Chapter 16: Too Close

November 19, 1995

Severus Snape

"The boy could see inside my head!" the scream of the Dark Lord was a nightmarish sound. Snape did his utmost not to flinch.

"My Lord…" he began.

"How could this happen? How could you not know? You, Severus, who apparently knows everything that goes on in Hogwarts?"

"We must be wary not to make quick judgements, my Lord." Snape knew that while caving into the Dark Lord's panic would be the safest option, long term it would not prove to be politically expedient.

"Quick judgements, you say?" the Dark Lord paced up and down, his bony arms waving erratically around his head. He was breathing hard. "Quick judgements? I could sense him inside me- that disgusting Muggle-ridden child. How?"

Careful, careful.

"But… my Lord, I would have thought it quite obvious." Snape affected surprise.

The Dark Lord slowly turned his head, the vertebrae in his lower neck popping out against his blueish skin. "Obviouss…?"

"Think back to the time you were in the Department of Mysteries? Recall what was on your mind… I don't mean to assume the mind of one such as you, but am I correct in believing your thoughts were firmly on how to get the Prophesy?"

"Yessss."

Snape rushed on, ignoring the sliver of ferocity that raced through his master's voice. "Now, you say that the boy could see into your mind- but are you quite sure that was what was happening? He is no Legilimans- he's barely got the control for Transfiguration, and let's not even discuss Potions."

"Severusss… make your point now, or you won't have a mouth to make it with." Madness raged in those deathless eyes.

"You were thinking about the Prophesy- the Prophesy about you and Potter, the Prophesy that only you and Potter can access. You were thinking about Potter. The boy was not inside your mind. You were inside his. Unconscious, long distance Legilimancy- it is rare, and only possible for the most powerful of wizards. But it must have been confused- in the body of a snake. It is still a type of magic we know very little about, and the conduit of Nagini may have created a feedback loop that led into the boy's dreams."

"So…" the Dark Lord settled back onto his gnarly throne. "You believe that it was me… my fault?"

"Fault? Speak not of fault, my Lord? This is a monumental moment." Snape laid on the charm as heavily as he dared, the Dark Lord could not be aware of the truth. "Think of the power this skill could wield- and it is also a great moment for… well, for the advancement in the knowledge of magic."

Wormtail, cleaning Weasley's blood from Nagini's jaws, could be heard making a derisive snort.

"What was that, Wormtail?" the Dark Lord's reed-thin voice froze the rat as though he were Petrified. "You do not appreciate Severus's dedication to scholarliness? You think as a foolish brute- like most of my followers. Continue your work in silence, you have nothing to add to a conversation between minds." And, perhaps inspired by the threat he had only just given Snape, the Dark Lord flicked a curse across at the bowlegged little man that wiped his lips into a sealed mass of skin. Snape remembered vaguely once being hexed by Sirius with that one.

The Dark Lord's attention returned to his spy. "That is a clever little theory, Ssseverus. Of course, it is only a theory- but with access to the boy's mind… perhaps it could assist us in our aims…"

"Maybe." Severus nodded wisely. "If anyone can master this skill, it would be yourself. But my Lord, please do be careful. I have read that long-distance Legilimancy can be dangerous, for all involved."

"Yes, you've read a lot, haven't you, Severussss…" The Dark Lord assumed a heavy curtain of nonchalance, but Snape intuited that it was intended to hide extreme fatigue. Obviously, the jaunt out to the Ministry and the possession of Nagini had taxed his strength- though there wasn't much of it in the first place. Most of what was keeping Voldemort upright, even after so many months, was basically a never-ending stream of potions and snake milk. But Snape had never known a man with tenacity like that of the Dark Lord's.

