The Hepatic Hex

Chapter 12

“Hello, Severus, Hermione.” Said the irritatingly chipper Medi-witch.

Instantly the Potions Master veil was back in place as Snape turned to Madam Pomfrey and sneered at her.

“To what do I owe the unwanted aggravation of yet another intruder entering my private chambers and disrupting what peace I am trying to find before I die?” he hissed.

Hermione flinched at his sudden change of demeanor but Poppy, who was used to his callus jibes, was unfazed.

“Calm down Severus. I merely came to check if you have suffered from any aftereffects of your injuries from the other night. I can see now though that your fine, so instead I’ll ask how you research and testing is going.”

Snape sighed with frustration. “Very well, if you are determined to stay Miss Granger was just getting ready to complete relaying to me the knowledge she has acquired on the liver’s microscopic anatomy.”

“Excellent. Yes tea and a chair would be lovely Severus thank you” Said Poppy with amusement and smiled brightly back at him when he shot her a look that he was mentally hoping would make her have a lethal Myocardial Infarct.

“I do hope that Severus isn’t trying to intimidate you too much dear”. She said to Hermione.

“Ahhh… no things have been progressing… ok ummm… quite well, I suppose, thank you.” Hermione said meekly as she turned away blushing when remembering ‘how well’ things had indeed been progressing.

“I’m glad then, and pleasantly surprised that you are working so well together. I...”

“Yes well I’m so very glad that your glad. Now can we please get on with this so we can finish sometime today and I can be rid of your presence?” Snape spat pointedly looking at the Medi-witch. Hermione noticed that the comment was not directed at her and it banished from her thoughts the insecurities she had initially felt at rea reappearance of ‘Snape the Bastard’. She smiled as Poppy sat in the chair Snape transfigured, somewhat slowly, from a paperweight and continued where she had left off.

“Hepatocytes are highly compliant cells and function kind of like a storage unit for organelles. It houses large amounts of rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatuses, peroxisomes and mitochondria. Being so well equipped, hepatocytes are capable of producing more than just bile. For example they can process blood borne nutrients in various ways like storing glucose as glycogen and use amino acids to make plasma proteins. Hepatocytes also store fat-soluble vitamins and play an important role in detoxification.”


“How Her…Miss Granger?” Snape asked. ‘Yeah I knew you would need me back Sev. Almost blew it then didn’t you.’

“Well, Professor,” She said with just enough emphasis on the word ‘Professor’ to make Snape smirk almost imperceptibly, ”hepatocytes rid the body of ammonia, for example, by converting it to urea. Hepatocyes allow the blood that leaves the liver to contain fewer nutrients and waste materials then the blood that entered it.”

“What about bile dear?” The Medi-witch asked.

“Bile canaliculi are the minuscule channels that secreted bile flows through. The bile canaliculi run between adjacent hepatocytes and towards the bile duct branches in the portal triads. Within the liver, bile and blood flow in opposite directions and bile, while entering at the bile duct in the portal triad, leaves via the common hepatic duct and travels to the duodenum.”

“Well you certainly sound like you have learned quite a bit about the liver dear.” Said the Medi-witch.” I wonder, however, how much of this will help you in the search for a cure for this curse. By the way Severus, since you were the first infected it would be more appropriate for me to asked how you have been feeling as your symptoms should be more advanced.” Even as she asked him, Poppy was pulling out her wand and running a quick scan over his liver. Her wand glowed a bright and strong orange this time and she looked questionably at Snape for an answer.

‘Damn that insufferable woman.’ Sighing Snape decided that it would best if he were honest with the witch.

“Tired Poppy. Tired and physically weak. But so far, apart from that, I have been fine.” Snape said.

“Hmmm.” She looked at him disbelievingly but decided not to press him. “Alright, I may as well get a move on and leave you to it. Your knowledge seems to be greater then mine at this early stage anyway. I want you to promise me though that should you start feeling acutely unwell you will come and see me immediately. I also want you to take regular breaks to eat and Severus, if I hear that you are being hard on Miss Granger I’ll have Professor Dumbledore down here so quickly to kick you in the pants you won’t even realize that it is happening.”

“Woman, you severely try my patience. I suggest you leave NOW” Snape finished loudly Pop Poppy snorted at him, winked mischievously at Hermione and turned to walk out the door, which Snape in turn, flung closed purposefully before she was out of the doorway so it hit her on the backside as she strode out. He quickly rewarded his door and placed up a strong silencing charm to drown out the hostile obscenities she started wailing at the closed door. He turned back to Hermione with an evil smirk on his face.

“I highly doubt that we shall be disturbed with her presence again my dear.” Snape said dryly advancing on Hermione who promptly burst into a fit of giggles.

“And I suppose that is the beginning of the story of arrogance Severus?” she said through hiccups of laughter.

“Insolent chit. You realize, that as your Professor, I can’t let behavior like that go unpunished, you silly girl?” Snape purred dangerously as he came closer and closer to her. Hermione stopped laughing and was momentarily worried as to what was going to happen before Snape dropped his mask, and smiled at her briefly before claiming her lips again.

His kiss was much more delicate this time but possessed the same amount of intensity and passion that they had shared during their first. Gradually Snape move his hands from her face to trail them down the womanly curves of her body. When he reached her hips however, he broke away in surprise at the bulge he found.

“What is that in your pocket Miss Granger?” He asked with a tone of mischievousness and a raised eyebrow.

Hermione was lost for a moment while she tried to focus her lust filled eyes and mind before remembering.

