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Chapter 7

"Wingardium Leviosa." Severus muttered in a calm whisper. Under his robes, he had drawn out his wand and swished and flicked. The subtle movement went unnoticed by the students surrounding him in the stands. Their eyes were too focused upon the scene in front of them. Gasps and out cries had circulated throughout the audience as hundreds of wizards and witches watched Riley Brannigan, the new star keeper for Gryffindor, plummet rapidly towards the ground. They all had been watching the match below as Abney and the Slytherin seeker battled it out over the golden snitch. The scarlet and green robes had intertwined as they raced through the air below to grasp the golden ticket to the end of the game. With a triumph grin and fist pounded into the air, Abney held the golden ball in a sudden swoop with fans watching as he held up the fluttering golden wings. Cheers erupted right through the stadium. High fives were handed off and victory dances were jigged by patrons. All until catastrophe kicked in and fans pointed at the object approaching the Earth at an alarming rate. A rogue quaffle thrown by a Slytherin chaser was to blame as the student was thrown off her broom. Fans would later remark that it looked as if Brannigan was distracted by something down below when the quaffle collided with a loud smack to her face. Severus Snape would alone know the truth of the circumstances. If upon instinct, he mumbled the incantation and rotated his wrist, wand in hand. He only knew that he had to stop it. He had to stop Riley from falling. He had no idea where this action had come from within him, but a part of him, deep inside, was glad that he acted. The crowd all sat silently as they watched the slender slip of a girl being guided slowly towards the ground by some unseeing force. Of course they all knew it was magic, assuming it was some seasoned adult professor of sorts. No, no one could know of his actions because it would show that something in him cared for someone else. But his magic was strong, he thought confidently. He knew at the time of the charm that he couldn't guide her body but he could enchant her uniform to lower her to the ground and provide her at least an easier descent. She hit the grass with a slight thump. It was the best landing he could give her in these conditions, but it was better than nothing at all. Blades of grass flew up around her as her form settled on the Earth. It didn't take but seconds for some of their professors to dash over and check out the young woman who lay unconscious.


Riley lay unconscious as a young Poppy Pomfrey bustled about in her nurse's uniform attending to the prone figure's needs.

"How is our patient?" Albus Dumbledore asked, surrounded by the Gryffindor team and Sirius Black. The group popped out against the cozy looking, beige hospital wing in their scarlet uniforms. Sirius had worry written softly upon his face as he hung back behind the headmaster. Albus Dumbledore stood over the girl, stroking his long silvery beard, examining her extremities. Albus had not been very involved in Riley's time at Hogwarts so far but had shown interested in her coming to the school from America. A cultural delight, he had said at the time, perhaps she was someone with a little fire to warm our British hearts. His eyes had twinkled under his half-moon spectacles as he delivered this explanation of her late appearance to the school. Now, he stood above her hospital bed in more curiosity than concern, folding his hands before him.

"Could be worse, Albus. She suffered a mild concussion due to that blow with the quaffle. She'll heal up nicely in no time!" Poppy smiled congenially at the headmaster but then turned her head and frowned at the crowd that hovered at her patient's bedside. Moving her hands in a sweeping gesture, she escorted the Gryffindor team and Sirius Black to the door. "Out now, the patient needs to rest!"

Albus chuckled at Poppy's direct approach and sauntered off behind the team, "I am happy to hear that, Poppy. I look forward to our patient's recovery." And with that, the hospital wing doors gently shut close with a whoosh. Madam Pomfrey sighed and shook her head, heading back to work.


Severus glanced around the hospital wing door and gently opened the door with the slightest of creaks. The wing was dark and silent as he stepped in, leather boots quiet on the floor. His footsteps made the quietest of echoes against the stones as he walked to a certain hospital bed. All of the other hospital beds were thankfully unoccupied. Severus guessed it was too early in the school year for first years to be jinxing themselves yet. He glided closer and closer with his school robe behind him as he approached the prone Riley, laying loosely on the bed, a white sheet draped over her. He heard passing the Gryffindor table at supper that she was still in the Hospital wing with a concussion. Severus took in the information at the time, recalling his remedial medical knowledge. Being a stronger potions student, he knew that one must have some medical knowledge to survive in this world full of dunderheads. He recollected that these injuries were categorized as mild traumatic brain injuries that would not have permanent effects, but also jostled one's brain to some extent. He examined her outside appearance and noticed nothing odd except a little dirt marking her uniform. "Scourgify." He murmured, waving his wand under his school robe. Her clothes instantaneously appeared fresh and pressed as if they had been laundered.