"My Lord." Snape wasn't sure what to say. This was the first time he had been summoned back to the forest after their somewhat bloody farewell the month prior. Lucius had given a message to him in private the evening that Lupin had left to transform, once he'd ensured that his little half-blood friend was alright. "The Dark Lord said to tell you that… Goyle won't be well enough to attend any Death Eater meetings either for a while." That was enough to tell Snape that his position among the Dark Lord's followers was, for the time being, assured. But when the Dark Mark blazed early one winter morning, Snape was so terrified that he had to swallow an entire glass of firewhiskey before he could join his master. He rarely would drink except for medicinal reasons.

"Severus, there is something else of concern to me." The Dark Lord's narrow eyes narrowed even further. "When I was in the Department, I discovered why exactly Avery's plan failed so pathetically. And it wasn't, as the cowardly worm had said, that Lucius's Imperious was at fault."

"My Lord?"

Rage empty from his voice now, the Dark Lord called Nagini over to his side, and he began to cradle the beast's scalene head. "There was a ward- I- Nagini- we could ssssmell it, couldn't we, my lovely?"

"A ward?" Snape's stomach dropped. "What kind of ward?"

"It guarded the door to the Department of Mysteries- and much more effectively than that Weasley lump. It couldn't prevent entry to anyone- just to those with the Imperious. It was that which stopped Broderick Bode from getting in- according to Lucius's ministry sources, they found him in the morning, covered in a magical web that shrieked out an alarm. Apparently, it half deafened the Unspeakable."

"How do you know that it was a ward designed to detect the Imperious? It could have been any number of-"

"I could feel the force, the intent. My senses don't lie. It was powerful magic, virgin magic. It hasn't been in this world for very long. Sssssomeone has created it."

Despite his agitation, Snape couldn't repress the surge of awe that he felt at the Dark Lord's searing intellect and connection with the forces of magic. It was this that first drew him to the man.

"The Order has told me nothing of this." Snape piled high a layer of memories- just in case the Dark Lord's energy should return to verify his words. "But it could have been Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore? Since when has that geriatric fruitcake ever invented a spell? I would have sensed if it was him. I know him too well. No, whomever this inventor be… I do not know them."

And the awe Snape had been feeling was replaced with a smugness that he hid quickly away with horrified alacrity. After all, Dark Lord knew of Snape's capacity for invention. It was only the arrogance in his skill as a Legilimans that blinded the Dark Lord. For he had so thoroughly battered Snape's body and ransacked his brain that last time that the idea of disloyalty of such a magnitude from Snape didn't seem to be something he had even bothered to factor in.

"Sssseverus, we cannot afford to wait much longer. We must release our followers."

Snape twitched. "I understand Yaxley is in charge of the breakout?"

The Dark Lord laughed coldly. "Poor Ssseverus. Valued as you are to me, I don't keep you updated any more than I can help, for you sleep too close to Dumbledore- through no fault of your own, of course. No, we have other plans…"

Snape blinked. He already knew that the Dark Lord intended to recruit the dementors- after all, he'd announced it to all the Death Eaters on his night of return and Potter had raced back to tell Dumbledore. "I am aware that you're going to recruit the Dementors- what part of the plan has changed?"

"The dementors… they will not trust Yaxley, so it seems. They need to know that I am back. So I intend to show them myself…"

"My Lord! Why must you go in person? What if you are seen? I cannot see why it is so essential that it be you…"

"Because they will only trust me, for unlike you and Yaxley and all the rest, I understand them. I understand all of them. All these poor, forgotten creatures of magic, left to depopulate into the darkness, while stinking Muggles breed like flies. We must reclaim those that breathe the same energy we do."

"All of them?" Snape was on the alert- this could be the information Dumbledore needed. "You don't just mean all the Dementors, do you?"

"Clever boy- cleverest of all my boys." Rasped the Dark Lord patronisingly. "Not just them- the werewolves and giants, as you know… but also the goblins, the merpersons, the acromantila, trolls… and maybe even the dragons."

Not even bothering to hide his shock, Snape gasped, "But my Lord, will you be able to control all of these creatures?"

