Severus Snape, ex-Death Eater, Potions Master, Dark Arts Master, long-time Slytherin, and once a hater of everything Gryffindor, catches one Hermione Granger as she slips to the floor unconscious.
No one notices.
Not until his tall dark form straightens upwards and his fury washes across the room with a suddenness that leave several people cold.
All heads turn and the room is suddenly too quiet, too small, as all see the dark wizard holding their Hermione in his arms. The fact that this man cradles the curly head of his former student with ease and familiarity is not lost on most of them, nor the fact that he is glowing with rage.
Chaos breaks out as George immediately calls for the mediwitch, as Harry moves from the side of his daughter to the side of his best friend, as Molly instantly starts asking questions. All the while Severus holds Hermione close to him, his eyes harder, darker, and more furious then many have seen them in a long time.
Causing Harry to stop in his approach.
Causing George to stop in his intent to take the witch from the taller wizard.
Shutting Molly off in mid-sentence.
And finally, causing the mediwitch to pause before visibly shaking herself and continuing forward.
The small woman immediately takes over the situation by coming up to the girl in the man's arms and casting a diagnostic charm.
And then another.
A frown growing between the mediwitch's eyes, a frown that causes something in Severus' gut to clench.
Another spell.
"Oh dear." The murmur of a mediwitch, something no one wants to hear.
Least of all Severus, who immediately thinks of his Godson.
"What is it?" He bites out.
The mediwitch looks up at the tall dark man, wincing at the look in his eyes. "Her magic. Come with me, we need to put her in another room."
With those words, the silence of the room is broken and several people start talking at once, including George at his side, Harry in front of him, and Molly just in the corner.
"Silence." His voice a whip of power.
Silencing them instantly.
"Locate Draco Malfoy," he says, even as he turns to follow the mediwitch.
"What?" This exclamation from George. "Why?"
Severus does not look over at the Weasley. He focuses his gaze on Harry. "Find Mr. Malfoy immediately."
Severus doesn't stop to see if Harry obeys, knowing he will do so, never doubting it as he follows the mediwitch out of Lily's room and immediately into the one across the hall.
The witch in his arms is a light thing and he carries her with ease, memories from ten years before assaulting him with an uncanny ability as he remembers doing just this off the bloodied battle field.
Malfoy staggering at his shoulder, holding her wand in his hand, distress, fear, but something else clear and bright in the young man's eyes.
The ex-professor remembers the look distinctly because it was one that he had always hoped to witness in his Godson's eyes, tenderness that he had hoped the young man would some day find.
A gaze, however, he has not seen since.
Placing her on the bed, Severus steps back to look down on the woman, noticing the paleness of her face, the dark circles under her eyes, and the slightly drawn skin over her cheekbones. He wonders if the signs of stress upon her person are from what she has just done or if it is because of the last several weeks of working with Draco.
He has a feeling it is the latter rather then the former.
Severus watches as the mediwitch fusses, casting more and more spells, shaking her head as she does so, the worried frown between her eyes still present.
The woman finally looks over at the tall dark wizard. "What exactly did she do in there?" She asks finally.
She almost steps back at the scowl that suddenly graces the man's features. "The fool girl tried to absorb the child's magic."
The mediwitch's face pales at his words. "She tried to absorb the magic, but that is…"
She broke off, not sure how to end that.
Severus ends it for her. "It is suicide. Yes, I am aware of that, as should have several of the other wizards and witches in that room, but fools are in company of fools and it has always been such." Breathing slowly out to regain control.
A harsh retort, but more in control. "So, what is the damage?"
The mediwitch winces at the tone and turns back to the woman in the bed. "I am not entirely sure. I have to run a few more diagnostics and tests, but it seems as if she is just unconscious; however, her magic is behaving very strangely and I hesitate to not call it a magic-induced coma." A frown, playing across the woman's features as she waves her wand across Hermione once more, shaking her head. "I don't know, I have never seen this type of magical response before. I am going to contact our department head, Belani, talk with him and have him come to see what he believes."
Severus nods once, curtly. "Is she in any danger right now?"
The mediwitch shakes her head. "No. Beside her state of consciousness, it doesn't appear as if there is anything physically wrong with her. I've put a monitoring spell on her though so if anything at all changes I will know immediately."
Another curt nod, though the dark eyes are no longer trained on the mediwitch but rather on Hermione.
The mediwitch is extremely glad of the fact and hurriedly leaves the room.
Severus does not. Seating himself on a chair next to the bed, he silently stares at his former student, dark eyes expressionless as he watches the slow rise and fall of her breath.
He is not the least surprised when the door opens suddenly and his Godson walks into the room, though it has only been several moments and not nearly enough time for someone to have found him and brought him back.
Severus knew when he told Harry to get Draco that there was a very good chance Draco was all ready on his way.
