The Only Protectus

by Ophelias Diary

The feud between the Basilica and Snape line continues, will Siana and Severus find their precarious relationship strengthened during the war?

2. Chapter 2

Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA.. Written between Goblet of Fire and Order of Phoenix.
Genre: Action, Angst
Era: Multiple Eras
Main Character(s): None
Ship(s): None
Summary: Siana Basilica has found the first of many answers, and Severus Snape has returned from his encounter with Voldemort. When Siana finds herself back at Hogwarts to continue looking for answers about her strange abilities, and her even stranger wand, she encounters a Snape entirely different to the one she knew before. The Death Eaters and Voldemort are hunting her, and she herself is experiencing unusual symptoms to the one thing that could possibly help her.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

The Only Protects

Chapter 2: A Small Revelation

Who would ever have thought I'd end up here? It's almost funny in a way, follow my heart, and I end up getting sunburnt, wondering how much longer it's going to take to get to Margaret River. Quaint sounding, English, considering it's near the aboriginal Yallingup. I love it. Love it.

Yet I'm scared. Fuck I'm scared. I haven't used my wand. I refuse to use it, which is really annoying. I'm travelling places via Muggle transport for that very reason. I mean I can't Portkey anywhere, they can trace me. Small relief that I know Frederick won't try and find me either that way. I can't Apparate, I don't trust anyone here enough to send me somewhere, and I haven't really seen all that many wizards or witches.

Well...there is Gary. He's a strange man, liking Muggle things so much...I guess he is Muggle born though. Muggles are strange...I still think Dad had something in being so well, condemning of them. Yet, Dumbledore seems to respect them. I don't know...it's all so confusing now, I'm questioning everything and I don't like that at all! Anyway, Gary, I like him. Though he's singing some song which I haven't heard before and right now it sounds as though a warthog is grunting. That's his singing. By Artemis I'd like to tell him to shut up, but he is helpful enough.

Shock of horrors when I got here really. I mean Ollivander sent me. That was nice of him, I was so desperate to find a cure for my wand, the Locarius spell, everything...and now I'm here. Oh well, I sort of trust Ollivander, after everything that has happened.

Severus...I want to see him again. I want to show him that I'm alright now, not prone to shocks of wildly debilitating magic or anything. I want to see that he's alright, not too badly hurt by seeing Lord Voldemort. I can't believe he went, how could he go like that when he knew that his life was in danger? Though...I still, I still want to know if he's alright. Like, really alright. I want to ask him if a relationship could work between us.

I want a lot of things.

I don't like Muggle cars at all. The scenery is nice though, and at least it's not me on the back of Cleansweep half killing myself. Ha. Ha. Never forget the time dear old Nathan took me out for a joyride and I broke two fingers. Then there's that other time when James bought his broom with him to the Basilican forest, and I accidentally levitated into an overhanging branch. Though James, and Black come to think of it, thought it was hilarious. No. I guess a muggle car is better than a broomstick, so long as I'm not driving.

The trees are great, and the weather, it's so warm! And brown, Perth is very brown. There are trees everywhere, so much temperate forest, and yet, it's not really all that green. It is beautiful though, I can understand why people would come here. Why people would stay.

I've seen one kangaroo so far. Road kill on the side of the road. Gary says that down in Margaret River most of the native animals are alive, and more numerous. He also says that the humans don't scare them away much there...they come out, and at twilight you can see them.

I wonder if my third Animagus could be a kangaroo?

Only that's sort of pointless. A kangaroo would stand out in an English forest. Bit stupid really.

'Huh?' Siana said blankly as Gary poked her in the side as he was driving. Her black hair (dry and brittle from being exposed to the brutal sun) was flying out of the window, the offensive sun was burning her arm which was resting on her lap, already red and sore - sunscreen was not foolproof. Her eyes squinted as she looked at the tall, tanned and overweight wizard sitting next to her, in what could only be described as a shortened, tailored robe.

'I said, and on your right you'll see farmer Viti's vineyard. We played Quidditch out there on them fields until they put a road through here. Then it was too dangerous. But there are paddocks everywhere around here, so there's nothing to worry about there. Do you play?'

