FicWad

Chapter 22



'With a little bit of blooming luck...'











"Severus, come in, come, in."



Severus was instantly on his guard; not trusting Voldemort's 'jovial' mood.



"Master." He knelt, head bowed.



"Up, get up!"



Severus rose, but kept his head down. Voldemort sat in his chair, regarding his Potions Master.



"I don't know what you said to Bella, exactly/, but I'm pleased you reminded her that becoming a mother isn't as easy as she has been assuming it will be. None of the Black women are to be taken lightly when it comes to defending their own. Even that blood traitor Andromeda would die for her Mudblood mate. I expect no less from Narcissa, although Bella /will have her heart's desire in the end. It should be quite the battle."



"I'm not doubting the outcome of that meeting, Master, just giving a word of /caution/. Bella was always a little.../volatile/...in her temperament."



"Indeed.../fiery/. Well, what news do you have for me, Severus?"



"I know the identity of Narcissa's Secret Keeper."



"Excellent!"



"...but it will be of no use to Bella or yourself, Master."



"What? Why not?" Voldemort's mood changed instantly as he glowered at Severus.



"Simply because of the fact that her Secret Keeper is Anastasia Twigg-Jones."



"/WHAT/!"



The Dark Lord stared for a moment and then threw back his head and laughed; a dry mirthless cackle.



"And I know precisely who suggested her, too...Albus Dumbledore. I will be SO pleased when I put an end to his meddling, smug, 'thorn-in-my-side' existence!"



"Indeed, Master; a great day for all."



"I suppose it would be too much to hope that someone at Hogwarts knows that bitch Twigg-Jones' Secret Keeper?"



"No, Master. Not that I've been able to ascertain. However, there is always the possibility of Draco letting something slip, in conversation. He has relaxed a bit toward me and talks about the contents of the letters he receives from his mother ...not frequently, but there is communication between them and I'm always listening for the slightest clue as to her whereabouts."



"Very good, Severus. That, at least, should mollify Bella."



'Something isn't right/,' thought Severus. '/I should be writhing on the floor by now for failing to bring more information.'



"Perhaps I should tell her what I've told you, Master; to improve her temper."



"Yes. Give her that bit of information and reassure her that you are looking out for her interests."



"Yes, Master."







XoXoXoXoX







As Severus left the room, he saw Bella standing near the door to the terrace, with a grim smile on her face.



"Ah, Bella; just the person I was looking for. I have some news to share with you."



"Really?"



"Yes, but I..." Severus looked down at the table where he had left his wand. It was gone and he had a pretty good idea who had taken it. "...would call it good news and bad news," he continued, missing just a beat.



He turned to walk toward Bella, who lifted her hand and waggled Severus' wand, teasing him. He held out his hand.



"Why, thank you, Bella. How kind of you to keep my wand safe."



"You tell me what I want to know, Severus and you can have it back."



"Don't be a brat, Bella; it's unbecoming."



"Where is she?"



"Ask her Secret Keeper."



"Who is?"



"Anastasia Twigg-Jones."



"LIAR!"



"Who else could she use? You? Me? Wormtail? Of course, it wasn't her idea; my esteemed Headmaster suggested her to Narcissa."



"That BITCH!"



"Anastasia or Narcissa?" He was sounding mildly amused.



"Both!"



"Ah, well, I agree. Now, give me my wand, please."



"NO!"



"No? Surely you jest?"



"Never. I want to know where she is! NOW!"



"I don't know and I have been unable to discover the name of Professor Twigg-Jones' Secret Keeper. Even Dumbledore hasn't any idea who it might be."



"He wouldn't tell you, you fool!"



Severus sighed and continued, in a voice he would use to explain to a small child.



"Bella, I have spent the last eight months getting this information. Dumbledore had a Memory Charm performed, so he truly does not know the identity of the Secret Keeper. I've used Legilimens on Draco; he hasn't a clue as to his mother's whereabouts. Anastasia and Narcissa have both covered their trails, completely. I'm still trying to get information, though; you just have to...be patient."







