* * * *
Snape woke up with Kendra's hands on his shoulders, her face hanging over his own and a worried look in her eyes. Her hair hung over her shoulders in waves, brushing gently against his face as he came into consciousness and he impatiently brushed them away. He sat up quickly and Kendra jumped backward, startled by his sudden movement. The others were awake as well, all eyes were on him as he rubbed his eyes and with trembling hands, tried to brush back his hair.
"Your memories are going to take us somewhere," Hermione said softly. "You were whispering in your sleep, 'Don't you ever come back here again'. Where?"
Snape sighed, burying his face in his hands. They had been right, his memories would take them where they needed to go.
"The Malfoy house. I was in Lucius Malfoy's home," Snape explained. "That is where we need to go."
"Did I hear the Malfoy residence from back there?" the driver of the bus called out cheerily. "I'm sure glad you bunch finally came to a decision about where you're headed." He glanced back and tossed a grin in their direction. "Hold on."
The Night Bus took off faster than before and Kendra was thrown from her position beside Snape's bed. She stumbled, but Hermione reached out and grabbed her arm before she could fall. Kendra smiled gratefully, before collapsing onto the bed beside Hermione and staring expectantly at Snape.
He frowned and glanced at the others to find they were all staring at him in much the same way. Five young faces, all gazing at him like he was some kind of all-knowing prophet.
"Can I help you?" he asked finally, his eyebrow arching expectantly.
Taking the hint better than he had expected, all five pairs of eyes turned from him and they began to murmur between themselves. Harry, Ron and Parvati were soon deep in a conversation that Snape couldn't hear from where he sat. Instead, he tuned into the conversation that was taking place on the bed beside him.
"What'll we do when we get there?" Kendra asked nervously.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know . . . we have to get to Voldemort somehow, right?"
Kendra nodded. "Right. Maybe Lucius and Draco will lead us to him."
"I think he is already there," Snape said quietly.
Both girls glanced at him and Hermione frowned.
"How would you know?"
"In my . . . dream I was going to a meeting." He looked away from them and drew in a deep breath. "It was a memory from my first meeting as a spy for Dumbledore. Voldemort was in Lucius' home and he will be there when we arrive."
Kendra's eyes widened. "So, we're just going to show up? Tonight?"
Snape shook his head briskly. "No, we'll stay in the village near the house. We cannot go running in there quite yet."
"What are we going to do then?" Hermione asked.
Snape was silent for a long moment, then lifted his thin shoulders in a deep shrug. "The best we can do is take this one day at a time. That's all I can offer you in terms of advice." He studied the girls for a moment longer, then stood and went to the front of the bus, directing the driver to take them to the pub that was nearest the Malfoy's home.
Moments later the bus stopped and without a word Snape motioned for the students to follow him. They stood silently and followed him off the bus, stepping down into a town they had never seen before. It spread before them, magnificent houses and pubs that were lively, even at this late hour.
"That is Malfoy's house," Snape said quietly, pointing to a large house on the outskirts of the town. It was massive, constructed out of stone and wood like an old castle. In some ways, it looked very much like Hogwarts.
"Let's go," Snape ordered, leading the students to a pub and an Inn, the place that would become their home for however long it took. "Keep your heads down," he added, pushing his hand against the back of Kendra's neck. She shook his hand off, but lowered her face just the same, letting her hair form a curtain around her.
"In here," Snape murmured, ushering them into the Inn. He pushed them aside as he secured a room for them . . . only one room.
The room wasn't very big, though it had two double beds and a seperate bathroom. Without a word, Snape took the comforter off one of the beds and pushed Ron and Harry toward it, then nudged the girls toward the other bed. He took the comforter and folded it in half, then laid it on the floor at the foot of the beds and slid into it like a sleeping bag.
"Go to sleep," he said, then pointed his wand at the candles and murmured a spell to put them out.
A few moments later, just as he had begun to drift off to sleep, he heard the whispering begin. Parvati giggled at something and Snape rolled his eyes . . . apparently some habits really did die hard. In the dark, Kendra murmured something to Hermione, who in turn tossed in the bed, causing it to jump and creak.
Parvati giggled again, though this one sounded as if it were muffled by her pillow.
