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Unquestionable Love	By : CRMediaGal Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 3380 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me. No money/profit is made from this story.

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
A/N: Another OC here who was admittedly a lot of fun to write into this story. Also, a few more revelations about that Quidditch match...

Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader, Brittny.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyrighted to and belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her associated characters. New characters belong to me.

Chapter 25: The Retired Potions Professor

Severus grabbed his hefty coat hanging in his office and wrapped it securely around his already cloaked figure. The fall weather at Hogwarts had grown considerably colder, and a brisk winter chill now lingered in the air, evincing the signs of the season to come. Severus grumbled unhappily as he pulled his black gloves onto his fingers and fumbled with his coat, readjusting it several times as it no longer fit properly. He concluded either he had lost a considerable amount of weight since last year or it had never fit properly to begin with. Either way, he could not recall, much to his personal dissatisfaction.

A soft knock at the door interrupted Severus's train of thought, and he waved one of his gloved hands in the air to unhinge the protective charm he had placed on his office to shield it from any intruders. "Come in," he rasped, walking around his desk to meet whomever was coming.

Severus paused in the center of the room as Surina entered, looking rather unsure. Her raven hair was pulled back into a low, straight ponytail and she was wearing a purple sweatshirt and faded jeans, no longer in her regular school attire on account of the weekend. She offered him a faint smile as she set foot into the professor's space but waited by the door, not sure if he would permit her beyond that point.

"Surina?" Severus breathed, not expecting to see her. They had not spoken all week.

"May I come in?" she asked with a hint of uneasiness, her eyes staring at him intently.

"Of course."

As the handsome Slytherin waltzed into the familiar office, she scanned her father's outer wardrobe. "Are you going home?"

"Yes, I have to stop somewhere first, but then I'm going home until tomorrow."

Surina hesitated, wishing she could accompany him herself, but she knew that such was impossible. All of the students had far too much homework to make trips home before the holiday break. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one side, not taking her attention off of him.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said to you earlier this week," she offered politely.

Severus scrutinized his lookalike carefully. "It's all right, Surina. You want to play Quidditch. I understand that; your mother and I both do. McGonagall and I are doing everything we can to try and get you and Lily back to doing what you love. Please understand that."

Surina nodded wholeheartedly and gazed at the stone floor. "I know. I just really miss it, Dad."

"I know you do, muffin, and I'm sorry."

Surina move further into the room and stopped directly in front of him, peering up with her matching eyes and creamy complexion. She bit her lower lip, an unsettling thought pressing on her mind.

"Have you found anything out, Dad? Anything that you can share with me?"

Severus's beady eyes narrowed, but not in an angry or irritated fashion. "Only that the Bludger that hit your sister was a third Bludger, not one of the official two in the game. The Beaters from both teams were down at the other end of the field and attempting to handle the two official ones when the third struck your sister."

Surina's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? A third Bludger? Where did it come from?"

"From one of the spectator sections off to your left. There is no way a student could have produced a hex on that Bludger, though it undoubtedly belonged to the school."

"Belonged?" Surina inquired with suspicion.

Severus heaved a weighty sigh. "Yes. Your Uncle Neville saw it rear towards the opposite side of the pitch after it hit Lily, but then he lost sight of it in the midst of everything that was happening. Everyone did. No one seems to know where it ended up after that. It's missing from our Quidditch storage supplies."

Surina thought over the information hard, the lines in her forehead deepening. "So that's why you don't want Lily or me to play... You think whoever it was might try to hurt us again? With the missing Bludger?"

Severus gave a slight nod and placed his gloved hands behind his back. "That is correct. I won't risk putting either of you in harm's way again. Not until this is resolved."

Surina bowed her head, her brain formulating a new understanding. She peered back up at him, hinting at another question she wanted to ask.

"And my broom? Do you know anything about that?"

"Madam Hooch examined your broomstick after the match. She found nothing wrong with the instrument, but every movement that happened while you tried to aid Lily was clear evidence of a jinx. McGonagall has received several confirmations from spectators and concerned parents who wrote to her to give their account of things, but no one so far has come forth to complain of seeing anything out of the ordinary. My guess is that either the wizard involved concealed himself well amongst the crowd or, if someone did see something, they're being told to keep quiet."

