ICLYLM 35: "'Round in Circles"

Snape was sure he'd lost consciousness, at least briefly, several times. If he wasn't worried about leaving Sirius and himself lying about like a dark creature's breakfast buffet, he would gladly have given in to unconsciousness. The Dark Mark still burned and it had reached a new height of agony. The Dark Lord was very angry. Even at it's worst, the call would cease on its own after a time. But it had been hours. Even off the path in the dark forest Severus could see that morning was wearing on. He'd been at this for hours.

He looked at Sirius. He was awake but his eyes were dull. The dog was clearly injured, he wouldn't be helping himself until he got some medical attention. Severus wasn't much better off, he was still dealing with the after-effects of the Cruciatus, he was completely drained, and the pain from the dark mark... His progress was terribly slow. He estimated it was taking four times as long as it normally would to move through the forest to the castle. Still, they ought to be out of the woods, soon. He had left the path to go "as the crow flies." After all this time they should be emerging soon, shouldn't they?

He realized he had been standing still again. He looked down to see the fingernails of his right hand digging into his left forearm, drawing blood. The pain of the mark was so overwhelming he couldn't even feel that the pain of his nails tearing at his arm, Merlin help him. He dragged himself and Snuffles a foot or so to a large tree and leaned against it. The tree seemed comfortingly familiar, almost welcoming. Then it hit him. He had been here already. He wasn't moving out of the forest, he was moving AROUND in it!

This was too much. Slowly he sank down along the trunk of the tree until he was sitting on the ground with his back against it. He moved Snuffles onto his lap and buried his face in the dog's fur. He had wondered why no one was looking for them by now. They may well have been, he realized, but his path had been so erratic... He should have known better and stayed on the path. With this much pain and fatigue his faculties and senses were sure to be dulled. But the impetus to find a quicker route had grown with each passing moment the Dark Mark burned.

He'd lost faith now in his own ability to find the way out. Despite the dangers he'd have to take a chance and do what they always told you to do when lost in the woods: stay put. He'd keep his wand out and try to stay awake. And he'd pray that in the light of mid-day the creatures that fancied a snack of human or dog were keeping to themselves or asleep. He pulled his head up and leaned against the tree. The Dark Mark still burned, but pain was his ally now. So long as he could avoid fainting, the pain would keep him awake.

Dobby and the elves fanned out in front of Remus and Hagrid and swiftly disappeared. As Remus watched them go he was surprised at how many there were, and at how quickly they moved. Dobby was determined and the other elves would not be outdone. Why hadn't they thought to use the elves earlier? No matter, they needed to get to the task at hand. Nodding at Hagrid, Remus set off in one direction while the giant went in the other.

Some time later, at opposite parts of the wood, both Remus and Hagrid heard a horrible keening. Both men broke into a run, sprinting toward the sound. They were not alone. There were loud cracks around and then ahead of them as house elves disappeared and re-appeared at the source of the sound.

Lupin and Hagrid skidded to a stop behind different groups of anxious elves at nearly the same time. Ahead of them Dobby was wringing his hands and keening a few feet away from... the forms of Severus and Snuffles slumped against a tree. "No, No! Professor Snape cannot be dying!" the Elf wailed. Adrenaline still flowing freely, Remus leapt over the loose knot of elves in front of him and streaked past Dobby to the Potions Master and Snuffles. Hagrid's heavy footfalls shook the ground as he approached, too. Both figures were rather still and Snape was alarmingly pale. Remus extended a shaking hand toward the pulse point on Severus' neck. As he did so, Hagrid spoke, "Is he dead?" he asked hoarsely.

"Not yet." came the reply... not from Lupin, but from Snape himself. His eyes were still closed, his face drawn tight, but it was clearly the Potions Master who had spoken. "Snuffles isn't either but if that isn't Hagrid come to help me, Dobby's wailing might finish me off."

"Thank all the gods," Remus breathed as a greenish blur shot past him and Dobby latched onto Severus' neck. Severus raised a very shaky hand to pat the elf's back, whispering, "This house elf has grown entirely too fond of me, I think." Then Hagrid was lifting Snuffles from his lap and Remus was trying to help him stand, but the clinging house elf was making it difficult.

"Dobby, if you could let go, I could help Professor Snape a bit better," he said as mildly as he could. Dobby let go and then his rather large round eyes got (if it were possible) even larger and rounder.

"Doctor James!" the elf exclaimed and he disappeared with a loud crack. Remus conjured two stretchers. Hagrid placed Snuffles on one while he helped Snape (with a lot of surreptitious wand work) get into the other. They found themselves surrounded by energetic house elves rocketing backward and forward as they carefully guided the two stretchers toward the edge of the forest.

"Oh," Snape said, "it was this way." Then he let himself pass out.

As the trees thinned and the strange party approached the edge of the forest Lupin caught sight of a figure fairly sprinting across the field from the castle. With a touch of surprise he realized the figure had long hair and an equally long beard. Who would have thought the elder wizard capable of such speed?

Speedy or not, Dumbledore was winded when they met a few yards out of the forest. His face was quite intense as he put a hand on both the animagus and the professor. His keen eyes caught a shining dampness on the sleeve of one of Snape's robes. The Headmaster quickly moved the sleeve and allowed himself a small gasp at what he saw. The arm was torn up, and slick with blood. But, by far, the most disturbing was the burning Dark Mark. It was angrier than Dumbledore had ever seen it and literally smouldering.

"Oh, my poor child," he whispered softly as he laid his hand over the mark and said the negating spell with as much force as he could muster. As he pulled his hand, now marked with Severus' blood, away he could see the Dark Mark stubbornly fading and some of the hard lines on Snape's face relaxing as well.

The party, now with Dumbledore in the lead, was once again moving toward the castle when a crack announced Dobby's return. The elf took one look at the headmaster and latched onto his robes screeching frantically.

"Doctor James says Professor must come to him now, must hurry!"

"Dobby" the Headmaster soothed, "we are going straight to Doctor James, do not worry."

"No, you musn't walk you must go faster, faster! Doctor James is very frightened! Doctor James says if you do not hurry it will be too late!"

James Barnes frightened? The Healer rarely let his emotions show when he was acting in his capacity as a physician.

"Who does he want, Dobby?" the Headmaster asked sharply.

"You, sir and Professor Snape, Sir! Right away, please, sir!" Dobby said, tears beginning to slide out of his eyes.

Dumbledore took out his wand and aimed it at the castle. It seemed to Remus that something indefinable shifted a second later. Without a word, Dumbledore laid a hand on Severus, swung his wand, and the two wizards disappeared. Dobby followed with a loud crack.

"Blimey," Hagrid breathed, "Summat bad is goin' on. Let's move, Remus."

Lupin nodded and picked up his pace.