Taking Care

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.

I'm not a native speaker of English!

Thanks a lot to my beta-reader, saiyanwizardgurl, for correcting my mistakes!

Chapter 3 - Found Out

He had almost reached the kitchen when he heard screams coming from one of the classrooms near him. There are only a few students in the castle, and yet they manage to get into trouble nevertheless. And, of course, I have the luck of coming across them, he thought and rolled his eyes in annoyance. As he opened the door to the classroom from which the noises were coming, he hoped that there would not be Slytherins involved. But luck was never with him, and so he recognized the two students rolling on the floor as Mr. Hanson and Mr. Conner. Mr. Hanson was a fifth year Gryffindor and Mr. Conner, a fifth year Slytherin. Still not aware that their feared Potions Master had entered the room, the two students clawed and punched at each other.

"Take it back, you damn Snake!" Mr. Hanson shouted.

"Dream on, this is our territory!" was Mr.Conner's reply.

"What the hell is going on here?!" he roared.

Both boys were abruptly still. They were looking at Snape in shock. Like deer caught in headlights, Severus thought.

Mr. Conner reacted quickly. He stood up and started to try to talk himself out of the situation. "He started it. I was just going down to the dormitory after lunch when he called me names and dragged me into this room. Then he started to hit me, and I was just defending myself." Severus was not fooled by the explanation or the innocent look his Slytherin was giving him. He tried hard to get himself under control. The adrenalin was flowing through his body and he had the feeling his heart would explode. I have to get rid of these two before I lose control of my body, he thought worriedly. His eyes fell on the Gryffindor boy, who was just starting to stand up. He fearfully looked at his teacher. He already knew that he would be blamed for this and was for sure in a lot of trouble.

"I was just coming down to find you, Professor, because Mr. Filch asked for your help. He is in the second floor boys' toilet, sir. But then Conner attacked me," he stumbled fearfully. Severus' eyes wandered between the two boys. Mr. Conner was surprised that his Head of House was even hesitating to believe him and punish the Gryffindor. He glared at Hanson and pushed him on the shoulder so that Hanson stuttered backwards. "That isn't true, you liar!"

"Stop it this instant!" Severus spat as he grabbed Conner's arm and dragged him harshly in the direction of the door. "Back to your dormitory. I will deal with you later." With that, he pushed the boy out the door and slowly turned around to face the anxious Gryffindor. Hanson backed away when Severus approached him.

"I swear it was like I said, sir! He dragged me into the room. He said I was in the wrong territory and that he would show me who was in charge." His backside hit one of the tables and he could not escape anymore. Severus came so near that their noses almost touched.

"Be glad that I have no time for this right now. Fifty points from Gryffindor for fighting and detention with Mr. Filch next Friday, ten o'clock." He waited for a reaction from the boy. When Hanson just stared at him with eyes wide open, he growled: "You are dismissed!" He hardly moved away from the boy but it was enough to give him an escape route which Hanson promptly took advantage of.

Still facing the opposite side of the door, he let out the breath he was not aware he was holding when he heard the door shut. He closed his eyes and steadied himself on the table in front of him. His heart was beating fast and the world had started to spin again. I just want to lie down in my bed, he thought. I haven't felt this sick in years. What's wrong with me? His legs felt like jelly and he sat down on the nearest chair. Slowly, he regained control of his body again. Resting his head on his hands, he thought, I just wanted a calm and peaceful holiday, and now everything is just too much. I can't manage this all. It's too much!

And again he felt the well-known feeling of heaviness in his chest. He just wanted to hide from the world. His role as a spy was over after the Dark Lord found out he worked for Dumbledore. He had barely survived the torture he got as a reward for his unfaithfulness to Voldemort.

Albus' emergency Portkey had saved his life. Poppy had to take care for him for months. And now I'm a prisoner at Hogwarts. My dear Death Eater friends still try to capture me, and so I have to hide like a chicken under Albus' roof, he thought bitterly. I have to teach, to brew potions for Poppy and the Ministry, and then the Dark Lord entertains himself by torturing me with the Dark Mark. That's too much. I can't take it anymore. I always thought it would be a relief when I did not have to spy any longer, but now everything is falling apart, he thought as his depression took over. He could feel his thoughts becoming darker and darker. I have to meet Argus about the toilet, he thought. And then I still have to speak to Mr. Conner. He dragged himself out of the chair and slowly walked to the door. His head was throbbing and he felt sick again.

When he reached the toilet, Argus was still trying to dry the ground. "What's wrong, Argus?"

"Someone overflowed the toilet. It's a mess," Argus muttered under his breath. "Could you give me a hand?"

"Of course." Severus applied a drying spell on the area. "Do you have any suspicions already?" he asked as an especially strong set of pulsing headaches were attacking him. He had to close his eyes as he reached for the painful side of his head. When he opened his eyes again, he was looking in the grey eyes of a concerned caretaker.

"Are you okay, Severus? You look like death warmed over." Argus eyed him closely.

"Have I ever looked different?" It was easier to speak with Argus than with the rest of his colleagues. Argus would never talk with someone about Severus' problems and he would not pester him when he did not want to speak.

"I can finish up here. Maybe it's better if you rest a while."

"Thank you. When you find any evidence regarding who is responsible for this mess, let me know." With that, he headed in the direction of the door. He already opened it when he turned around to face Argus again. " I gave Mr. Hanson detention with you next Friday. Don't make it too hard or nasty. I fear I may have overreacted a little."

The times were I have to favor my Slytherins and play the nasty git to all the other students is finally over. I'm no longer a spy. But old habits are difficult to lay down, he thought while heading down to the dungeons again.

When he stepped into his classroom, he stopped abruptly at the entrance. He was not alone. Damn, I forgot to speak with the house-elves, he thought, looking in shock at the two women standing, arms crossed over their chests, in his classroom. I'm doomed.

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