If a Great Wave Shall Fall (Severus Snape & Lily Evans)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Severus was making his way noiselessly to the Hospital wing, having decided that Lucius had been without half an arm for long enough. He was going to consult the stern Matron on the matter of regrowing limbs that had been lost because he could think of no one else to ask; what little research he had done had proved fruitless. He walked into the Hospital Wing with a slow confidence, hardly resembling the gangling teen he once was at the beginning of the year. Severus found Madam Pomfrey sorting through her inventory cabinets, despite her not noticing him upon walking in, he made sure to shut the door loud enough to alert her of his presence but not startle her too bad.

Out of all of the staff at Hogwarts he was closest to her, what with being her very first patient in her very first year of being the Matron of Hogwarts – Black had punched him on the train and broke his nose. She had been the very first to stand up for him against the bloody Marauders and he was eternally grateful to her for her continued support over the years of enduring their pranks. If he had been entering any other professor's office or class room, he wouldn't have been as gentle. However, he had no qualms with Poppy therefore he had no wish to give her a heart attack.

She replaced a large vial of Dreamless Sleep before she turned around, "Severus!" she said once she discovered who had walked in. She was surprised, needless to say, after not seeing much of her favourite student lately, which considering what her job was, that was a good thing. But he wouldn't drop by for no reason, no, she knew him better than that... instantly she became worried, "Are you alright?" Concern crinkled eyes searched him up and down for any signs of discomfort or injury, she found none, but she was still worried about him. She couldn't help it, too few people had been worried on his account. And recently her biggest fear with him was that if something was bothering him it was something that couldn't be seen. But she would honestly be surprised if his spirit wasn't crumbling.

"Fine," he said stiffly. He never did really approve of how much Poppy worried about him, not being used to it coming from another source other than Lily and his mother. He was highly independent, and always would be. Lily understood that, and his mother had to, but in the seven years he had been at Hogwarts, Poppy hadn't quiet grasped that yet.

"What can I help you with then?" she asked, turning back to what she had been doing before he walked in, which was taking stock of her healing potions and making a list of what she was running short on for Horace to replenish.

"What knowledge do you have of growing limbs back once they've been cut off?" he asked bluntly, shifting his stance and clutching his hands behind his back.

Her movements stilled and she blinked twice and asked in return as she pivoted on the balls of her feet to look at him again, "Is this for you... or someone else?"

"That doesn't concern you," he replied in the same stiff manner that he had before, a piercing light sparking in his otherwise dead eyes. "What do you know of it?"

She arched an eye brow and placed her hands on her hips, "It does concern me as it is my knowledge... however I guess I can let it go this time," she said reluctantly. What could only be a Poppy Pomfrey fear me spark lit up her face and she continued, "But! Ask me another question and proceed to tell me it's none of my business and see what happens." She threatened as she bustled into her office to fetch the few medical books she kept from her days in the Healers' Academy. She dropped them haphazardly down on a bed and shuffled through them before she found the book she was looking for. She began leafing through it until she found the appropriate chapter. "Here, this should tell you what you need to know," she said picking up the book and holding it out to him. He practically glided over to her and deftly plucked the large tome from her hands and began to read the chapter with hungry eyes.