Chapter Seven: The Exchange
Draco perched on the end of the couch, his back ramrod straight. He kept glancing to the clock. His mother was going to exchange him for Snape and Weasley. He allowed his mind to wander. What would his father do when he found out? He would be bent on revenge and if they were caught…Draco gulped. He felt his heart begin to race. There didn't seem to be enough air in the room. His breathing quickened but it didn't help. The temperature of the room seemed to get very hot. He pulled at the neck of his robes, breaking out into a sweat.
Remus reread the same line of the same article in the newspaper. He could not concentrate, so he went over the instructions for the exchange in his mind. He then heard an odd sound coming from where Draco sat so he lowered the paper. Draco was acting strangely, sitting stiffly on the couch, breathing loud and fast. "Draco?"
Draco jumped up from the couch, whirling to face Remus. "I think I'm dying!" He grabbed his chest. "I can't breathe and my heart is ready to jump out of my body!" The young Slytherin looked terrified, tears flowing from his huge gray eyes.
Remus knew instantly that Draco was having a panic attack. He conjured a brown bag and took it to the young Slytherin, telling him to breathe into it. "It'll help. I've seen this before. It'll be okay." He led Draco to the couch and helped him lay back.
Remus remembered the first panic attack that Peter Pettigrew had had like it was yesterday. Remus, James and Sirius had been very scared and taken him to the mediwitch, thinking that maybe he was having a heart attack. She taught them about panic attacks and how to help Peter through them, if he should have another. Peter had told the mediwitch he was nervous about an exam and that was why he had the attack. After that day he had few others at school, but they tended to coincide with when he was to go home. Looking back, Remus wished he had gone to the headmaster about it. Peter had begged him not to and he had not. Peter was most assuredly abused in some way, but he had never told them what exactly had happened. Sirius and James were more than happy to accept Peter's denials but they never set well with Remus.
The room was silent except for the crumpling of the paper bag as Draco breathed into it. Remus watched him closely pulling a chair to the couch. "You've never had a panic attack before?"
Draco shook his head, his breathing pattern slowly returning to normal. Lowering the bag, he took a few deep breaths. "I was just," breath, "thinking about my father," breath, "and what he'll do to us," breath, "if he finds us."
"If you get into trouble, Draco, go to the Ministry."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm sure they'll be eager to protect us."
Remus went to the counter and grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill, scribbling something. "This is my home address. I'm rarely there but you can use it if need be. It's a very small cottage in the country." He smiled. "There are no amenities, believe me, but it's out of the way and certainly off the beaten path." He held the paper out to Draco.
Draco's gray eyes narrowed. "Why would you do this for me?" He reluctantly took the proffered note.
"As much of a git as you've been, no one deserves to be treated the way you have been." He thought back to Peter. Remus had quite a few regrets in his life; he would not add Draco to the list.
There was a knock at the door. Albus was ready.
They were the first ones to arrive at the designated location. The darkness of the woods enveloped them, the only light being from the sliver of moon in the autumn sky. Stepping into the clearing they looked around. They were at a river about twenty meters across. Sounds of the woods surrounded them, wind rustling the trees, nocturnal creatures ambling in the forest and the rushing water of the river, full from recent rains.
"Are we early?" asked Remus.
"No. She is simply waiting to see if I have anything up my sleeve." Albus reached up the flared sleeve of his bright blue robes, pulling out a bouquet of blood-red roses. In a loud, clear voice he called, "We are quite alone, Narcissa, I assure you." He tossed the bouquet into the river. "It's just as we agreed." He and Remus watched the bouquet bob and swirl as it was quickly swept away in the surging current. Nearby Draco nervously kicked up sand with his shoe.
On the other side of the river, Narcissa emerged from behind a copse of bushes. "Draco, are you well?"
"Yes, mother, I'm fine." He squinted, trying to see his mother more clearly.
Narcissa motioned to the others, who came from the same sheltered space. Severus was on a stretcher, apparently unconscious, with Ron standing close by.
