Chapter Twenty-five

Cruciatus

Voldermort seemed to by lying low, which worried me. I ran my eyes over the headlines of the Daily Prophet daily, looking for signs he'd returned to his murders. There was nothing. It was as if he'd vanished.

A few weeks into the summer term, I dreamt about my parents' death. I woke violently, my hand instinctively going to my neck. The necklace was gone. I panicked. I brought both hands into the search, and found nothing. I searched my bed, the floor, and my clothes. I'd had it when I went to sleep because I'd kissed it as I'd lain down. I'd never done that before, and I wondered it that had damaged it. I heard a creak of a floorboard behind the curtain and brandished my wand from the table. I was just in time. The curtain was slashed and I saw a dark figure in the dormitory behind. I shot out a stunning spell, which the figure blocked. I hit the floor, and used my own blocking spell to stop the spell getting me instead. I heard the word "Crucio!" being shouted, and my pain swept through my entire body in a foul swoop, doubling me and making me gag. There was a loud thud, but I was unable to move, the pain through me was blurring my sight and I felt paralysed.

"Take that!" I heard Kerry shout, and then a further two male voices shout a restraining curse or such like. I felt a hand grab my shoulder as I lay almost unconscious with the pain on the floor.

"Elixa!" It was Snape's voice. I saw a blurred picture of his face before I flopped, lifeless in his grasp.

Silence. I opened my eyes slowly. Gradually I became aware my body below my shoulders was numb, although it was starting to come round too. I could feel my hands. The left hand felt something warm on top of it. I moved my eyes down and saw the moonlight picked out the slumped figure of Severus, his hair covering his head, which was resting on the bed beside my leg. His right hand was clasped around the necklace. I didn't know where I was, what day it was, and was utterly confused. I felt reassured slightly by Severus's presence. I pondered whether to wake him. One side of my head told me not to wake him, but to see him in the morning. The other side argued that I might not wake up again for another unknown length of time. I took the decision to at least move. I moved my left hand towards Severus's head and reached a finger out to gently brush what face I could make out under the mop of hair. I waited. I saw a black eye open, and the head lifted from the bed and turned to look at me.

"Elixa?" He asked.

"Alive at least." I replied, watching his moonlit face.

"Thank Merlin!" He whispered. His face looked thinner somewhat.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked.

"Thirteen days, and twelve full nights. We were worried you wouldn't survive." There was concern for sure in his voice.

"Was the attacker after the necklace?" I asked, lifting my right hand and the necklace onto my lap.

"Yes they were. I'd summoned it from you very carefully because Dumbledore and I feared an attack."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, slightly angry.

"You and Miss Alanis gave us enough time to catch the attacker. You used magic, and she used more manual approaches." So that was the thud I'd heard and Kerry's shouts.

"Anyway, you should sleep. Questions in the morning." I nodded and felt my eyes starting to close.

Next morning, several glasses of rejuvenating, healing draught later, I was feeling less hungry and my aches were beginning to ease. Dumbledore came up to talk to me, and sent Severus down to eat. I caught something along the lines of him needing one of us to survive if not both of us, and I saw there was a twinkle in his blue eyes.

"Severus has been by your side almost constantly. He's been sick with worry." I nodded sadly, remembering how he'd been sleeping.

"He looks thinner too." I commented.

"It has been difficult to make him eat, and he's not been teaching. He tried and gave up midway into a lesson, unable to focus. Professor Quirrell has taken his lessons for him." I stifled a laugh. Imagining Quirrell taking Snape's classes, unable to hold anything in the form he was in was an interesting thought. Dumbledore gave a smile, as if the thought was mutual.