated, "Are you looking forward to going to New York?"
Albus concealed a smiled by sipping his tea, but his eyes were twinkling brightly. Severus scowled at Albus who laughed at him. "My only consolation is that Mr. Barneo isn't a dunderhead like the rest of the student population. That and I have an ocean between myself and your meddling, old man." The last part he said staring at the headmaster.
"Old man" was Severus's endearing term to Albus. Albus knew this; he thought it was funny, especially coming from the young man. The Potions Master had become like a son to him when he was younger. Even after Aurora's death, Albus and Minerva had always cared for him. Every now and then they reminded him they loved him, much to Severus's dismay. Despite Severus's sneer whenever either of them told him that, they new it was only for show.
Minerva reached over and lightly smacked Severus on the side of his head. "Severus, don't be so rude," she said sternly. A second later she said caringly, "I think you two will have an excellent time in New York. The two of you are both so much alike and get along brilliantly."
"Hmm," was Severus's only reply.
"Have you thought more about what we discussed?" Albus said mysteriously, knowing full well that Minerva would ask about it.
Severus glared at the headmaster. There was nothing he could say to stop Minerva from inquiring more. "What did you two discuss?"
Severus sighed and leaned back in his chair, resigning himself to his fate. Albus started talking cheerfully, "Mr. Barneo needs a guardian and he has until the end of the school year to pick one. I suggested to Severus that he be Alex's guardian."
Minerva smiled and turned her attention to a scowling Severus. "Don't slouch, Severus," chastising him like a little boy, "I think it's a wonderful idea. Are you going to talk to the boy about it?"
Severus was sitting up now sipping some of his cool tea. "I haven't decided anything. While he is a competent young man in the potions classroom I don't want to be the guardian of a pompous boy."
"If you're comparing him to Mr. Potter, don't. Mr. Potter is not pompous and neither is Mr. Barneo. You should know this; you work with him and see how he interacts with the other students outside of class." Minerva was agitated with Severus and let him know that fact.
Albus chuckled at their conversation. "I think you will find a lot out about him this break. Wait until after you return to decide for sure. Might I suggest you show the boy a little bit more about whom you really are?"
"Fine! But don't expect me to coddle the boy! I won't do it!"
"Of course not," Minerva said, looking at her husband smiling, "we wouldn't expect it any other way."
XXX
Alex was slowly dying a painful death. He was bored. He couldn't go anywhere and Madame Pomfrey was like a hawk. His afternoon was uneventful; he spent it reading the books Hermione brought him, but grew tired of reading at three hours. Draco had been by to talk with him. Eventually, he left to do an assignment for Arithmancy. Alex was waiting for Madame Pomfrey to retire for the night before he could make his escape.
At eleven o'clock Alex knew the medi-witch would be gone and asleep. He slowly made his way off the bed. His ribs still hurt and he tried not to hurry, so he wouldn't get out of breath.
His hip was hurting which caused him to limp. All in all, he though he looked ridiculous and hoped no one would catch him in such a state. He only wanted to go for a little walk so he made his way down a flight of stairs to get to the entrance hall.
Severus was prowling the halls making his way up from the dungeons when he noticed the shadow of a person on the stairs. He silently and swifty went over to the student, ready to take off house points. As he got closer to the hobbling figure he realized it was Alex. "Mr. Barneo, what are you doing out of the hospital wing, and after curfew?"
Alex was startled to hear his potions professor at the bottom of the stairs. "Professor Snape, I just needed to get out of the hospital wing," he said, limping down the last few stairs, "Madam Pomfrey was driving me crazy. Please, I just wanted to go for a walk while I knew she would be away."
Severus stifled a laugh when Alex told him he needed to get away from the crazed medi-witch. Severus knew first hand how crazy she could be when her patients didn't do as they were told.
"Very well. Follow me." Severus said, turning on his heal and walking away. Alex limped behind him trying not to lose his professor.