"Shut up," Harry groaned from the other side of the room.
Snape coughed, then added, "Yes, I'd have to agree. Is there a reason you're laughing so hard Miss Patil?"
"Hermione and Kendra both said they can't sleep like this," Parvati said, still stifling her laughter. "They keep kicking one another."
Snape heard Ron snicker in the corner and a moment later, Parvati started to giggle once more. Harry joined a moment later and soon enough all five of the students were howling with laughter. For whatever reason, the situation struck Snape as moderately funny and he discovered that he was extremely thankful that the room was dark because a genuine smile was blossoming on his lips.
"The bed is too small Professor," Kendra said between gasps of laughter. "Hermione keeps pushing me toward the edge."
"I do not!" Hermione exclaimed, then fell into a fit of giggling that she couldn't control.
"It would be best for everyone if you all calmed down and went to sleep," Snape said evenly, unable to understand why he found the situation even remotely amusing. "We have many hours of work ahead of us, this might be the only chance you have to get a good night's sleep."
There was silence and Snape silently cursed himself. He hadn't wanted to frighten them again, but he had. He always managed to do so.
"I'm sorry Professor," Kendra's voice came a moment later, "but this bed really is too small for all three of us."
He sighed. "Then one of you needs to take the comforter and sleep on the floor," he said. "I'm sorry, but I didn't want to risk us being in seperate rooms. There is no telling who saw us arrive earlier."
There was a rustling noise as Kendra stood, taking the comforter with her. She stepped over Snape and lay down on the floor somewhere near his head, settling contentedly.
"Is everyone comfortable now?" Snape asked, trying to keep the sneer from his voice.
The Five murmured answers from around the room and Snape turned in the direction that Kendra had gone.
"Miss Rayne?" he asked loudly.
"You don't have to yell Professor," she said from nearby, "the room isn't very big."
They fell silent again and soon enough, Snape could hear their steady breathing. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, ignoring the thoughts of Voldemort and Death Eaters that had begun to fill his head.
* * * *
Notes: I promise things will get more exciting very, very soon. Heh heh heh.
Snape woke up with Kendra's hands on his shoulders, her face hanging over his own and a worried look in her eyes. Her hair hung over her shoulders in waves, brushing gently against his face as he came into consciousness and he impatiently brushed them away. He sat up quickly and Kendra jumped backward, startled by his sudden movement. The others were awake as well, all eyes were on him as he rubbed his eyes and with trembling hands, tried to brush back his hair.
"Your memories are going to take us somewhere," Hermione said softly. "You were whispering in your sleep, 'Don't you ever come back here again'. Where?"
Snape sighed, burying his face in his hands. They had been right, his memories would take them where they needed to go.
"The Malfoy house. I was in Lucius Malfoy's home," Snape explained. "That is where we need to go."
"Did I hear the Malfoy residence from back there?" the driver of the bus called out cheerily. "I'm sure glad you bunch finally came to a decision about where you're headed." He glanced back and tossed a grin in their direction. "Hold on."
The Night Bus took off faster than before and Kendra was thrown from her position beside Snape's bed. She stumbled, but Hermione reached out and grabbed her arm before she could fall. Kendra smiled gratefully, before collapsing onto the bed beside Hermione and staring expectantly at Snape.
He frowned and glanced at the others to find they were all staring at him in much the same way. Five young faces, all gazing at him like he was some kind of all-knowing prophet.
"Can I help you?" he asked finally, his eyebrow arching expectantly.
Taking the hint better than he had expected, all five pairs of eyes turned from him and they began to murmur between themselves. Harry, Ron and Parvati were soon deep in a conversation that Snape couldn't hear from where he sat. Instead, he tuned into the conversation that was taking place on the bed beside him.
"What'll we do when we get there?" Kendra asked nervously.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know . . . we have to get to Voldemort somehow, right?"
Kendra nodded. "Right. Maybe Lucius and Draco will lead us to him."
"I think he is already there," Snape said quietly.
Both girls glanced at him and Hermione frowned.
"How would you know?"
"In my . . . dream I was going to a meeting." He looked away from them and drew in a deep breath. "It was a memory from my first meeting as a spy for Dumbledore. Voldemort was in Lucius' home and he will be there when we arrive."
