Chapter 1: On the Eve of Distruction

* Eve of Destruction, (1965). P.F. Sloan, Barry McGuire.

A week after the battle in London, Maya sat impatiently in Snape's dungeon office grateful for the cool dampness in the heat of the summer night. Severus had been summoned just after dinner; the pain and anger she saw in his eyes still lingered in her memory. Though his expression betrayed nothing of his emotion, she had become quite skilled at reading his eyes. At first, those onyx eyes appeared to be blank and cold, but now they were now quite literally the windows to his soul. Tonight was the first time Severus had been called to the Dark Lord since Malfoy's failure at the Ministry, and although Maya knew Snape was fully capable of playing his role, a small part of her was afraid for him.

She pulled at the tee shirt she wore. Even the dungeons were starting to warm in the late June heat. The rain and mist from the mountains and lake made the air humid and the jersey material felt clingy against her skin. She glanced at the mantel clock above the fireplace. He had been gone at least five hours now. "Bloody hell," she muttered impatiently and blew a curl from her damp forehead.

Maya heard movement in the passageway beyond, signaling his return. She moved from her seat behind his desk as he entered from the grounds. Severus stood there; tall frame held in perfect posture, his face lined with weariness, appearing uninjured. Relief swept through her, but when he raised his arm to remove his cloak, she saw the grimace cross his face. She noticed for the first time that he was stiff and rigid. She didn't give him a chance to refuse her help. She moved next to him, placing an arm around his waist. He winced at her touch.

"I can make it on my own," he hissed through clenched teeth, but he was in too much pain for his words to have much bite. He grudgingly allowed her to assist him. It bruised his pride to allow her to see him in such a weakened state.

"Hush, let me at least get you to your bed," she replied softly. She didn't fuss; neither her temperament nor his pride would allow that. She simply slipped her arm around him in support. A few moments later, she had helped him ease onto the large four-poster bed that they had shared since the battle at the Ministry forced the Order to evacuate Grimmauld Place. It was an awkward adjustment for both of them. Tonks was still in St. Mungo's and Maya's family home would be too dangerous. Maya had considered taking a room in Hogsmeade but neither Dumbledore nor Severus seemed eager to have her leave Hogwarts.

Maya did not want to offer too much help, but when she saw that the pain did not allow him to reach for his boots, she crouched to remove them. Then she helped him out of the frock coat. She removed the silver cufflinks she had given him for Christmas, and unbuttoned his crisp white shirt. Maya examined the marks and bruises left by the Dark Lord's curses with a critical eye. "Was it just the Cruciatus Curse?"

He gave her a short nod. "The Dark Lord is very displeased with the failure at the Ministry. He had hoped to go unseen for a little while longer, not to mention losing the prophecy. He decided to use the Cruciatus Curse tonight as a way of discouraging others from failing in the future. Pain can be a strong motivator." He said closed his eyes as he leaned back against a pillow.

"If there's anything Dumbledore needs to know tonight, I think he should come to you. You're in no shape to be heading up to his office." Maya moved to the small cupboard where she knew his healing potions were kept. She reached for the cool blue liquid that she and Severus had made from aconite, belladonna, and magnesium phosphate. It was the Dark Lord's love of the Cruciatus Curse that made this particular potion a good addition to the Order's stores; it acted specifically to dull nerve pain and regenerate damaged nerves.

"No, it's nothing that can't wait till morning," he said, eyes remaining closed.

She called Dougal. The ancient yet dutiful elf brought soup and tea for the potion master. After watching to make sure that he had finished the soup and most of the tea, Maya handed him first the blue potion and then a sleeping draft.

"The Dark Lord has made me one of the Counsel of Ten. I am now a member of his inner circle."

Maya swallowed, not knowing what to say. With Voldemort out in the open now, they were all in danger every day, but for Severus the stakes had just become impossibly high. "The Counsel of Ten. I guess he is very angry with Bellatrix and Malfoy," she said quietly.

"Indeed. It seems that Dumbledore has finally gotten his wish."

