Chapter 12: 'The shit hath hit-eth the fan… -eth'

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of this or make anything from it! The title of this chapter is a line from the film 'Ten things I hate about you.' Which we love but do not own either (except on video… but that's not what we mean and you know it!)

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"Can I hold you?"

"If you want."

Severus turned over in bed and gathered her up into his arms. Florence curled her arm over him and allowed herself to press her face into his grey nightshirt. He settled back into his pillow and enjoyed her warmth until he fell asleep.

Florence woke up, still huddled up to... a collection of pillows. She lifted her head drowsily and looked around; the bed was otherwise empty and Severus sat in an armchair by the fire. His eyes were closed and he looked as though he was still sleeping, but his eyes snapped open when there was a knock at the door. He sighed in exasperation that opening his eyes made no difference.

"Who is it?" Florence said blearily.

"It's me, Sirius."

Florence groaned. "I'm still in bed, Sirius. Can you come back in a couple of hours when I'm up and about?"

"OK. Will do."

More likely you've got Snape in there and you don't want me to know, Sirius thought, all of a sudden revolted by the thought. On his way back across to the Entrance Hall, he spotted the entrance to the dungeons and couldn't resist.

He briskly made his way down to the Potions master's rooms. He knew where they were from a brief visit once a couple of years ago, during the war. When he reached the door, he hammered loudly on the wood, certain that he would get no reply. He got none.

He was just drawing his wand when he realised that there were mostly likely enough enchantments on the doorway to leave him in the hospital wing for yet another wasted twelve years. Snape had always been Mr Paranoia. Sirius pounded on the heavy door one more time before leaving. There was another way of finding out where he was.

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"Severus... get back into bed."

"I thought you were going to get up and get ready for Black."

What sort of comment is that? "Fine. I don't care what you do." Florence rolled over and sunk her face as deep into the pillow as she could, wishing he wasn't there.

The covers were lifted and Florence felt an arm being slid around her. She just led still and pretended not to notice. She found herself being rolled over and dragged back into an embrace by strong arms. He moulded her to him, pulling the covers over them both.

"I'm sorry." He muttered into her hair.

"You should be." Florence said, letting herself rest back into him.

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Sirius stormed back to Florence's rooms. The two spots on the Marauder's map were still clear in his mind, so close that their little names blurred together.

He knocked on the door, giving her a chance to come and talk to him.

"Who is it?" The same bleary voice as last time said.

"Let me in."

"Sirius...! What are you doing back?"

"Still in bed? Someone with you?"

"Sirius...! What's up with you?"

"You've got Snape in there haven't you? That's why you wouldn't let me in before."

The door opened a tiny crack and Florence peeked out, still in her bed robe. "Come back in a while and I'll speak to you."

"He's in there, isn't he? Been in there all night, I bet."

Florence stepped out into the corridor and shut the door behind her, locking it with her wand; a spell he knew would only let her wand open it again. "Yes, Sirius, but he needs somewhere to be. I don't think he should be on his own." She spoke quietly and clearly as though explaining something to a small child in a crowded street and not wanting to draw attention.

"Oh, like that is it? You feel sorry for him?" Sirius looked truly appalled. "Well, let me tell you, he deserve none of your pity."

"He's getting none."

"Really? You mean you actually want him in there...? Do you have any idea what he was? Any at all?"

"I know he was a Death Eater, if that's what you mean." Her voice was small. It was bad enough having your own doubts, fears and mixed up feelings without someone else ramming them down your throat.

"And after what he did to you." Sirius took her by the shoulders.

"I know."

"Let me in there."

"Why? So you can do what?"

"Throw him out. Because I know you won't."

"No Sirius, just go. I'm fine, I promise." She managed to get a little more strength behind what she was saying.

"He's really got to you, hasn't he?" Sirius was livid. "I let him hurt you once. I won't let you get hurt again, not like last time. Now, let me in."

"No. Just go away and calm down."

"I'm perfectly calm. Never been calmer. Now let me kick some sense into that greasy bastard."

"Just go. You can come back some other time, when we've sorted out the sight thing and kick him then, OK?" Appeasement seemed her only option.

"You think that'll make it all fair? Give him his sight so he can fight back?"

"Sirius!"

"He doesn't need to see to hurt people. He's an expert."

"Sirius, stop it, please."

"No, it has to be said! You are blinded by how you used to feel. He's evil, Florence; he could hurt people with his eyes shut. Hell, he could probably kill in his sleep!"

Florence couldn't take it; she lashed out. She didn't slap him or something so feminine, but a quick shove with the base of her palm gave the satisfying sound of when a nose cracks.

Florence recoiled back in shock at her actions, holding her hand over her mouth. Blood poured down over his face and into his hands.

