Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury books, Scholastic books and Warner Brothers have that pleasure. I am merely borrowing them
Chapter Twelve: Crimson Regret
"Another one, eh?" Pomfrey sighed, leaning toward Heller, who Snape had just placed on the bed.
Snape nodded. "How is Lucius?"
"Oh, he'll be fine now. He just needs some rest." She leaned in toward Snape to whisper in his ear, "He'll need some new house-elves too, I expect!" They exchanged a tired smile. Then, switching gears, she quickly performed a sterilizing spell on her hands and began to tend Heller's shoulder.
*****
Mr. Parkinson warily approached the fallen form of Remus Lupin. He squatted beside him, scanning his chest for movement; anything that might tell him Lupin was still alive. He slowly poked the man in the shoulder with his wand. There was no response. An intense fear gripped him and the hair on the back of his neck rose, as he felt it.
Angry magic filled the room, heating it and causing the tapestries covering the stone walls to shake. A portrait on the wall clacked to the floor and the hidden students huddled deeper for cover.
Parkinson slowly rose and turned.
Before the hearth stood Dumbledore. The fire in the hearth raged out of control, licking at the man and scorching the hearthrug in front of it. The fire consumed neither the man nor his robes. The Headmaster looked like an avenging angel, who would rain down suffering on the evil, like he had heard his Muggle brother-in-law talk about, when he was drunk. The Headmaster's deep blue robes swirled about him in the heat of the fire. His white hair was billowing about his head, as the heat lifted it. His face was a mask of fury: eyes impossibly white and lips curled showing small, even teeth. His wand was drawn, pointing to Parkinson.
"He drew his wand on m-me! It w-wasn't my fault!" Parkinson took a step back, tripping over Lupin's outstretched leg and landing, unceremoniously on his backside. "You can't kill me! There are witnesses!"
Several heads popped up from their various hiding places, curious to see what their Headmaster would do.
Dumbledore was oblivious to everything except his fallen friend and the man who had cursed him. "Get up!"
Parkinson scrambled to his feet. "Look, he's alive! I didn't kill him! Look!" He believed his attempt at distraction would be successful, but it was not. As Pansy's father raised his wand, he quickly dropped to the floor, as the Headmaster spoke first.
"Stupefy!" Seeing the man on the floor did not give him the satisfaction he craved. He closed his eyes and forced down his fury, a forefinger and thumb gripping the bridge of his nose. Opening his eyes he saw curious eyes addressing him from their various hidey-holes. The Headmaster spoke to the hidden children. "You can come out now, it's okay."
Students slowly emerged from their hiding places, as Dumbledore knelt beside Lupin. Goyle crossed to the stairs, to get a book from his dorm.
*****
Pansy heard a commotion, flirting at the edge of her haze of despair. She heard footsteps on the stairs. Father! Oh no! She heard someone fumbling with the doorknob as she scrambled to the edge of the bed, brandishing the knife before her. I have to do something. I will not go with him! I'd rather die! She heard a mumbled unlocking spell and acted. She was surprised to see the crimson flow from her right wrist. The door opened and Goyle stood transfixed at the sight of the bleeding girl on his bed.
*****
Masters lunged forward, still grasping Pansy's letter. "She did it…She cut herself…Blood…"
In one swift move, Draco jumped out of the chair, sending it careening into the private room as he bounded across the room to the hearth.
Snape whirled at the sound and raced after Draco. He could hear Masters weeping and calling out.
"Oh no!…Blood…So much blood!"
"Slytherin common room!" Draco leapt into the hearth and Snape's hand grasped at nothing. The Potions Master then grabbed a handful of powder and followed.
Draco passed through the hearth, lunging toward the stairs. As his foot hit the first step, he heard Snape behind him, calling to him. He took the steps two at a time, reaching the top in seconds. The door was opened, but Goyle was blocking the entrance. He shoved his friend onto a nearby bed and darted to Pansy, who was cradling her wrist and softly sobbing. Draco held his hand over her wrist, to apply pressure over the wound and slid his other arm around her as she buried her face in his silk pajamas.
"Remove your hands, now!" Snape was standing in front of the couple, wand raised. They immediately complied and Snape quickly staunched the flow, with a flick of his wrist. He conjured a stretcher and levitated Pansy onto it.
"I'm so sorry Draco, I thought Gregory was my father!" Her violet eyes pleaded for forgiveness.
"Shhhh. It's okay, sweetheart, don't worry about anything." He took her hand in his as the three ambled down the stairs.
Dumbledore conjured a stretcher and placed Lupin on it. He had performed a cursory assessment and saw the man's condition was grave indeed. He had placed a wrinkled hand to Lupin's forehead pulsing him with energy to keep him alive until he could be seen by the mediwitch. The Headmaster saw Snape levitating a stretcher with Pansy on it as he descended the stairs with Draco. Pansy was pale and drawn, with Draco beside her holding her hand.
"Severus, please transport Remus as well. He will need immediate attention. I need to stay with Mr. Parkinson until the Aurors arrive."
Severus nodded, taking Remus through first and then returning for Pansy who tried to avoid the sight of her father on the ground, Dumbledore standing over him with a wand.
*****
Pomfrey was surprised to find yet two more patients to tend. Lupin was seriously injured so she tended to him first, as Snape lowered Pansy to the adjacent bunk.
Severus, I will need the burn potion and blood building potion as well, to start." He quickly complied, leaving her side to get the items from her stores.
Masters released the letter and crossed to where Pansy lay, Draco clutching her hand. Masters smiled and touched Pansy's other arm.
As the mediwitch began her diagnostics Lupin's breathing stopped. Pomfrey quickly put her wand to his chest. His heart had stopped beating. She pointed her wand directly at his heart and sent a magical surge into it, causing his body to jump. His heart lay still. A sweat broke out on the mediwitch's forehead as she repeated the procedure.
Nothing.
Snape came from the storeroom as Pomfrey shocked Lupin a third time. He quickly crossed the room, placing the potions on the table. Snape and Pomfrey looked at the DADA professor's still form, seeing no sign of life.
"I have never lost a patient yet and today will not be the first! Severus, I need your help." He immediately pointed his wand to Lupin's chest, beside hers. She took Snape's free hand and again sent a jolt into Lupin, drawing extra strength from the powerful Potions Master. This one caused the motionless body to convulse for several seconds. They watched and waited. His chest slowly rose.
She continued her diagnostics. "His heart is beating! Thank Merlin!" Pomfrey looked to Snape with misty eyes. "Thank you, Severus."
"Of course, Poppy." Snape watched Lupin's chest rise and fall with each breath, and after a few moments he was satisfied with what he saw and turned to check on his students. He saw Draco bent over Pansy kissing her and Heller lying on a bunk across the aisle, sleeping soundly. On the bunk next to Heller, Lucius was also sleeping. He found his eyes drawn to Masters and their eyes locked. He watched her gaze drop to his lips and he quickly looked away, with a surprised expression on his face.
*****
Author's Notes: Thanks so much to all the reviewers who have stayed with me! The next chapter is the last and will wrap things up, in an epilogue kind of way.
Catmint: Pansy didn't die. No one died it this particular story! Thanks for all your help along the way! Will I ever get correct comma usage down? Sadly, probably not.
Briana Rose: I'm too cowardly to kill Lupin. He's just too special to be killed, by me anyway!
Sinical-Sarchasm: I didn't kill Remus. I love him, second only to Snape!
CuriousDreamWeaver: Thanks so much for reviewing so consistently!
Phuketrix: Draco is 'way hot' and girls can sometimes be blind to things.
Sarit halivana: Yup, you hit the nail on the head!