Professor Snape's Potions Assistant

How Do You Feel?

At dinner he couldn't take his eyes off of her. There was something intriguing about her. It made her feel awkward. She hated being stared at.
"Stop" she whispered to him, but he didn't.
"I said stop it. You're embarrassing me" she told him as she turned red. He turned back to his food. She regretted telling him her secret so much. As if he could keep a secret.
"How do you feel?" He found himself asking, and he couldn't figure out why he cared.
"Fine" she lied.
"I will walk you back to your chambers after pudding" Snape stated.
"Why?" She asked slightly shocked.
"I don't want you collapsing with no one around" he replied.
"You eat pudding?" She questioned him again, this time changing the subject.
"Yes... I like chocolate" he told her. He didn't really like when he was the subject of conversation.
"Me too" she replied with a small smile and returned to her meal.
Dinner ended and so did pudding, with Snape eating a generous helping of chocolate ice cream, she stood up and so did he, watching her close to make sure she didn't fall.
"I'm fine" she told him again as they began to walk out.
"You're pale. Tell me if you're going to faint." He told her bluntly. She huffed.
"Gee thanks, that was so flattering, I love being told I look pale and sickly" she replied.
"I never said you were sickly" he told her and looked to his feet as they walked. It was silent from then on until they arrived at their chambers, which were only seperate by a single wall.
"Well thank you professor for walking me back. I will retire for the night now. I hope you sleep well" Scout told him with a small polite smile. She then turned and walked into her room, closing the door behind her.
"You too" Severus said softly after she had already entered her room. She didn't hear.

The next morning she was well rested and grateful for it. Her disease made her tired very easily and a good nights rest was the best medicine she had tried. With her head resting on her pillow she looked out her window to the fresh sunny day. She began getting ready. Showering, dressing in her favourite black corduroy dress with a turtleneck underneath to keep her warm, doing her hair and makeup so she didn't look as pale as her professor and boss had previously stated the night before. She was actually ready early for once, which surprised her, so she left her room and went to the professors classroom to wait for him. She didn't know this but Professor Snape hadn't slept a wink. He was up all night researching her illness, and by the time he was suppose to be at his classroom his room was filled with various open books about muggle medicine and diseases, yet none described the disease she had. He slammed the last book in frustration and got up, running his fingers through his hair before he headed off to his classroom, shocked to find Scout already there, waiting for him.
"You look better than yesterday" he commented before even saying good morning.
"Thank you... I think. I thought I could do some setting up or cleaning up before breakfast" she told him and she examined him. He was a mess. She walked towards him and put her hand out to fix a crease in his clothes when he grabbed it tight, stopping her from touching him.
"I'm just trying to help you. You look like you slept in your clothes" she told him and held her now red hand before she reached up and fixed his messy hair. It had been such a long time since she had touched anyone. For some reason it made her uncomfortable.
"That's better" she told him as she looked away and began to set up the days potion.
"Thank you" he said softly. She could hardly hear him say it, but she was glad he did.
He watched her closely as she worked until she was finished setting up and sat on one of the desks.
"Let's get breakfast" He commanded and she nodded, walking along with him.

When they got to breakfast Scout sat between Severus and Remus and began to eat some eggs and toast along with a hot cup of black coffee which she already desperately needed. Just that little bit of work and she was ready to go back to sleep, or at least rest for the remainder of the day.
"I saw you leave supper early last night with Professor Snape" Remus stated.
"He didn't force you to leave, did he?" He continued. Scout laughed slightly and looked over to her boss to see him glaring at some of the students who were laughing too much for his taste.
"No he didn't, he just wouldn't let me walk back to my room alone" she replied and shook her head.
"Is he normally this worried and protective? He wasn't like this when I was a student."
"No" Remus answered shortly and got back to his food. This was suspicious behaviour for Severus, and Remus couldn't work out an adequate reason why he would feel the need to help his assistant that wasn't sinister.
"Today you will instruct the class" Professor Snape said suddenly as he turned to her. Scout looked at him shocked.
"Professor, I'm not a teacher, I'm just an assistant, I don't think..." she was interrupted.
"Ms Edasich, you will instruct the class today" he repeated with more conviction in his voice. She knew she wouldn't get out of this. She furrowed her eyebrows at him and stood up suddenly, walking out of the hall before anyone else had finished their breakfast. She walked quickly to his classroom and slumped in one of the students chairs, only to feel to anxious to sit. She stood up and began pacing.
"Teach a class? I only graduated last year" she mumbled to herself as she pulled at her hair.
Soon after Snape walked in looking a little flustered, like he had ran.
"Ms Edasich I stayed up all night researching your illness. The least you could do it teach one class, and you will teach this class or you will leave this school. Am I understood?" He said firmly in that intimidating tone only he has.
"Yes Professor Snape. I understand" she replied shortly in a disappointed tone and then walked over to the Professor.
"So did you find anything in your research?" She asked softly in a defeated voice as she sat on a desk next to where he was standing.
"No. There seems to be nothing, but I haven't finished my research yet" he said in a grim tone as Scout got up and walked over to the classroom window, watching the thinning branches of a tree bang softly against the glass of the window. She knew soon her Professor would give up on finding a cure. She already had.