-.-
Severus came into the kitchen with his shirt half buttoned. He took a banana from the fruit basket and approached Hermione that seemed very concentrated on the newspaper in front of her. Her breakfast was left barely touched. He took a bite from the fruit and touched her shoulder with his chin "Aren't you hungry?" he asked giving her a soft kiss there.
She shuddered and turned to him "No, I mean yes…" she seemed absent minded since they woke up this morning.
"What are you reading?" he looked above her shoulder.
"Front liners again…" she muttered thoughtfully and turned the front page for him to see. Severus was in two separate articles, next to each other. The first read "Special Auror force, the Keepers, are missing one valuable member from a dark magical attack in the underworld" and in smaller letters "Being one member sort will this formidable police group be able to stop a possible dark magic attack to our world? We must remind the public that another member was fired earlier this month. The Keepers are decreasing dangerously" Above the article was a picture of him with his five members all dressed in black, holding their wands, their coats blown by the wind. Conroy had a big red X drawn upon him. Severus winced at the provocative way this man was erased.
His eyes moved to the next article which read "Appearances can be deceiving" and under it in smaller letters "the commander of the Keepers and the army nurse signed the marriage law certificate almost a month ago under heavy scrutiny about their sincerity. Apparently we have been wrong as the flashes caught up with them at St. Mungo's hospital getting intimately involved with each other. We wish them many offsprings, or will children be a burden to a police commander and a dedicated ER nurse? read more on their lives and heavy histories below…" and it had the picture of her and him kissing in the middle of the St. Mungo corridor.
"Quite expected…" he raised his brow.
"Ours was yes, we provoked them and in any case I couldn't give a shit, but this one? This is unbelievable" she said pointing at Conroy Ackerman with the big red X over him.
Severus signed "They were always vultures….nothing new there"
"How can you take this so lightly? This is one of your captains…" she scrutinised him with a deep frown.
"Being a frontline for many decades on and off, can make one thick skinned. You have been one also…why does a magical manipulation of an X bother you so much" he rejoined observing her eyes carefully. They were bloodshot and she had dark circles around them.
She exhaled and leaned her back to his chest "Because I met his wife and son, and he is not just a keeper anymore. He has a background, a story, a family. He is so much more than an X in a vague article"
"For the journalists we are all potential X's Hermione. Don't fret about this" he said caressing her forehead.
"You are right of course. I shouldn't have expected a fair treatment from the tabloids. They never treated me properly when I was in and out of prison" she took his arm and pulled it tight below her breasts.
"It's going to blow off in a while, both of the articles will" he rejoined.
"I told you I don't mind our picture together, but I do mind how brutal they were with Mr. Ackerman. I just wish this newspaper doesn't reach Jody's hands" she whispered raising his hand and kissing it softly.
"You are such a loving heart…" he said and his finger caressed her jawline.
She inhaled and kept her breath for several seconds, not moving at all "Severus?" she asked finally.
"Yes?" he bit the last piece of the banana and send the rest flying into the dustbin.
"Uhm, are you getting ready for work?" she asked caressing the back of his hand. Her voice sounded mysterious.
"That's why I got out of bed and took a bath. What other reason do I have for letting you out of my hands this morning?" he asked trying to sound playful. Her cat Crookshanks had warmed up to him, after they began sleeping together and right now was curling around Severus shanks, asking for food.
She didn't respond that well to his playful tone "Uhm, whose turn is it to go into the underworld today?"
"Mine" he rejoined with furrowing brows.
"I don't want you to go to work today" she said decisively and tightened her grip around his hand.
"I have to…" he begun, but she stopped him. She turned around and placed her fingers on his mouth.
"I have been having this recurrent dream Severus. Last night I saw it for the second time and I really don't want you to go into the underworld today" she said solemnly. Her eyes were intense upon his.
"What's in the dream?" he asked quietly.
"I see people dying …" she winced.
"Who do you see dying Hermione?" he lowered his head and nudged her with his nose.
She inhaled and closed her eyes. For several more seconds she didn't speak "who?" he pressed on.
"You, I see you dying..but it's not like you died…i mean the first time I saw it Conroy got attacked…" she hurried on and looked at him concerned.
He laughed lightly "There, we have another Trelawney in the neighbourhood"
She frowned "Don't compare me to that fraud"
He raised his brow "She was much more powerful than you think girl, but this is not the appropriate time for me to visit my past. We shall discuss this another time"
"I am not a clairvoyant, I am just telling you that this dream is terrifying. I wake up knowing you are dead, only to find you peacefully sleeping next to me. Combine that with what happened to Conroy and there you have it. I simply want you to take this day off, lay with me in bed, and fuck me till I can't walk straight" she said quickly.
