Wow, thanks again for all the kind words. You're what motivate me to write! Also, slight warnings apply to this chapter: there will be some blood and a bit of foul language because Sal is not a happy camper. As always, let me know what you guys think :-)

10. Complications

Godric cursed as as soon as the door to their quarters banged shut, Salazar doubled over and gagged as he spat out a disturbing amount of blood, and the trail the slender wizard left behind him as he stumbled into the large bathroom unsettled the broad redhead greatly as he moved to follow.

The older man had refused medical care, and Godric had convinced the worried Mediwitch Madam Pomfrey that it wasn't as serious as it looked and that he would be able to take care of it. It wouldn't do for any of the other Professors to find out about Salazar's Shadow magic, and they would surely realize something was off about the other man's magic if they tried to Heal him and failed… And he knew Salazar had really not been planning on getting hurt bad enough to need a medic in the first place.

He followed swiftly, watching in silence as Salazar stripped out of his robes and Muggle undershirt with painful, jerky motions, throwing the blood-soaked clothes aside before holding a trembling hand to the gaping wound just above his right hip, the cut running all the way up to his breastbone. That was worse than he had expected, and the blood still flowed freely between the pale man's fingers as he sat down on the floor underneath one of the showerheads, and to Godric's dismay some of the blood he could see was frothing slightly.

Which was a clear indication that the cut was deep enough to have damaged a lung. This day just kept on giving.

"Salazar, breathe," he ushered sternly as he knelt in front of the other man, grabbing his shoulders to push him slightly more upright so the action would cost less effort. If this were anyone else, Godric would fear for his life. As it was, he was still sick to his stomach with worry, but in the end he knew his partner would be okay. He always was.

Salazar wheezed in rapid, agonizing gasps, eyes closed in concentration as he focused his Shadow magic into healing his body. As always, Godric felt awe at the other wizard's power as painfully slowly, the bleeding stopped and the wound was covered in darkness as the unnatural magic took hold.

"Goddamn piece of shit… Fuck..!" Salazar choked out in cold fury, and Godric wasn't sure if the anger was actually directed at Snape or at Salazar himself as the pale haired wizard sucked in ragged breaths, the air around him pulsing with dark energy. This inhuman magic was not meant for Healing, but it sped up the healing process to an incredible rate so that potentially fatal wounds like the one Salazar had suffered could be healed in a matter of hours instead of weeks. Unfortunately, it was not the instant cure-all conventional magic could be.

"I'm going to grab the kit… You okay for now?" A nod was all he received in answer, but it was enough, and the redhead quickly went to retrieve their medical supplies. When he returned, Salazar had somehow gotten back to his feet and turned on the shower, and the water ran red as the slender wizard stood under the spray, still dressed from the waist down. He almost jumped in as the injured man carefully toed off his boots and kicked them to the side, almost losing his balance in the process, but he managed to steady himself just in time. So Godric restrained himself and continued to watch in silence as the older wizard slowly and gingerly washed away the blood, revealing what had previously been hidden from view.

Already, the bleeding had stopped, but it was obvious breathing was a struggle as Salazar coughed harshly several times, choking on more blood as he doubled over slightly again in an attempt to ease some of the discomfort. The aftermath left him breathless and gasping for air, and Godric felt frustrated at his inability to help his friend as he fought to pull air into his lungs. The redhaired wizard had to grudgingly admire the sheer willpower it must have taken for Salazar to have hidden this until they were safely back in their rooms.

This would not be healed by tomorrow… Not completely. He wondered how badly off Snape was, but he quickly discarded that train of thought as unimportant as Salazar was caught up in another round of wrecking coughs. The pale haired wizard groaned hoarsely as the coughing ceased finally, blood still dripping from his lips as he spat out a mouthful before tipping his head back and allowing the water to run down his face, bracing his hands against the tiles to steady himself as he closed his eyes.

He was a mess, and Godric felt his chest tighten as the older man shut off the spray and turned around and looked at him. Those pale grey irises were dark with pain, but remarkably sharp and aware as Salazar blinked water out of his eyes. The wound was still raw and angry, but as the bleeding had now stopped completely he could already see the skin knitting closed underneath the dark tendrils twisting around the edges of the vicious cut across his partner's abdomen.

