Chapter 5

Severus paced around his office. It was nearly time for dinner; he would have to go down to the dining hall soon. After he'd had some time to think things through, he decided that avoiding Krista wouldn't solve anything. He'd have to face her at some point anyway. There was no way that he could ignore her, nor did he want to. He looked to the clock that hung on the wall. It was time for him to leave.

            He walked out of his classroom and through the dungeon halls. It was quite dark, except for the flickering torch lights that hung on the walls. When he reached the main hall, he noticed there was a crowd of people gathered around the infirmary door. Striking his curiosity, he decided to go see what the big fuss was about. As he walked over, several students moved out of his way. He walked into the infirmary and found numerous teachers, along with Dumbledore, crowding around a bed.

When he reached the bed, what he saw shocked him. Krista was lying on the bed, pale as death. "What's happened?" he asked, his voice coming out rather strangely.

            Dumbledore spoke to him. "We haven't a clue. Mr. Filch found her lying in a hallway."

            Severus stared at her unbelievably. She looked quite dead. "Is she still alive?" he asked.

            "Yes, she's still alive, but barely. She's lost a lot of blood," he answered. Dumbledore stepped away from the bed and motioned for Severus to follow.

            Once they were out of earshot, Dumbledore said, "When Mr. Filch found her, he said there was something else there, though when he approached it fled. There are tiny marks on the right side of her throat. I fear that we may have a serious situation here," he said.

            Severus was still awe stricken. "Will she be ok though?" he asked.

            Dumbledore sighed. "That we are not certain of. Like I've said, she's lost a lot of blood. There is no spell to cure her. Her recovery depends on her will to survive. Right now she is in a dire condition. If she survives the night then she will most likely recover safely," he said.

Severus sighed and looked away from her lifeless body. He could bear no longer to see her like this. Dumbledore was still looking at him searchingly. "We're going to hold a staff meeting momentarily to discuss the actions we must take; here is not the place to do it.
Severus nodded dumbly. "After the meeting, we will go down to dinner and once that is over, we will explain the situation to the students." He stopped momentarily and looked at Severus, who was now eyeing Krista again. "Do not worry Severus. I have a feeling everything will work out in the end," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Although Dumbledore's blue eyes were twinkling optimistically, he felt no better.

Now Madame Pomfrey was rushing into the room looking exasperated. "Ok folks, move along! There's a sick patient here who needs rest and relaxation and she won't get it with you all staring at her." Dumbledore motioned for the teachers to follow him and they all filed slowly out of the infirmary. Severus gave her one last look then followed along. The band of teachers walked through the Hogwarts corridors getting inquiring looks from the students. Soon, they reached the faculty room and made their way inside.

They sat in uncomfortable silence for a while, waiting for the rest of the teachers to arrive. When everyone was there, Dumbledore stood in front of them and began to talk. "As you all know, an attack was made upon a teacher this evening. As serious as this is, I have a feeling there is more to it than meets the eye." He began. He paused for a moment then began again. "This school has been under much turmoil before and I believe that turmoil may set upon the school again if my theory holds true." He paused yet again as if thinking of the best way to put his next words.

"I suppose I should cut straight to the point. There were two small marks on Professor Trebaxus's throat and only one creature that I know of makes such a mark, the vampire." The teachers stirred uncomfortably at this. Some looked at him uncertainly while others looked simply terrified.

            "You're saying there is a vampire running around campus?" asked Professor Sprout, whose face had gone white.

            "Yes, quite possibly. And if it is as I fear, there may be more than just one." There was more uneasy chattering.

Dumbledore brought them to silence and said, "We cannot jump to conclusions yet but there is no harm in taking precautions. Now, we will have to set some new rules for the students. As these creatures appear at night, there will have to be a new curfew. We don't want anymore attacks to take place. There will need to be a patrol team to keep watch of the castle at night; we can take turns at these positions. Lastly, it is unlikely for them to move on without force. The patrol team will most likely have to eliminate them." The teachers looked at one another apprehensively. Dumbledore sighed then said, "It seems the one person who could have helped us most can be of no help at all."

He cleared his throat and said, "The first patrol shift will start tonight. I will appoint who is on first watch and if you aren't picked, you will be notified when it is your turn. Spots on patrol will be alternated throughout the night." Dumbledore then appointed the first patrollers on duty that night, McGonagall, Sinistra, Flitwick, and Hooch. "I will inform Rubeus to keep watch on the grounds and of course, Argus will take watch too." Dumbledore said.

