Outkast awoke to find herself on a hospital bed next to Harry, Severus was no where in site. She was still incredibly weak it would take at least three days for her power to come back up to strength, balancing the dark mark when it wasn't active was a bitch and that was the first time she'd done it while it was being used. Note to self don't try that again in the future, she smirked to herself yeah right like if she came across someone in pain she was just going to wait until Voldemort had finished. She looked over at Harry, he was very pale, slowly she eased herself off the bed and noted in disgust she was now wearing a hospital gown. She hobbled over to the bed and brushed the hair out of his face, he turned away from the gesture, she smiled sadly
"Harry, how you doing hun?" she said softly, his eyelids flickered open revealing two very bleary emerald eyes, he smiled at her
"Hey, shouldn't you be in bed?" Outkast opened her mouth but wasn't the one to answer
"Yes should be" the sharp tone belonged to the Hitler of the hospital wing, Outkast felt herself being dragged back to the bed by some unknown force she glared at the medi-witch as the bonds attached to her limbs and bound her to the bed
"Is this really necessary?" she sneered, Poppy paid no attention to the tone
"Yes it is, since the last outing you took rendered you unconscious for almost a day you remain bound to the bed until you are fit to leave" her tone was final but didn't stop Outkast muttering something under breath that to Harry sounded like 'Zeich heil'. Poppy then went to check on Harry,
"Well young man you seem to be on the mend" Harry perked up at this
"Does this mean I can leave?" he said hopefully
"No you will stay for another day you need rest, and if you try to leave you will also find yourself strapped to the bed" the matron the bustled off in the direction of the store room but not before casting a satisfied look at Outkast who try as she might didn't seem to be making any headway against the bounding charm. As soon as Poppy was out of earshot and had disappeared into the store room Outkast offered Harry a mischievous grin. Harry rolled his eyes but waited to be enlightened to what ever the newest bit of mischief was. He didn't wait long,
"Hey Haz wanna go get some ice cream" she whispered Harry looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head
"Sure but how, I can't leave without the wrath of Pomfrey on me and you can't get out of the bed" Outkast rolled her eyes
"Look don't worry about it, I'll tell her I kidnapped you"
"And the bonding charm" Outkast grinned and clicked her fingers, and the bonds fell away
"Ready?" Harry got up and swayed slightly, Outkast grabbed him to stop him falling over until he got his balance. Harry nodded as motioned for the door Outkast held up a hand to make him wait; she scrawled something on a piece of parchment and left if on her pillow. She then nodded and started for the door, on his way past Harry read the note and grinned as he too slipped out the ward. An hour later when Poppy went to check on her patients all she found was a small piece of paper with one sentence on it;
Wandless magic – ain't it a bitch?
##
Harry and Outkast made their way to the kitchens, hugging the walls and hiding from staff and students alike, they had just reached the portrait of the fruit bowl when a stern voice caught then
"And what do you two think you're doing" they spun round sheepishly, aside from their cloaks they were wearing only their hospital gowns and it was obvious they shouldn't be there. Hermione looked very stern, Ron was smirking.
"Err we want ice cream Hermione we were going back after…." Outkast stopped herself and slammed her palm against her head
"What am I doing? Me teacher, you student I don't need to explain" Hermione put her hands on her hips and gave her a look Sev would have envied.
"You two are not well enough to be... hey where are you going" Harry had heard this lecture enough to know it by memory and so had opened the portrait and entered the kitchens not listening, Outkast had shrugged and followed him. Hermione was not deterred and marched in after them with Ron smirking at his friends antics.
