All's Fair; Chapter Seven

Summary: Somehow surviving the last battle hasn't changed Severus Snape one bit. Now, seven years later, can the arrival of a new Charms teacher with a gift for smoothing over rough edges break down the walls he's built around his heart? SS/OC.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the storyline and Danielle Prince.
Warning: This chapter rated T
Word Count: 3197
Beta: All-Knowing Alien 2

7: Trouble Sleeping

I didn't go to my rooms, but went back to the dungeons. I wanted to keep an eye on Severus and besides, I was too jumpy to sleep. When I got back and peeked into his bedroom Severus was still fast asleep and although his dream seemed far from pleasant I was loath to wake him. I waited a moment longer and he seemed to calm down so I left and settled down into his living room after choosing a book from his shelves. Either it was a very good book or I fell asleep for a couple of hours, but it did not seem long before the sounds of movement and running water filtered through to my ears. I yawned and stretched, putting the borrowed book down on the repaired coffee table I waited for Severus to emerge.

When he did he looked decidedly bleary, a look of intense pain plastered across his features.

'You've proved you can get up, well done. Now for the love of God get back to bed,' I told him.

He looked at me uncomprehendingly for a few moments before blinking and swaying slightly on his feet. 'What – what are you doing here?' I think he tried to sneer at me, but the effect was ruined by his stutter and the lack of enthusiasm from his facial muscles.

'Taking care of you. Bed! Now!' I ordered.

'I don't need taking care of and kindly stop ordering me around,' he shouted, swaying more prominently now.

'Severus Snape! You are about to fall over. Get back to bed and I'll bring you something for your hangover.'

He was about to answer, but as he opened his mouth his legs gave way beneath him. I rushed forward and caught him before he hit the ground. I moved him over to the sofa and left him for a moment to get some orange juice from the fridge in the other room. When I came back I found him staring apathetically at the picture I had framed and put on the mantelpiece.

'Here Sev, drink this,' I encouraged, giving him the glass.

He took it and drank it slowly, eyes never leaving the picture. 'What did you do to the others?' he asked eventually.

'I have them safe,' I assured him.

'Give them back,' he ordered, turning to look at me.

'No,' I replied.

'Give them to me!' His voice was rising and he had thrust a hand out to take the pictures.

'I can't.'

'Give!' He shouted, rising to his feet. He towered over me and I received his full death glare then. His eyes blazed at me down his nose and the hate and fury sent me reeling.

Nonetheless I held his gaze and shouted back at him. 'She's dead Severus! She was happily married to someone else and had a baby and she died. I don't know the whole story and I don't want to know, but for you to have any kind of hope for the future, you need to stop living in the past!' I paused and looked at him. His eyes could no longer meet mine and he was shaking badly. I took a leap of faith and stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, holding him close to me I leant my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes. 'We've all lost someone. I lost my fiancé, my father and one of my brothers. You lost the woman you love. I still love them and I will never forget them, but they are gone.'

For the second time that night I reached down and pulled at a chain around my neck. But what showed this time was a locket with an engagement ring set in the front. I stepped away from Severus to let him look at it. His slender fingers took it from me and he ran them over the platinum band before snapping it open. I closed my eyes and saw in my mind's eye the picture he saw there. One was of my father smiling and winking at me. The other was of my brother, Michael, and his best friend – my fiancé – Jesup. They had their arms around each other's necks and their heads kept bashing against each other, but their smiles and eyes were bright and gleaming with happy youth. Mike and Jesse, murdered after a party one night by Bellatrix Lestrange aged at 23 and 24 because she was bored.

I opened my eyes and met the ashamed gaze of Severus. But I smiled because that was ten years ago and I'd already wept my heart out over them far too many times. His hand let go and the locket fell back against me. Then I took Severus' hand and lead him back into his room.

'You have two days off to cry and sleep and do whatever you want. This weekend I'm taking you away from here,' I told him.

Severus nodded mutely and I turned to leave him.

'Ella?' he asked just as I stepped out the door.

'Yes?' I said, turning to smile at him.

'Are you really pregnant with my child?'

'Our child, Sev,' I corrected. 'And yes, I am. And I'm keeping it, so if you dare suggest anything else...' I trailed off, leaving the threat open. But there, hidden in the backs of his eyes and the corners of his mouth was a tiny, hidden smile. I grinned full-heartedly at him and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind me.

The rest of the day was hectic as I ran from classroom to classroom, trying to keep up with both my lessons and his. I paused only momentarily at break and lunch time to check on him, but both times he was fast asleep, a pile of empty dishes by his bed signifying that he had, in fact, eaten. I would have loved to fall asleep myself, but didn't think I'd be able to wake up again if I did, so I kept on going. By dinner everyone seemed to know that I'd done the day twice and that Severus wasn't well. To say he was ill wouldn't exactly be the truth, but nor would saying that he was the epitome of health so, when the students asked me what was wrong, I simply told them he wasn't fit to take lessons. If they persisted and asked if it had anything to do with our argument yesterday I gave them a sharp 'no' and ignored anymore questions.

