Shadow on My Heart

Chapter 5: This Battle of Wits Is Over. . . Or Else

Callista entered just in front of the headmaster. Severus stared at her, hoping that she felt at least a bit sorry for his condition. She hung her head, looking very much like she had the evening he turned her in for sneaking out of the castle. In spite of her contrite countenance, he was completely furious at her for humiliating him in front of the students. Did she have any idea how much damage had been caused? She must have sensed his anger because her back stiffened and her jaw set stubbornly.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Callista, would you care to explain what happened today in Professor Snape's Defense Against the Dark Arts class?"

"We were dueling, and I hexed him, sir," she said, stating the obvious.

"Does this curse wear off?" Madam Pomfrey inquired. "I've never seen anything like this before. I didn't want to worsen the. . . uh. . .condition."

Callista swallowed. "No, it doesn't wear off."

"Remove the curse then," the headmaster ordered.

"No, I can't."

All eyes snapped to her. She looked up at her uncle almost defiantly. Dumbledore was not accustomed to having his requests denied. He looked at her over his half-moon glasses. Before he could say anything, the door to the infirmary opened. Professor McGonagall was leading in a very confused looking Harry Potter.

"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" Severus snarled. The last thing he wanted was to have the arrogant little whelp witness this scene.

McGonagall spoke calmly. "He was there to see the whole thing, and he is now part of the staff, Severus."

"Professor, I told you, I didn't recognize the jinx she used," said Harry.

"Of course you wouldn't, Harry, it's not a native spell. I learned it when I stayed with a coven in New Orleans. It's called 'Maladius Hontusio'; it mimics a Muggle social disease. There isn't a countercurse." Callista faced Severus with a self-satisfied smile.

His mouth dropped at this news. "What did you say?"

"I said, the curse gives you something very similar to a Muggle social disease." She spoke slowly, as if to someone who was mentally challenged. "While there is no countercurse, there is a potion that will reverse the effect. You're in luck, as I do have some in my possession. All you need to do is apologize to me."

"Why should I apologize? I'm the one with the injury." Snape couldn't believe her. He would apologize when Hell froze over.

Dumbledore interrupted, "Callista, I trust you will not be teaching this curse to any of the students."

"No, I won't. First of all, it's a very difficult spell. If it's cast improperly; the effect can be permanent. Secondly, only women can cast it. So, Harry, don't even think about using it on Draco Malfoy. Finally, there would be too much explaining to do to the parents if the girls knew how to use it," she said, noting the look of relief on McGonagall's face. She fixed her beautiful eyes on Severus, giving him a sweetly innocent smile. "Just so you know, luv. Until you take the potion, you are contagious."

Harry choked on a nervous laugh, as Snape glared at her. His voice came out in a low growl, "And what precisely is that supposed to mean?"

Her eyes were dancing merrily as she explained, "It means, if -- with a million galleons and a miracle -- you are intimate with anyone, you will pass on the curse. You may want to keep that in mind should any of your lady Death Eater friends come to call. Then again, if you infect them, they will be that much easier to recognize."

He drew his wand and pointed it at her. "Why you little--"

"Careful, Severus, you don't want to make it worse," Callista said in a dangerous voice.

"This isn't over Hawkins!" he spat.

"I think it is. I am not one of your students that you can bully on a whim; I am a professor at this school! If you can't treat me as such, then you can just sit there and suffer!" she shouted at him.

"Severus, what is she talking about?" Dumbledore queried sternly, looking very much like a distraught parent sorting out a sibling spat.

Callista didn't allow Severus to answer. "He treats me like I'm still a student. I must cart all of my supplies and sample flasks out of the Potions classroom every day. He belittles me in front of the older students. Then he tried to jinx me in the back during one of his classes."

"Is this true?" Dumbledore snapped. Then he quickly raised his hands. "No I don't even want to hear the counter-argument. I will tell the both of you this: you will either end this battle of wits and act civilly, or I will sack the pair of you. This inappropriate and childish behavior will stop at once unless you both want to lose your posts. Have I made myself clear?"

Snape and Hawkins stared at Dumbledore in shock. Severus was livid. Not only did he have damaged anatomy, but now he was in danger of losing his job! Dumbledore couldn't do that to him; he was too vital to the Order. Voldemort would look upon this as a failure, putting his very life in danger. He looked over at Callista. She was white-faced and shaking slightly, but the moment she noticed him watching her she managed to compose herself.

"If you need me, Uncle, I'll be in my office," Callista said, heading for the door.

"What about this curse?" Snape snapped at her retreating back.

Callista paused and turned around. "When you become man enough to admit you've been an arse, you will get the potion. Just be thankful I didn't know that curse fifteen years ago."

She practically ran out of the hospital wing, slamming the door behind her.