            After everything was settled and agreed, the teachers headed back for the Great Hall. Severus had no desire to eat or be amongst people anymore. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his office. However he, being head of house, had to stay for the announcement at dinner and then make sure all Slytherin students were in the dormitories. Dinner passed by slowly and Dumbledore made his announcement to the few students who were left at school. He was very glad that all the students weren't there or it would have been an uproar. After they were dismissed from dinner, he headed for the dungeons and saw that each and every Slytherin still there was safe in the dormitories. Finally, after all duties were done, he walked back to his office.

He reached the corridor containing his office and cast a wistful look at her classroom door. He then trudged through his own door and slammed it shut behind him. He lumbered over to his desk and sat down heavily in his chair. He put his head in his hands and began to think. Why had he done what he did that day? Why couldn't he just deal with emotion like everyone else did? If he hadn't run off like a fool, then maybe she wouldn't be half dead in the hospital wing right now. This was entirely his fault. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been.

She was the only woman in his life who had ever gotten that close to him. She was the only woman in his life he'd cared for so intensely. To think he could be holding her right now if it wasn't for his own foolishness. He then felt a tear roll down his cheek. Surprised, he wiped it away. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried. He sighed and looked up. Grieving and wishing was not going to bring her back. He'd simply have to hope for the best and maybe she would survive. He then swore that if she were to live, he would never doubt his feelings ever again.

            Getting lost in his painful memories, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep. He began to dream of earlier that day when they'd both been happy. He dreamed they were at the lake again. He was reliving everything as it had happened before. Then they kissed. This time instead of running away he kissed her long and passionately. He pulled away at last from her tender lips to see her eyes stained with blood. The blood poured from her eyes like tears. He gasped and backed away. Suddenly, he was startled out of sleep. It was Professor McGonagall looking at him strangely.

"Is anything wrong, Severus?" she asked, concerned. He shook his head promptly and refused. "You were muttering in your sleep." She said, still gazing at him worriedly.

            He shook his head again more slowly this time and gave her one of his customary smirks. "I'm fine," he said.

            She looked at him a moment longer, studying his face carefully, then said, "The second shift has started and you're on watch." He nodded curtly and gave her another short smile. She, at last, left the room. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. He felt quite embarrassed that Minerva had heard him sleep talking. He could only imagine what he'd been saying; he remembered the horrible nightmare clearly. Rubbing his eyes once more, he stood and headed to the staff room to receive instructions.

Patrol duties ended sometime after five in the morning. As he walked back to his chambers, Snape felt utterly drained. He had decided before ending his shift that he would skip breakfast, not having an appetite anyway, and sleep. He was very glad that it was winter break and then he felt a surge of gloom when he remembered the rest of the students would be returning at the beginning of next week.

He swung his office door open and made his way to his chambers. Not bothering to change out of his robes, he lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Even though he was immensely tired he somewhat dreaded falling asleep. He didn't want any more nightmares such as the one he'd had earlier. Nevertheless, his exhaust took over and he reluctantly fell asleep.

He awoke much later that day feeling somewhat better. His dreams were for the most part peaceful and his rest was undisturbed. He looked around, wondering what time it was. He walked out into his office and consulted the clock hung on his wall. It was a little past noon. He supposed he could pay a visit to the infirmary to check up on Krista. He walked out of his office, through the dungeons and up to the ground floor. Soon, he was inside the infirmary.

Madam Pomfrey was a bit displeased with his arrival but said nothing. He made his way over to her bed and let out a small gasp. If anything at all, she looked somewhat worse. Her color had returned a slight bit but it was a sickish yellow color. Dark circles had appeared under her eyes and looked as if she was feverish. Madam Pomfrey walked up to stand beside him. "Don't worry, that appearance is normal for blood loss patients. Actually, it's a good sign, it means she's recovering," she explained. She gave him an uplifting smile with those last words and then bustled away.

            Snape decided he'd take her word for it. Since last he'd seen her, other things had changed as well. Instead of lying on top of the sheets she was now tucked underneath them. She was no longer wearing her robes but a set of striped pajamas. He watched as the sheets rose up and down with each slow breath. Seeing this gave him a slight comfort.

Madam Pomfrey came back over and studied Krista carefully. Severus, having many questions, decided he'd ask. "Do you know when she'll wake up?" he asked.

            Madam Pomfrey gave him a sarcastic look but replied, "She could wake up at any time but whenever she does it won't be for long. When one loses as much blood as she has they tend to stay very tired and will sleep most of the time."

Then he asked, "How long will it be before she recovers fully?"

            She gave him the same look then said, "Again, that depends on the person. She seems to be a quick healer though so it will probably take much less time for her to recover. I would say, at the rate she's going now, it will take about two to three weeks. Even after she regains normal blood count and such, I will recommend bed rest for a while."

