A Different Kind of Magic--UNDERGOING EDIT

Do you recognize it? Then it belongs to JK Rowling, not me. Oh yeah, she makes all the dough from it, not me.

Thanks to VIVAvivacious my rockin', kick ass beta. MWAH!


Chapter 20 – Confusion

On Monday, Hermione’s condition neither improved nor deteriorated. Her fever was just as high, and she was kept asleep with potions. Poppy fretted over her, but could not discern any changes. Severus actually listened to Ava as she talked about growing up in France and her interest in the arts. He was fascinated that she not only knew the names to nearly every work of art in the Louvre, she had also studied the various artists of the ages, and was extensively knowledgeable about their lives and studies.

Remus came down twice to visit Hermione (ahem, Ava) and torment Snape. Ava kicked him out after he tormented Severus into the second shouting match of the day between him and the professor. Minerva made the necessary arrangements to cover for Ava’s absence from the infirmary. Rabastan put the fear of God into half of his Syltherins when he caught them tormenting a first year Hufflepuff by hanging her off the Astronomy tower by one leg. Ava was grateful to stay in the dungeon and not have to deal with Rabastan at all.

On Tuesday, Poppy announced the fever had come down to a manageable level and that Hermione was out of the woods. Remus tried to communicate with her via the stone and wake her up, but he was unsuccessful. After spinning Snape’s chair around for the third time, Ava called Minerva to keep Severus from attacking Professor Lupin. A stern word to Remus to stop provoking the Potions master was met with a chuckle and a werewolf promise (on his honor) to stop tormenting him. Remus just figured it was a taste of his own medicine, but he acceded to the Headmistress. Ava stayed on to make sure Hermione’s fever didn’t come back, and Severus taught her some chess moves to help her surprise Lupin during their next “lesson.” Yeah, right, more like glorified snogging sessions, by the way they act around each other, Snape thought. But, anything to one-up Lupin was game in his book.

Wednesday morning found Hermione awake and looking confused. Ava had gone back to her quarters very early in the morning to resume her normal duties. Severus was fast asleep for once on his bed, face smushed into his pillow, and his good leg hanging off the bed.

Where am I? Hermione tried to move, but was still bound by the spell. Why can’t I move?

Hermione grew frantic. She could move her head – Ooh, I have the most AWFUL headache! – so she looked to her left and saw… Professor Snape? What am I doing in the same room as Professor Snape? She saw a fire, two chairs and a table with a large trunk on it. A house-elf was dusting the mantle on the fireplace.

She desperately tried to recall something, anything that would give her a clue as to why she was in a room with her professor and a house-elf, and why she was lying on a bed in a Full Body Bind. Something was definitely wrong. Hermione opened her mouth to call to the house elf. Nothing came out.

Panic set in as she tried to thrash herself free, to no avail. Help me, someone help me! she screamed in her head.

Dobby heard a commotion behind him and turned to see Miss Granger furiously fighting the Body Bind spell. He rushed over to her bedside to try and calm her. “Miss Hermione! Miss Hermione, please! Dobby is here to help you! Let Dobby help you!”

Oh, I feel so weak! She quit struggling, looking imploringly at Dobby. Dobby, please, help me! Please tell me what’s happening!

Dobby quickly took her stone off the bedside table and pressed it into her hand. Why is he giving me a rock?

Dobby grinned at her. It was a scary grin. “Miss Hermione has been very sick. Dobby watches over Miss and Professor Snape. Miss is hurt and needs pretty blue stone to talk.”

A flower of hope bloomed within her. Can you hear my thoughts, Dobby?

“Yes, Miss. Dobby can hear you with the pretty blue stone.”

Ah, so that explained one thing.

Dobby, I don’t know what I’m doing here. I can’t seem to remember anything since… Hell, the last thing she remembered was what? She closed her eyes, trying to think.

The Ministry was congratulating her on her assignment to a Manor in the north of Scotland to oversee Professor Snape’s recovery. She had earned a commendation for her continued service to the Wizarding community.

She was reading in a dimly lit room to an unconscious Professor Snape.

A beautiful Scottish girl was laughing and talking with her over a meal.

Hermione shook her head, trying to make sense of the images. Ugh, Dobby, it’s all so mixed up in my head. I can remember bits and pieces, but all these memories are so confusing in my head. It doesn’t make any sense to me, and I don’t know how I got here!

A grunt and a curse drew their attention to the occupant of the other bed. Dobby took his hand away and hurried over to the Professor.

No, Dobby, wait! He could no longer hear her. She strained to see what was going on, but couldn’t turn her head that far around to get a proper look. A few minutes later, the fearsome Potions professor loomed into view in a levitating chair. He appeared to have several injuries on one leg. She looked at him desperately, pleadingly.

“Dobby, why didn’t you tell me Miss Granger was awake?” he admonished the house-elf. “Oh, never mind, go get Ava or Poppy!” Dobby went out with a pop.