XoXoXoXoX







Bella was seething with rage. She yanked open the door to the terrace and stalked out, Severus following leisurely behind her. She paced back and forth, Severus watching silently, until she stopped at the center of the wall overlooking the sea far below. Her shoulders were heaving, fists clenched and then she threw back her head and screamed her frustrations to the night sky. Severus stood, waiting to see what Bella would do next.



"I find it hard to believe my dear sister wouldn't tell you her whereabouts or at least contact you, Severus," she said in a low, growling voice.



"/Why /would she contact /me/? She trusts no-one that had any possible connection to the Dark Lord."



"Not even the father of her child?"



"Lucius? ...What? That makes no sense."



"Lucius? HA! I mean YOU, Severus." She spun around. "You surely should know where your lover is hiding."



"My...don't be absurd, Bella."



"Absurd, am I? We'll see who's absurd!"



She turned and hurled Severus' wand with all her might and then screamed, "/Bombarda/!" The tumbling wand exploded in a ball of fire and sparks. She spun to face Severus, her own wand pointed at him.



"Now who's absurd...me or you, Severus; a wizard without his wand?"



Severus hadn't moved, made a sound or shown any emotion over Bella's little display. He walked to the wall and watched the last sparks falling, sputtering feebly and finally fading. Bella had sidestepped and come around behind him, to stand beside the door with her back against the building.



With his hands in front of him, Severus turned his signet ring so the stone faced inward and pulled his own wand down from inside his sleeve so the tip was in his palm. He turned to face Bella. The moon had risen and he was silhouetted in its pale light.



"You are past absurd, Bella; you are certifiably insane. And gullible beyond belief, to believe that Narcissa is my lover and her child is mine. But there is no reasoning with you. This conversation is over."



He started for the door, but Bella stepped into his path, wand pointed at his heart.



"I will have my daughter."



"Over my dead body."



"As you wish, Severus."







XoXoXoXoX







"/Bella/!" Rodolphus burst onto the terrace and grabbed her arm.



"/Let go of me/!" she screamed, wrenching her arm free, not taking her eyes off of Severus, who took a few steps backward.



"What are you /doing/?" demanded Rodolphus, grabbing her arm again and spinning her around to face him.



"I'm going to kill him! He's a traitor! He's the father, not Lucius! He's been lying to all of us!"



Rodolphus looked at Severus in surprise. "Is this true?"



"No."



"/LIAR/!" Bella screeched as she spun, shooting a spell at Severus, who easily ducked.



"Have you no control over your mate?" Severus lifted an eyebrow.



Rodolphus glared at Severus but then turned to Bella.



"Our Master won't appreciate...."



"The Dark Lord told me, /himself/...He told me /everything/!" Bella was watching Severus with pure hatred in her eyes, but he appeared calm and unaffected by her emotional outbursts.



Rodolphus shook his head. "That's not possible; Severus would never..."



"You would believe him over the word of our /Master/?"



"No! Never, but..."



"But, /what/?" Bella turned on her husband, eyes flashing. "If you haven't the stomach for this, /my dear/, perhaps you should leave."



"Bella..."



"Perhaps you /should /leave her to it, Rodolphus; she seems determined to do me a mischief," sneered Severus.



"Mischief? HA! /Bombarda/!" Bella unleashed a spell at the wall next to Severus, blasting a good portion of the stone and mortar into the abyss beyond. Severus didn't even flinch. "/Bombarda/!" Part of the wall on the other side of Severus crumbled and fell away into the darkness.



"Aren't you even going to defend yourself, Severus?" Rodolphus asked, astonished at Severus' calm demeanor.



"Bella saw fit to destroy my wand; there is little I can do without it. However, might I suggest you step back a bit; can't have you tumbling over the edge by accident, now, can we? You'd miss him terribly, wouldn't you Bella?"



