As Long As You Need Me

Chapter XVII

Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved!
That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly.
- Leo Tolstoy (War and Peace)
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Snape found himself flying out of his chair. "What happened?"
But then his question was answered as Ron supported in a sick-looking Hermione. Snape made a concerned move towards her but then stopped, observing the protective way in which Ron was holding her.

"I-I don't feel well...I think I'm gonna be sick." She was green in the face and she sat in a chair, swallowing hard.
Snape poured out a glass of water and held it out for her. "Why...? Something must not have agreed with your stomach. If you need to go to the bathroom-"

"I'm not going to ruin your carpet, if that's what you're worried about..."

"I'm not worried about the damn carpet!"
His words implied that it was actually her that he was concerned for and that made her feel better even in her nausea. But she felt her stomach flip and she quickly covered her mouth, running for the bathroom.

Somehow she managed to find the toilet and hurled the contents of her stomach inside. Watching Hermione vomit, Ron gave a disgusted look; but instead of getting repelled Snape stepped in and bent down to hold her hair out of the way.
"I don't understand..." he said, feeling her body quivering as she retched, "She didn't get drunk, did she?"

"No. No, I think she only had one glass..." Neville reassured, wondering if it was his fault, since she felt unwell right after she was done dancing with him. Hermione didn't get a moment's respite as she threw up in several bouts, but she didn't have enough food in her system so as to regurgitate it out and was thus left with dry heaves. Snape rubbed her back but she continued to cough up mucousy puke mixed with a little blood, having scraped the inside of her throat.

"If this continues, she's gonna spit up her colon. Quick, fetch Madam Pomfrey!" Snape barked out the order. Neville immediately took to his heels, while Ron looked on with a screwed up face at the condition of his friend.

As Neville left, Harry entered, inquisitive. "What's going on?"
Ron took him aside to fill him in on the details, while Hermione seemed to be going through an interval, as she sat back on the tiled floor breathing heavily. Snape was passing her a tissue when he caught a snippet of the boys' conversation.
"Potter, did you say...Brown?"

Harry was a little startled, and replied uncertainly, "Y-yes, sir. It was Lavender- Lavender Brown. She handed me the glass of alcohol that I gave to Hermione." Hermione pulled herself up to the commode and started retching again. Snape stood transfixed, thinking. Ron looked at him, knowing that he was thinking the same thing. "Hermione told me, Lavender was trying to get back at her..."

Madam Pomfrey arrived and checked on her, while the men waited outside. "Nasty little prank someone pulled on her...most probably involving Puking Pastilles or something of that ilk." she informed, "I have given her a draught to soothe her throat."

The boys left soon after, since there was nothing more to be done. Snape was preoccupied, thinking about Lavender Brown and her acts of revenge, while Hermione was up all night, sick and stuck to a bucket in her bed.
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It was early in the morning that the sickness finally passed and Hermione caught some sleep. Snape did not disturb her when she didn't appear for class in the morning, but instead went up to McGonagall's office, to make his concern regarding Ms.Brown known to the Headmistress. But he had to return dissatisfied, since he wasn't able to put up any conclusive proof.

Hermione dragged herself into his office soon after and found him brushing the tip of his wand to the door.
"How are you feeling now, Ms.Granger?"