'No,' Siana said slowly. No. I don't like to kill himself thanks. I'm not going to tell you exactly how uncoordinated I am, but most likely I'll fly headfirst into a tree and think I'd caught the bludger. Her eyes flickered over the country side as her body itched with drying sweat. She wanted nothing more than to get inside somewhere that was freeze charmed.

'Oh. So what do you do then Miss Camille? I mean, I know you said that Ollivander had sent you, and that you had something to do with libraries, which sounds really...well...you don't seem to be the librarian type you know?' Gary said, his deep blue eyes appraising her attractive figure.

'Well you don't exactly seem like a wand manufacturer. Especially compared to Ollivander.'

'I just make 'em. I don't sell them. That's not my job, that's Whittle's job. You'll be meeting him. First stop really. Now he's as true blue a fellow as ever there is. Mate.' He chuckled. 'Ah I'm being an idiot. I shouldn't really try and exaggerate the accent more than I have to. Don't buy into it love,' he added on a side note and Siana fought to hide a smile. Since she had arrived, Gary had deliberately been laying on the Australian accent, almost melodramatising it. It was a relief to hear him say so.

'So you were telling me what you do?' he said then, continuing his flow of thought as he steered quickly around another narrow corner. The trees on either side of the road, growing so close and untidily together made Siana a little claustrophobic, but at least the sun wasn't so bright as they headed into a valley.

'Well there's my Transfiguration. I'd be a Professor of it now, were it not for the fact that I was expelled from Moreberries in my seventh year. Right at the end of final semester actually. That strikes me as unfortunate in retrospect.'

'Expelled? Why?' Gary said sharply and Siana froze. Because I'm a murderer. She had been leaving those sorts of thoughts behind, but when she had to think about her past, it was the first thing that came to mind.

'It's a long story. Sort of family related. Anyway, I've had a few articles published in Transfiguration Today which is nice.'

'Huh,' Gary said nonchalantly, and Siana could tell that he was still hung up on the fact that she had been expelled. She sighed slowly and relaxed into her seat, it looked as though she had effectively stifled anymore communication for the rest of the trip. She forgot that being expelled was so condemned in the magical world. She had been raised with the Basilica's for over three quarters of her life, and now, at twenty seven...she was still quite sheltered. The Basilica's had never made a big deal of her being expelled.

Margaret River was a small town, near the beach, near the forests, near the caves...a tourist attraction to Muggles and magic folk alike. However they went straight through the centre of Margaret River (which consisted of a couple, busy streets) and headed off down a road until they reached a red dusty driveway leading off into an area of land flanked heavily by tall, forbidding pines.

The dusty driveway had a signpost, considerably out of place. It was made from finely polished jarrah, and it gleamed in the hot afternoon sun. Expertly carved into the post was the following:

'Whittle Willow. Place of finely crafted wooden souvenirs and other bobs since settlement.'

'Old man Whittle is actually a potions brewer by trade,' Gary said as he swung the car into the driveway. Siana felt her stomach lurch and she clung to the side of the vehicle, praying that she wouldn't be sick. 'He sells wands to pass the time, and because he's got an eye for what someone would need. He's been expecting you, Ollivander transatlantic owled him on ahead. Said you'd be needing some answers?' He said and raised an eyebrow at her.

While he was raising an eyebrow at her, he stopped looking at the road and Siana nodded, her mouth tightening into a grimace. He jerked the car rather roughly back onto the driveway when he looked ahead again.

Oh for the love of Hades I'm going to die.

She looked out of the front window and couldn't even see a house yet. Just a big dusty driveway and a few cows wandering around under the sun morosely. The pine trees stood sentry everywhere...they grew so closely together that it was like looking at a thick, green, fence. Siana was just about to ask Gary whether the trees were to prevent Muggle tourists from coming by when she changed her mind. She didn't want to encourage Gary to look at her again, she might regret the decision later.

They were coming up to the crest of a hill, dust flying out behind them, the sound of cicadas everywhere. Siana held her breath, expecting a house at the crest, however what she saw...astounded her.

They had moved into a valley, with a dam shaded by willow and peppermint trees, their long branches and swaths of green leaves teasing the waters edge. There was a large two storied house there, made of rammed earth, intelligently built to protect itself from the worst of the afternoon sun. The driveway moved into a cobbled car park, which in turn was lined with well trained rose hedges. Here the sun seemed to be forgotten (were it not for the fact that Siana knew she was still getting burnt).

