Chapter Thirty

March.

The commencement of Spring.

A time of new beginnings. A symbol of renewal of life and hope for the future.

Severus was not feeling so hopeful, particularly when it came to questions regarding the future. The Dark Mark was almost completely visible now, which could only mean that the Dark Lord's return was imminent and he found himself having dreams in the night of it burning for the first time and of facing him with his excuses and explanations for denying his allegiance; for working with Dumbledore; for assisting with the development of a Foundation created to repair the damage the man had caused.

Dark times indeed; at least they would be soon. And the people who surrounded him; the people he saw every day, they had no idea.

They would complain about the most frivolous issues; forty five hour working weeks; not being granted release to attend a party; a rude comment by someone in the Counselling Department; fish and chips for lunch on a Wednesday when the schedule states it ought to be roast beef.

Severus was scowling as he slammed the door to his office open and strode inside, closing it immediately behind himself to make it apparent that he was not desirous of visitors.

He dumped down the books and parchments he was holding onto his desk; Project Orion would conclude within the next week or two. And then Dumbledore would finally reveal his 'big plan', the big secret weapon he planned to use against the Dark Lord when he returned. All that was left to do was to convince old Augusta Longbottom to allow the two men access to her grandson's mind; apparently Dumbledore was having some trouble in that regard.

In less than two weeks, he would return to Project Dorado; he would be working with Lily again. He wasn't certain if that was a good thing or a bad thing, judging by the long, stony silence that had settled between them. Gone was the daily lunches in the Bistro; she had not come the first day, and he had been delayed at Hogwarts the next and, so, they had dwindled away without discussion and he had seen her only twice since he had revealed the details of the prophecy to her over three weeks ago; passing ships in the corridors.

The first time she hadn't appeared to see him; the second he caught her reflection in one of the side windows, looking at him searchingly, sadly. But when he had turned in her direction she glanced away, as if she had not noticed him.

Severus despised Dumbledore for not warning him; for not telling him something so crucial.

"Severus," the door to his office burst open and the only person who would be so bold as to enter without an invitation walked into the room, looking unimpressed.

"What is it?" Severus eyed Regulus warily.

Regulus pushed the door shut and made his way towards him; "Apparently I should be asking you the same question." He raised an eyebrow.

Severus glowered at him, turning his attention to the parchments in front of him.

"Sev?" Regulus' tone was softer now; sounding more concerned, making Severus closed his eyes, aware the other man would not be shaken once he had released something was truly wrong.

Regulus sat down in the chair opposite him and the two were silent; one waiting for the other to speak, the other praying that the other would just get up and leave.

After a few minutes, Regulus finally spoke up; "Does this have something to do with Mrs Potter?"

"What?" Severus snapped, turning irritated eyes on the man before him.

"Well, I've noticed the two of you haven't been spending much time together anymore," Regulus stated, with faux-nonchalance, before asking; "Did something happen?"

"It is none of your business, Regulus."

"It's my business when half my staff are terrified to leave their offices in case they come across you," Regulus countered; "You think people haven't noticed?"

"My behaviour has nothing to do with Lily Potter," Severus retorted, his tone clipped; "As you are aware, there are more important issues I have to be concerned with right now. Issues far more grave; the subject of which is hardly likely to evoke the buoyant, joyful Severus you are all so accustomed to."

Regulus fought a smirk at his response.

"Project Orion will be wrapped up by the end of next week," Severus stated, abruptly deciding that it would only take one week, not two, for him to conclude the research; "Testing shall commence under Eugene's supervision the following week."

"Fine; just get it over with. Dumbledore's been on my case about that for weeks," Regulus replied, dismissively; "But really, Severus; Malachi is concerned about you."

"Malachi?" Severus looked at him sharply; "What does the boy have to do with anything?"

Regulus shrugged; "Well, he lives with us. He's noticed your moods."

"Obviously all the time he has been spending with Remus Lupin has increased his sensitivity levels."

"And who was the one who gave first permission for him to spend time with him?" Regulus pointed out; "Perhaps the next time I leave him in your care I should include instructions stating I won't be pleased to find out my son has been associating with werewolves and gallivanting around the Forbidden Forest with centaurs, acromantulas and thestrals."

Severus glowered at him; "As if there will be a next time, Regulus," he retorted, scathingly.

"And apparently Harry Potter has been mentioning that his mother has also been quite out of sorts recently."

