Dr Cornwell
I knew it was ridiculous, but that fact did not stop me from doing it every month. The full moon was approaching, and anyone that worked in the world of mental illness at least partially believed the superstitious notion that this day was usually worse than others. While there was obviously no credible science to back me up, I still did not hesitate to increase my security patrol inside the building on the night of the full moon (or Friday the thirteenth for that matter).
"Doctor, you know this means I have to pull some of the men from the outside patrol to cover this increase," the Chief of Security stated as I explained my plans.
We had this same conversation every month. "I am aware but unconcerned as usual. There has never even been an attempt of escape from this facility. All the windows are locked and only a secured badge can get you through the front door. One guard posted at the only outside entrance point is plenty."
"You're the boss, Ma'am. I'll have the other two officers posted inside for this evening as you desire."
"Thank you." I replied shortly.
To be honest, I was more concerned this time around than in the past. Ms. Brown's lunar preoccupation had me extremely worried. She had been the catalyst for a lot of drama since her arrival and the episodes only seemed to escalate as the full moon grew closer, just as she had warned. Luckily, most of the other patients now feared her, creating less opportunity for conflict. Luther had not given up yet, however, and he was now frequently the target of her outbursts.
Last night, I wished I would have heeded her wishes to be locked inside her bedroom for the evening. She told me she simply could not trust herself during these few days, but I ignored her pleas. As we were gathered for the evening meal, Lavender requested she be able to go back to her room early due to a headache, but I could not spare the staff to escort her there so I insisted she stay. She obliged and sat silently with her eyes tight swaying slightly in her chair as she rubbed her temples.
Suddenly, Luther stood up from his seat several tables away from Ms. Brown. He glared right at her and laughed, "I ain't falling for your tricks this time, Witch"
The woman opened her eyes narrowly to glare at her taunter as a low growl emanated from deep within her chest.
In an instant, the offish man started charging towards her. The staff attempted to stop him, but his aim was set, and he was determined to hit his target. The formerly calm room erupted with commotion. Chairs tipped and food flew as several patients attempted to move out of the way, and cries of pain echoed through the room as other patients suddenly seemed to also have headaches.
As for Ms Brown, she reflexively stood from her chair and stepped onto the round table towards the oncoming attack. Her movements were almost catlike, and her eyes remained focused on Luther as her body tensed. But as she pounced into Luther's path, she was almost casually grasped around the waist and pulled to the ground by Mr. Snape even as she kicked and flailed. He whispered something to her under his breath. She then roughly shoved him with a hiss in return but seemed to forget about Luther as she retreated towards a corner like a scolded puppy.
Upon seeing all of this, Luther stopped his approach. The two men exchanged angry glares. For a long, tense moment they seemed to size each other up like roosters in front of the hen house. It seemed as though every breath in the room was being held, including my own, until finally Luther backed away with an angry scoff. Then came a collective sigh of relief as everyone settled back into the dinner routine.
I had started to form a psychiatric opinion of Ms Brown after over a week of observing her carefully. She was a complicated case to say the least. I suspected post-traumatic stress disorder superimposed on bipolar disorder with psychotic features. Her best chance at successful treatment would include cognitive therapy as well as a combination of a mood stabilizer, an antidepressant, and possibly an anti-psychotic medication. It was a heavy-hitting regime, but I had hope for her as long as she would actively participate in her therapy. Unfortunately, she had been very closed off lately. It was as though all the walls I had worked so hard to break through had returned.
Personally, I blamed Mr Snape for her walls although I did not really have good reason for it. I had not actually seen them together since their introduction a few days ago, but he had taken an interest in the girl. I knew because I had found her private records in his room as well as some of my personal psychiatry and anatomy texts. When I asked him about these items, he simply sneered but said nothing in response. Although, I was less than happy about his invasion of my private space, it was a relief to seem him take interest in something other than the scribbles in his notebook for once. Perhaps altering his drug regimen had been beneficial.
Tonight, Lavender Brown was locked in her room and dinner was delivered to her. I shouldn't play into her games, but until I managed to control her psychosis, I refused to risk the safety of my other patients.