'Yeah. It's nice down here. Make no mistake,' Gary said as he took in her astounded expression. He pulled into the driveway, and Siana got out of the car after spending a few seconds working the door handle. Gary however, stayed in the car.

'I'll be back here to pick you up in a few hours or so, but otherwise there's no point in my staying, love. Whittle's a good man, he's been expecting you, you just need to show yourself in. You've got that offensive wand there don't you?'

Siana nodded, she was constantly aware of its presence by her side.

'Right. Bye,' he said with a grin and then reversed quickly out of the driveway, careening back out of the property. Siana noticed that he was a much wilder driver when she was out of the car, she didn't know if that made her feel relieved or more wary.

Turning, she approached the house, her feet taking her down a brick path surrounded by carefully maintained red roses. She could feel heatwaves simmering off the path, and the sun beating down from up ahead. She couldn't wait to find some shade...heat was nice in moderation, but this was as hot as English winters could be cold. In some ways she couldn't wait to be back on familiar ground, at least back home, there wasn't a high risk of dehydration if you got lost in the forest. Although hypothermia was another thing entirely.

'Gus Whittle,' said a cheerful voice from the door and Siana looked up, surprised. Gus Whittle was a man that looked a bit like a slender and gnarled tree. His skin was the brown of too many summers, it looked like leather, his hair was thin and receding. His eyes were crinkled and kind, but unmistakably cheeky. There was something about him which struck Siana as intelligent and fun. No wonder Gary spoke so highly of him, though she hardly knew him, they seemed to have a lot in common.

'It's, I'm pleased to meet you,' she said awkwardly, following him inside the house which seemed to radiate coolness. Freezing charm. Her mouth curved into an impressed smile as she took in the d�cor, the beautiful and hand carved wooden furniture everywhere, the many adjoining rooms. 'I'm very grateful that you could see me. Mr. Ollivander said that you were an expert with problems and what have you...it's, really very great of...'

She trailed off as Gus Whittle started to laugh. She blushed, embarrassed, feeling as though she'd said something very out of place. A twinge of anger raced through her was well. She had only been expressing gratitude.

'Oh I'm not laughing at you. Look behind you love,' he said, his voice deep and reedy at the same time, as though sound had been stretched over his voice box. She turned slowly and in time to see a white parrot of some description drop a spoon onto a cat eating biscuits on the stone floor. The cat, black and disgruntled, looked up in anger and the parrot seemed to screech with laughter before flying mischievously away, just keeping out of the cats reach.

'That's a cocky for ya. Now come through. Oh don't worry about them lass, they'll be fine. Shiner is much too smart to let that old cat get to him. And that cat is much too smart to actually hurt Shiner. It's a love hate relationship.' He showed her into a small private room, at the end of the hall. There were two seats, and many cabinets. He closed a heavy wooden door behind them and then sat down as Siana did.

'So tell me what the problem seems to be. Ollivander wouldn't elaborate on the actual problem, probably because he didn't really understand it.'

Siana drew out her wand and handed it to Gus, a grimace etching itself across her face as he took the wand thoughtfully. He examined it, sniffed it thoughtfully and then shrugged.

'What's in it?'

'A phoenix tail feather, and a basilisk fang,' she said softly and the man's eyes widened with surprise. He looked at the wand again, much more closely. Examined the wood, ran his finger along the style, sniffed it a second time and then waved it, thoughtfully, towards the stone in the corner. A bright violet light shot out, turned briefly into a shimmering bird of some description, and then disappeared.

'Well. The basilisk fang. That's new for me too. Don't look so crestfallen love, doesn't mean I can't help you. I need to know a bit more about you though. You don't need to travel by disguises around me, you're protected here Miss Basilica. Ollivander told me who you are, and a little about your history,' he said the following quietly, with a raised eyebrow and Siana's gut jerked. She wondered if he knew about Lydia Snape, about the murder which had once rocked the wizarding world.

'So you know about...?' Siana left it hanging and Gus nodded as he handed the wand back to her.

