Disclaimer: Everything recognizable from the Harry Potter universe belongs to J K Rowling, no infringement is intended to any copyright holder

Beloved on this Earth

~ 0 ~

Lois peered at her hastily scribbled directions before turning down a street which she hoped would lead into Privet Drive, still not sure even this close to her destination whether she was doing the right thing. Her father had always warned her that her soft heart would be her downfall, she remembered fondly, and this afternoon he was very likely to be proved right. Logically she knew it was madness to get so attached to a patient, but by the time she had realised what had happened, it was far too late to do anything about it.

It was her overactive sense of responsibility and concern for Harry's welfare that had forced this visit. Unfortunately, while she had grave doubts about the home he was being sent back to, there was no evidence of any cruelty. She had absolutely no right or reason to go barging into their house to check up on his living conditions, and if the hospital found out what she was doing she would be in serious trouble. Nevertheless, even given all that, Lois knew herself well enough to realise that there was simply no other way to put her mind at rest.

Her one comforting thought, and the only reason she had a hope in hell of pulling this off, was the fact that the Dursleys struck her as the type of people who put an awful lot of stock in appearances. If she could convince them that they were under scrutiny from the "Authorities," she was sure they would see to it that Harry was adequately cared for until he returned to school. The tricky part was going to be phrasing her words vaguely enough, without actually lying, to make it appear as though she was acting in some sort of an official capacity, while at the same time not making it so vague that she looked like an insane stalker of young boys.

Although Lois was genuinely concerned for Harry, her valid, but unsubstantiated misgivings about the care he was receiving was not the sole reason for her visit. Nor was it the reason she was in such a hurry. After all, Harry had only been discharged from hospital yesterday and it would have made more sense, and been more believable to have left it a day or two before putting in an appearance. However, something had happened last night to cause all her cautious and carefully made plans to fly out the window.

After a long relaxing soak in the bath to recover from the stressful day, she had headed straight to bed, falling asleep within minutes. Unfortunately, her peaceful slumber had soon been disturbed by disjointed, nightmare images of graveyards, dead bodies and a feeling of pervading evil that had culminated in an image of Harry's terrified face as an explosion of noise and blinding green light had shook the ground. She had woken, heart racing and gasping for breath, still hearing the horrific sound of evil, high-pitched laughter echoing in her ears.

Once she had calmed sufficiently to think clearly once more, her decision had already been made; she would visit the Dursleys first thing tomorrow morning and worry about any consequences of her actions later. While she didn't believe in omens or premonitions, her dream was obviously caused by her subconscious guilt at leaving Harry to fend for himself. If she wanted to avoid another nightmare like that one, which she most definitely did, she would need to do something sooner rather than later to at least try and help him.

Sitting huddled in the darkness, her heartbeat slowly returning to normal, Lois promised herself that once she had seen Harry and made sure he was okay, she would push her guilty conscience aside and concentrate instead on enjoying her well-earned break. She refused to answer though, the small mocking voice that asked what she was planning to do if Harry wasn't okay.

Internal debate over, she glanced up to see she had arrived at her destination. Squaring her shoulders with determination, Lois fixed a friendly smile on her face and rang the bell of number four, Privet Drive. Immediately on doing so, she heard a loud conversation coming not far from the front door itself. When the voices quietened and she still heard no movement towards her, she rang the bell again, this time leaving her finger on the buzzer.

Thirty seconds later the door was yanked open without warning and she stood frozen, staring bemusedly at the figure that appeared. He was much taller than Mr Dursley, and it took a moment for her surprised eyes to move up the necessary level to see his face clearly. She took in black, shoulder length hair and a face that was dominated by a large nose and pitch black eyes with not a speck of warmth in them. He was wearing such an angry scowl that she automatically stepped backwards, the action finally removing her finger from the bell and stopping the annoying buzzing sound.

From her new vantage point Lois was able to see the man more fully; he was slim and dressed from head to toe in black - incredibly in the form of long flowing robes and a cloak. Lois took another hurried step back from his intimidating presence when he barked impatiently, 'Well, what do you want?' as she continued to stare up at him lost for words.