"We're all here then?" Albus drew his wand and conjured an arched bridge of light. The others averted their eyes for a moment until they could adjust to the new brightness it afforded. It extended from one bank of the river to the other. "We'll exchange the boys after you send Severus to us first. It looks like he needs immediate care."
"Send Draco to me and then I'll send both to you." Narcissa counteroffered.
Albus shook his head. "It's late Narcissa. I'll have no games. Send Severus to us, now." Although his tone was genial the look in his eyes was not. This was not lost on Narcissa, since the bridge allowed each to see the other clearly. Albus continued, "I will not go back on our agreement. I'm a wizard of my word."
Narcissa pondered this for a bit and then called Minky to her. The house-elf then levitated Severus' stretcher to the bridge and crossed to the midpoint. Remus was on the opposite side and was able to bring it the rest of the way while Minky returned to her mistress. Remus levitated the stretcher to Albus.
Albus reached out to touch Severus' cheek, finding it very warm. The Potion Master's usually sallow complexion was flushed and his breathing was fast and shallow. "Take him to Hogwarts now. We'll be along directly." Albus spelled a branch into a portkey and the lycanthrope took the Potions Master and left.
Narcissa motioned for Ron to come closer to her. She led him to the bridge and then held his shoulders in a steely grip. She watched as Albus moved Draco to the opposite end of the bridge. She then let go of Ron, whispering in his ear, "Go on."
Ron saw Draco approach him from the opposite side. He felt anger rise in him from the soles of his feet to the tips of his flame-red hair. This bloody bastard is going to get away with it! He's getting off scot-free! Professor Snape is deaf and I get my face cut up, not to mention being terrorized by a spider and he goes free! Bloody hell! It's just not right! The two were now within several meters of each other. Ron scowled deeply. He could swear he saw the corner of the Slytherin's lips turn up in a self-satisfied smirk. Oh, that's bloody it! Ron rushed Draco and they both toppled over the side of the bridge and into the river. Ron clung to Draco, as they were carried along with the current, getting in a good punch whenever he could. Draco panicked and grabbed at Ron, forcing his head under the water as he tried to keep his head above. The Slytherin's legs kept going out from under him as he tried to stand on the slippery rocks. Ron was scratching at Draco's hands when he suddenly let go, having been slammed sideways into a large rock. Ron sputtered and coughed, looking for Draco. He saw the other boy's body facedown, bobbing with the current a few meters ahead. Ron reached for him, eager to finish what he had started.
Albus and Narcissa pointed their wands at their charges. The two boys were levitated out of the water, Draco being deposited by his mother and Ron being brought to the headmaster.
Minky placed her hands on Draco's chest. Water shot forcefully from his mouth and he began to sputter and cough. Narcissa rained some colorful curses down on Ron's head and then Apparated with Draco, Minky following.
Ron stood, drenched, staring at the sand. He cringed inwardly as he waited for the yelling. The headmaster said nothing. Slowly Ron looked up into his blue eyes and was surprised to see that the older wizard didn't look angry, only sad. "He got off with nothing, sir. He got away with what he did."
The headmaster gave him a small smile, conjuring up a large fluffy towel and draping it over Ron's shoulders. "Yes, Ron, he did." He sighed deeply. "We make choices in this life, Ron. Some are ultimately for the greater good. Come" Taking Ron's hand they Disapparated.
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Remus entered the hospital wing, levitating the stretcher ahead of him. Poppy ushered him to the bed she had prepared. "I have been waiting on pins and needles."
"Where is Ron?" Molly asked, she and Arthur coming over to stand near Poppy.
"He'll be along with Dumbledore in a bit."
"How is Severus?" Poppy motioned to the bed she wished her patient to be placed upon.
Remus shrugged. "He's been out since we got him. I think the thestral ride was a bit bumpy for him."
"Thestral ride!"
