Ashes of Victory Ch 8

Disclaimer: Okay, we all know that J K Rowling owns Harry Potter, and that she is too busy writing book six to post stories on the internet. So I obviously am not her and don't own Harry Potter or other associated characters. Please don't sue. Also, Dust In The Wind by Kansas was written by Kerry Livgren in 1977 and is not mine. I mean, I couldn't even write in 1977.

Author Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Hopefully this will satisfy the requests for more and longer chapters. My chapters aren't very long because I have taken to writing them by hand in a notebook (because I keep working on my days off) and then just transferring them to Word and posting them. So each chapter is however much I can get written in two fifteen- minute breaks and a thirty-minute lunch, subtracting the time it takes to actually eat lunch. I am going to start trying to write a chapter each day though, to make up for the shortness. But, if I don't answer the phone, I have a few days off and my boyfriend is out of town, so lets see how much I can write in the next three days. Also I post to my Harry Potter group the same time as I upload to Fanfiction.net, except at the group it is immediately available. Check my author page for the group URL.

Albus stood up wearily, lifting Severus up into his arms. He staggered into the cave, falling to his knees a few steps inside. Struggling to his feet again, he went to the back of the cave. Carefully, he laid his child down. Looking around, he transfigured a couple of small boulders into blankets. A pile of wind blown leaves became a stack of firewood. He lit the fire, and wrapped the blankets around Severus. Albus moved them closer to the fire, and laid down beside his child. He was asleep before his head hit the ground.

Albus woke to a soft voice singing. The voice was pleasing, soothing and silky. It sounded pleasing, with the blizzard raging in the background. 'Severus,' he thought tiredly as he drifted off again listening to the song.

I close my eyes, Only for a moment And the moment's gone All my dreams, pass before My eyes a curiosity Dust in the wind, All they Are is dust in the wind

The words hurt the Headmaster as he listened. He felt himself being shifted, and Severus was pulling his head onto his shoulder. The softness around him told Albus his child had transfigured something into a mattress and pillows. Albus wished they could have Apparated elsewhere, but they were both to weak, to tired to take the chance of having to defend their selves. "Go back to sleep, Albus. You used up way too much magic," the soft voice whispered. Severus began to sing again.

Same old song, just a drop Of water in an endless sea All we do, crumbles to the Ground thought we refuse To see Dust in the wind, All we Are is dust in the wind

Albus laid listening to Severus sing. He had heard the song before, had actually purchased the album for his child. It was one of the things Severus took comfort in, the American Muggle rock albums he was so obsessed with.

Don't hang on, nothing Lasts forever but the Earth and sky It slips away, all your Money won't another Minute buy Dust in the wind, All we Are is dust in the wind

"Severus," Albus whispered tiredly as the song ended. "That makes me think of death. I hope you realize what it would do to me if you were gone?"

Severus pulled Albus tighter against him. "I'm not going anywhere. I just need to... vent, I guess. All the feelings THEY made me feel." He ran a soothing hand down Albus' back. "Sleep. You used up too much of your energy." Severus began to hum a different, more cheerful tune, and Albus drifted off to sleep again.

Severus laid on the mattress he had Transfigured, and wondered what would happened now. He had been sentenced to life in Azkaban. Dumbledore had broken him out. He wondered what the Ministry would do. What Fudge and Moody would do. With these troubled thoughts, he drifted off to sleep. Albus' presence kept the nightmares away.

Weak sunlight drifted into the cave when Severus woke again. The blizzard was over. He sat up carefully, not wanting to wake Albus. Looking towards the front of the cave, he saw at least four feet of snow piled against the shield he had erected to keep the stuff out. 'Great. I'm going to have to dig my way out.' He glanced down at the wizard lying beside him. A wave of guilt washed through him. Albus had possibly given up Hogwarts, everything to save him. He felt he wasn't worth that sort of sacrifice. He had seen too much without acting to stop the horrors. He got up and went to the entrance of the cave. With thoughts of guilt, sadness and depression running through his head he began to dig his way out.

It was dark again when Albus woke. He looked around the cave, but did not see Severus. Rising, he walked towards the entrance unsteadily. He could see where someone had dug their way out, and then shielded the entrance again. He also noted that a soft snow was falling. He lowered the shield. Quickly, he grabbed hold of the cave wall as a wave of dizziness passed through him. When it passed, he lit the end of his wand, and set off to see where his child was.

A half hour later, the Headmaster was finally rewarded by seeing a dark shape under a nut tree. The frozen figure was trying to dig through the snow to the nuts that could be hidden underneath.

"Not worth this," Albus heard Severus mutter. "Should have left me in Azkaban. That is what I deserve."

Albus' heart wrenched. He had wondered how much the few hours in the prison had damaged his child. He was starting to see the answer.

"Severus?" Albus whispered. He knelt down next to the figure. Severus was shivering. His fingers were blue. Ice clung to his hair.

Severus looked around wildly. Spotting Albus beside him, he stilled. "Go back to the cave, Albus. I am trying to find some food for you."

"No child." Albus stood and pulled Snape to his feet. He made a decision. They would have to take a chance. He wrapped his arms around Severus and concentrated on a warm tropical island he knew was mostly uninhabited. There would be food, water and warmth there. Suddenly, he felt the warm breeze on his face. He turned loose of Severus, who sunk down onto the warm sand. Albus collapsed next to him.