His reminiscences over Snape stared at the dark mark on his arm and recalled an incident a couple of weeks ago when Karkaroff had invaded his classroom. Snape had been trying to avoid Karkaroff not wishing to discuss the past with him, but Karkaroff was correct about the dark mark, it had been getting clearer over the past few months, the implication being that the Dark Lord was rising. As bad luck would have it Potter was in the classroom when Karkaroff was expressing his concern but Potter had managed to leave before Snape had been able to reprimand him. Snape disliked that boy with an intensity that surprised him considering how much he had loved the boy's mother. She was the reason he had taken the path he had; why he had allowed Dumbledore to blackmail him into an agreement to keep him from Azkaban; why he was tied to Hogwarts, teaching dunderheads; why he was about to embark on the most dangerous thing he had ever done – being a spy in the Voldemort camp. The things people do for love. Voldemort always said that love made you weak but Snape didn't agree with that, he would not have been able to survive all these years without his love for Lily to carry him through and now it would have to be stronger still to continue the fight against Voldemort, who had murdered her.

Snape pulled his shirt sleeve back over the dark mark and went to stand by the window to put the students' homework papers in his bag ready to take to the next lesson. It was lunch time and the day was sunny, a few rays of sunshine had managed to find their way into his office and the flecks of dust danced in the light. Outside sounds came through the window, the hum of conversation from the students enjoying a break from the bleak interior of the school, a rustle of breeze blowing through the bright spring colours of the newly opened leaves on the trees, he could even hear the buzz of a bee's wings as it searched for the sweet nectar hidden in the depths of a flower. Suddenly, the tranquillity was interrupted by a sharp scream, followed by a dull thud. He looked up from his task and heard the sound of running feet muted by the damp grass and a voice, which he recognised as Granger's, shout in anguish, "Azalea! Leah!"

He dropped everything he was holding, tore open the door of his office, not bothering to shut it after him, he sped along the corridor running at a speed he hadn't realised he was still capable of, took the stairs two at a time and threw open the door to the garden. Still running he rounded the corner and took in the scene before him. A crowd of students were standing around someone lying on the floor, he slowed down to a brisk walk and shouted "Out of my way!" to the assembled students, at once a path was made through the sea of people and he had a full view of the person lying at such an unnatural angle on the ground. His gut wrenched into a hard knot inside him, his heart felt as though it was trying to leap out of his body, the world spun before him and he felt sick to his stomach, it was Azalea. All thoughts of his past were dashed from his mind; gone was his self-congratulation for getting over his foolish behaviour: all he could see was Azalea lying lifeless on the ground. He wanted to run to her, to hold her, to make sure she was all right. He fought his body for control, taking deep breaths to calm himself he walked up to her at the same time saying, "Has anyone gone for Madam Pomfrey?"

"Yes," said a tearful Granger who was kneeling by Azalea, "Ron's gone to get her."

"What happened?" he demanded to the crowd in general.

"She fell from the balcony," someone said.

"She didn't fall, there was a fight, I saw wand fire, just before she went over," countered another voice.

Several voices then joined in giving their version of events until Snape couldn't distinguish one story from the next, "Enough!" he shouted.

"Is she.. Is she dead?" he heard someone whisper loudly.

Was she dead? He couldn't bear to think that she might be dead but now he had to find out. He knelt down beside her on the opposite side to Granger. He gently lifted Azalea's hair away from her neck, her hair was so fine it felt like spun silk, he let it go and put his fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse, her skin was warm and soft, she lay as if she were sleeping, her eyes closed, "please be alive, please be alive" he thought over and over again as he moved his fingers to locate the artery in the soft hollow of her neck next to the windpipe. There! He felt it a pulse, her heart was still beating. Was she breathing? He removed his hand from her neck and put his face next to hers so that his cheek was in line with her nose and mouth, he could feel a gentle breath touch his cheek, he waited, in case it was an errant breeze. There it was again, and again, a regular shallow breath. He wanted to stay where he was, his face by her face so he'd be the first thing she'd see when she woke up, but he couldn't, not in such a public place. "She's alive," he announced to the waiting crowd and moved his head away from hers.

"Shouldn't she be kept warm?" he heard someone say and he immediately removed his cloak and laid it over her. As he pulled away he noticed she was wearing a chain around her neck which had slipped out from under her robes as she fell. Forgetful of the watching students he eased out the chain which had become entangled in her robes, at the end of it was an amulet, the very same one that he had given to her on the day of the Christmas Ball. He laid it carefully down against her chest his heart filled with questions as to why she still wore it.