"Headmaster, aren't you going to make her give me the antidote?" Snape asked, as the itching and burning intensified.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I've given up trying to make her do anything. She has always been a most obstinate young lady."

"Professor, I can't work like this. What happens if I'm summoned? How the bloody hell am I going to explain this to the Dark Lord?" Snape's eyes flashed with fury at Harry, who was gagging as he tried to swallow his laughter. "What do you find so amusing, Potter?"

Harry attempted to sober up. "Just be glad she didn't use a shriveling or severing hex, sir."

The dark-haired young man couldn't contain himself anymore and doubled over laughing. Professor McGonagall, caught up in the dark humor of the moment, sank into the chair shaking with laughter, her eyes streaming. Dumbledore began coughing in an attempt to hide the fact that even he thought it was funny. Madam Pomfrey busied herself straightening a pillow on a nearby bed. Severus flung himself back onto the pillows, fuming silently.

It was late at night, and Severus was making his final rounds of the evening. Walking the castle when its corridors were empty was the perfect time to clear his mind after dealing with the day's problems. He reflected on his first few weeks of teaching, and decided it hadn't been nearly as dreadful as he had thought it would be. It was rather tedious to deal with the first years, as many of them knew absolutely nothing, and to grade mountains of essays. This would be a lot better next year when Professor Blackburn retired and he had the N.E.W.T. classes as well. At least those students wanted to take the class.

Suddenly, he heard a noise. His strained his ears to listen, glancing up and down the corridor. He saw the faintest flicker of a shadow at the far end of the hallway. Silently, he crept to the end of the narrow passage. Drawing his wand, he shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

At the same time, the figure called out, "Impedimenta!"

Severus had no time to react. He was lifted off of his feet and crashed into the wall behind him. His head smacked against the stone with a sickening crack. The world went black.

"Professor Snape?" He heard a voice speaking to him, and he tried to focus on it. "Professor, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you."

He opened his eyes. Slowly, the blurry face of Callista Hawkins came into view. Her vivid blue eyes were filled with genuine concern.

"I'm at least happy to see that you learned your lesson after our meeting at the lake," he groaned, trying to sit up.

"Please, sir, you really hit the wall very hard. Just rest a moment." She put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "You should really stop at the hospital wing. I feel just terrible about this."

Severus gingerly felt the back of his head, feeling the knot rapidly swelling under his fingers. He looked at Callista and asked, "What are you doing, roaming the halls at this hour? Shouldn't you be in your dormitory?"

"As Head Girl, I have rounds to complete each night." She looked at him, wrinkling her forehead with concern.

"Of course, that would make sense," he replied, his senses were starting to come back to him. The back of his head was throbbing wildly. "That was a really strong jinx you hit me with."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the compliment.

"I really think I'll be fine, Miss Hawkins." As Severus stood up his head gave a mighty throb, causing his legs to give way. Callista put her arm around him, trying to help keep him steady.

"Callista, what's going on?" The voice belonged to Allen Buxley. The young man eyed Severus suspiciously. "Did he try to hurt you?"

"No, we just surprised each other," she said, trying to explain. "I think he needs to see Madam Pomfrey."

Allen glared at the professor, mistrust openly displayed in his eyes. "Where's the fifth year prefect you were supposed to be paired with?"

"She wasn't feeling well, and I'm perfectly capable of doing rounds by myself. Now, are you going to help me get him to the infirmary, or not?"

"Really, Miss Hawkins, I'm fine. It's nothing I can't take care of myself." He had plenty of potions that would take care of his headache.

Dumbledore's voice broke into his thoughts. "Severus, I know that there is more going on here than her merely being upset about classroom space and an improper title. You really should talk to her and try to sort this out. I have no doubts that it would be worth your while to repair this mess between the two of you."

"Professor, I think if you are just polite to her, she will give you the potion," Harry said.

"What makes you say that Potter?" The Potions Master eyed him with suspicion. What did the boy know about her that he didn't.

Harry looked rather embarrassed as he replied, "She has been giving me my Occlumency lessons. Well, I just get the impression that she doesn't hate you nearly as much as she lets on in public. More than once she told me that the two of you were friends."

How much does he know about our 'friendship'? he wondered. "Are you saying that if I simply say 'please' she will give me the potion? You don't know her as well as you think you do, Potter."

"I've spent a lot of time with her. She's been digging around in my memories, and I've seen some of hers. I guess I know her pretty well." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "But if you would rather be miserable and damaged for life, that's your choice."

McGonagall looked at the professor. "Potter has a point. Maybe just her knowing that you respect her as a peer will make a difference. The two of you can't be firing hexes at each other all year."

"Severus," Dumbledore began, "Callista has been trying to get you to realize that she isn't a child anymore. The day may come when you need her to be your ally and not your enemy. You need to talk with her. Besides, I really would rather not have to fill both the Potions and the Defense Against the Dark Arts positions if I don't have to."

