A/N: Sorry for the long absence. Hopefully, my renewed inspiration will keep this piece moving forward. Thank you for your support!
Dr Cornwell
"What do you mean there is no sign of them anywhere? The only way out of this place is locked down, and that key remained in the night guard's pocket all night. They must be within the gates somewhere. Search again!" I demanded as I felt my frustration build. This could not be happening. This institution was over one hundred years old with no history of escape. I refused to believe the first would happen under my watch. "Have you checked the roof? The empty rooms? The kitchen? The storage rooms? The stairwells?"
"Yes Ma'am, we've searched the entire complex twice. I've got every guard, every nurse, even the janitors in today working to find them, and there is nothing to find. The open windows seem to indicate they left the building, at the very least. We have no other leads though. It is as if they disappeared in to thin air..."
"...like magic..." I mumbled under my breath and then cursed my gullibility. They had to be here. There was no other logical explanation.
"We should alert law enforcement. As wider search should be started, the sooner the better." The Chief of Security replied stoically not seeming to have heard me. I knew he was secretly thinking, "I told you so" which only frustrated me further.
"I suppose you are right. It seems impossible, but if they have managed to leave the complex, they must be on foot and could not have gotten far. Alert the authorities." I sighed as I rubbed my temples. Why me?
"Yes, Ma'am. I will send full descriptions of the two escapees immediately." He paused for a long moment before adding, "Do you consider them dangerous?"
I sighed again. Such a simple question to him but not for myself. "Only if provoked, I think." I hope.
"I'll request that they bring out the dogs then. We will find them by lunchtime, if I were to guess, Ma'am." The Chief turned and left the room to begin his mission.
That was a welcome thought. This incident would quickly come to a close and things would return to normal. At least it better end quickly. Mr. Snape had a long history of antipsychotic use in heavy doses, and even though I had recently scaled back his regimen, he was likely to suffer some severe withdrawal symptoms or relapse into another severe psychotic state. Lavender was not in any better shape, and I feared she may become violent if not apprehended soon.
I questioned why I ever introduced these two in the first place. The only real gain I could see was the "Sir" now had a name, and an accurate one at that. After Lavender had identified the man, I was able to use the information to locate a property in Manchester in his name. Unfortunately, Mr. Snape had no identifiable next of kin and very little other information was available on the man. Even the authorities found very little additional details. If it wasn't for the small piece of land in his name, it would be as if he did not exist.
At least very little information had been available through my usual means... A thought occurred to me as I sat at my desk nervously tapping my fingertips on the keyboard in front of me. I pulled up a web browser window and quickly placed 'Severus Snape' into the search engine box. I have no idea what I was hoping would come of this silly exercise, but at least I as doing something.
Amazingly, over 100 hits come back , and began to wonder just how deep this mystery really was. My eyes quickly scanned the numerous lines of electronic text jumping automatically to worlds like "evil," "murderer," "Death Eater," and the frequently repeated name of "Professor Dumbledore." I clicked open the first link. It was a blog by someone with the screen name "HogwartsInsider." I scanned the first couple of entries. From the writing style, I felt it was written by a child, and assumed it to be some sort of fantasy character or creative writing project or something from the mention of broomsticks and potions. Not helpful, so I moved to the next link. It was another blog of sorts by "MuggleWitMagic." I paused to reread. There was that word again – Muggle. And again I found mention of potions as well as "classes" such as ancient runes and divination and another writing style that was clearly youthful and not quite matured. I pulled open the third link titled, "A Guide for the Muggle Parents of Magical Children" and found the "Who's Who of Hogwarts." I pulled up the link for "Professor" Snape, but the page no longer existed. I sighed. Of course it couldn't be that simple.
Frustrated, I clicked the window closed. There was just so much nonsense and yet so many similarities. It must be some sort of roleplaying game or video game culture. These writers couldn't possible be suggesting these things were true. Perhaps that was the link between Ms. Brown and Mr. Snape. They were both involved in this same fantasy culture and their diseased minds had lost touch with reality. With the internet bringing people together in ways like never before, it could be entirely possible that my two patients had formed just such a relationship. This theory satisfied my curiosity for now, and it seemed like a breakthrough of sorts. I planned to pursue the issue further once I had them back in my hospital.
The Chief of Security returned to my office then. "Doctor, the local authorities are on their way. They have sent notice to the authorities of the surrounding towns. Anything else we need to know?"
"Yes, Mr. Snape owns property in Manchester. It might be a possible destination." I choose not to mention the internet search for the time being. I needed more time to figure out what it all could mean. "I will also be alerting Ms. Brown's parents. They may have thoughts on where she may be headed." I cringed internally at the thought of that conversation. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Lavender's parents to trust me enough to release her care to me. This news would shatter that trust completely. They would likely remove their daughter from my care; just when I was starting to get somewhere with her.