He sat up quickly and said impatiently "How much longer before Madam Pomfrey gets here? I'm going to take her to the hospital wing." He then stood and went to the side and made ready to pick her up.

"No sir, don't touch her!" Hermione said urgently, but seeing the look of fury on Snape's face at being spoken to like that she hastened to explain, "If she has a spinal injury you could make it worse by moving her, we must wait until Madam Pomfrey gets here to examine her."

Snape hated being spoken to like that by a student but his concern for Azalea overrode his urge to snap back a spiteful reply to Granger. Instead, he turned to the assembled students and snapped at them, "There's nothing more to see here. Madam Pomfrey is on her way and you have classes to go to, now leave." One by one the students left until only Granger, Potter and Snape were by her side.

"You two as well," ordered Snape.

"But sir, she's the only family I've got," said Potter in a mournful voice that Snape had never heard come from Potter before.

"She's my friend," Hermione pointed out, "and Ron will expect us to be here when he gets back with Madam Pomfrey." She glanced up and a movement caught her eye. "Speaking of which, here they are now." They all looked in the same direction and could see Ron, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore walking quickly towards them across the lawn.

Hermione left her place by Azalea's side and, together with Harry, walked towards the three people approaching them to explain what had happened and confirm that Azalea was still alive. Snape was left alone with Azalea and he knelt back down next to her. Once again he resisted the urge to hold her, but he gave in to his need to kiss her and he brushed his lips against hers half wishing that his kiss would wake her up like it did in the muggle fairy story. It didn't of course. He could hear that the others were now approaching and he had to find a reason for him being this close to Azalea, so he removed his cloak which had been covering her and stood up to face the others.

Madam Pomfrey bustled up and took over with practiced efficiency. "Did any one move her after she fell?" she asked after checking for Azalea's vital signs and being assured that she was still alive.

"No," responded Snape shortly, glancing over at Hermione.

"Good," she replied, "she may have a spinal injury and any movement could make it worse. I shall put her into a medical body bind to prevent any accidental movement but she needs to go to St Mungo's Hospital, I don't have the facilities to look after her properly here."

"I'll take her," Snape offered immediately.

Dumbledore looked at him through narrowed eyes, "That won't be necessary Professor Snape, you have classes to teach; I shall accompany Madam Pomfrey to St Mungo's. Now Harry, Ron and Hermione, you must go to your lessons, I promise I'll let you know as soon as we hear anything about Miss Bennett's condition."

Snape swung his cloak back over his shoulders in irritation at being put down like that by Dumbledore. As he did so something fell from one of its pockets. Harry picked it up and said "I think you dropped this, Professor" and handed him a red Swiss army knife.

Snape took it from Harry without thanking him but addressed Hermione, "Miss Granger, sometimes it helps to be an insufferable know it all." With that he stalked off back to his office still holding the Swiss army knife in his hand as if it was a delicate flower that needed protection.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other in amazement, "If I'm not mistaken that was an admission that you were right, Snape style" said Harry to Hermione and they walked off together to their next lesson.

As they continued towards the building, Hermione said thoughtfully to the two boys, "I think that Professor Snape is in love with Azalea."

Harry and Ron looked at her in disbelief and simultaneously let out a short burst of laughter. Ron said "Hermione, that's the maddest thing you've ever said, Snape isn't capable of falling in love."

"Unless he's taken one of his own potions," added Harry.

"You didn't see him," Hermione protested. "When he was checking to see if Azalea was still alive, he was so gentle and tender with her. He looked distraught to me."

"I bet the only thing he was worried about was that if she was dead then one of his Slytherins would be up for murder. It was bound to be them fighting which made her fall off the balcony in the first place," concluded Ron.

Hermione was not convinced but said no more.

Back in his office, Snape went over to the table by the window to repack his bag for the next lesson, which he was now late for. The scrolls were scattered over the floor where he had dropped them in his hurry to get to Azalea. He swept his hand over the fallen scrolls and packed his bag in an instant. Since she had shown him wandless magic it he used it almost without thinking. He was still holding the Swiss army knife, which he had carried around with him since the day she had given it to him. It had come in useful on many occasions and now he wondered how he had ever got along without it. It was funny how you'd get along without things for years but once you'd had them they became indispensable and part of your life. It had taken Azalea's near death for him to realise how much she meant to him, he didn't want to get along without her, he wanted her back in his life, just like the Swiss Army knife. He returned it to his pocket and left for his lesson, half out of his mind with worry about Azalea and promising himself he would make it up to her when she was better.