But hadn't been certain, and the knowledge that he was correct and the implications behind it are filed away into Severus' ever questioning and answering mind.
Draco's face is expressionless, though the quick tightening of his jaw gives him away when he takes in the sight of Hermione lying unconscious in the bed.
He looks up and captures Severus eye, but before he asks anything Minerva walks in behind him, her gaze also reverting to the witch, followed by Harry.
He feels his Godson's irritation, anger, fury at the two individuals, as if it is his own and he quickly stands from his chair.
"Draco stay here with Miss Granger, I wish to speak with Mr. Potter and Minerva."
Barely a glance in his direction from his Godson. Not that he expected it.
The other two follow him out of the room.
Harry looking pensive, Minerva looking as if she is bursting with questions.
Severus sighs inwardly at what he knows is coming.
Bloody Gryffindors, they are all the same.
He thinks even as Minerva asks her first question.
"What did the mediwitch say?"
Her first question.
"She believes she is in a magic-induced coma."
Minerva puts a hand up to her mouth, eyes widening slightly in fear. Harry does not look away from the door they just came through, but Severus sees a paling along the boy's features.
"Is she sure?"
"Quite. A fool stunt that was; did neither of you even think to consider what it was Miss Granger was going to do?"
Guilt now, on both Harry and Minerva.
A disgusting snort from Severus. "I thought not. You let her try to absorb that child's magic; perhaps you do not know the implications of that Mr. Potter, but Minerva you should have."
Minerva nodding, her eyes twinkling in tears she will not shed. "Of course. I just, I believed Hermione would understand, would know better."
Another snort. "I'm sure Miss Granger knew exactly what she was doing; however, do neither you, her favourite professor, nor you, her best friend, understand anything about Miss Granger. To say that you did not think she would attempt such a thing shows that you have very little insight, or chose to have very little insight, into her."
The words harsh, angry, because Severus is truly angry with the two in front of him.
"She would do it anyway, despite what it did to her." A dull voice. Harry still not looking at his two former professors, staring at the door, his face pale.
Severus does not deem the need to answer. Watching them both.
Minerva visibly gathers herself, placing the cloak of Headmistress about her shoulders.
Severus knows what question is coming next.
"How did Draco know?"
This turns Harry's attention from the room he just left and to his former Head of House. It amuses Severus that the question surprises Harry.
"Whatever do you mean Minerva?" He asks, out of habit, because he likes to see the older woman scowl at him.
"You know what I mean young man. Draco was already at the hospital when Harry and I left to find him."
A slight rise of an eyebrow, slight smirk to his lips. "Coincidence?"
"No. Not a coincidence," she said, waspish.
The smirk growing slightly.
"It's true, Severus," Harry says, breaking into what is about to be a nasty reply from Minerva.
Severus turns his gaze on Harry, the younger man looking at his old professor thoughtfully now, though guilt and sadness still lines his features and echo in his green eyes.
Harry continues. "He knew something happened to Hermione because we walked into him as soon as we left the ward."
"And he demanded to know where Hermione was," Minerva adds, voice still slightly cool in reaction to Severus' baiting.
Severus nods slightly. "It's their bond."
A moment, which Severus watches with even more amusement though nothing shows on his features. Those are bland and expressionless.
Minerva goes white, a typical response, though Severus is intrigued to see none of the surprise on Harry's face.
"The binding spell is that strong then?" Harry asks, thoughtful still, and Severus is reminded that he is talking with the Minister of Magic, killer of Voldemort; no longer a teenager in his potion's classroom.
"All blood magic is that strong." He answers.
Amused again to hear Minerva gasp this time and to see some of that thoughtful look wiped off of Harry's face.
Most satisfying.
After all, a bit of him is still the greasy git.
A smirk. Just showing alongside his face.
"You are not serious, Severus? Blood magic?" Minerva finally asks.
"I most assuredly am." Severus replies, knowing that Minerva is trying to work out the details of how that could be even as she stands there staring at him.
Harry shakes his head. "I don't understand. I thought what they did was some kind of binding spell, but just that, nothing more. How can there be blood magic? And anyway, I thought blood magic was only shared between family members?"
Like my mother and I.
Is the tagged statement though Harry does not say it.
Severus shrugs nonchalantly, though he sneers the next words. "One does not have to be related to partake in blood magic, nor in a blood binding, boy."
Harry winces at the tone.
Severus continues. "But, I do believe the binding was supposed be just a binding of magic, inducing a compulsion and nothing more than that. But something, some outward influence, made its presence known and the spell did not occur as it should have."
Minerva and Harry staring at him. Minerva slowly narrowing her eyes as the puzzle is worked out in her mind.
"And this outward influence?" She asks, though she already knows the answers but has to hear it confirmed before she will think on what it could possibly mean.
Severus can't help but let the smirk grace his face, looking back and forth between the wizard and witch.
"Love."
One word.