Chapter 35 - Help

Rowan landed with a hard THUMP on a bed, unable to move. The potions she had been given were temporary, and already vomited up most of them. The pain increased with each passing second. She could feel her daughter's power ebbing through her as a flash of green flame left the fireplace and Severus Snape stepped from it. He covered her with a sheet from his previously perfect bed, grabbed her like a child and ran from the room. Running with her in his arms, he was not surprised to meet the seven as they ran to the door. "MOVE - I'VE GOT TO GET HER TO THE HOSPITAL WING."

They flattened themselves to the walls as he ran past them; blood splattering the floor and her long hair matted as they ran. As his cloak was seen whipping out of sight around the corner to the staircase, they ran after him.

Remus Lupin was coming down the third flight of stairs as he was running up the grand stairwell to the second floor. The stench was unbearable as the two met in the hall on the second floor. Remus watched in awe as the dark headed man carried the lump of flesh down the hallway. Snape was followed by two blondes and a brunette pushing past Remus in an effort to follow the Potion's Master. It was everything Remus could do not to wretch when he realized it was Rowan that was being carried and the children following them were her children.

Draco yelled that he would get Dumbledore. Ginny yelled something about McGonagall, Ron ran to the owlery to get his parents. The doors burst open as Madame Pomfrey was about to return to her office. Her eyes wide, she pointed out a bed nearest the fire and potions closet. "What happened to her?" She asked, mouth open wide.

"She insulted the Dark Lord and his minions enjoyed her - repeatedly." Snape said breathlessly. Pomfrey nodded and turned to help her patient.

The doors burst open again as the teenagers tried to enter. Snape raised his wand and some type of force pushed against them and out the door. He walked to them as Dumbledore entered the room. Pointing, he said, "She's over there. I will talk to the children."

Dumbledore took a look at his potions master, "No, I will talk to the children and keep them out until all is…clean. You help Poppy." Snape nodded and returned to help the healer.

Dumbledore sealed the hospital wing doors to all but Snape and Poppy. Poppy stuck her head out and asked the Headmaster to get Healer Richardson from St. Mungo's as soon as possible. Remus left to get the healer. When they returned, only the healer was allowed in the wing. Several minutes passed when the healer requested his trauma team from St. Mungo's to come immediately.

Remus was dispatched again and minutes later thirteen witches and wizards, dressed in blue robes, returned with him, each carrying a large bag and instruments. They entered the Hospital Wing and left Remus outside with the rest of the waiting bystanders.

Occasionally, one would pop his or her head out and ask for an ingredient from the dungeons. One of them would run and fetch it for them and return to hand it through the seemingly solid doors. This went on for hours.

She was floating, held in place by a levitating charm because of the damage to both her back and front, having been moved to a clean bed on the far side of the room. The blood covered area where they had worked on her for so long was hidden behind the curtains, but the floor was still covered by droplets of her blood and tissue. Snape left his bloody robes behind the curtain and neared the sleeping form of a woman who, in order to save, was forced to rape.

The swelling in her face and body were reduced and the patches of hair that had been ripped out was magically replaced until the real hair could grow back in. His eyes left her form, not wanting to think about the damage to her sex and anus. Days of being forced had made it difficult to heal. Poppy had said that she had never seen anything like it, but thankfully, Rowan had not been conscience for any of treatment. She added that there was nothing more medically anyone could do at this point.

Healer Richardson and his team were slumped in chairs near the edges of the room. Their light blue robes were splattered with blood, tissue, and potions. The bags, once full of instruments, now lay discarded on the floor in a corner. The instruments were strewn from one side of the wing to the other; many were broken. But as bad as his team looked, it was the Healer was who looked truly broken.

Almost fourteen hours passed when the doors finally opened and the children were allowed to see their mother. Snape turned when he heard the doors open. His eyes met first Mason's then Madison's.

"Thank you for bringing her home to us." Mason said quietly, extending a hand. Snape grasped it tightly, fighting his own tears. He would never allow a student to see him weak or full of regret, especially not Sirius Black's son. Turning away, he escorted Healer Richardson and his team out as he left the hospital wing to wait in the Headmaster's office.

Their gaze did not leave the sleeping form of the woman in front of them. Madison cried silently into Draco's shoulder and he held her. Draco's eyes were wet with his own tears. Mason stood with his arms crossed. The others watched her slow steady breathing. Mason turned to Madison. "Help her." he said flatly.

"How?"

"I don't know - but you are the only one who can. I'll help."

"We'll all help her." Ron assured them

"But it's you Mads, you are the only one who can bring her back to us." His voice broke as he stated the last part of the sentence.

Madison thought hard. "Pull her bed out away from the wall. There has to be enough room for us to circle the bed."

Poppy began to object but Dumbledore stopped her with a glance. When the bed was moved, the teenagers linked hands as they circled the bed. Looking to Madison talk to her mom. "Mom? We're here and we love you. I need you to heal so we can hang out over the holidays. Mom, I love you. I miss my best friend. Come back to me."

