Disclaimer: It's getting late so I'll get to the point... None of the characters or settings are mine.. I just created a few things you don't recognise. J. K. Rowlings. owns all... she is fab!

::~::~::

Author's Note: Please give me faith the keep writing by reviewing... people seem to forget.... *looks sad*

Welcome to the ice house: Follow the tundra for the way out...

Abendigo

As he stepped into the house an ice cold wave hit him. His black robes rippled in the wind, as an eerie breeze was blown into the house via the window. He left his trunk at the bottom of the steps in the house and looked up them and about the house from where he was standing. The breeze was coming from the direction of the library, it was unusual for his parents to leave the windows open, it was most uncharacteristic of them.

His mother should have noticed he was home by now, but no warm welcoming voice washed over his eardrum soothing him. It didn't even feel like home anymore, it was too cold to be home.

"Mum?" He called out looking over his shoulder again to check she wasn't trying to sneak up on him, as she was very fond of doing.

He couldn't even feel his father's presence any more; it was like no one was there, no one at all. Being a powerful man he could always tell when his father was near, a man not to be reckoned with and he knew that. He swept his fingers through his shoulder length black hair which he had washed for the purpose of seeing his parents and scratched the back of his head perplexed as to the emptiness of his home. Where could they be?

"Dad?" He called walking to the library, the wind was beginning to annoy him, he could hear the drapes being blown about lightly in the wind as he approached a tightening feeling caught his throat and he began to feel sick as the grip took hold. Lying lifeless by the window was his mother she had blood on her hands and a knife led next to her covered in blood, in front of her was another pool of blood, he approached knowing then that the blood spilled was not her own.

Her face was pale and drawn, her deep brown eyes glittered strangely as the sunlight hit them though he knew she was dead, he looked to the window frame to see the white drapes spattered with specks of red and finger marks where they had been dragged against the wall, he got a good look at them before they vanished into thin air like dust.

He looked to his mother and fell back against the wall sliding down against in unbelievable agony, it couldn't be true.

He pressed his hand to her forehead, she was cold, freezing even, he shuddered snapping back his hand and getting to his feet to try to contact someone, as he ran from the room he tripped on something, something strange, an unusual obstacle that didn't usually get in the way.

"Dad!" He cried into the rest of the house getting to his feet and not looking back. "Dad?!" He yelled trying to seek some attention, but there was no answer, he had to be at work. He grabbed some floo powder and threw it into the fire yelling; "Ministry of Magic!"

He appeared in a fire place at the Ministry acquiring strange looks from everyone in there, this was a place for accomplished witches and wizards not for young people who hadn't even finished their education. He looked peaked and a youngish wizard hobbled up to his clutching his abdomen.

"Can I help you young man?" He said his voice relaxed and proud yet it seemed to oozed instead of flow from him. The man shot him a blazing look his hair short well kept and jet-black but his eyes more blinding than daylight, he passed out.

When he came too the same man was looming over him with what looked like an injection needle along with another man with bright white hair who was watching the darker man with great interest as well as seeming to be there to make sure he did the correct thing it almost seemed the man with white hair didn't trust the younger one.

"My name is Doctor Maytricks," he said as he and the man with white hair helped him into a sitting position, he was in a small room, it looked like a small surgery of sorts. "This is Professor Wise," Maytricks continued pointing to the man with a stern face and white hair as a small tear escaped his eye as he suddenly thought of his mother and not of the strange situation he was now in.

"Could you tell us your name young man," Wise said in a voice that was a lot softer than he looked. He seemed like the kind of person you could talk to where as Maytricks was sharp and didn't appear to want to listen.

"Severus, Severus Snape..." he said drawing a sharp breath as Maytricks administered the injection. "What was that for?" He wasn't aware he needed anything like that.

"It's to make you sleep," Wise said as Severus drifted into a sleep so comfortable he didn't want to wake up. Maytricks groaned in pain clutching his abdomen again.

"What have you done Quentus?" Wise said looking at him grip his hip.

"Nothing," he snapped slouching over a sink and coughing up something so Wise wasn't able to see before washing it away.