Severus was torn between encouraging Regulus to reveal more about Lily's current state of mind and denying any interest, any connection between the two changes in moods.

He glanced at Regulus, contemplating whether or not to share what had happened. He didn't know what it was about her; what it was that made him so protective of the relationship, of his feelings towards her; so secretive about what went on between them.

He had never had a problem with confiding in Regulus about things before; issues far more substantial than a relationship tiff – or severance, as the case may be.

And, after weeks of stewing silently over what had occurred, he found himself in need of 'an ear', so to speak, to vent his frustrations; "Lily is aware of what I was during the war."

Regulus was still; barely acknowledging the statement for a moment. After a few seconds he drew in a breath; "How did she find out?"

"I told her."

Regulus tilted his head to the side, looking at him curiously; "Why?"

Severus only stared back at him; they both knew very well why. Why he wanted her to know; why he needed her to know. And why he needed her to forgive him for it.

"So...she..." Regulus paused; "I guess she didn't take it well?"

"She took it better than I expected," Severus revealed; "I dare say she may have even forgiven me for it, if given the time."

"I'm sensing a 'but'."

Severus nodded; "I thought it only right she should know any actions that I undertook during the war that affected her directly."

Regulus looked hesitant and thoughtful, before realisation dawned over him; "You told her about the prophecy?"

"Yes. I told her about giving it to the Dark Lord," he stated; "And she had absolutely no idea what I was referring to."

Regulus frowned; "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Severus went on, sounding irritated, though it was irritation at Dumbledore and not the man before him that it was directed towards; "That Dumbledore never revealed the true reason the Dark Lord was hunting the Potters to them; she had no idea her son was in danger."

Regulus looked only mildly surprised at the revelation; mostly he just looked sympathetic; "Well, you know how Dumbledore can be. He only reveals what he thinks is necessary."

"The least he could have done would have been to warn me she was unaware of it," Severus responded, snappily; "There was no reason for me to reveal my role at all, had Dumbledore not revealed the prophecy to her."

"There was no reason for you to tell her in the first place, anyway," Regulus stated, sounding both baffled and amused; "Why did you? You must've known how she'd take it."

"Spare me your judgements, Regulus," Severus glared at him; "I thought honesty was the best course to take, considering..." he trailed off. Regulus regarded him with curiosity and amusement; and Severus felt himself grow flustered and hot under the collar.

Regulus still looked amused, but there was sympathy there also; "Look...obviously she wouldn't take it well," he stated; "But hiding away, stewing and cursing at the world, you really think that's going to help? You should talk to her."

"She asked for time."

"And you've given it, no doubt," Regulus countered, "Like I said, her son has noticed a change in her behaviour also. She cares about you."

"She is hurt; obviously she would react as such. That does not mean that she has any strong feelings towards me," Severus dismissed Regulus suggestion.

Regulus grinned; "Come on, Sev. You can't honestly think there aren't feelings there?"

"She still harbours feelings for Potter."

"Obviously; but that doesn't mean she isn't ready for something else," Regulus said, his tone coaxing, and Severus glanced at him; "I mean, it's pretty obvious you'd be more than willing to step into that role."

"Shut up, Regulus," Severus snapped, suddenly feeling defensive.

Regulus rolled his eyes; "Oh calm down, Prickles. It's just you and me here."

"Besides, it is not my relationship with Mrs Potter than is concerning me," Severus not quite lied; "The Dark Mark continues to grow darker; there is no mistaking it now."

Regulus' playful attitude appeared to be stripped away by the reminder, as he glanced down at his own arm, his hand unconsciously come up to touch the fabric that concealed the area of the Mark.

"Therefore it would be unwise for me to even consider such a venture."

"A venture?" Regulus repeated, before his eyes gleamed, his previous concern gone as quickly as it had come; "Severus, it's just a relationship."

Severus eyed him; he knew all about relationships. They certainly weren't to be considered as flippantly as Regulus appeared to be suggesting.

"Regardless," Severus responded, his tone making it clear the issue would be discussed no further; "Even if I were to be interested in such a thing; it is hardly a sentiment that is shared, considering the current state of affairs."

Regulus held his look for a moment before he raised an eyebrow; "I just don't think you'd be able to get over it."

"Get over what?" Severus frowned.

"Letting her walk away," Regulus elaborated, before he went on; "You didn't last time, after all."