"/Shut up/!" Bella hissed, wand now aimed, once again, at Severus' heart.



"I imagine our Master would comfort you, though. You are/, as you see fit to inform us at /every opportunity, his /favorite/, are you not?"



Now it was Rodolphus who glared at Severus.



"What are you insinuating, Snape?"



Severus shrugged. "One hears rumors..."



"You /BASTARD/!"



Bella unleashed another spell, but Severus easily stepped out of the way, the resulting explosion taking yet another section of the restraining wall over the edge and sending cracks zigzagging across the flagstone floor.



"Bella, get back!"



Rodolphus was suddenly alarmed at the situation and he dragged Bella toward the door. Severus remained still, watching them struggle. Bella started to protest but Rodolphus spoke first.



"/Enough/! We can discuss this inside, Bella! We'll ask the Dark Lord's advice."



"/He told me to kill him/!" Bella was still trying to get free. "/He wants Severus dead/!"



"What?" Rodolphus turned to regard Snape, with a questioning look on his face.



"It would seem my services as potion maker and spy are no longer needed," intoned Severus calmly, as he watched the crack in the stone floor widening. He felt the stones under his feet start to shift. Bella wrenched herself free from her husband's grasp and took a step toward Severus. "I wouldn't, if I were you, Bella."



"Really?" she hissed and smiling grimly, Bella took another step.



CRACK! Crack, crack, pop! Crack, crack CRACK!



The section of the terrace that Severus was standing on tilted alarmingly and hung, suspended for a split second, before breaking off totally. Bella screamed as she slipped off the edge into the gapping fissure.



"BELLA! /ACCIO/!" Rodolphus yelled, pointing his wand where she had fallen.



Bella flew upward out of the yawning crack and into her husband's arms, throwing them both back against the building, momentarily stunning them.







XoXoXoXoX







Severus had given the Lestranges a cursory glance as he disappeared from view and realizing that they couldn't see what happened to him, pushed off from the tilting floor, propelling himself outward, away from the cliff face. He was falling, slowly cartwheeling, but not so fast as to totally disorient him. He could still estimate how far above the rocks he was.



Reaching down, he quickly pulled his wand tip down to touch his signet ring. Severus felt, rather than saw, chunks of rock and mortar flying past him, but he was concentrating too much on the water and rocks below to give it much thought. He reached into his pocket and threw the handful of 'blood' squibs into the air.



'Just another second,' he said to himself.



A piece of rock, tumbling near him, ricocheted off the cliff face, hitting him on the temple, just as he opened his mouth to say the charm to activate the Portkey. Simultaneously, a giant plume of seawater shot skyward from the crashing waves below, engulfing and choking him.



He was losing consciousness quickly, but coughed and gasped, "Portus!" as another billowing explosion of water on rock enveloped him. 'Anna,' was his last thought as he blacked out.



There was a faint bluish light from within the sea foam and flying spray as it fell back onto the rocks ....or was it just the moonlight reflecting off the water droplets as they cascading down the sharp edges of granite. An instant later, the remains of the terrace met the jagged outcrops with a tremendous rumbling crash that brought Bella and Rodolphus to their feet.







XoXoXoXoX







"Bella, /no/! Stay back!"



"Where is he? /I have to see/!"



She strained against her husband's arms, trying to look over the ragged edge of what was left of the terrace.



"You can't see; it's too dark and he's dead. No one could survive that fall without their wand and with all of that stone raining down on them and the sea pounding on those rocks. He's gone, Bella...he's dead and gone."







XoXoXoXoX







"I am more than concerned, this time, Alastor; I fear for his very life!"



Dumbledore sat at his desk, facing Mad-eye Moody and Remus Lupin. Remus ran his fingers thru his hair as Mad-eye shook his head. Christopher was also sitting in on this meeting; elbows on knees, hands clenched, a frown on his face.



