A Capacity to Love

2. The Gentler Side

When Severus opened the doors to the Hospital Wing, it was no surprise most of the beds were full of students.  A few of the students he recognized right away.  Most of them were from Gryffindor.  Neville Longbottom was one of them.  His face was banged up pretty bad, but he seemed okay.  He sighed.  He hated seeing the students tortured this way.  It was bad enough he had to let it go on to maintain his cover.  He spotted Hogwarts' Healer over in the corner tending to what looked like a first year student.  He turned to Piper.  She still had that terrified look on her face.

"Sit down on a vacant bed and I will got get Poppy.  I will have her take care of you immediately."

Piper nodded.  Still shaking inside and out, she looked around briefly for an empty bed.

"There's not a bed that stays empty for long around here anymore," a boy said to her.  "I'm Neville Longbottom.  You can sit down beside me if you want.  What's your name?"

"Piper."  She flashed her best interpretation of a smile and took his offer, sitting on the very end of the bed he was currently occupying.

"What are you in for?"

Piper looked at him, unsure of whether she should tell him or not.  Then deciding it didn't matter, she answered, "I was tortured by Voldemort."

Neville stared at her in disbelief.  "And Snape brought you to the Hospital Wing?"

She nodded.

"That's unusual.  I figured he would probably just kill you like he did Dumbledore."  There was a lot of anger in the boy's voice.  "I would like one shot at him."

"He seems nice," Piper whispered.  "He is supposed to take care of me until this whole business with Harry Potter is through.  I heard him talking to the Death Eater who brought me here.  He has been nothing but nice to me.  He killed someone?"

Neville set his jaw hard.  It angered him to even think about it anymore.  "The last Headmaster, supposedly his friend.  Dumbledore trusted Snape and he betrayed him.  So I wouldn't go trusting him if I were you.  He will undoubtedly turn on you."

Piper swallowed hard.  She was in way over head.  She should have just stayed hidden like she planned.  Then she wouldn't have had to endure any of this torture.  She glanced toward the man who brought her here.  Severus Snape didn't look like a killer to her.  She turned to Neville curiously.

"What happened to you?"

"I stood up to the Carrows.  Stunned one of them for sending the Killing Curse toward a first year.  They got me good.  This makes the third day in a row I've been in here."

"That's awful.  You should be careful."

"I'm not the only one who's fighting.  We all are.  There's a war going on."

"I know.  That's how I got in this predicament."

Piper continued to talk to Neville in the minutes that followed.  She learned there were students a lot braver than she ever had been when she was in school.  She had not attended Hogwarts, but a school for magic in the states.  Ginny Weasley's name came up along with Luna Lovegood and Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and a few others.

Severus waited patiently for Madame Pomfrey to finish with her current patient.  When she whirled around the color drained from her face.  He hated that he caused that reaction from someone whom he used to consider a friend.

"What do you want, Severus?" she asked harshly.  "Haven't you done enough?"  There was a hint of emotion in her voice though she tried hard to keep it in check.