His angry voice and furious expression immediately had her brain urging her to run and not return. Just as she was about to obey her minds frantic command, she spied Harry sitting in his wheelchair, peering curiously around the stranger's tall figure.

'Harry!' she said in relief, moving towards the door again.

'Lois!' he exclaimed in obvious surprise, his face lighting up with pleasure as he wheeled himself closer to the door.

'We have no time for this, Potter,' the dark-haired stranger interjected rudely, completely ignoring Lois. 'You will have to tell your little friend that you will speak to her later,' he finished disdainfully.

'I am not his friend,' Lois replied, stung by his scornful condescension; she had never claimed to be overburdened in the height department and knew her small size often caused people to think her younger than she was, but at twenty-five, she certainly couldn't be mistaken for a fifteen year old! 'Harry is my patient and I've come to see how he's getting along now that he's home.' Please don't let this get back to the hospital, she prayed silently as she was fixed with an icy glare from above.

'It's okay Professor Snape, Lois was my nurse when I was in hospital,' Harry butted in, seeming embarrassed by the other man's attitude.

A Professor? Lois wondered, disbelievingly. He doesn't look like any Professor I've ever seen and where are the Dursleys during all this? Lois looked again at the robed man and was struck by unpleasant thoughts of cults and kidnapping. Before she could give herself time to change her mind, she stepped smartly around his tall figure and over to where Harry sat.

'Are you okay Harry, have your family popped out?' she asked as casually as she could.

The dark man made an impatient sound and swung around to grasp her by the shoulder, steering her forcibly towards the still open doorway. Before he knew what had happened however, Lois had twisted in his arms and was again standing protectively by Harry's side. Although she was completely unaware of it, to the man staring across at her, her attempts to appear cool and authoritative in a dark tailored dress with her hair ruthlessly confined to a tight knot at her nape, were cruelly thwarted by the fact that she looked like a tiny, enraged lioness defending a cub almost as large as she.

'Who exactly are you?' Lois demanded, seeing his assessing stare and no longer trying to be pleasant.

'That is none of your concern,' Snape growled, while Harry answered hurriedly, 'Lois, this is Professor Snape - a teacher from my boarding school. He's come to take me back there for the holidays because my family have been called away.'

Lois turned an assessing gaze on the young boy who seemed to be having trouble meeting her eyes and was shuffling awkwardly on his chair. 'I really think I need to speak to your aunt and uncle, Harry,' she said slowly, carefully judging the reactions of the two males. She had no intention of leaving this house until she was fully satisfied Harry was in no danger and right now she was not at all certain of that fact. This, Professor, looked more like a dangerous criminal than any teacher she had ever met, and he had done nothing to alter that opinion since she had arrived.

Certain she was in the right, she stood steadfast and unmoving by Harry's side, waiting for Snape to make the next move. It took him only seconds to process his options and she watched, impressed, as he forced all traces of anger and impatience to fade from his face and donned instead an expression of benign forbearance, which sat awkwardly on his harsh features.

'Madam,' Snape began and Lois realised that despite his unpleasant demeanour, he had the most beautiful voice, silky and strangely compelling. Beneath the smooth perfection of it however, she was conscious of a thread of thinly veiled impatience. 'While your obvious concern is admirable, I assure you Mr Potter is in perfectly safe hands. His situation was brought to the attention of his Headmaster, who has graciously offered that he be cared for within the school until term time begins, with his guardians' full consent of course. As a matter of fact we are just now on our way and really must be going.' This last statement was said with more emphasis as he glanced hurriedly at a silver pocket watch.

Despite his reassurances, Lois was definitely not convinced; whatever the travel arrangements, new ones could be made. Until she had spoken to the Dursleys, she had no intention of letting this man take him anywhere. 'I'm afraid Professor, I really must insist that I speak to Mr and Mrs Dursley before I can allow Harry to go with you.'