He choked "Bloody hell…that was unexpected"
She turned and wrapped her arms around his shoulders "Don't you want to?" she asked trying to sound provocative, but her haunted eyes were telling another story.
"Oh, believe me I do" he nodded.
She winced "But you won't…"
"I won't" he smiled and kissed her lips briefly.
"Why won't you hear me? Please stay home today…please" her eyes were almost teary and Severus frowned becoming serious all of a sudden.
"This is causing you a lot of anxiety doesn't it?" he caressed the back of her neck.
She rested her forehead on his chest and nodded "You cannot believe how much. I woke up knowing that I had to keep you into the house. I know that something is going to happen today. I don't know to whom…i just want to keep you out of harm's way"
"You cannot protect me…my job is dangerous" he slid his fingers between her hair and massaged her head softly.
"I don't know what to do….i am at a loss" her muffled voice said and he felt her warm breath on his skin.
"Do you have a friend that's a potent diviner?" he asked gently.
"Ginny is" she replied.
"Go to her, tell her your dream and ask her to do a reading for you. Maybe she can clear things up a bit. You are too confused to get the real meaning of this dream, and I am a useless seer. I cannot become an oracle to save my life" he said laughing slightly above her.
She snorted "I thought there was no area of magic eluding you"
"There are plenty believe me…" he smirked and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
"How will I know if everything is ok with you?" she asked looking up at him with pained eyes that touched his heart.
"you cannot…it's part of the deal" he said caressing the side of her face.
"I don't like this deal" she shook her head and touched his lips with hers.
"everything will be alright…" he whispered on her and she pressed her soft lips on his, demanding entrance to his mouth. He opened up and let her take over the kiss, to explore and taste him at her own pace which was intense. He enjoyed her passionate intrusion, closing his eyes and tasting the strawberries on her.
"I don't want to be in the place of Jody today…" she said with teary eyes, pulling back after a while.
He frowned and cleared some hair from her face "What are you talking about? Nothing is going to happen, ok? Now shape up, you need to get dressed to go to the hospital"
She shook her head and pulled back from him "I suppose so" she hopped off the stool "What time are you supposedly coming back?"
"Quite late, when I am in the underworld time passes by at a different pace" he said buttoning his shirt and searching for his boots.
"Can I visit your office?" she asked.
"I won't be there…why come?" he said confused as he kicked the boots in place.
"Just to see the place…you know" she wrapped her arms around her shoulders with a silly smile on her lips.
He came close and pulled her on him "Nothing is going to happen…i swear" he said solemnly and this time took her in a soft caring kiss that raised the hair on her arms "Can I go now?" he whispered kissing the side of her mouth gently.
She nodded "Yeah..i suppose so. You are right…everything is going to be ok. Yes. See you at night…i'll make dinner"
"Take care …youngling…" he said playfully. She waved at him with a well covered smile of worry and the moment he took his coat he disapparated from their living room.
-.-
Three hours later found him finishing some paperwork for the day and getting ready to enter the underworld when the door of his office almost got kicked in. Garret his second captain looked inside dishevelled. He had his wand drawn out and he was looking at Severus at a loss for words.
Severus raised his palms "the hell Garrett!" he chastised.
"red code…" Garret said licking his lips.
Severus stood up slowly and felt his blood freezing. The words of Hermione this morning resounded in his mind "What?" he asked his tone low.
"The red code is flashing silently boss…the Aurors are calling us…" Garrett said carefully.
The red code was arranged between him and Potter, to be activated only when and if the Aurors managed to get a muggleborn abduction in direct connection with an underworld portal. Adrenaline shot immediately through his body, making his heart pick up speed and his tongue got a bitter taste "Fuck" he hissed and took his coat. He walked quickly out of his office and looked at the ceiling where indeed there was a red SOS flashing in morse code. The remaining two keepers stood up immediately "You mind the office…" he then turned to Garrett "..you come with me" he said and without waiting he broke to a run that was closely followed by his captain. They disapparated before reaching the end of the corridor. Following the red code trace he apparated in the middle of a dirty alley. Without breaking speed he looked at the end of the alley were at least four Aurors were shooting towards a hooded figure that was tagging a young girl through a dark portal.