Surina swallowed at hearing the information, her pale visage displaying evident signs of uneasiness. Severus raised an eyebrow and extended his arms out to her, waiting timidly for how she would respond. To his relief, however, Surina acted in the manner that he had hoped and rushed into his arms. Severus bundled her close and rested his chin on the top of her shimmering mane.

"Don't worry," he whispered in his deeply smooth voice, "it will be all right."

"Thank you, Dad."

Severus glanced down at her with his eyebrow raised even further. "Whatever for?"

"For looking into all of this and for looking out for us... I know you already have a lot on your shoulders right now—"

"Oh, stop it," he growled. "You're my daughters. Of course I want to look into these matters and be sure that you all are safe. That's more important to me than anything."

Severus took Surina's fair chin in his gloved hand and offered her a sincere smile that was reserved only for those closest to him. The second year returned it gratefully, her arms still laced around Severus's waist.

"I really am sorry for losing it on you. I don't think I've ever raised my voice to you like that before..."

"No, you haven't," Severus affirmed with a smirk, "but you're a girl. That's what you girls are unfortunately prone to: babbling and complaining nonstop."

Surina sniggered and smacked him on the arm, staring up at him reproachfully. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

Severus simply growled in reply, which Surina took as an answer, giggling. Severus lightly brushed her chin one more time before stepping back.

"So, where are you going before home?"

Severus adjusted his gloves for a moment before answering her. "To see an old friend of mine. A retired Potions professor."

Surina cocked her head to one side curiously. "Really? Who?"

"Hamilton Cosworth. He used to teach at Durmstrang. You probably don't remember him. You haven't seen him since you were a toddler."

"Oh," said Surina, her astute mind unable to recall who the man was. "He's not one of those pureblood advocates is he?"

Severus glared at her with a complex, dark expression. "Surina..."

The striking Slytherin threw him an innocent look. "What? I'm just asking. He worked at Durmstrang, Dad, what do you expect?"

"Does that matter anymore?"

"Depends on who you talk to..." Severus rolled his eyes dramatically, and Surina took a calculated step towards him. "Are you just catching up or something?"

"No, I need to find out some information from him if I can."

"Information about what?"

Severus curled the edge of his lips and snarled wickedly. "Never you mind. Now run along."

Surina's slender frame slouched disappointingly, but Severus ignored it. He cast her one last smirk before turning around and moving back towards the fireplace behind his desk.

Surina headed for the door and glanced over at him before taking her leave. "Tell Mum and Jeannie I said hello," she offered with her enticing smile and exited the room as quietly as she had come.

Severus hurriedly put another protective charm on his office before closing his mind and focusing on where he wanted his body to take him. The end of the Second Wizarding War brought the Hogwarts staff permission to Apparate and Disapparate at will, provided they didn't abuse the privilege. And for Severus, there was no time to lose. His dark form suddenly contorted—swirling about madly—and the Potions Master Disapparated from the Hogwarts grounds and emerged onto an open field with tall grass.

As gravity settled him to his feet, Severus took a moment to scan the horizon. It was an overcast and very windy morning where he was, and he could smell the salt of the sea as well as hear the crashing waves nearby. He turned to his right and found the ocean, yards away at the foot of a cliff.

Then he cast his eyes ahead and saw a disjointed two-story house in the distance. The windows were all boarded up and the outside looked to be in ruins. No human being would have been suspected of living in such a grim, run down place, but the gifted Potions professor knew better.

Severus took a deep breath and reluctantly made his way towards the house, the wind rippling through his disheveled hair and breaking through the security of his heavy coat. Severus wrapped the fabric more tightly around him and pushed onward as the icy air stung his already frigid skin. He thought of how disgruntled Hermione would be to see him out and about in this ungodly weather, considering how, if she were present, she would have demanded that he bundle up in three times the amount of garb he possessed. The fussy witch would have chastised him about catching pneumonia or some other ridiculous illness just for being outside for a few minutes. Severus secretly could not wait to see that incessantly bossy wife of his...

This had better be a short visit, damn it.