Snape gave a warning growl, glancing quickly at his pocket watch again. Apparently reaching a decision, he stepped purposely into the kitchen, returning seconds later, bizarrely, with a spatula held in hand. 'Right, Potter,' he snapped. 'I have no more patience for this, do you have all your belongings ready?'

'Yes Professor, but what about…?' Harry threw a worried glance in Lois's direction.

'I will deal with it later,' Snape said sparing a brief nod towards Lois, who stood, her cheeks flushing red in anger at his obvious dismissal.

'I'm really sorry Lois,' Harry murmured apologetically, hauling an empty cage onto his lap while Snape dragged a large trunk forward, which he held in his free hand. 'But honestly don't worry - everything's fine.'

The insane possibility of brainwashing was slowly beginning to occur to Lois and she reached angrily over to snatch away the spatula both Snape and Harry were now holding, with no real idea of why. The second her hand touched the cold metal she felt a sharp tug in her stomach and her feet were lifted from the ground with a jolt. Despite the rushing wind and bright colours surrounding her, Lois was still aware of Harry and Snape's presence by her side as they zoomed to goodness knows where. With a sudden lurch, it was over as quickly as it began, and Lois felt her feet thud back to the floor with such force she toppled forward. Her head slammed with an alarming crack onto solid ground and no sooner had the world begun to come clear again, than everything faded to black.

***

Snape scowled down with irritation at the tiny woman collapsed on the ground next to him. Her pale hair had come loose during the journey, and now lay in a riotous tumble around her still form, seeming to crackle with energy. Why was nothing ever simple when it involved Potter? The wretched child had the most amazing ability to attract trouble, he thought furiously shooting an angry glare over at the oblivious boy, who by now, was almost falling out of the damn wheelchair in his attempts to see if the annoying female was all right.

With an angry sigh, Snape conjured a stretcher and bent down to lift the unconscious woman from the floor. She seemed to weigh next to nothing and for a moment he was filled with a strange sense of warmth and contentment while holding her. The unfamiliar feelings disturbed him so much, he dropped her hurriedly down onto the stretcher with less care than he should have shown and was rewarded with a small groan. Serves her right, he thought with vicious satisfaction, damned foolish Muggle interfering in wizarding matters. He couldn't have explained though, even to himself, why his hands reached out to gently straighten her right arm which was folded awkwardly beneath her.

'Is she okay?' he heard Potter's worried voice interrupting his troubled thoughts.

'I'm sure she will be fine, however at this point it is easier to leave her in her present state until I have a way of returning her to her home.'

'Where are we?' Harry asked looking around the wooded area they had arrived in.

'Just outside the Apparating barrier for Hogwarts,' Snape answered curtly. 'Right,' he said, pulling out his wand and muttering, 'Mobiliarmarium.' Harry's trunk rose obligingly into the air and waited patiently by the side of his chair. 'Let's get to the school, Potter; Dumbledore can sort out the Muggle, hopefully while she is still unconscious, and I can finally get on with my own work,' he snarled pushing Harry forward with a jerk to set him on his way.

***

The strange trio made their way across the grass and over a small hill, at which point the castle loomed into sight. Harry gave a sigh of pleasure and urged the wheelchair to greater speeds; with any luck once he was safely inside Hogwarts, he wouldn't have to see Snape again until the new term started and hopefully Madam Pomfrey could heal his aching limbs in seconds.

Just at that moment Lois gave a loud groan and Harry looked quickly over at Snape who didn't seem to have noticed; his face was still screwed tight with anger and his attention was fixed dead ahead. When Harry saw Lois's hands begin to twitch, he stopped his wheelchair and pulled on the cloth of the stretcher to bring it to a halt too.