"But he did go prepared, didn't he, Albus?" Christopher asked. "Anna was adamant that he take precautions."



"Yes; for once he heeded our warnings. I just hope he won't need..."



/KAFUMP!/



Severus appeared on the hearth rug in a flash of blue light. He was soaking wet and there was an ugly, bleeding gash on his temple.



"/Severus/!" Remus leapt up and ran to kneel next to him. "Severus, can you hear me?"



Dumbledore came swiftly from behind his desk to kneel next to Remus. Mad-eye stumped around to the other side and bent over. Christopher jumped up to get a better look.



"That's a nasty crack to the head, that."



"Remus! Take your handkerchief and press it to that wound to stop the bleeding," shouted Christopher. "Albus, should I get Poppy?"



"Wait, Christopher!" Albus held up his hand; Severus had moaned.



His eyes flickered and he turned his head slightly trying to speak. Remus leaned close and listened intently, nodding.



"I understand, Severus. You're safe. We'll take care of everything."



Severus' eyes closed as he slipped back into unconsciousness.



"What did he say, Remus?" Mad-eye's magical blue eye was flicking between Lupin and Snape.



Looking up at the old Auror, Remus gave a small smile and replied, "He said, 'They think I'm dead, hide me'." Turning to the Headmaster, Remus added, "It's family re-union time, don't you think, Albus?"



"Indeed. Christopher, please fetch Anna and Gwen, and /hurry/, time is of the essence."



"I'm gone." Christopher left his frame.







XoXoXoXoX







Rabastan Lestrange burst onto the terrace and skidded to a stop.



"Bloody hell!" He turned as he became aware of Bella and Rodolphus standing to the side. "/What happened/?"



"There was an accident, the terrace broke away and Snape fell...to his death." Rodolphus looked hard at his brother, eyebrow arching.



Rabastan's eyes widened and then he nodded. "Let's get inside before anymore breaks off," he urged, opening the door wide and ushering the couple back into the hallway.







XoXoXoXoX







"What's going on?" Wormtail came skittering up, trying to see out the door.



"I am interested in knowing, also," Voldemort agreed, as he emerged from his room, his followers falling to their knees. "Are you injured Bella...Rodolphus?"



"No, Master."



"I was able to pull Bella back to safety, my Lord."



"Was anyone injured?"



"Yes, my Lord, Severus Snape fell to his death."



Wormtail gasped and risked at glance at Bella, her down turned face wearing a smirk of triumph.



"Really? Are you certain?"



"His wand was lost over the edge; he was powerless to save himself," Rodolphus explained. "I was nearer to Bella and by the time I had her safe, back on the flagstones, he was gone. There was nothing we could do, Master."



"I see....pity." He walked to the still open door and lazily waved his wand. "/Reparo/."



There was a faint rumbling as the sea and cliff face gave up the scattered pieces of the terrace, which flew skyward and reassembled themselves. On several stones gleamed small patches of red, which the Dark Lord saw glistening in the light from the hall and walked forward to inspect. It was blood, Severus' blood.



"Scourgify."



With that, the terrace was perfect, as if nothing untoward had ever happened there. A smile flickered across Voldemort's face as he gazed down at the pounding waves and rocks below, bathed in the moonlight.



"Pity."



With a swirl of robes, he re-entered the hallway and the door slammed shut behind him.







XoXoXoXoX







"/ANNA! GWEN! COME QUICKLY!/" Christopher bellowed with all his might, the dogs barking excitedly.



Anna came running down the stairs with Narcissa right behind her. Gwen literally shot out of the front parlor, skidding to a halt by the table, even as Eileen glided swiftly into the hall from the kitchen.



"Gwen, get your bag! NOW!"



"Right!" She sprinted back into the parlor.



"/Christopher/? What's wrong?" Anna had reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to face the portrait.



"Anna, it's Severus; he's hurt; come through quickly."