Severus reached the front of the house and peered at the crooked door frame that only had one latch keeping it from collapse. He banged on the wooden frame several times and waited with distemper as the wind continued to pierce his exposed face.

"Who is it?" came a very discontented voice from within.

"An old friend, Hamilton," Severus growled against the roaring gust, "let me in, for Merlin's sake! It's freezing out here!"

Footsteps shuffled towards him and then the door creaked open. An ancient wizard with disorderly white hair, a medium length beard, and thick black glasses gaped at him, the lenses magnifying his blue irises in an unnatural, humorous fashion. His scowl, however, was both pessimistic and sinister, and it crept into a catlike grin as he took in the familiar dark wizard before him, with his wand aimed squarely at Severus's chest.

"Severus Snape..." he breathed in a delicate, yet wicked, tone.

"Hamilton," Severus replied, raising an eyebrow at the drawn instrument. "For Merlin's sake, man. Put that damn thing away, would you?"

Hamilton Cosworth startled and withdrew the wand immediately into his side pocket. "Oh, dear me, sorry, Severus! I thought at first you were someone from the Ministry. Those bloody buggers have been after me for weeks now, showing up unexpectedly at all manners of the day!"

The old man adjusted his suede jacket and funny-looking bow tie before motioning Severus into the entry way. Severus followed suit and shut the door, treading carefully into the untidy, cramped living space, his robes peeking out from underneath his coat and trailing along the uneven wooden floorboards.

Books lined the walls, out of order and stacked every which way—a sight Severus never would have allowed—and a small Potions lab lined the space nearest him. All of the Potion-maker's supplies, phials, and ingredients were spread out in a disorganized collection that made Severus's chest tighten. He instinctively wanted to reach for his wand and put everything back into some kind of order but knew it would be disrespectful, not to mention inappropriate; he grunted disapprovingly instead and turned his eyes away.

"Well, this is most unexpected, Severus!" the old man babbled with delight. "I just put the kettle on. Would you like some tea? Youthberry white, very good stuff."

"You're not seriously still on about that, are you, Hamilton?"

"Absolutely, dear fellow!" Hamilton replied eagerly, stepping back to feature his rather plump figure, which looked still relatively healthy and lively despite his aged face. "It works miracles, I'm telling you! Those Muggles have no idea what they've invented! To think: Muggles made this stuff, without magic, without seeing or grasping its full potential! Can you believe it?"

Severus sighed, trying not to show his underlying annoyance, and shook his head. "There is no potential in Youthberry White, Hamilton. It's just tea."

Hamilton dropped his hands in defeat, knowing the Potions professor too well to trifle with him. "Well, will you have some with me or not? If nothing else, it's delicious."

Severus nodded agreeably and the elderly wizard trampled away into another room, leaving Severus alone amongst the messy surroundings. He scanned for an open place to sit, but there was none. Books or loose papers and Daily Prophet clippings were piled on top of the furniture.

Severus snarled and grabbed his wand, no longer able to take the sight of such unnecessary chaos. He flicked his wrist and the papers and books flew off the furniture and into neat stacks, leaving the wizard room to finally take a seat.

After much loud commotion in the kitchen, the retired Potion-maker emerged with a tray of tea and biscuits, which he placed on the coffee table before his guest, and took a spot in an old, worn chair beside Severus, not paying any notice to the newly uncluttered space.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Severus took a cup of the tea in his hand, more out of respect than want. "I won't beat around the bush with you, Hamilton. I came here on official business."

"Business?" Hamilton asked curiously, taking a large gulp of the tea. "You're still working at Hogwarts, I presume?"

"Indeed, yes."

"They still accepting Muggles into that school?"

Severus flinched ever so slightly and squeezed his cup. "Of course, Hamilton."

The old man's round pupils—bigger on account of his thick lenses—widened. "Oh, no, Severus, I didn't mean it like that. Please don't take offense. No, I was just curious is all. Durmstrang still hasn't made an exception to that rule, I'm afraid."

"Well, it's an ancient tradition at Durmstrang. I would be surprised if that were ever changed, quite frankly."

