The Antidote
Leonor was once more curled under the blanket. The study was dark and gloomy. The green shimmering light in the dungeons faded with the daylight, and the air was humid from the boiling potion. Severus nursed the fire examining the office. Leonor's clothes lay folded in muggle fashion in a lower compartment of the bookshelf. Severus must have hexed the complete contents of the wardrobe from the seventh floor. It looked like moving in, a frightening and thrilling thought at once. He never wanted company, not after so much loss by own fault, not with so much at stake. Leonor had to survive the night, and he had to cope with whatever it meant and after that, it was over, and he would go his own way again.
The antidote was ready and a cup with the aromatic smelling liquid placed into Leonor's clammy hands. Severus watched her drowning it at once and clinging on the warm outside while staring to the empty bottom. There was no immediate effect and Leonor fell apparently into another doze. He took the cup and returned to the workbench cleaning and checking again the cauldron just to return to make sure she was alright given the circumstances. She had still high temperature, the skin felt warm now. The eyelids moved rapidly like thinking of something in a restless dream. His long slim fingers moved some dark hair out of the hot glowing forehead. She looked so fragile, so much different from usual. Severus just sat there and waited.
Unexpectedly Leonor rolled to the other side, sitting upright and straight to stare eerily like the man opposite was the enemy. She sized Severus at his robes and started punching and screaming. The actions originated from a mix of agony and self-defence. Severus recoiled taken aback by the sudden change. When regaining composure, he quickly cast a silencing spell around the room, better to let nobody hear and see. He hesitated to use a spell on Leonor. It felt so wrong and Severus shied away from the fists instead of taking his wand. It angered her more and more. He was already close to the wall and retreating further was no option anymore. Severus caught Leonor's wrists with a few skilled moves ducking the punches quickly. She tried to wriggle herself free, but he was keeping the arms and pulling her close into a strong embrace while hoping it would calm her down. Leonor still raced, but Severus didn't let go and brought her back to the armchair safely gripped with both arms and in his lap. It worked, she quieted floating into a steady breathing, sleeping. It was time for the next cup of antidote.
The evening turned into the night. Leonor was nothing of herself. The disoriented fury changed into the desire of close contact. Fighting the nightmares resulted in resistance. Holding her close hushed the demons away. The exhausting change of temper and the need to care for the antidote tired Severus. It felt like forever. He relaxed embracing the woman, listening to the still body before the next helping was due; just to bring another round of chaos. It was wrong to touch her; it was wrong to stroke her back and to feel the soft skin below the fabric of the shirt. She couldn't object to whatever he did, yet he sensed it was the only thing required to live through the strange toxic hallucinations. It was what he needed to continue defeating the dragon's venom. The realization of why she chose the office over the hospital wing dawned in his mind. She knew it. The battle ended in the morning a short hour before the sunlight illuminated the hilltops around the Black Lake.
XXX
The place was cosy. A soft pillow adjusted Leonor's head in a comfortable position. The blanket ensured nice warmth. A male scent and a light snore tickled her nose and ears. An arm embraced her waist without adding weight, moving lazily from time to time and caressing the skin below the shirt. It felt like everything was right in the world. She snuggled closer to the body to hold on to the loving dream and drifted into another deep healing sleep.
XXX
Leonor dozed realizing the surroundings slowly. The twilight made spots in a warm golden light. She watched them moving until clouds covered the rays of sunshine with the dull bleakness of November. She recognized to have loads of space on a box spring mattress. The window was above the top sending the fading daylight of a late afternoon into the room. Ceiling-high shelves with books framed the king-size bed. Some space in the lower compartments was used as a bedside cabinet. Half-finished crosswords, pens, and few recent periodicals were left in the dark wood and covered a stick looking like a handle of a wand. There were a wardrobe and two doors. Both stood little ajar without showing anything of the bordering rooms. It was quiet, and Leonor fell back into the numerous soft pillows. She recollected what happened and remembered vaguely to have left her wand on the workbench, she'd changed into shirt and sweatpants and took the first cup of the antidote. It tasted unusually fruity and sweet for an antidote, almost as aromatic as it smelled. There was no memory after that. The bed covers emitted a fresh masculine identity, a woody scent with a note of bamboo and mint, something she became addicted in her dream. Was it really a dream? The dragon-keeper; the young lad who unfortunately suffered the same injury was restless for weeks; saved from the poison but fighting dire nightmares in every sleep. The antidote didn't solve it. Peter's wife saved her husband from the demons; she'd been caring and strong enough to hold him while his life was at stake. He recovered fast and the evil spirits vanished with the love.