Anna knocked on the Passage Door and Cyrus' peep hole popped open. "I heard, dear lady."



"Nephilim."



"God speed."



The door latch clicked, Anna grabbed it and pushed, just as Gwen reappeared from the parlor with her medical bag in hand.



"I'll watch the children," Narcissa assured Anna.



Anna looked back and nodded; her anxiety evident in her eyes and silence. She stepped through, followed by Gwen and the door swung shut.



"Christopher...is Severus..." Eileen was looking paler than usual, if that was possible.



"Appears to be a head wound; something clunked him pretty hard. I'll just go see what's happening and be right back."



"Thank you, Christopher," Narcissa said, and then she sat on the bench and patted the spot next to her. "Come, sit, Eileen, we'll wait together."



"Oh, Cissa, I'm so frightened."



"He'll be fine," Cissa reassured the ghost. "And Christopher will be back; he's a Muggle of his word."







XoXoXoXoX







The column next to Fawkes' perch opened and Anna and Gwen stepped through and moved quickly to where they saw Remus bending over Severus. Mad-eye and Albus were standing next to them, watching. As they joined him, Remus looked up, surprised.



"Gwen! Anna! How...oh, never mind. He's been hit on the head, rather badly, there's a lot of blood."



Gwen gently lifted and removed Remus' handkerchief and then replaced it with a gauze bandage.



"That's going to require a few stitches, but head wounds always bleed a lot, Remus, don't worry about that. It's what might have happened inside his thick skull that we're concerned with."



Anna had been running a diagnostic with her wand around Severus' head and neck, then a swift one down his body and back.



"A rather severe concussion, but, no other injuries, that I can find. Good bit of blood loss, but not critical. Bed rest, peace and quiet should put him right." She sat back with a sigh and then put her hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. Tears glistened in her eyes. "What happened?" Anna managed to gasp, as she looked up at Albus.



"We're not certain, Anna, dear, he just landed here on the rug, but he did manage to whisper to Remus before he passed out."



Anna and Gwen swung their attention to Remus.



"He said, and I quote 'They think I'm dead, hide me.' Are you up for a little company?" Remus gave Anna a wry smile.



Gwen looked at Anna, her eyes twinkling. "Does he snore?"



"Yes, but I'll put a silencing charm on our room."



"Oh...alright, then, he can come home with us...I suppose." She heaved a big sigh and then collapsed into Remus arms, giggling.



"Brat/!" Anna and Albus said at the same time, and then they looked at each other and smiled. Anna looked down at Severus and brushed his wet hair out of his eyes. "Lord, where /was he? He smells like the Thames at low tide." She picked a big piece of seaweed off of his robes. "We'd better get him home and changed out of these wet clothes."







XoXoXoXoX







"I'll tell Cissa you're on the way," Christopher called.



"Cissa?" Mad-eye Moody looked up, surprised. "Narcissa Malfoy? With you two?"



"Who better to hide with, then your /Secret Keeper/; she didn't trust anyone else, Mad-eye." Anna stood and hugged her old friend.



"That's damn smart thinking." He put back his head and laughed.







XoXoXoXoX







"Cissa, they'll be coming in a minute," Christopher informed her, sticking his head into the frame.



"Is he badly hurt?" Eileen inquired.



"Just the bump on the old noggin', Eileen, nothing else, honestly; he was damn lucky," Christopher assured them, as Cissa and Eileen looked at each other. "Oh, right; I guess we could call this a successful test of your Potion, don't you think, Cissa?"



"Indeed. I'm just sorry Severus was the guinea pig."



"So am I, dear, so am I," agreed Eileen, with a shake of her head.



"Perhaps you better stand back a bit, so nobody sees you, Eileen; just in case. We can't take a chance that someone would put two and two together, if they spotted you," Cissa suggested.



"Good thinking, and very sneaky, too. Is it the Slytherin in you or is Anna contagious?"



