All recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.

I have never written fan fiction before, so please be patient with me. I’m not a native speaker of English!

Thanks a lot to my beta-reader, saiyanwizardgurl and rdholmantx, for correcting my mistakes!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER TWO


Severus informed both the Headmaster and Minerva about Poppy’s condition. Moments later both were standing in Poppy’s office with concerned looks on their faces. They began bombarding Severus with questions about her condition. As soon as the first round of questions had been answered, he began moving slowly towards the door.

“I have to brew more powerful potions for her,” he said. Than he left abruptly, not waiting for a response.

‘Good thing it’s Saturday and there are no classes. Minerva can take care of Poppy without much distraction,’ he thought.

He sighed in relief after one last glance over the empty hospital wing. He hoped it would remain empty and that the students would not get hurt or ill while Poppy was not available. If they had to call another healer or medi-witch to fill in for her, Poppy would be most displeased and try to start work before she was truly well. Poppy could be very territorial about her hospital wing and the students.

He had almost forgotten about his headache while he had been busy taking care of Poppy. Back in the dungeons, he immediately started to work on stronger potions for her. The cool air and subdued light brought some relief, but now the painkillers were rapidly losing their already marginal effect. While he was leaning over the cauldron, he could feel the pain creep up from his neck over the back of his skull to his forehead. The pain would soon be back in full force.

He had not slept for over twenty hours, but after so many years in the service for the Dark Lord and the nightmares he subsequently had due to that service, he was used to the lack of sleep. The pain in his skull was the much bigger problem at the moment. There was no way to ignore it any longer: he would have to take another painkiller potion. He knew it would have even less effect on him than the last one, but Poppy would be ill for the rest of the day and maybe even the next. He would not bother her with his problems. After gulping down the potion, he placed a spare one for later in his cloak pocket.

He managed to finish the last potion for Poppy at one o’clock and carried it to the hospital wing.

Unaware of the world around him, he swiftly strode around a corner and plowed into a second year Ravenclaw girl. The girl fell from the force of the collision, and Severus had trouble holding his balance. He almost dropped the potions, and was furious at the almost-crying girl sprawled out on the floor surrounded by her books. ‘If these vials had been destroyed, I would have killed her. How dare she stand in my way?’ he thought angrily.

The pain in his head and the lack of sleep made him even edgier than usual. The fact that he did not get any reaction from the girl or her friends except open mouths, tears, and sobs made him livid.

“Don’t you have eyes on your face, girl? How did you manage to get sorted into Ravenclaw with a brain like that? Twenty-five points from Ravenclaw for running into a professor.”

Now the girl was crying bitterly, and her two friends were staring fearfully at the Potions master. They did not dare argue that he was being irrational and he had been the one to run into them.
He stepped closer to the girl on the floor and glared at her.

“If you do not move out of my way this instant, I will – ”

“Miss Habbant, what are you doing on the floor? You should stand up before you catch cold,” the cheerful voice of the Headmaster interrupted Severus before he could finish his threat. The girls sighed in relief. Severus felt one of the headmaster’s hands on his shoulder while the headmaster addressed the girl’s friends.

“Why don’t you help your friend collect her books and then go to your dormitory? I have to speak with Professor Snape about a problem.”

The girls darted away before the headmaster had even finished his sentence. He turned to Severus with an intense gaze.

“Are you feeling well, Severus?”

‘Am I feeling well?’ Severus thought. ‘As if he doesn’t know the answer.’

“I’m fine. I was on my way to the hospital wing to give Poppy the stronger potions when that girl ran into me and almost broke the vials.”

Glaring at the headmaster had never had much effect, and today was no different.

“If you need any help, you know you can call for me, Severus. It doesn’t help anyone when you overstress yourself.” The concerned blue eyes still held Severus’ black ones.

“I said I am fine. I have to hurry and give these to Poppy.” He turned on his heel and headed down the corridor without glancing back.