Chapter 4

Author's Note: I should probably mention that the medical treatment regimen discussed in this and future chapters has no basis whatsoever in reality ... or if it does, that's purely accidental ...

Chapter 4

"Professor Granger, I'd like to speak with you during your free period before lunch."

Hermione, who had been gradually coming to life as the caffeine in her tea worked its way through her system, snapped fully awake at the polite request. She turned to glare at its source. "Must you sneak up on me at breakfast like that?"

"I apologise," Headmaster Snape said formally. "That was not my intention. I shall expect you in my office at quarter past eleven."

Hermione stared after him as he swept away. As he disappeared into the corridor, she murmured, "Who are you and what have you done with Headmaster Snape?"

"Did you say something, Hermione?"

"What?" She smiled at Neville, who was sliding into the seat beside her, before turning her attention back to her breakfast as she answered his question. "Oh, I was just talking to myself. Is there something wrong with the headmaster?"

"Not that I've noticed, or at least, nothing unusual, I don't think. Why do you ask?"

"He was just ... almost nice to me. Polite at the very least."

"Huh," Neville said. "Weird. Maybe he wants something."

"Yes, I suppose he must. He asked to see me in his office before lunch."

"You mean ordered," Neville said confidently. "Headmaster Snape doesn't ask, he orders."

"No, he didn't. That's what I mean," Hermione said. "He said, pretty as you please, 'Professor Granger, I'd like to speak with you during your free period before lunch.' And then when I snapped at him not to sneak up on me, he apologised."

"Headmaster Snape doesn't apologise. Ever."

"My point again, Neville. He did."

"Maybe it's not him. Maybe it's someone else, Polyjuiced."

Hermione considered it. "But then what did they do with the real Headmaster Snape? And to what purpose?"

Neville lowered his voice. "Maybe someone needed to do some undercover work or something. You don't suppose anything illicit is happening, do you?"

"Can you imagine the Headmaster agreeing to someone impersonating him? Especially someone who hadn't perfected sneering and glaring and – and being condescending to the people he hates. And if he didn't agree, I doubt he could be taken by force. Given the man's quick startle response, anyone who tried it would be Stupefied before they could finish an incantation, and he'd be sure to notice a potion."

"True." Neville considered this for a moment. "Well, if it is him, and he's being nice to you, he must really want something big. I'd be on my guard if I were you, Hermione."

Hermione sighed. "So you've noticed, too, that he's more awful to me than anyone?"

"Who could miss it? What did you do to him, anyway? I rather expected him to treat me that way after he refused to recommend me for Durmstrang, but he mostly just leaves me alone."

"If I had any idea what I did, I'd tell you. Unfortunately, I think he just hates me and he always will. Which makes this new polite behaviour downright suspicious, don't you think?"

"Well, all I can say is, I wouldn't accept any food or drink he might offer if I were you."

Hermione burst out laughing. "He's already managed to get my resignation. He has no reason to kill me now!"

"You're leaving?" Neville looked positively morose at the idea. "What if he starts tormenting me once you're gone?"

"Nice to know I'll be missed," Hermione said cheerfully. "Anyway, you'll be finished with your apprenticeship in June, won't you? Perhaps you ought to consider seeking a position elsewhere, just in case."

"Yeah, maybe I will."

Granger was, as usual, punctual for the meeting he had set. He was relieved she had come at all, to be honest – she had made clear last night that she wouldn't be pushed around now that her notice had been given.

When she had seated herself, he offered, "Tea? Something else?"

Her eyes narrowed with what looked like suspicion, but all she said was, "No, thank you."

"I suppose you're wondering why I wanted to see you."

She muttered something under her breath. Other than a raised eyebrow, he ignored it and waited until she said more intelligibly, "Yes, I admit I'm curious. I thought we agreed I would avoid you as much as possible until the end of term."

"You stated that was your intention. I never agreed to it."

"Why are you being so polite?"

"It has recently come to my attention that I have been treating you disrespectfully. I am attempting to remedy that." Again, she muttered something; this time he said, "I didn't quite catch that."

She smiled sweetly. "I said, 'But it's worked so well for you.'"

Severus frowned. "Apparently not, if your attempted resignation is any indication."

She frowned back. "What do you mean, 'attempted' resignation? There's nothing attempted about it. It's done."

"Not if I don't accept it." She opened her mouth to argue, but he interrupted. "In any event, that's not what I wanted to discuss today."

"What else is there to discuss? You've never wanted to discuss anything with me before, except maybe all my perceived failings."

This was not going well, Severus realised. She was very much on the defensive. So much for getting her to relax enough to bring up the treatments on her own. He decided to take a more Gryffindor approach. "I want you to tell me about the available treatments for the aftereffects of snakebite."

