Triumph Out of the Bitter Taste of Ashes

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You, especially, make it worth the trials when the muses refuse to cooperate. : ) I love writing, most of the time, but when nothing seems to flow no matter what I do, it takes knowing that people are waiting, to keep me at it, instead of simply going off to do something else until big inspiration hits.

Thanks to all my readers, in truth. Knowing the story is being read, by seeing the page hit counter rise also helps a lot.

Cheers to everyone. I hope all of you continue to enjoy the story.


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Chapter Thirteen
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Poppy let out a surprised, \'oh!\' as soon as she lay eyes on him. Severus frowned and awkwardly thrust the calming potion into her hand. \"Shock,\" he explained abruptly as he unceremoniously dumped Mr. Malfoy onto one of inf infirmary beds, taking just enough time to throw a blanket over the boy. Even so, by the time he was finished, Poppy had already disappeared.

His nearly perpetual frown deepened as he realized it would be up to him to deal with Malfoy since it was obvious Poppy had her hands full. He certainly wasn\'t going to leave the boy in the hands of that utterly incompetent apprentice -- even if Draco wasn\'t in any real danger. The boy just might be if she got her hands on him. If his memservserved, the chit\'s grade in potions had been average at best.

He crossed to the warded potions\' cabinet Poppy kept stocked intending to get Malfoy a calming potion of his own before he woke him up, when an animalistic screech sent him flying toward the back of the infirmary.

\"YOU CAN\'T MAKE ME!\"

He skid to a halt just inside the one room Hogwart\'s Hospital boasted for privacy.

A disheveled Poppy was standing three feet away from a rather distraught Miss Granger, the latter curled into a rocking ball, mumbling incomprehensibly into her knees.

Poppy looked over at him, her expression torn. \"She won\'t let anyone near her,\" she explained. \"She goes into hysterics the moment *anyone* comes within touching range. Well, I\'m sure you heard her.\"

He nodded. Unfortunately, someone needed to get close enough to actually *give* her the calming potion. He was sure his presence would certainly *not* be calming in anyway, but his strength would certainly hold her in place while they got the blasted potion down her.

\"I\'ll help,\" he offered with a deep sigh.

Even as Poppy was reluctantly agreeing, Miss Granger\'s head shot up from her knees and her eyes locked on his. \"Professor Snape!\"

To his utter shock, she launched herself from her corner directly toward him. He only had time to brace himself and to *think* about reaching for his wand before he found himself with both arms full of an hysterical Hermione Granger.

\"I didn\'t tell them anything, Professor!\" she sobbed, burying her head in his chest. \"I didn\'t!\"

Completely speechless, Severus blinked up at Poppy helplessly. He wasn\'t the kind of person traumatised people clung to for comfort. He snorted ae mee medi-witch when she did nothing more than shove a single dose of the specialized calming potion into his hand.

\"Miss Granger,\" he said softly, surprising himself. He didn\'t even realize his voice could *get* that soft and . . . pleasant.

\"I swear Professor, I didn\'t tell them anything. They,\" she hiccuped against him, \"did things.\"

He winced. He was all too aware of the *things* they\'d done -- Malfoy had done. He sighed and placed a gentle hand on her head.

He didn\'t know what sparked it, but Miss Granger suddenly jumped back, horror scribed all over her expression. \"I\'m sorry. I\'m sorry. I didn\'t mean--\"

\"Enough, Miss Granger!\" he barked, wincing even as he shouted. Surprisingly enough -- despite Poppy\'s and Mrs. Annetti\'s disapproving glares, Miss Granger obeyed instantly. She stood silently in front of him, trembling wildly, but silent. \"Take this,\" he continued firmly, stepping forward just enough to hand her the dose he held.

She whimpered, but reached out and took the dose cup from him. Unfortunately, all she did with it was threaten to spill it when her hand continued to shake -- that and stare at it.

\"Drink it,\" he snapped.

She jumped, but quickly raised it to her mouth, swallowing the entire dose at once.

He noted the instant it began taking effect -- as did both the women in the room. Granger\'s shaking decreased considerably and hefenefensive posture relaxed -- some.

\"Oh, God,\" she breathed.

Poppy immediately moved forward and helped her back to the bed, easing her down on it. After making sure the girl was as alright as she could be, she left her in the care of Mrs. Annetti and crossed back to him.

They both watched Mrs. Annetti fuss over Miss Granger for several moments before tuning out their muted conversation. \"Do you have any idea why the child would fly to you like that?\" Poppy asked quietly, her tone a bit . . . off. \"Although not unheard of, it\'s certainly not usual for someone who\'s been through what she has to run to a male for comfort or protection.\"

To Severus she seemed rather suspicious, and he didn\'t like what thoughts it implied. \"I have absolutely no clue, *Madam*,\" he replied icily, then frowned over at the student in question. \"I admit, however, that her actions are quite curious.\"

\"It\'s alright, child,\" Mrs. Annetti said, her words carrying easily to him and Poppy, something in their tone catching his attention. \"You were quite upset. I admit I don\'t understand quite why you reacted that way. . . .\" she continued, letting her words trail off suggestively.

