Rachel stood at the entrance to the maze and tried not to panic. The hedges stood about twenty feet high and the pathways looked dark and narrow. This whole thing was a nightmare.
"It looks like the center of the maze will be to the northwest of here," Severus said quietly.
Rachel nodded.
"Albus has professors patrolling around the edges of the maze. You can send up red sparks if you wish to be rescued," Severus continued. "I want you to use the red sparks as soon as you feel like you're in a situation you can't control, alright?"
That would be the whole damn task, the whole tournament really, but Rachel nodded anyway.
"You've prepared for this, you know what you're doing. Just don't take unnecessary risks."
"I won't," Rachel said. She turned to look at where Cedric was being coached by Professor Sprout. Nearby Madame Maxime was speaking quietly to Fleur, and Viktor was standing silently near Professor Karkaroff.
"I'll come down as soon as you exit the maze. It will be over soon," Severus said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks," Rachel said. "I'll be alright."
"You will," Severus said, squeezing her shoulder before removing his hand.
Mr. Bagman approached with a bright smile. "All ready, are we? I'll just have the champions with me."
"I'll see you soon," Rachel said, managing a small smile for Severus before she went and joined the other champions.
"Sonorus," Mr. Bagman said, pointing his wand to his throat. "Welcome everyone to the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament! In first place we have Mr. Viktor Krum from Durmstrang. Tied for second place, Miss Rachel Snow and Mr. Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts. And in third place, Miss Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons. Their task? Navigate the maze and overcome the obstacles. The first champion to the Triwizard Cup wins the tournament! Mr. Krum, on my whistle."
Viktor readied himself and hurried into the maze as soon as Mr. Bagman blew his silver whistle.
Rachel wished she'd had a moment to tell him good luck, but it was too late now.
"In five minutes I'll let Rachel and Cedric go in, and then five minutes after that Fleur will join you," Mr. Bagman said, smiling at them as if he was telling them good news.
Rachel fidgeted and was glad she'd decided against wearing her robes with her school uniform. They'd been instructed to wear their uniforms, but when she'd been changing just before dinner she'd decided that robes would just slow her down. She'd debated wearing trousers, even though she didn't have a pair of uniform trousers, but had decided that she was pushing her luck going without robes. Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur were all wearing their robes.
"Cedric, use the red sparks if you need to," Rachel said quietly. Fleur had wandered away a little and was looking up at the crowd in the stands.
"I will. You too. Promise," Cedric said.
"I will," Rachel said. "I don't care who wins, I just want to be done."
Cedric nodded. "I'm going to try to win, but I'm not going to get myself killed doing it either."
"Good," Rachel said.
"Alright, Cedric, Rachel, get ready," Mr. Bagman said.
Rachel and Cedric walked to the opening in the hedge maze and waited. After a long moment where Rachel swore she could hear her heart beating in her ears, Mr. Bagman blew his whistle.
They made it about ten yards in before Rachel drew her wand. "Lumos. I can't believe it's so dark in here."
"It will only get darker, it's less than an hour before the sun goes down," Cedric said. "Hopefully we'll be out of here before it does."
About fifty yards in they reached a fork. Rachel looked at Cedric, not quite wanting to go into the maze alone but knowing that she had to. "Good luck. Be careful."
"You too," Cedric said. He went right and disappeared around a bend a few moments later.
Rachel drew a deep breath and turned left. In the distance she could hear Mr. Bagman's whistle, meaning that Fleur was now entering the maze. She knew the maze didn't occupy the same space as the Quidditch pitch, but it was still much bigger than she'd been expecting. She stopped at a three way fork. "Point me."
Her wand spun around on her hand and pointed directly into the hedge. That way was north, and she needed to go northwest. But how far west? How would she know if she went past the center? Maybe she should go directly north for a while and then go west?
Staring at the hedge she had a funny idea. She took a step back and aimed her wand. "Sectura," she said, slashing her wand. She did it twice more, making a rough triangle shape and the center of the hedge sagged around the portion she'd cut off. Doubly glad she hadn't worn her robes, Rachel shoved the piece of hedge through and then climbed through after it.
So, all she had to do was go north for a while, and then go west, and hopefully she'd wind up somewhere in the vicinity of the middle. She stepped up to the next hedge and started using the Cutting hex again. She was halfway through the hedge when she heard a low growling noise. Taking a quick peek around, and catching a glimpse of something large with tawny fur, Rachel yanked herself back onto the path she was on and hoped it didn't follow her through the hedge.
New plan. Travel west, then north, and avoid creatures and other obstacles as she went.
If she was currently facing north, then west was to her left, which was also conveniently away from the creature she'd seen.
She traveled down that path until she came to a corner which led back south. Time to try cutting through again. She peered through the hole she'd made more carefully now and saw that she'd made it to a different path, with no apparent creatures. Climbing through, aware that she was getting scratches on her arms and legs, Rachel dropped down on the other side and saw that there was a path leading north nearby.
What she really needed was a spell that could tell her where an exact location was. It was continuing to get darker and when she tipped her head back she could see that the sky had gone from a deep blue to nearly a navy. How long had she been in here? A quick glance at her watch told her it had been about thirty minutes. It seemed both much longer and much shorter than that.
Rachel continued north and then took a path west when her options were south, west, and east. The light of her wand glinted off something and Rachel came to an abrupt stop. Was it just her imagination or did the grass look kind of different?
Deciding that she was better off going around whatever it was, Rachel made another series of cuts into the hedge and peered through before climbing onto the next path. So far her avoidance strategy seemed to be working. She continued west in parallel to the path that she'd been on moments ago.
And then she heard Cedric screaming.
"Cedric! Cedric!" Rachel shouted. "Cedric! Where are you?"
A moment later he stopped screaming and that was even worse.
"Cedric! Viktor! Fleur! Are you there?" Rachel shouted as loud as she could.
"Rachel?" Fleur's voice came, but from a distance.
"Fleur! I heard Cedric screaming! Are you near him?" Rachel called.
"I do not know! I heard him too, but I am far away," Fleur called back.
Cursing her own stupidity for not doing this sooner, Rachel shook her head. "Use the Cutting hex, you can get through the hedge! The center was from the northwest of where we started. Viktor, are you okay?"
There was no answer.
"Fleur!" Rachel shouted.
"I am alright. I am coming toward the center. You go there too," Fleur called back.
To the center. The sooner they got to the center the sooner it would be over with and then someone could help Cedric.