"Let me take a look," he said spinning the younger man on his heal, Quentus shoved him off and stormed out of the room.

It felt like ages before Severus was awake again but it was only two hours, he sat up not thinking, but there was a man in the corner of the room, he remembered the name. Wise, he'd met him before, he was a friend of his fathers.

"Where is my father?!" He asked desperately.

"He's not here today, he was at home waiting for you boy," he said as Severus' face recoiled.

"But he wasn't there!" He said desperately, no one had been at home. "And why did you make me go to sleep?"

"Maytricks said you hit your head, I had to check there was no damage while you were unconscious and then we decided it would be better if you got a little rest as a precautionary measure, I know your father would never forgive me if anything happened to you and I hadn't done all I saw to be right."

"My mother's dead," he blurt out in a small sob.

"What?" Wise said getting to his feet and calling to someone down the corridor.

"She was dead when I got home and I couldn't find my father anywhere, he wasn't there," Severus said rubbing his ankle from where he had tripped over.

"Take me there!" Wise demanded.

"But Professor, where is my father?" Severus said just wanting to see his other parent in tact even if he was a little distant and abrasive.

"Call me Astix, and Severus, this is urgent, do you have any idea who your mother was killed by?" Astix looked at him and helped him to his feet dragging him to his feet and over to the fireplace, Severus followed sleepily. "Rai!" He yelled only to be answered by a young girl's voice.

"Yes!" She called from one of the other rooms.

"I'm going to check something," he yelled. "Do not follow me!" He shouted, Severus was able to make out a small grumble. Before Astix threw some floo powder into the fire and yelled; "Landsdown!"

Severus was caught in a while with this other wizard before being tossed out like an insect followed by the second man who was able to step out with more grace.

"Where did you find your mother," Astix said looking at Severus who was pointing to the library as the freeze hit him yet again. "Stay here Severus, I believe you've seen enough for one day," he said softly before he thundered of into the other room his robes billowing out behind him.

Severus however wasn't drawn to that room anymore he was drawn upstairs, he followed his senses towards one of the rooms upstairs, he walked on blindly as if being guided by an invisible force muttering strangely to himself, something ran out behind him, he blinked continuing to mutter to himself, he was walking to his fathers study for some reason. He stopped at the door, he'd never been allowed to go in there, he remembered as a boy he'd walked in by accident and his father caught him and he was yelled at so badly he refused to talk for a week.

He slowly turned the handle and walked in, sprawled over the desk face down and lifeless was his father he had a hand resting on a leather bound book, continuing to mutter he placed a hand to his fathers forehead feeling the cold uttering more loudly until he was shouting the words; "Aquatis Ada'mis A'stratos Calvaria Candere Caedere!" Placing the second hand firmly to the back of his fathers head, his body shot bolt upright like someone was using him as a string puppet he let out a yelp in pain before the door was blasted open by two Aurors and Severus collapsed to the floor shaking feeling cold, so cold, so cold...

Raine Stark awoke with a start...

::~::~::~::~::~::

Severus Snape sat in his office nursing his shattered fists like he'd never felt such pain, what had he been thinking? He had been extremely drunk, he'd even hit Hagrid, he felt guilty about that, it wasn't like he'd asked for it though he wasn't going to apologise for it, he'd been stupid enough to get close let alone lift a raving drunk from the ground. Severus was amazed by his new found strength, he's dislocated the shoulder of a man who was part giant, he couldn't help feeling a little proud of himself it was one hell of a feat.

Marking papers had become a little difficult though, his knuckles kept uncovering more shards of glass than he thought humanly possible, had he really done all the things Dumbledore said he had when he was giving him a warning about his behaviour. He was beginning to think people were beginning to get the impression he cared for Raine, nonsense! That statement was about as credible as he was, what a load of crap.

He got through all the home works and winced as he caught his knuckles on the drawer while trying to open in, he let out a frustrated sigh and got to his feet before the room filled with an unearthly frosty feeling, he shuddered and tried to dismiss the feeling but it kept coming back. It cold seemed to be streaming but the room, he could see it when he released his breath, even if people did compare him to a block of ice the cold in the room was almost impossible yet he could see a mist settle as he exhaled.