Lavender Brown
I awoke suddenly, alone and cold in the small dark room. I fumbled around for the light and revealed the sterile, ivory colored room. My heart was pounding from the horrifying images I had experienced in my sleep. They weren't nightmares exactly, more like flashbacks – graphic, exaggerated, memories. It was always the same; gruesome teeth inching closer and closer, his breath warm against my skin, his smell in my nostrils, and those scorching pains in my side. The memories always returned with a vengeance as the moon grew fuller. Usually I just didn't sleep during the three days surrounding the full moon, but the medications I received here left me little choice. Why would they force this upon me? I did not ask for sleep. I did not complain. I was happy to pace the room for hours on these nights.
I glanced around the room. Something felt "off." Then I realized a cool breeze against my skin. I inhaled deeply as my body tingled in pleasure and desperate need. The room was scented of wildflowers, a welcome relief from the nauseating smell of bleach, which always seemed to permeate within the walls of the institution. I licked my lips and inhaled again. I looked around the room again. The door was closed tightly and seemed to remain locked from the outside. I was alone, thankfully.
Following the source of the scent, I stood and approached the window. The lock had been shattered and window hung loose on its hinges, swinging in the breeze. I touched the glass and swung the window open wide. I then glanced over the sill. I was several floors up, but there was an old fire escape, and it beckoned to me as I was suddenly filled with the urge to run free and aimlessly through the countryside.
As I was about to pounce onto the window sill to make my escape, I was abruptly overcome with a powerful image which caused me to stop completely.
A man with unruly dark locks and glasses dressed in dark robes walked the streets arm-in-arm with a lovely red-headed woman. They seemed distantly familiar and yet not. Then two flashes of green and the two lay motionless on the cobblestones as three masked figures disappeared among the crowd. There was chaos and a woman cried out, "Oh goodness no! Harry Potter is dead!" A waning crescent moon hung in the morning sky, barely visible above the roof of the Leaky Cauldron.
I gasped and shuddered violently as I once again struggled to calm my racing pulse as the vision faded into memory. I looked out my window towards the sky. I already knew what I would see; the full moon glowed brightly as it always did when these visions took hold of me.
My first instinct was to laugh. Served them right! I bet those selfish twits did not even know I had survived the War. Neither visited me while I spent months slowly bleeding to death from my cursed wounds in the wards of St Mungo's. Neither acknowledged my contributions during the War. Hell, Harry probably did not even realize I had contributed, he was so caught up in himself. I gritted my teeth in fiery. Why should I care about their survival when they clearly had no regard for mine?
I forced a deep breath then as I unclenched my fists. Those were only half-truths, I had to admit to myself. Hermione and Ron had both visited me while I convalesced. Even after I had sent them away twice without seeing them, they returned and extended gratitude and apologies from Harry and Ginny. Harry was none-too-well himself at that point and Ginny was caught between grieving for her lost family and friends and helping Harry work through his own dark demons. I did receive an invitation to their wedding, so they hadn't completely forgotten my existence. They were simply moving on with their own. I could not fault them for that.
I stared at the beastly moon again. I had two weeks to warn the Potters. I had to leave now if there was any hope of saving them. London was a long ways from Manchester, especially without a wand or a broom or a port key. And I knew as the moon began to wane, so too would I.
I looked towards the ground. An impossibly tall fence topped with barbed-wire lined the perimeter beyond which were lush looking fields. The institution felt more like a prison than ever, but none-the-less, it was a prison I must escape tonight.
I ran to the bedside, flipped off the lamp, and then tucked some pillows beneath the bed-sheets to create a convincing sleeping form. I felt like I was back in Hogwarts sneaking out of the dormitory to meet some boy after hours. Unfortunately, there would be no lustful lad awaiting me tonight. It wouldn't matter anyway. He would run the other way as soon as clothing began to disappear. They always did these days.
I growled at myself angrily as I tried to remind myself of the task at hand. There was no time for self-pity, but how lovely it would be to have a warm body to press against, lush lips to taste, and....No, those days were over for me despite the incredible yearning that filled my depths near the full moon.