"Excuse me?"

Severus tamped down his impatience and forced himself to repeat the request politely. "I want you to tell me about the available treatments for the aftereffects of snakebite."

Hermione stared at the headmaster. He had said it twice, but she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that he was asking her for actual information. Unless he was planning to mock her somehow ...

She frowned. "Why don't you ask Poppy? I'm not in the medical profession."

"You seemed to know something about it when you returned to Hogwarts three years ago. Poppy has never mentioned it."

"Of course not, she was probably afraid you'd bite her head off," Hermione muttered. He didn't react, so he probably hadn't heard her. "Fine, though if you expect to humiliate me, I can tell you I don't care anymore."

"Professor Granger," he said through clenched teeth, "I assure you that I actually want any information you can give me about treatments for snakebite. I have no intention of mocking or embarrassing you in any way. Would you please just tell me what I want to know?"

She glared at him. "No need to get annoyed, Headmaster. It's not as though you've given me any reason before to think you want to know anything I could tell you about snakebite treatments or anything else."

He took a breath and let it out. "Well, I'm asking you now. If you don't want to answer, just tell me so I can find another source of information."

She stared at him, trying to gauge his sincerity, before saying with as much grace as she could muster (which wasn't much, all things considered), "Fine. I understand they've successfully developed a treatment for the neuropathy, weakness, and pain that are often seen when one has sustained a bite from magical or non-magical venomous creatures, including snakes, lizards, and fish. It was experimental when you were bitten eight years ago, but over the next several years, they worked with it enough to make it the standard of care."

He seemed to be listening intently, but mindful of his past impatience with her for answering questions in minute detail, she stopped there. After a moment, he said, "That's it? That's all you know?"

"No, but I know you prefer succinct answers. I don't want to bore you with all the details."

He looked ready to strangle her, and his jaw clenched so tightly she was amazed he could even form words. "I won't be bored. If I wanted a succinct answer, I'd have asked someone else."

She had to admit (if only to herself) that she was rather pleased her baiting was getting to him. He deserved it, after all. Still, she kept her tone neutral as she said, "My understanding is it starts with muggle-style chelation therapy to draw out any remaining toxins that may be stored in the cells, followed by a combination of potions that target any nerve or tissue damage, along with healing charms to improve any other functions that may have been affected by the venom."

"Is there any time limit?"

Hermione knew, of course, what he meant, but she couldn't resist making him spell it out. "Time limit?"

To her delight, his eyes glinted, presumably with irritation. "Does it need to be done within a particular period after the bite?"

"Not as far as I know," Hermione said, deciding she had pushed him far enough for one day. She wanted to annoy him, not get herself hexed, after all. "I gather they've worked with people who had been bit years or even decades prior."

"How long does the course of treatment take? Does it have to be done in hospital?"

"I'm not sure. I suspect that might be determined on a case-by-case basis, wouldn't you think?"

He nodded thoughtfully, then stood. "Thank you for the information, Professor Granger. I believe it's time for lunch."

It took a real effort not to gape at him. First he apologised, and now he was thanking her? She murmured, "You're welcome."

He gestured toward the door. "Shall we?"

Hermione was too stunned to protest. He actually meant to walk with her? As though they were normal colleagues rather than mortal enemies?

"Of course," she said softly.

As he picked at his lunch, Severus considered the course of treatment she had described. As much as she had peppered her comments with disclaimers like "as I understand it," he was certain she had got her information correct. She was nothing if not thorough in her research habits. He wasn't thrilled at the idea of chelation therapy, which he had heard about once as a child, when the younger brother of a classmate in his muggle primary school had had to undergo that type of treatment after eating paint chips that apparently had too much lead in them. It had sounded so awful – needles full of medicine directly poked in one's veins and kept there for hours. He shuddered at the memory.

But if it could really improve his symptoms ... It wouldn't hurt to try it, he supposed. He would need to arrange for Minerva to take over his duties in case they wanted to hospitalise him. He ought to do it as soon as possible, he supposed, so he could get on with his campaign to convince Granger to stay at Hogwarts.

He decided to inquire of St. Mungo's right away. Meanwhile, he turned to Minerva. "I need to see you in my office this afternoon. You have a free period around three, I believe?"

"Yes, of course, Severus. Is something amiss?"

"We'll discuss it at three."

"All right," Minerva said, looking worried. "Aren't you going to eat a bit more?" she asked.

"I'm not hungry."

"You're wasting away, Severus. You can't survive on three or four bites of food three times a day."

"I'll be fine." He stood. "I'll see you at three."