A Delicate Obsession

Chapter 20 – In For A Knut, In For a Galleon (In For A Penny, In For A Pound)

It all belongs to Rowling, except what you don’t recognize.

Hermione had never seen a serious burn victim before. Serious burns, yes, but never someone who had over eighty percent of their body burned, no. And the survival rate using magic was not much better than Muggle medicine. So much depended on how quickly the victim could be stabilized and kept alive long enough for the magic to work. Hermione brought out the Orange Burn Cure, which she had spoken to Snape about all those weeks ago. Mrs. Higglespouf, a puffskein breeder, had a house full of puffskeins. When the fire was started by the Death Eaters, she insisted on running back and forth from inside to outside in an attempt to save “her little darlin’s”. Hermione thought she was as touched as Hagrid, having never understood the affection that people were known to develop for the idiotic fuzzballs. But if it had been a familiar like Crookshanks, of course she would have tried to save him.

Lupin quickly explained that though the Order had informed all the Muggle-borns in Hogsmeade of their imminent danger, some simply refused to flee. Some had nowhere to go and some couldn’t afford to leave. Witches and wizards could be very stubborn at times. He had stationed himself near Mrs. Higglespouf house, knowing that she was a likely target.

The bodies kept coming in, being brought by various members of the Order. Information, like tiny puzzle pieces, trickled in as well. Hermione discovered that the Order had been well prepared, knowing about the attack months in advance, and had taken every opportunity to prepare, including the counter-hexes she had been taught. It was the wild card hexes that were a problem and Pomfrey sometimes had to search through numerous books rapidly to find and then shout out to Hermione what the counter was.

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Snape lay on the cot, weakly calling for Laura. Where did she go? He heard a ruckus and assumed the attack on Hogsmeade must have already begun. He began to spin off into his nightmare world again:

He was walking through a wood: he thought it might be the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts. Suddenly Lucius Malfoy was there. Snape felt a trickle of sweat go down his face.

“My friend, how are you?” Malfoy asked and made to slap him on the back. Snape quickly sidestepped him.

“As well as can be expected. Why are you here?” his eyes narrowed and he was at the ready to dodge any hexes.

“Well, well. It seems that you are still alive. Which means you are still ours. I shall enjoy torturing you myself.” He smiled. “And I expect you to bring me your latest mudblood conquest to torture as well. Don’t look so surprised. Do you think Tara’s death was some sort of tragic mistake? No, we knew she was your lover. It is quite common for pure bloods to be exploited by those little whores. They know we have a weakness for them.” He stopped and took a bit of snuff. He sneezed and wiped his nose on a lace handkerchief. “The fact that it’s Miss Granger, Harry Potter’s friend, will only make her all the more entertaining.”

Snape felt a cold chill go down his spine. Even if she wasn’t his lover, dammit no one wanted to listen that he knew they were not one in the same, still, she was a student and he had to protect her.

“By the way, your current excellent state of health, how did you do it? Don’t tell me. Mama Snape put a dark protectorate on you? Did I guess right?” The blond wizard continued to smirk.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Snape used his Occlumency and felt the world dissolve and blackness took over. He feared that that last encounter had not been a product of his own fevered imagination, but rather the Dark Lord using Legilimency. He was tired and finally fell into a deep sleep.

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Hermione was now dealing with an entire ward of sick and moaning people. She didn’t know how Pomfrey withstood the pressure. Anyone who was well enough to be moved out-- had been, leaving them with only people in dire straits. Dumbledore had come in to survey the situation and had dropped a hint that at least half the ward might be transported to St. Mungos if a certain spell could be finished and made to work. At the moment, Hogwarts was at siege and it was only through certain top secret charms, such as the one somebody had called ‘the Bungee Jump’, that Aurors and members of the Order had been able to pulse into Hogsmeade and out again, stealing victims of the attack right from under You-Know-Who’s nose.

Hermione was with Pomfrey trying to help save a man’s leg. The hex had only touched his big toe, yet it was spreading at an alarming rate as if it were some sort of flesh eating virus. The smell of blacked and dying tissue was horrendous. Just then Snape showed up completely dressed.

“I need to see Laura,” he said with a sneer.

Pomfrey looked at Snape with disbelief. “Whoever Laura is, if you don’t see her here, then she’s not here. Does it look like we have the time to run your errands?”

For a moment, Snape looked lost. “I didn’t see her here, but she was with me this morning.”

Pomfrey frowned. “The only one here was Miss Granger.”

Great, thought Hermione, the moment of truth. Hermione looked over to Pomfrey. “I need to speak to Professor Snape alone.”

Both adults stared at the young lady. “Like HELL you will Miss Granger!” Pomfrey rolled her eyes. “Does this look like a tea party? Professor Snape, go away if you don’t want to be helpful and stop distracting my assistant with your little inquiries. Hermione, I need your full attention now.”

