Here is Chapter 14. I actually rather like this chapter. Though it doesn't have a cliffhanger ending I don't think. But that's ok, since we're nearing the end of our story. There's only two more chapters left.

I have also fixed Chapter 13. The comp did a lot more damage to it than I originally thought. I suggest reading it through before reading this chapter. I mention something in this chapter that was destroyed in the original Chapter 13.

Now...ENJOY!



He was back- and he was angry. The Dark Lord had only returned to the clearing outside the Labyrinth five minutes before, but he had already tortured two Death Eaters into unconsciousness. One them had been Draco's father, whom he had awakened just for the pleasure of torturing for his failure.

Pansy cowered behind Draco, who was attempting to hide behind a tree. He might have succeeded if not for Crabbe and Goyle who were attempting to also hide behind his tree. All four of them hoped with all their might that the Dark Lord had forgotten their presence. And for a while it seemed he had. The sun had finally risen high in the sky when the Dark Lord finally finished his fourth victim and looked up to see the cowering quartet behind the tree.

"Draco Malfoy," he called, "bring your sniveling friends here!"

Draco jumped back and tripped over Pansy's robes, falling back with her on top of Crabbe and Goyle. They fell along with Draco and Pansy, cushioning their fall.

"I haven't all day," screamed the Dark Lord, cursing another of his Death Eaters in his anger.

Draco and the others scrambled to their feet and ran out to stand before him with their heads bowed. They were terrified out of their minds and did not want to do anything to draw out their lord's wrath on themselves, especially since they were already quivering from fear.

"Stop that shivering," the Dark Lord shouted at them, himself almost quivering in his anger.

He stepped forward and lifted each of the faces in turn, moving them as though inspecting their worth. When he reached Draco, he nodded and reached down to his arm.

"You will do nicely," he told Draco, pointing his wand at Draco's arm.

Draco's eyes widened as he realized what was about to occur, but he knew better than to pull away. He screamed as the Dark Lord uttered his spell. He writhed, his body held standing by Death Eaters that had surrounded him as he approached the Dark Lord. His screams rose higher and higher until it seemed that he would destroy his vocal cords if he screamed any more or higher, but Draco wasn't even aware he was screaming. His entire existence was pain, aware only of it and the painfully tight grip of the Dark Lord.

Finally, the Dark Lord released him and Draco slipped from the Death Eaters' grips to the ground where he lay gasping, shivering in lingering pain. He lifted his arm slowly to watch as a black Dark Mark darkened on his forearm. He dropped his arm back down beside him and closed his eyes tightly shut as a feeling of crushing doom settled on his chest, making him feel as though he were suffocating. A tear trickled silently from his eye.

"Stop that crying and stand," the Dark Lord commanded him.

And Draco did, too scared to listen to his body's need for rest.

"Good, my servant. You will make a better servant, won't you, my Draco," the Dark Lord said, reaching out to run a long grey finger down Draco's pale, flushed face.

Draco shivered, repelled by his now master, but managed to not jerk back and stammer out, "Y-y-yes, m-my L-l-l-lord-d."



Voldemort smiled a cold, evil smile that cause fear to send electric shocks up Draco's spine before turning back around and motioning a Death Eater over to him. Draco dropped back, relieved that he had escaped alive, but dathly afraid of what would happen to him next.

"Oooh," Pansy cooed into his ear. "You're a full-fledged Death Eater now! How wonderful, right, Draco darling?"

Draco nodded absently, one hand moving to rub his new Dark Mark. 'Just wonderful,' he thought.

***********************************************************************



"I never thought I'd say it," said Ron as he stared at the sheet covered figure lying on the hospital bed before him, "but I'm sorry he's dead."

Hermione, who stood next to him, nodded and took his hand, giving it a squeeze before turning to watch Sirius and Lupin. Both men were standing stoically staring at the bed, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. Sadness seemed to exude from Lupin's very body, as though he'd had so much pain already, his body unable to absorb any more. From Sirius, though, there was nothing. It was as though a void had taken over where his body had once stood.

Snape snorted from where he sat watching as Madame Pomfrey bustled around him, finally having the time to patch him up, "One act of bravery committed in an entire lifetime does not bring one redemption."

"You'd know, wouldn't you, Severus," Lupin told him quietly. His words, though spoken in a voice barely above a whisper, were cutting, bringing everyone in the room an image of Snape at knife point.

Snape's eyes glittered at the rebuff, "The important one survived."

"I'm flattered you consider me important, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly, his voice exuding sadness.

