Author's Note: Short though it may be, I do think that this chapter was worth the wait, and I hope you all think so as well. And so, the plot thickens. Enjoy!
Thank you to all of my readers!
All questions, comments and constructive criticism are welcome if you would like to leave a review.
By lunchtime, Severus had not yet returned to their quarters, so Hermione invited Elizabeth to visit for the remainder of the afternoon. After a light meal and tea, Elizabeth took Samuel to the nursery to entertain him while Hermione tended to Nathaniel.
Hermione lifted the lid of the music box that she had received that morning, presumably from one of her two best friends, and settled herself down into the rocking chair as she nursed her newborn son. She nearly nodded off to the soft tinkling melody as Nathaniel fell asleep at her breast, and was barely awake when she decided that it was time to settle him down into the cradle, before falling wearily into her own bed a short while later. She barely had the mind to reach her hand to the bedside table and close the lid on the music box just as she succumbed to her fatigue.
"Hermione," a soft voice called, sounding far away.
"Hermione," a little louder as the voice grew closer, and then somebody was shaking her.
"Wake up, love," she felt warm breath caressing her neck as she recognized her husband's voice coming from beside her in the bed as he reached out to brush her disheveled hair away from her face.
She moaned as she struggled to roll over and open her eyes. It felt as though she was paralyzed for a moment, before she finally managed to move onto her side as her eyelids fluttered open.
"Severus..." she rasped, "... 'm so tired."
"I hate to wake you," warm arms enveloped her, pulling her close as her husband whispered into her ear. "Only, it's nearly dinner time."
Finally finding the strength to open her eyes, she looked into her husband's face, frowning as she muttered, "Already? But we just finished lunch."
"You've been sleeping for hours."
Feeling quite disoriented, Hermione managed to bring her hand to her face and rub furiously at her eyes, trying to wake herself.
"The children?" she asked wearily as she became more lucid.
"Samuel has gone to dinner with your mother. Nathaniel has been sleeping all afternoon as well."
"Still?" Frowning, Hermione swung her legs over the side of the bed as she struggled to sit up. She rose, a bit unsteadily, to her feet and padded across the short distance between the bed and the cradle. Kneeling down at her sleeping son's side, she caressed his cheek as she whispered his name.
"Nathaniel."
When he didn't respond, Hermione looked frantically to Severus as she leaned into the cradle to check on her son more closely. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched his chest rising and falling steadily as he continued to sleep. She looked up again to Severus, who was now standing by her side, his brow furrowed in concern.
"I can't believe he's still sleeping!" Hermione smiled wearily, "I think we should wake him, or he'll be up all night long."
Severus reached into the cradle and scooped the child into his arms, gently prodding him until he woke. Nathaniel wriggled in his father's arms, opening his eyes for only a moment before he began to squeal discontentedly. "Shh... " Severus whispered, kissing his son's brow before handing him over to Hermione for feeding. Nathaniel fussed, refusing to nurse as his cries grew more furious.
Still thoroughly fatigued, Hermione looked helplessly to her husband, who rushed to her side and gathered the child into his arms and cradled him to his chest as he began pacing the room, gently bouncing the infant as he tried to calm him.
"Something is wrong!" Hermione cried hoarsely.
Even knowing, through their experience with Samuel, that Nathaniel's behavior was not unusual, both Severus and Hermione were feeling unsettled as their newborn continued to wail.
"Get Poppy," Severus replied, trying to keep his voice calm even as his eyes betrayed his concern.
Hermione hurried to the fireplace, summoning Madame Pomfrey who arrived directly through the floo.
"Oh, dear," she tutted as she brushed the soot from her robes, "Has he been fussing long?"
Her voice shaking, Hermione explained Nathaniel's extended nap and odd behavior from the time that they forcibly woke him for his feeding.
Taking Nathaniel into her arms, the nurse examined him closely. She too, was beginning to feel quite unsettled, though she could find nothing evidently wrong with the child. None of them could put their finger on it, but something just didn't feel right.
After observing the baby's behavior for the better part of the next hour, once again examining him closely and assuring Hermione and Severus that there was nothing physically wrong with their son, Poppy turned Nathaniel over to his father's care while she examined Hermione.
"How are you feeling, dear?" she asked.
"Just so tired..." Hermione muttered, "Not normal tired, but... I can't explain it, Madame Pomfrey. I feel almost as if I've been drugged."
Poppy looked concernedly into Hermione's eyes, "It may not be my place to say so, but I think you need to get out of this dungeon. A change in atmosphere and some fresh air would do all of you a world of good."
Hermione nodded, "I'm beginning to realize that."
Poppy smiled gently, squeezing her hand gently as she excused herself, realizing that she wasn't feeling quite herself after spending the past hour in the dungeons.
