Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Throughout the night, Aurelia drifted in and out of sleep. Every time she realized she had fallen asleep, she would get up and examine Severus. So far, there was no change.

When the sun started to stream through the window, she decided to try to wake him. "Severus? Can you hear me?" When he didn't respond to her voice, she shook him gently. "Severus?"

She frowned at his lack of response. Deciding that it would be better for him to be at St. Mungo's, she conjured a stretcher and carried him downstairs. From the living room fireplace, she could Floo them both to the hospital.

When she arrived, one of the mediwitches hurried up to her. "Healer MacLean, how can I help you?"

"Help me get Mr. Snape to the Poisons ward." She didn't say anything else until she was in her own ward. "Angelina, prepare a bed. Mr. Snape is to be under constant observation."

"Yes, Healer. What's happened to him?"

"I was able to determine what poison he ingested. I've administered the antidote and it has rendered him unconscious. I need his vital signs monitored for any signs of change. I'll be in my office."

"Yes, Healer," Angelina said to Aurelia's retreating back.

Once in her office, the first thing Aurelia did was write an owl to the Parkers letting them know that she was back in the country and hoped to be able to pick up the girls soon. Thankfully, it was still a couple of days before they had expected her back. She hoped that everything was well, and that there had been nothing suspicious happening. Just thinking about the spy made her want to rush over there and ensure that everything was fine. The more rational side of her mind told her that a message would have been left at her house or office if something had happened.

After she posted her letter, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples. Nothing about this poison had been straightforward. At every step, it went against everything she knew about poisons. She began to wonder if her previous attempts to cure Severus were having a detrimental effect on the antidote.

Deciding that the others could look after Severus, she crawled onto her couch to take a nap. Someone would wake her if Severus' situation changed.

When she woke, she checked the clock and saw that she had only gotten four hours of sleep. After a quick stop in the lavatory, she wandered out to the ward. She saw that Severus had been given the bed closest to the ward desk. "How is he doing?"

"There has been no change. His vital signs remain stable."

Wanting to see for herself, Aurelia cast a diagnostic spell and could find nothing wrong with him. Using her thumb, she opened his eyelids and was pleased that his eyes were responsive to the light. "I'm going out for an hour or so. If he wakes, let him know I'll be back."

"Of course," Angelina replied.

*******************

Severus gasped as he felt a cold wave rush across his body. His body then began convulsing, and he couldn't control it. It felt as though he had been dunked in ice water.

Angelina saw Severus thrashing on his bed. She rushed to his side. "Professor? Can you hear me?"

"Wha? Where? Johnson?" He was trying to make sense of where he was. What was Johnson doing at Aurelia's house? As the room came into focus, he realized that he was not in Aurelia's house. It had the distinct look of a hospital. How had he gotten there?

"Healer MacLean brought you to St. Mungo's early this morning. She's out right now, but she said she would be back soon."

"St. Mungo's?" Had the antidote gone that wrong?

"Can I get you some water?"

"No. Where is Aurelia?" She would know what had happened. Why would she abandon him?

"She'll be back soon. She went out for a little while." She handed him a glass. "Here, drink this."

"Is that something they teach to Healers? Always give your patient a glass of water?" he asked snidely as he took the glass from her hands.

"Well, water is always good for you. How do you feel?"

"Acceptable." He refused to discuss his condition with one of the lesser Healers.

*****************

Aurelia returned to the ward and saw that Severus was sitting up in his bed. Rather than going straight to his side, she went to talk with Johnson. "How is he doing?"

"Being difficult. He's refused to tell me anything other than he feels 'acceptable'. When he regained consciousness, he convulsed for a few seconds, but it was nothing major."

She placed her hand on Angelina's upper arm. "Well, thank you for doing what you could." She moved over to Severus' bedside.

He crossed his arms. "So, you have decided that I am important enough to speak with?"

"Oh, come now. It's nothing like that. How are you feeling? Has your vision returned?"

"It has. That is one good thing to report. I feel more like myself than I have since I recovered from my coma."