Kendra's eyes widened. "So, we're just going to show up? Tonight?"
Snape shook his head briskly. "No, we'll stay in the village near the house. We cannot go running in there quite yet."
"What are we going to do then?" Hermione asked.
Snape was silent for a long moment, then lifted his thin shoulders in a deep shrug. "The best we can do is take this one day at a time. That's all I can offer you in terms of advice." He studied the girls for a moment longer, then stood and went to the front of the bus, directing the driver to take them to the pub that was nearest the Malfoy's home.
Moments later the bus stopped and without a word Snape motioned for the students to follow him. They stood silently and followed him off the bus, stepping down into a town they had never seen before. It spread before them, magnificent houses and pubs that were lively, even at this late hour.
"That is Malfoy's house," Snape said quietly, pointing to a large house on the outskirts of the town. It was massive, constructed out of stone and wood like an old castle. In some ways, it looked very much like Hogwarts.
"Let's go," Snape ordered, leading the students to a pub and an Inn, the place that would become their home for however long it took. "Keep your heads down," he added, pushing his hand against the back of Kendra's neck. She shook his hand off, but lowered her face just the same, letting her hair form a curtain around her.
"In here," Snape murmured, ushering them into the Inn. He pushed them aside as he secured a room for them . . . only one room.
The room wasn't very big, though it had two double beds and a seperate bathroom. Without a word, Snape took the comforter off one of the beds and pushed Ron and Harry toward it, then nudged the girls toward the other bed. He took the comforter and folded it in half, then laid it on the floor at the foot of the beds and slid into it like a sleeping bag.
"Go to sleep," he said, then pointed his wand at the candles and murmured a spell to put them out.
A few moments later, just as he had begun to drift off to sleep, he heard the whispering begin. Parvati giggled at something and Snape rolled his eyes . . . apparently some habits really did die hard. In the dark, Kendra murmured something to Hermione, who in turn tossed in the bed, causing it to jump and creak.
Parvati giggled again, though this one sounded as if it were muffled by her pillow.
"Shut up," Harry groaned from the other side of the room.
Snape coughed, then added, "Yes, I'd have to agree. Is there a reason you're laughing so hard Miss Patil?"
"Hermione and Kendra both said they can't sleep like this," Parvati said, still stifling her laughter. "They keep kicking one another."
Snape heard Ron snicker in the corner and a moment later, Parvati started to giggle once more. Harry joined a moment later and soon enough all five of the students were howling with laughter. For whatever reason, the situation struck Snape as moderately funny and he discovered that he was extremely thankful that the room was dark because a genuine smile was blossoming on his lips.
"The bed is too small Professor," Kendra said between gasps of laughter. "Hermione keeps pushing me toward the edge."
"I do not!" Hermione exclaimed, then fell into a fit of giggling that she couldn't control.
"It would be best for everyone if you all calmed down and went to sleep," Snape said evenly, unable to understand why he found the situation even remotely amusing. "We have many hours of work ahead of us, this might be the only chance you have to get a good night's sleep."
There was silence and Snape silently cursed himself. He hadn't wanted to frighten them again, but he had. He always managed to do so.
"I'm sorry Professor," Kendra's voice came a moment later, "but this bed really is too small for all three of us."
He sighed. "Then one of you needs to take the comforter and sleep on the floor," he said. "I'm sorry, but I didn't want to risk us being in seperate rooms. There is no telling who saw us arrive earlier."
There was a rustling noise as Kendra stood, taking the comforter with her. She stepped over Snape and lay down on the floor somewhere near his head, settling contentedly.
"Is everyone comfortable now?" Snape asked, trying to keep the sneer from his voice.
The Five murmured answers from around the room and Snape turned in the direction that Kendra had gone.
"Miss Rayne?" he asked loudly.
"You don't have to yell Professor," she said from nearby, "the room isn't very big."
They fell silent again and soon enough, Snape could hear their steady breathing. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, ignoring the thoughts of Voldemort and Death Eaters that had begun to fill his head.
* * * *
Notes: I promise things will get more exciting very, very soon. Heh heh heh.