There was a small scratching sound behind him, he turned around but saw nothing, he sat in his chair again and closed his eyes, what felt like a warm and gentle hand swept his cheek, he kept his eyes closed, the gentle smooth skin made him feel warm within even though it was preposterously cold. The fingers brushed down his nose over his eyes and smoothed across his lips, he opened his eyes to be confronted by a wisp of silver as the figure faded and he could feel the cold again. A tear filled his eye but he didn't want to let it go, he choked as something brushed round his legs. He looked to the floor and saw nothing yet he was so sure it was there, he could feel it.

There was yet another scratching sound and he felt something freezing cold brush past his arm. He turned to face it falling back on his chair when he saw what it was, it however landed on its feet gracefully before brushing itself against him. It purred pressing its forehead to his before letting out a happy but suppressed meow.

He rolled out of the chair cussing about his fist yet again, the cat's black eyes flickered as it rubbed itself against is hand looking for some affection. It was freezing, and yet it was an odd comfort. He went to stroke it, he could feel it but as he touched it he could hear his own heart beat within his head like an echo within a shell. When he pulled his hand away it faded back into his subconscious, he touched it again and it purred pushing itself against him, he went to pick it up but his hands went straight through it, he recoiled his hands and jumped away.

Looking more closely at it he was able to see it wasn't an ordinary cat, it was black but a shimmering black it reflected light instead of absorbing it, it's eyes were a hollow consuming black with what appeared to have a wish to swallow him whole. The cat looked happy enough, it blinked contentedly before brushing itself against him, he could touch it, but it was bazaar. It seemed as if the cat was giving him a window into himself, whenever he touched it or visa versa the cat appeared to make everything that went on within him clear. He could hear everything, all the tiniest sounds, all the things he thought would never have noticed. The cat hopped onto his lap the crawled round his shoulders and purred into his ear settling itself down about his neck like a scarf.

He could feel the cold take over and he drifted into a gentle sleep listening to the beats of his own heart.

Every step; breath; fire, flame: like water and ice make the mind wake again...

The cat brushed its tail around his head swishing the fur about his forehead keeping his cool and dazed before slinking to the ground and looking at him, confused he looked at the cat and blinked hard, the cat blinked back. It seemed to be telling him to follow it.

The cat cocked its head to the side and turned around, Severus looked at it oddly as it disappeared half way into the cold stone wall. He was almost shocked when it turned around his heart skipped a beat and his upper torso fell through the desk his chest onto his knees, his head was half way through the desk, he sat up sharply slamming his hand to the desk, he hit it extremely hard and his fist caused his to curse again in pain.

"Bastard!" He said through gritted teeth looking at the cat that blinked again bemused. He got to his feet the cat sat back in the room and tilted its head again, blinking. It turned around and stretched out before hopping through the wall like a spring bock. "What the hell?" Severus said slowly looking at the wall as his consciousness took over from the drowsiness that cat had just walked through the wall, he had just placed his head through a desk and it looked like nothing at all had happened. He walked up to the wall and placed his hands to it, he could still touch it, it was still there. He pushed it a little harder intrigued by what he had just done, still the same act of opposing force. The cat stuck its head back through, blinked and he looked down at it like it was stupid. "What?" He grumbled. "I can't walk through there, that's an idiotic idea," he said leaning on the wall. The cat let out a little meow and jumped back through daintily out of his site. " Why am I talking to a cat?" He said folding his arms and leaning on the wall. This is stupid, he thought. He took another look at the brick giving it one last push with his hands, they disappeared. He had become one with the inanimate bricks, he pulled them back and looked at them, they appeared normal, he pressed them to it again, they went deeper into the brick until he could feel the cool air of the corridor against the palms of his hands, quickly he threw himself through the rest of the wall coming out the other side, breathing deeply more in disbelief at what had just happened. Was he dead?