I stepped into the window and then out onto the fire escape, holding my breath as the structure seemed to sway with my weight. I was never more grateful for the ugly beige hospital socks with the non-slip bottoms as I was at the moment. I glanced at the ladder leading downwards as I nervously prepared to descend, and I wondered what sort of security this place possessed.
I was overcome with self-doubt, then. I would never succeed with this alone. I wasn't strong enough or clever enough. I needed help. An unwelcome thought occurred; there was one other in this institution whom may be able to help. I shook my head as I glanced at the windows of the floor above me. Light glowed brightly from only one window, the one I knew belonged to Professor Snape.
I really was insane. I sighed as I grabbed the ladder and headed up to the next floor. I quietly climbed towards the lit window and then peered in cautiously. The Professor sat on his bed scribbling in his notebook fiercely with books sprawled out around him.
I chewed my bottom lip anxiously as I considered my next move. How could I get his attention without alarming him or anyone else? Then how would I get the window open when I did nof even know how I had gotten my own window open? Finally, how would I convince him to actually help me?
I took a deep breath and then gently taped on the glass.
His dark eyes quickly darted to the window and narrowed in suspicion as they locked on mine. I shuddered involuntarily.
He then stood quickly and approached the glass. He looked amused as he shook his head. To my amazement, he pushed open the window as if the lock did not exist. "What do you think you are doing, Ms. Brown?" His sardonic voice echoed in my ears.
"Leaving," I forced out boldly.
"Well you are headed the wrong direction then. I believe the ground is that way," the Professor pointed a finger out the window and towards the ground to emphasize his point. A smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Unless you plan to fly away." He was teasing me.
"I am quite aware of which direction the ground is, Sir." I struggled to hold strength in my words. Professor Snape's presence had always caused me to question myself regardless of the situation. "I was hoping you may be interested in joining me." I mentally cringed as I awaited his reaction.
He laughed. He actually laughed in seemingly true amusement at my offer. "Go back to bed, Ms. Brown." He turned from the window swiftly. In my mind, I imagined his black robes swirling about him.
"Would it make a difference if I told you it was a matter of life or death?" I pressed, stunned that I managed to avoid sounding as if I were begging. I was begging, of course. There was no way I could manage to get myself safely to Diagon Alley alone. It must be at least 300 kilometers from here.
"Not even if it were my own life," he retorted.
I snorted. Maybe Snape did deserve this place after all. I turned to leave. Clearly this was a lost cause. I would have to attempt this task on my own.
"Where will you go, Ms. Brown?" Snape sneered after me. He was clearly amused by my situation.
"Home to get my wand. Then to London to save Harry and Ginny." I began to descend the ladder.
There was silence. I looked up and saw the Potions Master staring absently off into the darkness.
"A full moon…" he mumbled under his breath finally. I felt myself shudder at those words. He looked down towards me and then swung his legs over the window sill.
"Your home is the first place they will search for you." He began to descend above me. I decided it would be unwise to question his actions.
"Do you have a better suggestion, Sir? I am powerless as I am." I glanced up at the moon as I spoke knowing the words to be slightly inaccurate especially considering their timing..
"You are mistaken. You are not powerless. You simply lack control." He too glanced out at the glowing orb in the distance again.
I considered his words for a long moment. It seemed logical that in my flustered emotional state I could have unknowingly blown the locks and hinges of my window. I had done worse in the past - much worse. But how did one gain control without a wand?
When my stocking feet finally touched ground, I crouched as I glanced around. The compound was fairly unguarded it seemed other than the unclimbable fence. My mind swirled desperately for some sort of plan.
I felt Snape's eyes on me as he joined me on the ground causing another chill through my spine.
Severus Snape
The air was thin. I glanced up at the sky. It was an eery night; the kind that seemed to call you by name Perhaps I was just being dramatic after spending eight years inside the prison that was St. Dymphna's, but I had a strange feeling that something big was about to begin. I ran my fingers through my hair roughly as I felt my skin begin to crawl. I never wanted to be rid of this place more than I did at that moment. It did not matter where I ended up as long as it was anywhere else.
