Chapter I
He considered puncturing his eardrums with his quill.
It would have been less painful than Sprout's singing.
It was Christmas at Hogwarts, the world through the bewitched ceiling a dazzling, sterile white. A gigantic evergreen was being decorated by most of the faculty and students who had remained at the boarding school for winter break. Others were sitting at their respective tables, playing board games, reading, or any of various activities that could only amuse small minds. Marbles, indeed.
Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were playing a quietly enthusiastic game of chess at the Gryffindor table, Potter nowhere to be seen. Severus wondered briefly why they would stay at the school, but figured it was to comfort the nightmare-ridden Boy Hero.
Severus Snape sat grading papers at the Head Table, attempting to get his work done and silently cursing Albus. The Headmaster had persuaded his office door to remain shut so the Potions Master would be forced out of his dark recluse. He scribbled a red 92 on the top of Hermione Granger's report on The Juice Of Mandrake Root And Its Relevance To The Draught Of The Living Death.
"Severus! Help us put the star up!"
An eyelid began to twitch. He was about to verbally abuse Hannah Hooch when the ever present tingling in his left forearm flared up in immense agony, and he swallowed his words before they could turn into a shriek. He closed his eyes, ground his teeth, and unconsciously snapped his quill in half.
Albus and Minerva were there in an instant, on each side.
"You cannot apparate, Severus. You remember what that woman said the last time …there is something out there." Minerva put her hand on his shoulder, making him glare toward her voice. He couldn't clearly see where she was standing.
"I cannot get there if I don't apparate, Minerva." He attempted to get up, but they put a hand on each shoulder so he couldn't.
"You may not come back, Severus. It would be safer for you to stay here."
"I have to go! Since when is my safety more important than the Order?" He tried to stand up, but he was too weak to fight both the Headmaster and the Deputy Headmistress.
"No." Dumbledore said shortly, ignoring Severus's protests.
"We will not allow it."
Severus put his head in his hands.
***
"I think there's something wrong with Professor Snape," Hermione Granger looked up from her queen's pawn, which she had moved away from the queen. It was looking at her and shaking its little helmeted head.
"What? It looks like the other professors are picking on him or something." Ron looked up to see Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore push on Snape's shoulders, keeping him in his chair. "The mean ol' professors are picking on ickle Snapeykins. The git looks like he wants to go to the dungeons. He's been up here for an unusually long time, for him."
"He looks like something is hurting him, though. Why won't they let go of him?" Hermione nearly stood up, but Ron had his bishop destroy her pawn, making her reevaluate her mediocre chess strategy.
As she was scowling at Ron's chessboard, she felt a quick burst of ginger smelling air at her back. She sat up and turned to her left, seeing Madam Pomfrey run up to the Head Table and press a bottle of blue liquid into Snape's hand. She proceeded then to feel his forehead and check his vital signs with her wand, clucking to herself like a mother hen, ignoring Snape's scowling protests. The Potions Master studied the potion through the bottle, and then shook his head at the Mediwitch and set it on the table.
"See." Hermione looked smugly at Ron, who stuck his tongue out at her. "I hope he isn't ill, he looked alright five minutes ago ---"
"Who looked alright five minutes ago?" Harry Potter approached the Gryffindor table, looking the worse for wear. He was followed by Snuffles, who wagged his tail briefly. He sat down heavily and food immediately appeared in front of him. He took a handful of green grapes. Snuffles sat down next to the bench.
"Hermie's worried about Snape. Morning, Harry, Snuffles." Ron's gaze wavered between the chessboard and his friends as he decimated Hermione's side.
Hermione watched Harry look toward the Head Table, where Snape was struggling to escape the faculty's clutch unscathed. They weren't letting go of him.
Just then, he doubled over, clutching his left arm against his stomach, and Harry knew.
"He's being summoned by Voldemort. Oh, get used to it, Ron, I've been saying his name for seven years. Remember that dream I was telling you about? He's not supposed to go back. Sirius told me that's what Headmaster Dumbledore said."
"But, isn't the Dark Mark going to hurt until he goes?"
"I guess."