WOOOHOOOOO CHAPTER 3! Sorry for the delay it is AP week and everything got out of hand…
I do not own anything.
Severus stood to change his dripping wardrobe when an ocy hand gripped his. Startled he swung. Harry's eyes starting piercing into Snape's, pleading fearfully. He mumbled something unintelligible, frantically and tossed his head side to side restlessly. Snape stared aghast and unsure what to do. He placed a hand on the child's head and it seemed to still him. Snape left his hand as the mumbling dropped a decibel and Harry's eyes were no longer fixed on his own. He rubbed Harry's forehead gently.
"The old witch is wrong, I don't hate you, just a strong dislike." Snape stood surprised at the words that left his mouth. He stood still for a moment staring before a attempted to pry himself away from the boy to get a fresh, dry and warm pair of robes. Silently he swept back into the room, starting a crackling fire with a sweep of his wand. Warmth radiated through the room and Severus moved to a more comfortable seat. he glanced up when his floo spat green embers , forcing himself not to cringe when Umbridge's face appeared.
"Severus my office now." The toad shrieked at him before pulling herself away. Snape sighed yet stepped through
He glanced around in did a in at Dumbledore's old office, his gaze came to a rest with a sneer on the short woman. She did not look up.
"I see you gave Potter a detention. Unacceptable. His detentions go through me and oonly me know. Understood? You may go." She waved a hand and him and Snape bristled but held his tongue. Of course she knew, the headmaster had a magic list detailing the students detentions when and by whom they were giving, updating constantly. He sighed. He thought once more of the boy laying quietly in the bed, guilt overcame him.
"Only for you Lily." He muttered inaudibly under his breath. He wouldn't let the boy go back to the horrid woman on his watch. Especially after all I'm doing for the boy, Snape justified. "The Potter boy has informed me his guardians request his presence with a certain wizarding family over the holidays. And such is Ministry policy, His detentions will have to cease until the return of the new semester." Snape drawled. It was not a lie. The Dursley's had indeed written and stated that Potter was to remain at school or with other freaks of his nature but NOT to return home. Potter would indeed be staying with a wizard, himself and also at Hogwarts. If Umbridge was pissed she did not let it on.
"Be it as it may." She shrilled still concerned in her own work. Snape nodded and stepped back through the floo, deciding to move Harry's bed where it would indefinitely not be seen from prying eyes from the door or the floo. He levitated the bed but paused, thinking for a moment. He stepped down the hall to his personal sleeping chambers. Hogwarts had many secrets and Snape knew he could barely touch the tip of the iceberg but he pulled out his wand and tapped a few bricks, thinking hard about the room he wished to place. No sooner than he opened his eyes than a door stood slightly ajar in front of him. Smiling Snape pushed the door open. A grand room much like his own quarters lay in front of him. Large windows took up one wall in its entirety. A large four poster bed sta across from the windows its drapes hung dark midnight blue. There was a few steps up that led to a study on the far wall with smaller windows and a door which led to the bathroom. Severus smiled. He had no qualms, his room was certainly much better but the view overlooking the quittich pitch was perfect even if it was only enchanted. He swept out of the room to get the boy. The bed was empty. Panic rose slightly to Snape's throat but he swallowed it quickly. Turning on his heel he swept down the hallway eyes darting back and forth yet it was undisturbed. Upon returning to his sitting room he noticed the form tucked in the corner. He quickly made his way over and knelt down. Harry had his knees to his chest and his head down. Snape knelt and placed a hand on the boys.
"Potter." Two green orbs met his but the life and intelligence that once sparkled was gone. Snape forced himself not to break eye contact.
"Need to... Need...I have to...Need..." He mumbled growing agitated. Snape forced his face not to react.
"Need to what, Potter." Snape pressed. The boy stuttered more unitelliglibly again. However Snape picked up one word.
