In an Alternate Universe

Chapter 11 ~ A Decision

Professor Granger was on her way to lunch when she was confronted by a very unwelcome individual.

Harry Potter.

She looked into his green eyes, the eyes of his mother, the eyes of Lily Potter and her hatred reasserted itself. Yes, he looked like James, but it was those eyes, those blasted, hated eyes that separated them by miles.

“Is there some reason you are blocking my way to the Great Hall, Mr. Potter?” she asked the young wizard, her face contorted.

Harry looked at her. The lank hair. The contorted face. The familiar expression of malice the witch always wore when she came in contact with him. Despite her service, Harry Potter was sure of one thing . . .

That Hermione Granger hated him.

“I need to talk to you, Professor. Concerning Severus Snape,” the wizard said to the witch, his heart thudding.

Hermione stared at him for a moment. Clearly this was a case of Gryffindor nosiness.

“Mr. Snape is not my charge, Mr. Potter. What could I possibly offer concerning him except that he is an annoying little know-it-all who seeks to dominate my classes?”

Harry stared at the witch for a moment.

”I . . . I just want to know if you’ve done anything to him,” he said hesitatingly.

Hermione scowled at him blackly. Even though she was less than pleased with the randy little bastard, she would never openly do anything to him that could possibly place her job and livelihood in jeopardy.

“What,” she said coldly, “are you attempting to imply, Mr. Potter?”

Harry swallowed. Accusing the Potions mistress of hexing one of her students was dangerous business. But he had to know.

”It’s just that, well, he’s sick. Really sick. And he wasn’t before he served detention with you last night,” Harry said, “and I know that . . . that he’s told you that he . . .”

”Stop right there, Mr. Potter!” Hermione hissed at him, furious. “Your friend’s infatuation with me is disturbing and annoying but to even suggest I’ve done something to injure a student in any manner is more than insulting! Fifty points from Gryffindor for you even thinking such a thing! Now get out of my way!”

Professor Granger pushed by Harry and headed up the dungeon corridor, completely pissed off that he knew of Snape’s attraction to her. But she slowed somewhat as she realized that he must not have revealed that his Oath was killing him, or else Harry wouldn’t have approached her the way he did.

She swooped into the Main Hall, terrified students parting before her like she was an evil Moses and they were the Red Sea, then turned down the corridor that led to the teacher’s entrance. She entered with a scowl and took her seat, ignoring her fellow staff members as she always did. She glared at the students gathered around the tables, received several satisfying blanches, then ordered her lunch.

As she waited, her amber eyes slid over to the Gryffindor table. Yes, Mr. Snape was there, and he did indeed look ill. Ronald Weasley was seated next to him, waving a piece of chicken under his big nose.

Severus pushed his hand away.

”Stop it, Ron. I said I’m not hungry,” Severus said to him, pulling a book out of his knapsack and opening it.

”You’ve got to keep your strength up, Sev. That hex Granger put on you is draining your strength. Just take a bite. One bite,” Ron said, holding up the drumstick again.

”Ron, I’m telling you, I’m going to shove that drumstick right up your arse if you don’t leave me alone,” Severus snarled.

Ron blinked at him.

”Fine,” he said, putting the chicken down on his own plate.

Harry entered and took a seat next to Severus.

”Well, Granger said she didn’t do anything to you,” Harry said to Severus, who looked shocked.

”What? You said something to her?” he snapped at the wizard.

Harry looked taken aback.

”Yeah, I said something to her, Severus. I wanted to know if she’d done anything to you,” the boy-who-lived responded.

”Why don’t you just mind your own fucking business, Harry? I want to deal with this myself!” Severus yelled at him.

Everyone in the Great Hall fell silent, looking at the pale wizard, who wavered in his seat for a moment. Both Ron and Harry caught his shoulders.

”Severus? Are you all right?” Ron asked him as the wizard reached into his pocket and took out the bottle of stamina potion. He opened it and drank some down. He strengthened a bit, shrugging away from his friends.

“I’m fine. I just wish everyone would leave me alone,” he said, picking up his knapsack and exiting the Great Hall. There was something off about the way he was walking however. He didn’t have the smooth glide he usually did.

Both Harry and Ron looked up at the dais as the Great Hall returned to normal, students whispering about Severus’ outburst and how he was probably going to lose points for using foul language in the presence of staff members.

Professor Granger looked back at them with narrowed eyes and a slight smirk on her face.

”She did something to him, Harry. Just look at her,” Ron said, frowning at the Potions mistress.

