Chapter 3: Dealing In The Present

{A/N: Here's Another Update...}

My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.

The Bedroom, The Sinclair Residence, Unknown World...

There had been no sign of the strange woman from the bar as Snape once more found himself awakening in the bedroom of the strange house this time with Hermione Granger wrapped around him as she continued her own means of slumber. He had no concept of what time it was but he could tell that it was late given the blazing sun had gone down and an icy winter chill had moved in. There was a constant knocking at the bedroom door that had gotten the sleeping young woman's attention and she roused from her sleep in order to answer it.

Snape pretended to still be asleep listening rather intently to the discussion between her and Harry Potter from beyond the door to the bedroom.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Mione but I had questions about my Dad." said Harry with a good deal of concern in his tone.

"It's no bother Harry, your father is still a bit uneasy following the accident." she explained in a hushed tone. "He'll let us know when he's alright but until then it seems he's very confused and possibly frustrated."

Harry sighed.

"At least you're taking good care of him Mione." he said in a grateful tone. "I didn't know it was that bad."

"Well he fell off a roof and earned a concussion as a result, it's a wonder he's still functional." said Hermione. "Just let him rest and take things slowly, he'll get back to being his old self in no time."

"If you say so." replied Harry.

The speech ceased as both Harry and Hermione embraced as family before the young man headed down the stairs to see to his younger siblings. Closing the door behind her, Hermione turned her attention back to her ailing husband.

"Sidney." she said softly before climbing back into bed with the middle-aged man and resting her head against his chest.

Snape didn't move a muscle continuing to allow the young woman to believe that he'd still been asleep. She didn't seem put off by sharing a bed with him in the least of course it was all due to the fact that they were married in this strange world but it never ceased to amaze Snape that it was something she wanted.

"Sid what am I going to do with you?" she asked softly stroking his pale face. "Yesterday you were perfectly fine and now...I'm not so sure...you didn't wish to see a doctor, but I'm thinking one might be necessary given the situation and your level of confusion."

"If you think you are dragging me to a healer you are sorely mistaken." growled Snape opening his eyes much to the surprise of his young wife.

"Sidney there is no telling what amount of damage was done when you fell." reasoned the young woman giving a very valid point despite the fact that her husband refused to acknowledge it.

"I am perfectly fine." he said sitting up and leaning against the numerous rows of pillows he'd been resting against as well as the oak wood headboard that lined the top of their bed.

"You are confused and combative." said Hermione recalling her husband's demeanor since the accident.

"Or I don't care to be fussed over." he muttered still in annoyance.

"What if there is something seriously wrong with you?" asked the amber eyed woman with a good deal of concern on her rather lovely face. "I don't think I could ever forgive myself if..."

"It's not your decision to make." said Snape in a dangerous tone.

"Sidney you almost attacked Harry...you didn't even recognize your own children!" she said as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "You...you are going to get checked out and that is final."

Snape narrowed his eyes at the young woman whom seemed to retain her Gryffindor stubbornness despite being so far removed from the traits attributed to her in the magical world.

"I said I'm fine." he replied. "Having some idiotic muggle with a flashlight stare at me isn't going to do much in the way of getting me better."

"Sidney your're using that word again." said Hermione staring at him in disbelief. "You've been going on and on about wizards and magic ever since you fell and quite frankly it's clear indication that your confusion has only gotten worse."

"Wizards?" asked Snape with an arched brow. "Why the hell would I mention a thing like that?"

"I don't know." replied Hermione with a sigh. "You were confused and frightened you called me a witch more times than I can count."

Snape through the whole ordeal amusing as he tried to understand what the man Sidney Sinclair had been up to before he was taken from this strange magic-less world.

"I must have hit my head harder than I believed." he said before meeting her eyes. "But I am not going to see a healer...I don't need one."

"There you go speaking strangely again." replied Hermione. "Sidney, I love you and I'm only doing what is best for you...if you won't go to a doctor, I'll just have to bring one to you."

"What is that suppose to mean?" asked Snape with an arched brow once more.

Before the concerned young woman could reply there had been a knock at the bedroom door for a second time. Hermione went to the door and Snape found himself noting the appearance of Remus John Lupin and instantly tensed. He balled his fists instinctively attempting to wordlessly summon his wand the moment the man stepped into the room.

"The werewolf...you called the bloody werewolf!?" shouted Snape immediately jumping out of bed and taking on a stance for dueling on to discover he had no wand.

"SIDNEY!?" said Hermione in shock. "What are you doing?, Dr. Lupin this is what I've been speaking about...he's been acting different ever since the the accident."

Lupin seemed un-phased by Snape's accusations and simply sighed.

"It's quite alright Mrs. Sinclair, we doctors have been called far worse in our line of work." he said revealing his overall pleasant demeanor. "I was sorry to hear about your accident Sidney...although I am surprised you didn't call or come into the office that fall could very well be a serious thing."