"Oh, God...! Sirius, I..." She reached out to touch him but he backed away. "Wait... I" She couldn't imagine why she had done it. "I'm sorry... I...Let me take you to the hospital wing."

Sirius had already got halfway down the corridor. "Don't bother." He managed to say.

Florence went back into her rooms, her hand still over her mouth; she was wide-eyed with shock.

"What happened? What was all the shouting?"

"I think I broke his nose." Florence said in that awful, tiny voice. A smirk spread slowly across Snape's sallow face. Florence swept into the bathroom, locking the door behind her and getting into the shower.

She sat under the beating water having no idea of how she felt or what she wanted. Severus stepped inside.

"Severus! Get out!" She couldn't handle it.

"Flo..."

"Go! I wouldn't have locked the door if I had wanted you in here, would I?" He left. Florence could feel tears falling unbidden down her cheeks.

When she walked out of the bathroom, Severus was sat on the end of the bed and got up immediately.

"Flo."

"Don't Severus, I've got to go and see if Sirius is OK."

"Talk to me."

"I don't know what to say. I just broke one of my only friend's nose in the defence of someone I'm not even sure I like." Her voice wavered.

He reached out to touch her but she stepped away.

"I don't know how to deal with this... I defended you last time. For weeks I made excuses for you; it was months before I finally admitted I was probably never going to see you again. I tried so hard to justify why I hadn't heard from you and why I couldn't find you. I felt like such an idiot when I finally stopped kidding myself... You hurt me so much, and I'm doing it again; I'm defending you to the same people I did last time." She stopped, feeling choked.

"If I could go back and not meet you in the library that day, I would. I would change everything. I wish I hadn't hurt you, I wish I could stop hurting you. If I could change it, I would. I'd be in Azkaban now, but... but you... I wouldn't have hurt you."

"I can't do this... I just can't bare it... I came here and you were back in my life, and it was fine for a while, but then... And then you were back in my bed too, and now, without me even realising it, you're back in my heart and I'm defending you... I can't do it again, I can't risk it." She couldn't look at him. "I'm going to go and find out if Sirius is OK." She turned and left, biting her finger; trying so hard not to burst into tears.

What did he mean when he said he would be in Azkaban now? What could I possibly have to do with that?

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Florence walked into the Infirmary; she couldn't help but look a bit sheepish. She could lose her job for hitting someone. Madame Pomfrey greeted her warmly.

"Has Sirius already gone?"

"Yes, dear. He's gone back to Harry in Gryffindor tower."

"Oh." Florence might be a teacher but, as a Ravenclaw, she still had no way of getting into any common room but her own.

"If you'd like, I'll take you over. I was in Gryffindor... Think I can get myself in." She smiled softly. "I expect the door Sirius walked into wants to say sorry."

Florence smiled weakly. Sirius hadn't said it was her and she was grateful he didn't blame her. "Thank you." She really meant it.

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Stepping through the painting of the fat lady into the Gryffindor common room felt very strange. She had seen Sirius and the others disappear in there numerous times when she was at school but had never ventured inside herself. In fact, there was only one other person she knew that had been in an area other than his own.

Sirius stood up from in front of the fire. "Could you leave us, Harry?"

"Of course." Harry said, giving Florence a weak smile before heading upstairs to find Ron.

"Florence." Sirius could see she was upset. "What's he done?" He put his arms around her.

"Nothing. He didn't do anything." She sniffed. "It's me... I'm sorry."

"It's OK. Madame Pomfrey straightened me out... Literally!"

Florence allowed a weak smile to flit across her face before she hugged him a bit more tightly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you...not when you meant well. You were only trying to protect me..." She trailed off as new tears sprang up in her eyes and ran down her cheeks, soaking his dark robe.

"Hey." He lifted her chin up with one long finger. "There's no need for that. Come on..." He enveloped her back in his strong embrace, all the while cursing the Powers That Be for allowing an innocent like Florence to be involved with a rattlesnake like Severus Snape. He would go along with her wishes for the moment but he knew, deep down inside, that he would make Snape pay severely for what he had done.

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Florence made her way back to her rooms. Sirius had offered to come but she didn't think it was wise. She opened the door and the room was empty. He'd gone. Great! Florence thought, kicking the bed leg hard, her body shaking with unwanted tears. I can't even keep him here when he's blind.

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"I have to leave, Professor. On a matter of extreme urgency."

"Severus? It's 9 o'clock in the morning! What could be that important for you to go immediately?"

"I have my reasons." Severus paced up and down the carpet of Dumbledore's office violently, unwilling to disclose too much about his feelings.

"You must have. But, at the moment, you are... incapacitated. I do not think it's the right time..."