"Point me," Rachel said to her wand. It showed that north was where she thought it was, but she had no idea how close to the center she was now. She supposed if she accidentally went too far she'd wind up cutting her way out of the maze. At least then she could tell someone that Cedric needed help.
She relit her wand and continued west, deciding that she'd go north at the next juncture. It seemed like it took forever but she finally turned north onto an even longer path, this one with a creature sitting on it. Rachel raised her wand and squinted through her glasses. She was pretty sure that was a sphinx sitting in the middle of the path. Not wanting to deal with riddles - that was more a Ravenclaw sort of thing anyway - Rachel cut through the hedge and went onto an adjacent path.
"Fleur? Viktor? Are you okay?" she called when she reached the end of the path.
No one answered.
Rachel bit her lip. Was she so far in the wrong direction that neither of them could hear her? Or had something happened to them? She had to get to the center of the maze, now, and then the professors could get everyone out. Hopefully it wasn't too late.
She made another cut in the hedge and stepped through, realizing she was further down the path that the sphinx had been on. She turned north at the fork ahead and then she saw it. The Triwizard Cup sitting on a pedestal ahead, about a hundred yards away. Rachel took off at a run, though she could hear something else moving heavily through the hedge nearby. Panting, her heart thundering in her chest, Rachel made it to the Cup and grabbed one of the handles.
A strange feeling went through her, like she was being dragged by her stomach, and she was pulled up into the air. She screamed and found that she couldn't let go of the Cup. It was like she was in some sort of whirling windstorm and then after a long moment she was slammed back onto the ground.
What the hell had just happened?
She sat up and looked around. It was dusk now, and she was in a graveyard. She could just see the outline of a church in the dark. Was this another part of the task?
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Rachel called as she got to her feet.
Had Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch set this up without telling anyone? Surely if Professor Dumbledore had known he would have told Severus about it, and Severus would have told her. She supposed her best bet was to send a Patronus message to Severus telling him that she didn't know where she was or what she was supposed to do. Maybe if she went toward the church she could find some sort of signage that would give them a clue about where she was.
Then she saw someone approaching, someone with a hooded cloak. They were carrying something in their arms.
"Hello? Are you with the tournament?" Rachel called, keeping her wand down by her side.
They didn't answer, but kept coming closer.
"Who are you?" Rachel asked, getting ready to cast the Shield charm. Before she could do anything she was overcome with pain. It felt like her head was splitting in half and her scar was burning like someone had poured molten metal into it. She dropped down to the ground, pressing her hands against her head like she was keeping it from coming apart.
She felt the person trying to pull her up and she rolled away. She didn't know this person, she didn't want to be touched by them. The person grabbed her more fully and Rachel realized that she'd dropped her wand when she'd grabbed at her head. She felt around in the grass but the person had his arm around her neck and was pulling her to her feet.
"Let me go!" Rachel shouted, trying to fight through the pain to somehow get away.
The person dragged her for a few moments and then shoved her against a large marble headstone. Rachel had just enough time to read the inscription 'Tom Riddle' before her back was against it.
"Incarcerous," the man said, his hood falling back.
Rachel stared as the ropes bound her to the headstone. It was Peter Pettigrew. Which meant the Dark Lord was probably somewhere nearby. Her scar was still burning, but the pain in her head had mostly receded. She felt like she couldn't breathe, but she couldn't tell if that was because she was panicking or because the ropes were so tight.
A large snake slithered around the headstone, its body pressing briefly against Rachel's ankles before it moved away.
Pettigrew walked back to the place where Rachel had arrived, the discarded Triwizard Cup sitting in the grass, her wand probably somewhere nearby. He picked up the bundle and brought it nearby before setting it down again. The cloth fell aside and revealed a baby, but not like any baby that Rachel had ever seen. Its skin almost seemed charred and its eyes were a piercing red.
Rachel whimpered as she realized that the Dark Lord was possessing the baby and that it was probably the baby that she'd seen in her dream back in August.
Pettigrew waved his wand and a large stone cauldron appeared. He started a fire beneath it and the potion inside quickly began to bubble and send out red sparks.
"It is ready, Master," Pettigrew said, turning to the Dark Lord.
"Yes, now," the Dark Lord said, his voice strange and cold.
Pettigrew lifted the baby and placed him in the cauldron. He spoke too softly for Rachel to hear, but as he moved his wand the ground near Rachel's feet broke and a fine dust appeared in the air. He directed it into the cauldron.
A rebirth, Rachel realized. This was how the Dark Lord was returning to his own body.
Pettigrew moved to the edge of the cauldron and pulled out a wicked looking silver knife. He said something again and then brought the knife down in a wide swoop.
Rachel screamed as she watched him cut off his hand, Pettigrew's scream echoing hers. Pettigrew's hand fell into the cauldron along with a stream of blood and Pettigrew was now on the ground, clutching the bleeding stump to his chest.
Rachel thought she was going to be sick, it was easily one of the most horrifying things she'd ever witnessed. She wondered how long Pettigrew could stay conscious, he was losing a lot of blood. She didn't know a lot about medicine and healing, but she was pretty sure if he lost enough blood he would die.
Pettigrew got unsteadily to his feet and came toward Rachel, still holding the knife.
"No, no, no," Rachel said, shaking her head. She tried to move her hands behind her but the ropes were too tight for her to move her arms at all. This wasn't happening.
Pettigrew brought the knife up and made a deep cut into Rachel's arm from near her shoulder down to the crook of her elbow.
Rachel managed to stifle her cry from a scream to a whimper and tried not to be grateful that he hadn't actually cut anything off. He held a vial up to her arm and filled it with her blood before staggering back to the cauldron. He said something, something about blood of an enemy, and dumped it in before stumbling away a few steps and dropping to the ground while clutching at the still bleeding stump of his arm.
The cauldron was now sending out brilliant white sparks and Rachel forced herself to watch. Abruptly the sparks stopped and then a dense white fog came pouring out. It obscured everything, though Rachel could still hear Pettigrew's sobs, and then a dark outline rose from within the fog.
This was the Dark Lord. Tall, skeletally thin, paler than bleached bone, with haunting red eyes and slits for a nose. The Dark Lord had been reborn.
Rachel watched as he stepped out of the cauldron and then picked up the black bundle of cloth on the ground, revealing it to be robes. He dressed and then examined his hands, growing even clearer as the fog from the cauldron dissipated. He then drew a wand, the wood nearly white, from the pocket of his robes and held it almost tenderly.