She cast a deep diagnostic spell and was pleased to see that she could detect no traces of the poison in his system. "Well, it appears the poison is gone, though I have thought that in the past. Watch my wand," she ordered as she tested his peripheral vision. "That looks good. Did you remember feeling anything?"

"Right before I woke, it felt as though I was being dunked in ice water. However, that sensation quickly passed." He refrained from saying anything snarky as she put him through a series of motor skills examinations.

"Well, I would say that you look healthy."

"Wonderful," he replied snidely. "Now what? Why am I here?"

"I brought you here because I was exhausted, and if something went wrong, I wanted to make sure you would receive the best care possible. Now that you are awake, there is no reason for you to remain here."

"You're going to discharge me? Just like that?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Technically, you were never admitted. Are you ready to go?"

He started to stand up and realized he was not completely dressed. "I have no shoes."

"It won't kill you to walk to the Apparition area in your stocking feet. Come along."

He scowled at her, but followed anyway, realizing that going with her was the only way he was getting to her house. As they walked back to the lobby, he asked, "Where did you go?"

"I had an errand I had to run."

"An errand that was more important than my safety?" he asked indignantly.

"Honestly, Severus, you are not the center of my universe, despite what you might believe, after all the time I have given to finding your cure."

"I see," he said coldly.

She could tell that he had misunderstood, but she wasn't going to start an argument in St. Mungo's and placed his hand on her arm. "I didn't mean it that way. Just hold on..."

Once they returned to her house, he asked. "And how did you mean it?"

She sighed. "What I meant was that I do have a life outside finding your cure. I think it's safe to say that we are both tired. Things I say may not sound to you like they do to my tired mind. I've enjoyed your company and your friendship, and I would hate to lose either. But I still need time to myself. I would not have left you if I wasn't sure you were in good hands. Aside from Johnson, there was a senior Healer on duty."

He knew she was right about being tired. He was still weak after the stress of the trip and the administration of the cure. Of course she wouldn't have left him in danger. "Now what?"

She sighed. She knew better than to expect an apology, but it would have been nice. Walking to the library, she pulled his wand out of her desk drawer. "I think you are ready."

Nervously, he reached out for his wand. He stared at a piece of parchment on the desk for several long moments. Finally, he worked up the courage and said, "Wingardium Leviosa." The piece of parchment fluttered momentarily before rising into the air.

Aurelia enthusiastically hugged him. "Congratulations."

"That was a small spell," he replied guardedly.

She could tell that she had made him self-conscious and backed away from him. "Well, I'm sure that if you can do that one, you can do others. Why don't we try some more?"

At first, he had mixed success on the various spells he tried, but as time passed, he became more confident.

Aurelia thought she could see a smile on his lips. "Well, then, it looks like we have found the cure."

"That it does. Thank you for all the time and effort you have put into helping me. I know that you have sacrificed a lot. Why don't you get the girls from the Parker's and I'll prepare dinner?"

She smiled at the fact that he had actually apologized. Placing her hand on his arm, she replied, "Thank you. I'll be back in a little while. I'm sure that Michelle will want to ask me questions about our trip before she will let me take the girls. That should give you ample time to make dinner." She paused before continuing, "I've been thinking, you may not want to Apparate quite yet. I think you should work on smaller magic first. I'd hate for you to splinch yourself."

"I have had that same thought. You have a market within walking distance; I can get what I need from there. Take your time."

*****************

By the time his two weeks were up, Severus was feeling more like himself. He knew that he owed Brock an answer, but he wasn't sure what the answer would be. He could hear Aurelia enter the library. It was late and the girls were long since asleep. He sipped the cognac he had poured from her liquor cabinet.

"Something is clearly bothering you. Would you care to tell me what it is?" She took a seat across from him after pouring herself a drink.

"My future."

"Well, that's a rather broad statement. Do I get any more details or do I have to guess? Remember, I'm not a Legilimens."

He was not used to having someone he could confide in. "Brock is expecting my answer on whether or not I will return to Hogwarts."

"Well, that's what you wanted, isn't it?" she asked. All through his recovery period, he had insisted that he would return to teaching at Hogwarts.