Actually, Hermione was wearing that expression just to aggravate the two wizards. She knew they both thought she was quite capable of killing Severus slowly and she did nothing to dispel that belief. To be honest, she was a bit worried about Mr. Snape’s state. Not only was he sick, but obviously he wasn’t eating either.

She sighed as her soup arrived. She’d observe him in class this afternoon and then decide what she would do, if anything.

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Mr. Snape looked perfectly awful when he arrived in class. His skin was so pale, tiny blue veins could be seen beneath his skin, which was dry. His lips were chapped and his eyes dull and defeated. It was easy to see he was trying to focus on the lesson but having difficulty. Every few minutes he would pull out his stamina potion and sip it.

Hermione knew that continued use of the potion would result in it losing its effectiveness. The boy’s more frequent use of it showed that was precisely what was occurring. Albus had said Poppy gave him a few weeks, but it seemed he was deteriorating far faster than that. She gave the class a reading assignment and sat down behind her desk, looking at Snape with hooded eyes.

Suddenly he looked up at her. He didn’t actually do anything, make any kind of expression, but Hermione could have sworn she heard his soft voice say,

“Please help me. Don’t let me die. I don’t want to die.”

Hermione started and stared at him openly. The wizard’s eyes dropped back to the book and he didn’t look up again.

When class ended, Hermione told Severus to stay after class. He dropped heavily back into his seat and took out his stamina potion. He tilted it to his mouth, then hesitated, shaking the bottle.

He was out.

He looked at the witch seated before him.

”Professor, do you have a bit of stamina potion? I’m out and I don’t think I can make it up to the infirmary without a boost,” he said to the witch.

“You are such a fucking idiot, Mr. Snape,” Hermione hissed at him, “and I have to tell you I do not appreciate being put in such a compromising position. I am aware your oath has turned on you, and that you’re dying. You deserve to die for being so damn stupid as to focus on a witch twice your age that has no interest in you.”

Severus began to slump in the chair.

“However, Albus would never forgive me if I let you slip into the darkness. I’ve taken stripes for the Greater Good . . .”

Here Hermione paused, then sighed.

”I suppose I’m going to have to take you too,” she said, shaking her head.

Severus stared at her.

What? Did Professor Granger just say she’d shag him?

Immediately the wizard’s color returned and strength flowed through him. He was hungry too, starving in fact. Even his hair became shiny and silken again.

Hermione watched the near miraculous transformation as the Oath ceased to feed off the boy. It was clear to see he was restored. Severus smiled at her brightly.

”Oh good gods,” she breathed, letting her head drop to the desk.

“Are we going to do it now?” Severus asked her excitedly.

Hermione lifted her head, her face contorted.

”No, we’re not going to do it now you randy little bastard!” she said to him, “Later. Tonight.”

Severus looked delighted.

“What time?” he asked her breathlessly, looking as if he’d hit the Wizarding Lottery.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Gods, it was just sex.

”After you finish your rounds, come to my office,” she said to the grinning Gryffindor. “And don’t rush through them either. I know how long it takes to patrol the castle.”

“I won’t,” he breathed at her, “Thank you, Professor.”

”Considering the circumstances, a simple “Thank you” is not enough, Mr. Snape. You can be assured that you will be repaying me for this for the rest of your term at Hogwarts, if not for the rest of your life. And you will be taking an Oath of Silence as well. I won’t have you blabbing all over the school,” she snarled at him.

Severus felt himself getting hard at that snarl. Oh, this was going to be stellar. Just . . . stellar. He rose from the desk and quickly walked around it, approaching Hermione’s desk, his lips pursing in anticipation. Surely she’d give him a kiss since she’d agreed to shag him.

Suddenly he was staring at the tip of her wand.

“Don’t even think about it, Mr. Snape,” Hermione hissed, her eyes narrowed. “Now, turn around, pick up your knapsack and leave my classroom.”

Severus stared at her with hot eyes.

”Yes, Professor,” he said, turning and doing just as she asked, an annoying spring in his step as he exited, pulling the door behind him. Then he dipped his head back in.

”I’ll see you tonight,” Severus said, the broad smile back.

”Get out!” Hermione yelled at him, flicking her wand at the door so it slammed shut. He’d just managed to get his head out in time.

Professor Granger dropped back into her chair and ran her hand through her hair.

Gods damn it.

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A/N: lolol. Well, she’s given in. Now the fun starts. . Thanks for reading.