Chapter Three: Woes
"It's the middle of May and we aren't any closer to figuring this out than we were a month ago!" Sirius was raging. "They'll be trying to hit us next."
There was maniac on the loose. He or she was using magic to destroy potions research facilities all around London. Harry, Ron, Christopher and Sirius had been working almost non-stop trying to solve the mystery. Three wizards and twenty Muggles had been killed so far and the entire Ministry of Magic seemed to be working overtime casting memory charms on Muggles who were witnesses. The Muggle press was reporting a mad bomber on the loose. Their bomb squad was also working tirelessly trying to find evidence. However they were stumped because they could not find any trace of a bomb.
There was a single potions research facility left and it was above the raging Sirius. He figured it would be hit last because it was part of the Ministry of Magic and so a gigantic finale to the maniacs reign of terror. But he also figured it would be the biggest bomb yet, probably taking the entire building down.
"They can't get in here now." Ron said, confidently. "There are too many security measures in place."
They had secured the building with charms and even a few curses.
"Maybe." Severus said. He was playing the pessimist, as usual. "But if it is a Muggle -"
"No Mug could cause this destruction." Taja said, for the millionth time. "It has to be a wizard or a witch. And a pretty fucked in the head one, too."
But there was nothing that Draco, Taja, Amethyst or Severus could do about it, besides what they had done, charm everything they could think of to secure their Labratory and offices.
"Damn, I can't think." Sirius said, running his fingers through his hair.
"Imagine that." said Harry dryly. "You haven't eaten or slept in three days."
They had all been working like maniacs and it was agreed that a good lunch away was the ticket. Amethyst insisted Severus join them. "Taja, Draco and I can handle everything here." she said. "But bring me back something. No, two somethings." she said, rubbing her pregnant middle.
Severus left, reluctantly, with the rest for Diagon Alley.
They were all knocked down in the explosion, which happened just as they reached the Leaky Cauldron.
"NOOOOOO!"
"...... dead ......."
".... enraged ......... do our job, Severus!"
"Won't ...... good ...... Sirius."
" ..... Experimental Charms is examining ..."
"Ron ....... report."
"........ sorry Severus."
"She'll need you ..... wakes."
"Drink ..... love."
"........ make us .........."
"...... charms ....... them. They ......"
"........ back ...... needs you ....."
"..... annihilated ......"
"...... taken care ........"
"Do not ............ Amethyst."
Amethyst drifted in and out of consciousness for four days. She heard a word here and a word there, but could never find the strength to open her eyes to see who was speaking. She felt her hand being held. Sometimes it was both hands, like now. She must try to open her eyes.
Amethyst took as deep a breath a she could bear and tried to open her eyes. She moaned with the effort, but she was able to force her eyes open. Before them were Severus and Sirius, looking at her with more relief in their faces than she had ever seen anywhere before.
"Welcome back." they said as one, making Amethyst smile.
"Hi." she managed. It was very difficult to speak, she realized. However, she was a stubborn woman with a million questions. "Pain." was the first thing out of her mouth, however.
Sirius held a cup to her lips and she drank down something very bitter. The pain eased, a little.
Amethyst took a deep breath now that she felt a bit better. "Where am I?" she asked, each word coming at a snails pace.
"Saint Mongo's." Sirius said.
"There was an explosion." Severus told her.
Somehow, Amethyst could not get the word 'explosion' around her tongue. She settled on "When?"
Severus and Sirius looked at each other, then Sirius said, "Four days ago."
"Four?" Amethysts mine reeled. Four days? She tried to remember. "Taja? Draco?" she tried to get up, but was pushed gently back by two powerful hands.
"They'll live." Severus said, quietly. "You got the worst of it."
Amethyst was struck so suddenly by a thought that she sat bolt upright, but the pain, Sirius and Severus kept her lying down. "The baby." she said.
Neither Sirius or Severus said anything. They did not have to. Their expressions said everything.
Amethyst closed her eyes, moaning. Severus gathered her in his arms and held her as she shook with rage and grief and cried herself to sleep.