When the evening finally rolled around and Minerva came and went and I resolved to spend that night on Severus' sofa again as he moved from his bedroom to the living room to talk to me as we ate.

'We need to talk,' I said first. We both knew it, but pointing out the obvious calmed my nerves a little.

'Yes,' he said simply. We ate without talking, neither of us wanting to break the silence.

'I suppose,' he said after a long while, 'you want me to propose marriage for the sake of the child?'

'Good heavens, no!' I cried, honestly shocked by his question. I saw something flicker behind his usually expressionless eyes and immediately jumped to save the situation. 'Not that being married to you would be a bad thing,' I blundered like a deer caught in the headlights of a Muggle car. 'But anything done in a relationship merely for the sake of an unborn child is generally a mistake. If I ever do get married I want it to be for me and my partner, not anyone else.'

Severus seemed unsurprised by this and nodded once in acceptance of my words. I could tell that after a full day of sleep he was almost back to his normal, demeaning self. 'What are you going to do?' was his next question.

'Carry on teaching,' was my answer. He glared at me and I winked back. 'Honestly, I don't really know. I only found out on Monday, spent all of Tuesday worrying about how and what to tell everyone and then Wednesday wondering what to do since I was apparently fired.' I sent him a meaningful glance.

'I'm not going to hold true to that particular promise, but I'm not apologising for it either,' he said stubbornly.

'I didn't think so.' I mock-sighed dramatically. 'You knocked me up too and you haven't apologised for that, either.' I saw the look of horror flash across his features and couldn't help but laugh. 'It's OK, I'm teasing.'

'I'm curious though...' he paused, clearly unused to dealing with pregnant women taken to teasing him. 'How did it happen?'

'Well, Sev, when a boy and girl really like each other – ' I was cut off by a furious glance, but it didn't escape my notice, that tiny flash of pleasure in his eyes at being called 'Sev'. 'I don't know,' I finished honestly. 'And don't give me any crap about how I should know at least an 80% protective contraceptive spell by now. As soon as I hit puberty my mum had the most effective drilled into me so I'd perform it now if someone started perving on me while I'm asleep.' This wasn't quite true, but it had become second nature for me to perform the spell in question as soon as a guy kissed me, let alone anything else. With Severus I'd said it as soon as he'd whispered 'one night' in my ear.

'So why didn't it work?' he asked me.

'I don't know. I know I did it right, but maybe some other factor made it go wrong?'

'Like what?'

'I don't know!' I said, throwing my arms up into the air in exasperation. 'I'm throwing ideas around.'

'Well don't.'

My temper snapped at that. 'You're so effing contradictory, Severus! You want to know why I'm pregnant? I'll tell you why, it's because you fucking fucked me on this fucking floor!' I yelled. I knew one or two other expletives that could have fit quite comfortably in the gaps and given my retort a more... experienced air, but I was too tired and annoyed to bother. Besides, moments later my anger evaporated. 'Sorry,' I apologised.

'It's alright,' he said graciously. 'You're pregnant, blame your hormones.'

I gave a bark of laughter. 'Oh, the repeat use of 'fuck' was my hormones, but the anger was all mine.'

He smirked at me before we both turned back to our food.

'You should go and check on my house now, if you're imprisoning me to my rooms,' he said expressionlessly moments later.

'Yes, I am,' I stood and walked around the back of the sofa so I was standing behind him. He half turned his head towards me and I took the opportunity to kiss his forehead softly. I turned quickly and left the room, but not before I caught the look of pleased surprise flash in his eyes.

I knew roughly where the Slytherin common rooms were and as it was the end of dinner I walked with the last few students back to their dormitory. I didn't know quite what to expect from the common room, as it was deep in the bowels of the castle and had no windows, but when I entered I saw that it was very light. Although a lot of the furniture was black the vibrant splashes of emerald green broke it up and brightened the space, whilst the walls were set with lots of candles so the overall effect was a stylishly pleasant mix of light and dark.

'Hey, Prof,' one of the older boys called from the arm of a sofa. 'Is Professor Snape any better?' he asked.

I felt the eyes of everyone in the room turn to me. I had heard some bad things about this house and I knew that Voldemort himself came from here, but looking at these students who seemed genuinely concerned about the welfare of their head of house and had always displayed perfect manners – towards me, at least – I had long since decided I could not judge this proverbial book by its cover. So I told them the truth. Well, bits of it.

'I doubt even if he was dying of plague he'd allow himself more than one day off, but yes, he is feeling better.'

'Was he ill because you poisoned him after your fight yesterday?' a Second year girl questioned, prompted by her friend.

