Severus... Reformed / SNILY (COMPLETE)

Chapter Forty-Nine

"Why are you adding Armadillo Bile?"

"To sharpen the effects."

"Which are?"

"I've already said: I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"Don't be petulant, Black."

Severus and Regulus had toiled away at the cauldron for a good few hours before the Slytherin began getting restless and annoyingly inquisitive.

"Me, petulant? I think you're being reminded of my brother."

"Maybe I am."

"Hey! I am nothing like my brother!"

"Prove it. Show some sense."

The Slytherin took a deep breath before speaking.

"The Armadillo Bile is to sharpen the effects of the potion, and Billywig Sting Slime is obviously to help cure something. And Re'em Blood, Dittany and Fluxweed are all there to combine properly with the Ginger Root and Griffin Claw to achieve whatever you want to achieve."

"Good," Severus nodded appreciatively. "Now hand me that vial."

*

Unfortunately for Severus, Potions classes weren't going as well as his own project in the slightest, and Severus wished he was allowed to work on his project instead of aiding dunderheads. However, to make things even worse, Potter and Black had decided that this was the day they would screw things up, and leave others to pay the penalties.

Typically, Severus pre-empted the explosion before Potter. He quickly conjured a shield that covered he, Lily and everyone else behind them. He decided not to extend it to Potter and Black but they'd dived underneath their table with divine wisdom unknown to him immediately after Severus' eyes had flickered to the rattling cauldron. Soon afterwards the vial exploded, sending the corrosive substance and all the glass flying. Unfortunately, Severus' valiance had not paid off; the shield had covered all but his wand hand.

He cursed Merlin loudly as the acid came into contact with his skin, and he collapsed to the floor, cradling his injured hand. Severus partially ignored the glass sticking out as he inspected the extent of the damage the substance had caused, as he'd encountered glass fragments many times before. Lily knelt down behind him, having both heard him swear, and seen him fall to the floor.

"Sev, your hand!" She gasped.

She covered his hand with a clean handkerchief. He suspected that a bit of glass had punctured a blood vessel – the handkerchief had immediately turned a horrible shade of crimson.

"Lily, can you remove it?" Severus asked. "I need to..."

At once she obliged, although confused. He picked up his wand in his left hand, which felt rather strange, and performed Wingardium Leviosa on the suspect piece of glass.

"Argh," he cried out, unwillingly, dropping his wand as the shard moved slightly, but didn't come out.

His hand was left submerged in a sheen of red, and Severus slid down the desk, his vision blurring. He was going to pass out if he didn't get a pain-reliever soon. At the end of his vision he saw Black grab his wand with an exclamation of triumph. Severus clicked his fingers tiredly. His wand jumped back into his hand, but it was limp.

"Sev..." Lily whispered, but her voice seemed far away.

And that was the last thing he heard.

*

Severus didn't remember how he got to the Hospital Wing. However, he did remember the pain of Madam Pomfrey getting every single bit of glass out of hand, although he did pretend to be unconscious as it was going on. Once he 'awoke', he tried to get Madam Pomfrey's dismissal as soon as he could, and eventually managed to leave near to the end of the Potions lesson he'd just missed.

Considering History of Magic to be a waste of time, especially if he couldn't be bothered to write, Severus returned instead to the common room. He couldn't stand attention, and he probably knew the material already. Lupin, no doubt guessing his next move, appeared a few minutes later. Clearly he did not want to attend History of Magic either.

"Potter and Black lost twenty points between them," he gasped, as soon as he'd got his breath back. Severus was disappointed it wasn't more. "Sluggy also gave them a lecture about 'not endangering the lives of other students with uncontrolled brewing', a zero for their potion, and a detention each. How's the hand?"

Severus smiled grimly.

"Not bad. I have to rest it for at least a week – Madam Pomfrey's orders." Lupin smiled, knowing, as they both did, how strict the matron was about things like that. "But it only aches."

Lupin nodded understandingly, but then his smile was replaced by a frown.

"Can I say I came to check on you? I don't want to go to History of Magic."

His tone was beseeching.

"Sure," replied Severus. "I'll think of an excuse. It's not like Binns will notice. Should we do our homework now?"

"I suppose," answered Remus. "Then we could meet up with Lily later."

*

The boys knuckled down over the next hour, completing several essays and assignments. Although Severus could write with his left as well as his right, he decided to dictate his essays with a useful spell he'd picked up from a book of Grindelwald's he'd found in Albus' study. He could simply think the words and they would appear on the parchment. No doubt it was meant to carve words into human beings, but Severus had tinkered with it, and had used it for his marking ever since. Lupin had given him an envious look at this point, but Severus tended to ignore things he found insignificant, and that included all the different looks Severus often received from Lupin when he did something particularly advanced.

Severus sent Lily an enchanted note halfway through her last lesson. 

"Sev, most of the girls in my class screamed when that letter appeared! Flitwick only let me keep it because he thought it was from you and said it was a brilliant piece of Charms work."

Lily came running down to the lake as soon as the bell went for the end of the day. She refrained from mentioning the numerous wolf-whistles from countless boys and the fact that she'd blushed. Instead, she asked after Severus' bandaged hand, and talked about Charms, Potions and the idiocy of Potter and Black until the light faded and it was time to go in for dinner.

*****

Also, I know that it is impossible to complete 'several' essays in an hour, but let's pretend that it was Severus who did that and we all know Severus is pretty unbelievable at times.

Thank you for reading, don't expect more updates this soon (you lucky things!) and PLEASE COMMENT AS USUAL!