The cat brushed itself against his legs in approval and he stepped away from it holding his head in his hand, he could hear the thumping of his heart, he couldn't be dead, he could feel it, slightly confused he staggered along the corridor to the hospital wing to Madam Pomfrey, there had to be a reason for this though there just didn't seem to be one, it just didn't make sense. He turned and looked at the cat, it blinked before he started running in the opposite direction.

There was a light clicking at the opposite end of the corridor.

"Abendigo?" A soft voice called. "Where are you? Here puss, puss," she hummed looking for the cat, it let out a small meow before running up to the red headed witch and climbing into her arms, settling about her shoulders. "Where have you been, hey?" She said smiling walking off down the corridor.

::~::~::~::~::~::

"Poppy!" Severus shouted desperately throwing the door to the hospital open. She looked at him strangely before telling him to shut up and stop disturbing people.

"This is a hospital you know!" She snapped.

"I walked through a wall!" He said taking deep breaths.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I walked through a wall!" He said thrusting his hands at another wall, he hit his fists again. "Shit!" He snapped trying to shake off the pain he'd inflicted upon himself.

"Severus, don't come to me parading your idiotic drunken behaviour just because Stark has gone!" She snapped, Severus' expression dropped, what was she talking about? He didn't care she had gone, he had just walked through a brick wall why would that relate to Raine.

"I do not care about that! I just walked through a fucking wall! Now if I don't require help for that then do tell me to sod off but stop assuming things!" He bellowed, Madam Pomfrey took a step away. "I asked for you help now will you help me, I walked through a fucking wall?!"

"Language!" She said as some noises could be heard within the hospital wing.

"I don't care about language! I think something is happening to me and I don't know what it is!" He said looking at his hands a panic stricken expression contorting his face.

"You'd never make a very good role model would you?!" Madam Pomfrey said in passing, he looked at her strangely before glaring at her.

"Who said I ever would be?!" He yelled, the door to the Hospital wing was opened by Professor Kratts, she looked at Madam Pomfrey who seemed a little shocked at his behaviour.

"Vhat is going on here?" She said in her lightly accented German tone.

"Just sod off Kratts! I'm not in the mood for you bloody chirpy optimism!" He snapped, her sapphire eyes narrowed.

"I zink you need to keep it down Severus," Kratts said looking at him with fire in her eyes, he glowered back.

"I think you need to keep your big nose out of this!"

"I am not ze inconsiderate prick yelling in a place meant to be silence, now take yourself to your chambers and calm it down!" She hummed walking past him, he frowned, his nose twitched nervously and she turned to look at him like he just wasn't there. Before he stormed out again. What kind of heart did she have really, she seemed all happy and smiley but she wasn't. She seemed to have lost her rag and called him an inconsiderate prick, that was a little odd, didn't seem like something that kind of woman would say. He walked back to his office thinking of the extreme cold he had experienced.

::~::~::~::~::~::

Kratts stayed in the hospital wing for a while then wandered back to her class, had she really been that rude to a member of staff that had just completely lost it emotionally, it was a bit heartless and deep down she did feel a little sorry for him even if she didn't know him. He seemed so heartless himself though, it was hard not to respond the way she had.

::~::~::~::~::~::

Severus looked up from his desk to be faced with a little shock. A class full of students, he knew he had a class but he hadn't noticed them enter, it was as if he had been asleep. He looked at them calmly, his heart thumping, the cold was closing in on him, his throat felt like it was becoming tight, his eyes glittered strangely as the began to roll back into his head.

"Professor?" Someone said in a strange little squeaky tone, it echoed in his head, he couldn't hear it.

"Professor Snape?" Another said the same tone of panic in the voice. He couldn't see anything but feel himself sway from side to side sitting in his then a quiet rush of wind as his face struck the desk. The quill he had been holding in his hand fell limply to the side and he heard a scream. "Someone get Professor Dumbledore!" The same little voice called. He felt someone touch his neck but then automatically recoil their hand as if they had touched a block of ice.

