Chapter 29
Hermione looked up from the book she was reading, curled up as she was on what had been deemed her side of the bed, of Severus' bed, as a large thud echoed through the chambers. She let her eyes dart to the end of the bed, her gaze falling upon the sleeping forms of Lyublyu and Onyx. Having now ruled them out as the source of the disturbance, she closed the book, laying it carefully on the side-table before climbing from the bed. She approached the door to the lounge with caution, her instincts kicking in, warning her that there may be danger lying beyond the realm of the bedchamber, that whatever, whomever had caused the thud may not necessarily be of sound mind or body. She may be creeping in on foe, not friend.
She placed her hand on the door, her body tensed ready to flee should the need arise. She shook her head then, reminding herself that there was nowhere to run if the security of Severus' wards were breeched. She swallowed back the fear that was rising as she tried to calm her mind, soothe its doubt and muster the courage to simply open the door and find out who or what had invaded the Headmaster's quarters.
She pushed the door then and burst through, deciding she had the element of surprise, her hypothesis coming crashing down as her eyes landed on her late night visitor. Severus stood, bloodied and bruised, favoring his side, an arm wrapped about his ribs, his wrist hanging at odd angles to the rest of his arm. His right eye was swollen shut, his jaw slightly ajar. Blood dripped from various lacerations covering his entire torso and head. His hair hung limp, coated and weighed down with blood from a drying head wound. His injuries so severe, his state of undress barely acknowledged except for the Death Eater mask clasped loosely in his free hand. 'Oh my God. Severus?' She took a tentative step forward as he wobbled on his feet, his eyes lifting to meet hers.
'Don't.' He tried weakly to glare in her direction, to halt her progress towards him, his free arm shifting to cross his body, to hide himself from her. 'Stop. Please.' His voice wavered as his body finally gave out, sending him heavily to the stone floor, his knees taking the brunt of the impact before his entire body folded over itself.
'What have they done to you?' She whispered her throat constricting as she choked back tears. She dropped to her knees beside him, her hands finding his shoulders and rolling him as gently as she could to face her. She watched his eyes blink slowly once, twice, before they clouded over as he fell into pain induced unconsciousness. 'Severus?' She placed her hand on his throat, her fingers seeking the pulse point. 'Severus please?' She swallowed again, blinking to clear her eyes. 'Oh my god.' She shook her head 'I don't know what to do.' Her hands slid from his shoulder and throat to cup his cheeks as she held his head off the cold, hard stone floor. 'Please, Severus, you have to tell me what to do?' She took another deep calming breath, whispering to him as she tried to bring her mind back to the task at hand, to reign in the panic, the emotions. 'Sage.' She called then, knowing the little elf would be somewhere near and able to assist.
'Yes Little Miss.' Sage answered as she popped into view. 'My Severus.' She screeched as her eyes found him. She clicked her fingers, sending them both back into his bedroom.
'I really wish you wouldn't keep doing that.' Hermione muttered as the little elf began to fuss around the unconscious man in her arms.
'And I is wishing bad creature leave my Severus alone.' Sage matched her volume, the elf's tone far more scathing however. She locked large eyes on Hermione's. 'You is to be staying there.' She pointed at her before phasing from view.
'I think we've done this before.' She told the man on the bed beside her. 'She worries about you.' She spoke soothingly as she attempted to distract herself, unsure if he could even hear her, but determined to continue regardless. In the background she heard the distinct sound of water running. A moment later the elf appeared before her again, her hands on her hips, her eyes determined.
'You is ready?' She demanded.
'For what?' Hermione barely had time to ask the question before she felt herself transported once more, her body landing waist deep in the large tub in Severus' bathroom, his head still held protectively in her hands. 'You is helping.' Sage nodded.
'No, I is wet.' She rolled her eyes as she mimicked the elf's strange vernacular and sentence structure. 'Couldn't I have helped from beside the bath?' She turned to face the elf, her hands still cradling his head, keeping his damaged face above the water.
'No room.' Sage nodded her expression serious. 'There is no room.'