"Headmaster, I need to find a way to make Professor Snape comfortable until he gets the potion." Madam Pomfrey was trying to get them out of the infirmary.

"I understand, Poppy," the old man said kindly. "Harry, Minerva, let's leave him to make up his mind. Good night, Severus."

Snape watched them leave, knowing full well that eventually he had to face Callista.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday arrived, and Severus still hadn't even attempted to talk to Callista. He was lecturing to the sixth year class during the double period. He was chafed and raw in ways he didn't even want to think about. The sores were beginning to spread down his legs and to more sensitive areas of his body. Madam Pomfrey had suggested using a poultice of murtlap tentacles and chamomile. While it did take the edge off of the burning and itching; the sores would not heal over. Using the loo had become something of an exercise in pain management. He droned on through his lecture, trying not to scratch. Thankfully, the students sensed that the constant irritation had left him somewhat more tetchy than usual, and no one dared to act up. He could still deduct House points and give detentions at least. None of them wanted to spend the weekend disemboweling horned toads or pickling frog brains.

"Now, we will have a pair, picked at random, to demonstrate some of the curses and countercurses that we have been studying." Severus drew two tiles out of a container and announced, "Ah yes, Crabbe and Longbottom."

Neville stumbled to the front, looking half ready to wet himself. Harry gave him an encouraging grin as Neville took his place at the front of the room. Crabbe raised his wand. They marked off the paces and faced each other. Snape had his wand in his hand and counted to three.

Neville was shockingly quick and called out a disarming spell before Crabbe could react. The spell was slightly off-target and he miraculously managed to hit Crabbe and Snape at the same time. Snape's wand flew out of his hand. He turned in time to see Callista deftly catch it as she came down the stairs.

"Nice job, Mr. Longbottom, a little off-center, but it worked." Callista smiled at him, and Neville's round face turned pink. She approached Severus and handed him the wand. "You'll be needing this back, Professor Snape."

"Thank you, Professor Hawkins," he said.

"You're welcome." She turned to walk away then hesitated. "I just remembered, you left some things on the desk yesterday. I didn't get a chance to talk to you at dinner, or I would have returned them then. I'll bring it all down when your class is over."

He didn't remember leaving anything here, then it hit him. She was going to give him the potion! Thank Merlin, as the pain was getting unbearable. He continued the lesson and assigned the usual mountain of homework. As the class filed out of the room, he gathered up his notes. Severus looked up to see Callista walking down the stairs, carrying a small flask. She handed it to him, her demeanor suddenly shy.

"I want to call a truce," she began. "It's ridiculous for us to fight like this."

"I thought you were going to make me beg," he said.

She raised her eyebrows. "I wanted to at first, but then I decided a huge public apology wasn't what I wanted. All I want is for us to get along, as professionals."

"I understand," he answered. Severus added as an afterthought, "Oh, by the way, only three of the distillation systems were ordered. There is enough room for a small cabinet in the corner, now. I've decided to use that for N.E.W.T. only supplies. There should be enough room for your supplies as well in the large cupboard."

Her smile broadened. "That will be most helpful. I appreciate the gesture."

"Consider it a peace offering," he told her. He took the potion and drank it down. He was mildly surprised that it tasted relatively palatable. He handed her the empty flask and started to leave. No, I really need to ask her, he thought, turning to face her. "When you came into the class on Wednesday, did you know what I was planning to do?"

She sighed. "I had a rough idea."

"How?" he asked, even though he had already come to a conclusion.

She raised her eyebrows. "Small snakes have strong venom, especially Draco Malfoy. He couldn't keep his stupid gob shut even if his life depended on it. Neville overheard him bragging about it in the library. Naturally, Neville told Harry, who in turn gave me the warning."

The Gryffindors had, of course, watched out for her, while his treacherous clutch of snakes had left him. To be honest, he really wasn't all that surprised. He couldn't help but ask, "And your choice of attire for that day was also planned?"

She studied him teasingly. "I had to distract you somehow. You are a superb duelist; I knew I didn't stand much of a chance."

"You don't normally dress like that, do you?" he asked, quirking his eyebrows.

Callista licked her upper lip before replying in a sultry voice. "Now, Severus, a lady must keep some secrets."

They stood in a awkward silence. Neither wanting to leave, but neither being comfortable enough to stay.

"I just want you to know, Severus, that I don't agree with my uncle about Harry learning dark curses." She spoke in a soft yet steely voice. "That kind of power is like an addiction. You will always need more and more to be satisfied. I'm worried I won't be able to help him stay balanced. He's our only hope. Just be careful when you start working with him."

"I gave Dumbledore my word," he said. He picked up his bag and left. It wasn't until he was half way to the dungeon that he began to wonder about her parting comment. Was the warning for Potter's sake, or his?