34 Chapter 34 - Severus

Why was he here again? Severus wondered, downing another glass of firewhisky. He couldn't remember. How long ago did he arrive? Who knew? He didn't. His thoughts were as muffled as the words that slurred out of his mouth.

"Nothe' pleass." he motioned to the bartender who awfully resembled Albus.

"Don't think so lad. You've had quite enough." the man pulled his glass away and cleansed it with magic.

"Haz any'ne ever told y-you... You look lie Almus Dummledo'e."

The bartender glanced at Snape's serious expression, and burst into a fit of laughter and shook his head.

"Really Severus?" he cackled, "You've truly had too much to drink."

The Potions Master laid his head on the counter, not wanting to leave. Why was he getting no more drinks? Had he not paid for them? He didn't even register as Aberforth's goat patronus hopped away with a message to the Headmaster. Nor did he take notice that the place around him was empty, unlike when he entered the pub hours before.

The bell at the door clinked, as the frame opened and an annoyed Gryffindor entered.

"He sent you?" Abe sighed, "My brother never was in his right mind."

"You think I'm incapable of handling a snarky Slytherin?" Minerva huffed back.

"Severus is in no state to be a snarky Slytherin." he pointed to the drunk and half asleep dark mass.

"Well I'll be damned... SEVERUS SNAPE!"

The Potions Master jumped in fright and fell off the bar stool. He groaned feeling dizzy and looking ready to hurl his guts up. The lioness scoffed at the bartender and cast a feather-light charm on her colleague. She reached down and pulled him to his feet, putting one of his arms over her shoulders.

"You strrung." Severus muttered to the woman, "Mm heavy"

Minerva gave him a side glare, and they trotted towards the exit. She grumbled a goodbye to Aberforth and cursed Albus under her breath for asking her to pick up the drunken man.

The Potions Master was simply confused of why a lady was dragging him away from his delicious drinks. He felt like begging her to taking him back. Instead, he was pulled in the opposite direction, towards the castle. Was Hogwarts always this huge? He was looking upwards, while he misplaced his feet and tripped over, bringing the woman down with him.

"For Merlin's sake!" she stood angrily and dusted off her green robes, "Why do I even bother?"

"Cuz you luv me."

Minerva was livid, and the teasing drunk man certainly didn't help; rather left her wanting to storm away and leave him there. Yet she faltered at his next question:

"You don' luv me?"

He sounded so crestfallen that the lioness ended up turning back and picking him up again. Together, they stumbled up to the gates - and eventually through the school's corridors - and down to the dungeons. Finally, after having to recast the feather-light charm a fair few times, the two professors reached the man's quarters.

"Severus." she pushed the man towards the door, "The magic only opens it for you."

Minerva was worried that he had been quiet since his fall. The man didn't even protest when she walked in with him to his living room. She considered taking him to bed, but decided the couch was an easier option, if she wanted to make him sober the same eve.

Severus slumped on the furniture, and the lioness noted from his half-lidded eyes that he was barely conscious. She didn't have the heart to just leave him like that. Instead, Minerva summomed necessary potions to get him to his right mind. Was she educated in the subject of Potions? No, no. But she has had a fair lot of drunken incident with students and other staff in the past.

The Gryffindor emptied a few vials into the Potions Master's mouth, while casting a charm on his throat so he swallowed smoothly. Minutes later came the desired effects as the man groaned and sat up. With a dizzy feeling at the back of his mind, Severus attempted to survey his surroundings.

"Min?" he jumped, startled at the lady's presence, "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know what came over you, but Albus had to send me to pick you up from Hog's Head." she explained calmly but she quickly turned suspicious, "It's not even Halloween... Why did you go there?"

Severus tried to sort through his jumbled thoughts. He was with Candice, ah yes, the holidays. Then he remembered their encounter with Black, and the Hospit- That's it! The Hospital Wing. His face immediately turned from puzzled to a frown. His actions were unacceptable, and he was aware he might have just ruined everything good he had in his life; he lost his girl.

The man then recalled storming out of the Infirmary, and even - he looked down at his bruised knuckles - punching a wall or two. He desperately wanted to forget, and had the mother-hen not been sitting with him, he would have likely summomed endless amounts of firewhisky.

His black orbs met the elder's curious gaze and he sighed. McGonagall raised an eyebrow as she impatiently waited for an answer. Snape stayed silent, yet he knew he was losing the staring contest and would soon have to tell his tale. Merlin - he thought as he snapped his eyes away from the intense glare he received - never challenge a Gryffindor!

"Isn't Candice still with Poppy? I'm surprised you aren't there putting up a fight to stay after the visiting hours."

Minerva knew she hit the nail on the head, when the Potions Master winced at the girl's name. For all he tried, he couldn't hide his pained face behind his usual facade. She gave him a look full of concern.

"You two had a quarrel?"

"It... It was worse." he ran his fingers through his hair, "I messed up."

"Another Lily then? Surely not!"

Snape winced again at the thought of the love of his life: Lily. Did Lily still hold that title? He wasn't so sure. The man begrudgingly reached in his pocket for his ebony wand. He ignored the lioness and conjured his Patronus. Both professors gasped as the white mist failed to form into a doe.

"Is that... An otter? Like Granger's patronus?" the man began worriedly, as the furry creature strolled around them.

"No. That's a linsang."

Despite Minerva pointedly correcting him, the anxiety didn't fade. What in Merlin's name was a 'linsang' and what happened to his doe?