"Control?" the Dark Lord's slit nose flared ever so slightly. "Control? That, Sssseverus, it the difference between you and I. I can see in you your thirst for knowledge of the dark forces. But you crave it so that you can understand it, bridle its power it into your hands. You forget the most exhilarating part of Dark Magic is the chaos. I will not control any of these creatures- I will connect their chaos to my own. We will be a force as unstoppable as death itself. I will give them the freedom that all these Muggle-tainted wizards have so long denied them. Denied all of us."

Sending his Patronus ahead of him, Snape didn't lose any time in returning to Hogwarts. Arthur Weasley was likely dead by now, but he couldn't be sure. It was 3 a.m. by the time Snape reached Dumbledore's office, drenched from the midnight downpour. Barely pausing to cast a drying charm over his robes, he hissed Dumbledore's ridiculous password at the gargoyles and raced through the wall before it had even finished opening, pounding up the moving staircase at a rapid pace, ignoring the pain that stabbed at his side from one of his still-healing wounds.

"Dumbledore!" he roared, seeing the office empty. The old man was probably asleep in the next room- Snape had never been in there, but if he didn't get a response soon, he would. Hadn't Dumbledore received the Patronus?

He could see the row of previous Headmasters stir from their sleep, some sending him sour glares from their portrait frames.

"Dumbledore!" Snape shouted once more, moving towards the living quarters, but before he could enter, Dumbledore came out.

"Ah, Severus, my boy, I was just relieving myself. No need to shout."

"Did you get my Patronus?" Snape asked shortly.

"Yes, yes, I did, but it wasn't necessary to send her."

"Don't you understand? Weasley may be dead! How was it not necessary to notify you about that?"

"Because the Healers at St. Mungo's are even now battling for his life."

At that revelation, Snape stopped, all his energy draining out of him. "So Potter could see into the Dark Lord's mind."

Dumbledore's expression didn't seem to change at all, and he walked towards his window, looking out into the night. "Ah. And now I assume Voldemort knows. I had hoped we could avoid this-"

"It was inevitable." Snape moved to join him, and stared out across the school grounds, able to make out the pinprick of light from Hagrid's hut.

"As was it inevitable that you would have to teach the boy Occlumency." The old man said, as lightly as if he were discussing the weather.

Snape groaned, covering his face with his hands. Just what he bloody needed.

"And I am afraid you can't back out now, my boy, as you gave me your word in August."

"I didn't say I would be backing out. But Headmaster, it won't work!"

"Whether it works or not is entirely up to you, Severus." Dumbledore said calmly. "There is nothing more important than keeping Voldemort out of the boy's mind."

"Stop saying his damn name!" Snape tensed with discomfort, but Dumbledore continued on.

"There is nothing more important for the war and for the boy's own protection that he learn to close his mind. Only you can teach him. And you swore that you would protect Harry."

"Have I not always done that?"

"Yes, but now it is more important than ever before. It is far more vital that you focus on this than on your extra-curricular activities."

Snape jerked his head up to meet a laser hot blue gaze- it was times like this when Severus was forcibly reminded just how powerful an individual the aged man truly was. He'd made Dumbledore was angry, he could tell, and whenever Dumbledore was angry with him, Snape would get this funny painful feeling in his chest… it felt even worse than the Dark Mark- at least he could logically explain why that ached.

"I heard about your invention, Severus, which saved an Unspeakable from serious injury, so I understand. You seem to also have made quite a friend of Kingsley- I always thought you two might get along. He wants me to have your Mind Messenger installed within all the Order members."

"Why are you so concerned about this?" Snape turned his face away from the old wizard.

"It is because you are jeopardising your position as a spy- and your own safety!"

"Well, maybe my position of spy isn't the only position in which I am not utterly useless!" Snape flared up.

"Useless?" Dumbledore turned and carefully looked at Snape. "Have I ever made you feel useless?"

