Uncanny Snake

VIII - First Task

By the time I awoke, Severus was already gone, and I was acutely aware of the two faces peering down at me. It took me a moment to gather myself, my eyes focusing on my surroundings, back stiff from the uncomfortable sleeping position. "How are you feeling?" The twins asked. They were grinning, but their eyes spoke volumes of their concern.

"I've been better," I grumbled, arching my back, the satisfying cracks reaching my ears. The twins looked unfazed, Fred picking up a chocolate frog from the table resting at the foot of the bed, accommodating all the gifts and snacks that were delivered overnight. I glanced to my right, the chair empty, a bouquet of blood pops neatly tied together rested there instead. Despite all the get well cards, and the endless amount of sweets resting at the foot of my bed, none could compare.

Fred and George had my consent, and they fought over my gifts, desperately trying to monopolize the best sweets in the batch. I slung my legs over the side of the bed and sat up a bit too quickly, blood rushing to my head as I sat back down on the bed. "Are you okay?" Fred asked, putting down the package of every flavor bean.

"I'm fine. Just a little light-headed," I admitted rubbing my temples. George rounded the bed, his eyes sweeping over the bouquet of blood pops. He reached for them, and I slapped his hand away, unintentionally hissing.

"Are those from your secret admirer?" Fred joked from the foot of the bed, shoving packages of sweets inside his robes. When I didn't answer, his eyes widened, and he rushed over picking up the bouquet of blood pops, scanning for a card, with a possible name on it, but he found none. Only one person knew how much I loved blood pops, and Albus wasn't very subtle when handing out gifts, hence the sizeable unwrapped broomstick sitting on the table beside the sweets.

"Who's it from?" they both asked.

"I don't know," I answered casually rising to my feet, my hands automatically reaching for the bouquet of sweets to which Fred instantly let go. We spent the hour socializing, and eating candy. Apparently, Viktor had entered his name, which was no surprise to me, but during my recovery, he had been chosen, and no one bothered to tell me this, not even the man himself, and he left me a get well card too. I swear you're gone for like one day, and suddenly everything happens.

The twins went on ahead, boasting about what great friends they were, spending the whole night with me. Considering Severus had watched over me for most of the night, I knew this to be a lie. Knowing the brooding man, he would have chased them away at the first opportunity he got. I couldn't find a good time during the day to thank him properly. He was always in public, the great hall, the corridors, his classroom, it was hard getting him alone.

My detentions had all been suspended till a later date, and I frowned, knowing my chances of speaking to him would not come soon enough. Since the names had been drawn, I rarely saw much of Severus, he was always out and about, mainly with Albus, and I did not need the old man's extra teasing. And other times, I saw him with Hagrid, and the two were talking, that never happens, considering the potion's master tends to ignore his fellow professors, the exception being Albus and Minerva, of course.

After a long-awaited week, my knuckles rapped against the wooden door, the familiar feeling of anxiety washing over me. "Come in," Severus' deep voice drawled, and I sucked in a breath, my brain screaming at me to go in, while my legs prepared to flee. But alas, my mind had more control over my body than I did, which sounds counter-intuitive, but whatever. I opened the door, peeking in before fully entering, and relieved to see his attention entirely on the parchment underneath him, I slipped in. "When I told you to break a leg, I did not mean it literally," he snapped.

"I didn't break a-"

"Silence." I stiffened on the spot awkwardly rubbing my wrists, unsure what to say, mostly because he was intimidating. I finally gathered my courage and looked up, ignoring the look of disdain from my carelessness. First step is first, concede.