And it was a statement that Severus could neither refute nor dismiss.

Lily had postponed the blind date Julia had scheduled for her twice.

Following the revelations regarding Severus and Peter and a prophecy that apparently could carry a death sentence for her son, she was in no mood to step back into the world of dating; her own world tremulous enough without adding to it with the chaos that often came with dating and potential relationships.

She already had enough trouble with the current men in her life; why add another into the mix?

However, after the second rescheduling of the event, Julia had interfered once again and insisted that she ought to take her mind off of the thoughts currently plaguing her. Particularly hateful, murderous thoughts regarding Peter and distress and confusion regarding Severus.

For the first time since Sirius disappeared, she found herself wishing that he found him; found him and made him suffer for it. The only regret she had regarding it was that Sirius hadn't had the chance to learn the new information prior to his departure.

And then she felt guilty and ashamed that she was even capable of having such thoughts; of wishing that anyone should suffer in the ways she was imagining.

So she pushed them away as she stepped into the busy, bustling restaurant and stated her name as she was approached by the host to seat her. The man nodded, stated that the other in her party had not yet arrived, and would she like to wait at the table or the bar.

"The table."

The bar would be far too tempting in her current state of mind.

Wary about her thoughts regarding Peter, she found them directed towards the other person who had plagued her thoughts over the past few weeks; thoughts and feelings much less clear and far more confusing for her to make sense of.

In the space of three days she had learned the answers to every question she had been asking herself regarding her old friend since they had become reacquainted; questions she had wondered since long before that, if she were honest with herself.

He had been a Death Eater. He had joined Voldemort, just as she had predicted and accused him off when they had been at Hogwarts. Every guilty glance; every time he adverted his eyes; shifted uncomfortably when she would mention the past or the war or their friendship suddenly made sense. And why hadn't she realised it? She had suspected it after all; deep down had know the truth. Why had she pushed aside the clues; acted so blindly?

And then there was the other piece of information; he had come back. He had returned, long before the war had ended, if what he had implied were true. He was the spy who had warned Dumbledore that Voldemort was targeting them; her family and the Longbottoms. She still remembered everything about that day, the day Dumbledore had told them they had to go into hiding; 5th September 1980.

That meant Severus had defected over a year before the war had ended. Had been fighting on their side, risking discovery for so long.

"Lily?"

She glanced up, meeting the eyes of Rodger Wyatt; the man whom she was to spend the evening with. She forced a smile and stood; "Rodger; hi."

"Hi," he smiled, widely. He leaned towards her, as if to kiss her cheek, and then hesitated and the two of them stood awkwardly for a second, before he decided to go with it and gave her a quick, wet kiss on the cheek, before he plonked down on his chair.

Lily bit her bottom lip as she lowered herself into her own seat.

"I would have come to pick you up," Rodger said, speaking quickly.

"Oh," Lily lifted a hand, with a smile; "Really, it's fine. I try to settle my son down around eight, so it's much better that we met here."

"Oh. Oh, okay," he nodded; then, to Lily's astonishment, clicked a finger at the nearest waitress.

Lily watched as the woman glared at him with obvious irritation but still approached at the summons; she forced a small, sickly sweet smile, one that said they ought not to trust any food that would be brought to them from now on, as it would most likely contain this woman's saliva; "Yes, Sir?"

"Can we have some menus? My partner has been waiting here a while."

Lily felt herself redden as the waitress cast a glance in her direction, and gave her an apologetic smile, forcing herself not to quickly deny that she was this man's 'partner', or this man's anything, and found herself wishing she had outright refused Julia's offer of a set up and was at home, sipping tea and brooding over her current woes.

"I heard you got a place on the Aurelius Fellowship," Rodger said, enquiringly.

Lily met his eyes and nodded; "Yes. It's been very interesting."

"Really prestigious position," Rodger went on, with a knowing tone; "I'm surprised you managed to get in without an internship to back you."

Lily was at a loss as to what to say in response; she hadn't had her qualifications questioned by anyone since she had been offered the place, with the exception of Sirius and Severus, and she found it far more inappropriate that this man had done so, when she hadn't been quite so offended when the other two had offered the same objections.

She forced another smile, wondering if they were coming as smiles rather than grimaces at this point, and shrugged; "Just lucky, I suppose."

"Must be."