Mason spoke next, his eyes shut, he said "God, if you are there like you usually are, help Mom to draw strength from us. Give her what she needs 'cause we will help her however we can….Amen"

And so it went, around the circle, each adding his or her love to the mix. The lights from the joining of the hands grew intense. Dumbledore stood watching, observing, and sending his magic to search Rowan's memories. He winced as he saw the horrors she had experienced. The pain and indignation as it turned into the darkness she had retreated into. He saw her laughing at the red-eyed snake in front of her. The lights from the circle obscured the rest of the vision he had been allowed to share. The light grew into seven steady streams touching her body. Seven children's hearts opening for her; seven parts to a prophesy healing her. When the lights broke, slowly, edging back to the origin, as each child took a steadying breath; Rowan stirred.

When they opened their eyes, Rowan had changed. She was no longer levitating, but instead laying flat on the bed. Her face and arms were no longer as bruised and swollen. The separated shoulder that had been in a sling after being put back into place rippled as she allowed the sling to fall. Her eyes were fighting to open. When they finally did, she saw her children; but before she could open her mouth to speak, she opened her arms and each of her children held her hand, each afraid to hold her. The others left her alone. Madame Pomfrey stated that she had never seen that type of injury, but certainly did not expect that she would have recovered so quickly.

Molly and Arthur insisted that the seven come immediately to the estate. Rowan needed healing time and as much rest as possible. Draco refused until he spoke with Severus, but promised to join them as soon as possible. Against protests, the others agreed to go with them as long as they were allowed to come back daily to see her. They flooed in to see her, although it was for short periods of time and then returned to the Estate for research in the room, or pick up games of Quiddich.

Draco entered the Potions Classroom to find a very drunk Severus Snape in the arms of a very relieved Remus Lupin. Not wanting to think about the ramifications of that visual, he cleared his throat. Severus dropped his hold on the werewolf and turned to see the blonde image of his oldest friend staring back at him. "Hello, Draco… what brings you here?" His words were a bit slurred, but understandable.

"Where was she being held?" The two professors looked at one another for a moment without answering. "I need to know if the woman I comforted while the Le-Very-Stranges enjoyed themselves was just some random Muggle or the mother of the woman I am falling in love with."

"It was her." Snape said suddenly sober. Remus' breath hitched in his throat.

"Why didn't we rescue her then?"

"Because it took some time and energy to develop a plan, blame someone else for its execution, and retain my position in the regime."

"Couldn't you have told me who it was?"

"No, I couldn't. I needed to know what she had been facing in order to be sure I had the correct potions stored in the Hospital Wing." He walked to the young man and draped his arms across his shoulders, looking deep into the eyes trying to explain, "I watched you comfort her. I watched you flinch at her pain and cry tears for her hurts. I was never, at any point, more proud of another individual than I was of you then. You have the same details I had until I was summoned to meet with him yesterday."

Draco's tears started again, wiping them away, he looked to him again, "Tell me she will be okay. Madison will not survive if she loses her."

"She has much greater things to do besides die, Draco. Just know that should you decide to tell anyone what you saw, you will be opening Pandora's Box in ways you should not even consider. If you tell them, please wait until the summer. Agreed?" And with that silent affirmation, Draco used the floo and went to the Potter Estate to be swept up in a hug of one Molly Weasley.

Although weak, Rowan was allowed to leave the hospital wing on December 20th. She could only go as far as her common room, but at least she was no longer forced to lie in the white bed of the hospital wing. During her time of recovery, she had to spend several hours a day in healing baths almost constantly drinking potions. Remus assisted her into and out of the healing waters. Severus actually spent time watching the two together, but when she caught sight of him, the terror in her eyes kept him from coming any closer.

When Rowan was asleep or Madame Pomfrey was tending to her, he spent time in the Potions lab watching Severus slowly lose his mind with grief and concern for his lover. He was meticulous in mixing her potions. They talked and laughed, but neither Severus or Rowan would not discuss what happened. Severus' calming draughts and dreamless sleep potions were the only way she slept any length of time without revisiting the nightmares.

On the day before Christmas Eve; she was released to go to the Estate, as long as she agreed to take four different types of potions three times a day for the rest of the month. Agreeing, she left the healer and stepped into her fireplace, saying, "The Potter Estate" as the flame erupted around her. Remus watched her go before turning to leave for Grimmauld Place to collect his gifts and spend the night.

Rowan arrived exhausted; once again falling into the waiting arms of the red-headed twins, who helped her find her feet. Looking around, she saw some familiar faces and some she had never seen before. Dumbledore was there. She thanked the boys and made her way over to him. "Professor? Would you take me to Diagon Alley? I need to purchase one more gift." He nodded his agreement. She wanted him to go because she was scared. She wanted him to go because she needed to talk. But right now, she had as much energy as a new born baby.