"Master Harry has come to visit Dobby! Dobby is pleased to see Master can I get you anything?" Harry grinned at the exuberant elf
"Yeah can you find us a table, four chairs and about four gallons of ice cream?" The elf nodded and left, returning in seconds with the request. The four of them sat round the table and began to eat. Hermione had settled slightly but was still annoyed
"You know this is breaking like a hundred school rules not to mention that you should still be in the infirmary" Outkast rolled her eyes
"Hermione lighten up! For Merlin's sake girl remove what ever you have shoved up you ass and let go" Hermione blushed, Ron choked on his ice cream and Harry smirked he forgot his friends weren't as used to the somewhat vulgar use of language Outkast sometimes resorted to. Hermione had completely lost the thread of her argument
"I'm sorry but Ron and I are prefects we could get into a lot of trouble" she said her eyes glistening, Outkast sighed
"Hermione, what is my role in this school" Hermione blushed with embarrassment she had completely forgotten that technically Oukast was a member of staff
"Professor"
"Ten points to Gryffindor! Now you can't get in trouble the only thing they could do is fire me, and I have a feeling that at the moment I'm in the good books" she winked at Harry who just looked puzzled
"Why?" Outkast's eyes went wide
"Doops, you were out cold last night weren't you?" He nodded, Outkast shrugged and filled them in on what happened up to the point where she passed out, Harry was worried and wanted to go find his father, Hermione and Ron were stunned.
"Outkast it's meant to be impossible to apparate into Hogwarts" Hermione said, Outkast gave her a firm look
"Young lady you live in a world where people can ride brooms, unicorns are real and magic is an everyday thing. Haven't you learnt that nothing is impossible?" Outkast thought on this and corrected the statement,
"Well with the possible exception of slamming a revolving door"
"What's a revolving door" Ron asked as the other two sniggered, Outkast looked from Harry, to Hermione and sighed
"Bloody pure bloods" the comment made all three crack up laughing, all the while making a note to say it to Malfoy next time he uttered something about muggle borns.
Half an hour later they made their way out of the kitchens only to run into a livid looking potions professor, Hermione and Ron ducked behind Harry and Outkast in an attempt to be out of the direct firing line, Harry stood his ground nervously, Outkast looked bored.
"My office now" he snarled at the group, Outkast shrugged and followed him the students trailing behind. Severus let them in before locking the door and casting a silencing spell. He turned back to face them his face alive with fury.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" he screamed, Ron and Hermione shuddered, at the tone, Harry whimpered as he looked into his fathers eyes, he'd seen that rage before in another man, and then the blows had landed. He backed further up until he hit the wall where he crumpled to the floor in a ball. Outkast glared at Severus
"Great parenting form" she snarled Severus wanted to argue with her, he wanted to shout the odds, he wanted hit something. But all he did was stare at the ball, Hermione showed the courage Gryffindor's were known for and stepped into his line of vision block Harry from his view.
"Ron take Harry up to the dorm" She said, glaring daggers at the intimidating man not even looking to see if Ron complied. She felt relief when she heard him shuffling towards Harry. Harry didn't look up his was shivering Ron sat next to him
"Come on mate lets get out of here" Harry eyes were glazed as the flashback took over; Harry pushed himself into the corner and screwed up tighter and tighter. He then transformed, Ron shivered but approached Harry, he put his arm are and tried not to she his fear as the snake coiled around it. As soon as Harry was settled he made for the door, only to find it locked. He glanced at Hermione who was still glaring at Snape
"It's locked" she sighed impatiently
"Well open it then" she snapped Ron went red
"Oh yeah" he point his was at the lock
"Alohomora" the door clicked open and he disappeared. Leaving Hermione, Snape and Outkast in the room. Hermione broke the silence first
"I don't care who you are professor no one hurts my friends" she sneered before retreating herself. Severus stood there in shock; a student a bloody Gryffindor had the cheek to threaten him. Outkast closed the door again. She turned to him
"What got your knickers in a twist to start with?" the anger that had driven the confrontation came back full force and glared at her determined not to raise his voice
"You left the infirmary taking my son with you, you told no one, do you have any idea what I thought when I walked in to find my you and my son missing?" he was shaking with suppressing the outburst, Outkast tilted her head in acceptance and then met his gaze.
