Dream & Shadow

29* Betting Debts

"Are you daydreaming?" scoffed Severus. "You can fill the Skele-Grow into the container. It's not going to be any better."

Leonor sought an answer, but instead, she couldn't stifle a yawn. "It's night already, about time to dream."

"Tired?"

"Tired, cold, distracted— I still like to know the reason of Mika's food poisoning, but I'm failing." The pasty mixture flowed slowly into a large container. Severus finished the cleaning of the cauldrons. The steam vanished in the gloomy study and the air cleared.

"Can the boy not tell what he ate?" snorted the potions master with disdain.

"Meatballs, likely garlic meatballs have been the reason. Rotten meat creates other symptoms."

"What else is added to meatballs?"

"I don't know, onion, salt, pepper, herbs—"

"And the symptoms?"

"Heavy heart rhythm disorder," said Leonor still clearing out the cauldron.

"Ask Koskinen for the recipe!" ordered Severus.

"Now?"

"If you want to sleep tonight—"

"Poppy kills me!" Leonor woke suddenly from the drowsiness. She wouldn't be able to rest without following the new lead. "You calm Madam Pomfrey," she snapped and led the way to the hospital wing with the first aid bag over her shoulder.

"As if that would work," answered Severus more to himself.

The wood cracked, and the large door of the hospital wing opened, not noiseless, but reasonable quiet in the total silence of the late hour. The gate crashers stepped into the ward, but Madam Pomfrey glanced immediately around the edge of the nurses' office.

"It's the limit! I just told Minerva you are finally working according to the rules. See, it's an hour before midnight!"

"I need to question Mika, once more. Please!" begged Leonor when Minerva McGonagall poked her head round the same corner of the office.

"You'll wake all the patients," shrieked Madam Pomfrey.

Severus pushed Leonor on her shoulder down the aisle, a sneer curled his lips. "It will be quick," said Severus with a no-nonsense tone.

Mika rolled himself in the white bedclothes. "You are not asleep?" asked Leonor gently. He only shook his head.

"Can you tell about the ingredients of the meatballs?" whispered the healer.

"Meat, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and Keisa's secret spices," came the monotonous answer. "Aunt Keisa's meatballs were the best. I stole them from the kitchen otherwise my family would have eaten it. I wanted them for myself. She was old, almost blind. It's my punishment for stealing after her funeral; I was nearly dead. I shouldn't have taken them!" Leonor took the boy's hand.

"Your aunt would have loved to know about your favourite meatballs."

"Did she use real garlic cloves?" asked Severus quietly.

"No, it stinks to high heaven. She swore on wild garlic from the local woods." The boy fell powerlessly back to the pillows.

Severus crossed his arms, a winning glance in his eyes. Leonor frowned by the expression and looked to the angry faces of Poppy and Minerva. Both couldn't decide whom to reprimand first without being too loud.

Minerva moaned, "Is that all? Can everybody rest now?"

Severus fixated on Leonor's stern face. "No clue?" She shook her head astonished. "Think of the flowery smell of your perfume!"