Snape's face hardened and his eyes took on a gleam that looked suspiciously like threatening tears. He turned his head to where Ron stood with an arm slung around Hermione's shoulder watching the proceedings. Ginny sat at his feet staring at a curtained off area that Snape assumed held what was left of Harry Potter. Angrily, he set his jaw and he turned towards them, his eyes flashing.

"I see you two have finally decided to stop making puppy eyes at each other," he drawled sarcastically.

Hermione and Ron's faces turned as red as Ron's hair, drawing a laugh out of most of those gathered in the room. Ron shifted nervously and Hermione shot a nervous glance at him. He dropped his arm and Hermione sat down next to Ginny, her brightly flushed face clashing with the younger girl's hair. Ginny grinned at her friend and hugged her to her as Hermione let out a nervous giggle.

Snape growled in annoyance, "I'm glad you feel able to make lovey while your FRIEND lies dead behind a curtain."

Everything in the room stopped. Madame Pomfrey stopped spreading salve on Snape's bare chest. Lupin's eyes widened in surprise. Mr and Mrs Weasley's mouths hung open as they gaped him. Hermione, Ron and Ginny gasped and stared at him with wide eyes in pale faces. Dumbledore's eyes widened, a twinkle barely daring to make it's way into them. Sirius looked up and over at Snape with unfathomable dark eyes.

"What are you all staring at," Snape snapped, bristling, then wincing from his bristle.

"Harry's alive, Severus," Dumbledore told him gently.

Snape's eyes widened as he stared at Dumbledore. Hope blossomed in his heart that he fought to subdue, telling himself that it couldn't possibly be true.



"B-but he-he disappeared from my arms. I saw him die..." Snape told them breathlessly. "He can't be alive!"

A smile quirked up on Dumbledore and Lupin's lips, "He is alive, Severus. He's simply asleep, healing from his wounds."

Snape shook his head, his eyes betraying the fact that he wanted it to be true, but couldn't take the chance of being hurt again if it wasn't.

"He's the one who told us where to find you, Snape," Sirius croaked, causing the room to jump in surprise.

Snape stared at his haggard old school rival for a moment before dropping his gaze back down to what he could see of his lap past Madame Pomfrey's head.

Silence took back the room for a few more minutes while its occupants tried to digest the fact that their infamous Potions Master was human enough to care. And that he cared about the Boy-Who-Lived.

Finally, Dumbledore sighed, "I should go contact the Ministry now. Peter's body will prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Sirius is innocent. I'm sure that if it doesn't, it will at least persuade them to administer Veritaserum to Sirius to ascertain the truth."

Sirius nodded and shuffled sadly back into the curtained area where Harry lay. Lupin watched him sadly before following Dumbledore as he moved by Wormtail's bed and left the room.

Mrs Weasley sighed and gathered her family and Hermione together, "Alright then. Everything is settled. It's time we all went and got some sleep." The others nodded and allowed themselves to be herded from the room without argument.

Madame Pomfrey worked silently for a few more minutes while Snape sat on the bed and allowed her to fuss and smooth soothing salves over his body. He even obediently downed a bone-strengthening potion after she had finished healing a couple broken bones.

"There," Madame Pomfrey said, standing and pulling his hospital robe back closed over his body. "That's done. Now, I'll give you a sleeping potion and you can rest and gain back some strength."

She hustled over to a shelf full of glasses and bottles full of potions. Taking down one of each, she turned back to Snape only to find he was no longer there. With a gasp of surprise she quickly surveyed the room and caught a brief glance of his black robe as he disappeared behind the curtain to Harry's hospital bed.

Snape walked up to Harry's bed, stopping to stand just next Sirius at it's head. He stared down at the pale sleeping boy on the bed with something akin to awe in his eyes.

"Touch him," Sirius croaked suddenly, causing Snape to give a jump that doubled the ache in his muscles. "He's real and he's alive. He's not going to disappear."

"He did the last time," Snape said softly, for once without the usual sarcasm in his voice. Nevertheless, he reached out and ran a long finger down Harry's scar, brushing a lock of raven hair from the boy's pale forehead.

Sirius watched him, silent thoughts running through his brain as he processed the changes he couldn't help but notice. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey's irritated voice.

"Well, I hope you're satisfied now," she said, her voice betraying her annoyance at having one of her patients running around the hospital ward when she believed he should be resting. "It's time for bed. You can stare at him some more later, Severus Snape. And no arguments!"

Snape nodded and allowed her to lead him back to bed, his mind and heart satisfied. Madame Pomfrey tucked him in and poured the sleeping potion down his throat, taking no chances that he would change his mind and go back to stand vigil over Harry once more. The last thought that chased through Snape's head before sleep carried him off was, 'He's ALIVE...'





Next Chapter: Only His Own Fears Left to Face