"Run!" he commanded his captain as he picked up speed and drew his wand. The hooded man passed through the portal dragging behind him the screaming face of the girl just as Severus was reaching the Auror line. Potter was there and the moment he saw the keepers he yelled "He took her…into the portal…it's closing up, RUN!"
If they missed that portal then they would never be able to find this girl. The underworld was abysmal in so many levels. Practically impossible to find were a closed portal led. He saw the portal closing down and he jumped into the air going through just in time. He landed upon his arms taking several tumbles before standing up quickly. He looked around but saw no one and a deep frown covered his brow.
"Where are they?" Garrett's voice made him slightly jump.
"I don't know" he whispered not wanting to bother the silence around him "but they can't have gone very far, come on" he said and begun walking around carefully. He looked around and this place reminded him of some deep part of the fifth level because of it's dark bluish hue. There was light drizzle wetting his hair and making the road under their feet slippery. His hand tightened around his wand and he called on his protection schematics feeling the force field activating around him.
"This is close to the sixth level" Garret whispered.
"Shh…" Severus hissed and stopped him with his arm "Listen". They both stood still upon an abandoned road that was surrounded by white railings. Severus begun hearing his breath and knew that soon enough he would be able to hear his own heart and the flow of the blood in his veins. The deeper you went into these parallel worlds the quieter it was. As if you were standing in the middle of a anechoic chamber. As always unable to get used to the eeriness of these places he felt his skin freezing and tried to keep his breath as quiet as possible. He observed the dead nature around him. An iron gate was broken and fallen behind them were the portal closed up and at a distance he could see huge waterfalls that moved without any sounds. Between the running waters he saw rooftops, partly caved in, partly burned. This parallel world was a copy of theirs, only this was abandoned, dead, with no sounds or colours, and the only living creatures in there were the Caomorphs. Shape shifting dark blobs that could take any form they wished, but mostly chose bodies of many teeth and long nails in order to massacre any intruder. Quite nasty little bastards actually…Severus observed the broken down houses behind them and then turned around.
"I don't hear anything boss" Garrett whispered.
"We need to alert the Caomorphs of our presence…" he rejoined.
"We have a death wish?" Garret asked.
"They will track down not only us, but the ones that came before us…" he looked at his captain meaningfully.
"Ah…i get it…let the Caomorphs make them scream" Garret smiled.
"Hopefully make only one of them scream until we can get to them. The girl needs to be spared, but we cannot trace them in this chaos" he winced.
"Ok, ok I am ready" Garrett said lifting his wand.
"I don't know if I am" he said and raised his wand. A huge red flash came out of it and reached the sky, ending in a beautiful silent explosion above the dead valley, spewing red matter all around the dried land.
"yep, that should do the trick" Garrett said and they both remained silent counting the seconds inwards.
It must have been only a couple of moments before they heard the far away growls of the dark creatures "They are here" Severus whispered. A few more snarls passed closer and out of the distance another sound. A clear female scream "There!" Garrett yelled and dashed in front of Severus quick like thunder. Severus run after Garret hearing the Caomorphs hissing above their heads. He jumped over street debris and dried sticks as the female scream resounded to their right. Both changed direction in unison when out of their left a Caomorph dove straight upon them. Severus pushed Garret out of the way and released a series of offensive spells upon the creature that took the attack by quickly shifting all of it's possible shapes, before liquidating and falling on the ground. Severus grabbed Garrett's arm and lifted him up quickly. Then he began running in front of him again. The screams of the woman and the clamour of the creatures intermingled, but the direction they were to take was clear. The next attack came from both sides and Severus ducked to avoid the first creature when a dark magical blast fell on him from behind. It was one of those rogue magical discharges that could undo the best wizard if left unprotected.
He turned and saw the black wave coming from the waterfalls. He raised his wand and sucked the dark energy in it, feeling his bones cracking in pain under the pressure. Garret had already killed the two creatures and was running very fast towards a small clearing where the railings ended and the road seemed to break off into a lifeless valley. When he eliminated the wave he stood up quickly and renewing his schematics he run after Garret. Some of the creatures had shape shifted into huge bats that were circling around the open area in front of the broken railings.
A doggish snarl came from his right and he lifted his hand just in time to push it above his body. It landed on it's hind legs and growled at Severus, showing it's white teeth. Severus blasted the monstrous dog into liquid blackness and run where the road ended. He couldn't see Garrett as the tall railings and the dried bushes had caught up a lot of debris, creating an eerie wall of death. The screams of the woman were now almost next to him. He turned at the end of the road and as his foot stepped on the mud he looked up panting. Garrett was a few feet away from him with both his hands up in the air and his wand totally exposed.