In two days, the only evidence that there had ever been an injury would be yet another scar…

Salazar dried himself off with a quick burst of magic before making his way back into his bedroom, holding the walls for support until he reached his destination, and he eased himself down slowly until he was sitting on the edge of the bed, chest heaving as he panted shallowly. Godric waited until the older man was settled before digging into the medical kit in search of the special brand of Muggle painkillers they kept around for situations like these, keeping a close watch on the man's breathing as every gasp for air rattled in an unsettling manner. Magic might not help Salazar, but they had found out that Muggle medication sometimes had at least some effect, and after a lot of trial and error they had eventually found something which managed to dull the pain slightly, if nothing else.

This injury was unfortunate in that organ damage took longer to repair than simple wounds… he would probably feel the effects of this particular cut for a good while longer after it was healed.

"What happened?" he asked softly as he handed over two small pills, and Salazar chuckled roughly before popping the medication into his mouth and swallowing them dry. "The bastard disguised that curse… it was a modified cutting curse, one I haven't seen before," he had to pause for a moment, and Godric put a gentle hand on the pale man's breastbone, feeling the harsh shallow movement beneath his fingertips as Salazar continued. "When I realized what was going to happen, it was too late to block without revealing too much of what I can do, so I took a gamble… And I still cancelled out most of it when it hit. I don't know what the Hell he was thinking throwing around a curse like that."

Godric cursed. It was as he had suspected, Salazar had deliberately taken the hit… And he couldn't even fault his reasoning. It wouldn't do for anyone to find out how powerful they really were. This wasn't the time, they had to figure out more about Voldemort's rise in power before they risked revealing themselves like that.

Even if it cost them this. But what Snape had done was worrying also. Curses like the one Salazar had just described were normally not used in a duel, as the point was not to kill one's opponent. If Salazar had been less of a wizard… This was not how he'd imagined that duel to go down, and neither had Salazar, but he was relieved that the injury was not the result of a curse Salazar couldn't block, but rather one that he had chosen not to.

Which made all the difference, but he didn't have to like it.

The redhead sighed, suddenly sick and tired of the entire situation, and he looked away. "Sleep, or at least try to… I'll come check on you later." He moved to stand, but before he could get up completely Salazar grabbed the back of his robes, effectively stopping the motion. The redhaired wizard allowed himself to be pulled back down onto the edge of the bed, shifting his position so he could face Salazar more fully as his brow furrowed in question.

The other man scrubbed a hand down his face with a weary sigh, and Godric noted with a small sense of relief that at least the older man's hand was steady, but the feeling didn't last as Salazar spoke. "There's something else… Dumbledore, he wants to 'discuss' some things with me." Salazar's voice clearly reflected his own sense of apprehension and reluctance at the prospect, and Godric had to force himself to remain seated, to not follow his first instinctive reaction and go meet with Dumbledore himself. He didn't want Salazar to have to deal with the manipulative old Headmaster, not in the state he was in. "When?"

The older wizard cleared his throat painfully, and Godric winced in sympathy at the sound as Salazar struggled to sit up straighter, his left hand pressed over the remains of the injury protectively as he pushed himself up. "This week. I don't know what he's playing at, but I have a really bad feeling about this.. He knows a lot more than he's letting on." Which was exactly what Godric was afraid of… But there wasn't much they could do about their suspicions before they figured out the true extent of Dumbledore's knowledge, and there was really only one safe way to find out now. He could hardly invade the man's mind, not without risking detection, and that would probably only make things worse. And as he looked back at the man sitting next to him, he could see Salazar had already come to that same conclusion.

"Take a few days Sal… don't rush this, Dumbledore can wait." Godric really didn't want to give the Headmaster more of an edge than he already had. And while he knew Salazar was perfectly capable of handling himself even now, their aim wasn't to escalate things here. They'd only been at Hogwarts for a couple of weeks, and already things were starting to spin out of their control… but there was nothing left to do now except to roll with the punches. He just hoped they hadn't underestimated the risks in coming here.

"I'll be fine Godric. If anything, the old man is cautious… he won't start anything, not this early in the game. I think he's just testing the waters."

Godric sincerely wished he could believe the older wizard, but there was a feeling of dread settling in the pit of his stomach. The way things were going for them now, this could only end badly.