'But there's…' her voice trailed off as Sage popped form view. She turned her attention back to Severus, looking down on him, her expression concerned for him again now. She brushed a hand over his head, smoothing back his hair, attempting to rinse some of the caked blood away. 'You have a very strange elf.' She spoke softly, more to distract herself from the severity of his injuries than to inform him of her opinion.
'Indeed.'
His voice hoarse, his word slow, sleepy startled her, her attention darting from the top of his head to where his eyes now searched her face. She saw him grimace as his face pulled, his jaw moved with each syllable. She ran her hand over his forehead, brushing his hair backwards once more. 'What can I do?'
Before he even had a chance to answer her, to scold her or to guide her Sage popped back into the bathroom, filling the space beside the tub with worried witches, having brought with her Minerva and Poppy.
'We seem to be meeting like this an awful lot.' Minerva smirked down at him for a moment before letting her concern settle in her features, her mouth pulling tight, her forehead crinkling.
'You mean, where I am the only one underdressed.' He did his best to alleviate the tension in the bathroom, his attempted humor falling short, his words punctuated with yet another grimace.
'What has happened to you?' Poppy started, leaning forwards, her wand raising. 'What have they done to you?'
'It would be quicker to ask what they haven't.' Severus offered his voice grim.
'But they think you're on their side.' Minerva could barely contain her aghast tone, her expression horrified to match as her hand shot to her chest. 'This is how they treat their comrades in arms? Is it any wonder you defected.
'I defected well before the true nature of the beast became so glaringly apparent.' Severus squeezed his eyes shut against the wave of nausea, the pain then, his efforts at holding in his own in conversation, the thought that he only switched to the side of light to avoid personal torture become too much to hide anymore.
'I know that too now.' Minerva reached forward to touch his cheek, her fingers cool against his overly warm flesh. 'Rest now Laddie. Let us fix you.' She turned to face Poppy. 'What can I do?'
'Just hold him steady Hermione.' She nodded once to the young woman still standing in the bath. 'I'm about to set the worst of it.' She waved her wand, carving out intricate patterns in the air about his reclined body.
He felt Hermione's hands gently stroking his head as she held him in the now red-tinged water. He could feel Poppy's magic, her diagnostics and whispered spells wash through him, easing the pain. He felt his rib pop, the one that had been stabbing him in the side, possibly puncturing his lung slipping ever so quickly back into its rightful place. He felt his wrist relocate itself, its action punctuated with a loud crack and an involuntary gasp that left his lips.
'You is ok My Severus.' Sage stepped around to the end of the bathtub, her small hands, her long fingers pressing against his face, holding him steady as she used her thumbs to pry his eyes open gently. Once he was looking directly at her, her eyes boring down into his she began to chant softly, holding his gaze, easing his pain, channeling the old magics to absorb his pain as Poppy reset his nose and jaw. 'You is ok now. You is better.' She soothed once the treatment was over. With a flick of her wrist she switched the water in the tub, the blood and dirt disappearing to be replaced with clean fresh warm water. 'And no you is clean.' She grinned down at him watching as he reopened his eyes and glared up at her.
'And no I am on display again.' He attempted to be mad, to keep the scowl on his face as he narrowed his eyes at the elf.
'Tis nothing we not seen before.' Sage grinned widely then, straightening to look between the women in the room. 'You is Our Severus.'
'I don't think I want…' Hermione began, her smile soft as she watched him slowly sit up, her hands slipping from his face to hang limply in the warm water.
'Yet it was you that well and truly had me.' He smirked at her blush before schooling his features, his expression softening to look more carefully at her. 'Thank you. For helping.' He glanced at Minerva and Poppy then. 'All of you.'
'It was nothing.' Minerva nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement.
'No. It was everything.' He reiterated. 'You made this much easier. On Sage,' he paused for a moment, his voice growing to almost a whisper. 'And on me.'
AN/
Firstly I'm just apologizing for the less than regular updates... life...who knew... all is good just exceptionally busy.
Secondly - please review... it really makes me want to find time to complete the next chapter.