"It was the quickest mode of transport from the boundaries of the wards. It was Hagrid's idea." He lowered Severus' body onto the bed.
Poppy snorted and began her examination of Severus. Remus stood by, ready if needed.
Molly and Arthur crossed to the back door to await their son's arrival. "Did Ron look okay, Remus?" asked Molly.
"He looked fine to me, Molly, from what I could see." Remus' attention was drawn to Poppy as she waved her wand up and down over Snape's body. He thought she was finished when she began again, concentrating on his head. She opened his mouth and peered inside, shaking her head. She then tilted his head from side to side, peering closely at his ears and performing some kind of advanced diagnostic technique with her wand. Remus thought he heard her sniff. Looking into her face he saw silent tears tracking down her cheeks. "Is it that bad?"
Poppy sniffed again and nodded. "I need to get some ear…ear…ear drops." The last words came out as a sob. She rushed to the back storeroom, her hand muffling her anguish.
Remus glanced at Severus and was surprised to see the Potion Master's black eyes looking back at him, his dark eyebrows knit in confusion. The lycanthrope bent forward and placed a hand over Severus' hand. Bloody hell, he's burning up! "It's okay, Severus. You're at Hogwarts now." He patted the hand lightly.
Severus saw Lupin bending over him and felt pressure on his hand. He watched the werewolf's lips moving. Where's Poppy? Where's Albus? He opened his mouth to speak, turning his head. A wave of nausea caught him by surprise. His stomach rebelled and he began to vomit. He felt Remus grab his shoulders and get him on his side, so he would not aspirate the liquid into his lungs.
"It's okay, Severus. It's okay." Remus pulled Severus' hair back from his face, surprised to see how cherry red his ear appeared. Remus kept glancing back toward the storeroom. Come on Poppy! The heaves subsided and Remus gingerly rolled Severus onto his back. Molly came from the bathroom with some wet cloths. She gently wiped Severus' mouth with the one and then blotted his fevered brow with the second as his black eyes drifted shut.
Poppy, red-eyed, approached from the back, carrying a small tray containing an assortment of potions and other paraphernalia. She sat the tray down on the bedside table. "What happened?"
"He threw up, the poor dear," answered Molly. She patted Severus' hand and then went to rejoin her husband in his vigil at the back door.
Remus cleaned the mess and stood awkwardly. "Perhaps Molly might be the better choice of a helper." He watched the mediwitch measure out different potions and then use the stirring spell.
Poppy looked over her shoulder at Molly. "She'll have her hands full when her son arrives. I'm sure you'll do fine, Remus."
She worked silently for a few more minutes and then gently lifted Severus' head. She patted his cheek to awaken him and then held up the potion bottles, showing him what he would be taking, an anti-nausea potion, Dizzy Down and a fever reducer. He nodded and she held the cup to his lips, her other hand supporting his head. He slowly drank, pausing every few gulps to take a breath.
Severus felt the potions taking effect and he relaxed somewhat. He assumed the vertigo was related to the damage to his ears but he had hoped it would pass. "Where is Albus?" he rasped.
"I'm here, child." called Albus from the doorway, as he entered with Hagrid and Ron.
Remus smiled and nodded to the headmaster. Severus followed Remus' gaze and saw Albus approach.
Molly enveloped her son in a huge hug, Arthur patting his back. After a moment Arthur chuckled. "Molly, let the boy breathe, dear."
Hagrid went to retrieve a box near the door. The box contained food for the thestrals. He heaved the weighty box onto his shoulder and started for the door.
"Hagrid," called Albus. "Do come in when you are finished. We'll have some food sent up."
"'Course, 'eadmaster."
Ron was ushered to the bed beside Severus. Molly reached for the buttons on her son's shirt. "Mum!" He batted her hands away, his ears turning red. "I can dress myself!" He picked up his pajamas from the bed and took off for the privacy of the bathroom to change.
"Did he look good to you, dear?" Molly asked her husband. "He seems thinner."
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