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Secretly Slytherin	By : Veresna Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 12269 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter 25: A Partial Recovery, and a Sudden Setback
Helena would have sworn that she had just closed her eyes, but when she started awake upon hearing the soft scraping sound of the tray table being pulled around to the side of the bed, she saw that the sun had nearly set.
"I hate to interrupt your sleep, dear," began Madam Pomfrey, smiling down at her. "But you really should get something to eat."
The delicious aroma of soup and warm bread had already insinuated itself into her nostrils, and Helena happily shook off the last traces of drowsiness as she pulled herself to a seating position. The quick motion sent an unpleasant shock of pain shooting up her left leg from the area of her ankle, and she gasped slightly as the limb began to throb and ache.
The Mediwitch noted the movement and it’s accompanying discomfort. She quickly adjusted the offending foot back to an elevated position on the pillow and covered it gently with the blanket. "Yes, you will have to be careful with that yet until the bones have had time to grow and reset themselves," she admonished.
Helena grunted. The adjustment in position had helped ease the immediate source of pain, but there was a lingering soreness in her leg along with a low, throbbing ache returning to her head. "Is it time for some more medicine?" she asked, hopefully.
"I’d prefer you eat something first," responded Pomfrey. "The medicine would be better taken on a full stomach, and you will probably be ready to drift off again after you take another dose."
She placed the tray table in front of Helena and the girl found, rather to her surprise, that she was indeed famished. She almost had to force herself to use a spoon to lap up the delicious chicken soup rather than unceremoniously lifting the entire bowl to her lips and gulping it down. Though, she did indulge herself by breaking off large chunks of the bread and dipping it into the steaming broth before wolfing them down. She went to take a drink from the glass, and grimaced slightly when she discovered that the opaque glass held iced pumpkin juice within.
"Not your favorite?" inquired Pomfrey, noting the expression on her face.
Helena shrugged. "No, would it be all right if I had some tea instead?"
The Mediwitch nodded. "Yes, I’ll go bring you some," she said, moving to retrieve the glass from the tray table.
"I could just transfigure some," suggested Helena. "Where is my wand, anyway?"
Pomfrey pulled out the drawer of the bedside table, and handed the instrument over to the girl. Within a few seconds, she had used it to conjure up a mug of hot, black tea.
"I see your magical abilities are intact. Just one cup, though," murmured Pomfrey, as she bustled about the room. She carefully rearranged the bottles of medicine that Snape had brought on the counter and brought the current bottle unto the bedside table. She made a show of adjusting some of the covers again and then used her wand to tidy up, what seemed to Helena at least, quite nonexistent spots of dirt on the floor. After a moment, she allowed herself a small sigh and slipped into the chair at the side of the bed, lapsing into a companionable silence as Helena finished her meal.
"More?" she inquired.
Helena shook her head and stifled a yawn as she sat back against the pillows. She wrapped her hands around the warm mug as she finished the beverage.
With a wave of her wand, Pomfrey zapped the tray away and then she stood and moved the table back to its position along the wall.
"I’ll take another look at that head wound then," she said, pausing to retrieve a small jar of ointment from the counter. She removed the bandage and dressing and nodded approvingly at the site before she began to lightly apply the salve. The ointment had a surprisingly pleasant smell and soothing sensation, Helena noted. It almost made up for the fact that the removal of the tight bandage had seemed to allow her head to throb even more violently.
"Yes, I’m sure you will end up with no scar at all," stated Pomfrey in a pleased tone of voice. "It was fortunate that you were brought here immediately after it happened." She screwed the cap back on the jar and took the empty cup out of the girl’s hands. She put on a new dressing and Helena helped hold it in place as she wound a fresh bandage around her head. Then Pomfrey helped her lie down again, being careful to move her foot as gently as possible, using both her hands and her wand to soothe the pain. Then she turned down the covers for a moment to check on her other injuries.
"I guess it was a good thing that Lewis was right there," murmured Helena, yawning again.
"Yes, indeed," replied the Mediwitch, running her hands over the bandages that were wrapped around her bruised ribs. Again, the sensation was soothing and seemed to ease the vague, dull pains that lingered there. Then she straightened up and poured out some of the medicine into a clean glass. "Here, dear," she urged.
Helena gulped down the medicine rapidly and gratefully, hoping that it would work as quickly as it had that afternoon to completely anesthetize her aches and pains.
"He and your roommates would like to make a quick visit tonight. I told them I didn’t know if you would be up to it?" Pomfrey asked.
Helena considered the thought. She was rather anxious to see Lewis, and normally the presence of her roommates would have been just as welcome. But, right at the moment the thought of seeing Kathleen and Lewis together was a bit overwhelming.
"Maybe tomorrow?" she replied. "Unless it’s just Lewis for a few moments?" she added.