Snape nodded somberly. Madam Pomfrey walked away again after concluding her check up. While she was away, Severus moved closer to the sleeping Krista. He gently brushed her hair off her neck and looked at the two tiny puncture marks on her throat. The area around the puncture marks was bruised. Sighing, he let her hair fall back over her throat and he sat down in the chair beside her bed. He hadn't seen real marks first hand but he knew them if he saw them. Those were indeed the marks of a vampire.

He reached out and touched her long, slender hands. Despite her appearance, her hands were actually quite cool. Even though he wished she would wake up this did not stir her. She remained motionless in her peaceful sleep. He let go of her hand and stood up. Giving her one last look, he thanked Madam Pomfrey and left the infirmary. He now walked toward the Great Hall. It was around lunch time and he was feeling hungry, at last. Having a bit more confidence since his visit, he walked through the doors feeling slightly better.

The rest of the winter holiday slipped away and Severus found himself wishing that it hadn't. With the rest of the students returning, things would be much worse off. Patrol duties would become more cautious now with so many more students. There would also be the mass hysteria that would be brought on by this announcement. All he needed was a bunch of chatty students.

            He visited Krista every day in the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey insisted she was improving every time he visited but he wasn't so sure. It had been days since the attack and she had yet to regain full consciousness. It seemed like she would have awoken by now. Patrol duties were still going on every night and they had yet to have any more disturbances. Dumbledore was hoping that they had moved on for good. This seemed strange to Snape. Vampires weren't normally creatures who attack once and leave. This gave him reason to believe things weren't over yet.

Another meeting had been held to discuss the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Since Krista was still unable to teach, the other teachers would have to fill in for her the best they could. Snape had volunteered willingly. He had wanted to teach the Dark Arts when he'd first came there but Dumbledore had denied him the position. But to his dismay, the class he would be teaching was the fifth year Gryffindors. This was less than thrilling but it was the class that was taught during his free period.

He was there in the classroom long before any of the students got there. He watched their startled and disappointed looks in silent amusement as they entered the room. Finally, when all of the Gryffindor students were in the classroom, he stood up from the desk and started. "Your objective today will be to take notes on the appointed chapter and complete the assigned work," he said in his soft, silky voice. He waved a hand at the blackboard behind him where everything was written down. After consulting her lesson plan, he gave them plenty of work to keep them busy.

He sat back down and looked at the papers he'd brought with him. He looked back up to see Miss Granger's hand in the air. He stared at her for a moment and when she did not put her hand down he said, "Yes, Miss Granger?"

            The bushy haired Gryffindor fifth year looked at him questioningly and asked, "What has happened to Professor Trebaxus?"

            Severus thought about the question carefully before answering, "She is in the hospital wing."

            The students broke out in astonished whispering. "Why?" she asked.

            "Enough questions, get back to work." He snapped. The students continued to chatter, obviously swapping myths of her disappearance. "Silence!" he said profoundly. The students fell quiet at once. He turned his eyes back to the papers on his desk, avoiding the confused looks on the students' faces.

Once they were sure Snape wasn't listening, Ron whispered to Harry, "Seems a bit touchy doesn't he?"

            Harry nodded and said, "Maybe he fancies her." Ron and Harry both began to snicker and Hermione glared at them angrily.

            "Be serious, for once," she whispered viciously. Snape's eyes lifted from the papers before him and darted dangerously in their direction. Their faces fell blank immediately and they began reading the chapter in Dark Arts Over the Centuries.

            Her eyes opened and moved slowly around the room. She tried to sit up but she felt like a muggle vehicle of some sort had run over her. She felt awfully cold despite the fact that her body was dripping with sweat. Her eyes hurt when she opened them. She studied the room carefully, trying to figure out where she was. She had no memory of coming here.

"Good, you're awake!" A voice said from across the room. Krista strained her eyes to see who it was. Madam Pomfrey came into view and stood over her. So that must have meant she was in the infirmary. Then, she remembered it all; her head hitting the floor so hard, the blow being dealt by the stranger in shadow and the sharp piercing feeling in her neck as everything went black.

"How do you feel?" Madam Pomfrey asked, putting a hand on her head, feeling for temperature.

            "Terrible," she said, her voice coming out weak and strained.

            "Well that's certainly understandable." Madam Pomfrey said, taking her hand away from her forehead. "The whole school has been extremely worried about you!"

            She waited a moment before speaking again. It was very hard getting her voice to come out. "What happened?" she finally asked in that same weak voice.

            "Don't talk right now, rest. You'll only wear yourself out even more." Madam Pomfrey said while smoothing the bed sheets.

Krista tried to argue but Madam Pomfrey walked away. She felt that she didn't have enough energy to do a full fledge argument anyway. She was feeling very sleepy, even though she knew that she must have been asleep for a very long time. She fought the urge to close her eyes but was finally defeated. Her eyelids fell shut and she drifted off into a light sleep.