AN:I am SSSOOOOO sorry it has taken me a while to update this story. For all of you that have been ready to kill me, I humbly hand over my head. Lioness78 had to help me get some information I could not access with my laptop down and then I had to get the writing bug for this story again. Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter. I fully intend to spend more time writing on this story as I write on others. If I'm going too slow, just give several well placed kicks in my ass to get me moving. Thanks to everyone. Love ya all-Neph
The castle was in a frenzy, at least the teachers. Remus and Bridget had not returned from their excursion from the night before. No one could understand what had happened to them. Theories ranged from Voldemort to Remus having eaten her. The latter, of course, supplied by Severus. When he had intoned he now had a shot at the DADA class, Minerva had to be restrained by Sprout and Hooch. In the end, he did teach the afternoon classes, Albus having seen to the morning ones.
Once classes were over for the day, several started searching for the missing teachers. Trewlany told Severus it was his fate to find Bridget, his soul needed to find her. He scoffed at her nonsense. He was still grumbling about it to himself when he stumbled upon a snow white raven. He vaguely remembered seeing it before so thought he should take it back to the castle.
Minerva was the first to see him with the raven. She forgot all about previous statements and rushed to his side. "She's Bridget's."
"You should take it to Hagrid." He handed her the raven. She need something to do, something productive.
"But..." She wanted to search for her daughter.
"I will locate her." She gripped his arm in her free hand. Her eyes pleaded with him to do so. "I'll find her," he assured her again. "Take the bird to Hagrid." He turned to walk away, to find Minerva's daughter.
"Black raven, Severus, with blue eyes," she called after him. She had to make sure he would recognize her in her animagus form as well. She watched him walk away before taking the raven to Hagrid.
Severus continued off to fine Bridget. He made no inclination he heard Minerva's last statement. He was not happy about having to search for Bridget, especially with Trewlany's words at the back of his mind. He did not put faith in her, but on occasion she was correct. He owed Albus much, as he did Minerva though loathe to admit it. He would do all he could to find their daughter. He would consider finding Remus after he had found Bridget.
Stupid female, running with that animal, he cursed to himself as he looked on.
After a few more hours of searching, Severus heard something. A squawking reached his ears. He sought out the noise, finding a raven attempting to flee a fox. The raven was obviously injured or it would have simply flown away. He quickly chased the fox away. Gently, he looked the raven over and was met with piercing blue eyes. He gathered the raven to him and made quickly for the infirmary at the castle. The raven went lax in his arms, panting through her open beak.
Entering the infirmary, Severus glanced around for Madam Pomfrey. He found her toward the back of the room. "Pomfrey, get over here. This crow is injured." The raven fluttered slightly. True ravens are in the crow family, but she was a raven.
Poppy walked over with a frown. She was a healer for witches and wizards not birds. "I am not taking care of some mangey crow."
"Do it, woman," he growled at her as he laid the raven down on a bed. He was in a foul mood and she certainly was not helping matters any. He wanted to bin in his dungeons, alone, where he did not have to put up with people who would rather not have him around.
Grumbling, Madam Pomfrey did the best she could, not use to catering to animals. She looked to Severus. "Some of the injuries will take a bit of time." She could still not figure out what he cared whether the bird lived or died. He was not typically the caring type to people let alone animals.
"Do you best." He watched as she turned back to the raven and finished her job. "Go get Albus and Minerva," he told her when she was done. She frowned at him, the whole situation making less and less sense, but left. She did not wish to argue with the grouchy, brooding man.
Severus turned his attention back to the raven. She fluttered weakly, still spent from her injuries. She was not overly aware of her surroundings just that she seemed to be safe and there were people around her. He pulled out his wand and spoke a few words, knowing she was strong finally strong enough to be transfigured back. Slowly, the raven began to take human form, using some of his energy to finish the process. Once finished, Bridget laid before him breathing heavily.
She looked around frantically a few moments, disoriented by the transfiguration. She took a moment to realize where she was as well, her mind still partly that of a raven. Severus knelt beside her, the look in her eyes calling to him. He placed a hand on her gently. Her eyes landed on him. "Shhh. Don't injure yourself more. Your mother is on her way." He imagined that news would calm her. He doubted she wanted comfort, little he could likely give, from him.
Her eyes were uncertain as she gazed at him. He covered her naked body with a sheet in silence, waiting for her parents to arrive. "Se... Severus?" Her voice matched the look in her eyes.
"Yes. You were injured last night." He watched her look down at herself, puzzled. A frown graced her face. She could not remember. Her mind was pulled to her surroundings as her parents rushed into the room. Minerva was immediately on her knees by her daughter. Severus got up and moved away, preparing to leave. His job was done. Bridget's scared eyes followed him for a time before turning to her mother. He noticed and watched until she looked away, then he left. She had her parents. He would only get in the way. He had potions to work on in his dungeon.
"We were worried for you." Albus stood watching Minerva make over Bridget. He had been very worried, for Minerva as well. He was still worried as they had yet to locate Remus. "What happened?" They needed any information they could get to find Remus.
Minerva shook her head. Now was not the time, even if they had to find Remus. She soothed Bridget who was also shaking her head not remembering what happened. "Rest now. We'll talk later." She kissed her brow then turned to Poppy, who was shocked at the raven having been Bridget. Severus could have told her that in the first place. "Poppy, give her a drought. She needs rest."