"I'm sorry Sev, I didn't think. I hate that place and Brun Hilder in there had tied me to the bed" she walked over to him, and tentatively pulled him into a hug. He stiffened at her touch trying to hold on to his rage, he could feel his entire anger leak from him as she leaned against him. He sighed and hugged her back in a show of defeat. She smiled into his chest before reaching up on tip toes and placing a kiss on his lips. Severus held her close lifting her off the floor as he deepened the kiss. After several minutes she pulled back.
"Come on you need to have a major chat with your son" Severus nodded and followed her lead out of his office.
##
Ron was walking very quickly, he was still uneasy about the idea of have a poisonous snake wrapped round his arm but didn't dare put him down, he was a dark blue colour, Ron didn't know what that meant but didn't imagine it was good. He rounded the corner and slammed into Malfoy and his cronies. He was in no mood to argue so muttered an apology and went to step round. Someone blocked his path.
"Well what have we got here, Gryffindor with a Slytherin pet" Ron looked up to see Blaise Zabini smirking, Ron was about to respond when Malfoy beat him to it
"Really Blaise do you live under a rock, I thought everyone knew, the snake's Potter in his animagus form" he scoffed, Zabini smirked more
"Really so this it more of a lover's embrace then" most of the group laughed, Draco stepped out of the way, he didn't know why the cobra had gone yellow but didn't want to find out either. Ron had gone red and was reaching for his wand, but he didn't have time to hex anyone, the cobra on his arm struck. Zabini screamed as he crumbled to the ground with the snakes fangs embedded in his necks. Harry let go quickly but recoiled and reared his head, hood fully exposed, the Slytherin's scrambled down the corridor leaving their fallen classmate. The only one that stayed was Draco who looked highly amused, Harry turned his attention to the blonde, Draco looked down at him
"Well that was interesting. I wonder if they schools carries the anti venom. As much as I would like to see you two in trouble I have to admit he was asking for it so Ron collect your… friend and get out of the dungeons before someone finds you." Draco tunred and sauntered after his minions. Ron looked pale and stared at Harry, who was back to being dark blue.
"You're not going to attack me are you" he asked nervously. At that moment Hermione appeared, she took one look at the scene, Ron shaking and pale, Harry coiled in a strike pose on a fallen Slytherin with bite marks on their neck; she shook her head and decided she didn't want to know. She bent down and let Harry coil up her arm, and carried on up to the Gryffindor rooms. Ron followed quickly leaving Zabini on the floor.
"So what happened after we left?" he asked her she shook her head and stared at him
"I threatened a teacher. OH GOD I THREATENED SNAPE!!" She squealed suddenly realising what she'd done. Ron was impressed but Hermione was having a panic attack
"Oh Merlin I'm going to expelled for sure what was I thinking, well I think it's clear I wasn't oh what am I going to do they' snap my wand…" Ron put his hands on her shoulders
"'Mione breathe it will be ok, I promise Snape won't expel you because then he'd have to reveal what he'd done to Harry and you know he won't do that calm down" she nodded
"You're probably right" a disgruntled hiss sounded from under Ron's hand, he quickly withdrew like he'd been burnt and looked sheepishly at Harry
"Sorry mate didn't see you there" Harry hissed something else but then closed his eyes and settled on his friends shoulder. The three of them made there way back to the Gryffindor common room.
##
AN: Thanks for all the reviews guys!
Just a little side, for those of you who read work by myself and my sister (Mayhem) be warned we are have a little bit of a competition know as 'the most random review challenge' so if you see any reviews of our that are completely odd do mention it, seeing as our mutual reviewers are the judges *cough* hint, anyhoos I have to wait for May to update again *cough* HINT uh hem any ways on with the show:
Kelei, Romm, Schnuff, Lila Elensar, Sara, Prophetess of Hearts, Spirit element, Tynan, Hunta, Xyverz, HecateDeMorte, Manic reverse, Iluska – Thanks for reviewing you guys are the best!
ShaeLynn: It was only a suggestion they're your bunnies you do what you want with them!!!
Ash Knight: As I told Schnuff a while ago – patients is a virtue!
Mayhem: Glad you like the CD and the moose but I notice you forgot to actually review the chapter….;-)