Leonor rolled to her side, groping for the cut at her waist. There was a new loose bandage around the belly. She sat up and removed the patched-up dressing. The gash was closed, still dark from the dry blood. Leonor sighed in a fit of gratitude. Salty tears filled the dark eyes, blurring the room and rolling down the pale cheeks. He was her dream; he'd been here. The covers were still ruffled and creased from the other body. She never meant to spend a night with Severus, not that way, but it was an odd good sensation. Leonor took the slim jet-black stick from below the crosswords. It was as black as Severus' hair and eyes. The handle felt comfortable in her small hand; the ebony wood gave a stark contrast to her skin and the white bed covers. Leonor put the wand back to its place realizing to have no clue about the day. She edged to the end of the bed putting her feet to a fleecy rug and taking her woollen socks from the floor. The knees felt powerless and supported the weight of the body reluctantly. The smaller door to the right led into a bathroom. Fresh towels lay on the washstand and a large candle illuminated the room in a romantic dim light. Leonor hesitated, forcing down new tears, the intimate atmosphere too much to handle. A wave of the hand switched on some torches. Leonor's mirror image was much less worrying than expected. She put a splash of cold water into her face and continued to rinse head and hair completely in the refreshing iciness. She exhaled noisily, the life pulsating through the veins again.
Leonor pushed the door to the living room. She supposed to have some time before Severus returned from lessons. A two-seater sofa and two armchairs were placed half-round opposite a gorgeous fireplace. A rickety low side table stood on an elegant red carpet in between the seating. The long narrow window on the other wall showed snippets of the forest and the lake. It was large enough to light up the small room with daylight. The decoration was as sparsely as in Severus' office, no paintings, no photographs, not even books. Leonor walked to the fire and put some wood to the flames watching the orange glow. It felt safe and peaceful until a piercing shriek startled her. Leonor turned to discover the sleeping house elf.
"Hattie! Are you alright?" called Leonor. The elf sat in the edge of the sofa with a pillow pressed to the chest. The orb-like brown eyes protruded in shock, the body quivering like leaves in a cool breeze.
"Mistress … is awake and Hattie didn't inform Master Snape … Hattie needs to punish herself … Hattie was not allowed to sleep and forgot—," more words suffocated in dry sobs. The elf's tiny arms rounded the woman's legs while beating the head against Leonor's shins.
"Stop it, Hattie! I'll get bruises from your forehead. Your master will be here soon." Leonor smiled a warm smile considering the innocent eyes of the little creature.
"Master told Hattie that Mistress is very, very ill, but Mistress doesn't look ill." The elf kneaded its knuckles and tilted the head in anticipation of an answer.
"I was very ill, but I'm healed, Hattie. We wait for Severus to return from teaching, right?"
The elf put more birch wood to the fire and removed some ash from the stone tiles before starting to dust the mantelpiece and the furniture. Leonor placed herself into one battered leather armchair staring at the flames. Hattie watched her now and then. Leonor felt tense and started to talk to distract herself from being helpless.
"How long have I been here?" asked Leonor, uncomfortable about the outcome before knowing it.
"Master called me yesterday morning before lessons, but Master didn't allow Hattie to see Mistress. He wanted to be informed if Mistress woke up."
"You've been here the whole day?"
"Master kept watching over Mistress during the night. Master made Hattie swear to tell everybody that Mistress is sleeping on the seventh floor. Hattie keeps the secrets," answered the elf proudly.
"Thank you," said Leonor in a low voice.
"Master was very tired and worried. He never comes to this room before bedtime. Is Mistress really healthy?" The elf tilted the overlarge head as if in doubt.
"Yes, I am," said Leonor thoughtfully.
"Hattie, please can you leave me alone? I'll tell that I dismissed you. I like to rest a bit."
"If it's the wish of Mistress!" The elf bowed and eyed Leonor suspiciously before exiting the room with a little pop.
XXX
Charity Burbage entered the staff room in her usual cheerful manner. Severus leafed through the Daily Prophet, hoping Rita Skeeter got no wind of the toxic dragon. It would make a famous story once the gossip about Potter cooled a bit.
"Severus! Anything new what we didn't see with our own eyes?" said Charity. Severus only grunted.
"How's Leonor?" she asked bluntly and most of the heads in the staff room turned to listen.
"I hope better," answered Severus with a mocking sneer closing the newspaper.
"Really, Severus! We all like to help; you cannot leave everything to the elf! At least Poppy should have a look!" moaned Charity.
Severus turned on his heels slightly amused, "I'm sure Leonor will appreciate all visits once she's able to recognize you."