He downed the rest of the liquid in his glass and summoned the bottle. "That's what I initially thought. Now... I'm not sure."

She was pleased that he had been able to summon the bottle non-verbally. It seemed that his magic was returning to full power. "I don't think I can give you advice on that. You need to decide what path you want to take. I do know that your House had many that died on the wrong side of the war and someone will have to clean that stain off the Slytherin reputation. You're as good a candidate as any."

"That's one of the reasons I want to go back. But, I still worry about how I will be received. Even in my limited contact with the wizarding world, I have seen that not everyone believes Dumbledore's testimony."

She considered his words for a few moments. "Well, I have seen that your colleagues at Hogwarts accept you. Remember, I talked with everyone there. Yes, they questioned me a bit, but they all believe what was revealed in Dumbledore's memory. I don't think you will have a problem with them."

"But what of the parents? Those on the staff have known both Dumbledore and myself for years. The parents only know me by reputation or from when I taught them." It was hard for him to believe that he was seeing the offspring of some of his former students.

"Well, I will support your reinstatement, and if the staff also supports you, I don't think you'll have problems with the others. I think that I have a prominent enough position in the community that my acceptance of your redemption will have a lot of weight."

"Perhaps," he replied quietly. When she didn't continue the conversation, he said, "I have also thought of perhaps going into business for myself. It would be less stressful." He wasn't sure if he was trying to talk himself out of returning or not.

"You have to do what you feel most comfortable with. No one but you can make this decision. I don't think I've told you anything you hadn't already considered. Tell him what you feel in your heart." She finished her drink and left him alone in the room.

He considered her words: 'what you feel in your heart.' That was advice he had never used before. Nothing he had done in the past had been influenced by his emotions. Everything had been what was in his best interest. Now, he wasn't sure what his best interest was. The Dark Lord was vanquished. Dumbledore was gone. For the first time in his adult life, he didn't owe anyone anything.

**************

Severus woke the following morning and carefully dressed. While his appearance had never been extravagant, it had always been neat and clean. He was not surprised that he was the last person down to breakfast.

"Good morning, Professor," said Julia cheerfully.

Aurelia looked up from preparing breakfast. "Good morning, Severus. How are you feeling?"

He still wasn't used to this question. "Better."

"And have you made your decision?" she asked.

"Are you coming back to teach?" asked Julia.

He was still surprised that she looked up to him and saw him as a mentor. He had never been close to any of his students, even those from his House. Maintaining distance was something he had learned from the Dark Lord. If you got too close to someone, that closeness could be used as a weapon. That had actually been the reason he had turned away from his life as a Death Eater. "I have not yet decided," he replied simply.

"I hope so. I've always learned a lot in your class. What would you teach if you returned?"

"That would be up to the Headmaster to decide." He would prefer to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, as he felt there was no one better qualified, but he also knew that there might not be any qualified applicants for Potions Master.

As he ate his breakfast, he listened to Julia and Helen tell Aurelia about what they wanted to buy on their shopping trip to Diagon Alley. This reminded him that the rest of the wizarding world was returning to normal and so should he.

**************

It was ten o'clock, a reasonable hour for a business call, and Severus was standing in front of Mr. Brock's front door. He had left the house after breakfast and spent some time walking in the park, trying to make his decision. Never before had he had so much difficulty in making a decision. There had been a reason behind every other choice he had made, but not this time. Reaching out, he rang the bell.

The door opened and he was faced with a house-elf. "How can Minna help you, sir?" squeaked the elf.

"Severus Snape to see Mr. Brock." He knew that no further explanation was needed since Brock was expecting his reply. He followed the house-elf into the entry hall, where he was left alone while it reported to its master.

Looking around, he noted that the house, while fine, was not ostentatious like Malfoy's manor. He thought he could hear Brock in conversation with someone down the hall, but he couldn't be sure.

The elf hurried back into the entry hall. "Sir, Mr. Brock says he will be with you shortly. Can Minna get you anything?"