When she woke, she saw that Sirius was asleep in a chair beside her. Severus' head was on her belly. But he raised it the moment she opened her eyes. She was feeling much more clear headed now.
"I am sorry, love." she managed to say.
"All I care about is you." he replied, putting one of his long fingers on her lips to stem her words. "You are my reason for being."
Amethyst closed her eyes and took a breath. She opened them when she heard the door open and close. Christopher, Harry and Ron appeared over Severus' shoulder.
She gave a weak smile to their collective greeting. They all gathered around her, waking up Sirius in the process.
"Well, who will tell this lovely story?" Amethyst asked. "I can't remember a damn thing past telling Severus to get me lunch."
Harry began. "It's a bit of a mystery. We had barely made it to the Leaky Cauldron when there was this huge explosion. It took out the whole floor of the laboratory and most of our office below it." he said. "We ran back and did our best to get you out of the rubble. We got you all here as fast as we could."
"The first thing we had to do was convince the Doublemint Twins here not to destroy the body." Ron said, frowning at Sirius and Severus. "They went mad, I tell you. Turns out the bomber was using the Imperius Curse on Muggles. It took all of us and two orderlies to hold them back and convince them to stay here with you, Taja and Draco."
Severus and Sirius said nothing. They wore identical masks, making their faces unreadable.
"Ron and Christopher took the body of the bomber to the Department of Experimental Charms. They've been experimenting on the brain. They were able to get the information on the bomber from his brain, somehow." Harry said.
"Anyway, we came back here to get a report on your condition." Christopher said, his eyes flicking from Sirius to Severus. He seemed unsure about continuing.
"She knows." Sirius said. "It's all right."
Christopher sighed. "That's when we found out about, well, you know." he said lamely. "We gave our report and had to have the orderlies help us hold them both back again. This time, we lost. They took off out of here like the place was burning to the ground. I told Ron and Harry to stay here and went with them."
"The wizard who did it was some guy from Iraq. He was trying to make some political point about potions versus spells or some shit. Anyway," and here Christopher ran his fingers through his short hair. "I did everything I could, but these two just." he paused and almost whispered. "They beat the guy most to death then took out their wands and annihilated the guy." he ran his broad hand down his face.
Amethyst looked at Harry. "Harry?" she said. "Are you all right?"
Harry thought carefully a moment. "I think I would have done the same, if I'd been in their shoes."
Amethysts eyebrows rose ever so slightly, but she said nothing.
Ron cleared his throat. "They came back here and we had a quick meeting. We told the Department of Magical Law Enforcement the guy annihilated himself when they cornered him."
Amethyst nodded, but said nothing.
"Draco and Taja woke up yesterday." Harry said. "I guess you could say we're making sure we get out stories straight."
Again, Amethyst nodded. She listened for another five minutes about how the explosion had completely ruined their offices. Somehow, no Muggles, except for the bomber, had been hurt. But the office building was being checked by Muggle engineers to make sure it was habitable.
"We're probably going to have to move someplace else." Sirius said.
The door to the room opened and there was a gasp. "I should have known I would find you all in here!" a voice shouted. Amethyst saw a nurse holding a tray of potion. She was glaring. "Out!" she demanded. "Out, everyone but the immediate family! OUT!"
Harry, Ron and Christopher said hurried good byes and scrambled out of the room. The nurse brought the potion to Amethyst. "Drink this and sleep." she ordered.
Amethyst, who was already feeling much better asked. "What is it?"
The nurse gave an exasperated sigh. "It is a healing potion. You've been needing one a day since you got here. You broke most of your ribs and both legs. Your shoulder was dislocated. You had a skull fracture. And, well, and the rest. This will finish your regime. Your husband here," and she and Severus glared daggers at each other. "Has been feeding you the potions. These two have been a pain in my side for four days. I must admit, I will be glad to see you discharged, Missus Snape."
Amethyst took the potion and drank it down, showing the nurse the empty bottle. The nurse was satisfied and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Amethyst was now alone with Sirius and Severus. "Don't tell me you two worked together again?" she asked, her voice full of sarcasm.
Sirius and Severus looked at each other then looked at her.