"Oh, believe me, they are as strict about pureblood families as ever. Not even the faculty is allowed to be of half-blood or less. Even after the Dark Lord's defeat, that rule didn't change, which still astounds me..."

"And you don't miss it?" Severus tried to ask with interest, though he hardly wished to prolong their conversation more than was absolutely necessary.

Hamilton scratched his head, his white hair beginning to recede at the very top. "Not really, no. I like having time for myself. How long has it been for you, Severus? Twenty-five years? Thirty?"

Severus smirked and glanced down at his cup. "Thirty-six."

Hamilton drew back in his chair. "My goodness, that long, Severus? Dear me, I really have lost all track of time, haven't I?"

"Perhaps more of this youthberry white is called for," Severus mused darkly.

Hamilton cackled and batted his hand. "My goodness, thirty-six years..." His voice trailed off and he grabbed a biscuit, chopping down on it for a moment. "And how is your family? How are the girls?"

"They're well, thank you. Hailey started this year."

"Slytherin?"

"No, Gryffindor, like her mother."

"Ahhh, yes, well, I'm not surprised. I haven't seen her since she was a youngling. She's eleven now?"

"Yes, she'll turn twelve next spring."

"My, my... How the time flies... How is your wife?"

"As clever as always."

Hamilton gave a half-smirk, his bushy eyebrows narrowing. "She's still working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"Yes, and she's come quite a ways in her position." Severus cast his eyes towards the fireplace to his right, soaking in its warmth as he reflected upon his wife.

"Appealing the pro-pureblood laws, correct?"

Severus nodded, taking a moment to finally sip his hot tea. "It's been more of a headache then she anticipated, but she's making progress."

Hamilton scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Does the general public know what your wife does? For a living, I mean?"

Severus's black eyes gazed at the fellow Potion-maker with keen interest, unsure as to the manner of his question. "I would imagine so. She fought alongside Harry Potter in the war and anyone associated with that man is bound to become known on one level or another." Hamilton bowed his head a few times, causing Severus to raise an eyebrow towards him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, pureblood advocacy still runs strong in the wizarding community, Severus, and, in light of recent events, I hope you and she are being careful..."

Severus cautiously put down his cup, tensing his already rigid body as he stared at Hamilton with fresh anxiety. "That's why I came to see you, Hamilton."

"Oh?"

"These poisoning incidents... What do you make of them? I saw the clippings you've been cutting out of our newspaper. You must have some hypothesis of your own brewing."

Hamilton shook his hand teasingly. "You don't miss a thing, my old friend. Just as mindful and observant as ever."

Severus offered him a wry smile in return but remained still, waiting with disguised earnestness for a reply to his inquiry. Hamilton rested his arms on his chair and looked about the room, as if searching for something in particular, but then he pushed his black glasses up on his nose and stared back at the Slytherin with a grave expression.

"These incidents are quite alarming, Severus, I must say. I don't think any of the deaths themselves are coincidental, but I do think this is an attack on the wizarding community at large. At the very least, I would imagine it is against any of those who share non-pureblood sentiments, which obviously would make up the majority."

"So, you do believe it is pureblood-related? How so?"

"I have it on good authority from an old contact at Durmstrang. Naturally, it is rather hearsay, as he claims to know so from someone else, but it is a theory we share. Those British Ministry officials poisoned at St. Mungo's, for instance, are quite peculiar, are they not?

"Oliver Greenway worked for Fudge but was an adamant supporter of Rufus Scrimgeour before he was killed. Then Oliver and his family went into hiding when Pius Thicknesse took over. Alice Sparrow may seem like an unlikely victim, but her parents fought against the Dark Lord in the Second War. They were tortured and killed, unfortunately. And I find Barclay Oxenbrigg's death the most unsettling of all. The man helped put countless Death Eaters on trial right after the war ended and worked tirelessly with Kingsley Shacklebolt over the years, overseeing the majority of the paperwork of those trials. His death is far too coincidental and significant to be ignored, Severus."

"And the Clausson family?"