"Rachel Snow," the Dark Lord said, his gaze finally falling to her.
Rachel braced herself. She wasn't about to spend the last minutes of her life begging for mercy when there would be none.
"I have been looking forward to this for a very long time," he said, continuing to stare. He didn't seem to need to blink.
Rachel stared back, not sure what else to do. There was some small part of her mind that was talking to her, telling her how it always came down to this. There were people with power over her and she was left helpless.
"Let us see who is brave enough to join us, shall we?" the Dark Lord asked, walking over to where Pettigrew was still on the ground. "Give me your arm."
"Thank you, thank you my lord," Pettigrew said, lifting his stump.
"Your other arm," the Dark Lord said.
Pettigrew whimpered but gave the Dark Lord his other arm.
Rachel watched as the Dark Lord pushed back the sleeve to reveal a red mark in the shape of a snake coming out of a skull. The Dark Mark, the same one that Severus bore. Rachel was immediately torn. She wanted Severus to come rescue her, and the Dark Lord summoning his Death Eaters would tell him where to come, but what if the Dark Lord realized he was a traitor and killed him?
The Dark Lord pressed his fingers to the Dark Mark and it burned black, Pettigrew moaning in pain. "There. It is done. I would see for myself who remains and who I must hunt."
The graveyard fell nearly silent, the only sound coming from Pettigrew's whimpers. Rachel could hear herself breathing and wondered briefly what was happening at Hogwarts. Did Severus even know she was missing yet? How long would it take before someone checked on the champions in the maze?
It took what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a few minutes, and the Death Eaters started to appear. With cloaks, hoods, and masks, their identities were concealed. They apparated into the shadows and came forward to form a rough circle around the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord looked for a long time at the gaps in the circle, but no one else showed up.
Rachel felt a little bit sick as she made a rough count. Nearly thirty Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. There was no escape. Even if Severus was among those who had showed up, there was no way for her to get out of here.
"My loyal Death Eaters have returned to me once more," the Dark Lord said, taking slow steps as he considered them. "I see that you are all in good facilities, hale, and ready to answer my call. Why is that?"
There were some minor movements among the Death Eaters, but none answered him.
"Who among you searched for me? Who among you stood by my name? Who? I would hear it now," the Dark Lord said.
"I did, I searched for you, my Lord," Pettigrew said in between whimpers.
Rachel sucked in a deep breath as the Dark Lord turned in her direction.
"You searched for me when directed to by your better," the Dark Lord said, clearly displeased.
"I found you, my Lord. I brought you your wand," Pettigrew said.
"That much is true. Pettigrew came to me when no one else did. Not a single one of you. And for that you will be rewarded, Pettigrew. I always reward those who remain faithful." The Dark Lord pointed his wand at Pettigrew's stump and a stream of silver joined it, forming into a hand.
"Thank you, thank you my Lord," Pettigrew said, flexing his new hand. He crawled forward and kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes before retreating and taking his place in the circle of Death Eaters.
"Who else? Who else wishes to throw themselves upon my mercy?" the Dark Lord asked, turning back to the circle.
One of the Death Eaters stepped forward and knelt. "My Lord, at the first sign of your return I would have joined you immediately. I believed it was best to stay in a position of power and influence to aid you upon your return."
"To aid me, or to aid yourself, Lucius?" the Dark Lord asked, pointing his wand at Lucius Malfoy, who fell to the ground and screamed and writhed.
Rachel tried to shift against the ropes binding her as she listened to Draco's father get tortured. She wondered if Theo's father was behind one of those masks too. Either way, she couldn't just stand here and wait for the Dark Lord's attention to shift to her.
Lucius Malfoy stopped screaming abruptly. He laid crumpled on the ground for a long moment before he got unsteadily to his feet and resumed his place in the circle.
"Too many of you owe me a debt. It's one I expect to be repaid in full," the Dark Lord said, stopping at a large gap in his circle. "The Lestranges have paid their debt in Azkaban. They remained faithful to me. They will rejoin us soon, as will Dolohov and Rockwood. Alecto, Amycus, and what of you?"
"Our debt will be repaid, we are forever faithful in your service, my Lord," came a woman's voice.
"See that it remains so," the Dark Lord said, stroking his wand before moving on.
"And you, Ignatius, what do you say for yourself?"
So Theo's father was there. Rachel continued to squirm against the ropes, trying to find leverage.
"My Lord, I am as loyal to you as the day I first joined you," Ignatius Nott said, kneeling before the Dark Lord.
"You will have to prove that to me," the Dark Lord said.
The Dark Lord continued around the circle and Rachel wished she could be surprised by the names she heard. Crabbe and Goyle's fathers were present, as were Alice Jugson, Avery Acker, Malcolm Baddock, Michael Pike, and Jacob Turner's fathers. Both of Pansy's parents were there. This was along with names she didn't recognize, such as Macnair, Yaxley, and Selwyn.
"And here we have those who failed to heed my call. One has fled, fearing to return to us. One is a traitor beyond redemption. And one will join us soon. My most faithful follower," the Dark Lord said, pausing at another gap. "Much of our work has been undone by the likes of Albus Dumbledore. We have much to do."
Rachel wondered if Severus knew that the Dark Lord knew he was a traitor. She hoped he stayed away. There was no reason for him to die too.
Another man apparated into the circle, this one without a hood and mask. Mr. Crouch.
"My most faithful servant has joined us at last. Barty Crouch Jr," the Dark Lord said, causing a small rustle among the Death Eaters as they murmured their surprise.
"You are too kind, my Lord," Mr. Crouch said, kneeling down in front of the Dark Lord.
Rachel just stared. Severus had never even suggested that Mr. Crouch might be a Death Eater. At least that answered the question of who had put her name in the Goblet.
"Rise, Barty. You hold a place of honor beyond all. And we have succeeded at last. Take your place and know that you have well earned it," the Dark Lord said.
Mr. Crouch stood. "I will do anything for you, my Lord. My life is yours."
"If only the others understood as well as you do," the Dark Lord said. "And now, the real reason I have gathered you all here today. You believe that I was vanquished by this child. The world believes I was vanquished by this child. I will prove them wrong. Get me her wand."
Pettigrew left the circle and went toward the Triwizard Cup.