"I don't think I really thought this through…" Ms. Brown muttered as she looked around cautiously.
"I have," I responded impulsively. In fact, I knew exactly what to do, had known it for many years, and now that I had an accomplice and the motivation, my plan could be implicated. It was ironic really. I knew of the change in security that occurred each month during the full moon, but it was not I that instigated this escape on this particular night.
I turned to look at Ms. Brown. She was crouched like a wolf on the hunt. Her eyes were wide and her body was tense. As she considered my words, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. I could almost imagine the hair standing tall along the back of her neck. She looked as though she could howl at any moment.
"There is a single guard posted at the front gate. As you are clearly the most physically capable among the two of us, Ms. Brown, I believe it best that you attempt a distraction of the guard. Lead him away from the gate to the opposite side of the yard and return quickly to the gate before he realizes he has been deceived. By then, I should have the gate unlocked and we should be free of this place." It sounded like a rather simple plan, but I knew in reality that timing would be critical if we were to make our escape unnoticed until morning. That would be the ideal situation. However, even a slight head start would be tolerable as they would have no idea in which direction we were headed.
She nodded quickly and almost immediately took off at a quick yet silent pace towards the guard shack while I waited in the shadows. She cleverly reached and grabbed a handful of gravel from the ground and threw it into a set of bushes distant from both of our locations.
Of course the guard responded by shining his lantern in the direction of the sound. The next pile of gravel landed a bit further away, and the beam of light followed the sound. The guard continued to hold his post at the gate seemingly conflicted about how to approach the situation. When a third rustle of bushes occurred, however, he turned to the gate to assure it was secured before leaving the area to investigate. Meanwhile Ms Brown continued to move him further and further from the gate with her antics of rock throwing and running through the yard just beyond the reach of the lantern's beam.
I almost smiled to myself over the ease of this escape as I quickly approached the gate. After hours, the gate was closed both manually and electrically. First I approached the padlock across the gate. A quick "Alohomora" under my breath and the lock and chain fell to the ground. I did the same to the lock on the guard shack door. Such fools to think something so simple could be considered secure. Once I noticed Ms Brown's quick approach in my direction, I reached into the small shack and pressed the red button that unlocked the magnets and commanded the gate to creek open automatically.
Without a word, I hit the button again to cause the gate to slowly return to the closed and locked position. Before it was able to close completely we dashed through the opening. A quick look around the institution yard revealed the lone guard to still be searching the far opposite end of the compound for the source of the disturbance so I quickly replaced the chain and lock onto the gate. The guard would know nothing was awry until it was much too late to catch us. I laughed internally.
As I turned from the gate, I found Ms. Brown suddenly very close. She paused there for a long, awkward moment, her body rigid. She leaned in to me slightly and inhaled deeply as her eyes closed, and I could smell something like a mixture of lavender and mint in the heat emanating from her body. Then she stepped away quickly, a flush on her cheeks, and appeared to be mentally chastising herself as she gritted her teeth and shook her head.
"We should go," I responded stiffly and began a quick pace down the edge of the paved road as I tried not to think about what had just occurred.
We walked for several minutes before we came to a bridge crossing a small creek about two kilometers from the gate. I watched as Ms. Brown jumped over the side and in to the water below. I raised an eyebrow as I looked down at her.
"They will have dogs. Less scent if we walk the creek for a while. We will be more difficult to track once they notice our disappearance." She took off in a southerly direction passing beneath the bridge along the creek bed.
It was a logical plan, and I found myself mildly impressed with the idea. I was unsure where this plan would leave us in the morning, but honestly finding myself anywhere else but St. Dymphna's would be a welcome change, so I jumped into the creek. The cool water lapped at my shins as I moved, and the summer breeze was alive around us. I felt energized. I felt powerful with the elements surrounding me. I felt unstoppable... I suppressed a smile.
A/N: Thoughts? If so, please share. Good or bad, I don't care!
