(Un)lucky
Pairing: Filius Flitwick & Severus Snape & female Ravenclaw reader
Word count: 840
Warnings: none
Summary: you fall ill on the very first day of the semester and get comfort from an unexpected party
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It was the first day of the semester and it was pouring rain. Just like everyone else, you were soaked and shivery when you finally got to the Great Hall. Thankfully it at least was warm inside. You scrambled to your House table among the other students and slumped on a free chair. Your breathing was labored and your head felt heavy. You weren’t just wet. You had gotten ill. What a start for the year!
When your friend joined you at the table, you barely reacted. You were feeling way too awful. Really you would have wanted to be in bed, not sitting there in the crowded room. Your friend could tell you weren’t well, and of course got worried.
“Hey, what is it, what’s wrong?” She tried to ask, but you only gave a gesture between shrugging and shaking your head. You didn’t have the energy for this, not now.
Even more worried, your friend looked towards the High Table where the staff was sitting, and caught the gaze of professor Flitwick who had also noticed something was off. As the head of your house, he decided to come and check, and scurried over to your table with his short legs.
Instead of addressing you formally, he quietly called out your first name. You felt his small hand on your back and could barely hold back the tears as you turned to look at him. What you met was steady eyes and a compassionate expression.
“How are you doing?” Flitwick asked.
“I… I’m not feeling too well”, you managed to get out.
“Yes, I can see that. Well, worry not. I’ll go get some Pepperup Potion from Madam Pomfrey. That should help.”
You sniffled and nodded faintly, and so Flitwick was on his way. Your friend leaned in and hugged you, trying to comfort you, but it wasn’t quite enough. Your head was pounding, all the people and the chatter around you certainly didn’t help the matter. You leaned your head in your hands, trying to fight off the nausea. You had been tired in the train but now you were sure you had gotten a fever, probably from all that rain. You let your eyes full shut for a moment, but it only made you feel more ill.
Approaching footsteps reached your consciousness, and at first you assumed it was Flitwick returning, but the steps sounded different than his and besides, were coming from the wrong direction. You didn’t bother to look up, but you did sense someone stopping by your side and getting down on one knee to be closer to your level.
“Hey”, a quiet voice said next to you.
Snape.
Confusion flickered through your blurry mind when you realized that it really was the Potions’ Master himself kneeling beside you, and not just a feverish dream of yours.
“Professor Flitwick will be back soon”, said Snape, who apparently had either heard or guessed the content of the previous conversation. “Just hold on, you’ll be alright.”
You mumbled something unclear and tried to blink your tears away, but with little success. You felt so miserable! Snape sighed, and to your even greater surprise, started to slowly stroke your back.
“You’re okay, girl”, he murmured half-reluctantly, “You’re okay…”
You sniffled again, but it would have been a lie to claim you didn’t feel a little bit better. And after a moment that felt like forever but hardly had been more than a few minutes, Flitwick was back with a smoky goblet of… something.
“Here we are”, he squeaked and handed the goblet to you.
You turned to take it, wiped your eyes, and gave it a suspicious look before drinking. The liquid burned on its way down and made you wince, but it didn’t take long before it took effect, and you felt your energy coming back.
“Better?” Asked Flitwick more briskly after noticing the change in your demeanor.
You nodded and then smiled. “Yeah. Thank you.”
“Well, then”, muttered Snape who seemed to have been waiting to confirm that the problem had been resolved, got up and went back to the High Table. Flitwick made the goblet disappear with a wave of a wand, smiled, and then followed Snape to the other teachers.
“Wow!” Was the first thing your friend said when both men were out of hearing range. “Since when has Snape cared about other students than his own?!”
“Don’t ask me”, you said, just as puzzled as she was now that your head was clear again, and you could process what had happened. Snape wasn't exactly known for his kindness, and yet he had came to reassure you while waiting for Flitwick to come back.
“Unbeliavable”, your friend marveled out loud. “Wonder what has gotten into him!”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure he’s back to normal by our Potions class”, you huffed and made both of you laugh.
But secretly you were more than pleased to see that Snape did care, even if he hardly ever showed it in any way.