Rachel stopped struggling. This was it then. She couldn't even tell if she was afraid or not. Mostly she just felt blank.
"We will have a fair duel, you and I, and then your body will be returned for the world to see," the Dark Lord said, accepting Rachel's wand from Pettigrew. A casual slash of his own wand released Rachel from the ropes and he tossed her wand at her feet.
A duel? The Dark Lord expected her to duel him? She almost laughed because it was so absurd.
"Pick up your wand. Have you been taught to duel, Rachel?" the Dark Lord asked.
Rachel picked up her wand, because she might as well die trying to fight back, but she didn't speak. She wasn't even sure what she'd say.
"Answer me!" the Dark Lord commanded. "Imperio!"
It was such a relief to go back to the sweet nothingness of her nowhere place. Rachel sank down to her knees. Her arm didn't hurt, nothing hurt, and she didn't care about anything.
"Answer me," the Dark Lord's voice insisted again. "Answer me!"
"Crucio!"
Rachel screamed, dropping the rest of the way to the ground as she felt fire burning through her entire body and her head coming apart at her scar. She didn't know how long it had lasted, but it eventually stopped. She gasped for air and fully understood why that particular curse was considered unforgivable.
"Get to your feet," the Dark Lord said, sounding disgusted.
It took a moment, and Rachel could feel that she was trembling, but she got to her feet with her wand clutched in her hand.
"And now bow," the Dark Lord said, inclining his head.
Rachel stared at him, trying to think of what she could possibly cast against the Dark Lord. A moment later she felt her spine being roughly shoved down, forcing her to bow.
"Protego!" she called as soon as the Dark Lord stood, his wand already pointing at her. She barely stumbled out of the way of a spell.
The next one, the Cruciatus again, went directly through her shield and Rachel found herself writhing on the ground and screaming once more. It seemed to last forever and her head was ringing when it finally stopped.
"Had enough?" the Dark Lord asked.
Rachel pushed herself back to her feet and cast the first spell that came to her mind, the same one she'd been casting all night. "Sectura!"
The purple light of her hex met the green light of the Killing Curse in mid-air and then a strange golden light shot back to connect to her wand. The same light connected to the Dark Lord's wand as well.
A moment later Rachel felt her feet leave the ground, her hand still clasped rigidly around her wand. Nothing she'd learned at school, either in classes or from the library, had prepared her for this. She hadn't the slightest idea of what she was supposed to do, but she felt it would be bad to let go of her wand.
The golden light began to split into fragments, arcing over them in what seemed like some sort of protective cage.
"Do nothing until I give the order," the Dark Lord shouted to his Death Eaters. He was trying to pull his wand away from the connection.
Rachel held on even tighter as her wand jerked, placing her left hand over her right. Glowing spheres of light appeared on the line connecting their wands. The shuddering in Rachel's wand grew worse as they began to move closer to her. She concentrated, remembering the feeling of pushing magic toward her wand, and pushed with all her might. The spheres began to move toward the Dark Lord. She kept her focus, hoping that maybe she could at least leave the Dark Lord without a wand.
There came a screaming noise from the Dark Lord's wand once one of the spheres connected, the Dark Lord managing to look surprised even through his inhuman features. Then a smokey hand appeared, followed by more screaming. And then something even larger began to emerge from the Dark Lord's wand.
It looked too dense to be a ghost, and yet appeared to be made of smoke. It took the form of a woman with long hair and Rachel thought that this might be the woman she'd seen murdered in her dream.
"My baby, he defiled my baby. I couldn't stop him, please stop him," the near-ghost of a woman said.
There came more screaming from the Dark Lord's wand and then a second person slowly appeared. It was another woman, one Rachel didn't recognize.
"Don't let go, Rachel. Hold on tight," the woman called.
The two ghostly figures hovered near the Dark Lord, clearly agitated.
Another figure began to emerge from the Dark Lord's wand and Rachel recognized her at once. "Mom!"
"Hold on, honey. I'm here. Just keep holding on, your father will be here in a moment," the shade of Lily Snow called.
Rachel knew she wasn't real, not really, but she couldn't stop herself from looking at her mom. Her mom had spoken to her! "Mom!" she shouted again.
"It will be okay, hold on baby," Lily called back.
Another figure finally came from the Dark Lord's wand, a tall man with messy hair and round glasses.
"There you are, my little girl," the near-ghost of James said, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
"Dad! Mom! You're here!" Rachel didn't even know what to say. She had all but forgotten the presence of the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. This was more important.
"Not for long, honey. We'll stay a moment after the connection is broken," Lily said.
"Get the cup, it's a portkey, it will take you back to Hogwarts. Do you understand, Rachel?" James asked.
"Yes, I love you!" Rachel called. She wanted them to stay, but she knew they couldn't. She was slowly losing her grip on her wand.
"We love you too, baby. Get ready to run," Lily said.
"Now, go now," James called.
Rachel pulled her wand up straight in the air, breaking the connection and dropping the six feet back to the ground. The smokey ghosts converged on the Dark Lord and Rachel began to run in the direction of the Triwizard Cup.
"Stop her!" the Dark Lord shouted.
Rachel fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding the red lights of Stunning spells being cast her way. "Accio cup!" She barely managed to grab onto the handle of the Triwizard Cup as it flew toward her and she was once again lifted away in a whirl of wind and darkness.
Severus glanced over the stands before he sat down in the staff box next to Pomona.
"I don't know what they were thinking," Pomona said as she peered down at the maze. "Just like the second task, this is hardly a spectator event."
"The quality for the spectators is the very least of my concerns," Severus said, resisting the urge to clench his jaw.
"Of course, but I imagine you would be more comforted if you could at least see how Rachel was progressing," Pomona said. "I would feel better if I could see Cedric."
Severus nodded. He still didn't know why Albus had decided it was better for Minerva, Filius, Hagrid, and Moody to be the ones to patrol the outside of the maze. He would rather be there, waiting to assist Rachel, than be sitting uselessly in the stands.
"They could have at least held it during the day," Septima said. "We may be here well into the night."
Severus grimaced as he realized he should have given Rachel instructions to send up sparks for help if the sun set while she was still in the maze. It simply hadn't occurred to him.
"Any idea what they put in there?"
He turned at the voice and found that Black and Lupin had come down to stand closer.
"No. Crouch and Bagman kept that information to themselves," Severus said, not able to force himself to turn his back on them. Those old habits were born out of scars - mental, if not physical.
