Snape apparated just outside the main gates of Hogwarts and only had to
wait a few moments for someone to discover him.
"Severus!" said the voice of his rescuer. "We've been looking all over for you!"
It was Albus Dumbledore, of course. Snape smiled ruefully at him as the old wizard examined his injured leg. Ron, Lupin and the Weasley parents were with him, disheveled, dirty and tired looking - but all safe.
"Where have you been, Severus?" asked Dumbledore, gesturing to Ron to help him get Snape to his feet.
"Harry and I both had Portkeys with us, Headmaster. We agreed before we went tonight that if one of us was killed, the other would immediately come home to our girls - battle and heroism be damned. However, Potter in all his wisdom decided that my injuries were grave enough to send me home," said Snape, as the men pulled him to his feet. "I didn't think that I might have to Portkey back injured when we made our plans. And we both picked safe places in the forest to Portkey to - in case we were tracked or followed. Blasted Harry Potter activated the Portkey and I was dumped in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. It was some time before I could muster the strength to apparate home. I may cause bodily harm to Potter for this one."
Snape grinned as he hopped on one leg with his arm around Ron Weasley's shoulder on the path up to Hogwarts. He realized that the others weren't amused at his ill fortune. The other faces on the path were still very grave and he was immediately gripped with fear.
"What?" he snapped. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Harry was attacked and seriously injured after he sent you home," said Ron, tightly. "We're not sure if he's alive."
"Fuck," swore Snape, hopping faster. "He should never have sent me home. Fuck!"
The group slowly made their way into the castle and up to the Hospital Wing. Upon entering, Ron nearly threw Snape onto a bed and immediately went looking for Harry - tossing back curtains with a wild look in his eyes. Poppy Pomfrey heard the noise and rushed out to attend to her newest patient - and attempt to quiet Ron, who was disturbing everyone else.
Suddenly, Ron reappeared by Snape's bed, face blazing with crimson to match his flaming head of hair.
"Ron?" queried Snape. "What is it?"
"He just walked in on a -- erm - moment, between his sister and I," a voice said beyond Snape's curtain. A second later, Harry Potter poked his head around the white material. He was leaning on Ginny for support, who was blushing with a ferocity to match Ron - and had forgotten to rebutton her blouse.
"You all right, Snape?" Harry asked. "I expected you would have beaten me here. We were all worried."
"Yes, I'm fine. I just need to get to Hermione at some point tonight - OUCH! Gods, woman, I make painkillers for you on a regular basis, can't you actually USE one?" Snape yelled as Pomfrey yanked the glass from his leg. She smirked at him and handed him a small vial, which he gratefully downed. A few minutes later and Snape's leg was as good as new - although the potion Poppy had given him to counteract the loss of blood would take several hours to completely replace his blood supply.
"May I go now, Poppy? Hermione must be beside herself with worry," he said, contritely.
Poppy looked from Snape to Harry and Ginny with a stern glare.
"You may go to Hermione. And, Ginny, you may stay with Harry. However, there will be no 'moments' for either of you tonight. I trust you understand what I mean?" Snape and Harry nodded guiltily - a few hours of 'moments' were exactly what both men had been hoping for upon their return. "I mean it, you are both lucky to be alive and I don't want either of you making your conditions worse because you decided that you had to have marathon sex with your wives all night long. Do you understand me?"
Harry looked like he was about to protest, but Snape spoke up dejectedly: "Don't start, Harry. You'll just get us both in trouble."
Albus and Arthur Weasley chuckled as a defiant looking Harry was escorted back to his bed by Ginny and Molly; while a pouting Snape waved his wand to repair his pants and clean the blood from his clothing.
"Newlyweds!" grumbled the mediwitch under her breath.
Snape's mischievous side heard her and could not resist the retort. "Now, Poppy, you were at our wedding, you know that Hermione will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this year. I hardly think we qualify as newlyweds."
"Get out of here and go to your wife, Severus," laughed Pomfrey, swatting at his arm with a towel. "If you're well enough to be a smart arse, then you can go home. But, please, take it easy."