“Oh damn I forgot. Artemis sent it to me along with her reply to my owl this morning. She said it might help with our research.” Hermione replied as she pulled the package from her pocket and placed it on the table. Casting ‘Engorgio’ she returned the package to its normal size. Opening the box Hermoine found within a black cylinder with a colourful sticker attached to it, a second piece of parchment from Artemis and another that seemed to be a list of instructions. There were also a number of small yellow top containers, which as a Muggle she recognized as specimen containers. Hermione decided his his point she didn’t need to startle Snape with what they were used for. She read out aloud the parchment with Artemis’ handwriting.

*************************************************************************
Dearest Hermione,

I have included a list of common diseases and ailments that can be detected using the test kit I have sent you. The organs and systems are listed alphabetically for your convenience. I must say, it may have prevented the cramps in my hand if you weren’t beio seo secretive and told me exactly what you were looking for so I didn’t need to write a description on all the major possibilities for every organ and system.

I hope it comes in helpful.

Artemis.
*************************************************************************

“I must say that I am surprised that you haven’t yet told your friend of the situation Hermione, considering how much she is trying to be of service.” Snape said after she concluded.

“Actually Severus I had decided this morning that I would owl her tonight and tell her what is going on.” Hermione retorted.

“And what, pray tell my dear, is going on?” Snape said as her drew her into a tight embrace from behind and nuzzled at her neck.

“Well to be honest, Sir, I’m am not quite sure on so many levels myself yet.” Hermione hesitantly replied as her knees started to go weak from his touch.

“Hmmmm.” Snape stopped for a moment to run the current scenario through his head. “Maybe, for the moment,” he mused, “it would be best if we focused on what we need to do, rather than what we each may want to do.” Snape said as he let her go.

Hermione turned to face him, hurt and fear plastered clearly on her face. “Are you regretting kissing me already?”

Snape gently place her chin in his hand and tilted it up so that he could look her in the eyes. He spoke gently. “No, I am not and I didn’t say that. The fact is that we are facing a dire situation here and our world doesn’t have the time for us to decide that we are going to engross ourselves in each other, rather than in the work we need to do to find a cure. When we have done so, I promise you Sweet, I will be here and we will discuss then what will happen between ourselves. That is of course if you haven’t come to your senses and realized that you can do so much better then the sour old Potions Master.”

“You forgot bastard and overgrown bat, not to mention arrogant, conceited, overbearing, temperamental...”

“My point exactly Hermione.” Snape said letting go of her face and with disappointment clearly in his voice.

“Severus,” Hermione started as she took his hand, “there is so much I want to say to you. But you are right, now is not the time. I will promise you though, that as soon as this is over, I will be here by your side when we discuss what we will do about the way we feel.” Hermione leant up and kissed his cheek upon finishing.

“Back to your friends parchment then?” Snape said after a moment of silent contemplation.

“Yes” Hermione replied as she flipped through the scroll to find information on common liver diseases.

“Ok Severus. Artemis has listed the four most common diseases of the liver. The first is cirrhosis, which she has defined as hardening within an organ or chronic diffuse damage to an organ. She states that it is usually applied to the degenerative changes that occur in the liver. The fibrosis and structural damage can be caused by alcohol misuse,” Snape raised an eyebrow at this, “viral hepatitis, drug and metabolic disorders, and it leads to a loss of liver cells and obstruction to the hepatic portal circulation.”

“Cirrhosis? Unlikely” Snape said shaking his head. “Even if the medicinal potions hadn’t already ruled it out I think it would be highly doubtful that Suzie Owen would have selected this particular ailment. It would seem to take sometime for it to develop to the point that it is fatal” Snape said

“That’s right, and I do a wit with you there Severus” replied Hermione. “The next possibility then is hepatitis. It is an inflammation of the liver, which can be caused by vastly similar substances to those that instigate ciris, is, but with the addition of several viruses and microorganisms. The effects may range from a mild illness caused by the hepatitis A virus, to cirrhosis and hepaticlurelure.”

“ Again, a highly unlikely possibility” Snape said.

Hermione nodded in agreement and continued. “ Next there is jaundice which has several causes and types. Jaundice is yellow discoloration of the skin, sclerae and mucosae due to an increase in serum bilirubin. Pruritus, or an itching of the skin can also occur because of bile salts that accumulate in the blood. Jaundice can be classified in three ways. First as prehepatic or hemolytic, where the excessive breakdown of red blood cells releases bilirubin into the blood, such as with physiological jaundice in newborn babies and haemolytic anaemia. Secondly, it can be hepatocellular, which is a secondary condition that arises when liver function is impaired, such as with hepatitis. Lastly jaundice can be obstructive or cholestatic where the flow of bile is obstructed either within the liver or in the bile ducts. Ailments that can cause this include, cirrhosis, tumors, parasites and gallstones.”

“Nope not that either. What is the fourth she has listed” Snape asked becoming increasingly frustrated.

“Well the fourth is like an extension of what happens to the liver if it affected by something like cirrhosis. It is called portal hypertension or more correctly hepatic portal hypertension. It is high blood pressure within the hepatic portal vein that results, as I said, from serious liver diseases.” Hermione concluded.

“So we are back to square one then?’ Growled Snape as he ran his hands through his hair. Hermione looked at him intently, deciding now would be as good a time as any to approach the idea of the tests that Artemis had sent her.

“Well actually Severus” Hermione whispered hesitantly “Artemis did send us a test that might help us further to identify the problem.”

“She did? Why in Merlin’s name didn’t you mention it before?” Snape said exasperated.

“Would you belingling to do the test with me then?” Hermione enquired.

“I thought I made it clear to you earlier that I was willing to focus on this problem, so that we might move on from here and concentrate on other issues.”

“I’ll take that as a yes theermiermione said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye “which means you have forfeited your right to refuse to participa

“What exactly are you getting at you silly girl?” Snape said dangerously, narrowing his eyes at her.