The hooded man was holding the woman by the waist and had a knife on her throat. She was struggling to get away as Caomorphs were shape shifting around them taking monstrous shapes that flew and crawled alarmingly close. Severus approached carefully "Garret, step back" he said steadily.
"No, boss, don't approach" his captain said.
"Don't come any closer!" the hooded man said and his voice was magically distorted.
Severus raised his arms also "Listen we don't have to do this…if we remain here we are all going to die. These creatures won't make any exceptions. You are clearly outnumbered. Now let the girl go…" he said approaching slowly.
"DON'T MOVE!" the man warned.
Severus stopped and pressed his lips "You know I am not going to let you get out of this one alive right? If you let her go, I might reconsider taking you back in one piece"
"help me…help…help me…" the girl muttered breathless and for the first time Severus saw her face. The blood in his veins froze when he realised that she was the girl from the alley. The girl that Hermione tried to save.
What is her name?…he frowned.
"Shut the fuck up!" the man told her and pressed the knife on her throat.
"Ah…help!" she screeched.
"Let her go…don't be stupid. The Caomorphs are going to get all of us" Severus said and his jawline clicked.
"He is right, they are biding their time, trying to get us all in the same spot so they can kill us. Look around you. They are circling us!" Garrett said pointing around them.
The man laughed eerily "You think I care poster boy?"
"Listen, let's do something else…" Severus begun taking a careful step forward. Some creatures had changed shape and connected into a single large blob, bearing a dozen tentacles that had huge claws at their end. Long enough to impale a human "Why don't we make another deal. Push the girl to me, and I am going to let you go. How about that?"
"No Commander…" the man trailed off.
Severus frowned deeply. This man knowing him was no real indication to their identity. He was a well known public figure "What's the use of killing her? If you can get out of this unharmed, why not use the opportunity" he said taking another careful step.
"The point is not me escaping…the point is her dying" the man said and tightened his grip around the knife.
Severus stopped and licked his upper lip "No…ah…help…" the girl hissed again. He looked at those eyes, full of terror and despair "…don't struggle please, I am going to help you" he told her trying to unglue his eyes from hers.
"Why does she have to die?" he asked. He was beginning to perspire because he saw how unwavering that man was. Garret had begun taking small steps towards the girl also.
"Because all mudbloods must die" the man roared and without any warning he pulled the knife and Severus saw as if through a dream the blade cutting the tender skin on her throat and blood spewing out.
"Noooo…" he cried and raised his wand, but sharp pain tore his right shoulder blade passing through his chest and coming out from the front. He looked down bewildered to see that one of the claws from the tentacle blob had impaled him. Before he could do anything the tentacle lifted him in the air and then trashed him on some rocks. He exhaled feeling his temple cracking open and warm liquid covering his cheek. He looked up at Garrett shooting towards the hooded figure. His spell hit the man in the shoulder, but their foe was able to make a come back and Severus saw through a hazy cloud the dark spell falling on the chest of his second Captain. He wanted to scream but his voice couldn't come as Garrett fell back unconscious.
Severus looked towards the hooded figure, his heartbeat strong in his ears. The man raised his hand and pointed at him before turning around and running away. Several creatures followed him but Severus was unable to look up anymore. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion around him. A sudden jerk gave him excruciating pain from the shoulder blade and he closed his eyes gathering all his power in his midsection. He pushed everything he had outwards and a blinding white explosion flattened the dead trees in a three mile radius and liquified all the creatures. He felt the tentacle that had impaled him melting down his back and he leaned upon his forearm trying to catch his breath.
Unable to think clearly he raised his head and saw everything around him swirling in and out of focus. He touched his temple and the pain made him nauseous. He pushed himself up with great difficulty and cradled his arm close to his body as his shoulder blade and chest were burning him. Unable to breath deeply he half crawled half walked to Garret. When he reached him, his eyes watered "no..no…" he muttered placing his hand on Garrett's neck.
No pulse…he squeezed his eyes tight. He then turned to the girl and crawled as quickly as possible to her. She was lying in a pool of blood, looking up to him with the same beautifully haunted eyes. Asking him to help her. He coughed and felt vomit rising quickly on his throat. Turning around he emptied his stomach. He was a hard man, trained under ruthless wizards, and yet at this moment those transparent eyes frozen in terror, had torn whatever was left of his soul to threads. He took hold of her hand and pulled her slowly towards the body of Garret. When he was certain that he was holding both he closed his eyes and concentrated on a portal.