Lavender Brown
We walked silently through the shallow water. I strained painfully to keep a slow pace even though I wanted nothing more than to run freely down the creek and into the darkness shrieking like an animal the entire way. I wondered silently if the professor knew the thoughts going through my head. Did he know I was struggling to decide whether to tear him limb from limb or tear him free of his clothing? Did he know I was secretly reveling in the thought of doing either? Did he know how his scent was drifting on the breeze and mingling deliciously with the scent of damp earth? Or how I could hear the rhythmic steady beat of his heart and the slightly labored pattern of his breathing? I picked up my pace. I needed to distance myself before I did something terrible. The thoughts persisted, however, and I cringed as I thought of what may have happened had I still been in St Dymphna's at this moment.
I paused as my hands dug into my hair and tugged at my scalp. I needed to stay focused, but focus was impossible in the face of this itch I could not scratch, or at least should not scratch. These thoughts were wrong on so many different levels. He was much too old, much too stubborn, much too annoying, and much too Professor Snape to consider such things. Plus, there wasn't time for such distractions, and I most definitely would be disgusted in myself afterward. Of course, he would never have me anyway so it did not matter. Merlin, why was I even considering these things now? Harry and Ginny were depending on me, and they did not even realize it. In two weeks, they would be dead unless I could manage to overcome this madness and walk across most of England to reach them. And even if I made it that far, which was highly unlikely, there was still the matter of dealing with the would be killers without a wand.
"What is it?" A deep voice behind me asked. I groaned as I let the sound echo in my head for a moment. It was hypnotic to my exaggerated senses.
"Ms. Brown?" He questioned with a tone of genuine concern that actually surprised me.
"It's nothing," I replied stiffly through gritted teeth and resumed my pace.
"As you wish. But might I request you slow your pace a bit. Unless your intent is to leave me behind?"
Stop talking! I screamed in my head. "I will try..." I mumbled knowing it would be near impossible. Immediately my eyes scanned the darkness for some sort of distraction or at least a plan for our next move. We couldn't follow this creek forever.
"We should change directions soon to avoid populated areas. They will likely send word of our disappearance to local authorities in the morning. We do not want to be easily recognizable," Snape stated.
"Hard to avoid with St. Dymphna's stamped all over us," I responded as I looked down on the letters running down the leg of my scrubs. I knew the hospital initials were also posted across my back. We were a dead giveaway even if no one knew of our escape.
Snape snorted his agreement, a thankfully unappealing sound, giving me a momentary break in my distressing thoughts. "If we keep east will we will eventually enter the Peak District. Travel will be more difficult but the people should be fewer..."
"I love the Peak District..." I spewed quickly. It was a silly, pointless thing to say considering our circumstances, but I couldn't help myself as my mind flooded with the many happy memories. My parents had taken me there often as a child, and I had taken riding lessons there during my summers. Those times seems so far gone now. As I reminisced silently of camping trips and trail rides, I suddenly realized how utterly unprepared we were for this journey. We had nothing; no tents, no blankets, no food, not even a map to guide us. The Peak District was filled with hills, woodlands, pastures, and moorlands as well as many small towns and the occasional estate property. This time of year it would be heavy with tourists as well. "We haven't a chance of succeeding in this, do we Professor?"
"None, but it is certainly better than the alternative..." he replied with no attempt to hide the bleakness from his words as he stepped from the creek onto the grass.
I swallowed hard as I also stepped from the water onto the shore. "Wonderful. Thanks for the pep talk..." As if I had expected anything else. I rolled my eyes.
"At least we have a head start," he offered flatly.
"Yeah, well there's that." I mumbled as I took a moment to glance behind us and found myself surprised. Even with the full moon light brightening the darkness and my enhanced vision, there was no bridge in sight. I scanned the horizon in front of us, twenty minutes out, and we were already lost...and soon so would be my self control. I groaned internally as I tried to avoid eye contact with the moon.
Severus Snape
There was an odd tension in the air I could not quite identify. I watched Ms. Brown attentively. Something told me she wasn't entirely in control, and I should not turn my back on her, even for a moment. My suspicions were confirmed as I watched her step from the water. "Is everything alright, Ms. Brown?" I questioned suspiciously.
"Of course, why wouldn't they be?" She snapped back quickly with a fiery glare.
I cleared my throat and motioned towards her feet from which steam was slowing rising upwards. Clearly, something quite heated was going on inside the witch's thoughts. Even in the darkness, I could see her flush in embarrassment. Interesting.