"If you have any further need of me, you know where to find me," she reminded them as she hurriedly took her leave. Urgently feeling the need for fresh air, she didn't return via floo, rather opting to walk the distance to the infirmary. The moment she walked into the corridor, she immediately felt as though she might retch. Stifling a sob as she covered her mouth, she stumbled as she hurriedly made her way up the staircase. Upon reaching the entrance hall, she rushed out the main door. Despite the bitterly cold winter air burning her lungs as she desperately inhaled, she felt immediate relief. Sobbing as she hurried back into the castle, she rushed to the headmaster's office.
For she just realized, after the fresh air had cleared her mind, that there had been dark magic in the air of the dungeons.
It took the better part of the evening to settle the child, who's wails eventually subsided into hiccuping sobs as he finally took comfort at his mother's breast. Nevertheless, he continued to pull away every few moments, squirming agitatedly in his mother's arms.
Hermione was growing irritable as Nathaniel continued to fuss. Severus, too, was increasingly growing agitated, desperately feeling that there was something wrong, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.
An urgent knocking on the door was a welcome distraction, and Severus swept across the rooms to see who had come to call. He had barely opened the door when Albus and Remus pushed past him, their wands held out in front as they looked urgently around the room.
"Take the child and leave, Hermione," Albus commanded.
"Professor Dumbledore, what..." Hermione began in a panicked voice.
"There is no time to explain," Remus' voice betrayed his panic as he urged her,"Take Nathaniel and go to your mother's quarters. She and Samuel are waiting for you."
Severus, finally sensing what the problem might be, threw his cloak around Hermione's shoulders as he ushered her out the door, hurriedly kissing her before hissing, "Go!"
Hermione was shaking so badly, her teacup was rattling against it's saucer.
Nathaniel had settled down nearly immediately after their hasty exit from the dungeons, and was now sleeping contently in Elizabeth's arms as Samuel slept soundly in the bed.
Stifling one last sob as she set her tea on the table and pushed it away from her, she sighed, "What is going on down there, Mum?"
But Elizabeth knew no more than Hermione did about the situation in the dungeon. Albus had come to fetch Remus as they were strolling through the corridor with Samuel after dinner, telling her nothing but to return to her quarters and wait for Hermione to arrive.
Elizabeth smiled nervously as she tried to reassure her daughter, "Whatever it is, I'm sure they will take care of it."
"I knew something was wrong when I woke up. Especially when Nathaniel wouldn't wake. And then he just started screaming..." Hermione's voice shook nearly as bad as her hands as she reached again for her cup of tea.
At that moment, the door flew open and Severus swept into the room, tailed by Albus and Remus. He hurried over to Hermione, reaching for her hands as he asked, "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes..." Hermione nodded, smiling nervously as she added, "and no. I'm frightened, Severus."
"We must leave, immediately," Severus said urgently.
"What..."
"We detected dark magic in the dungeons, Hermione," Remus said quietly.
"But, how..." Hermione whispered hoarsely.
"That's what I would like to know!" Severus snapped as he let go of her, running his hands wearily over his face.
"But with the wards... and besides, nobody has been in our quarters aside from those of us in this room. And..." Hermione's eyes grew wide, "Draco!"
"Do not even think it!" Severus hissed, "First of all, I would have noticed if Draco were casting dark spells in my presence. Besides, I do not believe for a second that Draco is capable of this sort of dark magic!"
"But who could have done this?" Elizabeth asked.
"We intend to find out," Remus said as he placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"Until we do, I believe it to be unwise to remain in your quarters," Albus explained to Hermione, "For now, we have secured the dungeons. Remus will accompany you to collect your belongings while Severus and I finalize the plans for relocating your family."
Hermione could feel the change in the air the moment she returned to her quarters. It felt lighter - cleaner - somehow. The difference in the air was so drastic, how she did not detect the presence of dark magic earlier she did not know.
Sensing her train of thought, Remus squeezed her hand reassuringly, "It's not your fault, Hermione. The magic was such that it was nearly undetectable while in it's presence. Remember, neither Severus nor Poppy detected it, either. Poppy only realized it after she took leave of the dungeons."
"How?" Hermione asked.
"I say, it's rather overwhelming when you leave it's presence. Only then, is it obvious."
Remembering the rush that she felt when she fled the dungeons with Nathaniel, Hermione nodded in understanding.
Remus helped Hermione pack the essentials from her suite, leaving her to finish up on her own while he went to gather items from the nursery. Before closing her trunk, Hermione glanced around the room to see if she had missed anything. Her eyes landed on the bedside table, and she hurried to gather the music box. Placing it gently between her folded robes, she called to Remus, "I'm ready to go!" as she closed and locked the trunk.