He liked Lois a lot and he was guiltily aware she had been hurt trying to protect him, unnecessarily for once, from Snape. At times like these he wasn't sure whether magic was a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, the fact that Lois's injuries could be healed with the wave of a wand was an enormous relief, on the other, with the wave of that same wand, all the memories she had of Harry could be gone in an instant. He knew that Oblivating all trace of this incident would be the first thing Dumbledore would do, but Harry desperately hoped he could talk him out of it – Lois had told him he could stay in touch and telephone her at any time and he had fully intended taking her up on that offer. During the short time he had known her, Lois had shown him more kindness and consideration than his so-called family ever had. He knew that she must have nursed thousands of children, but he was pretty sure her affection for him had been more than the normal warmth she would show any patient, and he certainly didn't want to lose her friendship because she'd been forced to forget they'd ever met.

Anyway, would it really be so bad if she found out witches and wizards existed? She wasn't like most Muggles and he was almost positive she could be trusted not to go blabbing it to everyone, nor did he think she would want a magical solution to all her problems as Hagrid had once warned. In any event, the fact that magic was real obviously wasn't a complete secret; plenty of witches and wizards, himself including, were raised in Muggle families. Even the Muggle Prime Minister knew all about them, because he had been informed when Sirius had escaped from Azkaban.

His frantic attempts to come up with reasons to convince Dumbledore not to Oblivate Lois, came to an abrupt halt when Snape realised that they were no longer behind him and swung round, an evil look in his eyes.

'Potter, what the hell do you think you're playing at!' Harry gestured to Lois and Snape let out a hiss of annoyance. 'Damn woman is a nuisance even when unconscious,' he muttered, striding back towards them.

Lois chose that moment to pull herself up with a jerk and glance fearfully around. 'Where am I?' she asked in a hoarse voice, bringing a hand up to her head with a wince.

'Please, Miss…?' Snape began.

'Scott,' Lois answered automatically. 'Good lord, is that a castle?' she asked in befuddled awe.

Harry stared at Snape, astounded. How could she see Hogwarts? It was supposed to be invisible to Muggle eyes. 'Professor how can she...?' he began, but before he could finish the sentence, Lois groaned again.

'Oh my head really hurts,' she muttered flopping back down and slipping into unconsciousness once more.

Both Snape and Harry watched her warily until it became apparent she wouldn't be getting up again any time soon.

'I don't understand,' Harry tried again. 'How can she see Hogwarts? Oh,' he murmured gripped by a sudden and very pleasant thought, 'do you think she's a witch?' he said, forgetting momentarily that he would normally rather cut out his tongue than use it to ask Snape a question.

'No, no not possible,' Snape answered distractedly. 'If she were she would at least recognise Hogwarts, even if she didn't attend the school herself, nor for that matter would she have been so shocked by my appearance earlier,' he said indicating his robes.

Harry very much doubted that the robes could be blamed for the shock Snape's appearance caused people, but he thought it best not to mention that.

'Wait a minute,' Snape said abruptly, drawing his wand and running it a number of times over Lois's body while muttering a spell Harry couldn't make out. 'No, nothing,' he declared finally, returning his wand to his sleeve.

'What was that, Professor?' Harry risked when Snape offered no explanation.

'If she had used a wand at any time a residue of magic would have remained resulting in a glow when I waved my wand over her. The more recent the spell the brighter the colour,' Snape replied tersely. 'Even if she had not used a wand in years there would still have been a faint, but noticeable, trace of it left behind. She is clearly not a witch.'

'Well then how can she see Hogwarts?'

'I don't know,' Snape said, still looking not a little troubled. 'Maybe the blow to the head…?' He was talking more to himself by this point and Harry wisely did not interrupt.

Obviously displeased by the lack of answers, Snape urged them forward again with an impatient gesture, the swift pace he set meaning they reached the castle in minutes. He guided the stretcher into the Great Hall and muttered another spell over Lois. She seemed to relax deeper into the fabric at once and Snape straightened away, shooting an icy glare at Harry as he did so.

'I'm going to speak to the Headmaster, Potter,' he said looking at his pocket watch. 'Hopefully he will have returned by now. You stay here and don't move; she shouldn't wake, but I don't want her left alone,' he warned.

Harry nodded to show he understood and watched as Snape strode out of the Hall, his cloak billowing dramatically behind him.