Snape grinned at her and bounced from the bed, nearly running to the dungeons. She wasn't in their rooms, so he headed for the potions classroom. He found her there, with Draco Malfoy in her arms. She looked at him over the blond, bowed head and smiled with welcome and profound relief. He crossed the room and carefully pulled Draco from his wife's arms, forcing Draco to look at him.
"Draco. I am very proud of you. You did what had to be done to save innocent lives tonight at great personal risk. And at great personal loss. You are a brave man. And a good man. I am proud to call you my friend," Snape said calmly, looking into the sad, blue eyes.
"I killed my father," said Draco, over and over. "I killed my own father."
"Draco, have you ever cast the killing curse before?"
"No, not before tonight," said Draco. "My father forced me to try with that Muggle woman, but I couldn't do it. I had to kill her with a knife, instead."
"I don't believe your powers are ready to cast the killing curse, yet," said Snape, softly. "The only wand I saw produce the Avada Kadavara curse tonight was your fathers. Somehow, I believe, the combination of all of our curses and counter curses caused his to -- to ricochet - he was killed by his own curse, Draco."
"Are you sure?"
"I am not positive, but I believe so. Now, son, I also believe that the Headmaster is waiting for you in his office. Your mother should have apparated here from Paris by now - she's waiting for you as well," said Snape. "It's over, Draco. Take the time to heal, then make sure you live your life to the fullest. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, sir," whispered Draco. He took a deep breath and attempted to put on a sly, lazy trademark Draco Malfoy sneer. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I am ashamed to admit that I want my Mummy and I need to go."
Hermione and Snape both smiled and hugged their friend good-bye. As the door clicked shut behind him, Hermione asked Snape if he thought Draco would recover.
"Yes. I think he will. His mother will help him. She has been on our side for some time now, and we took her into protective custody today while she shopped in Paris. I think Draco has what he needs to get on his way to recovery. He will never forget, but he will recover."
"Will you?"
Snape turned to his young wife and pulled her into his arms, his hand drifting to caress her stomach out of habit. They stood in the soft embrace silently for some time. Finally, Snape took a deep shuddering breath and said: "I'm already on my way."
"Severus!" said the voice of his rescuer. "We've been looking all over for you!"
It was Albus Dumbledore, of course. Snape smiled ruefully at him as the old wizard examined his injured leg. Ron, Lupin and the Weasley parents were with him, disheveled, dirty and tired looking - but all safe.
"Where have you been, Severus?" asked Dumbledore, gesturing to Ron to help him get Snape to his feet.
"Harry and I both had Portkeys with us, Headmaster. We agreed before we went tonight that if one of us was killed, the other would immediately come home to our girls - battle and heroism be damned. However, Potter in all his wisdom decided that my injuries were grave enough to send me home," said Snape, as the men pulled him to his feet. "I didn't think that I might have to Portkey back injured when we made our plans. And we both picked safe places in the forest to Portkey to - in case we were tracked or followed. Blasted Harry Potter activated the Portkey and I was dumped in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. It was some time before I could muster the strength to apparate home. I may cause bodily harm to Potter for this one."
Snape grinned as he hopped on one leg with his arm around Ron Weasley's shoulder on the path up to Hogwarts. He realized that the others weren't amused at his ill fortune. The other faces on the path were still very grave and he was immediately gripped with fear.
"What?" he snapped. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Harry was attacked and seriously injured after he sent you home," said Ron, tightly. "We're not sure if he's alive."
"Fuck," swore Snape, hopping faster. "He should never have sent me home. Fuck!"
The group slowly made their way into the castle and up to the Hospital Wing. Upon entering, Ron nearly threw Snape onto a bed and immediately went looking for Harry - tossing back curtains with a wild look in his eyes. Poppy Pomfrey heard the noise and rushed out to attend to her newest patient - and attempt to quiet Ron, who was disturbing everyone else.
Suddenly, Ron reappeared by Snape's bed, face blazing with crimson to match his flaming head of hair.
"Ron?" queried Snape. "What is it?"
