True Reflections: Scars Saga 3

Usual Standards

Chapter 32

Usual Standards

I don't know if it had been so long since I was pregnant with Jonathan that I simply forgot how bad it was, or if perhaps this time around it was just worse, but morning sickness was kicking my bum.

Majorly.

I couldn't eat anything more than a few crackers or some dry toast. I was so hungry. But even walking by the Great Hall made me sick. Poppy's tonics did little to assuage the feeling. As such, my temper was on a very short fuse. Add to that the additional hormones and everyone was pretty much as miserable as I was.

22 January 1997

I looked up from the first year essays I was grading. My eyes grazed over the goblet that had been suddenly placed on my desk; it was filled with a potion that for once was not making my stomach churn at the smell of it. My eyes continued to follow up a set of black robes, down a long hooked nose, and to the black beady eyes of Snape.

"What is that?" I asked.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Even with your abysmal skills, I still thought you would recognize a potion when you saw it."

My eyes narrowed to thin slits.

"Trying to poison me? June not soon enough for you?" I pushed the goblet back his way. "I think I'll pass."

"If I wanted to poison you, you wouldn't know it was me." He pushed the goblet back across the desk. "Drink."

I sat back in my chair and gave him my full attention. "You must have hit your head harder than we thought when Harry blocked your spell." His eyes darkened dangerously. "Oh yes, I know about that. He sent you flying across the classroom and through your own desk from what I hear."

He slammed both his hands on my desk and leaned towards me, but I didn't flinch.

"That pompous, arrogant, fool can't block his mind. He'll never be as good as he thinks he is."

"Careful, Professor. You wouldn't want to under estimate a Potter...again."

He stood straight again and sneered. "I've done my part. Now, unless Dumbledore wishes me to force feed..."

"Dumbledore? Dumbledore asked you to brew this?"

"Well surely you didn't think I came here out of the kindness of my heart?"

"You'd have to have kindness there first... and a heart. Why did Dumbledore ask you to do this? What's it supposed to be?"

"It's for your...illness." He scowled.

"I. Am not. Ill. I'm pregnant." His scowl deepened. "And Poppy has already given me tonics."

"And they're not working."

"They work well enough. I don't need this."

I pushed the goblet his way again and stood. I meant to take the essays to a filing cabinet for safe keeping, but after only two steps I became short of breath and my knees buckled. I stumbled into a shelf, knocking a few books over, and dropping the scrolls.

"Yes. Clearly they're working wonders."

Having regained my balance and my breath, I pushed myself off the wall and took a few steps towards him.