An American Professor

Erin awoke about an hour later with a start, unsure as to what had woken her up. It was several seconds before she realized Snape’s head was in her fireplace.

“Can’t you just send a note like a normal person?” she snapped.

“Grouch.”

“Ass.”

“Ok, ok, I just wanted to see if you liked your present.”

Feeling rather embarrassed, she answered, “Oh, I thought I told you thank you.”

“No. It must have slipped your mind.”

“Sorry about that. I like it very much.”

“Erin, will you meet me in the library so we can talk?”

“About what?”

“I want to let you in on the plan.”

“What plan? What are you talking about?”

He sighed exasperatedly, “Just come to the library, will you?” And with that his head disappeared.

Erin stood and stretched wearily. Giving Violet a little farewell pat, she left the room for the library. Snape was waiting for her when she arrived. “What’s going on?”

“Not much, are you wearing your bracelet?”

“Yes,” she answered, holding out her arm to show him. He seized her arm roughly and clamped his other hand over her mouth. Dragging her kicking form further into the library, he threw her against a wall, after gagging her with an impenetrable invisible bind. Erin held her head with one hand while tearing at the thing obstructing her vocalizations with the other. Her eyes looked searchingly at Snape, but he wasn’t Snape, it was Malfoy.

Seeing her recognition he sneered, “So it’s true, you can see through the Polyjuice, how unusual.” Erin tried to stand but he pushed her roughly back down, and kicked her in the side. White-hot pain coursed thru her body, but she couldn’t cry out.

He eyed her thoughtfully, “I should take what you’ve offered me, but my master told me to be patient, I’ll have you soon enough.” Erin shuddered in revulsion. He waved his wand and her hands were tired together.

He reached out and pulled her to her feet causing another wave of pain to shoot through her body. Grasping the arm with the bracelet he pressed down on the blue stone. The pain caused Erin to fall to her knees. This time he did not make her stand but held steady to the bracelet.

The pain deepened and Erin glimpsed the stone turning from blue to red. After what seemed like hours Malfoy yanked the bracelet from her arm and smacked her across the face, sending her sprawling to the floor again.

“Bitch,” he swore and gave her another kick to the side before exiting the library in a sea of black robes. Erin knew she should get to her feet and go after him, but it hurt so badly, and she was so tired and cold.

When Erin regained consciousness she was no longer alone. Harry and Ron were kneeling beside her and seemed to have been trying to revive her. Erin’s wrists were still tied together, and she continued to be unable to speak from the invisible gag in her mouth. Harry was trying to break the binds on her wrist, and it was then that she saw the blood dripping down her arm from the wound sustained by the bracelet.

“Stay calm, Erin, we’ll get you out of this,” Harry whispered. Get help! She wanted to scream, but couldn’t.

Her eyes silently pleaded with Ron, Get more help, please! He seemed to understand because he turned to Harry, “Do you think we should go for help?”

Erin began to nod, but Harry hesitated, “I’m not sure.” Erin continued to nod, and Harry suggested, “We could make a lot of racket, and that’ll bring Filch, and he could get someone.”

Erin nodded more enthusiastically, but this time Ron protested, “But Harry, if he finds us here..”

“Don’t worry Ron, we’ll use the cloak and he’ll think he’s the first to find her.” What cloak? Erin wanted to know, and wished they’d hurry up about it. She saw Harry pick up a silvery cloak lying next to her that she’d previously not noticed, and handed it to Ron.

Ron draped it over himself and he disappeared. Erin’s eyes widened as she took this in, and Harry put a finger to his lips to indicate that it was in fact a secret. Erin nodded in agreement and watched as Harry crept into the hallway and tipped over what sounded like a suit of armor, and raced back to the safety of the cloak.

She heard them whispering indiscernibly for a moment before she heard the stomping of Filch and the hissing of his horrid cat. He stopped at the library door, which Harry had left open and glowered at her. “Well, well, professor, in a tight spot are you?”

The wretched man was trying to hit on her! She scowled back at him, and he apparently came to his senses realizing that she wouldn’t be in this predicament forever. “I’ll get help.”

Erin sighed in relief and tried to sit up. The pain in her side made it impossible, and she lay back gasping. “Lie still, Erin,” Ron hissed, and Erin nodded in agreement. Tears were streaming down her face by the time Dumbledore arrived with Snape and Filch. Snape began to rush to her when he saw her lying crumpled on the floor, but Dumbledore put out an arm to stop him when he saw Erin cringe and try to move away.

Snape looked hurt and confused, but Dumbledore moved to kneel beside Erin. Touching his wand to her wrists he freed them. Erin wrapped her shirt around her bleeding wrist to halt the blood flow. Dumbledore then turned his attention to her gag and it released in seconds.

“Oh thank God,” she gasped.

“Erin, what’s going on? Why are you here bleeding?”

“Snape, not Snape, Malfoy,” she gasped.

“I most certainly am not!” he protested.

“Don’t move, Severus. Erin, look closely. Is this Malfoy?”

Erin gazed at the sullen and irritated man carefully, “No, he’s not Malfoy. He’s Severus, sorry,” she added.

“Quite understandable. What happened?”

“Malfoy lured me here pretending to be Severus. Then he used Severus’ Christmas present to make this hole in my arm and split after smacking me around a bit.”

“I’ll kill him,” Snape growled.

“How long ago did this occur?” Dumbledore asked.

Her tears were unstoppable again, “I don’t know. I passed out,” she wailed.

Filch spoke up, “Sir, ten minutes have passed since the initial disturbance.”

“Professor Dumbledore, that wasn’t from Malfoy.”

“Who was it then?” Filch demanded.