'Ollivander says you're trustworthy so I can only assume it wasn't voluntary at the time. You don't look like the type to voluntarily do what I'm told you did. I'm a trusting person love, not many of us left around. Because I'm trusting, and I'm not na�ve. I don't trick easy, and I don't get the sense that you'd be the type to trick. Or trust.'

'I don't remember it. There's a potion...' She trailed off briefly wondering if indeed, Whittle was trustworthy.

'I could guess. And the reason I could guess it could be behind the problem you're having with that wand,' he said grimly and then leaned back in his chair. 'But we're not going to get anywhere unless you tell me what the problem is.'

'Ah. Right. It's, every time I cast a spell, it exacerbates what my intention is. I've never been good at casting spells anyway, but the ones I do cast usually result in minor explosions and what have you.'

'And do they work?'

'Often excessively,' Siana said with a swallow, thinking back to when Dumbledore had attempted to Stun her, and what had simply meant to be a blocking spell turned into a light show. The spell had worked, but not only did it block one Stunning spell, it probably would have blocked anything afterwards. The only time it worked properly, brilliantly actually, was when she wanted to transfigure something. It seemed to help her thoughts flow.

'Only, recently I cast a Stunning spell on someone, and he nearly died. He would have died, because of something I was communicating through the wand. It took someone else to actually heal him with a potion to revive him. It makes what I do dangerous, I mean, really dangerous. I could have killed someone. I nearly did. I would have...if it hadn't, and I can't let that...' She anxiously trailed to a halt. She was desperate for an answer, any answer.

Gus Whittle sighed and nodded slowly.

'Well I can explain the exacerbation effect, I don't know really, how to help you with the latter. But I'll tell you what I know, and you tell me if that makes sense. How well are you acquainted with one Insidious Potion?' He stopped at her expression, as all the colour drained from her face. 'Yeah I had a gut feeling that had something to do with this. You're a Basilica, I put two and two together. It made sense. Okay. The Insidious Potion has three very deadly and unique ingredients inside of it. These potions on their own are dangerous, but not fatal, when combined they create a different type of Imperius curse...and they kill. Easily as a matter of fact, if the user has not built up a tolerance to them. These ingredients are two pieces of skin from a Boggart in the state of which you fear it most, and a green rooster's tail feather, you can still purchase that in Zirs Apothecary in England if you're a Professor, and the buds of a teething New Zealand Mandragora.'

He paused then and Siana, who was torn between shock and surprise, had a moment to realise that he knew his stuff when it came to potions. He had reeled all that off without a recipe.

'The Boggart part is the hardest to get. Green roosters, they aren't that rare, and you might actually be able to find one without having to try and purchase it. The New Zealand Mandragora, that's going to be a problem. It's already fatal, and once you've ingested the Insidious potion...well...it gets attracted to you, in a carnivorous sort of way. Finally the Boggart? I wouldn't even know how to go about doing that, because it's what you fear most, and you cannot attack it in the process.

'What you need to realise Miss Basilica is a strange phenomenon which never actually got named, because as far as I'm aware there's only two documented cases of it. It happens when something in your bloodstream counters something the wand. Siana you have a basilisk fang in your wand, and you have green rooster essence flying through your bloodstream as we speak. For a start, the effects of the basilisk fang would have to be altered...secondly...the Boggart. Well it shows what you fear most doesn't it?'

'Yes.' Siana said softly, shivering. She had never encountered a Boggart before, and never wanted to either.

'It's a strange power of a creature to be able to see you, and in a split second change into what you most fear. Bunyips can do something similar. That's a psychic trait, but it's also a...it's an amplifying trait. Here I'm going to end up going into the many magical qualities of potions ingredients and I'm not going to. But I'm going to tell you now, that is also affecting the strength of your spells. Personally though, as to the Mandragora, I don't think that has anything to do with it.'

'Okay. So this is what you think. You don't definitely know if this is what effecting me?'

'I'm telling you, that if you get these ingredients out of your blood stream, and there's still a problem, then we're in trouble. Because I can't think of anything else that it could be. You know they often call a combination wand, like yours, a Fire Wand. Because more often then not, there's conflict going on when you cast the spell. Do me a favour and wave it?' he said, pointing at the corner where he had cast the bird.