He immediately took her hand with the stone and was hit with an overwhelming barrage of questions, a rush of helplessness, and a demand for an explanation. She had lost part of her memory. Severus carefully explained their current situation without going into too many details. He didn’t want to upset her with traumatic news she had no memory of. She seemed quite accepting of his explanation of his convalescence, the Manor house turning into a bad situation, and their rescue by Order members. At least she seemed to remember everyone she had known at Hogwarts. He didn’t dare give her any indication of the special bond they shared. For now, she was calling him Professor Snape, so he assumed those memories were temporarily gone from her mind.

Satisfied she was no longer frantic with confusion, he kept the mind link open and let her speak with him about random topics and thoughts until Poppy arrived. He pulled Poppy aside and explained what had happened and all he had told Hermione.

Poppy nodded. “You’ve done well, Severus. It’s exactly what she needed in the state she is in.”

“Poppy, she is desperate to be let out of the Body Bind. It is very distressing for her.”

“Of course, Severus. I will converse with Miss Granger.”

When Poppy was done with her exam and evaluation, she gave the exhausted Hermione another sleeping draught and turned to him.

“She is going to sleep now, but please keep an eye on her. I have released her Bind, but I have placed a ward around her bed. You can sit by her, but she cannot fall out of it again.”

He nodded. “I will let you know if anything happens, Poppy. Thank you.”

“I will have Ava come by later to sit with her. Minerva will get a full report. She also told me to let you know, she and Harry will be coming by on Friday evening. You should be able to walk on that leg by then. I’ll come by when it is time.”

He barely registered what Poppy had said. At this point, he couldn’t give a flying fuck what Minerva and Harry-fucking-Potter were going to do, and to hell with his injured bloody leg! The only thing that registered in his mind was the nine-point-zero on the Richter scale of emotion that rumbled through his body at the thought of Hermione forgetting their bond – forgetting him – and he was alone once again in his misery. He cursed fate for the fickle bitch she was, and retreated within himself to sulk for the remainder of the day.

Thursday passed, and Hermione regained some of her strength. She was able to sit up, take food in her bed, and share some light conversation with Ava, Severus, and Remus. She remembered Remus, but not Ava, so she was re-introduced.

Against Poppy’s orders, Severus got up on his own and started walking. He winced when jolts of pain shot through his leg, but he was determined not to sit in that goddamn chair any longer like a feeble old man. Ava scolded him, but then surprised him with a giant hug. She had quite the grip for such a little thing, and he felt winded when she released him. Most of all, he wanted to tower over Remus again so the smug bastard couldn’t stand over him anymore with that teasing grin on his face.

Friday was here. The ‘big day.’ Minerva was going to force Potter into his head, and he planned to fight it tooth and nail. He didn’t care how nasty he had to get, he was not going to submit. No meant no. They could go to hell.

Professor Snape was crabby all day and threatened to kick Dobby’s ass three times before the house-elf finally popped out of the room and didn’t come back. Severus wanted to be alone with Hermione. He couldn’t bear her lack of memory of what they had shared. She was his only link with sanity and magic.

He even snapped at Ava. She had left in tears. No one was going to ruin his time with Hermione, when this was the last day he would get to spend with her before the old cow packed him off to Azkaban. Just as he went to sit down next to the sleeping angel, who popped through the Floo, but that meddling fucker Remus Lupin. Gods, he has the worst timing!

“Get out now, Remus! You are not welcome down here!”

“Fuck off, Snape! Ava came to me in tears! What did you say to her?”

Lupin was furious. Good. “I told your air-headed girlfriend that if she kept flapping her lips, I was going to shove something between them she wasn’t going to like.”

Remus whipped out his wand to point it menacingly at Severus. “How dare you insult Ava! She has done nothing but show you kindness. You, the great fucking Severus Snape, Potions master asshole extraordinaire, and you repay her with insults? I’ll tell you what you are, Snape! You’re pathetic. No wonder you’re a lonely, bitter man. A rabid dragon has better manners than you. If I could get away with it, I would hex you into next week.”

Three large strides brought the towering professor face to face with the angry Lupin. Snape stared down his hooked nose, mustering the ugliest sneer he could manage.

“Well then, Lupin, what are you waiting for? Here is your big chance. Hex me. I am unarmed.”

Snape took a step back, holding his arms out at his sides, turning around in a circle.

“I have no wand, we are alone, Hermione is asleep, and there are no witnesses. What are you waiting for?”

Lupin lowered his wand in confusion. “What? Are you fucking crazy?”

“No, Lupin, that, I am not. Do not threaten me with bodily harm if you do not intend to carry it through.” The professor primly straightened the cuffs on the beloved starched black dress robes he had missed so much while at the hospital. It was a small measure of comfort to be in his desired garb of choice.

“If I hear of you ever hurting Ava, or any other girl for that matter, your giant beak will be at the business end of my wand. That is not a threat, Professor, it is a fact. I am not a violent man, but the way you behave makes me think the only things in life you cherish are misery and violence. I guess I can’t be surprised, the way you killed poor Albus in cold blood.”

The last thing Lupin heard as he lunged into the fireplace was Snape shouting, “I’ll have your bollocks on a plate, Lupin!”