"Don't tell me...is the dog here too?"Snape asked narrowing his eyes at the thought of having even this house overrun with the likes of The Marauders.

"If you are referring to Padfoot, last I checked he was your dog and Harry is quite fond of him." replied Lupin shaking his head. "It seems the confusion is quite real."

"Fuck off Werewolf." growled Snape.

"Sidney what kind of way is that to treat your best friend?" asked Hermione still more than a bit put off by her husband's behavior.

"Best friend?" asked Snape feeling every bit of his repressed rage from his youth. "Me best friends with the werewolf that tried to kill me on more than one occasion...not bloody likely...I am now convinced that I have died and gone to hell."

Lupin looked a bit hurt by the last comment but said nothing as she appeared to recall his friend had been quite ill.

"Hermione would you excuse us for a few moments...I'd like to examine Sidney and given his confusion your presence and reactions to his comments would only complicate matters." said The doctor.

"Are you sure?" she asked looking at her husband with ample disapproval before returning her gaze back to the doctor.

"I'm sure, come on we survived being roommates in an all boys school and bunking at the same university his confusion isn't going to do me in just yet." said Remus with a rather sheepish smile.

"So you say." said Snape in a dangerous tone.

Hermione sighed and took her leave of the two men for the time being hoping that the doctor could sort everything out with her husband.

Lupin turned his attention to Snape who eyed him curiously.

"Roommates?" he asked as if it had been more than an impossibility. "I never shared any dwelling space with you."

Lupin met his gaze with appeared to have been tears coming down his cheeks. The sight of the werewolf cry seemed to unnerve Snape.

"I was afraid something like this would happen." he said in a sorrowful tone. "It was bound to happen quite frankly I don't know what possessed me to make a completely dishonest promise when I should have informed your family from the very start."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Snape now more confused than ever.

"I'm talking about you forcing me to lie to your family for sake of keeping up this ridiculous charade...Sidney...pretending this isn't happening isn't doing anyone any favors."

"Have you lost your mind?" asked The Potions Master glaring at the man before him.

"No, but you are losing yours...the symptoms fit with your irrational behavior, just as I said it would...for heaven's sake...tell them...tell them before it's too late or you accident hurt someone or yourself for that matter."

"I was under the impression that I fell off a roof." said Snape ignoring the sad hysterics of the doctor before him.

"You lost your footing when your vision became blurred." said Lupin.

"It's snowing outside." said Snape.

"You're headaches haven't let up since the incident." continued the doctor. "Hermione's told me how often you complain about them."

"I feel perfectly fine." replied The Potions Master. "I am simply surrounded by idiots and would like to be as far away from you lot as possible."

"Denying something doesn't mean it doesn't exist." said Lupin still with tears streaming down his cheeks. "In case you've forgotten among everything else, you have a wife and four children that adore you...they have every right to know what's going on with you and how to prepare for it."

Snape attempted to retort, but found he had been unable to due to the onset of a rather vicious pounding headache.

"Sidney." said Lupin rushing to his friend's aid much to the shock of Snape whom had mistrusted him from the very beginning.

As Snape doubled over as the intensity of his head pain got the better of him, he found himself being pushed into the mind of the tearful doctor. He saw him young and impressionable as a boy newly registered at the very same all boys school he had been placed in. They became fast friends...best friends and went through a good deal of adventures together.

They were quite loyal to each other and almost like brothers until one day Lupin's father and mother were murdered during a home invasion and he had been orphaned...nearly being shipped off never to see his best mate again. It was the intervention of Sidney Sinclair's parents that put a stop to the heartbreak adopting the boy as one of their own but insisting he keep his family name.

Snape blinked rapidly as Lupin clung to him still in the midst of tears.

"Y-You're my brother." he said weakened from the agony.

"That's right." said Lupin wiping away his tears as he assisted Snape back into bed. "We are brothers Sidney...and we always will be."

"Always." said Snape as the pain began to recede and he leaned back against the pillows of that lined the strange bed.

"The family deserves to know the truth." insisted Lupin as he got to his feet and made his way over toward the black medical bag he'd carried in and left casually on an empty chair. "You owe them that much at least."

Snape had brief recollection of words that he'd said almost a lifetime ago.

"No one can know." he told his apparent adoptive brother in a broken tone.

"Right." said Lupin with a sorrowful sigh.

He pulled from his bag a readied needle ripe with medication.

"This may sting a bit." he said before promptly walking toward Snape and injecting him with the contents of the syringe.

Snape's body tensed as the medicine took effect lessening his pain and causing him to drift off into another round of dreamless slumber. What Lupin did or had chosen to say to Hermione after that was of no consequence to him at that moment. Just as everything gave way to dark silence, Snape had one thought about his peculiar predicament, it seemed he would have to live in the present in order to understand why the strange enchantress had brought him to this place.