Chapter Two:
"Where's Harry?" Hermoine asked, her bushy brown hair bouncing as she looked up from her breakfast.
Ron stuffed some scrambled eggs in his mouth and replied, "Dunno."
Finally swallowing with a gulp that could actually be heard, he continued, "He wasn't in bed this morning."
"And you weren't worried?" came the dry reply.
"No," a little bit of bacon was now shoveled in, "He tends to go on night walks and not come back until class is ready."
"How often is this?" Hermoine prompted.
"Dunno. I don't pay attention. It happens," he swallowed hard, and reached out for some orange juice to get the lump down, coughing a little in the process. Hermoine patted his back, slightly irritated, "It happens," he repeated as he gulped for air, "Often." He gagged slightly at the pieces that were still caught in his throat.
"You're hopeless, Ronald Weasley," she sighed, "It's almost time to start class..."
"Yep."
"Don't you think that it's odd that he's not here yet?"
"Stop worrying 'Moine. He'll be here, he's always here." 'Because he's the bloody Boy-Who-Lived.' he thought crossly. Hermoine glanced up at the teachers' table and saw none other than Professor Snape glancing at one particular empty seat.
Professor Snape knew something was wrong. That little idiot always got himself in trouble. 'No matter.' he thought to himself 'He always manage to weasel his way out of it. The little brat.' Still, Potter had been acting strangely last night, that much didn't pass Severus. However, to him, Harry was still his infuriating self. But the boy flinched so much... how could that go unnoticed by the infamous Potions Master? His coal black eyes glanced once more at the table before returning to the last of his breakfast.
"Ah, Severus, my dear boy. What seems to be troubling you?" Albus asked as he watched Severus viciously stab at his eggs, lost in thought.
"Nothing. Just thinking, Albus." Severus answered after a period of silence. The older wizard nodded and turned his attention elsewhere, knowing to let Severus think in peace.
'Foolish boy...'
"Harry?" Myrtle cried, "Harry?"
No response. Harry laid on the hard and cold floor, his blood slowly pooling around him. Sluggishly, he opened his exhausted green eyes. Dizziness hit him at full force when he barely rolled on his back, hardly breathing for air. His skin became a lovely shade of ivory white, making him look more fragile, like a porcelain doll.
'Stupid boy...' he thought to himself angrily. He idly wondered what time it was and if anyone noticed that he was missing. He couldn't see the afternoon sun shine in the clear blue sky. Suddenly, he heard the heartbreaking wails.
"Myrtle... stop..." he whispered, and she was silent.
"Oh, Harry..." her icy cold fingers touched the surface of his cheek, not feeling his own cold skin. Her tears ran down her pale face, causing water to rise slowly from the ground.
"It's not time yet..." she wept. But he didn't hear her again, his hearing was fading in and out, and his thoughts were winning over the harsh reality that he was dying. Myrtle's cries were going unheard and her touch unknown by him.
'Moron... no one will cry over you.'
"Harry's been missing all day, Ron!"
"I know, 'Moine..."
"We've got to find him. You better go to the tower after class..." she softly whispered.
"That's five points from Gryffindor." Snape coolly told them. Draco's pale lips twisted into a smirk as he gazed at his teacher.
"But, Sir-"
"SILENCE! I will not have you disrupt my class again, Miss Granger."
"She didn't even interrupt it once-"
"That's five more points, Mr. Weasley." Ron's face glowed a hot red as a blush fiercely burned in his cheeks.
"What is everyone looking at? Get back to work! Your pitiful potions are due by the end of class! Which is in thirty minutes!" Snape barked with his arms crossed. Everyone turned their heads away from the two and worked on their potions. Vaguely, in the back of Snape's mind, he thought about their missing celebrity, anger turning into a silent raging storm inside of him. 'How dare that boy skip my class! I should go find that little brat and give him two more weeks worth of detention!' He waited a few long minutes before making his next move.
"Mr. Malfoy, you are in charge, I shall be back in mere moments. Not a one of you are to help each other. This is a test, if you blundering idiots can get that through your thick skulls.." he swiftly said in his intimidating manner and left with his black robes billowing out behind him. A nasty grin threatened to slither its way onto his lips, but his self-control won over and his usual sneer plastered on his grouchy looking face.
He walked to the tower, expecting to find the student who was doing truancy.
"Open up." he demanded.
"Hmph." the fat lady said. She turned her nose up and looked down her nose, "You're not a Gryffindor. You shall not pass."
"Yes, well, a Gryffindor student of mine is skipping my class. I have come to retrieve him."
"Him? Well, Professor Snape, I'm not sorry to tell you, but none of the students are in the dormitory. They all left."
"Even Harry Potter?" he snidely asked.
"Even Harry Potter."
"Where did the blasted boy go?" He was growing impatient, and he let her know it. She simply turned her nose up further and pointed the direction of where Harry went last night.
Briskly, Snape stormed off. His patience was getting lower and lower. Apparently, this little Gryffindor has been exploring and getting into things that he should not be in. Again. He headed towards the end of the hall, stopping when harsh cries and long moans echoed around in the hall. His feet began to get wet with the water that had risen off of the floor.
"Damn it. Bloody boy." He headed off to the girls bathroom, to find out why Moaning Myrtle was causing such a racket.
He barged through the heavy doors, yelling, "MYRTLE! Stop your infernal ra-" Suddenly, he stopped. The smell of metallic copper swam in his nostrils. His shoes splashed in the water as he hurried around the sinks, finding Myrtle simply floating around and crying. Below her, was Harry. Suicidal Harry.
His heart skipped a beat when he didn't see Harry breathing. He may have not liked the wretched boy, but that didn't mean he didn't want him to die. He did save the boy after all. And it looked like it would happen again. And Severus' good deed would be left unheard. Like he cared much about that.
Slipping his arms under the boy's prone body, he lifted him up, way too easily. He then cradle Potter to his chest, feeling the lack of warmth from the small body. Fear rose up in him again, and he check his pulse. It was there, but barely... He had to hurry unless he wanted Potter to move on.
"Hurry..." Myrtle whispered, "Before it's too late." Snape glared at her quickly and made a brisk walk out of the bathroom.
"Poppy! I need your help! NOW."
"Keep your voice down! I have a patient!" she snapped.
"Well, you have another one." he barely kept his sneer in place. He didn't want to admit it, but he was worried about the boy, not even to himself.
"What- oh my... Well, just don't stand there! Bring him over here, and hurry!" Severus put the unconscious boy down on a clean bed, watching Madam Pomfry work her way through it. She ordered him to get several potions and he dutifully got them in swift and quick movements. In no time, Potter was breathing regularly, but he remained in his dark world, completely ignorant to all around him, and that he was living.
"Will the wretched boy be alright?" he asked bleakly.
"Of course. He just needs to replenish some of his blood on his own. The potions couldn't bring it all back. Go get some blankets, he's still a bit cool to the touch and I imagine the poor dear is freezing." With a distasteful look, he did her bidding. He looked at Potter's now healed up wrists, seeing the scars that now covered them.
"They were to deep," she explained. He snorted and looked away.
"Alright, out with you. He needs his rest."
"I must be off anyway, Poppy. I have a class to attend."
"Either way, out with you. Go on!" she said quickly. Severus turned and left with another of his dramatic scenes, his robes flapping wildly back behind him.
well, it's been awhile, I know that... hope you guys enjoyed it anyway