"No." He had never been particularly fond of house-elves, but in time had grown to accept their usefulness. Deciding that he had no idea how long he would be waiting, he took a seat in one of the wooden chairs against the wall.

After fifteen minutes, the house-elf returned and escorted him down the hall. In the parlor, he saw Brock seated with an elderly, though not ancient, wizard.

Brock rose as he entered the room. "Ah, Severus, good to see you again. I'd like to introduce you to Adrian Westmoreland."

The old wizard stood and offered a hand to Severus. "Snape," he said politely.

"Mr. Westmoreland." He was trying to recall if he had ever met the old wizard before. The name was not familiar.

"I'm glad you stopped by this morning, Severus. Mr. Westmoreland has agreed to be Headmaster. That's still pending approval by the Board, but I don't think that will be a problem. So, have you made your decision?" Brock asked expectantly.

Severus considered the look Westmoreland was giving him. It was not one that he would classify as approval. "I think that perhaps it would be best if Mr. Westmoreland and I had some time to get acquainted. After all, we may learn that I am not suited for the position."

Brock shifted nervously. "Yes, of course."

"James, why don't you leave us for a while?" Westmoreland asked in a tone that made it clear this was not a request.

Severus did not take his eyes off the old man, unwilling to show any sign of weakness. He only sat after Westmoreland had regained his seat.

"So, you're the Death Eater?"

"Many years ago. In recent years I was a spy, not truly loyal to them."

"That's what I heard," he replied in disbelief. After an uncomfortably long silence, he continued. "Why do you want to teach?"

Severus was quickly gaining the impression that Westmoreland did not like to waste words. "The students deserve a good education and I believe I can be a part of that."

Westmoreland snorted derisively. "Is that so? Last I heard, it didn't sound like you cared that much about the students."

He had not anticipated his teaching methods being criticized. "It is true that I have not coddled my students. Instead, I have held them to high standards of excellence and not tolerated those that cannot meet those standards. I have ensured that students graduating from my classes have the skills necessary to deal with failure and rejection. I will continue to maintain those standards. You may question my methods, but many of my former N.E.W.T. students have gone on to excel in fields requiring advanced potions making skills. In fact, you will find one, Angelina Johnson, apprenticed at the August Winters Poisons Ward. If I was a horrible and ineffective teacher I doubt one of my students would have been accepted into that program. Perhaps you should interview my former students before criticizing my techniques." As he finished, it occurred to him that this might not be the best way to interview for his job.

"As a matter of fact, I have done just that."

"And which, if you don't mind me asking, former students have you interviewed?"

"That's not important," Westmoreland replied dismissively.

"On the contrary, I believe it to be of utmost importance. If none of these students were in my N.E.W.T. classes, their assessments would be biased. Those that do poorly in a class tend to blame the teacher for their poor performance, rather than take responsibility for their failures."

"Is that so?" Again, they stared at each other in uncomfortable silence. "Which course did you want to teach?"

"I would prefer to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. It is a subject with which I am intimately familiar. Even though the Dark Lord is gone, that does not mean there will not be those who would use Dark Magic. My life experience would be invaluable."

"You seem to be more interested in the practicing rather than the defense, wouldn't you say?"

"Indiscretions of my youth. I believe you will find that the lessons I taught in my one year as Defense teacher provided vital preparations for those students. My advantage is that at one time I had descended to their level. It allowed me to teach them how Dark Wizards might think and how to better defend against an attack."

"Is that so?"

Severus was beginning to find this whole interview annoying and a waste of his time. He rose. "Mr. Westmoreland, it appears that you have no interest in hiring me. I see no point in continuing this conversation." He turned to leave the room.

"I didn't say that, Snape." He watched Severus turn to face him. "I want to make sure you are the right man for the job. As you know, this will be a very difficult time, what with the school nearly destroyed. Slytherin House suffered the worst losses and the greatest loss of reputation. Why should I hire you?"

"I am living proof that Slytherin can be redeemed. Everyone lost faith in me. It would have been easy for me to live up to what they believed, but I didn't. I persevered on the side of Light, gathering information vital to the Dark Lord's defeat, at great personal risk. Give me the chance to redeem my House, to prove that they are not a lost cause."