"I think a little of both, actually." Cissa rose and moved to stand next to the door, in case she was needed. Eileen drifted into the door to the parlor, where she could observe, but not be seen.







XoXoXoXoX







"Wormtail."



"Yes, Master?"



"You will go and watch at the gates. Report ANY activity to me, no matter how trivial you may deem it; understood?"



"Yes, Master. I'll leave immediately."







XoXoXoXoX







"Anna, Gwen, I think it's time Mad-eye and Remus learn your little secret, don't you?"



"They'll have to know, unless you toss them out of your office, and I don't see that happening." Anna stood and conjured Severus onto a stretcher.



Gwen closed her bag and walked around the other side of the Headmaster's desk, while Anna maneuvered the stretcher toward Fawkes perch. Turning, she regarded the two Wizards and then smiled.



"Ok, you two, here we go." She went up to the column of stone and whispered; there was a click and the Passage Door swung open.



"Blimey!" "What in the...."



Albus was watching with an amused look as Mad-eye turned toward him, a scowl on his face.



"Why wasn't the Auror Office told of this, Albus?"



"I just found out about it myself, Alastor, at Christmas; never had a clue it even existed. And, truthfully, the fewer people who know about this, the safer we'll all be. Agreed?" He looked over his half-moon glasses at his old friend.



Moody took a deep breath, then seemed to consider it for a moment and exhaled in one swift, "Hummph!"



"I'll take that as a yes," Dumbledore chuckled.



Gwen was standing by Fawkes' perch, holding the door wide, as Anna walked the unconscious form of her husband through.



"Hello, Fawkes. Lot's of coming and going, eh?" She reached out and petted the scarlet bird, which fluffed his feathers, blinked at her and nodded.



Remus was craning his neck to see through the door, natural curiosity getting the better of him. Narcissa was standing on the other side, in the hallway and waved at him.



"Hello, Remus."



"Narcissa! Hello, how's Lyn?"



"Cute as a button and growing like a weed. We'd invite you to tea, but it looks as if we have a more pressing problem right, now." She glanced down at Severus as he was floated by.



"Indeed," replied Remus. "I'll hold a rain check on that tea. Take care."



Gwen gave him a quick kiss and followed Anna through the door. "See you soon, I hope, love."



"Goodbye for now, darling. I love you." Gwen smiled and waved as the door closed.







XoXoXoXoX







Wormtail crouched under a pile of leaves he had fashioned into a kind of shelter outside of the gates of Hogwarts. He was close enough to watch without worrying about being discovered. It was dark and he hadn't seen or heard anything unusual...so far. He'd stay and watch until someone came for him. He hoped he'd have something important to report to the Dark Lord.



'/Damn// that Bella/,' he thought. 'It would be her that got to kill Snape, the traitor. Well, one less Death Eater means one less competitor for the Dark Lord's attention. Now, how can I get the Lestranges out of the picture and become indispensable to my Master?'



He snuggled down in his nest, thoughts of possible scenarios for their demise swimming though his brain.







XoXoXoXoX







"Master bedroom?"



"No, the small one at the end of the hall, I think, for now. It's quieter and he'll need his rest."



"He's got one nasty concussion, Cissa," Gwen informed her.



"Plus a tiny bit of inner-cranial bleeding, which has stopped, thankfully. He's lucky it wasn't worse."



"What happened?"



"Don't know, but he's wet through, with sea water, by the aroma. We'll just have to wait for the details, when he's conscious again."







XoXoXoXoX







Eileen floated over, and looked down at her son for the first time in twenty years.



"Is he going to be alright?" she whispered, her concern etched on her pale face, a silvery tear running down her cheek.



"He'll be fine, Eileen. He'll have a bad headache and a scar on his temple as a reminder, but otherwise, no broken bones or internal injuries."



"Truthfully, I'm more concerned about his reaction to waking up here/. What if he /hates it, what if he won't stay?" More tears coursed down her cheeks. "What if he won't speak to me?" she added in a small voice.