***Yes, that would be much better than having them try to talk seriously to one another with Kathleen present.***
"Well, let’s just wait until tomorrow," decided Pomfrey, pulling the covers up to the girl’s chin.
Helena nodded, and found her eyes closing again as she drifted into the blissful numbness and drowsiness that the medicine brought.
"And I also think….." Pomfrey hesitated a moment.
Helena, with difficulty, opened her eyes and glanced up at her.
"We’ll wait until tomorrow to discuss some other things. But-" Her voice faltered again, and Helena saw that her face was slightly troubled.
"This was an accident wasn’t it, Helena?"
The girl blinked in surprise. What on earth was the Mediwitch insinuating? That someone had pushed her down the stairs? Or that she had purposely hurled herself down the steps?
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey. Why-" she began, interrupting herself with another yawn.
"Oh, just a foolish question. Go to sleep," urged Pomfrey. "Here’s the last of your medicine for today-take it if you wake in the night and need it." She placed the bottle, a bell and a full glass of water within easy reach at the edge of the table. "If you need anything else during the night, ring the bell on the table, and I’ll be right there."
The older woman stood and watched until she was sure that Helena had drifted off again into a deep sleep. Then, she sighed, turned out the light and turned to leave the room, making sure that the curtained partitions were again arranged around the bed. She walked to her office and sat down at her desk, her forehead again wrinkled in a frown as she went to take up her quill and add some notes to Helena’s chart. And wondered again whether or not she should have gone to Albus immediately with her concerns about some of the things the girl had mumbled when she was first brought in. And what she had found during her examination of her. But then…..
Pomfrey dropped her quill and sat back in her chair, reaching down for her wand and using it to conjure up a cup of cocoa. One could hardly expect that whatever came out of a concussed patient’s mouth had much grounding in reality. And, even if it did, what she had said should be treated as a matter of patient confidentiality. Unless the girl herself wished it be brought to the Headmaster’s attention, of course.
*********
Helena’s dreams were weird and disjointed, but they always kept returning to the thought of the stolen items. Sometimes she was in her room, sometimes she was in one of her classes-at other times she was in Snape’s office or running down the hallway, trying to find the owlrey. Wherever she was, and whatever she was doing, she would suddenly stop and find the desk sitting in front of her. And she would kneel and open the drawer. Sometimes the drawer was empty, sometimes it was filled with even more pictures of her and Snape. And then, in the blink of an eye, the drawer would be empty again and she could hear someone laughing in the background.
Then she dreamed that she was walking to Snape’s classroom in order to tell him what had happened. Along the way, she kept getting lost in the winding hallways and more than once found her left ankle sinking down into the stone floor. She was able to yank it back out, but not without excruciating pain. She was limping when she finally got near the Potions Classroom. And then she found herself wandering from door to door, unable to locate the correct one. Finally, she stopped in front of one that she was sure she had passed time and time again-but this time she could hear a babble of voices within. She tried the doorknob-it was locked She searched frantically for her wand, but it was gone. She started to knock, and for just a moment the voices inside hushed. But no one came to open the door and the voices rose again, louder than before. She knocked and knocked, until her hands were bruised. Great splinters began to rise out of the door and lodged themselves in the skin of her fingers and palms. And still she knocked, until the door became coated with the blood flowing out of her hands. She opened her mouth and tried to scream his name-remembering at the last moment to call him Professor Snape instead of Severus. But, nothing seemed to come out of her mouth. Suddenly, the door opened, and she nearly fell unto the hard stone floor of the classroom as the door swung open.
Lewis was at his usual spot. But at her space was Kathleen. And Lewis’ arm was around her as together they added ingredients to their boiling cauldron. She tried to get Lewis’ attention, but he ignored her and Kathleen looked at her and smiled before turning to Lewis and giving him a kiss.
"What do you want, Miss Harrison?"
Snape’s voice-behind her.
She looked around and saw that he was seated at his desk. But, Ang was sitting in his lap, facing him, and to her horror she saw that his left hand was caressing her chest while his right hand was moving restlessly under her robe, between her legs.
"You’re too late, Miss Harrison," he intoned.
Ang seemed content to moan in ecstasy as she squirmed against his hands.
Helena looked back at Snape.
"You’ve failed today’s lesson," he said, stopping for a moment to kiss Ang on the neck. "Better be on time from now on."
"But, I have to tell you-"
"Silence!" bellowed Snape. And then he turned to Ang and began to kiss her passionately on the lips. Helena watched, fascinated, as he thrust he tongue deeply into her and Ang moaned and sucked on it.
And then an owl flew into the room and began to circle around Helena’s head, it’s claws and its beak reaching out to scratch and bite at her until she felt warm blood beginning to flow down her face. She looked back up at Snape, but he had vanished. In fact, everyone had vanished, and there was only her and the owl, which kept up its assault on her, even as it made soft, low hooting noises.