Lily thanked the waitress as two menus were handed to them.

"Can I get you something to drink?" the young woman asked.

Lily glanced longingly at the spirits behind the bar; then, forcing self-control, said; "The house red, please."

"Make that a bottle," Rodger added; "And some water for the table." As the waitress left he turned to Lily with a grin; "After all, the table gets thirsty as well sometimes."

Lily blinked.

"Joke!" he barked, as if shouting fire.

She chuckled, closing her eyes as she did so; and he seemed pleased that she appeared to find the joke funny, completely oblivious at to the true reasons for her amusement.

Rodger went on to speak of his own work; the internship he had been placed with following their apprenticeship and Lily felt her mind wander, as his statements varied between dry explanation and frequent insertions of self-important statements that made it clear that this would be the first and only outing these two would ever share.

She wondered what Severus would think of this man; of the conclusions he was drawing from the research he was describing. While Lily, herself, wasn't quite able to be certain of them, she was sure that Severus would know very well what he was talking about and quickly be able to analyse the findings.

Lily was also certain that such a dry topic was not something he would discuss over dinner, if his conversation during their lunches was anything to go by.

And then her mind wandered further, as she imagined how Severus would act if he were here with her. She was sure he wouldn't act as this man did; so self-important and presumptuous and, in Severus case, such an attitude would be understandable – though just as contemptible. No; Severus would not act this way. From what she had seen, he appeared aware of his own abilities but remained relatively humble; he did not flaunt his own success and intelligence in other people's faces.

If she had been here with him, she imagined it would all feel relatively normal; just like the Bistro, only a different location. Relaxed; friendly. Definitely more interesting and enjoyable; and, suddenly, she found herself missing their lunches.

She disinterestedly placed her order, ignoring Rodger's derogatory opinion offered on her choice, and eagerly lifted the wine placed on the table in front of her, taking a long drink and draining half the glass.

"Julia didn't tell me you had a drinking problem," Rodger said, jokingly, with another grin and this time she found herself becoming irritated. The man before her seemed to alter between a self-important, pompous manner and a comical, joking buffoon; neither of which she found particularly attractive and she wondered what Julia had been thinking setting her up with this man.

It appeared her friend had focused in on James' least appealing qualities from Hogwarts, his arrogance and his immaturity, and had found a man who had blown them to such extremes that even her husband would find him infuriating.

"Does your Fellowship conclude this year?"

Lily glanced up at his question, then shook his head; "No. It's a two year placement."

"Oh, so you'll still be there when the new intake come in this autumn?" Rodger's eyes brightened; "Perhaps you could put in a good word for me? Severus Snape works there; I've heard if you want to get anywhere an endorsement from Professor Snape can make anything possible."

Lily smiled, genuine this time, at the mention of him; "Yes. He is very well respected within the Foundation."

"Do you know him?"

Lily hesitated and then nodded; "Yes."

"Really?" Rodger suddenly appeared more interested; "Do you think you could arrange an interview with him for me?"

Lily met his eyes, uncertainly; "Um...I don't know. He and I are working on separate projects," then she added, for more credibility; "And I am hardly of high enough standing within the company to make requests of him."

Rodger looked disappointed, glancing down, before muttering thoughtfully; "Yes; I suppose you wouldn't be."

Lily glared at him over her almost-empty wine glass, draining it and reaching to pour herself another, ignoring his offer to do it for her. She suddenly wished she had agreed to his request; she would rather enjoy being a fly on the wall during a meeting between this man and Severus.

Of course what she had said was true, though not for the reasons she had given. She was hardly in a position to make any request of Severus right now, even if she was fairly certain that he would consent if she asked. She felt a tightening in her stomach, again reminded of the strain between them and how much she missed his company.

Her mind made excuses for him; excuses and reasons came after every accusatory thought. He was a Death Eater; but he defected. He gave up the prophecy; but he revealed it to Dumbledore.

Had he not turned to Dumbledore, what chance would they have had? If he hadn't warned them, if Regulus Black had not yet defected, hadn't been trusted by Voldemort at the time, then they would have been defenceless. And he would have come after them, killed them all with little resistance; they wouldn't have stood a chance.

As she drained her second glass of wine, pouring herself another, she found herself wishing Severus was here with her. That it was all behind them; that they were friends again. That all those things didn't matter.

Did they matter?

They did, of course; but what else could she ask of him?