Anna put her arm around her Mother-in-law, as best she could, and tried to comfort her. "I think he'll be just fine with the house and with being able to see and talk with you." Turning to look her in the eye, she continued, "Eileen, Severus had changed, for the better, you'll see."







XoXoXoXoX







"So, Voldemort thinks he's dead." Mad-eye stumped over and sat down in his chair.



"Apparently; a distinct advantage to us," replied Dumbledore, as he settled back behind his desk



"Why so, Albus, if he's in hiding?" Remus, too, regained his seat.



"He'll think it's a blow to our plans; no Potions Master, no spy, one less adult defender at Hogwarts, and psychologically demoralizing to the Order and the D.A. Also, rumors of Severus' death will be circulated through the Wizarding community in general, which would cause grave concern with most, if not all. The Ministry will not be pleased and I'm actually looking forward to how the Daily Prophet handles this."



Dumbledore seemed to be gleefully anticipating the coming weeks.



"Which begs the question - who should know the truth?" Remus leaned forward, brow knit in thought.



"For the moment...just us three; we'll act as if we have no idea where Severus has gone."



"Which is the truth," Remus pointed out. "We know he's alive/, but /not where he is."



"Precisely. When it becomes a public concern about his continued absence, we'll discreetly inform, on a need to know basis, those who it will affect most. No one at the Ministry will be told the truth, as I'm sure word would be passed to Tom. It will remain more of an 'in house' secret, if you will." Dumbledore leaned back, removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I was thinking of the Order and the D.A. only."







XoXoXoXoX







"Speaking of /house/, who do we get to teach Potions and oversee Slytherin House?" asked Remus.



"I have someone in mind, whose family had several members in Slytherin House. I must make some discreet inquiries as to her availability."



"Her?" Mad-eye sat up, his interest aroused.



"Augusta Longbottom; excellent in Potions in her days here. This is why she despaired of Neville's frequent failures in Severus' classes. I believe she would enjoy a bit of a change and a challenge during the remaining winter months. I'll send her an owl this evening."



"Ha!" Remus barked out a laugh. "Neville will be thanking his lucky stars he's not taking Potions this year."



"Indeed." Dumbledore chuckled.







XoXoXoXoX







Severus turned his head as he started to awake and regretted it immediately. His temple was throbbing, which seemed odd, until his mind sorted out what had happened. He lifted his hand and felt a bandage.



'Oh, right; bloody boulder,' he thought. 'Was Lupin there? It sounded like him. I seem to remember whispering something.' He furrowed his brow, trying to think. 'Ow!' Even that small movement brought another shot of pain.



He slowly opened his eyelids, but didn't turn his head, just flicked his eyes left and then right, to survey the dimly lit room.



'This isn't my chambers.'



Another quick look.



'Not St. Mungo's.'



He closed his eyes.



'Where in the bloody hell am I?'



He sighed.



'Obviously someplace safe,' he thought, as he drifted off to sleep, secure in the fact he must be in good hands...he'd sort it out later.







XoXoXoXoX







At breakfast next morning, the students were talking about going to Hogsmeade and an upcoming Quidditch match.



Draco glanced at Snape's empty chair and then turned his gaze to Harry, who raised an eyebrow. Draco shrugged.







XoXoXoXoX







As they were leaving the Great Hall, Harry approached the Headmaster.



"Ah, Professor Dumbledore, have you seen Professor Snape?"



"Not this morning, Mr. Potter. I believe he left the school grounds on an errand last night after dinner."



Peering over his glasses at Harry, he raised his eyebrow. Harry nodded. Draco had arrived just in time to hear Albus' answer. The Headmaster swept away and Harry and Draco exchanged looks. They knew exactly what 'an errand' meant.



"I've got a bad feeling about this," Harry muttered.



"Yeah." Draco frowned.







XoXoXoXoX