The portal reappeared in the front steps of the ministry and Severus sat there oblivious of his environment holding the girl on his lap and the hand of Garret in the midst of all the innocent bystanders. Screams around, barely registered to him. His eyes were frozen upon her face. Within minutes Aurors came running down the steps with wands on guard clearing the steps of all the bystanders. Taking away magical cameras and stopping photos from immortalising this massacre.
A circle was created around him and medical units appeared. He felt arms pulling him away, but no sounds. He could still only hear his heart beating and the blood rushing through his veins. It was as if he never left the fifth level. A pair of steady arms pulled on him again and he lifted himself with difficulty. Taking his eyes away from the girl's face only for a few seconds in order to look at Garrett pale and unresponsive, he pushed the helping hands away.
He pushed another and then another away, stepping back from the crime scene. Feeling the world swirling again and his shoulder blade on fire. Medics fell on the girl and on Garret, but that was of no use. They were both dead. And he was alive…what the hell was he still doing alive when this girl was dead? He should have been dead also…he frowned and shook his head angrily.
Then he lost his footing and sat down at the steps messily. He groaned and felt the world flickering out of focus. He lowered his head on his hands and closed his eyes not wanting to ever open them again. He didn't want to see those glassy eyes again….and yet he could never forget them, because he had a chance to save them and he failed.
-.-
Hermione was standing at the monitoring booth of the ER looking at the readings from the five beds. All were stable but she wasn't. She took a peek outside were that woman Margot was sitting calmly next to Jody holding her hands and no doubt offering some words of comfort. She had arrived at the ER an hour ago, and she was still lingering. Hermione felt trapped, because she wanted to avoid that woman seeing her and then talking to her. The last thing she wanted was to face the ex lover of her …uhm..lover…She winced and rubbed her face turning towards the monitors again. Deciding that she was better off staying in that booth for the rest of the day she picked up her coffee and took a sip when a gentle knock on the glass made her cough. Spilling some coffee on her nursing dress she turned around to see that accursed woman looking at her with a content smile on her lips.
Hermione pursed her lips and cursing she placed the coffee down. As it seemed there was no way to avoid this, so she straightened and cleaning the coffee stain with a tissue she got out of the booth and closed the door "May I help you?" she said formally.
"You must be Miss Hermione Granger, the famous army nurse" Margot said with a smile.
"yes, can I do something for you?" Hermione asked not wanting to get conversational with her.
"I was just talking to Jody, she is a good friend of mine, as I was her husband's colleague for many years…" she said meaningfully "…she was telling me how helpful you have been to Conroy and I wanted to thank you"
Hermione frowned "Uhm..ok" felt at a loss for words. This was not exactly what she had been expecting from this woman.
"Ah, don't look so surprised. I may have come onto you a bit hard back there, but things were not very clear. And you know how bitchy us women can become when we don't know how things roll" Margot said checking her out from top to bottom.
"I suppose" Hermione agreed.
"Anyhow, I wanted to congratulate you on your engagement to my former boss. He is a bit difficult at times, but he is one hell of a lover…right?" Margot asked with a smirk.
Hermione winced "I don't think such details are appropriate for this conversation.." she begun, but Margot talked over her.
"Oh come on, we all saw the newspapers and I have personal experience of his more than sufficient equipment and of the perfect way he uses it" Margot bit on her thumb playfully, checking on Hermione's reactions.
Hermione blushed "Can I do anything ELSE for you?" she asked getting angry slowly.
"Not really no. So …i wish you both to find happiness in the dark times we live in…although you might find that task a bit difficult" Margot said flicking her shoulders.
"thank you…" Hermione winced unable to feel that this wish was truthful or bright in any way. That is when she heard the main doors crashing open and saw Lisa running down the corridor to her.
"what's up?" she asked grabbing the girl's hand.
Lisa swallowed trying to catch her breath "it's your husband..there's been an accident!" she said and Hermione felt the blood draining from her face. "Where is he?" her voice was barely heard.
"At the ministry entrance…the TV is broadcasting live right this minute!" Lisa called behind her, but Hermione was barely listening anymore. She was running with her heart climbing up her throat in a panicky state.
Margot raised her thumb and bit the soft skin there, as a hateful smirk covered her mouth.