"I think he's dead," a girls voice said in a faint whisper. It seemed clearer than the rest of the voices. He could feel himself move, he looked to his side, it was warmer now, it was like he could see again. He looked about at everything that seemed to be moving in slow motion, the children in the class looked panic stricken, for some reason he wanted to calm them. Looking at them however he seemed to understand it wasn't possible and it didn't bother him, everything had been lifted from him. He didn't feel anger, fear nothing, it was like everything was finally in the palm of his hand, it was all there, the knowledge of the ages spun into the tips of his fingers. His heart however was the only thing that felt heavy, like it was dragging the floor. "It's okay Severus, you're free..."

Her voice was beautiful, like crystal sounding from her spirit, she didn't need to move her lips, he wasn't sure she was speaking. Her eyes however, she was looking straight at him, burning bright silver flashing to a steel grey and back to perfect silver that would cut through the night. She wasn't like any ghost he had ever seen, she wasn't like any spirit he had ever come across. It was almost like she was real, the only thing he could use to distinguish she was dead was the light shimmer over her. He looked at her, it wasn't like he understood but he knew her.

"You said you'd never leave me," he breathed looking at her wide eyed.

"And I haven't," the voice sounded from around him she extended a hand to his face. She looked at him her eyes sleepy, her appearance hadn't aged but she looked older in her eyes than the young girl that stood before him.

"You promised me," he said dragging in a breath as she touched his face, her hands warm and so life like but he knew she was dead, he could feel everything within him stop, or more that he noticed it now.

"I know I did, and I'm here but you're not," the voice echoed.

"How can I not be? I'm looking at you," he said his eyes filling up, his throat ached and yet he was sure he should have been happy to see her again but he wasn't, he knew what it meant.

"You are here because I need you to do something for me," the voice sounded, she approached him holding out both her hands to his, he took them feeling a conflict of blazing heat within him and the frost filling his lungs.

"Anything," he said warmth in his voice. Her hands were so small in comparison to his her fingers were not small but slender and well kept but she shimmered, he shivered.

"I need you to keep this, it's yours, it always has been. It always will be, you just never needed it until now," she extended her hand which emitted a green glow like a ray of light. She grasped the top of it which began to glow sapphire. He could then see the crystal blade form and from that the handle mould in her grasp. She then held it out to him. "You are known as one with a mind like a steel trap Professor, there are decisions in life that have to be made, you must be sure to make them no matter what it costs you," she stared into his eyes extending the level blade to him, he took a firm grip of the handle expecting it to weigh him down. When all her tension was released the blade rose in the air instead of falling like he had expected. It was so light it didn't seem believable, it was almost unreal... it was the purest thing he had ever touched. The blade glowed and the handle seemed to follow the will of his mind rather than the strokes directed by the hand.

"How will I know?" He asked as she smiled noticing the strange behaviour displayed by him.

"When it is time you will know, you will know..." she held up her hand and stared at him blankly her eyes a strange glaze. "Go ahead try it, there is no use having something you are not sure how to direct. Make sure that when the time comes you are ready and that you are quick to act, don't stop to think about it. If there is something you are deep down sure of act upon it or the world will pay the price," she stopped the echoes, he looked at the blade smoothing his fingers over the cool sapphire. He held it out before him making the blade point at her, she didn't even flinch but watched him a smile on her face like that of a china doll. He thrust his arm sharply to the left and it was almost as if it were cutting time and space itself, the sound was incredible and she looked at him her eyes dreamy like she had no will. The blade then continued the full circuit and before he knew anything was happening the blade was following a continuous motion towards the spirit that had given him the weapon. He stopped it sharply unsure of what was happening, why he had allowed it to follow the pattern. She smiled cruelly. "The first rule is to follow the will not the desire, the want has not what the mind can truly justify. Never stop the sword. And know this Severus... the body cannot live without the mind."

"I can't let it kill you!" He said surprised at her reaction.

"Severus," her voice echoed.

"Yes..."

"I'm already dead... nothing can harm me anymore," he looked at her sharply, the will the desire, the sword knew what to do? If it were directing it at her, was she really dead or was it trying to tell him something...