"Cold." Snape stood up snarling. How much of the damn weed had the woman given Harry. He started to pace. A few moments later he realized that the boy had grown strangely quiet. He glanced over to see the small room wracked with shivers, rocking back and forth in the corner. Cursing Snape unlocked the cabinet and retrieved the herb. Taking a very small amount he secured the jar and returned to the Potter boy's side.
"Here, this will help." He his palm held the small amount out. The eyes glanced up shiftily and quickly scooped the substance and popped it into his mouth. Snape was disgusted as the boy relaxed visibly, the shaking stopped and his eyes drooped. Snape pulled the boy up by his shoulders and proceeded to help him stumble into his newly acquired room. Snape conjured a large chair and placed it next to the boy's bedside sitting for a short moment while Harry slept in an induced haze.
Snape must've fallen asleep becasue he woke with a start and a crick in his neck. He rubbed is sleepily and left to ready himself for breakfast. Upon seeing his table set for one a little while later Snape remembered the boy sleeping in the room across the hall.
"Dobby." He called, knowing Potter had an affinity toward the elf. With a crack the house elf appeared.
"What does Dobby have the pleasure of serving m-master Snape for the first times, sir?" The house elf squeaked.
"Mr. Potter will be staying with me here for the remainder of the holiday and thus we need another serving for meals." Snape drawled.
"Is young Master Harry Potter feeling better?" Dobby wrung his hands in worry. Snape glared.
"Where did you get that piece of information?" Snape demanded.
"Headmistress had Dobby bring young master Harry Potter his favoritist breakfast yesterday because Little Master Harry Potter could not go to breakfast." Dobby cowered under Snape's gaze. However Snape himself felt relieved.
"Potter is still-under the weather- but no one can know. Got it? Not even other house elves." Snape glarred.
"Yes sir! Dobby can keep secrets sir!" Snape nodded and waved his hand in dismissal. With a crack the elf was gone and another plate of food was steaming on the table. Snape took the plate into Harry's room. He set the plate on the bedside table. Potter was up much to his relief.
"Sit up." Snape ordered. The boy merely turned his head slowly not comprehending. Snape recognized the glaze and sighed, lifting the boy under his arms into a sit. He placed the tray if food on the boys lap and waited. Potter noticed the smell and a shaky hand reached out to take the fork. He missed slightly at first but finally achieved his goal and started shoveling food into his mouth. Smirking, Snape left him to finish his own breakfast. When he returned he noticed however that the Potter boy had barely eaten a quarter of his breakfast.
"Potter I will not see it that you starve under my watch. I do not care if you do not enjoy what is placed in front of you, you will eat it nonetheless." Harry gave no indication of hearing Snape or understanding. Snape sighed a took a seat next to the bed, pulling the tray if food closer he pulled a little egg on the fork and lifted it to the boy's mouth.
"Open." He commanded and somehow after a moment's hesitation the mouth opened. Snape made slow progress feeding the boy. He was mostly left in comprehended waiting for the boy to regain some of his sense as the drug washed over him in waves. Finally, a suitable amount was consumed. Snape banished the plate and tray only the small amount of pumpkin juice remained. He lifted the cup, swirling the mixture, and then sighed before reseigningly placing a hand at the back of the boys neck to steady him whilst he brought the cup to his lips and poured small amounts of liquid into his mouth until the substance was gone. He then banished the cup as well, taking the time to slide Potter into a more horizontal position. Waving his wand he diminished the torches around the room and placed a charm of awareness on the room that acted much like a sophisticated muggle baby alarm. Satisfied, Snape moved to his private lab for a few hours in contemplation.
