As ever, standard disclaimers apply.
Morning arrived and with it Poppy Pomfrey, or it might have been the other way around. Whichever it was, it did seem that both appeared at Number twelve Grimmauld Place pretty much at the same time. Arthur was on his way to the Ministry just as the Hogwarts nurse was sweeping down the walkway to the front door. The balding red head dipped his head and called a polite 'good morning,' but didn't stop to chat.
The nurse, for her part, hardly noticed and if she thought anything of the tense look on the normally cheerful man's face, she put it down to the stress all of them were suffering under. The door creeped open for her when she muttered the password and she winced at the screech of Mrs Black's portrait that was already resounding shrilly throughout the house.
A sharp whack of a broom handle struck the portrait's frame. "I'll take a knife to your canvas if you don't shut it!" Molly Weasley shouted to the tatty black drapery that shrouded the painting. The noise ceased. Mrs Weasley nodded in satisfaction and turned as the rustling of Poppy's skirts was now able to catch her attention. She smiled at the older witch. "Good morning Poppy."
"Good morning, Molly" the nurse greeted in return. "That portrait needs a good scouring."
"Dratted thing is charmed to the wall, otherwise it would be gone by now!"
"Albus can't do anything about it?"
"It appears not," Molly sighed in frustration. "We are working on it, though." She pointedly raised her voice a little, and sounding quite dangerous added, "It shan't be bothering us much longer, though, I am quite certain!"
The painting was silent.
The two witches snickered softly in conspiratorial commiseration as they swept up the stairs. The house was unusually quiet but then, it was still early and the children still all abed. The door to Severus Snape's room was wide open and though Poppy's first inclination had been to register surprise, the unexpectedly calm expression on her companion's face stopped her from voicing this.
"Remus is with him again this morning," the Weasley matriarch explained. "I expect they'll return momentarily. Did the Muggles find anything?" She asked gesturing to the folder Poppy had picked up and started to read.
The nurse frowned deeply without looking up. "The trouble with Muggles is that they go off half cocked not having any idea what they are about--"
"Poppy? I'm not sure I understand."
"It appears not all of the..." she practically sneered the next word, "chemicals are known to the laboratory." She pressed her lips in a thin disdaining line. "They speak of formulations hitherto unknown."
"Poor Severus," Molly breathed in characteristic empathy. "What shall we do then?"
"He hasn't responded negatively to any of the standard remedies; I suppose we just keep using them. But I am too afraid of trying anything more potent."
Molly nodded and a shuffling outside the room stopped her from saying anything else. Both women turned to watch Remus Lupin guide the ill man back into the room. The werewolf's frown of concern and gentle ministrations belied all of the turbulence of the long history the two wizards had shared since childhood. It struck both women, not for the first time, that perhaps Lupin had been, after all, the best of his year; and perhaps a good many others as well.
"Good morning, Remus," Poppy greeted in her no-nonsense style while Molly merely nodded and moved to support Snape on the other side.
"Good morning. Thanks Molly." As yesterday, they guided the unresponsive but unresisting Snape to sit on the edge of the bed. Poppy came to stand in front of the dark haired wizard and paused, seeming to be waiting. Remus and Molly exchanged curious looks but said nothing. Then twin onyx eyes lifted as if just noticing someone in front of them. But there was no recognition, nor even any sign that the young wizard indeed saw anything.
Poppy tsked and frowned but still there was no reaction. "He seemed a bit less feverish this morning." Lupin reported helpfully.
Poppy nodded but didn't look away. With agonizingly slow movement, she brought her wand up and pointed it at her patient's head. Still no reaction. With a small sigh she began the ritual of murmuring incantations that would help her ascertain his present condition. At last she put her wand away. "Do you know if he slept well?"
"During my shift, he did have nightmares. He spoke, but nothing made any sense. I didn't wake him."
"What did he say?"
"He kept repeating a name, Brandon."
"Oh! He mentioned that name before!"
"N-not Brandon..." a hoarse voice rasped hesitantly yet somehow managing to be insistent at the same time.
Everyone looked down at the speaker. But although the voice came from Severus Snape, there was nothing in his face that confirmed he had spoken at all. Molly sat down beside him. "Do you know your name dear?" She asked with great gentleness.
"Not Brandon."
"Quite right, my dear." She patted his hands folded on his lap, then sighed and shook her head at the other two. "Much the same as before, but perhaps a tad more... I don't know... emphatic?"
"The wards are finished at Hogwarts, but I really don't think it would do to bring him there." Poppy said, changing the direction of the conversation. "Not with school resuming so soon."
"He's fine here." Molly agreed. Remus frowned.
"Moody." He made the single word a litany of arguments.
"Alastor Moody will not do anything. He knows what will happen if he makes me angry." Molly averred, and righteous indignation seemed to swirl like a magic cloak around her.
"Erm... Quite." The werewolf reminded himself that even the twins were wary of antagonizing their mother.
"I've made a nice porridge for breakfast." Molly directed to an uncaring Snape. "I'll bring you some."
Remus offered to stay and help Poppy with the rest of her examination, but the nurse declined.
Molly was pouring boiling water into the kettle when Harry and Ron made their usually lively entrance. Ginny straggled in behind them, scowling as if she'd been rudely awakened in the middle of the night. "Good morning dears!" Molly greeted with effuse cheer. "There's porridge today; jam and honey and butter are on the table."
"Can we fly today, mum?"
"No! Absolutely not! We're in London!"
"The chance of your being seen by either Muggles or other Wizards is too great," Remus added more reasonably.
The boys groaned in dismay. Ginny wore the smug "I told you so" look sisters tormented brothers with worldwide. The adults shared fleeting knowing grins but neither said anything. Molly shook her head and guided a floating tray upstairs.
--
Margaret Sellinger came in to work as she always did, carrying a paper cup of steaming hot Earl Grey with a little milk and a lot of sugar in one hand, and her valise in the other. She scorned the bookbags most of her colleagues had taken to using, considering their use to give an unprofessional, student like, look that was ridiculous on anyone over twenty-five.
As usual, she all but ignored the guard who checked her id but greeted the floor secretaries with slightly aloof, but not unfriendly, civility. Again, as usual she disappeared into her office intending to check the morning's post both physical and electronic.
Not as usual, Preston was seated in a visitor's chair, scanning a newly arrived journal. Margaret stopped short and glared at the intruder.
Preston grinned. "Good morning Margaret."
"I said I'd call you when I heard from my friends. I haven't so why are you here?"
The agent shrugged. It really didn't matter to him if the woman was going to be a humorless old bag. Not that the older woman wasn't handsome, but with that altitude, she was going to be alone for a long time. Perhaps that was exactly what she wanted. "Just playing courier, my dear." He tossed a sealed envelope onto her desk.
The woman glared at the offending object. "Do you know what's in it?"
Preston grinned. Baiting her was so easy. "As a matter of fact, I think I do. But not to worry. I'm staying around to see your reaction. I have other errands to run." He rose from the chair and was at the door in three long strides. He paused. "Don't forget to call."
He didn't wait for an answer but exited, shutting the door firmly behind him.
Margaret tore into the envelope and pulled out what was obviously a copy of some lab report on a blood workup. Curiosity piqued, she sat down behind her desk and read it through. Then she started swearing very quietly to herself.