He had come back; he had righted the wrong committed and he had saved them, had saved her son, from Voldemort. For months, for over a year, he had risked his own safety, his own life, to bring them information to protect them.

And then, once he had gone, he had stayed on that path. Had carried on working for Dumbledore; had thrown himself into the construction of the Foundation. He spent every day trying to right the wrongs he may have committed, in service to those who had suffered, and, if what he had said regarding Regulus Black were to be taking literally, he spent every day feeling guilty, remorseful for it.

Was there even anything else he could do, could give, to atone for what he had done?

And, despite all that, he had confessed the truth to her; had not hidden it from her. He had trusted her with the information he had given; dangerous, life-threatening information, if the situation with Regulus was to be considered.

She had no right to ask any more from him than he had already given.

She shifted anxiously, impatiently and restlessly, wanting to go to him immediately and rectify what had happened between them. Try to salvage the remains of their relationship, before it was too late.

And it had taken her so long to decide it, that she was left apprehensively worrying if he would forgive her.

Severus felt incredibly foolish. He felt like a child again; in fact, he felt like his sixteen year old self hanging around the street of Lily's house the summer after he'd called her a 'mudblood', when he had frequently walked up and down the path in front of her home, hoping she would either notice and come out or that they would just accidently bump into one another.

He remembered with embarrassment Mrs Evans coming out one of those days and offering him a sandwich and some orange juice, before gently telling him that Lily was staying at a friend's that week.

And now, here he was, eleven years later, doing almost exactly the same thing. Although he was not walking up and down past her house, he was lurking around the gate, attempting to decide whether or not to knock on the door.

It was almost the behaviour of a stalker, he mused; after all, the only reason he even knew her address was because he had found it earlier that evening checking through the employee records – not illegal, as a shareholder and business partner, but not quite ethical either and it was something he had never felt the urge to do before.

But Regulus' comment had struck a chord with him; he couldn't just let her walk away. He had let it happen before; had regretted it every day since.

This time, he would fight for it, for their friendship. He wasn't going to lose it, not if there was a chance she could forgive him.

"You really didn't have to walk me home."

Severus glanced up sharply as Lily's voice was carried to him on the wind.

"It was no trouble; only right under the circum -" The man paused in his words, as he turned his head, meeting Severus' eyes.

Lily, who had been rummaging in her handbag, glanced up at the silence at the man next to her, then in the direction he was looking. She froze in her footsteps, staring dumbly at him; "Severus."

Severus, ignoring the incredible awkwardness in the air, nodded in acknowledgment; "Lily. I apologise I...didn't realise you had company."

"Oh," Lily glanced at the man next to her and shook her head; "No. No...we've just...Rodger was just bringing me home...Sorry, Rodger Wyatt, Severus Snape," she was almost stuttering and Severus thought he could smell alcohol on her breath, even from the few feet distance they were standing apart.

The man smiled widely, stepping towards him, with his hand held out; "Professor Snape; I'm very pleased to meet you."

Severus took his hand, eying him slightly, the sentiment not at all shared. He had not known that Lily was entertaining male company, so to speak, and wondered at the man before him. He nodded; "Pleasure."

"Thank you for walking me home, Rodger," Lily spoke up at his side, before she nodded at the house; "This is me." Her tone obviously indicated a dismissal and Severus couldn't help but feel pleased that she had had to indicate to the house, implying that this man had never seen it and, therefore, had likely never been in.

Not that he had. But he was comforted to know that this man hadn't either.

"Oh. Would you like me to wait inside?"

Severus looked at Lily curiously; noticed the stunned, offended expression in her eyes and fought a smirk.

"No. Thank you."

"Really, I don't mind waiting."

"My son is inside."

"That's okay, I -"

"You heard her," Severus found himself speaking up, coolly. Both Lily and the man next to her looked at him sharply at the tone.

After a moment, Rodger nodded slightly, before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Lily's cheek, making jealousy and irritation swell up within him suddenly and forcefully. He fought back a scowl as the other man took his leave.

And then the two of them were alone; both of them silent, the atmosphere awkward.

Lily drew in a breath; "I...have you been waiting long?"

Severus glanced at her, shook his head; "No," he lied, for he had been there for almost an hour trying to decide whether or not to knock; "I...I was uncertain whether or not to knock. I did not wish to disturb your son."