"Shit happens." They said together.
"It's the middle of May and we aren't any closer to figuring this out than we were a month ago!" Sirius was raging. "They'll be trying to hit us next."
There was maniac on the loose. He or she was using magic to destroy potions research facilities all around London. Harry, Ron, Christopher and Sirius had been working almost non-stop trying to solve the mystery. Three wizards and twenty Muggles had been killed so far and the entire Ministry of Magic seemed to be working overtime casting memory charms on Muggles who were witnesses. The Muggle press was reporting a mad bomber on the loose. Their bomb squad was also working tirelessly trying to find evidence. However they were stumped because they could not find any trace of a bomb.
There was a single potions research facility left and it was above the raging Sirius. He figured it would be hit last because it was part of the Ministry of Magic and so a gigantic finale to the maniacs reign of terror. But he also figured it would be the biggest bomb yet, probably taking the entire building down.
"They can't get in here now." Ron said, confidently. "There are too many security measures in place."
They had secured the building with charms and even a few curses.
"Maybe." Severus said. He was playing the pessimist, as usual. "But if it is a Muggle -"
"No Mug could cause this destruction." Taja said, for the millionth time. "It has to be a wizard or a witch. And a pretty fucked in the head one, too."
But there was nothing that Draco, Taja, Amethyst or Severus could do about it, besides what they had done, charm everything they could think of to secure their Labratory and offices.
"Damn, I can't think." Sirius said, running his fingers through his hair.
"Imagine that." said Harry dryly. "You haven't eaten or slept in three days."
They had all been working like maniacs and it was agreed that a good lunch away was the ticket. Amethyst insisted Severus join them. "Taja, Draco and I can handle everything here." she said. "But bring me back something. No, two somethings." she said, rubbing her pregnant middle.
Severus left, reluctantly, with the rest for Diagon Alley.
They were all knocked down in the explosion, which happened just as they reached the Leaky Cauldron.
"NOOOOOO!"
"...... dead ......."
".... enraged ......... do our job, Severus!"
"Won't ...... good ...... Sirius."
" ..... Experimental Charms is examining ..."
"Ron ....... report."
"........ sorry Severus."
"She'll need you ..... wakes."
"Drink ..... love."
"........ make us .........."
"...... charms ....... them. They ......"
"........ back ...... needs you ....."
"..... annihilated ......"
"...... taken care ........"
"Do not ............ Amethyst."
Amethyst drifted in and out of consciousness for four days. She heard a word here and a word there, but could never find the strength to open her eyes to see who was speaking. She felt her hand being held. Sometimes it was both hands, like now. She must try to open her eyes.
Amethyst took as deep a breath a she could bear and tried to open her eyes. She moaned with the effort, but she was able to force her eyes open. Before them were Severus and Sirius, looking at her with more relief in their faces than she had ever seen anywhere before.
"Welcome back." they said as one, making Amethyst smile.
"Hi." she managed. It was very difficult to speak, she realized. However, she was a stubborn woman with a million questions. "Pain." was the first thing out of her mouth, however.
Sirius held a cup to her lips and she drank down something very bitter. The pain eased, a little.
Amethyst took a deep breath now that she felt a bit better. "Where am I?" she asked, each word coming at a snails pace.
"Saint Mongo's." Sirius said.
"There was an explosion." Severus told her.
Somehow, Amethyst could not get the word 'explosion' around her tongue. She settled on "When?"
Severus and Sirius looked at each other, then Sirius said, "Four days ago."
"Four?" Amethysts mine reeled. Four days? She tried to remember. "Taja? Draco?" she tried to get up, but was pushed gently back by two powerful hands.
"They'll live." Severus said, quietly. "You got the worst of it."
Amethyst was struck so suddenly by a thought that she sat bolt upright, but the pain, Sirius and Severus kept her lying down. "The baby." she said.
Neither Sirius or Severus said anything. They did not have to. Their expressions said everything.
Amethyst closed her eyes, moaning. Severus gathered her in his arms and held her as she shook with rage and grief and cried herself to sleep.