"Very well stated." Westmoreland rose and crossed the room to stand in front of Severus. "Welcome aboard, Severus. I'll review the other applicants and let you know what subject you will be teaching. I'll rely on you quite heavily in the beginning to help with the day to day running of the school, at least until I get used to the system. Your strength of personality will be very important to the rebuilding of the school. I assume you'll be moving back to the school to help the others with rebuilding?"

Severus was still confused by what had just happened. He wasn't entirely sure he would enjoy working with Westmoreland if this was indicative of the man's behavior. "Yes. My quarters are virtually intact, though I suspect rebuilding efforts may preclude my using them at times."

"Good, good. In the absence of a headmaster's office, I'll be interviewing applicants at my home. I'll send an owl when I'm ready to make my final decision so I can get some input from you. Been years since I've taught, but the whole academic role will come back to me." He could see the quizzical look Severus was giving him. "Despite the impression you may have gotten, I want us to work as a team. I just had to be sure that I could trust you. Albus Dumbledore was a good man. I always enjoyed our long conversations. I know that he trusted you and that should have been enough for me, but I had to meet you myself."

"Of course." Despite Westmoreland's assurances, he still found this abrupt change of behavior disorienting.

"Well, I'll trust you to take charge of the preparations for term while I try to fill out the staff. Send me an owl every few days to let me know what sort of progress you are making. I'll let you get on with your work while I finish up with Mr. Brock. Hopefully, in a day or two they'll make the announcement official."

******************

When Severus left the parlor, he saw Brock standing in the entry hall. "So, have you made your decision, Severus?"

"I will be returning to Hogwarts. Mr. Westmoreland has placed me in charge of the rebuilding. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do." He swept past Brock and out the door. Once outside, he decided that he might as well go to Hogwarts. He would tell Aurelia at dinner.

He found that a great deal of work had been done in his absence. Apparently, they had finished going through the sensitive areas of the castle and had felt confident enough to bring in a construction crew. Most of the rubble was cleared away from the castle and stacked for future use. The rebuilding seemed to be focused on the Great Hall. It was fitting.

As he approached the castle, he could see Pomona approaching him. "Good to see you back, Severus. Are you here to stay or to clear out your quarters?"

"I am here to stay. I chose to accept Mr. Brock's offer."

"That's excellent news. I'll have the staff tent rearranged..."

He cut her off. "That won't be necessary. As my quarters are intact, I will stay there. I will need to see a copy of the work plan and any drawings they are using for the rebuilding. Additionally, set an appointment for the foreman for first thing tomorrow morning. I will meet with the staff in one hour in the dining tent.

****************

By the end of the day, Severus thought he had a reasonable idea of what the state of Hogwarts was. Pomona had been relieved to turn over leadership to Severus. He only had a handful of concerns about the rebuilding he wished to discuss with the foreman. In general, that plan was sound. While the main focus was on the Great Hall, a small crew was working on the dormitories. There was already enough useable classroom space and he was sure that Hogwarts would be ready to commence term on the first of September.

From the reports he received from the staff, he learned that the surviving books had been catalogued and many of the damaged ones had been sent for restoration. He had tasked Irma with compiling a list of books she would like to purchase for the library and a plan for requesting donations from the wizarding community. While the Ministry was being generous with the budget to rebuild the school, it was not limitless. He strongly suspected much of the gold was coming from confiscated Death Eater accounts.

The rest of the staff, he had set to cataloguing the surviving artifacts. He hoped that Westmoreland selected a new Charms professor soon. He would require assistance in setting up new protective wards. For an area as large as the Hogwarts grounds, one person could not do it alone.

For the immediate future, he realized his largest headache would be keeping track of the budget. Thankfully, this was one task that was well served by his meticulous nature.

Noticing that it was nearly dinnertime, he decided to return to Aurelia's for at least one last night. At the very least, he had to pack up his belongings.

*****************

When he arrived at Aurelia's house, he could smell dinner and hear them in the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, she looked up at him.

