Never Piss Off a House-Elf
disclaimer: no, of course I don't own Harry Potter. Are you done with silly questions? Can we get on with the story?
This chapter is dedicated to. . . GoodbyeYBR!
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Chapter 54: What Happened Here?
Hermione stirred fitfully, caught in Pandaemonium's song. The bird realized, too late, that he'd caught both master and mistress, but there was no turning back, for to allow Severus to wake while he healed would mean his death. . .
inside Pan's song
Severus picked his head up groggily, and found he was seated on the floor of his study. His arm and chest burned and ached a bit, but his breathing was no longer labored, and his stomach was finally settled. The fire had gone out, but he was warm enough without it. Pandaemonium was missing, but his song was strung faintly in the wind. Severus wondered at the pain he found himself still in, and upon examination, the pain stopped, dulling to barely a throb.
"Pandaemonium, I thank you, my friend," Severus said, his voice thick and heavy. His throat ached a bit, but he attributed the ache to however long he'd been passed out. He rubbed his throat and wished he'd put out more than firewhiskey before he sat down to grade.
An empty glass and a pitcher of water appeared next to Severus on the floor, and he grimaced. He knew that he was no longer in reality, at least not the one he'd passed out in. He poured himself a glass of water and enjoyed the coolness as it healed his throat.
"Now, when caught in a Dark Phoenix's song, what is one supposed to find out?" Severus wondered aloud. As far as he could see, he was alone. No-one would hear him and call him crazy. He stood up to see if Hermione had been recreated in his little dream-world. If she were there, it would tell him something.
He turned and headed for the bedroom, fully assured Hermione would be there, sleeping and dreaming peacefully. He turned the corner and stopped.
Hermione stared up at him, her hands covered in blood and her belly distended. Her face was frozen in fear, and he could see her choking on something, tears perhaps. He raced towards her, and as he gathered her into his arms, the blood evaporated and her belly shrank to its normal size. She shivered to life in his hands, the block in her throat dissolving and she coughed, hacking, until Severus squeezed her tight to his chest.
"Severus," she gasped, trying to draw a deep breath. "Where are we? What are we doing here?"
"I -- I'm not quite sure, Hermione," Severus whispered, letting her drop to stand on her feet. She clung to his hands while she regained her balance, and the gesture showed Severus that she was truly caught in the song -- not a device of the song or his own subconscious. "Something happened while I was at my desk, and Pan began to sing. You know phoenix song can induce dreams, but this is different."
"Regular phoenix song is often induced to help someone figure out what is wrong in their subconscious, a safe place for them to confront something," Hermione said, finally regaining her composure. "Is this truly any different?"
Severus nodded slowly, looking around. "We can't stay here, or else the song won't work. We could get caught in it. Dark phoenix song is not quite as safe as the song of a fire phoenix, such as Fawkes."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, heading for the closet to drag some clothing out. She chose loose velour pants and a t-shirt, stepping into her trainers without socks. "Are you saying that we're in danger?"
"Not yet. But inside Pan's song, he doesn't have the ability to keep us safe from things that would harm us in real life. In short, we are physically inside a song, not a dream, as it would seem. Be careful; if you fall out a window, or poison yourself, the consequences are real."
Hermione nodded, understanding, a bit. "Why are we in the song? What was going on before Pan began to sing?"
Severus paced a bit, hands at his sides, his mouth moving as he thought. "I'm trying to remember. But I don't think he was trying to ensnare you, Hermione. As soon as he realizes that he's caught you, he'll probably summon Fawkes to help get you out."
"And if he doesn't realize it, Severus? I think we need to work on getting out on our own," Hermione said, grabbing his arm to make him stop pacing. "Stop. Think. Take a moment and try to remember everything that happened after you left me in the other room."
Severus sat with a sigh, his body feeling heavy and old for its years. Bits and pieces of his evening were coming back to him, and a strange throbbing took up in his chest. His dark mark blazed to life and he let out a guttural cry, grabbing his arm and slumping, panting in his chair. His eyes rolled back in his head, and Hermione was there, one hand on his wrist, the other held Severus up with his head back, her fingers in his mouth to keep him from swallowing his tongue.
As soon as it had started, it was over. Severus gasped, and his chest still hurt. Hermione kept her hand on his wrist but removed the other, placing it next to Severus on the chair. Her eyes were concerned, and tears were threatening to fall.
"Is that what happened, Severus?" Hermione said quietly. "Pan dragged us in here after you endured a myocardial infarction?"
Severus stared at Hermione. "A what? Speak English, Hermione."
"A heart attack, Severus. A heart stoppage. It happens when your heart is pumping blood out to the body but for some reason isn't feeding itself blood. Tissue dies and the result is somewhat like what you just experienced. It can be fatal."
"And we're stuck her in Pan's song, without help and without rescue, save figuring this damn thing out," Severus stated the obvious. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye.
"Well, not completely without rescue," a familiar voice drawled.
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AN: Here it is, and I know it is short. The next chapter kind of needs this little cliffie. Hint: if you've read other of my stories and picked up on the charms used to make muggle-borns more comfortable, you'll have a leg up on who our rescuer is.
5 reviews, next chapter.