After an hour Severus began to worry about the boy and was agrivated at his newfound sense of compassion, no matter how slight, he hadn't felt these feelings in years. He made his way to the boy's bedside. Thankfully he was sleeping soundly. Severus took a seat in a chair next to the bed to settle for a few moments. Severus noticed the wards around the room start to throb. He looked curiously at the boy still on the bed. The intensity heightened and he watched as eyelids began to flutter. Severus felt a slight discomfort as the wards notified him of Harry's discomfort. He watched carefully unsure what to do. He placed a hand on the boys forehead to feel the scar scalding with heat. A frown creased Snape's forehead and he stood sending a quick summoning charm to retrieve a few potions, then a diagnostic spell for Harry's vitals. The young boy's body was desperately trying to beat the throes of a fever as well as a fairly nasty cold. All had been overlooked by Snape himself. Snape snarled, it just kept getting g better and better. For some reason Snape looked down at the Potter boy's hand. Red welts scored deep into the tissue. Upon closer examination, Snape could clearly read I will not tell lies scrawled across the hand. Snape snarled venomously. The damn witch was using a blood quill on students no less! Furious he marched over to the floo.
"Poppy Pomfrey!" He called by again falling to the boy's side. This needed documentation no matter how much Umbridge would find out they knew. Seconds later the medi-witch strode out of the fireplace.
"Severus, you called so patiently." She chided until she noticed the empty room. "Severus?" She called walking cautiously down the short hallway.
"In here." a voice called from a room that had not adjoined the hallway only a week ago. Madame Pomfrey strode into the room.
"Was it another meeting my dear?" Her voice caught in her throat when she saw the scene in front of her. Severus Snape was pacing in front of an unconscious Harry Potter, rage marring his usually passive face in a room that had not been present before. She swallowed hoping for the best. Severus stopped pacing before waving a hand at the boy in agitation. Silently she made her way to the bed. She ran a diagnostic spell, noting the boy's temperature along with an unusual mark she had never seen before; she cast a few more spells attempting to clarify it, to no avail.
"Severus, what is going on?" The man appeared to be speechless, but he stepped over to Harry and gently picked up the limp hand. Poppy approached and gasped slightly. She looked up at the Potions Master in question. Such an indescribable amount of rage lit his face that Pomfrey herself was almost scared of the powerful wizard standing in front of her.
"This is a low even for you Severus. I will not help you cover this up as for whatever else you did to this boy..." She trailed off when the rage flickered to immense hurt before the face steeled into a snarl. Only then did Madame Pomfrey notice the view of the quidditch pitch beyond the enchanted window and the small trunk at the foot of the bed. She also noticed the potions lining the bedside table and the delicacy in which the wards around the room pulsed magically.
"Oh." She said. "I'm so sorry Severus I had no idea."
"You couldn't know." The flat voice dismissed her apology. Though Poppy could see the damage was already done.
"The use of a blood quill must be noted." His voice void of any emotion. Madame Pomfrey nodded casting a spell that wrapped around Harry's hand then back to her own wand.
"Who could even think if doing something like this?" Snape just watched her carefully for a moment.
"Umbridge." He spat out her name. Pomfrey's eyes grew wide, having heard the faculty horror stories of how many detentions Potter had gotten.
"I don't suppose you know what this diagnostic is then?"
"A high addiction to an ostentatious amount of warmweed."
"Umbridge?" Came the squeak followed by a curt nod. The witch reached out a hand and brushed the boy's bangs back away from his face.
"Boy's been through enough already." She murmured then turned her attention back to Snape. "I assume the only reason you called me here was documentation, and I believe Harry is in good hands, so I should be going." With that she left the room. Snape moved again, dropping into a chair next to Harry, utterly exhausted. Minutes after he heard Poppy floo back to the Hospital Wing, he hears the floo activate again. Drawing his wand Snape moved silently into the sitting room only to discover Dumbledore standing in the middle of the room. Snape steeled himself and continued across the room before summoning a glass of water which he sipped, back to the headmaster.
"Harry-" The older man started.
"You shouldn't be here." Snape interrupted venomously. Suddenly Snape felt the hairs on his neck go up as a tingling sensation wound through his body.
"That woman was abusing my students in my school! I will come and go as I please!" With his final statement Snape felt a vicious wind swirl around the room as the lights dimmed. With a sudden crack Snape felt himself fall to his knees, gasping for breath. He clamored on all fours, grasping to keep awake until the black spots grew to consume his vision and he slumped to the floor unconscious.
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