The Healer- A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 40

Snape was not happy to see me standing outside his office.

He looked down at me over his large nose. "Miss Thorncroft," he acknowledged me coldly. "To what do I owe the... pleasure?" He said the last word like it required quite a bit of force.

My nose tickled at the smell of dust wafting from his office. Politely, I said to the professor, "I know I'm not scheduled until next Thursday, but I wanted to get a head start on Careers Advice."

Snape stared at me, his dark eyes not blinking. He looked like he was preparing to tell me no- but then he swiftly motioned for me to take a seat in one of his dragonhide chairs, and he sat on the other side of his desk, his cloak stirring up dust on the floor as he moved.

"You are not the first Slytherin student to ask for an early Careers meeting. Ambition is one of our prized traits, after all. But I do not give special treatment to anyone, Miss Thorncroft, even you."

I squared my shoulders, making sure my spine was ruler-straight. I had a premonition he would say no; but he invited me into his office anyway, and I wasn't going to let this chance go to waste. "I understand, professor. I know you're a busy man, so I'll get straight to the point. I wish to become a Healer. Madam Pomfrey has told me I show promise, and I have been studying all of the Healing texts that are available to me. However, there are certain books I cannot obtain because they are in the restricted section. To further my understanding of healing magic, more specifically, healing applied to Dark Magic, I need access to these texts. I would like your permission. Please."

Unfortunately, Snape could tell immediately what I was getting at. His icy expression was so hard it could cut glass.

"I know what you are trying to do, Miss Thorncroft," he said, sending a chill down my spine. "You are attempting to research how to remove the Dark Mark."

I tried to keep myself collected, but I was effectively caught off guard. I had no idea how he could tell my objective that quickly. "I-"

"Do not bother," Snape said sharply. "The Dark Mark is among the most sinister Dark Magic ever created. It was designed by the Dark Lord himself to be impossible to remove, meant to endure even if the Dark Lord himself were to perish. Any Healers who have attempted to remove it have died instantly from the curse embedded within it."

The threats Snape presented didn't scare me. "Just as the Dark Lord has created new Dark Magic, healing magic can also be created to circumvent it," I replied. "With the appropriate information and supplies, a cure will be found."

"Impossible," Snape grumbled, not willing to entertain my hopeful idea.

"How would you know?" I snapped.

"Because I've tried," Snape retorted, his voice rising enough to rattle some of the bottles on his shelves. My body became petrified at Snape's yell. It was odd to hear him sound so pained.

Snape collected himself and his voice lowered to its normal stone-cold tenor. "I am telling you right now that it cannot be done. You wish to become a great healing witch? Then you need to come to terms with the fact that some curses cannot be broken. Acts of blood and darkness cannot be reversed. Your talents are better off being used to cure people who have not devoted themselves to a lifetime of agony."

"Draco didn't want this pain," I pleaded. "He didn't know what he was getting himself into-"

"He knew exactly what he was doing, child," Snape replied firmly. "He's chosen his fate. Now you have the chance to choose yours. You could do what's best for the both of you and part ways, or remain by his side and endure years of suffering in a world dominated by Dark Magic." His voice became gravelly and low. "And we both know his world is one that you will never fit into."