He studied her up close, never wanting to show this much interest when people were around. Her face had a glow even though she was not conscious. It looked as if heat radiated from her cheeks. He often noted this due to the opposing skin tones they both had. His skin was pale though olive in shade, possibly with some Roman influence in his genetics. Hers had a slight undertone in pink shades, but with a golden overlay on top. It gave him the urge to touch that skin. That warm, revitalizing skin. It was soft like her hands and her lips. His mind drifted back to their kiss and how warm her mouth was against his cool lips. The insistence in his heart pushed him to stroke that skin, to feel it under his fingertips. His mind screamed in a contrasting view, telling him how idiotic he looked standing there hovering above this girl like a brooding third year. If any other Slytherin had seen him as he stood now… His heart won over and he swept his fingertips across her left cheek, feeling the warmth under his skin. It was like he remembered, but even better. He didn't understand that touching another could feel like this. His fingers took control of his cognition and threaded themselves through her chestnut locks of hair. Even tousled, they felt like satin. He examined the strands of hair in his hand and noticed a red sheen that reflected from the tresses. He had never noticed that sheen before. It was so brilliant now reflecting in the moonlight that crept in from the window panes.

"Severus?" A weak voice gasped out through dry lips.

Severus froze, his hand still stuck in her hair, hovering over her like some bandit. He processed the voice in his head and calculated his movements before rising up to his full height. Her eyes sleepily blinked as he removed his hand from her hair as stealthily as he could. He hoped she did not notice as he pulled his hand by his side, perhaps he had been quick enough. Her crystal eyes of blue peeked out behind the black web of lashes and gazed up at him to her left.

"Where am I?" She said in the quietest voice he had heard. It hadn't occurred to him that she would be thrown off by her surroundings as her head slowly moved from side to side.

"The hospital wing." He said, staring down at her confused expression.

"What happened?" She asked, pushing herself from her flat position in the bed with the palms of her hands. She rose into a semi-sitting point and then closed her eyes tightly, placing her head in her hands. "Wow, my head."

"You don't remember?" He asked her with a flat tone, folding his arms together against his chest.

She raised her head slowly from her sitting position and gently rested her head on her elevated knees, tilting her face so that her eyes were directed at Severus. "No, but it must have been one hell of a blow."

She examined his posture and considered how uncomfortable he looked. He appeared to be covering up some thoughts in head while plastering on an indifferent appearance.

"You were hit in the head with a quaffle."

"Man, I've been hit before, but that must have been some throw." She chuckled quietly, head rested on her knees, causing her body to quiver with laughter. He stared blatantly at her and could not comprehend how someone who just awoke from a concussion would be laughing about it as if it were nothing. "They've got a good chaser on their team. Good for them." Again he stared at her, not understanding her mood in the state that she was. She was enigmatic to him and it should have repelled him, but it drew him in even further. She definitely was not like the girls he was used to who blew over like a daffodil seed at any sign of unease. Disgusted with his own thoughts, he shook his head to discard them from his mind.

"What are you doing here, Severus?" Riley said with a raised eyebrow and an inquisitive look. She knew she was treading on faulty ground with her question but after seeing him gazing at Lily the other day, she really didn't care. A smirk tickled at lips, threatening to peer out, but she hid it the best she could. She watched as the cogs whirled away in his brain, he was taking his time to sort out an answer. She basked in his awkwardness, waiting patiently for the answer that she knew she had trapped him with. She was enjoying this way too much, she knew, but it was worth watching after the jealous introspection he had put her through. Severus did not physically squirm, but his eyes gleamed filled with thoughts.

He stood silently for a long time and could not come up with an answer that did not condemn him in some way. He could not allow these thoughts to slip out in his words, so in true-to-form fashion, he changed the subject.

"You missed potions." He said finally, "I had to work on the Volubilis potion without a lab partner."

Riley did not hold back her smirk any longer. It broke free to her lips and pulled at her cheeks. He glanced down at her in visible irritation. He hated that she could read him so well. She knew why it ailed him to admit interest to anyone or anything and that just plain pissed him off.

"You were worried." She said gently. He just stared at her again with irritation painted on his face, not moving anymore physically. She lifted her head and extended her hand out to grasp him by his elbow. He froze, his expression no longer irritated, but blank as she stroked her thumb along his clothed muscular arm. He waited to see what her fingers would do next, but she withdrew her hand after a sweet squeeze of his folded elbow and tucked it back on top of her knees. He was surprised that she did not continue further with her prodding of him. He tried to not allow the surprise slip on to his face, but it gleamed in his black eyes. She saw the gleam and smiled happily to herself thinking about how smart it was to not move on with what she craved to do. She still could find her opening. She just had to wait for the right moment.