"I guess it was a little too obvious that the champions were receiving help," Lupin said.
Severus thought it would have been less obvious if Rachel hadn't insisted on telling the other champions everything she knew, but he wouldn't begrudge her that. He no more wanted anyone to die during the tournament than she did.
"You've been teaching her upper year Defense material," Lupin continued as though Severus wasn't attempting to ignore him.
"Obviously," Severus said.
"She and her friends did very well with what they showed us today. We're impressed," Lupin said.
Severus scowled and searched for some way to make Lupin and Black go away. At least Black wasn't interested in speaking to him.
"Sirius and I were thinking, perhaps Rachel could stay with us for a few days this summer," Lupin said.
"No. Out of the question," he answered immediately. "I will not have her out of the safety of the wards for that long. She may visit you for a few hours, if she wishes to."
At least Lupin knew better than to request that he and Black stay at Severus' home. "Sirius and I would like to have a relationship with her. After all, she is Sirius' goddaughter."
Severus glared at them. "Rachel will make her own decisions as to who she wishes to have relationships with. This is hardly the time or place to discuss such matters."
Black glared back, but it was Lupin who spoke. "Of course, Severus. We'll leave you be for now. We'll drop by in a little bit to say goodnight to Rachel."
"You managed that very well. I'm sure it's not easy for you to see them again," Pomona said once Lupin and Black were out of earshot.
"The less I have to see them, the better," Severus said, turning his attention back to the maze.
"I know you're trying for Rachel's sake. That's all you can do," Pomona said, and then she reached over and patted Severus' hand.
Severus schooled his expression and set into wait in blessed silence. Every so often he checked the stands, but the students seemed relatively settled. The judges sat quietly at the front of the staff box. Severus had missed seeing Bagman joining them.
He watched as the sky changed color, moving into a deep navy, and then a blue that bordered on black. He knew the maze was bigger on the inside than it appeared on the outside, but this seemed to be taking much longer than he'd anticipated. The face of his watch told him it had been an hour since Rachel had entered the maze.
Carefully making his way down to the judges, Severus leaned forward. "Albus, is there a plan in place to retrieve the champions at a certain point?"
"Let's give them another thirty minutes or so, and then we will reach a resolution as to how we will check on their status," Albus said.
"They do not need to be checked on, they are not children," Karkaroff said.
Before Severus could retort that Rachel was indeed still a child, Albus interceded smoothly. "And yet we would not fail to provide aid to adults either, especially if they are incapacitated and cannot call for help. If they do not require our assistance, we will let the task continue without our further interference."
"Yes, we should make sure they're alright, but not interfere," Crouch said.
"Yes, I would like to know if my student is well," Maxime said with a nod.
Severus checked his watch again. In thirty minutes he was going to check on Rachel himself and not even Albus could stop him. Regardless of how well she was doing, he was going to remove her from the maze. Surely over an hour in the maze would count as competing to her best ability.
Not ten minutes later a Patronus came flying from the maze. Severus joined the judges again, aware of Pomona following him.
The Patronus was a unicorn, which was unusual. Not many people had magical animals as their Patronus forms.
"Madame Maxime, I have reached the pedestal at the center of the maze, but the Cup is not here. What do I do?" came Miss Delacour's voice from the Patronus.
Albus stood. "I believe it is time we checked on our champions. Olympe, please tell Miss Delacour to stay put and we will come to her. I trust you recall how to send a message with your Patronus."
"Of course." The Patronus that came from Maxime's wand was a large swan. "To Fleur Delacour. Stay where you are, we will come for you."
"How can we help, Albus?" Lupin asked.
"I'll have you join the rescue team on broomsticks to scour the maze for the champions. Do not interfere with the creatures or the obstacles unless it becomes necessary. Severus, I'll have you and Pomona wait with me," Albus said. "Let's go down to the maze so that we are on hand for further developments."
"Albus, let me join those who are searching," Severus said, moving to keep pace with Albus.
"I understand that you are concerned about Rachel, which is why I need you with me to assist her when she is removed from the maze. She trusts you," Albus said as they started down the narrow stairs.
"Which is why you need to send me to retrieve her. I want her out of that maze now," Severus said, focusing on keeping his temper in check. It wouldn't help Rachel for him to yell at Albus.
"I'm certain that Rachel will allow one of the other professors, or Remus or Sirius, to assist her in leaving the maze. I need you by my side until she is returned," Albus said.
Severus gritted his teeth. "What exactly do you think is happening?" he asked, pitching his voice as quiet as possible.
"I do not know, but we must find out and quickly," Albus said, turning briefly to meet Severus' eyes.
Severus nodded as he received the message: stay close until we discover if this is a Death Eater plot, be prepared to defend Rachel and move her to a safe location.
They emerged onto the Quidditch pitch and were immediately greeted by Minerva and Filius.
"We need to check on the champions. Minerva, I want you to go to the center of the maze and bring out Miss Delacour if she is present. Sirius, Remus, and Filius, I want you to take broomsticks and search the maze for the champions. Send up sparks if you need assistance with retrieving a champion," Albus directed.
People dispersed, leaving Severus with Pomona, Albus, and the rest of the judges.
"Do we have wounded students?" Poppy called as she hurried up to them.
"Not yet, but please be prepared for that eventuality," Albus said.
"If Miss Delacour is at the center of the maze, as she claims, then where is the Cup?" Karkaroff asked.
"That is the question," Albus said, his expression uncharacteristically worried.
Nearly ten minutes later Minerva appeared astride a broomstick, Fleur Delacour sitting behind her.
"Poppy, your assistance please," Minerva called as she landed.
Poppy hurried over with her wand drawn.
Miss Delacour tumbled down onto the ground. She was heavily bleeding from a deep wound on her lower leg and her hair was loose and wild.
"Miss Delacour was at the center of the maze. The Triwizard Cup was not present," Minerva said as she approached Albus.
"The Cup was placed in the maze?" Albus asked, turning to Bagman and Crouch.
"Yes, I placed it myself, right before the task began," Crouch said.
"There was an acromantula, I barely made it past," Miss Delacour said, shaking her head. "The pedestal was at the center, but no Cup, I swear it to be true."
"We understand, thank you Miss Delacour," Albus said. "Olympe, I would understand if you'd like to accompany Miss Delacour with our Healer until she has recovered. We will get to the bottom of this. Poppy, can you treat Miss Delacour nearby in case we have another student in need of assistance?"