"Ah, good, Severus. You're just in time. We just sat down to dinner and were wondering if you would be joining us." Once he was seated, she continued. "So, how was your day?"

"I met with Mr. Brock and accepted a posting at Hogwarts. It will be up to the new Headmaster to decide which course I will be teaching."

"Do they have a new Headmaster?" Aurelia asked.

"Not as of yet." He took a few bites of dinner before continuing. "I will be moving back to Hogwarts so that I can oversee the rebuilding."

Simultaneously, Julia and Helen protested, "No."

"Hush, girls," Aurelia reprimanded. "That's good news. You know that you will be welcome to stop by anytime as your work permits."

"Of course, and I appreciate that very much. I will try to stop by as often as I can."

The rest of the meal passed in subdued silence.

***************

After the girls were in bed, Severus and Aurelia retired to the library. "I've been thinking," he started. "While I have not seen the applicants, I would not anticipate there are a large number of applicants with potions experience. I think you would make a fine addition to the Hogwarts' staff."

"I'm flattered by the offer, Severus, but I don't think I can leave my Ward. They sort of need my leadership and experience there. Besides, don't you think it would be awkward for me to teach my children?"

He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "Of course." He had hoped that if there were another highly qualified applicant to teach Potions, he would be given the Defense position. Not to mention the fact he enjoyed her friendship.

"Do you not want to teach Potions?" she asked cautiously.

"I enjoyed teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. It is the subject I always wanted to teach, the one I feel I am best suited to teach. I fear that unless there is another applicant to teach Potions, I will once again be forced into that position."

She considered his words. "Well, the Defense position has gained quite a reputation over the years. There has been more turnover in that post than any of the others. How do you know there will be applicants for that post? I have heard of the difficulties in getting anyone to teach that subject."

"Lupin wants to teach again and that is the subject he taught in the past. I have surmised that is what he wanted to return to teach."

She could hear the bitterness in his voice. "You don't know that. There are a lot of openings: Charms, Transfiguration, and History in addition to Potions and Defense. What's to say he hasn't applied to one of the other postings?"

He sighed. "You have made your point. If we end up with the Headmaster I met, I will have some input into the hiring of the staff, but he has reserved the rights to make final appointments. One of the new hires will be a former Gryffindor; it is the only House without a Head. Sinistra has been recommended for Ravenclaw, and I believe she is an excellent choice."

"Yes, she is a good choice." She reached over and placed her hand on his knee. "It will all work out for the best. Now, don't lose any sleep over this. You have a very important job to do."

They sat in silence for a few moments. When he thought she was getting ready to leave, he asked, "Will you be all right with me gone?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean with Malfoy sending his spies out. I somehow doubt you've seen the last of them. And there is a possibility that he has learned more. After all, everyone at customs knows about the essence of Lethifold. And we have no idea if he has spies at St. Mungo's."

"We'll be fine. I mean, we learned that he's trying to figure out what we are doing, not that he's up to anything malicious."

"That could change if he learns we have developed a cure. I will be protected at Hogwarts, but for now, neither you nor the girls will be protected."

"We have the wards that you taught me how to set. And if there's anything else you would like to set now, you can do so. I've told the girls to be careful, and I don't let them go anywhere alone."

"Cancel your trip to London."

She was shocked by this order. "I most certainly will not. I already cancelled their vacation. I will not cancel this trip. I'll be careful and keep them with me."

"Aurelia, don't underestimate Malfoy. I know him and I know what he is capable of. He has always preferred working through intermediaries so he can maintain his innocence."

"I do plan on being careful. We won't stay out late, and I'll make sure there are lots of people around. I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself."

"Don't be overconfident. If they want to capture you, they will use Dark magic, magic which you may not be able to defend against."

She smiled and reassured him, "We'll be fine. I've picked up some of your paranoia. Besides, there's still a very strong Auror presence in Diagon Alley. If it will make you feel better, I'll send an owl when we get back."

"I would appreciate that." He could tell that she wasn't going to back down and this was the best reassurance he was going to get. Deciding that if he kept speaking it would only cause trouble, he took his leave to return to Hogwarts.