"Nevermind that!" she hissed.
"So be it," I chuckled slightly as I marched forward. My joints ached. My worn out body hadn't seen this much physical activity since the Final Battle, and it did not miss the opportunity to complain. My stocking covered feet ached, as did my knees, and my hips popped with every other step. My young companion, in comparison, appeared to be restless as she walked at the forcefully slow pace ahead of my.
We pressed on without any real plan, a disconcerting feeling. My previous infusion of power had drained, and now the longer we walked, the more I began to doubt the rash decision to follow this witch. She was crazy after all, half werewolf even. Each time I considered turning back, however, I realized I had no where else to go. I could never again return to my ignorant bliss. The reawakened power within forbade that. Not again.
So through the darkness I followed her. We remained silent for most of the journey as our feet crunched through the uncut grass, and our pants became wet with dew. Even though it was summer, there was a chill on the breeze that only emphasized the perspiration building beneath my shirt begging me to shiver. I ignored it, keeping my eyes focused on the SDPH branded across Ms. Brown's back.
The hike soon became cathartic, as my thoughts reached a stillpoint. We marched on for what felt like hours. I followed the tense form several paces ahead of me and listened to the sounds of night all around me. These were the sounds I had once found my solace in, standing next to the Black Lake after hours at Hogwarts, and long since forgotten.
My peace was suddenly interrupted, in the early hours of the morning. Just as the moon was starting to move low on the horizon, Ms. Brown stopped suddenly. I could hear her mumbling under her breath as she swung around to stare in my direction. Her eyes were wide, and her face twisted in discomfort as our gaze met. I froze, unsure, and waited. I noticed her rapid breathes and her clenched fists. I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow to question her.
"No, I ...it isn't right..." she groaned through gritted teeth as she pulled her eyes away and looked towards the moon. Then she burst into a sprint without looking back. I stood still, caught in confusion for half a moment as I watched her gracefully maneuver the tall brush. I attempted to follow, but I could only keep such a pace for a short time before I was forced by my aching lungs and tangled legs to return to a walk. As I caught my breath, I looked around, wondering what had set her off. I sensed nothing, and when I glanced ahead again, Ms. Brown had disappeared over the horizon.
I decided it best to continue on as planned. What else could I do?
So I walked towards to eastern horizon at a pace I could handle. Feeling older now than ever in my life, I walked one foot in front of the other until I fell back into my collected rhythm again.
Several hours had passed from my best guess when the sun finally started to show itself. At this point I had almost forgotten how I had come to be here and instead settled on the fact that I was content to be anywhere but St. Dymphna's. My head still felt somewhat clouded. It was like Occlumency, except I had not choosen which memories to lock away and which to allow. It was almost like being in someone else's thoughts as I had to sift my way through in order to find what it was I was trying to remember. Now, I was trying to remember how I had ended up at St. Dymphna's. I knew the facts as I had read them in my own file, but I still had no memories of anything after the incident in the Shreiking Shack and waking in restraints at the institution. How had I survived? How had I gotten away from Hogwarts unnnoticed? Why had I ended up in the hands of the Muggles and not in Azkerban where I deserved to be? Why couldn't I ...
...As if hit by lightening, I felt my body slam to the ground so sharply the air was forced from my lungs. A weight was on top of me. It took a moment for me to realize that weight was Ms. Brown.
"Shhhh, stay down. Something is coming down that road up ahead." She quickly pulled herself away from me and distanced herself several feet from where I lay gasping for breath. Then I saw lights pass over the grass above our heads as I heard the sound of tires on old pavement. I watched Ms. Brown from the corner of my eye as I listened and stared up at the last few morning stars.
After about thirty seconds by my silent count, Ms. Brown stood up slowly to peek over the brush. "They've moved on." She took a step closer and extended a hand towards me. Reluctantly, I accepted and she pulled me up from the damp ground. "Sorry about that." Then she stepped away again. "I don't think it was anyone searching for us, but anyone wondering these fields at this hour is bound to draw attention."
She dashed ahead a few paces. The she bent down and dug in the weeds around her ankles. "Here, I nicked these from a farmhouse down the road." She casually tossed one object then another. I watched them drop near my feet. They appeared to be Wellington boots already caked in mud and Merlin knows what else. "Hope they'll fit." Then she reached down and slung another pair over her shoulder before she continued walking.
I gave the footwear a disdainful look before picking them up. They smelled of dead fish. "How can I ever thank you," I mumbled sarcastically.
"Thank me when I find us some dry clothes, and perhaps a place to rest..."
Damn. I had forgotten about her heightened sense of hearing.