"Of course, Albus. I have a tent set up just outside the Quidditch pitch," Poppy said, conjuring a stretcher underneath Miss Delacour.
Severus looked up, distracted by red sparks appearing above the maze. Although he would prefer that Rachel wasn't severely injured, he found himself hoping that she had been found.
"I'll go," Minerva said, collecting her broomstick and taking off again.
"Why did we not have them watching on broomsticks to begin with?" Severus asked Albus quietly.
"I suggested it, but was voted down," Albus said. "It seems I should have insisted that we place a watcher at the Cup itself."'
"Do you have any ideas why it isn't there?" Severus asked.
"Several, each more unlikely than the last." Albus shook his head. "It is clear that the Death Eaters have acted, but I have yet to determine how or to what end."
To get Rachel, Severus knew. It had always been about getting Rachel. "I need to join the others in searching the maze. I must find her."
"Wait until the others return, if they have not found her, then we will act," Albus said.
Severus forced himself not to respond. What exactly were they supposed to do if Rachel wasn't found?
Filius and Lupin returned on their broomsticks, balancing a stretcher between them.
Severus hurried over and found himself cursing the foolish tournament anew. Cedric was unconscious and clearly had several broken bones and burns visible on his face.
"Poppy has a tent, just outside the pitch," Albus directed. "Pomona, please assist Filius in taking him there. I suggest you let Poppy see to Mr. Diggory's injuries before you inform his parents."
"I'll keep looking," Remus said, taking off on his broomstick again.
They had just disappeared from sight when Severus stumbled, his hand going automatically to his left forearm. Pain, and he knew where to go. And he knew where Rachel was.
He met Albus' eyes and offered the information directly into his mind. The Dark Lord had returned.
"No," Albus said, maintaining his gaze with Severus.
"I must go," Severus said. "I might be able to save her."
"He already knows you've betrayed him. Going would do nothing except allow him to kill you as well," Albus said, his voice steady despite the pain in his eyes.
Severus was tempted to say that he didn't care if the Dark Lord killed him. To have failed Rachel...to have failed like this. There was a part of him that couldn't believe it. He couldn't accept that Rachel was dead until he'd seen it for himself.
They were distracted by Minerva and Black flying out from the maze with a stretcher balanced between them. Severus had a brief flicker of hope before he saw that the figure on the stretcher was too large to be Rachel.
"He was delirious, I had to stun him in order for us to bring him back," Black said as they landed.
"Minerva, if you could take Mr. Krum to Poppy in the Healer's tent and then report back to me," Albus said, glancing around. "It seems Professor Karkaroff has taken his leave."
Severus swung about and sure enough there was no sign of Karkaroff. Coward.
"Is Rachel with Poppy?" Black asked.
"We have not yet recovered Rachel from the maze," Albus said, his voice steady.
There was a brief look of panic in Black's eyes before he picked up the broom he'd been using. "I'll let Remus know we're still looking for her," he said, taking off before Albus could say anything else.
Severus wondered what Albus would tell him when the time came. Severus certainly couldn't bring himself to do it. "Albus, let me go. There may still be time. If I can reach her in time…maybe…" he pleaded.
"I will not lose you on a fool's errand, Severus."
"It's possible she is still alive. He'll want to make a show of it. The anti-apparation wards will allow me through, I'm Marked. I can get to her in time and apparate away with her." Severus didn't dare believe that was possible, but had to try. He had to do something!
"He will kill you on sight," Albus said. "I will need every person available to me if there is any hope at all."
"Is there any hope at all if she's dead?" Severus asked, the words barely audible. Albus had told him the entirety of the prophecy. If Rachel was dead, Severus wasn't sure what came next for any of them.
"We must always have hope," Albus said.
"Where is Miss Snow?" Minerva asked as she approached. "Have they not found her."
"No. We believe she is no longer on Hogwarts grounds," Albus said. "Severus has been summoned."
Minerva went pale and brought her hand up to her mouth, her gaze traveling from Albus, to Severus, and back again. "No. How?"
"We do not know, however I believe the missing Cup must have something to do with it. A portkey, perhaps?" Albus said.
"Did anyone except the judges have access to the Triwizard Cup?" Minerva asked, her wand drawn as she looked around.
"Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman were the only ones with access," Albus said. "And it seems Mr. Crouch has absented himself of us."
Crouch? A Death Eater? It was almost unthinkable. Perhaps if he'd been under the Imperius curse. "At the moment this is immaterial. Rachel may still be alive. I must go to her," Severus insisted. He couldn't wait any longer.
"Do you wish for the last thing she sees to be your murder?" Albus asked, his tone not unkind.
"Is there a chance she can be rescued?" Minerva asked. "Any chance at all?"
Severus thought about it. The Dark Lord would be there, risen once again, and as many as forty Death Eaters who could have answered his call. "I could bring as many as three people with me. We would take them by surprise. If Albus can hold off the Dark Lord, you and Filius can handle the Death Eaters, and I will retrieve Rachel."
"I can't remove both Minerva and myself from the school," Albus said.
"Then Black or Lupin can join us." A sign of how truly desperate he was. Severus made one last bid, knowing how much stock Albus placed in the prophecy. "We cannot let her be killed tonight. Think of what will follow."
Albus nodded and brought up his wand. "To Filius Flitwick, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. Rejoin me for further instructions." His silver phoenix Patronus disappeared in a flash of light. "Volunteers only. This is a mission of last resort."
Moody was the first to join them. "Do we have everyone?"
"We're missing Rachel. Please wait a moment and I'll tell everyone what we intend," Albus said.
Severus felt a small rush of relief. They were doing something. They were going to save Rachel.
"Do you have her?" Black called as he landed.
"No, please join us," Albus said.
"Professor Snape?"
Severus turned and found Rachel's friends looking up at him. "You cannot be here right now. You need to return to the castle."
"Sir, where's Rachel?" Millie Bulstrode asked, her expression telegraphing her fear.
"I will provide more information when I have it. For your safety, return to the castle," Severus repeated. He could not do this right now. He turned back to Albus and found that Lupin and Filius had joined them as well.
"I have some very unsettling news, but please let me finish before you ask questions. We believe that Voldemort has returned and that he has Rachel. Severus was summoned to join him. He can apparate three of us with him and we can attempt to rescue Rachel. There is a high probability of injury or death if you join us, so please make your decision wisely," Albus said.
