Severus frowned the wood dug into his chest but he didn't move any more then that Harry's eyes were narrowed; it was like he had been waiting for a reason to attack the ex-potions master. Maya scream had given him the reason, he had push Tonks and Hermione out and Maya had scream, what better opportunity?
"You're out of line Potter I only calmed her down." Severus said his voice even Harry frowned stepping back as the man stood at full height, even in a pair of black slacks and an old shirt he managed to give off the familiar aura of malice and hatred
"Oh yah, then why did you send Tonks and Hermione out? She screamed for it to stop, for you not to do it! DO WHAT! WHAT WERE YOU DOING!" the boy yelled, though he was hardly a boy any more Severus frowned, She hadn't been yelling at him... she'd been yelling at her dream...
"I wasn't doing anything, Maya has skeletons in her closet like we all do, hers are just a violent as both of ours, is she no entitled to a little privacy?! I sent them away because this woman had every right not to have her secrets herd by a couple of gossipmongers!" He yelled back his anger rising, he was not here to put up with a teenager with a death wish.
"Harry!" Hermione and Tonks ran in yelling is name at the same time Hermione grabbing his wand arm Tonks stepping in between the two, Severus frowned surprised by the woman's actions.
"Harry look at her she's fine, she's still asleep, Tonks and Severus had been arguing, that must have triggered a nightmare!" Hermione said desperately, she knew what Harry was capable of when he was angry and if he attacked Severus she had a feeling when Maya awoke Harry wouldn't last even if it was her job to protect him
"Why are you so sure that he hasn't charmed her or drugged her with a potion?!" he said loudly
"How could he charm her neither had a wand when they showed up and he was topless, where would he have hidden a potion!" Hermione said reasoning with the dark haired youth.
"Why are you so convinced he's a good guy? Didn't you hear her scream?" he demanded pointing at Severus with his other hand matching the mans glare over Tonkses shoulder
"Harry we don't think that but he couldn't hurt Maya if he was ordered to by Dumbledore!" Hermione said Harry laughed what was Hermione saying? This man had killed when he was ordered to before, he was a former death eater, and that meant there was bound to be plenty of people the man had killed before he was very capable of it.
"Yah right, he's here a few nights and already your willing to let this slide!" he demanded Hermione shook her head She had to try and convince her friend that that wasn't what it was, Their was something between the two, there had to be, all the stuff they had gone through, they he spoke of how she had protected him, Hermione wasn't about to spell it out for Harry but she wasn't going to just let him attack to former potions master either.
"That's not it Harry but think about it, do you think he would risk coming back to the order, after what he did, with Maya if he was planning to hurt her? Think rationally it would offer him no benefit." She said pleadingly Harry growled, she had a point, he could have just abandoned her, left her to die... or taken her strait to St. Mungos... there had to be a reason they came here.
"Fine!" he snapped pulling his arm away from his bushy haired friend and turning on his heel when he reached the door her turned and pointed at Severus his eyes narrowed, the green glittering with a hatred that was tangible
"But if you hurt anyone, or even so much as threaten them, so help me I will kill you!" Harry said firmly then stormed out Hermione sighed and shook her head as the boy left, to say that Harry was a little over protective was an understatement, he didn't want any one hurt so he was willing to attack people to ensure other people safety, she beginning to grow tired of trying to figure that one out...
"I'm sorry sir I tried to hold him back but when he herd her scream, it's like he just snapped... She sounded really frightened... can't you even tell us what she was so afraid of?" Hermione asked Tonks looked back at him expectantly but the potions master shook his head
"It's not my place to say... she trusted me to tell me, I won't break that trust." He said evenly Tonks nodded
"Well I guess that settles it, I'll bring you some food up, Mrs. Weasley made some sandwiches and there really good." She said simply ushering Hermione out of the room quickly
"See you in a second Severus!" Tonks said he merely blinked as she shut the door behind her
"That was... odd..." he said simply Not really sure what else to do he settled back down with his book and began to read again, Tonks returned not that long after with the food she had promised after setting on the bedside table she walked out leaving Severus to his book and his sleeping companion. He closed his book as he realized he had been reading the same line for the past five minutes
"Damn it, you're messing up my concentration. What is it! Why can't I stop worrying about you for two seconds of peace?! You infuriating woman... why do you refuse to wake up... is it so bad here..." he stood walking over her eyes were still closed and her breathing had leveled a little, what ever had caused her to scream out had been placated so that now she was peacefully sleeping her dark hair flared out around her, a few of the shorter locks curling around her face. There was so much of it, each strand serving a purpose of hiding her
"Is this another why of hiding?" he asked Sitting on the edge of the bed grabbing one of the locks and rubbing it between is fingers, it was rather soft, and made him wonder how soft her fur was when she was in her panther form. He frowned, with the house claimed she had lost that box, and the panther statue she had seemed to love so much... how would she feel now she didn't have it any more? And Matchi, the woman had been devastated when she had learned that Matchi had betrayed her, Maybe she wouldn't admit it, but he could tell her words had been spoken harshly when she had threatened to destroy what the elf had betrayed her for, but she had not threatened the elf herself, She probably still had not accepted the beings betrayal, and the few times he had tried to bring it up Maya had changed the subject rather abruptly not giving him a chance to get a word in edge wise about what had happened.