Siana picked it up, closed her eyes in dread, and waved it vaguely. Out of the end of her wand shot something warm and soothing. The feeling seemed to track up her arm. She opened her eyes when Gus barked with laughter. In the corner sparks, violet and white, were clinging to the walls, ceiling and floor. They shimmered and gleamed and sparkled cheerfully, slowly fading.

'It's your wand. There's been no mistake with it.'

'All this talk is good. Yet I still don't know what to do with this situation. How do I get the ingredients out of my blood stream? I don't know how to do that.'

'Here's where my theory comes in. Only it's not mathematical theory, it's just a thought.'

'So you don't even have an answer?' Siana squeaked indignantly and Gus Whittle cleared his throat sternly, his leathery, wrinkly face suddenly appearing very stern.

'Of course I don't! The last two documented cases of this happening ended badly. Both were Aurors with the Insidious potions in their system. However I've examined the two cases and I'm going to be able to help you more than any other okay? So listen. You need to acquire the potion, or you need to make it. I'm going to give you the recipe. When you administer the Insidious potion to yourself, in the right amount, and add two extra ingredients which I'll write down on the recipe, you will burn out the offending ingredients. It's painful, and dangerous, but it will work.'

'So I could just stay here and make it? You could help me,' Siana said eagerly and a cloud passed over Whittle's face.

'No. See love, I'd love to help you, but we don't even get Boggarts here. Bunyips, sure, Boggarts? No.'

'Oh.' Maybe I could ask Professor Snape to help me.

'And it's not even worth asking our Apothecaries. You need proof you're a professor for those sort of ingredients. It'll work though, with the Insidious potion. It'll be dangerous, but it's one of the only things that I can think of that'll work. Then all this trouble with that wand? That'll stop. It'll turn relatively normal. Or, in theory it should anyway.'

'Great,' Siana said softly. It was something. It's something. It's a start. I have to give myself the one thing that I hate most, and you know, throw everything to chance. But it's more than what I had. Why do I get the feeling he's not telling me everything? Gus Whittle had meanwhile got up and started shuffling around in one of the wooden cabinets, beautifully crafted.

'Get yourself that potion though. Here's a recipe - it ain't easy, and I'll give you some of my own Insidious to tie you over while you get the ingredients and make it.'

'You brew it?' Siana asked sceptically, taking the small phial with tiny little white stamps on it.

'I brew two things, beer and potions. No love - I can see what you're going to say - and no, I can't, won't even try to make the Insidious for you. It's illegal. I only have it because I won a phial of it on Melbourne Cup Day, and I'm happy to be rid of it for a good purpose to be honest with you. Now, it'll last you one month. You one month okay?'

'Uh sure.' That's not very long.

'So what are you going to do now?' Gus said, apparently the conversation was over. Siana shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts. It was too much to take in, and she felt relatively rushed.

'Well I'm going to stay here a while. It's nice. Warm. Gary offered.'

'Gazza? Gazza Heatnoose? My Gazza? I got two working for me you know.'

'Gazza? Oh, Gary! Oh. Yeah. You know, you're nothing like Ollivander.'

'I know lass, I know. An' he's nothing like me. Strange y'know...he generally doesn't like other wand makers and entrepreneurs.'

'So he said,' Siana permitted herself a smile then. It had been strange, hearing Ollivander speak highly of someone who sold wands for a change. Though he had actually condemned the use of heartstrings of Antipodean Opaleyes. Generally everything else he had to say about Gus Whittle was high praise. She was about to continue on that train when she noticed the thoughtful look in the wand entrepreneur's eyes. He was looking at her critically, calculatingly. She shifted uncomfortably and he started, then changed the subject.

'So Hogwarts eh? Great Dumbledore still there?'

'He certainly is,' Siana said slowly, wondering what the problem was.

'Now he is the mate of the wizarding world. True blue fellow. What about Sev?'

'Sev? Oh. Oh. Severus?'

'Yeah. Him.'

'You call him Sev?' Siana said, pale with shock.

'Not to his face love. He's a talented Professor. Don't know why he wastes his time teaching.' Siana would have laughed if it wasn't for the fact that everything seemed to be so strange to her now. It was all offset by the fact that in her hands, rested a tiny bottle of Insidious potion. In her hands, rested something that reminded her of all the years of childhood that had been stolen away from her.

