Once they left the tower, Black levitated the unconscious Crabbe and Goyle onto stretchers after tying them up tightly…very tightly. Snape removed his flowing black robe, wrapped Evangeline up in it, and insisted that she let him conjure up a stretcher for her as well. He pointed out that it was much too far for her to walk in her condition, and as much as he'd love to hold her in his arms, it was probably a bit too far for him to successfully carry her.
As they slowly made their way back to Hogwarts through the darkening woods, the two wizards filled Evangeline in on Malfoy's impersonation and eventual capture. Explaining that it had taken a rather liberal dose of Veritaserum to get their location out of Malfoy. Black laughed himself silly describing the foolish expression on Malfoy's face under the truth serum's influence. Snape looked far less amused when he spoke of the hated wizard.
When they got to the castle, Evangeline insisted on entering it on her own two feet, claiming it would be undignified to be floated into the hall as if she was an invalid. Not to mention that it would alarm everyone even more. So Snape banished the stretcher, put his arm around her, and assisted her through the front door, hoping to get her up to the hospital wing as soon as possible.
When they entered the castle, however, they found Minerva, Eleanor, and Ariantha pacing back and forth in the entrance hall. They had found it impossible to sit quietly and wait in the small parlor. Having heard them come into the castle, Dumbledore joined them from the Great Hall, as well. With this many concerned people to greet, a quick retreat to the infirmary wasn't in the cards.
Eleanor and Ariantha enveloped Evangeline in a relieved embrace with Minerva right behind them. While everyone was talking at once, Filch came slowly down the stairs and quietly got Dumbledore's attention. He took the wizard's arm respectfully and drew him away from the crowd hovering around Evangeline.
"What is it Filch?" The Headmaster asked in concern.
Filch looked uncomfortable and upset. "I'm sorry to be interrupting, Headmaster, but I'm afraid that I just found a body in the bathtub in the second floor prefect's bathroom. It appears to be Mr. Sharp." Filch spoke quietly, but sound carries rather well in the entrance hall, and his words were heard easily by the others clustered there. Everyone raised their heads in horror and fell instantly silent.
Dumbledore sighed wearily. "I'm not really surprised, Filch." He turned back into the Great Hall and approached the slack jawed Malfoy still imprisoned in his chair. Stunned by this development, the others followed him.
"Did you kill Edward Sharp, Lucius?" Dumbledore demanded in a tired voice.
Malfoy nodded dreamily. "Yes, of course, he was in the way."
Dumbledore frowned sadly. "Did you kill Margie Sharp, as well?"
Malfoy nodded again. "Yes, before we came. She's buried in her basement."
Evangeline gasped in distress, turned abruptly, and buried her face against Snape's chest again, as he slid his arms back around her and held her comfortingly, worried about how much pain she could take all at one time. Both Eleanor and Ariantha looked stunned and horrified as well. This afternoon had been one painful shock after another for everyone.
Dumbledore and McGonagall followed Filch up the stairs to the prefect's bath, leaving Black to watch over the captives. Snape swept the sobbing Evangeline up in his arms and, with one final black look at the dazed Malfoy, headed off for the hospital wing, followed by Eleanor and Ariantha.
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Snape carried Evangeline into the infirmary and placed her gently on one of the beds. Poppy came over swiftly and began to examine her.
"What happened to you, Evangeline?"
In a voice drenched with loathing and pain, Snape answered, "Lucius Malfoy."
Poppy scowled darkly and continued to examine Evangeline thoroughly.
"Is the baby all right, Poppy?" a fearful Evangeline asked.
After a moment of checking, Poppy nodded reassuringly. "It appears to be fine, Evangeline."
Then she resumed her magical diagnostic scans trying to assess the extent of Evangeline's injuries. "Did Malfoy beat you? Some of these bruises are awfully deep, and these cuts on your wrists and ankles are as well. And these bite marks!" She shook her head in disgust. "You have a head wound, as well, and your nervous system shows some signs of adverse stimulation."
She straightened up abruptly and stared seriously at her patient. "Did Malfoy use Cruciatus on you, Evangeline?"
Evangeline nodded painfully and glanced at Snape, afraid to discuss her injuries too freely in his presence. "Yes, he did," she whispered. "The head wound was from having my head slammed into the floor. The cuts on my wrists and ankles were made by the metal wire that he used to strap me down while he hurt me."
Snape clenched his fists, his rage tightly contained, while his thoughts turned to figuring out the most painful way he could devise to rid the world of Lucius Malfoy.
Poppy frowned again. "I'll need to disinfect these bite marks before healing them. You have to be so careful. The lacerations on your wrists and ankles will need special treatment as well, if they're to heal without leaving scars."
She stood up. "Severus, would you get me one of the hospital gowns, please. Then I'll have to ask all of you to move away from Evangeline until I've finished treating her." Snape handed her a gown, and Poppy drew the privacy drape around the bed.
Snape and the two women moved over to the other side of the room.
Ariantha frowned at Snape in frustrated anger. "Who is this Lucius Malfoy anyway, and why does he hate Evangeline so much? What could she possibly have done that would provoke this absolutely outrageous behavior? It's intolerable!"
Snape sighed and turned from contemplating the privacy curtain to look down at Ariantha. "Lucius Malfoy is a Death Eater, a supporter of the Dark Lord. He doesn't hate Evangeline. He hates me, and he sees hurting her as a way to get at me."