Lily glanced at the house, a slight furrow of her brow; "Oh. No...You wouldn't have. He's with Remus; he's not home."

Severus frowned, glancing at the house, then in the direction the other man had left; realised she had lied to get rid of him. He felt a happy sort of satisfaction settle about within him, that she had obviously had a bad date; then scolded himself inwardly for wishing that upon her. He knew well enough how awful dating could be.

Lily was staring at him, drinking him in, her eyes flicking over him with an expression of curiosity and confusion. Severus forced himself to focus on why he had come and took a step closer to her; "Lily I...I am sorry to invade your privacy this way. I understand it is inappropriate of me to disturb you at home."

Her eyes flicked between his before she shook her head; "It's okay."

"Is it?"

She frowned.

He could definitely smell the alcohol on her breath, as she openly regarded him. She still appeared confused, as if she hadn't quite taken in the fact that he was there, and hadn't connected the dots as to why he was there, and he wondered if she was actually drunk.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, concernedly.

She seemed to snap out of her stupor; "I'm fine. I...I'm just surprised to see you here, Severus."

He drew in a breath, ploughing on with his reason for coming; "Lily, I needed to see you. I...needed to speak with you. To...I just need you to tell me..." this was coming out worse than he had expected, not at all like he had been planning in the hours leading up to it. He swallowed his nerves and his pride, taking a deep breath to compose himself and forcing himself to go on; "Lily, I just need you to tell me if there is a chance. For you and I, that is. I understand that what I did...that you may never be able to forgive me for it."

She swallowed, lowering her eyes, another frown. Then she looked up at him.

"Lily," he went on, quietly, tilting his chin downwards, looking at her; "Is that the case?"

She held his look for a moment, her eyes scanning over him quickly, sad and searching. And then she drew in a trembling breath, stepped towards him and closed the distance between them. His breath caught slightly as she pressed her cheek to his chest and slid her arms around his waist. It took him a second to realise what had happened; before his own arms quickly came up to hold her.

As the seconds moved on, he felt his own courage grow, and he tentatively reached up a hand to stroke her hair.

Lily sighed in Severus' arms, as she felt his hand reach up, stroke the side of her head, his fingertips grazing her cheek. She breathed in the scent of him, hugging him tighter for a second, before she reluctantly released him and stepped back, looking up at him with a slight smile.

He smiled back, looking happy, almost gleeful, making her own smile widen.

Her head was fuzzy with the wine she had drank, and was already starting a foreboding pounding to warn her of the impending hangover, and her nerves were frayed after the disastrous evening she had just spent with Rodger; but suddenly the night didn't seem so bad.

"I'll see you on Monday," she told Severus, still smiling. He nodded, his own smile still present;

"Yes."

"At the Bistro; for lunch," she stated, wishing to confirm it.

He nodded.

She grinned.

And then he took a few steps backwards, "Goodnight, Lily."

"Night, Sev."

His eyes brightened somewhat at the renewal of the nickname, before he turned and headed away, back up the street, with a lightness about his step that he never usually had.

And she also felt a strange lightness about her as she turned and headed up the pathway towards the house; a weight suddenly feeling as if it had been lifted from her shoulders.

There was still Peter to worry about; still the concealment of a prophecy by Dumbledore.

But those things didn't seem to matter right now; not now that her and Severus' friendship had been repaired.

She lifted her wand to open the door and then frowned, noticing it was already open a crack. She nervously glanced up in the direction Severus had left, noticing he had already disapparated. She gripped her wand tighter, cautiously pushing the door open, peering in slightly.

She cleared her throat, calling into the room; "Hello?"

No answer.

She pushed the door open more fully, holding her wand out in front of her as she cautiously entered the house; she cast her eyes over the living area quickly, calling out again; "Hello?"

A groan emitted from the kitchen.

She glanced in the direction quickly, with a frown; "Who's there?"

Only silence met her this time. She flicked her wand, lightening the room; suddenly met with the sight of blood stains trailing across the floor from the doorway she had entered towards that of the kitchen.

She drew in a steadying breath, making her way towards the kitchen, a sudden dread washing over her as she quickened her pace, realisation washing over her before she had flung open to door.

"Oh my God," she whispered at the sight before her; "Sirius!"

In a heap, in the middle of the kitchen floor, almost completely drenched in blood, was her son's godfather; trembling and gasping for breath.