"How I feel is irrelevant. What I am is more to the point."

"Severus- your information on Vold- Tom's activities is of crucial value. You know that."

Snape ground his teeth. "So what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stay quiet, collect your information, and don't let any more members of the Order realize your true loyalties. You know that Tom could penetrate any of their minds and discover you."

Severus knew that. He also knew that this was why those communication devices had to be installed as soon as possible. "What will you do about the… well, Shacklebolt is calling it a Mind Messenger now."

Dumbledore sighed. "Well, I suppose that bridge is already burnt up, so we may as well install it. But you will have to tell Voldemort that it was upon my order they were designed. And we shall have to make up a story for the Imperious detector. You can say that I created it."

Snape forced down a surge of anger at Dumbledore blithely suggesting he take credit for Snape's own invention. "Brilliant wizard though you are, Headmaster, I don't think that will work." He said coldly. "The Dark Lord has already disregarded that notion."

"Ah, so Tom is now aware of it? I assume he must have seen it on his serpentine wander?"

"Indeed."

Dumbledore moved to settle down in a chair, gesturing his spy to the adjacent couch. "My dear Severus… maybe you won't believe this, since you have been so angry with me lately, but I am very concerned for your safety."

"Really- you seemed positively sticky with concern last month in the hospital wing." Snape said with sarcasm, but he couldn't stop his feeling of hurt resentment from seeping into his voice.

"… Poppy has already alerted me to the fact that I was not altogether tactful that evening, but my primary responsibility is to the greater good. I had to get the information first, and only then would I be free to worry about your physical state."

Snape stayed silent, avoiding Dumbledore's searching gaze.

"Please, Severus. It is enough that I must put you in this dangerous position. Don't leave me with the guilt that I will suffer if I send you to your death."

He cares. The little scared boy that crouched deep within Snape's soul began to reach out towards Dumbledore, but Snape viciously slapped him back.

"So you want me to do nothing?"

"You must do what I tell you. I can't keep you safe otherwise." Dumbledore was insistent, and Snape finally looked back at him. Yes, he did care.

"What about the other Order members? You think the Order will be stronger for them to not trust me?"

"They will trust you because they trust me and I trust you." Dumbledore quipped, and reached for a teapot. "Tea, Severus?"

"No, I have to sleep." Snape got up.

"By the way-" Dumbledore held up a hand. "About Lupin… it will do you to good to continue to repair your relationship."

"So you don't care if he trusts me?" Snape froze. That did not add up. If Dumbledore didn't want the other Order members to trust him, what was so different about Lupin? The winning of Lupin's trust was the most successful of all of Snape's efforts hitherto, and it had only been completed with the aid of Dumbledore. All his little machinations, unlocking Snape's floo, having the wolf be his nurse… Snape had the unsettling sensation that he was being manipulated…

Dumbledore simply sipped his tea. "Like I said… it will do you good to repair your relationship."

Snape stared at him for a moment, and then unable to think of anything else to say, swept from the room, the questions burbling through his mind left unanswered.

Had Snape still not been recovering from his injuries, he would have charged down the empty passageways like some kind of vicious demon. But as it was, he had to

settle for limping down the corridors to reach his chamber, while his thoughts torrented through his mind, tangling into a tumultuous jumble.

He was now in the odd position where Dumbledore's last request, that of continuing good relations with Lupin, was actually something of which Snape now felt uninclined to satisfy. As to ceasing his incursions into the rest of the Order, and teaching Potter Occlumency, Snape was irritated to realize that he would in fact have to obey those orders.

Once reaching his quarters, he was unable to stop his mind from racing even as he took a long, steaming shower.