"Ahhh, yes," Hamilton reflected with a gravitating sigh, the wrinkles in his face sinking. "Well, the wife, Maggie, her family was pureblood. Gregory was Muggle-born. I'm not completely sure of the connection but, from what I understand, Maggie and her family were recruited to join the Dark Lord's supporters during the Second War but refused. Mind you, not many pureblood families dared to decline the Death Eaters back then. It must have been quite alarming to refuse.

"Gregory and Maggie attended Beauxbatons Academy and I know for a fact that Maggie was admitted to Durmstrang but her parents refused to let her attend, apparently very much set against the pureblood regulations at the time. Her parents did not want her to receive what they considered to be a 'confined' magical education.

"Furthermore, the fact that several Aurors have gotten ill from examining these elixirs is very concerning, Severus. Whoever is brewing these poisons is—"

"A very advanced Potion-maker, yes, I agree," Severus interjected, thinking over the background information Hamilton gave him with an inquisitive brow.

"You had best be careful, my friend..."

Severus peered over at the old wizard with curiosity again. "Should I?"

"You are a renowned Potion-maker with a past... A past that I daresay many people would not hesitate to use against you, I'm afraid. The fact that whoever is behind this is a Potion-maker only makes the matter for practitioners like you and I more dangerous."

"Yes, I am well-aware of the fact, Hamilton."

Hamilton leaned forward in his chair, his stubby fingers digging into the armrests. "But are you really?" he asked with urgency.

Severus's stark eyebrows came together, contrasting with his washed out complexion. "Of course, Hamilton, what do you take me for?" he snarled irritably, intertwining his hands together to keep from losing his nerve.

"You have a family now, Severus. It is no longer just you who is vulnerable. Keep that in mind. Just be mindful of what's at stake."

"You talk as if you know more than you are letting on, old man."

Hamilton returned the Potions Master's inklings with a perturbing smile. "I do..."

"Then go on," Severus encouraged with an abiding stare.

"I know what happened to your daughters at the Quidditch match recently... The third Bludger... The jinxed broom..."

Severus's stiff upper body stirred. "How do you—"

"How do I know?" Hamilton interrupted with a snicker. "A former student of mine was in attendance that day and relayed the information to me on a recent visit. I believe he dated your wife at one time; or, at the very least, he fancied her."

Severus gave a low hiss at what he considered to be an unfortunate reality, even though he knew that Hermione was his and no one else's. Still, the notion of another man in Hermione's past riled him more than he cared to admit, and Hamilton instantly deciphered Severus's reaction and pressed on.

"Viktor Krum. Surely, you might remember him from the Triwizard Tournament all those years ago?"

"Yes, of course," Severus grumbled unpleasantly, his upper lip twitching at the name. "What was he doing at Hogwarts?"

"Well, he claims to have wanted to pay a visit to your wife. He knows of your marriage and of your two children being Quidditch players. I think he hoped to chance a meeting with her at the game, but then the accident happened and the poor chap lost the opportunity—"

"I hardly see the relevance of this, Hamilton!" Severus snapped, causing the elderly wizard to chuckle and scratch his head again.

"Well, I think you will in a moment, my friend. Mr. Krum was seated on the opposite side of the teacher's box, near where the Bludger came after your eldest. Her name is Lily, correct? My mind is running away with me."

Severus slowly leaned forward, his pale face growing intense. He stared at Hamilton with a newfound earnestness that had only been hinted at before.

"Did he see anything?" he asked with bated breath. "Did he see someone?"

"He thinks he did, although he couldn't confirm anything to me with certainty..."

"Yes?"

"There were several cloaked figures who were seated in the next row from him—and he never got a very close look at their faces as they kept their hoods up—but he saw them enter and situate themselves together in a group. They all had on black cloaks, and Mr. Krum only noticed them because he thought their, um, drab attire to be rather conspicuous. And the fact that they kept their faces hidden under their cloaks he also thought to be odd. Durmstrangs have quite the gift for intuition, you know. Your school shouldn't be so quick to overlook our students' cognizance."

Severus refrained from rolling his eyes, desperate for Hamilton to continue. "Anyway, when the incident happened, Mr. Krum got to his feet like the majority of those around him, but when he happened to peer over at the group of wizards in hooded cloaks, they were seated. He thought they looked rather fixated on what was happening, and he thinks he saw one of the men staring at your daughters without blinking. I believe Mr. Krum said it was the one on the end of the bench, closest to him. Naturally, he can't confirm this for sure, but I could tell when he was here that he was pretty shook up about it."