"She's strange isn't she?" He jumped, he hadn't herd the werewolf enter, nor step so close, he glanced up at the scruffy man and nodded
"I herd her talking with Dumbledore once she was going on about how, since there where so many order members around, why couldn't she go find her brother and give him what she owned him... Dumbledore, after firmly saying she couldn't leave her post, chose to point out then that I was listening, she left quickly, transforming and dashing away... I always knew when she was there... Strangest scent' the panther mixed with human... cats." He shook his head and Severus frowned
"Is there a reason your in here?" he demanded Lupin smiled and nodded
"Oh yes, anyway it seems that Harry attacked you, I came up to assure you he wouldn't do it and also to let you know Molly has made it quite clear that if Maya doesn't wake up with in the next few days we'll be sending her to St. Mungos." Severus looked at the man with outrage
"Do you have any idea the risk of doing that, they pin point her in a second! Absolutely not, I will not repay what she did for me by sending her off to be killed because she won't wake up! She's just being foolish and refusing to accept what happened!" he yelled Remus, to his credit, didn't snap back, only stood there and let the man yell at him
"Molly is worried about the fact she won't wake up, so are many of us, We healed her, and out of respect for her privacy let you heal her back as you said you would, I even let you borrow my wand to do it, but there's no certainty that she isn't suffering from something we aren't aware of, you told us that spell were flying all over the place, She could have been hit by anything." Severus frowned and looked at the woman
"We'll have protection all over the place, no one will see her with out us knowing, she's still got her duty as Harry's watcher and some how I doubt she's paid that due she was talking about... not sure why, just do." He said evenly he glanced at Severus, I'm sure she'll be fine, just hope she wakes up before then." He said with a slight smile Severus blinked, they were being so oddly welcoming to him even though he had killed the greatest wizard who had ever lived
"Any way! I'm going to leave you to you book, let us know if there is any change." He said rather suddenly and then with out another word, was out the door.
"Ok?" he muttered shaking his head and standing he walked over to the fire place and gazed around the room, it was rather spacious. One large dusty bed with a canopy that was occupied by the sleeping woman was tucked in a corner and a smaller bed, for him a sofa that had been transfigured, was a about three feet away from the first. The center of the room was vast a thick red rug covering uneven floor boards, a large antique dresser and floor mirror sat next to one wall, some of the few non-dark magic items that had been in the house. Every thing was covered in a fine layer of dust, and all the time spent in the room had Severus feeling as if he was becoming dusty as well. Along the wall with the fire place were several book shelves set into the wall, but instead of holding books they sat bare, devoid of what he was sure were once many books on dark arts and forbidden magic's.
The part of his mind that craved to learn itched for the return of the old tomes he expected had been kept in the most pristine of condition when the owner had still been alive, the logical part of his mind explained rather hurriedly that wanting to read such books or even giving an indication that he was interested, even if only for educational purposes probably would not go over well with the order members. So with a sigh and a firm shake of his head to rid his thoughts of the desire to ask for the books, he returned to the arm chair and gathered up his book (a book about transfiguration)
Hours passed, soon he settled for the night and slept, and oddly even with out the potion he had no notable dreams, no horrific memories, or attacks by dream lashers that had been plaguing him before. The only explanation he had for that was that either Voldemort was focused on something else and couldn't be bother to waste his time with them, or, he had chosen to held back, bide his time till they thought they were safe, then strike, like the snake he now resembled.
He woke to silence, she still wasn't up... He sat next to her reading for a long time, each time he turned a page he dared a glance in her direction, he hated how much she was invading him, his thoughts, his emotions, his very being seemed to hum with worry for her unmoving form. Another book was finished and he set it down with a sigh, how many books would he get through? How long would he have to wait? Picking up another book he stuck into it determined to stop his annoying thoughts before they drove him crazy.