"I'm going," Black said at the same time as Filius asked "How is this possible?"
"We do not yet know, but time is short," Albus said.
"I'll go as well," Lupin said.
Severus frowned, but he would not turn them away if they would help him rescue Rachel.
"Minerva, the school is in your hands until I return. I suggest that you begin directing students back to their dormitories," Albus said. "We'll need to go beyond the wards."
They were about to move when a short scream filled the air nearby.
"Rachel!" Hermione Granger shouted.
Severus was running toward Rachel before he even realized what he was doing. He dropped to his knees, half afraid that the Dark Lord had returned Rachel's body to them.
"He's back, he's back," Rachel gasped, still holding the Triwizard Cup. "The Dark Lord is back!"
"I know," Severus said, forgetting himself and wrapping his arms around her. He had to feel for himself that she was alive.
"Return to your dormitories, we will take care of Miss Snow," Minerva said to Rachel's friends before coming to kneel at Severus' side. "We need to take her to see Poppy."
"Minerva, Filius, please handle the students, Alastor and I will escort Severus and Rachel to the Healer's tent," Albus said.
"We're coming," Black said.
Severus realized that he was unconsciously rocking Rachel and forced himself to let go. "Rachel, can you stand?"
"Yes," Rachel said, pushing herself to her feet.
"You're bleeding," Severus said, standing himself and now able to see that her left sleeve was bloody from her shoulder down.
"Pettigrew cut me," Rachel said. "He wanted my blood."
"Let's talk about this more privately," Albus said.
Severus kept close to Rachel, not willing to let her out of arm's reach for even a moment. There was some part of him in confused denial, unable to believe that she was dead, but equally unable to believe that she had been returned to him.
It wasn't until they made it into the Healer's tent that Rachel began to react.
"They're dead, no, they're dead!" Rachel turned, grabbing at the front of Severus' robes. "I heard Cedric screaming. I should have called for help."
"No one here is dead," Severus said, holding onto Rachel's shoulders while being mindful of her injury. "They were injured in the maze but they will be alright. Take another look, they're not dead."
Rachel was panting but she turned her head to look around the Healer's tent. Cedric was resting, his face, one of his arms, and both of his legs bandaged, with his parents at his bedside. Presumably Pomona was setting her House in order. Viktor Krum was on a nearby cot, apparently unwounded but still unconscious, though his chest was rising and falling steadily. Fleur Delacour was sitting up, a thick bandage around her leg, and Maxime was looming over her with Fleur's little sister sitting on the edge of the cot.
"Not dead?" Rachel whispered, looking back at Severus.
"They're not dead, no one here is dead," he promised, though he couldn't say whether or not she'd seen anyone else die that night.
"All of the champions have been recovered?" Maxime asked.
"Yes. We will speak on the matter further, but I must see to my students first," Albus said.
"I'd like to move everyone to the hospital wing once I've seen to Rachel," Poppy said as she came over to them.
"I think that's wise, please see to Rachel's injuries and then you can begin to move your patients," Albus said.
Severus directed Rachel to sit down on the remaining cot and took the Triwizard Cup from her hands. "I think a Calming Draught may be in order."
Rachel shook her head. "No. I don't need one."
"Let me see about that," Poppy said, motioning Severus to step back. She began doing a diagnostic charm and then paused. "Rachel, were you subject to the Cruciatus curse tonight?"
"Yes, twice," Rachel said.
"Let me see to your wounds here and I will get you a dose of Nerve Tonic once we're back in the hospital wing," Poppy said, keeping her bedside manner entirely intact.
A short time later Rachel had Healing salve spread over all the scratches on her arms and legs and a bandage wrapped around her upper arm. Poppy then stepped away to begin moving the other champions.
"Rachel, I know you have been through a great ordeal tonight and I do not wish to add to it. However, I am asking if you would be able to tell us what happened?" Albus asked, silently raising a privacy ward around their group.
"The Dark Lord is back. I saw him," Rachel said, her entire body shivering.
Severus conjured a blanket and put it over her shoulders. "Can you start from when you left the maze?" he asked. He had no desire to put Rachel through this tonight, but they needed to know what had happened with the Dark Lord.
"The Cup is a portkey. It took me to a graveyard. I thought it was part of the task. Pettigrew was there and he captured me. The Dark Lord was there too, he was possessing a baby, the same baby from my dream in August, I think. Then he went into the cauldron, and Pettigrew cut off his hand, and he took blood from me, and the Dark Lord had a body again. He summoned his Death Eaters. Draco's father was there, so was Theo's. Pansy's parents too. Crabbe and Goyle's fathers. Alice's father. There were others too. Mr. Crouch showed up and the Dark Lord said he was his most faithful Death Eater. That he had helped him. And then we dueled and our wands connected and my parents came out and they helped me. And then I summoned the Cup and came back here," Rachel said, seeming to lose coherence the longer she spoke. Her pupils were dilated and Severus thought she really did need that Calming Draught.
Severus looked at Albus, checking to see if he made more sense of Rachel's words than he had.
"Alastor, we need aurors to go do a check inside Barty Crouch's home. It might already be too late, but I believe it's possible we'll find Barty Crouch being held there," Albus said.
"I'll ask Shacklebolt to do a check," Moody said. "Anything else?"
"Make a list of who we can trust, and who will be willing to work with us," Albus said with a nod.
Moody nodded once and then left.
"Sirius, Remus, go to the old crowd, let them know they're needed, if they'll have us. Come see me tomorrow afternoon," Albus directed.
"We will," Lupin said.
Black pushed his way forward and knelt down next to the cot. "Rachel? It will be okay. You'll be okay. Remember what we talked about, alright? You can talk to me anytime you need to."
Rachel nodded, but otherwise didn't respond. Black and Lupin left, the tent flap falling closed behind them.
"Severus, keep Rachel safe tonight. Tomorrow, if she's well enough, I think it's necessary that we see her memory of what happened," Albus said.
Severus nodded his understanding. They needed to see for themselves who had answered the Dark Lord's call and how exactly the Dark Lord had been resurrected.
"You cannot disturb the patients!" came Minerva's voice from outside the tent.
"I must speak to Dumbledore and put this nonsense to rest for once and for all," Minister Fudge said, entering the tent with a heavy scowl. "Now what is this?"
"Minister Fudge, I'm glad you've joined us," Albus said. "Please join me in my office and we can discuss tonight's urgent news."
