Why is Dumbledore so stupid? I know I should know the answer to that because I did write it but... Ah, well. The story has taken control of itself.

Chapter Eleven

The weeks dragged on, turning themselves into months, torturing him more as the day drew closer. When there were three weeks until the end of the year, he thought he might not be able to stand it anymore. When there were two weeks left, he felt like he would burn up if he didn't see her soon. And then, finally, it was one week—and then no more than a day.

But he did burn. It was late at night and his arm was searing. People made such a fuss about Potter's scar, but when Severus suffered, it was silent pain. He threw his clothes on, eyes watering, and hurried towards Hogsmeade.

Oddly enough, he didn't have to Apparate at all. They were there—four of them. Death Eaters.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. "The Dark Lord calls!"

"He wants us here today, Snape." It was Malfoy. "We've got a special mission for tonight."

"What?" he asked urgently. This would be important for Dumbledore to know.

"We're destroying that precious school of his!" Severus felt like he'd been dropped into ice—not only because of what the Death Eater had said, but because Malfoy hadn't said that. It had been Bellatrix. He flinched at the voice, fighting with himself. Remember Lilly, he instructed himself forcefully. You love her, not Bellatrix. You never loved Bellatrix.

"It's good to see you again, Severus," she said seductively, putting a hand to his chest.

He backed away, not looking at her. "Stop, Bella," he said.

"Why? You never wanted me to stop before…"

"Why?" his voice was stronger now. "Because I'm carrying three potions right now. One of them will send you into very painful spasms, the second will prevent you from being able to do magic, and the last will kill you." He turned away. "How has the Dark Lord gotten around the protective spells on Hogwarts?" The question was directed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smiled. "He played with a Spell Canceling Solution until it worked," he answered.

Severus was curious through his panic. "What did he do to it?"

"You know, Severus, it was truly a stroke of brilliance. He added two mermaid scales, coated in the blood of a unicorn."

From what he knew of unicorn blood and mermaids, that did seem like it would work. Severus felt his stomach clench. He couldn't let them.

"We can't," he said hoarsely.

Malfoy froze. "What did you say, Severus?"

"We can't destroy Hogwarts."

"You dare to refuse the Dark Lord's orders? Why shouldn't we?"

"Because there are too many who would be all too willing to join us," he said, making up a story fast. "Think of all the young Slytherins!"

"It's a loss, but he doesn't care."

"We can't," he repeated.

"Get out of the way, Severus."

"I won't," he said firmly, drawing his wand. He hit Malfoy quickly with a well-chosen spell and the man froze before falling to the ground. Crabbe and Goyle lumbered forward, wands forgotten, raising fists. Severus ducked and turned, trying to hex them and get out of the way at the same time. It wasn't working. Bellatrix was shooting spells at him too.

"Don't kill him!" she screeched. "I want him when you're done and he's too weak to fight back."

Severus silenced her with a nice charm. She looked furious, but couldn't say a spell. And then he himself couldn't make a noise. One of them must have had a knife because suddenly his side was searing. He clutched the bleeding gash in his side and tried to keep fighting. All he managed to do was give Crabbe a nosebleed—and a mild one at that.

Grinning, the gigantic men marched forward to where Severus was kneeling on the ground. Goyle pushed him all the way onto his back and hit his stomach. Severus bit his lip, feeling the deep cut bleeding more. He moved his wand and aimed it at the other. "Stupefy," he murmured. Crabbe was distracted. It worked, but Goyle was now even more furious.

Two strong slams in the head made Severus pass out. He'd done what he could. Dumbledore would have to do the rest. They can't kill Lilly… he thought desperately before the night grew darker around him.

Lilly woke up on the last day at Hogwarts feeling unwell. There would be no lessons today. She'd get her N. E. W. T. scores and then there would be the feast. She'd graduate… and then she remembered with a rush of ecstatic happiness—then she could go to Severus again! It was what she'd been dreaming about for weeks and thinking about for months more than that. She'd almost forgotten what his arms felt like around her… but there would be time to relearn it in a few hours.

Severus wasn't at breakfast. It worried her, but he'd missed meals before. It's okay, she assured herself. But when he wasn't at lunch either…

Lilly was distracted quickly by the form McGonagall had just dropped in front of her. Her heartbeat sped up. N. E. W. T scores! She ripped it open with shaking hands and unfolded the parchment inside. It read:

N. E. W. T Result Form: Lillyan Carina

The Ministry would like to congratulate the Seventh Year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for completing seven years of school and becoming, with a few exceptions, fully qualified members of the magical community. Best wishes to all,

Yours sincerely,

The Ministry

Arithmancy: A

Astronomy: E

Care of Magical Creatures: E

Charms: O

Defense Against the Dark Arts: O

Divination: P

Herbology: O

Potions: grading system inadequate. Please consult the Headmaster for further information.

