Chapter 9


I laid on the cold, dirty floor for a long time, wondering and waiting. The tick tock of the clock echoed in my ears, but this time I did not hum or sing to drown it out. I could not... I couldn't make any noise. I was listening for the sound of Snape crashing in the door upstairs, and then Shue yelling, Snape defeating Shue with an excellent spell, but I heard nothing but Shue's impatient footsteps upstairs.

Finally, after a few hours I gave in, and started to sob. I couldn't stop crying, no matter how hard I tried. I'm going to die... I'll die here. Snape isn't coming... he won't come for me... I'm going to die. I cried myself to sleep around eight-thirty, wondering why no one seemed to be looking for me, not even Franco.

My eyes snapped open suddenly as something cold clamped onto my face. I tried to scream but only a muffled squealing sound came out. Something white was looming over my head, it was shushing me and trying to make me hold still.

"Sh, sh! Miss Cockerham, it's me, it's me!"

Finally my eyes adjusted and Professor Snape's face came into focus. I relaxed and stopped trying to scream, so he removed his hand from my mouth.

"Professor?" I whispered. "How did you find me?"

"I followed Shue's owl back when I replied to your message. That was the one of the many flaws in his plan."

"You've known where I was all this time?" I said, raising my voice slightly. "Why didn't you come to get me sooner?" I demanded.

"Miss Cockerham," Snape began impatiently. "That would have been exactly what he wanted. I had to wait until he gave up or passed out, whichever came first. He's been having a few drinks, so I actually came sooner than I thought I would be able to."

"Oh." I felt very foolish and ungrateful. "Sorry," I whispered.

"Never mind, let's just get out of here." He released me from the body bind and helped me onto my feet. He looked at me strangely.

"What?"

"Are you, are you alright?"

"Yes, apart from being disgustingly filthy, I'm just peachy."

"He didn't... he didn't try anything with you, did he?" Snape said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

Snape cleared his throat and ran his hand over his eyes. "Come on, let's go." He grabbed my hand, and despite the situation, I smiled briefly to myself. He led me to the door and listened for a moment, then opened it slowly. He let go of my hand and beckoned me to follow him carefully up the stairs. I slipped on a step and gasped. Snape grabbed me and gave me a "be careful" look.

We reached the top of the staircase and I looked around. We were in an abandoned shop, the same one I had stopped in front of hours before to catch my breath. I fell right into his trap... I realized, but I didn't care. Snape came to rescue me, he really did care after all, and I was going to be safe and home in a matter of moments. I saw Shue slumped in a moth-eaten chair in the corner, a bottle of fire whisky lying on it's side on the floor next to him. He was snoring loudly.

"Did you tell anyone you were coming here?" I whispered.

"Yes, I've notified Dumbledore, and your aunt... and Mr. Polley," he added.

"Franco... what happened to him?"

"Shue tracked him down and put a powerful memory charm on him. He doesn't remember ever making plans to meet you."

"How did Shue find out all of these things about me?" I asked, shivering, not from being cold.

"I suspect he's been following you since you left Hogwarts. He's just been waiting for you to leave the house."

"Why, why would he go through all of this trouble?" I asked, as Snape led me to the fireplace.

"He is a desperate man, Meta. He's in debt up to his earlobes, and he's got wizards and goblins hassling him for the money he owes them. Why he thought he could come to me for help, I don't know. Maybe I was the last person he had left to ask... But here, you've got to go now," he shoved a sack of floo powder into my hand. "I'm dealing with Shue."

"No, you can't! I'm not leaving you here alone with him, Professor, it's not safe!"

"Not safe? Look at him! I doubt he could even find his wand, let alone use it. Accio Meta's wand," he called, and my wand came zooming out of Shue's coatpocket. "Here," he said handing it to me. "Now go back to your aunt's house, she's waiting for you."

"I won't." I said firmly.

"Miss Cockerham, you are the most stubborn girl I've ever met!" He said angrily. "Just stay out of trouble, alright? If you got hurt..." His voice trailed off.

"I thought you said that Shue wouldn't be able to find his wand. Between the two of us, he'll be in Azkaban in a flash." I grinned, but Snape still looked worried. "Fine, I'll hide behind the counter like a coward."

"Good." He turned quickly and walked over to Shue. He pointed his wand down at his head and kicked his foot to wake him up. "Get up, you louse."

Shue mumbled and shifted in his chair, but didn't wake up. Snape kicked him again and Shue blinked his eyes open.

"Who the bloody hell--" he grumbled. "Oh, bugger..."

"Good morning," Snape sneered, and sent some cords out of his wand to bind him. He levitated him into the fireplace and stepped in. "Come on, Meta."

I stepped in as well and he took some floo powder from the pouch I was still holding.

"Azkaban!" He shouted.