"You mean the rumors you're spreading that You-Know-Who is back? This is usurpation!" Fudge blustered. "I'll have you renounced as Chief Warlock for this!"
Severus grimaced. He hadn't realized that people had overheard what had happened on the Quidditch pitch.
"The news is true, Minister. Voldemort has returned," Albus said.
"Preposterous! Are you trying to send our entire country into a state of panic?" Fudge asked.
"They should be made aware so they can prepare to defend themselves," Albus said, his words as calm as Fudge's were panicked.
"You believe this all on the say so of a mentally damaged child?" Fudge demanded.
Rachel stood from her cot, her face now flushed. "The Dark Lord is back. You can see my memories if you want. Or I'll take Veritaserum."
Severus put his hand on Rachel's shoulder. He was not about to see Rachel subjected to Veritaserum, not tonight, or ever if he could help it. "Would you like to see my Dark Mark? It burned dark not an hour ago."
"She is delusional, what do you expect having her been fed stories of You-Know-Who by a Death Eater?" Fudge said, his face red. "I will not stand for this, Dumbledore. End these rumors."
"I will not deny the truth, Cornelius, I suggest you do the same. Now, I believe we are disturbing the champions who are resting, please join me in my office so we can discuss the matter further," Albus said, a note of steel in his voice.
"You'll hear from me by morning," Fudge said before he stormed from the tent.
Albus shook his head.
"We cannot fight a war on two fronts," Minerva said, her expression grim.
"We will do what we must. They will see the truth for themselves soon enough," Albus said. "Severus, please see to Rachel. I will ask Septima to see to your House tonight."
"Let's go to my quarters. I have a Nerve Tonic there you can take, and then you can rest," Severus said, guiding Rachel out of the tent.
"I don't think I'll sleep," Rachel said.
"That's alright," Severus said. He didn't think he would be sleeping any time soon.
Rachel found herself ensconced on Severus's couch, wrapped in a wool tartan blanket that he'd let her use before, and with a tray with a teacup and biscuits sitting next to her. She drank the tea, wanting to get the taste of the Nerve Tonic out of her mouth, but left the biscuits. She didn't think she could eat with the image of Pettigrew cutting off his hand still so vivid in her mind.
Her mind felt weird. Her body did too, when she remembered to pay attention to it. She wasn't sure if that was an after-effect of the Crutiatus curse or if it was just because so much had happened in such a small amount of time.
She kept reminding herself that Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur were all alive. She'd panicked when Severus first brought her to the Healer's tent, seeing Cedric lying still with his parents standing over him like they were in mourning. But then Severus had told her to look closer, and when she did she could see that Cedric was breathing even though he was heavily bandaged. Viktor had been breathing too, but no one had been by his bedside. Fleur at least had been sitting up, though it was clear she'd been injured.
Rachel thought it was a little bit strange that she'd been the one surrounded by Death Eaters and the Dark Lord, and she'd been the least injured out of all the champions, if she didn't count the Cruciatus.
And every few moments her thoughts came back to the Dark Lord. Part of her couldn't blame Minister Fudge for not believing her. She watched it happen and she barely believed it herself.
She remembered it again - Pettigrew cutting off his hand, the blood spurting from the stump - and shuddered. It was also weird that was the thing that was bothering her tonight. There were a million things to think about - the Dark Lord's return and what that meant, all of the Death Eaters who showed up, getting to talk with her parents - and her mind kept coming back to that one meaningless moment.
"I should probably get over my thing about taking Dreamless sleep," she said, looking over at Severus. "I should get it to stop bothering me, right?"
Severus watched her for a long moment. He'd been watching her all night, even as he pretended to read the book on his lap. "You may find it beneficial to one day be able to take Sleeping potions, but you needn't push yourself, especially not tonight. You will when you're ready. And if it were as easy as getting over something then you would do it, this is more complicated than that."
"It's the feeling, as my body stops responding to me, and that I'm left completely helpless, and then there's pain in my chest, right before I lose consciousness," Rachel explained. "It didn't feel that way exactly when I was a kid and they were giving us medications, but it does now when I take the Dreamless sleep."
"I can understand why you wouldn't want to feel that way," he said.
Rachel thought that it was more something you had to experience to understand, but figured that he probably meant it the more general way of no one wanted to be experiencing pain. "Is there a potion that stops you from dreaming but doesn't force you to fall asleep?" she asked, realizing that she should have asked this last year.
"Not that I'm aware of. It's not as simple as just removing the valerian sprigs or the Sopophorus bean, that would unbalance the potion entirely and nearly render it inert." Severus' frown changed from worried to thoughtful.
Rachel's thoughts fell back to the Dark Lord. "What are we going to do?"
"Whatever is necessary." Severus paused for a long moment. "A lot of what we do will depend on what the Dark Lord does and what the Ministry does. Albus has already reactivated the Order of the Phoenix. Regardless of that, I will do everything within my power to keep you safe."
"The way it happened, it's not going to happen like that again," she said, drawing the blanket closer to her chest.
"What do you mean?"
"He gave me back my wand. Had me duel him. I didn't do very well. With any of it, really," Rachel admitted.
"You did well enough. There are very few people who have dueled the Dark Lord and have lived to tell the tale," Severus said.
Rachel shook her head. The only reason she'd survived was because her parents had saved her. "But next time, he's not going to bother with any of that, he'll just kill me outright."
"Most likely, yes. Our task will be keeping you safely away from him. I believe that coming to Hogwarts will be a last resort for the Dark Lord and won't happen until the war is essentially over. And our home is well warded and only Minerva and Albus can find it," Severus said.
"The Dark Lord knows you betrayed him, he said as much," Rachel said, realizing she should have told him this much sooner.
"I know, he's known since your first year, when I stopped Quirrell from taking the Philosopher's Stone." Severus' expression was impassive, as though he wasn't particularly frightened of the idea that the Dark Lord wanted him dead. "There will likely be a time before there is all out war. Both sides will attempt to gain people and to make preparations and plans. We still have some time."
War was not something Rachel wanted to contemplate at the moment. It seemed too big. "Do you mind if I stay on the couch tonight?" she asked.
"Not at all. Do you wish for privacy?" he asked.
Rachel shook her head. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want Severus to go away, not just yet at least.
"Let me know if you do." Severus waited for a moment before his gaze turned back to his book, but Rachel could tell he still wasn't reading.
She nested deeper in the blanket and tried not to think or to remember.