Severus unconsciously clenched his fists, the temperature in the middle of his chest rising. "Why on earth did your former student not think to report this?"

"I believe he came to me for advice, Severus, and I told him to contact you and the school, for that matter. He wanted to at least write to your wife, if nothing else. I would have thought you'd have received a reply by now?"

Severus growled, unable to control his frustrations. "Not that I'm aware of! Unless he has written to the Headmistress, then I have not been privy to any notice from him! This would have been helpful to know weeks ago, Hamilton. Why did you not present this information to me sooner?"

Hamilton sighed and tapped his hands on his armrests, an act that never failed to annoy Severus. The aged wizard had been doing it for as long as he had known him, and it was always irksome.

"Well, Severus, Mr. Krum didn't visit me right after the accident, and I didn't know about it until he told me. I assumed he would take care of the matter himself and seek you out as I suggested. I'm very surprised you didn't know. I could tell by the look on your face earlier that you weren't privy to this information. I'm very disappointed in Mr. Krum, I'm not sure why he has stalled on this..."

"I wrote to you more than a week ago," Severus snarled, his ill mood climbing, "and received no reply, mind you! What have you to say to that?"

"Ahhh, yes," Hamilton chuckled in reply, making Severus's upper lip twitch. "I'm awful with following up on letters, my good man. You know that."

"This is a serious matter, Hamilton! Or do you not see it as such?"

"Of course I do, and I assume that that's why you've come to see me."

Severus cast his eyes back on the fireplace, not wanting to look upon the peculiar wizard anymore. He felt depleted, and the warmth of the flames made his eyelids heavy. That cozy, sleepy sensation reminded him of home, the one place he would like to be more than anywhere else at the moment.

Hamilton observed his colleague for a time, then adjusted his bow tie and reclined in his chair. "Are you well?" he asked softly.

Severus's shoulders jerked and his eyes fluttered several times. "Pardon?"

"Are you feeling all right?" Hamilton inquired again, his large eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Severus with unmistakable suspicion. "I daresay you look quite awful."

"I'm perfectly fine," Severus quibbled, turning away from him, annoyed.

"Did St. Mungo's ever find you the anti-venom? Have you yourself ever found one?"

Severus's eyes expanded slightly and a rosy hue emerged on his cheeks, coloring his otherwise white skin. "No," he hissed quietly, running his fingers through his hair.

"I see..." An underlying sadness crept across Hamilton's wrinkled face, and his scrutiny of the dark wizard before him softened. His eyes were no longer playful and did not carry the wonder they had before. "I'm sorry, Severus. I wish there was more I could do for you, my friend. If you were willing to share your symptoms with me, then perhaps I could come up with an elixir that might alleviate some of the pain?"

Severus fastened his hands together in his lap, wanting nothing more than to divert from the touchy subject. "I have tried everything, Hamilton, but thank you. Augustus Pye has been overseeing my care for some time now."

"Ahhh, Augustus, yes," Hamilton replied with fondness. "He is the best there is. I'm glad to hear it."

"Well, there's not much more the healer can do for me. It is what it is."

Hamilton shook his head, unsatisfied with Severus's unemotional answer. "There must be a missing link somewhere, Severus. I would consider it a great privilege to try to come up with something that might help you."

Severus waved the Potion-maker's proposal away with a growl. "That is quite unnecessary, Hamilton. I have already told you, I have tried everything myself, and there is nothing more to be done."

"It is hard to be the patient and the Potion-maker, Severus, wouldn't you agree? Makes it tough to always think clearly when you are unwell, yes?" The old man fumbled through his pockets with excitement, suddenly in much livelier spirits. "Perhaps I could help. I have all the time in the world now, and I would consider it a great challenge."

"A challenge?" Severus stared, offended by his friend's remark. He hardly considered his illness something of a game, as the wizard before him seemingly did.

"Yes, of course! For Merlin's sake, man, at least let me try! You did a great deal for me at one time, as I'm sure you recall... The least I can do is return the favor, if I may!"