Severus turned around suddenly and grabbed Alex's right arm, pulling him into a secret passageway. About three minutes later they were in the kitchens. "Wow!" was Alex's reply as he sat down looking around inquisitively.
"Indeed." Severus answered as he sat down opposite of his student. "Dobby!" he called out.
The little house elf appeared instantly, startling Alex. "What can Dobby do for you Professor Snape?" he squeaked out.
"Bring us some tea and biscuits."
"Yes sir!" Dobby appeared a second later with a tray of biscuits, two tea pots, and two cups.
Alex smelled his tea knowing it was peppermint. "Uh, Dobby," he said getting the elf's attention, "could I get rooibus tropica, please?"
"Certainly," and with a snap of his fingers the peppermint tea was turned into rooibus tropica.
Alex took a sip of his tea and looked up at his professor who raised an eyebrow at him while bringing his own tea to his lips. "Why do you prefer rooibus tropica over peppermint?"
"Well, I don't necessarily prefer it. It just reminds me of my mom, she drank it, and when I was sick she would give this to me to make me feel better."
"It is too sweet for my taste. I prefer capetown harvest, not as sweet as rooibus tropica and it is much more fruity."
"Did you used to drink it before?"
"I never drank it. I bought it in large quantities to sate someone," he trailed off deep in thought. His wife had loved that tea, she had to have it. His own tea was reminder enough about her; and though it pained him to drink it at times, he still did because it was excellent tea. "What else did your mother do for you while you were sick?"
Alex smiled just thinking about it. "She would make me homemade chicken noodle soup and sit with me watching movies until I fell asleep." He closed his eyes to fight back the tears.
Severus just sat there not knowing exactly what to do to comfort the boy sitting across from him. He took a jaffa cake; a chocolate covered biscuit, off the tray and handed it to him. "Here, have a biscuit." Alex took it and ate a bite.
"Thanks, these are good biscuits." Alex was glad his professor had changed the subject; he didn't want to think about his mother right now. "The house elves seem very….high-strung," Alex said as one scurried past him with a pot on their head and another one in their hands.
"Yes, they are very high-strung and anal if they aren't allowed to clean things." Severus poured his second cup of tea. He took a mcvities digestive biscuit off the tray and took a bite enjoying the fact that the biscuit didn't take away from his tea.
Alex laughed, "I can imagine," he grabbed another biscuit and shoved hit in his mouth devouring it.
Severus gave him a slight sneer, "Are you trying to see how many biscuits you can fit into your mouth at one time?"
"Good idea," Alex managed to say with a biscuit in his mouth, crumbs flying as he spoke. He grabbed another one and pretended he was going to shove it in his mouth when Severus spoke up. "Do not do that," he said holding up his hand.
Alex just smiled and put down the biscuit. "I wasn't going to." They talked a while longer each finishing off a pot of tea and enjoying a tray full of biscuits.
Severus set his final cup down and stood up. "Come. It's time you get back to the hospital wing unless you want Madame Pomfrey to realize you are gone."
Alex finished chewing his last jaffa cake and took one last swig of his tea. "Alright."
They exited the way they came in, which dropped them back off in the entrance hall. Severus was walking quickly, ahead of Alex. They were making their way up the stairs and Alex was quickly becoming out of breath. He stumbled and managed to grab his professor's leg before he took another step. "Professor," he wheezed.
Severus turned around to find his student splayed out on the steps. He came back down and asked what was wrong. "You were going too fast. I got out of breath because of my ribs."
"Very well." Severus looked around as he walked down two more steps; he picked Alex up and carried him to the hospital wing. Alex laid his head on the potion maters shoulder and fell asleep once his breathing evened out. Severus set Alex down on the bed and pulled a sheet up to his chest. He looked at Alex for a few minutes before lightly running his hand through the boy's hair. Severus stepped back, turned around, and quickly left the hospital wing.