"But why would it lead me to strike you?"

"There are many questions that remain unanswered... some things that we will never understand. I am not asking you to understand why it wishes to strike me but to acknowledge that it wishes to do so... never disobey your will Severus, follow the guide, it will show you the way."

"But why?" His eyes filled with tears.

"Enough questions," she commanded in the mist that was her voice.

"I don't understand," he said sadly his eyes showing more sign of emotion the longer he looked at her.

"Wake up," her voice echoed placing her hands to her face as it began to re-sculpt itself. The hair changed from black to silver then began to shorten the light misty colour got lighter and briefly before he discovered himself sweating in his bed her eyes flashed a brilliant green filling the entire room with its light before flickering into blackness and fading away...

He sat bolt upright unsure of what exactly had happened... he had been asleep, he was so sure however that he had been awake in front of a class. It was just a dream, only a dream, he assured himself.

Is this a kind of dream,

Floating out on the tide,

Following the river of death down stream,

For is it a dream?

He looked around him the room was cold, yet he could feel it getting warmer like an intense heat creeping up his spine and into his mind waking his senses again. Bringing him to life with a soft breeze. Just a dream, he continued to tell himself as his got out of the bed shaking as his heart rate began to slow and headed to the mirror to make sure he really was there. It seemed as if he had tried to kick start himself, his heart was going mad, he could hear it as strongly as he had been able to when the cat had been sitting round his shoulders and sent him to sleep.

There's a fog along the horizon,

A strange glow in the sky.

And nobody seems to know where you go,

And what does it mean,

Oh isn't it a dream?

He looked into the mirror his face was pale and his forehead was glistening with sweat, he brushed his palm across his head trying to wake himself up, make sure he knew he was there, that it wasn't as he had thought all over.

Is it a kind of shadow,

Reaching into the mind,

Wandering over the hills unseen,

For isn't it a dream?

He took a step back in horror, his forehead was coated with blood, he couldn't believe it, maybe he really was dead, it couldn't be, he seemed to be functioning normally in his mind, but he had never known what death must feel like. Next time he saw Professor Binns he decided it was about time he asked. Or maybe it was too late for that, perhaps this was death, the bliss of not knowing but knowing at the same time what was really real. He looked along the floor, the blood had trailed from the bed along the floor, he looked at the hand he had used to brush his forehead, there was an enormous slash across it. He looked at it again, it was still bleeding, and down his right leg as well there appeared to be a small trickle running from the outside leg making his trousers damp. He walked back to the bed and pulled back the covers.

There's a high wind in the trees,

A cold sound in the air,

But nobody ever knows when you go,

And where do you start into the dark?

He took a sharp step backwards, lying beneath the covers was the sword, the same crystal blade and hilt like a blue phoenix. It can't be real, I was asleep, it was all a dream, not reality, how can this be happening?

He extended a hand to the blade, ran his finger along the edge gingerly, withdrew his hand when it cut him deeply as he pressed his hand to it lightly. He placed his hands firmly around the blade, it was almost unreal. It was the lightest thing he had ever held, and for something so large was very easy to use, he spun the hilt in his hand and the whole sword began to spin like it was some kind of drill. Deciding after a while that this new feeling of power wasn't so bad he began to pretend he was fencing until he was doing the same complex movement he had within the dream before thrusting it with all his might into the floor. The marble cracked and the cracks began to fill with a strange glowing liquid until it had set itself in the floor. He took a grip on the hilt and tried to pull it out but all he could hear was; "Use it when you know what it can do, when the time is right and not before." It echoed through his head sending him into a stupor until he had let go of the sword an d was lying on the cold marble floor trying to get the divine voice out of his head, until yet again everything went black.

::~::~::~::

Some words taken from: "Bright Eyes," Art Garfunkel

Author's Note: You may notice my becoming lazy with posting... one is problems with school work, one is the lack of reviewers. I begin to lose faith in this story when people choose to ignore it... I get sad. I hope you'll reinstall my faith in writing this because I don't know why I continue at times.

I.C. Fire

silver_shadow54@hotmail.com