REVERT TO TYPE

Chapter 11.

Severus had never been the most comfortable of people when it came to dealing with emotional outbursts, but despite what certain people seemed to believe, it had been necessary for him to learn to cope with them. Slytherins were, after all just as prone to them as the members of any of the other Houses (well perhaps with the exception of the Hufflepuffs). In any case, he opened his arms instinctively giving the Draco the control of his actions, and it seem as though his actions were automated also, for he suspected a level-headed Malfoy heir would not have welcomed an embrace from anyone so readily and certainly not in public.

However that is exactly what he did. He did not shout or yell or do any of the other things that many would have predicted. Severus knew that what they were seeing was a little boy who had lost his father and had had everything he had been brought up to believe and expect thrown up in the air. He genuinely believed that there was still hope Draco, but it was the simple truth that despite the light treatment he had received from the school that should the Ministry choose to press charges in two weeks time there was absolutely nothing the potions master or anyone else could do about it. He told Narcissa as much when after a time Draco had pulled himself together again and mother and son were getting ready to leave.

The woman had looked him in the eye and nodded a little before thanking them both and ushering her only son out of the room. Neither of the two men left said anything once they had left. Severus made his way over to the window and watched as a few minutes later the pair walked slowly down the path towards the gate. As he watched, he made a mental, if somewhat abstract, note to have Draco's things sent on as soon as possible.

He was only drawn out of his thoughts when a gentle tug on the foot of his robe made him look down and see the girl he had temporarily forgotten trying to pull herself up by the fairly low window ledge to see out and inadvertently pulled? at the cloth in the process. With hands beneath her arms, he hoisted her up so that she could kneel on the stone and watched absentmindedly as she raised a hand to wave at the quickly shrinking pair.

"Mar sin liebh." She said quietly.

"Yes," Albus echoed, still staring into the middle distance in front of his desk "Goodbye."

After another few minutes silence, the Headmaster snapped back into active mood and Severus realised that there was little he more he could do for the time being.

"Well," Albus began. "Perhaps you two ought to take a trip into Diagon Alley." He suggested in that special tone of voice that conveyed that he wasn't really suggesting so much as telling.

"What is so desperately needed that it has to be acquired today?" He asked and received a raised eyebrow in return.

"Do you not think it might be advisable to get the child some clothes Severus?"

"She has clothes! It's not as if I'm letting her run around naked." He suppressed a blush at the thought of letting his fellow head of house, whatever her age, doing that.

"Yes, you're right; she has a single set of ill-fitting, impractical clothes. In any case, it'll be a wonderful bonding experience for you both and I've ordered some books for you from Flourish and Blots which should be in today." Sometimes the Head of Slytherin wondered why he even bothered to speak.

As he watched the child in question turn around and quite happily jump down from her perch he realised that if she was going to be staying in the school, even for a few days, there were certain things she would need. After all, though the Headmaster's rooms were perfectly warm, it was heading fast into Autumn and she had nothing in the way of an extra layer to put on top of the dress. Not to mention that he doubted if the soft leather ballet pumps would survive the harsh wear of the stone floors for long.

However, it seemed that the Headmaster had thought both these problems through and quickly provided temporary solutions by shrinking a black v-neck that he suspected had been Minerva's to begin with (it certainly wasn't the Headmaster's as Severus was almost certain the older man owned nothing that was entirely one colour). He then transfigured the pumps so that the sole was somewhat more substantial and the uppers a little more durable.

"She ought to have her shoes fitted properly though – It's very important when they're young. Or so I'm led to believe." He merely inclined his head a little in acquiescence. Well, he supposed this at least meant that they would be out of the castle when the Headmaster spoke to the students and explained what had actually occurred.

They made there way down from the Headmaster's office and straight out the front door. Severus was a little surprised as the child at his side skipped away in front of him when they set off down the long path that led towards the Castle's gates and then on to the village. It seemed as if walking distances wasn't going to be an issue in any case. When they arrived in the village, it was still relatively quiet (Severus was more than thankful that this was not one of the weekends of what the towns folk had taken to calling 'the regular invasion' by the students.)

Much to his relief, they also didn't have to wait more than a minute for a public Floo to become available. It dawned on the Potion's master just before stepping into the fire, that it would probably be better were he to carry his companion, as he assumed that this journey was likely to be another first for her. When they arrived at their destination, just off Diagon Alley, he was relieved to see that though a little disorientated, Minerva seemed none the worse for wear from the experience. Placing her back on the ground, he took her hand and headed off into the fray. Mentally listing all of the places that they would have to visit he tried to extrapolate the most efficient route that they could take as he wound in amongst the other shoppers.

He was just beginning to curse the Saturday morning crowds that were jostling and vying for space around him, when he realised that something was wrong. Looking down to where the young girl was still holding onto his hand, he realised that perhaps it would be more accurately said that she was clinging onto his hand for all she was worth. She was standing as close to his leg as she could now that they had stopped, and the look on her face was as close a portrait of sheer terror as any he had seen in his chequered history.

He wasn't certain if it were possible for a child so young to have a panic attack, but all of her observable behaviour, alongside every ounce of intuition he had, told him that that was what was happening. In the next instant he had swept her up off the ground and into his arms, cocooning her as best he could, as the heaving mass of people seemed to snap back into focus around him. As he turned, trying to see the quickest way to escape the throng, he cursed himself and the Headmaster, for not realising that the child would, in all likelihood never have been in close proximity to more than two or three people at once and therefore would naturally be more than a little perturbed when thrown into a melee such as this.

He hadn't realised how far his long strides had taken them from the quieter side-streets but he was just about to turn and come back from where they had come when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

"Severus?!" Remus was making headway towards them at an impressive rate. "Is this her then?" He asked as he arrived at their side. He nodded tersely in the affirmative.

"What…?" The werewolf began, slightly confusedly, as he placed a hand on Minerva's back. This resulted in the child drawing herself closer to her protector a shift that resulted in, to his dismay, the Potions Master being able to feel her racing heartbeat against his own chest. "She's terrified!" Remus said withdrawing the obviously unwelcome touch.

"I don't think the crowds are agreeing with her." Was all Severus said. The Slytherin was more than grateful when his partner didn't push him for more than that at that particular moment in time. After glancing around them, Remus turned back and offered an option that the other man could barely believe he himself had not managed to think of. "Why don't we take her back to the flat? Give her a chance to calm down somewhere quiet?" Now that Severus thought about it, he realised that the flat in question was only a few streets away and that it was by far the best refuge within the immediate area. He nodded again and followed Remus as he adeptly wove through the crowds towards their haven.

A/N: I know this wasn't one of the most stunningly exciting chapters but I hope you enjoyed it none the less. Let me know either way.

Linds

xxx