'Well he hates it.'

'As do I. Last time I had to supervise some potions graduates I was half ready to kill em. And I'm patient! Severus...nah. He was made for a laboratory.' Siana tore her eyes away from the potion bottle, feeling more and more like returning to Hogwarts within the month and asking Severus to help her out. He'd probably be happy to flush it all out of my system. That way he's in no danger, and that way...we could start on the right foot.

'How have you met?'

'But you call him Sev,' Siana said with an amused smile. Gus Whittle winked at her and then shrugged.

'I abbreviate, it's in my nature. I'd abbreviate my name if it wasn't Gus. And even then, when I was younger I had everyone calling me G. Only, that sort of you know, emphasised my days as a geek,' he said with a wry smile and then chuckled. 'Sev used to call me G with this really sort of smarmy attitude. He thought it was tops. He was an aggravating prick actually. But like I said, smarter than...I don't know. Smart. Very smart,' he said sagely and Siana grinned.

Later that night found her in a small Margaret River townhouse, tucked out the back, cooled by a Freezing charm. Her fingers entwined through her hair as she plaited it out of the way. She observed herself in the mirror curiously. From her violet eyes, which were not dark, but instead very light and healthy. Her skin, which was bright red and freckled, instead of bright white and unmarred. Her shoulders hurt from sunburn as she moved her arms, and the salve that Gary had given her, had not yet kicked in.

She had not taken the potion either. It lay, unassuming, next to a small bottle of water. Siana tried to avoid looking at it, but it had been the object that had attracted most of concerned attention since Gary had come to pick her up.

Siana looked at it one more time and then sighed, her voice the only thing to punctuate a deep, country silence. Even the birds were quiet, persuaded out of singing by the heat. She slid into bed feeling emotions tumble around inside of her, thoughts and questions and answers.

Once I told Macnair, that I'd rather die than see Voldemort. Then it all changed. How quickly my life became something completely unrecognisable. Everyone is dead...except for Frederick. I don't understand it really. Dad, Mum, Camille, Mercury, Nathan, Athena. And there's so much I don't know.

She curled up into a tight fetal position. She had not been able to sleep properly since that day she had flown away from Hogwarts. In fact, her sleep was so disrupted that her head hurt with it, and she was seriously considering sleeping draughts. She hated the idea of taking potions, there was that one time Snape had snapped at her to drink one up, and it felt like it was fizzling her insides.

All potions had some adverse reaction. Just as all spells did.

She hadn't cried, not since Dumbledore had cut her grief short due to complications and circumstances. The grief seemed to have burrowed down deep inside of her, and the sadness that swamped her now was more depression, than raw pain. Her emotions were locked inside of her, all of them, even her fear it seemed. She knew Frederick would take her to Voldemort if he found her, yet she didn't care. Her lackadaisical attitude was both destructive and protective. She could not handle the strength of her emotions without support, in a strange country, yet it was clouding her judgement.

And a Basilica's judgement was clouded enough.

She murmured to herself sleepily, her thoughts dampened, her body heavy with sleep, and still sticky with sweat despite her shower. The Freezing charm didn't remove the humidity.

Siana fell asleep to whisperings in her heart. A small Basilican saying running through her mind, ominous and clear:

'A Basilican marches to fates unknown,
Though the path be treacherous and long,
A Basilican follows the path of its stars,
And the stars honour a Basilica strong.
A Basilican never lets a good fight pass,
For it's in that conflict that we belong.'

She woke with a start. Grunting softly as her eyes opened, she noticed that it was still night. Humid. The stars were twinkling so bright here, where there was no light pollution to impede their rays. They blazed like a sheet across the sky.

Unsettled and restless she got up, stretched, and walked out of her room. Her intention was to go out and enjoy the stars. When she saw the outline of a chubby shape outside she grimaced. Gary obviously had the same idea.

She walked up to him, making her footsteps audible. She didn't want to startle him, as it would have been easy to do in the silence.

'It's a nice night out Siana, come join me. There's a beer here if you want it too,' he called quietly from the patio, there was a silhouette of a rifle and a few beers next to his chair. She smiled softly, her eyes blinking in surprise at that generous friendship. Barefoot and clad only in a long nightshirt she moved outside. He looked at her, perused her body and said nothing. It was not a lewd gaze, just an assessing one. He handed her a beer with a nod and then went back to staring out into the vast expanse of bush that filled the mind. Siana put the beer on the porch, she didn't feel like cold fizz just yet.