\"Until I saw Professor Snape,\" Granger told the woman, her head down, \"I wasn\'t sure any of this was real. It seemed too much like what I\'d hoped for.\"

\"Really?\" Severus felt compelled to question.

Granger immediately flinchedhis his voice, but looked up at him, her expression curiously blank. \"Yes,\" she said. \"I . . . I thought it was all a trick to trip me up.\"

Severus acknowledged her reasoning. He might have felt the same in her place. Merlin knew, he\'d been suspicious enough in the past when he\'d awoke to find himself in the infirmary instead of where he\'d last been conscious. \"What about my appearance in the room made you change your mind?\" he asked. Genuinely curious, he made sure his voice was as soothing as he could make it. His eyebrow shot up in surprise as Miss Granger blushed and ducked her head before replying.

Casting a glance at Poppy, she shrugged, indicating she hadn\'t understood the girl\'s response either.

\"Come again?\" he asked.

\"I *said*,\" she retorted, the tiniest spark of anger in her voice, her chin now lifted defiantly, \"I wouldn\'t have wished for your presence, so I knew it had to be real, that I really was safe.\"

Beside him, Poppy\'s lips twitched and Severus knew the medi-witch was doing her best to fight off a good laugh at his expense. Before he could react to her, Miss Wolffe entered, carrying a tray of food. Eyes narrowed, he took the tray from her. \"Get out,\" he ordered flatly.

Miss Wolffe, eeped, her face turning red and she all but ran from the room.

\"Now, see here, Severus,\" Poppy objected angrily. \"That is *my* apprentice and--\"

\"Who flagrantly violated patient confidentiality, to the possible detriment of two people,\" he interrupted, handing the tray to Mrs. Annetti. \"I will speak with you outside, Madam Pomfrey,\" he continued, sweeping out of the room without giving Poppy time to respond. He scowled angrily at Miss Wolffe while he waited for the medi-witch to follow. She inched away, refusing to look at him. Thankfully Severus didn\'t have to wait long. He wasn\'t sure he could resist verbally flaying the chit if he\'d had to wait very long.

\"I hope you\'re planning on explaining that accusation!\" she said sternly, arms folded across her chest.

\"Miss Wolffe here, negligently revealed Miss Granger\'s current . . . condition to, of all people, Draco Malfoy.\"

Poppy gasped, rounding on the hapless apprentice with visible anger. \"Miss Wolffe, this will *not* look well on your record. Your duty to a patient\'s privacy is second only to your duty to their health. As I do not have time to deal with you at the moment, however, I will have to do so later. Return to your chambers and report for detention this evening at 7.\"

\"Yes, Madam Pomfrey,\" Wolffe replied tearfully, hurrying from the room.

Not fast enough, in Severus\' opinion, as she didn\'t make it out of hearing range before bursting into rather noisy weeping.

With one last glare, Poppy was all business and she soon had all the information Severus did about the rather convoluted problems they now had facing them -- including Malfoy\'s knowledge of who Miss Granger\'s attacker was. Tutting worriedly, the medi-witch checked on Malfoy, making sure the boy was resting. Having done so, she sighed heavily, turning back to face Severus.

\"For as long as Miss Granger remains in the infirmary, we\'ll have no trouble keeping them separate. After that, however. . . .\"

\"After that,\" Severus said firmly, \"they will both have to behave like near-adults and deal with it. We cannot, after all, turn an entire school upside down for two people.\"

Poppy\'s rather effective glare was interrupted by the arrival of two more students.

Severus frowned at both Weasley and Potter, who shifted nervously under his glare.

\"Madam Pomfrey?\" Weasley asked quietly, \"Can we see Hermione?\"

\"Certainly not!\" Severus snapped instantly.

\"I\'ll ask her, Mr. Weasley,\" Poppy inserted smoothly, utterly ignoring Severus, other than to serve him with yet another glare. \"Even if she says yes, it will have to be a *very* short visit.\"

\"Why?\" Weasley asked. \"What\'s wrong with her.\"

Growling, Severus swept past the nosy brats, wanting nothing more to do with the situation. The last thing Miss Granger needed was a hounding visit from two nosy Gryffindors, but far be it for anyone to listen to *his* common sense. If Potter wasn\'t so self centered, he\'d realize just why their visit was so inapprote. te. He was the one who\'d had the nightmares revealing what had happened. If he\'d bothered to take the time to look outside his own concerns long enough, he would have realized that he should have kept Weasley from pushing.

Severus clamped down on those thoughts. Madam Pomfrey was quite capable of dealing with pushing Gryffindors. Despite her sweet Hufflepuff nature, she had a cast-iron will and spine of steel when it came to the protection of her patients. Both Granger and Malfoy would be quite safe in her care. Right now, it was time for him to worry about himself.


TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: the food of the gods . . . especially muses. : )
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com


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