Transfiguration: E

Lilly smiled happily. Three O's! Three E's, and an A! The poor grade in Divination didn't surprise her. Trelawney couldn't teach anyway. But why hadn't she received a grade in Potions? Perhaps she'd done so poorly that they couldn't grade it? But how could that be? It had tested her on the Conflagration Solution—she'd made it three times before with the right results… "Please consult the Headmaster…" Lilly walked up to the table as if she'd been hypnotized.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Lilly asked.

"Lilly," he greeted her with a tired smile. "You have a question about your grades?"

"Yes," she murmured. "In Potions… it said they couldn't grade it. Could I have done that badly?"

Dumbledore beamed. "No, Miss Carina, you haven't. You created a potion so powerful that it burned the scoring sheet to ash before they could stop it. You received more than an O. That's something to be very, very proud of."

Lilly grinned and walked back to her seat, eating her lunch cheerfully.

†

Severus wasn't at dinner. Lilly's stomach felt cold. She waited for Dumbledore's speech. Maybe he'd tell them… She didn't eat much, staring impatiently at the high table, waiting for the teachers to stop eating.

When Dumbledore stood up, the crowd of students hushed.

"I know you are all anxious to see off our Seventh Year students," he said warmly, "but there are a few announcements. I need to recognize a teacher who has done an extraordinary thing for this school and those in it. He has made endless sacrifices for Hogwarts, providing us with important information that has been invaluable in our fight to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort." A shiver ran through the crowd and Lilly's eyes jerked open. He can't be… she thought desperately. He couldn't leave her now… She needed him—she loved him too much…

"Severus Snape is unable to join us today because he is recovering in the hospital wing from a concussion and a serious injury to his side. He saved this school last night and everyone in it…"

But Lilly wasn't listening. She had dropped her goblet on the table and was walking towards the door. But he noticed.

"Miss Carina, please sit down."

"Let me go!" she begged. "Let me go to him, Professor, please…"

"I have forbidden it," Dumbledore said. "You know why. Sit down—you are still a student of Hogwarts."

She couldn't move forward because of some spell or another. "If you won't let me go," she said, more bravely than she felt, "I will make sure I get there." She pulled out her wand, ready to cut herself, break a bone, anything.

"Expelliarmus." Her wand clattered to the floor, too far away for her to reach. "I cannot let you hurt yourself," the Headmaster said evenly.

"You're hurting me now," she moaned. "Headmaster, I haven't spoken to him in five and a half months, and now he's hurt and I need to see him! Please let me go see him!"

Dumbledore was about to refuse, but Lilly didn't want to hear it. She pulled a bottle out of her sleeve—she'd picked up the habit of carrying useful potions with her from Severus—and held it up. "This is my last bottle of the Solution you taught me," she said, and poured it onto the floor in front of her. The Spell-Canceller worked and she ran out of the Great Hall before he could stop her again.

Her calves burned from running up so many stairs, but she didn't care. All that mattered was Severus now. Finally, she was at the hospital wing. She threw the door open. Madame Pomfrey looked up, alarmed. "Miss Carina, this is the hospital wing! My patients need their rest, you can't just—"

Lilly didn't listen. She simply interrupted her, mid-lecture. "Where's Severus?" she demanded.

"What?"

"Where's Severus? I need to see him."

"Absolutely not! The Headmaster has forbidden it."

"Madame Pomfrey," Lilly said sharply, "I don't give a damn what the Headmaster said. Let me see him."

The nurse frowned. "Well, he's sleeping. No."

"I don't care!" she said furiously. "I just need to see him! He doesn't have to be awake."

"Well..." Madame Pomfrey relented. "I suppose… it's your last day, after all…"

Lilly said a hurried "Thank you," and followed her down the ward.

Severus was lying in a bed behind curtains at the far end of the room. Lilly slipped into the small room created by them and sat down next to him. He was asleep, his mouth moving silently as if he were trying to talk but didn't have the energy. There were thick bandages wrapped all around his chest and his forehead was bruised. She bit her lip. Very gently so that she wouldn't hurt him, she put a hand on his face.

"Poppy, I will not drink any more of that accursed potion!" he said impatiently, not opening his eyes and assuming the school nurse wanted him to swallow something else that burned and stung and tasted like sulfur. But then, Madame Pomfrey had never actually touched him to wake him up… he frowned, but it hurt, so he stopped. He reached up—opening his eyes made his head ache—and felt the hand on his cheek. It was smaller than his… the skin was smooth and cool…

"Lilly," he breathed, barely daring to believe it was true.

"Severus," she said. He knew she was crying from her voice.

"Don't cry. I'm okay," he said.

"No… no, you're not," she said. "How bad is it?"

"Well," he said, trying to reassure her, "I'll be back to normal in four days."

"Four days?" she moaned. Madame Pomfrey usually got her students back in shape in a matter of hours.

"It's a bad concussion."

"I can't wait four days!"

"You waited five months," he said, but he knew how she felt.

"But… but I have to go home and I won't be able to see you in four days! I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

Severus's head was hurting from talking so much. He didn't answer right away but he held her hand and it was enough.

She said, "I missed you," at the same time that he said, "I love you."