Maya frowned. Sometimes what Dumbledore asked of Severus seemed almost cruel, but Severus never complained or refused the Headmaster, so she kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she waved her wand, summoning a jar from the next room. Seconds later, she deftly caught the jar of healing ointment Severus had given her last spring. She took a small amount in her hands and began to massage it into some of the more angry-looking bruises as gently as possible.

"Leave it," he hissed. "I don't need a healer."

"Lay back down and stop being so difficult," she said, finding an unbruised spot on his shoulder and pushing him gently but firmly back down into the pillows. "If he calls again, you'll want to be able to stand up, won't you?" His only response was to close his eyes.

As Maya finished her ministrations, she watched him drift into sleep. Once he was asleep, she watched the rise and fall of his chest, his breathing easier now thanks to the pain potions taking effect. Once she was satisfied that he was sleeping soundly, Maya moved to what she had begun to think of as her side of the bed. Within minutes she was asleep.

"Lily…No!" The mumbled cry cut through the quiet of the dungeons, startling Maya awake. As she got her bearings, she turned to the man next to her. Since their first night together, she noticed he was occasionally plagued by nightmares. He was in the grasp of one of his nightmares and she heard the name 'Lily' spoken again very clearly. She did not try to wake him but instead got up and found a calming draft.

Maya cradled his face in her hands, and at once he calmed. She could not help but think that perhaps it was not her hands he was imagining in this dream. She had no disillusions about their 'relationship.' They had promised each other nothing, and although he knew much of her past, he had spoken very little of his own. She placed the potion to his lips and watched as he took two long drinks. At once his dreams seem to abate returning him to a sound sleep.

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The brilliant glow of a patronus drifted through the dim dungeon in the early hours of the morning. Maya stirred her from sleep. She was able to make out the figure of a magnificent phoenix before the patronus shimmered out of existence. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dimness of the dungeon. Severus was awake and lighting a candle.

"Hurry, I may need your assistance," he said quickly. Maya grabbed a silk robe from the bedside chair and followed Severus to the fireplace.

"Headmaster's office," he said before stepping into the green flames.

Maya followed, stepping out onto Dumbledore's worn hearthrug. Her eyes took in the sight of Dumbledore sitting on the floor, back propped against his ornate desk. An antique ring with a cracked black stone lay on the floor by his hand, which was blackened and burned. Severus had already begun assessing the damage to Dumbledore's hand.

"Bring me the essence of Murlap and Dragon's Blood elixir. We have to stop the curse from taking more of his arm," Severus ordered. Maya went back through the fire, rummaging through the potion cupboard as fast as she could for the two items and anything else she saw that could be useful. She sprinted back through the fire and knelt at Dumbledore's other side, taking the old man's hand in hers, passing Severus the items he needed with the other.

"Good thinking, the phoenix tears and Morgana's Revenge will be helpful," he said without looking at her, all of his concentration focused on his work.

Dumbledore was weak. His sparkling eyes were dim with exhaustion and pain. However, even in his weakened state he raised an eyebrow at Snape's rare use of a compliment.

"It seems the two of you have proved to be a strong partnership after all," the old man said, a touch of humor returning to his tired voice. Maya was wearing Snape's green silk robe. He smiled at her, squeezing her hand.

Maya smiled back, shaking her head at him. "Now is not the time Albus," she said to him quietly, giving his good hand a squeeze.

Severus' only response was to snort dismissively at the old man's comment.

"There, I think I've slowed its spreading, but I don't know of anything that can stop it altogether or reverse the damage that's already been done, Albus. From here Poppy must take over," Snape said, raising himself to his feet.

"Dear boy, I believe I owe you my life this time," Dumbledore replied. Maya raised herself to her feet and helped Severus pull the older wizard up from the floor.

"Don't thank me yet, you're not out of the woods, old man," Severus said as he and Maya helped Dumbledore to his bedchamber. Maya left the two men alone and went to fetch Madame Pomfrey.

It took the better part of a week for Dumbledore to regain his strength enough to be up and about the castle again. As the following weeks came and went, his health, fueled no doubt by his unsinkable spirit, bounced back with gusto. His arm however, did not. It remained as black and withered as a piece of wood pulled from a hot fire; all attempts by Severus and Poppy to completely stop the slow progression of the poison had failed.