He left through the door with a curt nod to the other teachers and passed the gargoyles swiftly to attend a boring dinner with Igor. Dumbledore wanted him to tail Igor as if Severus wouldn't know to keep an eye on him anyway. Igor was too cowardly to even touch precious Potter below Dumbledore's nose. Karkaroff would be saved if the 'Chosen One' could blow the Dark Lord and his followers away. It would grant a relaxed life. A tiny noise from behind a suit of armour made Severus stop. Hattie stood hidden in the darkness, observing the floor anxiously.
"You should be in the dungeons! I'll be down soon," hissed Severus in a low dangerous voice.
"Mistress is awake!" The elf whispered the words afraid Master would be scolding, cautious to make sure nobody could eavesdrop. She had to vanish as soon as somebody walked along the corridor. Severus narrowed his eyes at Hattie, searching the elf's expression thoroughly. She started to fumble nervously at the tea towel around her waist, but he went down the stairs without a word. The fabric of the cloak swished and billowed imposingly by the brisk pace.
Severus entered the hidden passageway behind the alcove without even touching his wand. The thick stone wall retreated at once just to close seconds later invisible for anybody else. He stopped right before the door with one hand on the handle, thinking. He couldn't just run into the room. Well-prepared words raced through his mind. The stately door opened without a creak under the spell. The flames sent dancing shadows to the stone tiled floor. Leonor lazed in his favourite armchair breathing steadily. She was asleep. The long dark hair was stringy and wet, the cheeks rosy and relaxed. Severus leaned against the mantelpiece, watching. How could he bring her here? He'd taken Leonor into his arms and carried the lifeless body to his room shielding her even from Dumbledore's eyes. He had been weak, witless— and returned the other night to sleep deep and dreamless for hours he'd never slept in one row before. What he had done was real, but no fact; she wouldn't know. The scent of the fragile lily of the valley didn't leave him alone. She trusted him and returned like a yo-yo. Pushing free resulted in fighting his inner self against the need to care for her while realizing to be a man scowling and frowning at himself more than at all students together. A person he never wished to be. He was unsure what made him more nervous, the truth about his callous outward self or losing it while savouring the female company in every sense of the word.
"Severus—," said Leonor, earning a smirk while he looked her up and down masking the protective feeling inside.
"Scott, time to move to your quarters."
Leonor positioned herself upright, obviously surprised by the salty tone.
"I'm hungry. I'd like to go home. It worked out, I was very lucky, Severus," she studied his dark eyes likely noticing the subtle change of emotions. He overlaid them quickly with a lazy and silky voice.
"The castle is under the assumption you've spent the last two days on the seventh floor, unconscious, traumatized, supported by Hattie. I told them you sleep the venom off after taking the antidote. You know no detail, nor do I; and the elf is bound to the ancient magic of their race. Do I make myself plain?"
"Naturally, Snape—," she replied defiantly and cold, "—I suppose you slept badly last night?"
"No." The words escaped before the mind processed the question. And she was looking through him, again. Severus felt like an open book, guilty and insecure if the blame was for keeping her warm last night or the intention to never meet again. What did she know?
"Here, a letter from Peter. Write to him soon, he's worried sick— you both knew," the bitterness was difficult to hide.
"Anything else I should do or not do?"
"Take the Floo from my office. I connected the fireplaces to 'transport' you safely to your quarters. I'll inform Dumbledore about your recovery."
She walked briskly through the door. Severus followed close. Watching her backside tortured him. He would have liked to say something to make her stay, but it was best to let her go. He expected her to throw the powder into the flames immediately, but she turned with a vanquished expression.
"Yes, I and Peter knew. Would it make a difference if we'd told you? Sev, you did more than I could expect, and I had no right to ask for it. I'm more than grateful and I could tell you now, but it seems my company is not pleasant enough."
The Floo Powder created green blazing flames and Leonor spoke clearly the destination before spinning and vanishing from the Potion Masters office. Severus growled, walking determinedly to the Great Hall.
The dining hall was noisy and full of students. Severus disliked eating in the crowd. The enchanted ceiling reflected the unfriendly and wintery cold night. The sight was as ill-tempered as Severus' inside tumult of emotions.
"Headmaster—," said Severus with a firm voice and a curt bow "—Ms Scott recouped from the toxic effect. I expect her to return to work soon."
"Severus, very good news indeed. I suppose the patient visits will commence soon."
Dumbledore smiled widely along the staff table. Charity and Pomona looked delighted and shot more inquisitive looks towards the black-clad potions master. Severus only rolled the eyes before sitting next to Igor. Karkaroff straightened himself and expressed a false gratitude for saving the brown-haired witch. Severus narrowed his eyes, but Igor changed the topic and finished dinner soon after.