Rating:
R
House:
Astronomy Tower
Ships:
Original Female Witch/Severus Snape
Characters:
Original Female Witch Severus Snape
Genres:
Romance Angst
Era:
The Harry Potter at Hogwarts Years
Spoilers:
Order of the Phoenix
Stats:
Published: 03/19/2005
Updated: 07/13/2015
Words: 282,703
Chapters: 64
Hits: 98,814

A Merciless Affection

Verity Brown

Story Summary:
When a N.E.W.T. Potions field trip goes badly wrong, a chain of events is set in motion that may cost Snape more than his life, and a student more than her heart. Angst/angsty romance. SS/OC (of-age student). AU after HBP but canon with OotP. Contains mature theme and some sex.

Chapter 61 - Epilogue 1: The First Apprentice Year

Chapter Summary:
In Which: Sarah's first year as an apprentice is revealed in a series of drabbles.
Posted:
05/06/2008
Hits:
524


Obligatory Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe still belongs to J. K. Rowling. No matter how thoroughly she screws it up.

A/N: I'm sorry the epilogue has been so long in coming to you. Real life is, well, real--sometimes painful so.

The epilogue is actually going to consist of four parts: the HBP year, the DH year, several post-Hogwarts years, and the final epilogue that I originally conceived of when I was writing this story.

This first section of the epilogue covers the time period of Half-Blood Prince. Although it continues to be AU, it does reference events in the book, although they sometimes take place in a slightly different way. This part of the epilogue is structured as a series of drabbles--pay attention to the dates.

Epilogue 1: The First Apprentice Year

August 29, 1996

Niniane reached out for the baby, her eyes wide and eager in her pale face.

Sarah knew she had no choice. She had already taken the first dose of the potion to dry up her milk. Some poor Squib would be wet-nurse to him now.

At Darkglass Hall.

The thought should have strengthened her. It did. But not enough. In the end, Severus took his son and handed him--both of them awkward as men are--to Chester Nott. And Chester laid the baby in his wife's arms.

Severian Darkglass. Orphaned son of some obscure, non-existent Darkglass cousin in America.

* * *

September 1, 1996

Trust the boy to be where he shouldn't! Nor, Severus noted, as the gate came within the lantern's light, had Potter even bothered to put on his robes. And naturally the Auror who had found him would have to be Tonks. Any gratitude for her part in his rescue was tempered by her blunders, as well as her embarrassing knowledge of his injuries--now mercifully nearly healed. He would like to twit her about her new Patronus: it had taken the form of a certain werewolf. Under the circumstances, though, it seemed unwise to antagonize her. Severus gritted his teeth.

* * *

September 2, 1996

"I wasn't ready for an apprentice, you see," Horace Slughorn said apologetically. "If Severus doesn't object to continuing as your mentor.... I daresay he'd like to keep his Potions hand in."

Sarah kept her eyes down. She knew if she even glanced at Severus, Slughorn's inadvertent double-entendres would cause something--a laugh, a giggle, a snort, even a smirk--to spill out and spoil everything.

"I have no objections," Severus said steadily. "Miss Darkglass has been an excellent student. I would not have recommended her for apprenticeship otherwise."

"Yes. Got a commendation, I understand. A pity that I...uh...can't..."

* * *

October 19, 1996

"Katie was my friend!"

"Hardly."

"She didn't deserve this! You have to put more pressure on Draco to talk to you!"

"You know how dangerous that could be."

"He isn't likely to complain to the Dark Lord of you interfering."

"I'm more concerned with other ideas his resentment of me might bring to mind. Suppose it occurs to him to approach the headmaster with the truth about us? It would be easy to attack an old man in a state of shock. And when there is no shock...when Dumbledore fails to act upon the information?"

Sarah bit her lip.

* * *

December 17, 1996

"I'm going home for Christmas."

Severus frowned. "It's best to let him alone for now."

Sarah lowered her eyes. "I don't want him to forget me altogether."

"He's an infant. He won't remember whether you were there or not."

Sarah turned back to her potion. "I got an owl this morning. From Chester. I'm...my presence is...required." Silence. Then Severus came and laid his hands on her shoulders. She took a deep breath. "We knew it would be like this."

"Will you be all right?"