Occlumency with Potter was something that every square inch of his body protested against. Teaching the art was messy, and could result in the flowing of minds between teacher and student. Snape, although mostly self-taught, had done a few lessons with Dumbledore, and at times, the harder Dumbledore pressed against his defences, the closer Snape seemed to push back upon Dumbledore's own. Now, he knew Potter was unlikely to have the skill to penetrate Snape's mind himself, but he knew that the boy possessed a powerful and highly chaotic magical force, and was therefore unpredictable. There were memories that Snape shuddered at the idea of Potter seeing. He would have to ask Dumbledore if he could borrow his Pensieve.

But at least it would distract him from having to focus on earning the Order's trust. It was enough, what he had done. Lupin believed in him, Kingsley trusted him… Moody sort of tolerated him now. Black was a pile of dogshit, as usual. Snape groaned aloud as the memories of that weekend reoccurred to him. Being humiliated under Moody's Imperious, weak though it was, and having the mad, utterly insane notion to submit to their investigation of his boggart. It was too close. It was too close.

Snape shivered, staring at himself in his bathroom mirror. Some of the marks that the Dark Lord had left were still fresh and pink. Deep lacerations roped across his side, twisting into ribbed clumps of flesh- Snape grimaced to look upon it. He stretched his back muscles, rolling his head around his neck to release the tension. He could still feel it- the numb, prickling pain that the Crutiatus had wrought upon his nervous system. He hadn't yet found the time to work on a salve for it, but if he didn't discover a remedy soon, he would be insensible to pain- which he knew would obviously be even more dangerous than the chronic pain that he was currently dealing with. He breathed out gently, relaxing his sore muscles. Wasn't Dumbledore right then, that this role was dangerous enough? Taxing enough?

But it had been worse, so much worse, worse than having flesh ripped open and blackened with flame, worse than having nerve cells expand and explode. To have to open his soul up- his broken, battered soul… and let such hideous humans see the pieces. He had told Black his greatest fear. He had told him.

He groaned again, and turned away from the mirror, unable to bear looking at his hideous form a moment longer. And he said all those things to Lupin the evenings before. He dressed carefully for bed, and tried to grab a few hours sleep before he would be forced to get up and teach.

But his thoughts still would not slow.

He didn't want to do it anymore. It was enough. He had given them the spell- the Mind Messengers would be useful, for much more than the Order realized. Maybe he'd give them a few other inventions. He'd help out where he could. But no one was allowed to see any more of his soul.

And then he shot upright in bed. Arthur Weasley! He was still alive, but Snape had heard the Dark Lord speak of the power in Nagini's venom. The Healers' wouldn't be able to find a cure without the venom- which Snape himself had access to. He thumped back with a frustrated huff. There was nothing else for it. He would have to disobey Dumbledore again and continue to act beyond the bounds of a spy.

December 25, 1995

Molly Weasley

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA?" Molly just couldn't believe it. Of all the moronic, pigeon brained things- stitches? She tore up and down the hospital floor, spitting with rage. Arthur was already so terribly injured, constantly bleeding, slowly, bit by bit being drained away by the poison. The Healers had assured her that they would be able to find a cure, but it had been over a week since the attack and now there was more Blood-Replenishing Potion in her husband's veins than blood, and still nothing!

She wrung her plump hands desperately- it was easier to be angry than to be afraid, so she went back to yelling at her weakened husband who waited in awkward silence for her to finish.

Lupin and Moody hid in the corner of the room, appearing not to take any notice- which may have been difficult considering that Molly knew she was pretty much a human Howler at that point.

After she had said her fill, she took one deep breath. "Have you anything to say for yourself, Arthur?"

"I won't do it again?" he offered meekly, and cast her that sweet little look that she'd lost her heart to long ago. Silly fool.

BANG.

The door suddenly crashed open, and a breathless looking Mundungus Fletcher scrambled in. "Lupin, Mad-eye, someone's gone and nicked ma' car, and they def'ny looked like dark wizards!"

"Didn't you stop them, you lazy hound? I left my Witch's Weekly magazine in there!" Molly was grateful for having someone else to castigate, and she utterly disliked the criminal she had been forced to consort with. She'd never forgiven him for hexing Arthur behind his back a few years ago, and then abandoning Harry to the Dementors.