"He just walked in on a -- erm - moment, between his sister and I," a voice said beyond Snape's curtain. A second later, Harry Potter poked his head around the white material. He was leaning on Ginny for support, who was blushing with a ferocity to match Ron - and had forgotten to rebutton her blouse.
"You all right, Snape?" Harry asked. "I expected you would have beaten me here. We were all worried."
"Yes, I'm fine. I just need to get to Hermione at some point tonight - OUCH! Gods, woman, I make painkillers for you on a regular basis, can't you actually USE one?" Snape yelled as Pomfrey yanked the glass from his leg. She smirked at him and handed him a small vial, which he gratefully downed. A few minutes later and Snape's leg was as good as new - although the potion Poppy had given him to counteract the loss of blood would take several hours to completely replace his blood supply.
"May I go now, Poppy? Hermione must be beside herself with worry," he said, contritely.
Poppy looked from Snape to Harry and Ginny with a stern glare.
"You may go to Hermione. And, Ginny, you may stay with Harry. However, there will be no 'moments' for either of you tonight. I trust you understand what I mean?" Snape and Harry nodded guiltily - a few hours of 'moments' were exactly what both men had been hoping for upon their return. "I mean it, you are both lucky to be alive and I don't want either of you making your conditions worse because you decided that you had to have marathon sex with your wives all night long. Do you understand me?"
Harry looked like he was about to protest, but Snape spoke up dejectedly: "Don't start, Harry. You'll just get us both in trouble."
Albus and Arthur Weasley chuckled as a defiant looking Harry was escorted back to his bed by Ginny and Molly; while a pouting Snape waved his wand to repair his pants and clean the blood from his clothing.
"Newlyweds!" grumbled the mediwitch under her breath.
Snape's mischievous side heard her and could not resist the retort. "Now, Poppy, you were at our wedding, you know that Hermione will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this year. I hardly think we qualify as newlyweds."
"Get out of here and go to your wife, Severus," laughed Pomfrey, swatting at his arm with a towel. "If you're well enough to be a smart arse, then you can go home. But, please, take it easy."
Snape grinned at her and bounced from the bed, nearly running to the dungeons. She wasn't in their rooms, so he headed for the potions classroom. He found her there, with Draco Malfoy in her arms. She looked at him over the blond, bowed head and smiled with welcome and profound relief. He crossed the room and carefully pulled Draco from his wife's arms, forcing Draco to look at him.
"Draco. I am very proud of you. You did what had to be done to save innocent lives tonight at great personal risk. And at great personal loss. You are a brave man. And a good man. I am proud to call you my friend," Snape said calmly, looking into the sad, blue eyes.
"I killed my father," said Draco, over and over. "I killed my own father."
"Draco, have you ever cast the killing curse before?"
"No, not before tonight," said Draco. "My father forced me to try with that Muggle woman, but I couldn't do it. I had to kill her with a knife, instead."
"I don't believe your powers are ready to cast the killing curse, yet," said Snape, softly. "The only wand I saw produce the Avada Kadavara curse tonight was your fathers. Somehow, I believe, the combination of all of our curses and counter curses caused his to -- to ricochet - he was killed by his own curse, Draco."
"Are you sure?"
"I am not positive, but I believe so. Now, son, I also believe that the Headmaster is waiting for you in his office. Your mother should have apparated here from Paris by now - she's waiting for you as well," said Snape. "It's over, Draco. Take the time to heal, then make sure you live your life to the fullest. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, sir," whispered Draco. He took a deep breath and attempted to put on a sly, lazy trademark Draco Malfoy sneer. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I am ashamed to admit that I want my Mummy and I need to go."
Hermione and Snape both smiled and hugged their friend good-bye. As the door clicked shut behind him, Hermione asked Snape if he thought Draco would recover.
"Yes. I think he will. His mother will help him. She has been on our side for some time now, and we took her into protective custody today while she shopped in Paris. I think Draco has what he needs to get on his way to recovery. He will never forget, but he will recover."
"Will you?"
Snape turned to his young wife and pulled her into his arms, his hand drifting to caress her stomach out of habit. They stood in the soft embrace silently for some time. Finally, Snape took a deep shuddering breath and said: "I'm already on my way."