“I don’t know, I’m just thankful it happened when it did and you found me.” Erin was gasping for breath and had to stop talking.

“Oh, why does it matter who knocked over your precious suit of armor, Filch?” Snape snapped.

Dumbledore conjured a stretcher and he and Snape escorted her to the Hospital Wing. Filch stayed behind to cleanup the library and the suit of armor in the hallway.

“Pervert,” Erin muttered under her breath, while she floated to the Hospital Wing.

“Did he try to hit on you?” Snape asked wryly.

Surprised he’d heard her; Erin nodded, but was unable to tell him the full story.

Pomfrey tisked when she saw that Erin was back to the Hospital Wing, again. Erin tried to joke about trying to set a record, but Pomfrey didn’t find it funny. After she healed Erin’s broken ribs and mended the wound on her wrist, Erin told Dumbledore and Snape the rest of the story.

Dumbledore was quite concerned about the theft of her blood. Snape bristled when she spoke of Malfoy smacking her across the face. He also seemed to be quite concerned about the threat of Malfoy ‘having her’.

“That may mean he’s given up on me, and then how will I gain any more information?” He asked more of himself than to his companions.

“Thanks for your concern, Severus. No, I didn’t just get the shit kicked out of me. I’m fine, thanks.”

“Erin…” Snape began.

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “Don’t bother with the lecture. I know it’s really important. I was just being selfish for a moment.”

Dumbledore chuckled and told Erin to stay the night as he left the room.

“So, what are you going to do?” she asked Snape.

“Well, Dumbledore’s convinced that Malfoy has already left the school, and is unconcerned about trying to find him. I agree with him, so, I guess you’re stuck with me.” He levitated a nearby bed and set it down about a foot from hers.

As he settled in she asked, “Severus, did you send me that bracelet?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I found it in a shop in Hogsmeade, and was drawn to it immediately. When I looked at the stone, it was almost like looking into your eyes, so I knew I had to have it. It seemed like it was meant for you.”

“Apparently so,” she stated dryly.

“Erin, you’ve got to believe, I had no idea.”

She sighed and rolled to her side in order to regard him carefully. “Severus, I really do want to believe you, but you have to admit, it’s a little odd that this stuff keeps happening around you, or in connection with you in some way.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted having said it. His face alone spoke a thousand words. “Severus, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Of course you didn’t know.”

“No, you did mean it,” he answered quietly.

Erin sat up in bed and reached out for him. When he didn’t take her hand, she moved to his bed sitting so close to him that their legs were pressed together. She placed her hand on his knee and squeezed, “Severus, don’t be upset. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I never meant to hurt you, I’m sorry.”

He nodded, but added, “Erin, I could take Veritaserum if you want me to. I brew that potion better than anyone.”

“Severus, that isn’t necessary, although I’m sure you brew it better than anyone.” They were still holding one another by the arms staring into one another’s eyes. “Just the offer that you’d do that for me tells me that I can trust you.” He pulled her back into a hug again and Erin whispered, “Maybe we should have a code so that I always know it’s you when you come to me in my fireplace or send me a note. I mean, it isn’t necessary otherwise because I knew immediately he wasn’t you once I saw him in person.”

“Might be a good idea.”

“Ok, so it’s got to be something unusual, maybe Muggle, so that they can’t guess it.”

“Alright, then what do you suggest.”

Erin moved to her hospital bed and picked up a piece of parchment and a quill lying on a side table. She thought for several moments chewing on her lower lip, before jotting, ‘E.T..’ Snape leaned over her shoulder and read the phrase.

He raised his eyebrows at her, and she hastened to explain. “It was a movie that was real popular in the 80’s. A movie is-”

“I know what it is. I’ve never seen one, but I know what they are.” Erin must have looked shocked because he laughed and swiped her knee, “I’m not a complete idiot, you know.”

Erin shoved him lightly in the shoulder, “I know that.”

“Ok, then,” he smiled and pushed her back gently. Never willing to let someone have the last word, Erin leaned over and pushed his shoulder again. This time he caught her hand and pulled her on top of him on his bed. She began to tickle him, and he tickled her back. Laughing hysterically they continued like that until Erin inexplicably ended up underneath him and they’d both stop laughing.

He looked deep into her eyes and Erin into his. It was hard for her to believe that this was the same man who had been so nasty to her only three months ago. He was looking at her with that look in his eyes that she just didn’t want to see there: lust.

As she saw him lowering his head to kiss her, she rolled to the side to get away. “Severus…”

He groaned, “Erin, I know what you’re going to say.”

“Good, then I don’t have to feel bad about saying it again.” She said as she moved to a sitting position. They looked at each other and Snape also moved to a sitting position, but took her hand and began rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, sending shivers up her back.

“Severus…”

“I know,” he interrupted.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“I know that tone.”

Erin nodded, “I guess you do.” She pulled her hand away and stood abruptly. The parchment with their secret code was still clutched tightly in her other fist. She tore the parchment into many pieces and threw them into the fire. Standing in front of the fire she watched them burn silently before turning back to Severus.

His face was unreadable from where she was standing. As she walked towards him he stood to meet her. He reached up and touched her cheek gently. It still bore the red hand print as Pomfrey had been more concerned with healing her ribs and wrist, and Erin hadn’t bothered to mention it. She winced now as Severus placed his hand on her cheek before pulling her into his arms again.

“Erin, I’m not going to let him get away with this. He’ll never lay another hand on you, if I have anything to say about it.”

Erin nodded against his chest and he pulled away and guided her back to her hospital bed. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead quickly before lying down in his own bed. “Happy Christmas, Erin.”

“Merry Christmas, Severus.” Erin fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.