A/N - Obviously I don't own any of these characters (sob!) and I'm not making any money from this. I promised JKR I would put them back when I'm done, so no harm done! Thanks to LinZe, my fab beta, for her help! All reviews very much appreciated! Thanks to all those lovely people who have reviewed. You puta huge grin on my face with your kind words!

Chapter 4

Minerva came out of the side wing, and saw Severus emerging from further down the ward. Neither of them wanted to leave their charges; they would sleep in the ward for the night.
"How is she Severus?" Minerva saw how tired he looked, and knew that this was a great strain for him. She wished he would tell her how he felt, but he never did. Here was another broken Slytherin she couldn't heal.
"Sleeping quietly. How's he?" Severus noticed that Minerva was looking at him, but couldn't interpret her gaze.
"Sleeping. Oh Severus, what that poor child has been through." She allowed herself to think, for the first time, what it must have been like for him, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "I want to make it better, but I can't. There's nothing I can do or say that's going to make him feel better, and that hurts so much. If I could heal him I would, you know I would, but I can't, no one can, and it breaks my heart to think of him going through that by himself." Severus walked over to her and put his arms round her. She leant into his shoulder, head against his chest, and allowed herself to be held for a few moments, needing to feel the closeness of another human being.
"Hush, Min, hush." Severus' tones were gentle, reassuring, a rarity for him. "I know that you would go to the ends of the earth to protect your students, everyone knows that. All you can do is be there for him, and that's what you're doing. Believe me it helps. You're doing all you can."

She allowed herself to be comforted by his words, and for a few moments they stood in silence. She straightened up and looked at him. "You knew about this didn't you? You knew what was going on. That's why you wanted to get to Draco first."
"I suspected certainly, once Miss Granger mentioned a name, I had an idea who was behind this. I suppose I just hoped for Draco's sake that I was wrong. Lucius Malfoy is not a nice man, and the things he does are not nice. I hoped that Draco would never have to find that out for himself. I just thought I could help him." He leaned his head against hers, and she rubbed his back for a few moments. The sound of the hospital wing doors opening made them start.

Dumbledore came down the ward, and took Minerva in his arms.
"My dear, you look exhausted. You must get some sleep. I know what's happened, but we'll sort it out in the morning." He kissed her softly on the forehead, holding her close for a moment. "Go to sleep," he breathed. "I love you."
"I love you too, Albus. But I'm not leaving here tonight."
"Damn right you're not," he replied, scooping her up in his arms and depositing her unceremoniously on the bed that they had been stood by. "I'm not having you walk the castle on this cold night to get to your bed. But you must sleep now; you'll be no good to anyone if you don't." He kissed her forehead gently as her eyes closed. He turned to Severus, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm very proud of you Severus. I know that tonight has not been easy for you, whatever you might pretend. Sleep now and we'll talk in the morning." He pointed to the bed next to Minerva's. "Goodnight, Severus."
"Thank you Albus. Goodnight."

The headmaster turned on his heel and walked briskly out of the hospital wing, leaving both professors fast asleep