Moody rushed over, looking as cheerful as he'd ever looked. "I could use a good stretch. Which way did they go, Dung?"

"Down towards Toppler's Bend- you have to get it back, it was borrowed!"

"Isn't everything you have borrowed?" Molly snapped. "Or I should say stolen."

"Come now, Molly." Lupin bid farewell to the injured werewolf he'd been cheering up, and came over to join the little gathering. "It's only a car, Dung, we don't need to worry too much about it."

"NO!" Dung stamped his foot. "I need it back, who knows what those-?"

"We'll get it." Moody interrupted. "I haven't had a good fight in ages- coming, Lupin?"

"Ohhh…" Lupin looked reluctant. "All right then."

"I can't come." Dung cowered. "I barely escaped wif' ma' life- one of those wizards wanted to kill me."

"He's got company." Moody looked disgusted and left the room, followed by Lupin.

Molly looked down her nose at the grubby little man. "If you plan on hiding, hide somewhere else, I'd like to speak with my husband."

"Oh? You usually have your conversations with him when he's passed out?" was Dung's snide retort.

Molly whipped her head around, and was horrified to see her husband lying back on his pillows, very still.

"Mundungus, get a Healer, quick!"

But Mundungus was ignoring her, preoccupied in dragging on an extremely oversized black robe, while looking intently over at the werewolf patient and muttering under his breath what appeared to be a Hypnos charm. The werewolf started snoring.

"MUNDUNGUS!"

Then Molly's voice faltered. Something strange was happening to the man- he was getting taller. In addition to that, he was sprouting long black hair, and his face was shifting into a pale, bony countenance that she suddenly recognized with a thrill of fear.

Severus Snape must have come to finish the job. Why else was he here? But he would not succeed. She withdrew her wand, and prepared to stand her ground over her husband. She would die before anyone would touch Arthur.

"You won't need that." He said quietly. "I've only come to cure him of Nagini's poison."

Cure?

"W-what do you mean?"

"What I just said. I have a cure. Now kindly allow me to apply it, since that fellow's Confundus is only going to last so long."

She loosened her grip on her wand just a little. "Then why the Polyjuice troupe? Why did you send the others on a wild goose chase?"

Snape looked frustrated. "Weasley- Molly, you realize every second you waste here is another second that your husband is in danger?"

"He's been in hospital for a week!" she shouted, livid that he would dare accuse her of putting her husband at risk. "You could have turned up with the cure at any time if you had it!"

Snape waved his wand at the door, casting what Molly recognized as her signature Imperturbable charm. "Keep your voice down, woman." He said angrily. "You should know I have risked my life in coming here. If this should get back to the Dark Lord… anyway, as to why I am here today instead of last week, it is because I had no cure until a few hours ago- I've been trying to find it all week!"

The last phrase was said almost plaintively, and it stopped Molly in her full-steam-ahead tracks. She looked more carefully at the man.

He was haggard. Even more than usual, with dark bruises against his eye sockets.

"Alright." She lowered her wand, softening her tone. "But why did you distract Moody and Lupin?"

He shifted, and looked a little pained. "I have seen too much of them recently- and they have seen too much of me." He came over to Arthur's bedside, removing a potion from the folds of his cloak. "Anyway, the less who know about this, the better. When the Dark Lord wants someone dead, they are meant to stay dead. His displeasure in being thwarted in anything is not something you would like to see."

Molly stood blankly at the end of the bed as she allowed Snape to examine her unconscious husband. She still remembered how Snape had saved Harry's life- she knew it was wrong to feel so surprised that he was now attempting to do the same thing for Arthur. For as she watched him levitate Arthur back up to a sitting position, and pull back the bandages to examine the wounds, she couldn't help but be struck by how gentle and sensitive he seemed. He also apparently knew what he was doing, vanishing the dressing on the wound and scourgified the bandages, and then spelled the silvery contents of a vial directly into Arthur's stomach.

