Severus and the Doctor

Exposed

A week. A whole week gone since Doc...Eve...Cornered him in the alley way. And still not a word exchanged between them. A verbal standoff. Neither willing to give in first. It was a bluff. A well practiced ruse. Drop some bait and wait for the mouse to get curious.

He was no mouse and whatever she offered, he wanted none of.

The fireplace glowed green with a letter, dropping to the floor. The only person to write him was Minerva, her loop and scrawl handwriting familiar

"Severus,
I know you are taking time away but the infirmary is running low on medicines. Half the student body has come down with a mysterious illness. High fever, vomiting, and rash. Could you please brew some flu potions?

- Minerva"

Sighing, he prepped for an all-nighter. The Master he recommended to Minerva was more than adequate but a sudden onslaught of sickness could wipe out any infirmary. He would make the potions after his shift at the bar.

Eve watched him with the well trained eye of an eagle. Nothing said. Just watching. It annoyed him. He just wanted her to accuse him of something. To tell him that she knew he was a wizard. Looking closer as he slid her drink across the bar, he noticed her eyes tinted purple spoke of little sleep or overwork. Or both. She leaned her head against the wall, messy top knot of toffee brown hair, harried and unkempt.

"Would you like a pillow?" he asked sardonically

Her eyes fluttered open, two little parentheses between the eyebrows, scowl set to match his own, words flowing out like lava ready to consume the unsuspecting village at the bottom.

"I have been awake for seventy two hours. I have seen ten people die in a pool of their own blood because of some weird virus for which we don't have a diagnosis. I haven't eaten because I throw up because I'm so fucking tired. My father called to parade my brother's promotion in front of me since I was medically discharged from the military, and now you're giving me shit for taking a breath in the one place that I can relax"

Luckily he had skill in a straight face. That sounded horrendous. He almost felt bad for teasing her. He had no idea the strain on her life. Deciding to take a turn from his norm of silence and sarcasm, he leaned over the bar apologetically

"I'm sorry"

Her shoulders drooped and a hand held onto her temple

"I must look awful if you're being nice to me now...It's fine. I'm just tired"

Reaching under the counter for his emergency supply, he picked up a vial of pepper up potion and a vial of dreamless sleep that he handed to her

"Take this one before bed. Then this one in the morning"

She eyed them skeptically, sniffing the contents with the utmost suspicion

"So should I just take this on your word? That this isn't drugged? That I won't die after I drink it? That it's legal?"

He shrugged, her suspicion not bothering him in the slightest. He knew his skill.

"It won't bother me. But you're the one who needs the sleep. Take it or don't"

"You're kind of a dick Sev" she threw at him, pocketing the vials nonetheless

"And yet you still come here every night and talk to me" he snapped, turning his back to her to make a drink

"One has very few actual choices in this life..." she muttered conspiratorially as she heaved herself off the chair

He knew this game. Shame. Fear. Pouty eyed sadness.