I couldn't help but laugh at that. 'No,' I told them. 'And before you ask, he didn't fire me in the end.'

A universal breath was released and a rattling of coins as money exchanged hands. I felt fairly safe in assuming I still had my job as Charms Teacher at least until our next fight. I was about to bid the students a good night and continue my conversation with the Potions Master when a shrill scream sounded from one of the girls' bedrooms.

'Stay here – all of you,' I ordered the people in the common room before sprinting up the stairs two – three – at a time. I burst into the room, pushing aside the other girls who had already been in the dormitory. I saw one third year girl looking very pale and leaning against a wall as an older girl assisted her, but my eyes were immediately drawn to the bed opposite the door around which the other girls circled. The small, dark haired figure had three huge gashes in her back that were bleeding profusely and in one clutched hand there was a creamy sheet of inked paper. In that moment I realised two things: first, heart-clenchingly, the girl lying face-down and comatose on the bed was Cameron Black. The second was that the ring of girls were not simply trying to get a look at the girl and too afraid to move forward – they were protecting her, stopping anything or anyone coming through to harm – or aid – Cameron.

I went up to one of the 'protectors' to ask her and the others to move and felt a tremor run up my spine when their eyes did not move. These were not girls working to protect a friend – this was a spell and the implications were terrible.

'Shit,' I murmured under my breath before turning to the other couple of – unaffected – girls in the room. 'You, Elise,' I said to the eldest girl there. 'Take the others down to the common room. Send someone to fetch the Headmistress and ask one of the paintings to inform Professor Snape. When they arrive, tell them to come up here but not to interfere with whatever action I have chosen to take unless absolutely necessary.' I looked at the third year who had calmed down a little. 'Jemima?' I asked her quietly. 'I want you to go to the Hospital Wing for a quick check-up, but can you first tell me – were the other girls like this when you came in?'

The girl, Jemima, shook her head and looked at one girl in particular in the ring. The girl she looked at I recognised to be one of her friends. 'We heard muffled cries coming from here so we ran in. Cameron was like that, but thrashing all over the place and some of the girls ran forward to help and then just stopped and then Mel ran forward and they all went like that and I screamed.' She was talking quickly and nervously and she couldn't look at the circle again. I nodded to the girl helping her and to Elise and they all left the room to do as I'd said.

I turned back to the ring and waved my hand in front of one girl's face. She didn't blink, she didn't move –her pupils didn't even expand or contract. So maybe it was a stasis spell. I moved to step between the gaps, but immediately the girls reached forward, grabbing me and bodily throwing me backwards. I caught myself before I fell and saw that the girls had stepped back into their original positions. Bringing out my wand I raised it to one girl and when she didn't react I put her in a full body bind. Well, if I just had to do that fourteen more times, then that was fine, if a bit time-consuming and I was acutely aware that time was not something I had in excess as Cameron could very well be bleeding to death as I watched. I raised my wand again, but before I could place the spell on the next girl, she shot a spell at me.

I threw up a shield charm before the magic hit me and from the imprint it left I could tell that the girl had thrown at me the same spell that I had already used. That probably meant that 'they' could use the simple protective spell as well, now. I thanked my lucky stars I had not used 'Protego'. That spell protected you from almost all magic and was easy enough to conjure. Deciding to test out my theory I tried to disarm the girl. Sure enough she blocked it and tried to paralyse me again. I blocked with the same protective spell. Despite myself I felt a respect for the spell caster, to create a spell this complicated and adaptable required an amazing amount of skill, pure talent and willingness to work hard to get what you wanted. But how to overcome it?

Then I had a brainwave – the 'protectors' didn't react until provoked. I stepped back so I could hit all of them at once and gradually built up the energy I needed. Then, at once, I sent a tidal wave of a stun spell at all of them at once. The simple shield spell stood no chance and the girls fell like dominoes as the spell swamped them. A brief wave of concern struck me, but this was pushed aside as Cameron, who had been lying immobile as a corpse until now, suddenly began tossing and turning and moaning. I made to run to her side, but as I broke into the area that had previously been guarded a mental barrier hit me like I had ran into a brick wall.

I jumped back before the mental barrier could attack me and turn me into one of its automatons. Preparing myself I shut my eyes and stepped once more into the threshold. At once I had a splitting headache, but I kept this alien mind out of mine and forged forward, my eyes still shut as I concentrated solely on getting to Cameron. Inching across the floor was like diving deep into the sea, the pressure to give in pressing in on all sides. In the back of my mind I heard someone start screaming and then, moments later, it was joined in spine-tingling, terrifying harmony as someone else started screaming too. At some point I realised it was Cameron and myself who were crying out, but the thought was vague and inconsequential as I turned all my efforts into staying inside my own mind.

Written: Unknown
Chances of continuation: nil

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Much love,
Cal