Snape's Match

Lia moved feebly under her heavy coverlets, the Hogwarts hospital ward swimming slowly into sight. She breathed deeply, relieved to be there, remembering the pain and the shock of last night…was it last night? She had no idea how long she’d been here in this bed. She remembered a visit – Harry had come up briefly to see she was all right, oh, and Dumbledore had been up to check on her as well. He’d said something about coming back later – she’d been too woozy to remember properly. She supposed that she’d been given something for the pain, because her back didn’t hurt at all. Something else did, however. She pushed the memory of her last detention with Snape aside, and drifted off back to sleep, the empty ward silent around her.


Snape barely ate at dinner. He was too busy debating the foolishness of going up to visit Lia to eat to notice that some students were openly pointing at him and discussing whether he had been responsible for the attack. The other teachers avoided his gaze, and he realized they too had their doubts about his innocence, no matter what Dumbledore might say. It mattered little to him, all he wanted right now was to go up to Lia and stay there, but he knew he would have to remain seated and sweat it out. Anything less would be tantamount to an admission.


Dinner seemed to go on forever. Snape was swearing under his breath by the time Dumbledore rose and announced the end of the day.


“All students should stay in their house common rooms unless they have an organized activity to go to, such as Quidditch training,” the old wizard shouted above the hubbub.


“No harm in being careful,” he told Professor McGonagall, who was sitting beside him. “Poppy, would you come with me to my office? I have something I wish to discuss with you.”


Obediently, Madam Pomfrey rose and followed Dumbledore as he left the hall, looking uncharacteristically worried.
This is it, thought Snape. I’ll never have a better time. He too, swept out, and headed straight for the hospital wing, ignoring the dark looks and mutterings from the uneasy students that followed him.

It was dark and quiet. Nobody had yet lit the lamps in the ward, but he could just make out the sole occupied bed in the room. His breath came painfully as he recognized Lia. She was lying on her front, and the reason for this was all too clear. A huge swathe of bandages covered her entire back, and she looked pale, but she was breathing. Snape could barely restrain himself from seizing her and covering her hair with kisses. He hadn’t lost her!
Lia moaned in her sleep and he stepped back, alarmed. Wif sif she woke up? Her breathing slowed back to a normal pace, however, and he risked sitting down. She was plainly in the grip of some bad dream, however, she continued moaning and suddenly covered her face with her hands as though protecting herself.


“Lia!” Snape called softly, not daring to touch her, “wake up, Lia!”



Lia was alone in a room she did not recognize. She swallowed, feeling the dryness of her mouth. Abruptly the door opened and a man was thrown in with her who cowered on the floor. He was quickly followed with a tall figure, hooded and cloaked. “You have disappointed me, Nott,” it said in a voice that was intensely familiar. “I had thought not even you could be so unintelligent.” Lia remembered: it had been the same voice as in her previous dreams…the one that called her his heir…Lia ran around the prostrate man and tried to see the face of the hooded man. He raised a wand.


“Master, no!” cried the man called Nott. “I had no idea, none whatsoever-“


“Do you think that is an excuse?” hissed the cloaked man. “You were not supposed to attract attention!”


The man on the ground seemed transfixed with fear. “Forgive me, master…please!”


“You cursed my only child, Nott,” said the tall man slowly, “and made her suffer. You must now suffer too before I can forgive you.”


Nott watched the wand as it lifted still further, pointing at him. Lia watched too, her mind numb with dread.


“Crucio!” said the tall man, and the air was full of Nott’s anguished yells. Lia covered her eyes and the scene dissolved into blackness…



Lia sat bolt upright in her bed, and then groaned as her back protested at the sudden movement. Obviously whatever they have given her had worn off. She was alone in the dormitory, but she thought she heard the door at the far end of the ward slam shut. She waited until the feeling of panic subsided, and her breathing returned to normal.


She looked around, and saw the chair that had been drawn up to her bedside. Had she had another visitor? She couldn’t think who, but just then she noticed something on the floor next to it. It took several attempts to reach it – her back was very stiff, and once she was sure that she’d ruptured something. Madam Pomfrey will not be pleased, Lia thought wryly, and at last grabbed the object on the floor. A wand. How curious. She supposed that her unknown visitor had dropped it by accident, and wondered whose it was. Twirling absently in her fingers, the wand emitted several golden sparks.


She laughed, delighted. Wands were not very fond of her, in general (apart from her own, of course). Harry’s had grown teeth and tried to bite her when she’d borrowed it to light a lamp in the common room. Just then Madam Pomfrey came back, and Lia hid the wand under the bedclothes.


“Merlin’s beard! You’re awake! How do you feel, dear?” “Much better, thanks, Madam Pomfrey,” smiled Lia.


The nurse had noticed her lopsided bandages, and frowned: “We’ll have to replace those, Lia, looks like you’ve done something to them.”

A/N: For those of you wondering when there will be any lemons..next chapter!! I promise to get it posted up as soon as I can.