Sarah smiled sadly up at him. "I was taught by the best, wasn't I?"

* * *

December 20, 1996

"I promised your mother I would protect you."

"As if!" Draco scowled. "So that's why you've been trying to make up to me all year?"

"I am your Head of House. If anybody else repeatedly ignored a request to come to my office--"

"So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" Draco smirked; he held the ace.

"You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."

"Then leave me alone!"

"I'm trying to help you, Draco."

"I don't need your help, or your protection. It's my job. He gave it to me."

* * *

April 18, 1997

"That's, um..."

Sarah looked up, surprised. Slughorn had visited her lab a few times--out of curiosity, she supposed, but she had not expected him today.

"You, um, do know what you're brewing there?" he asked.

It was a Dark potion--Withering Death. Given to a person over a prolonged period, it would mimic a wasting illness.

"Yes, Professor."

"Did Professor Snape set you that?" he asked warily.

"Is there a problem, sir?" she asked, feigning innocence. "All along in Potions class, we're taught mixtures that we'd never actually use, aren't we?"

Slughorn cleared his throat. "Yes, well, carry on."

* * *

May 8, 1997

"It was stolen, my fifth year. All my notes, preparations for the following year. It was impossible to reproduce everything. That's when she pulled ahead of me." Severus paced tightly, shaking with fury. "Slughorn claims he loaned Potter a spare book, and took it back when the new one arrived. How could it have been in my own cupboard, all along?"

"A confunding spell?" Sarah asked. "To stop you from noticing it?"

"Hidden in plain sight?" he growled. "He ought to have been expelled. Everyone agreed. But of course, precious Potter..."

"You did what you had to." She held him.

* * *

June 16, 1997

"It's getting beyond anything I can do." Severus grimaced at the damage, now spread nearly to Dumbledore's bared shoulder. "When it reaches your heart..."

"I only need a little more time, Severus."

Swallowing her tears, Sarah brought the goblet of healing potion. Her own virgin blood was in it, although not collected under optimal circumstances. Even if it had been, the potion couldn't do enough.

Severus bathed the blackened margin of flesh.

"I may need you, tomorrow night. Will you wait up for me, Severus?"

"Of course."

"Cheer up, Severus. You've escaped the curse thus far. Perhaps you were right."

* * *

June 17, 1997

"Stay here. Pretend you didn't hear, that you didn't know."

There were Death Eaters in the castle. That was what the little blighter had been up to all year. And to pick tonight, of all nights, when Dumbledore was gone! If Draco had hoped that having that kind of assistance would give him the guts to try to kill the headmaster, he was going to find himself sadly surprised.

"What if they come down here?"

"Do whatever you have to do."

The kiss was quick, almost perfunctory. But it meant the world to Sarah that he would pause for it.

* * *

June 18, 1997

The castle was quiet, but Severus hadn't returned.

There were fewer injured in the hospital wing than Sarah had feared. A couple of Potter's friends--Longbottom near the door, and (to judge from the red-haired Weasley parents) Ron or his little sister at the far end.

Tristan was alone in Pomfrey's office.

"You hurt, Sarah?"

"No, but I'm worried. Professor Snape was supposed to help me..."

"Haven't you heard? Snape killed the headmaster and ran off with the Death Eaters."

Oh no. Placed, finally, in an untenable position (was it the curse?), Severus had done what he had to do.

* * *

June 20, 1997

Sarah stepped hesitantly inside Slughorn's office. "I thought you should know--I'm leaving my apprenticeship."

Slughorn studied her shrewdly. "I suspect, Miss Darkglass, that you're not really leaving your apprenticeship at all."

At the sudden, sad glint in his eyes, Sarah stiffened.

He went on. "You aren't the first apprentice to fall in love with her mentor. Although I believe you're making a terrible mistake in pursuing him, under the circumstances. I do wish you would reconsider."

Sarah made her face a mask. "It's more than that," she said coldly. "I have...family obligations."

Slughorn paled. "Of...course."

"Goodbye, Professor."

* * *

A/N: The next section of the epilogue will be my version of Deathly Hallows.

BTW, I am going to be a guest of honor at a small convention in Iowa! If you want to find out about it, go to www dot keokon dot com.