Then he arose. "That ought to do it. But if I was still a St. Mungo's healer, whoever did up those bandages would shortly have bandages of his own to tend to."

At the mention of the apprentice healer who had decided to sew her husband's skin like a trouser hem, Molly had to force down a surge of rage. The most important thing right now was her husband's present state of health.

She eagerly rushed over to the bedside. "Well? Is he better now?"

"Of course not!" snorted the Potions Master. "He's not exactly suffering from a broken nose. Nagini is a highly magical creature, and her venom can wreck havoc in the magical immune system- my compliments to Healer Smythwck for keeping him alive for so long. It will take two, maybe three weeks before the venom is pacified. But I've developed a solution that should be able to work with his natural anti-bodies to transmute the poison. In fact, while I can't expel it from his system entirely, he may possibly be made the stronger for it, once the potion works through the process. But that latter part is only theoretical for now."

Molly's heart flowed out in gratitude. She trusted every single incomprehensible word he said. "Severus, you dear man- how can I thank you?"

"Not pointing your wand at my nose like you did before might be a good start."

"Oh. Oh, yes, well, sorry about that, Severus. But you did scare me so. Now, what are you going to do about Moody and Lupin? They are going to be steaming at you for sending them off on a false errand."

Snape shrugged. "Mostly false. Actually, the car has been stolen, according to Mundungus, who, if anyone asks, is currently stuck in a manhole near Toppler's Bend. You will keep it between us that I practised my Confundus work on him? I was getting a little rusty, you see…" he raised a feline grin, and Molly found herself grinning back.

"If it was anyone other than Mundungus-" she began warningly.

"Rest assured, I won't go flicking charms at all the other Order members. I originally planned on using an Invisibility Potion to get into St. Mungo's undetected, but when I saw Mundungus, the opportunity was too good to miss. You see, I still hadn't paid him back for sending me on that little adventure up at Privit Drive in August." Snape glanced over at the werewolf, who was still dead asleep. "Anyway, the car has been returned to its rightful owner, although I think this might have been yours." He withdrew her copy of Witches' Weekly, and barely restrained curling his lip at it.

She snatched it back. "What about getting the children back to Grimmauld Place? It's freezing outside!"

"Are you a witch or not?" Snape snorted, turning to go. "Oh-" he added before leaving the room. "As no one should know that I was the one to cure your husband, I will be making use of the Confundus again, this time on Healer Smythwyke. He'll believe he already discovered the remedy and administered it. He's bound to win the Kelpsis Healer Award for Ingenious and Inventive Magical Remedies for this. Better him than me though- it's hardly a prize that rolls off the tongue, is it?"

Then he removed a little bottle from his robes and drank, grimacing. Molly watched in fascination as he shrank back into a black robe-swamped Mungdungus and then waddled to the door.

"Um. Merry Christmas?" she called out.

Snape-dungus turned and raised an eyebrow. "Is it?" he then left the room without another word.

Author's Note;

Hello, all you dear peoples. I hope everyone is staying safe and well right now during this fascinatingly awful time in our history.

Just wanted to advise that I shall be attempting to post once a week if all goes well. I really appreciate all the encouraging and introspective reviews- and thanks to all those who stuck around with me through the intermittent years. I just also wanted to quickly address a comment left by a guest who asked if there would be hints of an SS/HG crush or romance. I guess I should be clear. This will not be a romance. I'm not against SS/HG since the only real issue with that shipping people have is the age, and age really doesn't bother me as long as it's legal, but I personally think that the real Severus Snape of the books (who I try to remain true to) would not have time for a romance. Also, Hermione isn't really his type anyway in my opinion, as Snape would consider her as too inauthentic for his exacting requirements. So sorry to all shippers, this is an non-romantic fanfiction.