For a split second, Hermione flashed on what she needed to do. All she had to do was say ‘Incantantum Laura’ and Snape would know the truth. But then, it would all be over, he’d be gone and she’d never have a chance to explain her side. Also, Pomfrey would kill her. The moment passed. She looked up at Snape. He was staring at her lips. He knew, she was sure of it! He had that look of hunger he’d get when he was alone with Laura. Hermione knew that if she were to touch him through his robes right now, she’d find a very hard, pulsing erection! Hermione looked down and quickly muttered, “You imagined her. I was sitting there and you started talking to someone named Laura. I put a compress on your head and you went back to sleep. I’m sorry Professor Snape, your friend was never here.”

A look of wild desolation crossed Snape’s face and Hermione’s heart jumped. He’s not himself, she though, and he needs to get back to bed. “Madam Pomfrey, I think Professor Snape is unwell,” she said quietly ignoring the fact that he was still standing before her.

Madame Pomfrey sighed and pushed a spell book and a small vial at Hermione. She pointed her finger at a passage. “Do this incantation and sprinkle this blessing on him when you reach this point in the text.” Hermione obediently began the healing.

Pomfrey whirled on Snape. “You, sir, will get yourself out of my hospital, now. You are fine and I don’t need your malingering. Head down to your dungeons and do whatever it is you do down there!”
Pomfrey then turned on her heel to help an Auror who had just arrived with yet another victim.

Hermione was in the middle of the incantation and couldn’t afford to stop. She watched in frustration as Snape stiffly walked out of the hospital wing. She had a very bad feeling about this.


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Snape stared at Pomfrey’s retreating figure. He felt ashamed. Not just at the public dressing down, but because he was hard. He had become hard looking at Miss Granger, a student. No, it couldn’t be, he thought, and yet, Laura and Miss Granger did have the same lovely lips. He’d first noticed them, when? In the dungeons during detention, or was it at the Great Hall when he saw they were sunburned? Sunburned, the same day he’d become sunburned. Snape remembered Miss Granger dancing with him at the ball and then Laura showing up at the garden. It was coincidence—All coincidence!!!

He’d made love with Laura many times, but could it have really been Miss Granger? He’d discussed magical theory with Laura, not Miss Granger. He’d exposed and shared his heart and soul with her. He dreamed of marrying Laura, not that bloody little Know-it-all!

He imagined Miss Granger reporting back to her little friends about what he was like in bed. Laughing at him behind his back. Oh yes, the fool, the damned old fool, so hungry for love that he could be taken in by an illusion! No, it was disgdisgng. ng.

Snape sat on the stairs outside the hospital wing and held his head in his hands. Why hadn’t he simply died at the hands of the Dark Lord? Why should he be spared death to then bear this humiliation! NO—they were not one and the same person.

Life couldn’t be so cruel as to take away his Laura. There was a mistake, he just had to find her and sort it out. Settling on his destination, Snape tried to sweep down the stairs, but was suddenly clung to the banister overwhelmed by dizziness. He would locate his lover or die in the attempt: there was nothing else to be done. Miss Granger was not his Laura. He’d have known if they were the same person. He would have known.

If ever a man was obsessed by an unreasonable notion, it was Snape-- who steadfastly refused to accept all the evidence piling up under his large, ugly nose.

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Hermione straightened up and felt her back crack. There was a lull in the chaos, which had been goion-son-stop from roughly 4:30 AM that morning. Pomfrey took Hermione by the hand and led her to the lounge. Dobby was waiting for her.

“You have 45 minutes to eat and rest,” said Pomfrey. “Dobby will bring you whatever you’d like for lunch.”

“Lunch? When was breakfast? Is it lunchtime already?” asked Hermione in a bit of a daze.

“Actually, it’s closer to teatime.” Pomfrey left.

“Dobby, I can’t believe I’ve been at this for almost 12 hours.” Hermione sat down.

“Miss Granger must take care of herself. What can Dobby get for Miss Granger?” His large eyes glowed with the idea that he was to personally be allowed to assist the light of his life.

Hermione kicked off her shoes and massaged her feet. “Can you locate Professor Snape for me and let me know how he is?” It was an unorthodox request, but she was sure Dobby would do her favors.

Dobby hesitated and then said, “Professor Snape is not within the protection of Hogwarts.”

The color drained from Hermione’s face. “Dobby, please go to Remus Lupin, Mad Eye Moody and Ron Weasley. Tell them that Professor Snape was ill and that he’s left Hogwarts. They will know what to do.”

As soon as Dobby winked out of the room, Hermione put her face in her hands and started to sob. It was her fault. She knew something was wrong when she saw him. He’s gone looking for Laura. If she had been honest… she shook her head. “My fault, all my fault,” she moaned.

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S ent entered the room. He noted that it had not changed from his memories. The floor-to-ceiling windows were draped in ivory damask. The bed was made up in soothing shades of off-white with large, soft pillows cast about. Snape crossed to the bed and kissed the cheek of the emaciated, but still beautiful, woman lying there.

“Hello, Mother. I’ve missed you.”

She reached her hand out to touch his shoulder and smiled, “Welcome home, son. Welcome Home.”


A/N: Many, many thanks and a big hug to my reviewers; Andrian, Mary Kay Melton, Karena Elizabeth, Katharina, Halo, Lady Aidil, Amanda, Gethsemane, and Ghost Master-- you are doing a great job of keeping me going. Three Chapters to go!