"Don't bring that up, Hamilton, and you needn't use it as leverage either. It was a long time ago."

Hamilton offered a rather hurt expression. "It's not leverage, my friend. You got the Dark Lord to spare my life. I still don't know how you managed it, but you did. You saved me from torture and execution. At least allow me the opportunity to help you now..."

Severus was on the verge of attacking the man verbally and fought to maintain his composure. He shut his eyes momentarily and took several calculated breaths. When he returned his attention again to the retired instructor, the wizard was on the edge of his seat and rubbing his hands together in an exhilarated manner, his demeanor far more cheerful than a moment ago. He was wearing a rather sly smile as well.

"If you wish to waste your time and valuable resources at my expense, then that is your unfortunate decision!" Severus snarled roughly, pointing an index finger at him as a threat. "But don't you dare say that I didn't warn you already!"

Hamilton clapped his hands together and beamed at the foreboding guest on his couch. "Wonderful! Oh, I do love a good provocation! Yes, indeed. I will need to know everything about your illness though, if we are to get started."

Severus sighed and stumbled as he rose to his feet. Hamilton got up as well, and his thick eyebrows rose at seeing his younger colleague struggle to maintain his balance. He reached out and unconsciously grabbed Severus by the arm, but the Slytherin quickly whisked himself free from Hamilton's grasp, staring at him with a mixture of horror and disdain.

"I see you have coordination problems, which I assume are the result of the snake bite. Imbalance can be quite dangerous, Severus. Have you ever considering a walking stick?"

Severus drew in a weighty breath and glared at Hamilton with a menacing expression that would have frightened most adults, let alone children. He looked positively evil and growled at the short, chubby man, displaying his teeth.

"I am not your patient, nor one of your lab experiments, Hamilton! And I am more than capable of walking just fine on my own, old man!"

Hamilton chuckled at his friend's terribly sour disposition. "Canes aren't so bad, my friend. I use one on occasion."

"You need a head transplant, not a cane!" Severus jeered, which only made Hamilton cackle even louder.

"Take my advice, Severus. Getting old is a horrible, debilitating affair. If I were not relatively content with my life, I would have done away with it a long time ago. Any dignity and self-pride a man has is robbed of him in his later years; taken against his will and without the power to stop it. Any wizard who claims that getting older is a beauty—that, because we possess magic, we somehow hold the key to outwitting time—is a fool."

Severus adjusted his coat, which he had not removed since entering the house, and grumbled in response, "Well, I'm hardly as old as you, Hamilton, so watch what you say."

Hamilton shook his head playfully and withdrew a crumbled up piece of parchment and quill from his pockets. He peered up at Severus eagerly through his thick lenses.

"Can you tell me about your symptoms then?"

Severus sighed again and took a step towards him, his countenance both weary and resolved. "I'm afraid that will have to wait, Hamilton. I am on my way home and late enough as it is."

The aged wizard withdrew his parchment and quill, the excitement fading from his face, but he continued to survey Severus with keen interest. "Very well," he agreed, fumbling again with his pockets, "but I will be in touch with you very soon, my friend, so don't ignore my owls!"

Severus rolled his eyes dramatically. "I thought you were terrible with written correspondences, Hamilton?"

"Ahhh, yes, but when a challenge is presented to me, I make every effort to follow up on it! I won't let up on you either, so don't dismiss my questions when they come your way, understood?"

Severus growled as a manner of answering and brushed past the wizard to the door. He whisked it open, the wind howling against his face, making his hair and coat wave behind him wildly.

"Severus," Hamilton called to him above the roaring gust. Severus reluctantly turned his dark features towards the man, his eyes narrowed and half-masked by his hair which thrashed helplessly against the wind. "Be careful, my friend. The poisons... Your daughters' accidents... There's a connection between them, I'm sure of it. Your wife needs to be very mindful at work, too. Be on your guard, all of you."

Severus did not reply, his visage unreadable, and offered Hamilton a swift bow before exiting through the front door. By the time Hamilton reached the opening, the Hogwarts professor had Disapparated out of sight.
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Unquestionable Love