He was well into the book when something caught his eye and caused him to drop it in surprise, Maya was sitting up her eyes staring vacantly at the fire her hair hung limply and she looked like she was about to be sick her hands were folded in her lap and she didn't seem to be registering anything around her.
"Maya?" he asked tentatively she looked over at him her eyes unfocused as soon as she recognized him however her eyes grew wide. Throwing off the covers she leapt from the bed and threw her arms around him he froze up unsure of what to do
"Oh god! Your ok! I was, I had such a terrible vision, no a dream, that you had been left behind, Mamiya was... oh god he was..." She was crying, he could feel the soft warmth of her tears seeping through his thin shirt. He tentatively put his arms around her she was shaking slightly but was trying to hold back, even now she was trying to be strong, he felt a slight ripple of anger at this.
"I-I'm ok, you didn't leave me behind, you got me away like you promised you would." He said she stepped back smiled slightly then looked down tears were still escaping her, falling slowly down her cheeks, he reached forward and she stepped back he frowned and grabbed her cheek rubbing away the tears with his thumb
"Um... sorry, I guess I hurt my eyes... look they keep tearing up..." she laughed weakly as tears kept spilling down her face She pulled away from his hands and began to wipe them away herself
"I-I don't get it, th-they won't stop. Why can't they stop?" she asked Severus smiled and patted her head She looked up at him a little confused
"It's fine, you just hurt your eyes, you haven't used them for over three days, it's only logical they hurt. Back in bed you're still weak I'll bet." He said evenly and she nodded as he helped her back into the bed. Covering her with the blanket when she shivered slightly and he smiled
"You idiot... you didn't have to go crashing through a wall of death eaters you know I could have handled myself well enough." He said and she smiled sighed softly as she calmed, her tears had stopped and she settled back in to the pillows.
"Yah, I know your right... but... I wanted to stop them... if they had hurt you, I wouldn't have cared about my health I'd have killed them all... I can't let them hurt you..." she muttered he blinked
"You're strange, I can tell you things... and I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me... I worry about you more then anything else... I wonder why that is?" she said softly He looked away an annoying warmth enveloping his face
"I have to call them, it's to my understanding they want to know the moment you wake up... you've been out of it for five days now." He said evenly she frowned
"You're kidding! God I bet that made me look competent... not even able to handle a bit of a hit and run." She said annoyance lacing her voice
"A bit of a hit and run, you were tortured for a little over a month and then faugh a group of death eaters, that was not a hit and run, it was a suicide run I swear!" he said she grinned
"No it wasn't neither of us are dead... you seem in pretty good health." She said crossing her arms and smirking
"Oh be quiet or I'll knock you out and let them send you off to St. Mungos." He said firmly she brought up the covers in mock fear
"I'll be good." She muttered and laughed, he gave a slight smile before opening the door Surprising Tonks who was about to knock carrying a plate of sandwiches on her head
"Oh... did you need something?" she asked taking the plate off her head, Severus nodded
"It seems the idiot woke up... you can go tell them for me please." He said simply grabbing the plate with a nod and shutting the door in the pink haired woman's face.
"FOOD!" she said with a bright smile he sighed walking over and setting the plate next to her, it took her all of five seconds to inhale all of it
"Just a little bit hungry?" he asked she flushed and looked down at the empty plate then up at him looking a little embarrassed
"Uh... sorry did you want one?" she asked sheepishly he shook his head and uncrossed his arms, she had bread crumbs all over her face, and probably didn't even notice, stupid woman. He would never admit the relief he felt now she was awake, simple movements, the sound of her voice, crashed against him like waves on the beach and he knew he had to do something about these odd feelings before he did something incredibly stupid and scared her off. Now more then ever he wanted her around, he would lie if he had to, say she had yet to finish looking out for him, tell her it was her fault he was in this mess and she had to see it through to the end... something to get her to stay with him.
"And even if I had wanted on it's a little to late now, don't you think?" he asked reaching over and bushing the crumbs of her face She closed her eyes, not sure what he was doing and he hesitated, had she thought he was going to hit her? Thinking about it, she had stepped back when he had moved to wipe the tears from her face as well. She opened her eyes slowly the gold meeting the deep black. Her face grew a deeper red, she knew he had noticed, she was flinching, that wasn't good... he wasn't stupid.
"Maya... are you af-"
"MAYA!" The door was thrown open and Molly dashed in
"M-Mrs. Weasley?" she said but as the woman approached to hug her Maya scooted back quickly and hit the wall her eyes holding fear for a moment, she quickly masked it and smiled
"Uh Nice to see you again." She said evenly, Severus frowned, She was afraid of something...