Severus stopped pacing and slammed his palms down on the desk in front of Dumbledore, scaring Fawkes, who squawked loudly, in the process. The headmaster looked into Severus' wild, unseeing eyes in surprise. Even when in the worst temper, Snape had shown a lot of respect and control towards him but now...

"It is most important that I leave. Now. This instant!" Snape resumed his pacing.

Dumbledore was thankful that he had not moved his furniture in the last seventeen years, allowing Snape to pace with ease, even in his blind state.

"Severus..." Dumbledore hesitated. "This doesn't have anything to do with Professor Findal, does it?"

Severus stopped pacing in mid-stride and looked over in the direction of Dumbledore. He wasn't surprised that the aged professor saw through him. Dumbledore was normally astute, and he and Florence had not exactly been discrete. Feeling his way towards a chair, he sat down silently, steepling his hands in a typical gesture. He tried to calm down; he owed this man so much and it wasn't right to repay him with rudeness.

Dumbledore took his silence for agreement and his wrinkled face softened. "Have you two had a falling out?"

Silence.

"Leaving won't help, you know. You have to face your problems."

Severus grunted in reply and kept his head down, not wanting Dumbledore to see any trace of emotion pass over his face.

"Maybe if you talk things through..." Spouting clichés, in situations such as these, Dumbledore found usually worked.

"There's nothing to talk about: I've hurt her and I need to go before I do it again." Every word was short and succinct, betraying the anger and hurt behind the cool facade.

"Problems are better solved than ignored."

"I cannot seem to solve my own inability to refrain from hurting Professor Findal. I had a chance to make amends and I wasted it because of my own selfishness."

Dumbledore sighed and pushed away the remainders of his breakfast. He looked around at the pictures lining the walls for assistance but he was greeted with a series of apologetic shrugs. He decided to try a different tack, it was difficult to help someone with a problem who spoke about it only in riddles.

"And what would you do if you left? Where would you go? You couldn't possibly rattle away in that old house of yours in Lincolnshire." Dumbledore smiled slightly as a thought hit him. "Maybe your sister..."

Snape made a violent shake of his head and looked blindly at Dumbledore in obvious refusal.

"Well, you can't live alone. If you stay here, after we solve the mystery of your... lack of sight, you can do as you please. You cannot live alone when you are like this; it would not be safe." Dumbledore stated firmly, unyielding in the fact he would not let Snape leave.

"But if whoever is doing this is near Hogwarts then perhaps leaving would throw them off, for a while at least."

"They will most likely look for you again. You will be without the protection that Hogwarts offers." Dumbledore knew better than to continue along the Professor Findal track.

Snape nodded, knowing he had no other options. Despite his need to go, he knew that it wouldn't be wise for him to be alone in Lincolnshire. And his sister... he would never ask her for help. He got up slowly; nodding in the direction of Dumbledore, before realising that leaving would be a challenge, he couldn't go by floo as he had come because he never lit his fire. Dumbledore, as if knowing what he was thinking, took pity on him and walked with him down to the dungeons.

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Still angry from this morning's episode, Sirius ambled as casually as possible down the wide street of Hogsmeade. Scratching an invisible flea, he sat in the shadows of a shop and watched as the residents walked by. He watched out for any strange goings-on but it looked like a normal day in the village.

A couple of kids sprang out of the door of the shop and petted his black furry head joyfully before running off down the street. He almost smiled at their exuberance but contented himself with a series of short barks.

Scanning his dark eyes down the street again, his attention was caught by a strange man. He was wearing a dark-coloured robe and he looked almost familiar but Sirius couldn't see him clearly behind the heavy whiskers he wore. The man shuffled down the street, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible and he succeeded; the other villagers ignored him as if he wasn't there.

Sirius loped carelessly out of the shadows and followed the wizard down the road, wanting to know his destination and he wasn't disappointed; the man was heading towards the Shrieking Shack.

Wanting to know exactly who he was, Sirius ran a bit closer to the man and yelped a little causing the man to turn around and look down at him with anxious eyes. He had the look of derangement, and gave Sirius the impression that not quite all his mind was there.

"Go away! Shoo!"

Sirius' blood froze. He'd know that acerbic voice anywhere but the last time he'd heard it was screaming in misery inside the walls of Azkaban. The man was Marcus Mulciber.

During the last war, followers of Voldemort had raided Azkaban. There were several people that had not been rounded up yet after his second downfall.

Looking down uneasily at the black dog in front of him, Mulciber aimed a hard kick at its stomach but the mutt quickly dodged it. He didn't like the condemning look that was in the dog's eyes but he shook his head and cursed at himself as if he was mad. Continuing to shake his head, he shuffled inside the walls of the shack, peering out of the door to see if anyone was watching, before shutting the door firmly behind him.

Sirius nudged the door open with the end of his nose and followed him in without a sound.

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A/N: Boo Hoo!

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