He lived on a large property of protected wildlife and nature reserve.

Siana settled herself into a chair, looking above her to see networks of spider webs and black spiders clustered near the muggle electric light. She traced the messy threads and strands of web till she became confused with it and shook her head slowly. 'They just sort of throw it all together and hope that the sheer tangle of it will catch something don't they?' she said softly and Gary chuckled.

'Their venom well makes up for their architecture.'

She looked straight ahead now, trying to make out shapes in the vast expanse of bush. Without thinking her eyes changed in her head, altered ever so slightly to become that of a protectus. They glowed yellow, and light blazed behind her brain.

There. An owl in that tree, some things I wouldn't know the name of, a larger shape...perhaps a rabbit? No! A fox! Oh he's a game little thing.

She changed her eyes back again as she saw it emerge almost invisible from a clump of low, thorny bushes. It looked around curiously, and she suspected it was probably looking for food. She grinned genially at it.

'We have a visitor,' she said, her heart feeling lighter than it had for some time. The thoughts of the Insidious potion and asking Severus Snape to make it for her flew from her mind.

'What is it? I hope it's not a cat.' Gary's hand went to his rifle, and a dark look crossed over his face. Siana shook her head.

'No, it's only a fox,' she said and was suddenly surprised when Gary grunted quietly and lifted his rifle. He had seen the creature, and sighted it.

'No! No! Don't kill it!' Siana cried, stupidly leaping in front of the rifle, startling the fox. However she wasn't fast enough and the gun blared in the night sky - an explosion so out of place in the silence. The fox had dropped to the ground, instantly dead.

'Oh.' She whimpered, rushing to its side, her hands moving out towards it, trembling. The thick blood, oozing from the wound, stained the already black ground, blacker under the shelter of the night sky.

'They're feral here love. Feral. They kill all our wildlife. You're lucky it was a gun that killed it, instead of 1080,' he said softly, his voice harsh. Siana couldn't look at him, she couldn't bring herself to. She was so vulnerable around animals, she loved them so completely, that to look in the eyes of a killer made her quake on the inside. Gary sighed from his chair, a clattering sound indicating that the violent weapon had been discarded.

'What's 1080?' she asked, trying to distract herself and Gary smacked his lips thoughtfully, then yawned, before replying.

'It's fox bait, and it's a fair awful way to die. It's like setting traps for them, and having them die of starvation. No there's no honour in that. I know I seem cruel Siana, and maybe I am. But I'd rather see a fox die, then endangered native animals. Foxes were never meant to be here. Nor rabbits, or cats, or mice.'

What he was saying made sense. She couldn't hate him for his action, yet staring down at the dead creature - so graceful even when it lay with the shadow - she felt misery clutch at her heart. Guilt blossomed, thick and black in her chest, like it blossomed from the foxes body. She was the one who had pointed the fox out in the shadows, she had, inadvertently caused its death. She did not feel any better for knowing that she had probably saved other animals.

'It's a stupid thing to leap in front of a gun like that,' he added and Siana flinched.

'Why don't you just put it to sleep with your wand?'

'Because it's a waste of good magic, I like to hunt, and I'm a muggle at heart. I've been raised in the country, where feral animals kill everything that belongs here. I'm sorry love, I can see your offended, but I'm not going to apologise. Maybe you should go back to bed Siana...' he said, not harshly but in understanding. His eyes were dark and kind in the darkness and she looked up from the fox and swallowed.

'What are you going to do with, with this?' she said pointing at the still body. Gary shrugged.

'Ravens'll clean it up. That or the ants can have it. I'll throw it into the bush tomorrow. It won't go to waste, that's for sure.'

Siana nodded numbly and stood, walking stiffly past him. She paused in the doorway and took a deep breath.

'If you want to know Gary, I don't blame you.' Because I'm too busy hating myself.

There was a long pause, the sound of Gary taking a deep drink of his beer. 'I know,' he said finally and Siana closed her eyes, pain lancing through her. Bed, Siana.

Now.