When she woke, she saw that Sirius was asleep in a chair beside her. Severus' head was on her belly. But he raised it the moment she opened her eyes. She was feeling much more clear headed now.
"I am sorry, love." she managed to say.
"All I care about is you." he replied, putting one of his long fingers on her lips to stem her words. "You are my reason for being."
Amethyst closed her eyes and took a breath. She opened them when she heard the door open and close. Christopher, Harry and Ron appeared over Severus' shoulder.
She gave a weak smile to their collective greeting. They all gathered around her, waking up Sirius in the process.
"Well, who will tell this lovely story?" Amethyst asked. "I can't remember a damn thing past telling Severus to get me lunch."
Harry began. "It's a bit of a mystery. We had barely made it to the Leaky Cauldron when there was this huge explosion. It took out the whole floor of the laboratory and most of our office below it." he said. "We ran back and did our best to get you out of the rubble. We got you all here as fast as we could."
"The first thing we had to do was convince the Doublemint Twins here not to destroy the body." Ron said, frowning at Sirius and Severus. "They went mad, I tell you. Turns out the bomber was using the Imperius Curse on Muggles. It took all of us and two orderlies to hold them back and convince them to stay here with you, Taja and Draco."
Severus and Sirius said nothing. They wore identical masks, making their faces unreadable.
"Ron and Christopher took the body of the bomber to the Department of Experimental Charms. They've been experimenting on the brain. They were able to get the information on the bomber from his brain, somehow." Harry said.
"Anyway, we came back here to get a report on your condition." Christopher said, his eyes flicking from Sirius to Severus. He seemed unsure about continuing.
"She knows." Sirius said. "It's all right."
Christopher sighed. "That's when we found out about, well, you know." he said lamely. "We gave our report and had to have the orderlies help us hold them both back again. This time, we lost. They took off out of here like the place was burning to the ground. I told Ron and Harry to stay here and went with them."
"The wizard who did it was some guy from Iraq. He was trying to make some political point about potions versus spells or some shit. Anyway," and here Christopher ran his fingers through his short hair. "I did everything I could, but these two just." he paused and almost whispered. "They beat the guy most to death then took out their wands and annihilated the guy." he ran his broad hand down his face.
Amethyst looked at Harry. "Harry?" she said. "Are you all right?"
Harry thought carefully a moment. "I think I would have done the same, if I'd been in their shoes."
Amethysts eyebrows rose ever so slightly, but she said nothing.
Ron cleared his throat. "They came back here and we had a quick meeting. We told the Department of Magical Law Enforcement the guy annihilated himself when they cornered him."
Amethyst nodded, but said nothing.
"Draco and Taja woke up yesterday." Harry said. "I guess you could say we're making sure we get out stories straight."
Again, Amethyst nodded. She listened for another five minutes about how the explosion had completely ruined their offices. Somehow, no Muggles, except for the bomber, had been hurt. But the office building was being checked by Muggle engineers to make sure it was habitable.
"We're probably going to have to move someplace else." Sirius said.
The door to the room opened and there was a gasp. "I should have known I would find you all in here!" a voice shouted. Amethyst saw a nurse holding a tray of potion. She was glaring. "Out!" she demanded. "Out, everyone but the immediate family! OUT!"
Harry, Ron and Christopher said hurried good byes and scrambled out of the room. The nurse brought the potion to Amethyst. "Drink this and sleep." she ordered.
Amethyst, who was already feeling much better asked. "What is it?"
The nurse gave an exasperated sigh. "It is a healing potion. You've been needing one a day since you got here. You broke most of your ribs and both legs. Your shoulder was dislocated. You had a skull fracture. And, well, and the rest. This will finish your regime. Your husband here," and she and Severus glared daggers at each other. "Has been feeding you the potions. These two have been a pain in my side for four days. I must admit, I will be glad to see you discharged, Missus Snape."
Amethyst took the potion and drank it down, showing the nurse the empty bottle. The nurse was satisfied and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Amethyst was now alone with Sirius and Severus. "Don't tell me you two worked together again?" she asked, her voice full of sarcasm.
Sirius and Severus looked at each other then looked at her.
"Shit happens." They said together.