-.-
When she reached the ministry entrance she found it hard to push past the gathered crowd. She found herself on the first Auror lines being crashed upon the blockades "I am the Commander's wife…let me through…let me through" she cried in terror. She needed to go to him, she needed to see him. Someone must have heard her, recognised her, it mattered not, because a pair of hands pulled her above the blockades and soon she was running in front of the Auror towards the gathered crowd at the stairs. She saw medical units and her heart sank in a frozen lake of terror "Severus…where is?…help me…Severus!" she cried looking about her like a lost child.
"Here he is here!" the voice of Harry broke through her panic and she grabbed his arm.
"Is he dead?!" she cried in dread.
Harry froze and looked at her in sadness "No, not him…" he said.
Hermione licked her lips and nodded feeling her panic residing slightly as Harry led her through the police and the medical units. Hermione looked around her lost as Harry pulled her past two bodies covered in yellow bags on the stairs. She cringed away and then turned her head and saw Severus sitting with his head buried in his hands a few feet away from the dead bodies. Several medics were around him trying to treat his wounds. His shirt was cut open by scissors and blood had flowed down his torso. Blood had also covered his hair and hand on the right side of his temple.
She tore herself away from Harry and fell on her hands and knees in front of him "Severus? it's me…" she said and touched his hand.
"Not now lady…we need to treat him" one of the medics said trying to push her away.
Harry intervened "She is head nurse of the ER unit of St. Mungo and this man's wife. She will take care of him. Now go"
Hermione looked back at her friend with a thankful smile and then turned her attention to Severus again "Honey?" she asked softly trying to look at his head wound. It looked rather deep and it would certainly cause him a concussion. She took hold of his hand and looked back at his shoulder blade. Her stomach twisted as she saw his skin torn apart in a star like wound that was still weeping blood and a black liquid she couldn't recognise. She looked at the front where the exit wound was slightly smaller but still pulsating with a black ooze. This has been the work of dark magic.
She swallowed her panic slowly away and tried to communicate with him. By being like that she was not helping him. He was there with her alive, he was not lying dead inside a yellow bag…her eyes looked at the dead bodies fleetingly "Severus, it's me Hermione, can you hear me darling?" she said gently.
He nodded behind his hands "yes"
"Can I give you a hug?" she asked afraid that she would hurt him if she tried to touch him in any manner.
Without warning he lowered his hands and took her in a strong embrace. He buried his head on her shoulder and she felt his blood brushing her cheek. That is when tears of relief flooded her eyes and she felt her chest sobbing "You are alive…you are alive…sweet Gods…you are alive!" she muttered, feeling her whole body trembling under him. She pressed her arms around him feeling him hiss in pain above her "I am going to heal you, don't worry about anything…you are still alive" she kept repeating as her hands caressed his back and bloody hair. Not caring that half the ministry was looking at them she pulled back and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He didn't respond, he just pulled back and rested his head on her shoulder one more time. Hermione pressed her lips and pulled out her wand "You are going to be alright, you'll see" she muttered to herself and pointed her wand at his head calling on all her magic to cover him and heal his wounds slowly.
"When you are done, we need to talk to him" Harry said discreetly as she began healing his head. His back was going to take much longer and it would need constant monitoring and medication that she intended to do back at the house. The head was probably going to leave him with a heavy concussion no matter that the skin was almost healed.
"When I am done, I am going to take him home. Help him take a bath and force him to sleep while I monitor him all night. Tomorrow when he wakes up he is going to call the ministry. Understand Harry?" she said solemnly.
"Hermione this was a double homicide and he is the only witness" Harry rebuked.
"This patient is in no condition to speak to the police. He is under medical care. The moment he is able to come on duty again, he will call you. I am going to have a hard time persuading him to take some rest and stay out of the ministry. Don't worry Harry, tomorrow he will be with you" she said caressing his back softly. Severus rested his head on his hand but was looking at her steadily as she spoke to Harry. The moment she spoke these words he pressed her knee and she felt the thankful note on that gesture. She wrapped her hand above his and rested her forehead on his cheek "Now let me fix your shoulder blade.." she whispered and then turned to Harry "And tell that to all those Aurors waiting for us to finish will you? I am disapparating with him the moment I am done"
"Thank you" she heard his broken voice and turned to him. He was looking at her painfully and her heart tore apart.
"Shhh…everything will be alright…" she said and turned at his back concentrating her magic on him again.
Neither one noticed that the sky had grown several tones darker and that a menacing dark grey supercell was approaching the city from the east.
-.-
Author's note: This chapter was a little dark..., but not everything can be love and marriage...these guys have it in for very hard times...:/