Poppy nodded and retrieved one. She gave it to Bridget, who quickly fell asleep. Minerva and Albus sat with their daughter for some time before he pulled her away to get some rest. Poppy also turned in, leaving Bridget to sleep. They all figured she would remain so for the rest of the night.
A few hours after everyone had left her side, around midnight, Bridget awoke from a nightmare. She remembered what had happened. She needed to tell someone, talk to anyone. Only one person was she certain would be awake. Shakily, she got off the bed and wrapped a sheet around herself. She then slowly made her way to the dungeons, entering Severus' chambers without knocking. She stood in the door watching him.
He was handsome, she would admit that. His hair was not as greasy as students liked to believe. His nose, to her, was not large and ugly. He had an air about him that was regal, authoritive. He also had a bad reputation simply because he liked to be an ass. They missed the man behind the facade. Granted, she argued with and bitched at him, but she wondered, as she watched him grade papers, if dislike was the reason. Maybe... just maybe it was something completely different.
Severus felt someone watching him and looked up, prepared to yell at whomever dare his enter his chambers, especially without knocking. He was surprised to see Bridget standing in his door. She was pale and her face haggard. The wound on her shoulder was an angry, bright red against her pale skin. He stood and walked over to her, puzzled as to why she was in his chambers. He lead her to a couch near the fireplace, which burned low. "Why are you out of bed?"
She softly answered, "I remember." She had expected him to demand why she was there, not actually sound concerned.
"Why are you here?" He did not disappoint her, but his voice was much softer than she recalled hearing before.
She gave him a small smile. "I knew you would be awake."
"Of course," he replied. He was not one to sleep much. He also had no reason to believe she would be there if it were an other time. "What do you remember?" She started ringing her hands together. He knelt before her and took her hands in his own to stop her. "Bridget, what do you remember?" He could see she was distressed. He soothingly stroked the side of her face with one hand.
She swallowed then took a breath. "Moony was running. Everything was fine... Then... Out of the darkness I heard a loud bang. I flew down... Someone had shot Moony. Looked like a dart sticking out of his side. He whined and then they shot Rune as he fought. They shot at all of us... Beat us with sticks to get us away from him..." She started crying, remembering the look in Moony's eyes. "I was helpless. I couldn't do anything for him... Not in front of them..."
He knelt there a moment, not knowing what to do. Finally, he pulled her off the couch and into his lap. He looked uncomfortable but she did not notice. She let him do what he wanted, crying against his shoulder. He was thrown seeing her like this. She was strong willed, seemingly hard at times. He did not expect tears and needing comfort. "There was nothing you could do."
She took time calming but eventually did, sniffing. "Faeniell flew away first. Did she make it?"
"We found her." She sighed softly at his words. "She is being taken care of by Hagrid."
"Good." She sniffed again. "I... I think they are taking him to America."
"They will not succeed. We... I'll find him." He did not know why he told her that. Doing so went against the image he tried, fought to keep.
"You can't do it alone." She looked up, meeting his eyes. "I know how strong and proud you are, but..." She put her hand to his cheek, the palm soft against his skin. "One man against so many. They are muggles." The reason she had not transfigured back to herself.
Severus fought to not react to the soft skin touching his cheek. He had never experienced the reaction his body wanted to have. "Then that would make them easy to take care of. The right curse would work."
"Severus," she gasped. She knew his reputation, had seen him act cold and callous. Still, to say something like that, let alone intend to follow through. "No one is worth the punishment for that." Though her words were not heart felt. She would do so for anyone she loved. She realized that included Remus, but Severus hated Remus. Why would he?
He raised an eyebrow. "you should remember who you are talking to. I have little use for rules." At least, that was, when it came to following them. He loved to enforce them on students, especially Gryffindors.
She glanced down away from his face. Could he be so cruel when he hated Remus? What, then, if he cared for the one to be saved? Were there no limits to what he would do? Was anyone truly safe around him? Why would she seek aid, company, comfort from such a man? "It's funny, me coming to you after the way we have been at each other this term." But, she remembered the way he treated her when he found her on the forest floor. She smiled wryly, more to herself than him.
"You said it yourself, I am the only one awake." Still, that explained to neither of them why he held her so and why she let him, why neither sought nor wished to move.
She nodded and slid her hand from his cheek. "Never really thought twice about it, coming here." She sighed. The topic needed changed. "How do you hope to find him?"
He said nothing about her changing the subject. "I would think your raven would be able to do that," he answered as if her question was silly, the answer obvious. To him, perhaps, it was.
She frowned slightly in thought, starting to feel the effects of her injuries, nodding in understanding. "If he's still alive. They have to know what he is now." She feared what they would do to him. The horrors muggles could put upon things they wanted to understand were well known to the wizarding world.
"He is worth quite a bit to muggles. He's alive, I am sure." He noticed how lax her body was, how tired and pale. "Bed," he declared. "You need to be in bed."
She knew she did, but she had not the will, strength, or energy to get there. "I don't think I can make it back to the infirmary or my quarters." Her voice did not belay how weary she was.
"Very well." He tightened his hold on her and stood. He carried her to his own bed, laying her down. He did his best to ignore that her soft body fit against his just right.
She smiled up at him as best she could muster. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because you need sleep," he answered bluntly. She shook her head but let the subject drop. She fell into a fitful sleep. He returned to the couch, sleeping himself while he had time, needing to get some rest before his classes the next day.