The sound continued even after she opened her eyes. For there, perched on the back of the chair, was indeed an owl. She looked curiously at it, and then struggled to sit up. As she did so, an envelope slid from where it was lying on her chest and fell down on the blanket beside her. The bird, apparently now assured that she had seen its delivery, spread it’s wings and flew out of the room.
Helena stared after it, wondering how it had gotten into the room in the first place, since all the windows were tightly closed. And then she reached over to the bedside table to retrieve her wand, ignoring the pains that suddenly reasserted themselves all over her body as she turned. Holding the wand in her hand, she murmuring "Lumos", adjusting the light to a dull glow as she turned her attention to the envelope. It was plain white, no address or seal upon it. She slid her finger along the edge of the sleeve, and it seemed to open easily. Inside was a single sheet of fine parchment, folded once. She unfolded the sheet and read:
___________________________________
Dear Helena,
You can only imagine how proud and happy I was to hear of your triumphant admission to the Mediwitch program. This was, of course, tempered by my anxiety today upon hearing about your unfortunate accident. I was reassured, however, by the Headmaster himself that you are receiving the best care possible and will be restored to full health within a matter of days.
I have already spoken with your grandmother and mother, and you can be assured that I am prepared to help you generously during your arduous and expensive educational endeavor. I am currently searching for suitable and comfortable accommodations near the University for you, so you needn’t worry about finding an apartment or a dormitory room. And I have already made a discreet, and anonymous, arrangement with the University to assure that your entire tuition has been paid in advance. I am sure you know it is the least I can do to make amends for my previous inability to take an active role in your care and upbringing. I also think it is time that you began receiving money from me directly, rather than our previous arrangement of using your grandmother as an intermediary. Therefore, I am establishing a bank account in your name at Gringott’s Bank. Think of it as a belated eighteenth birthday present.
It is important that we meet soon so that we can discuss the arrangements in full detail. As soon as you are able, please write back to me when and where we may meet. To do so, simply write your response upon this paper, and it will soon be delivered safely to my hand. I do believe that a ‘Hogsmeade Weekend’ is fast approaching-I am sure that we could find a way to meet privately during that rather busy time?
In the meantime, my sincerest wishes for a speedy recovery.
Sincerely,
Lucius Malfoy
P.S. I also had a chance to meet and converse with Professor Snape today, and we had a most illuminating chat. You are a very lucky young witch indeed to have such an intelligent, experienced and powerful wizard take you under his wing as he has. Such a shame that you could not have been sorted into Slytherin, for perhaps this mutually rewarding relationship would have blossomed even sooner. Perhaps you would care to ask him to join us for our meeting? I am sure he is most anxious to see for himself what accommodations have been made for you in London. I am sure he plans on visiting you from time to time to keep abreast of your progress.
________________________________________________
Helena read the letter through twice before the words started to fade away as if the ink were being reabsorbed into the paper. She quickly scanned the postscript again before it faded away from view, desperately hoping that she was misinterpreting his words, that her guilty conscience was reading things into innocent phrases.
No, she decided, as the last few words disappeared before her eyes. Although he had not been explicit, she had no doubt in her mind that he knew all about their relationship. In fact, she suspected, he had known about it beforehand-which is probably why he had made a point of stopping and talking to Snape.
She also had no doubt that she was being offered a very generous bribe. For she was sure that Malfoy had no intention of footing the bill for her education without wanting something in return. What exactly he wanted, she couldn’t begin to guess. But, he must want it badly if he was willing to both bribe and blackmail her for it. For, she was certain that the last paragraph had been meant as warning that he expected something from both her and Snape.
She folded the paper back in half and stuffed it back into the envelope. She extinguished the light and pointed her wand towards her robe that was hanging from a hanger at the corner of one of the partitions. It floated over to her and she stuffed the envelope into an inner pocket before gesturing at it again with her hand. It floated back and draped itself across the hanger. The simple spells had left her exhausted and achy.
She reached out for the bottle of medicine and emptied it in one gulp. She waited a few minutes, and when sleep stubbornly refused to return, she held out her wand and pointed it at the next bottle. She took a substantial swallow out of that one too, and then used her wand to add water from the glass to the mixture, raising the level of the liquid to back to where it had been. She barely had time to use her wand to return the bottle to the counter shelf before she felt the drowsiness begin to overwhelm her again.
She sighed and settled back on her pillow. Even as her eyes closed and her body gave in to its exhaustion, her thoughts kept racing back and forth. She wondered if it was worse that Severus now knew that Malfoy was her father, or if it was more horrible that Malfoy knew that the Potions Master was her lover. Just before she slipped into blissful unconsciousness, she decided that the latter was worse. After all, it probably meant that her not-so-beloved father was the one who had appropriated the pictures and the socks. The question was-who had delivered them to him?
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Secretly Slytherin