Ariantha stared at him in confused horror. "But… He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named is gone, isn't he?"
Snape shook his head. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but no, the Dark Lord is not gone. He's been returned to a normal existence, and he's rising in power once again."
Ariantha looked shocked. "Are you certain? You've seen him?"
Snape nodded seriously. "Yes, all too closely."
Ariantha blanched, then turned away and walked over to look out the window trying to make sense out of this appalling development. Eleanor Hamilton turned to Snape with a sober expression on her face. "Professor Snape, what happened to Remus Lupin?"
He turned and glanced down at her. "He ran off into the woods, Miss Hamilton. He should be fine once he comes to his senses in the morning." She nodded and looked relieved.
Then they all stood around silently waiting to be able to see Evangeline again, and thinking their own sober thoughts.
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Behind the privacy drape, Poppy ran additional, more complex, diagnostic scans of Evangeline just to be sure that she hadn't missed anything. Suddenly she looked up in surprise and concern when she discovered some internal tearing that usually indicated more than just a beating.
"Evangeline?" she questioned in a quiet but intense voice. "Malfoy did much more than simply beat you, didn't he? Not that that isn't bad enough."
Alarmed at the thought that Severus might hear, Evangeline's eyes filled with tears. She clutched Poppy desperately by the arm. "You can't say anything about that, Poppy…please!"
Poppy frowned in confusion. "That animal raped you, Evangeline. It wasn't your fault, but you should have told me. You need treatment."
Evangeline shook her head, clutched Poppy more fiercely, and whispered intensely, "Promise me, Poppy! Promise me that you won't tell Severus about this! Please, you must promise me!"
Poppy shook her head in confusion and put her arm around the agitated young woman. "Please calm down, Evangeline. You're my patient. You know I won't tell anyone anything about your condition that you don't want them to know. But you must know that Severus wouldn't blame you for this. It wasn't your fault! He didn't blame you before…"
Her voice trailed off as she realized the enormity of Evangeline having to repeat this horrible experience…and at the hands of the same monster! Poppy reconsidered. Perhaps that was it. She was trying to protect Severus from himself. If he knew, he'd surely kill Malfoy this time and end up in prison himself, which would only add to Evangeline's pain.
Making up her mind, Poppy nodded. "Lay down, Evangeline, dear. I promise that Severus won't hear anything about this from me. You have my word. However, you need additional treatment and plenty of rest, now let me help you, all right? I don't want you to go upsetting yourself even more. Everything will be fine. Your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you, Poppy." Evangeline nodded gratefully, and lay back down and closed her eyes. Severus can't find out…he can't. The consequences would be too horrible for all of them. Poppy might think her assailant was Lucius Malfoy, but Severus would know at once that that wasn't possible. The truth wouldn't take too long to dawn on him; then all hell would break loose. Even if Severus understood about the Imperius curse, and he probably would, once he calmed down; he could be reasonable after all, he'd have to look at Remus differently. He couldn't help it. Their relationship has come so far. He even asked Remus to be his best man, but could he stand the thought that his best man had just violently assaulted his bride? Even under the effects of a curse? No. It would gnaw unmercifully at him. It was better that he never find out. Somehow she just had to bury this incident and forget it! Severus must never know the truth. Never.
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When Snape returned alone down to the Great Hall, he found Alastor Moody and two other Aurors talking to Dumbledore and McGonagall. Black, not surprisingly, was nowhere to be seen. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all sitting there trussed up like Christmas turkeys.
Moody turned to look at Snape as he walked into the room. Dumbledore spoke first. "How is Evangeline, Severus?"
Snape still looked rather pale after having left her asleep in the infirmary swathed in bandages coated in healing potions. He spoke with a touch of anger in his voice as he looked at the bound figure of Lucius Malfoy. "She'll be fine, Albus. Malfoy beat her badly, but fortunately he didn't succeed in causing her to lose the baby. Poppy said she'll be up and around by tomorrow."
Moody added gruffly, "I'm glad your lady is okay, Snape. She's a feisty one, and I'd hate to think that this sniveling excuse for a wizard had done her any permanent damage."
A bit surprised at Moody's comments, Snape nodded stiffly. "Thank you. What I want to know is what's going to happen now to Lucius Malfoy and his pets."
Moody chuckled darkly. "We've got them dead to rights this time. Kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, assault…not even Fudge will be able to help them. I plan to take them straight to Azkaban to await trial. You and your lady won't be bothered by Lucius Malfoy for a long time."
Snape smiled coldly at the still truth-drugged Malfoy. "I'm glad to hear it, Moody. It couldn't happen to a more deserving person. Evangeline said he used the Cruciatus curse on her. You can add that to your list of charges, as well."
Moody nodded in satisfaction. "I'll be sure to do that."
Snape hesitated and stared at the oblivious Malfoy. There was still the painful question of whether or not Remus Lupin had made love to Evangeline. As unlikely as it seemed, the thought nagged unceasingly at him. If he asked him now, while he was under the influence of Veritaserum, Malfoy would have to tell him the truth. He doubted if Moody would leave him alone with Malfoy though, and this wasn't something he wanted to ask in public. Did he even want to know the truth? Could he stand the pain if Evangeline had betrayed him with Remus Lupin? No matter how dire their circumstances had been? Abruptly he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. His turbulent thoughts no closer to being put to rest.
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