Chapter Thirty One- Merry Christmas

After getting over the initial pain of transforming, Darian suddenly felt content. He gazed over the vast field, feeling a sudden jolt of excitement well up in him. Without further hesitation, he let out his trademark howl before breaking off into an all-out run. The ice cold wind whipped through his fur at his ran though it only felt like a refreshing breeze to him.

It was freedom. Beautiful, blissful, pure freedom. Running without any boundaries or rules was like flying amongst the clouds. It was just him, just the peace of being alone, of the solitude and silence. No worries, no people, no prophecy, just running with the rush of the wind at his shoulder….

Unfortunately, Darian's moment of pleasure came to an abrupt end rather quickly. He skidded to a dead stop when his enhanced sense of smell realized that something foreign had invaded his territory.

A flare of possessive anger flew through him and he drew back his head once again to let another howl echo loudly through the night. Darian froze, listening for the trespasser's answer to his warning. A moment later a deeper howl reached his ears, informing Darian clearly that the other werewolf had no intention of leaving.

Darian growled, baring his teeth and feeling his fur rise slightly as his rage built. He crouched low to the ground, sniffing the other wolf's scent to target the precise location of the unwanted guest. His insides turned to ice when he realized how close the threat was to his human father.

'Father.' The word was almost alien to the wolf but the part of him that the Potion influenced, the human part of him, recognized that word with a surge of fondness. Obviously, 'Father' was someone he should, no, needed to protect.

With even more reason to rip the other werewolf apart, Darian sped at an astounding speed toward his father's scent. As he approached, Darian analyzed his fellow werewolf, taking in the enormous size. Obviously, his opponent was full-grown and was quite used to being a werewolf.

Darian could tell by the other's size and age, that this would be a dangerous fight, almost a foolish one to engage in on his part but the need to protect this human urged him to clamp his jaw firmly over the gray tail and swing the other werewolf with all of his strength away from his father and off the porch.

The werewolf showed only a moment of weakness but when he looked at his abused tail and noticed exactly what had caused him such pain, fury flashed through those large amber eyes that matched Darian's own.

Darian stiffened his body in a defensive mode as the other wolf hunched, prepared to spring at him at any given moment. Darian's ear twitched as he heard his name being whispered by the human but he didn't risk taking his eyes off the enemy.

Like lightening, the much larger werewolf charged, advancing on Darian with such speed that the young wolf barely had a chance to realize what was happening until he felt the piercing pressure around his neck. He scratched helplessly at the unrelenting wolf, desperate for air and was relieved when the grip on his neck disappeared as he was sent airborne.

Darian wasn't sure if it was years of quidditch or just being a werewolf that allowed him to land on his feet, though he suspected it was more of the latter. Unfortunately, since the Potion had freed a part of his mind, it also had numbed some of his strengths as a fully transformed werewolf.

Darian steadied himself, his pride wounded worse then he was, and charged the other wolf without a second thought. He sprang on the wolf's back, tackling them both to the ground and taking that moment to draw three long gashes along his opponents back.

The other werewolf howled in fury, retaliating ten-fold as he shoved Darian to the ground, knocking the younger werewolf senseless and pinned Darian underneath him. He reared back, ready to strike but Darian, after giving his head a small shake, bit the enormous paw. With a howl of pain, the gray wolf brought his paw back and swiped Darian's face, leaving four long gashes and repeated the process twice before Darian managed to wrestle the wolf off him.

Darian swayed slightly, his body stinging at the gashes. His back was aching, probably the result of reawakening his back injury when he had been flung to the ground and pinned. A steady rivulet of blood pooled from his neck and soaked his dark fur. He had only just managed to steady himself he was knocked over a few seconds later and he found himself pinned once again, his head swimming.

Darian made to bite the large claw again, but one swipe across the snout prevented it. Teeth sunk into his left shoulder and he howled in pain as the wolf dug a claw into the other, pushing Darian relentlessly into the hard ground, grating rocks and dirt into the younger werewolf's injured back.

Darian squirmed, still unwilling to give up even as his vision darkened at the loss of blood and lack of air. The gashes on his face were bleeding into his eyes and all he could see was red. He struggled, whimpering in pain and exhaustion; his legs were aching with bruises as they scratched helplessly at the wolf.

Dimly, Darian heard the sound of a voice and the crushing weight on top of him was suddenly gone. He tried to get up, but found that his limbs wouldn't cooperate.

The other werewolf was howling loudly in pain and Darian managed to shake the blood from his eyes to see the squirming form of the large gray wolf a few feet from where he lay. His eyes trailed up to the human---his father who was pointing a wand at the large wolf, his dark eyes hard with fury as he watched the pitiful form squirm.

Darian managed to hold his head up for a moment, staring with wide amber eyes at his father.

Snape waved his wand and the werewolf fell limp, still twitching from the aftermath of the curse and Darian realized, with a jolt, that the human had used the Cruciatus Curse. Snape stared uncertainly at the collapsed werewolf, watching the rising and falling chest wearily.

The gray wolf placed one paw flat on the ground and used it to push himself up onto all four legs again. Severus immediately trained his wand on the large creature, swallowing heavily. He cursed himself for acting like a foolish Gryffindor, charging into a dangerous situation without thinking. But then, he reasoned with himself as he glanced at Darian's still form behind him, he might've lost something far more important had he not followed his first instinct.

The werewolf growled deeply and advanced toward Severus and Darian.

Darian tried to lift himself but it was in vain as he collapsed on the ground with a soft whimper. Severus looked at him briefly, tightening the grip on his wand.

"Crucio!" he roared the only spell that seemed to affect the large werewolf, uncaring if it was illegal.

The werewolf barely dodged the curse, though it had the desired affect as it whimpered and backed away resignedly, obviously unwilling to experience the torture curse again.

Severus raised his wand again threateningly; the spell was on the tip of his tongue but the large wolf had already turned tail and ran.

Finally, he slowly backed away, still unwilling to let his guard down for the time being, and carefully made his way over to Darian.

"It's alright, Darian," Severus whispered as he drew close. Darian tensed, knowing somehow that his father wouldn't hurt him. Severus paused and gently stroked the blood away from Darian's face. "Stay with me," he commanded, his voice shaking slightly as he observed the full extent to his son's injuries.

Darian let out a small yip of anguish when Severus brushed a particular nasty looking bite.

"Merlin," Severus breathed, gently stroking Darian's mane and trying not to focus on the blood-soaked fur. "Stay with me," he repeated firmly when Darian's eyelids began to droop. "I'll get you to a Healer as soon as the moon goes down."

Severus stood and, with a wave of his wand, summoned a cloth and a bucket of warm water. Darian whined from below him and he quickly sat back down.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured the young wolf. "I just want to clean some of your wounds." He dipped the cloth into the water and wrung it out before gently wiping at the blood in Darian's eyes.

Darian closed his eyes against his father's will and laid his head on the ground. His head was spinning and every part of him ached. He let the human's soft touches null him into a light doze, trying desperately not to fall asleep…

"Don't fall asleep, Darian."

His father's voice sounded so very far away….so far...

Darian could feel sleep reaching out for him and was unable to keep his breathing from slowing as he drifted off into a painful rest.

"Stay with me, son…."

&&&&&&&&&

The first thing that registered in Darian's mind when he opened his eyes was the pain. Pain seared through every muscle in his body, every joint and it struck him so suddenly that he cried out, barely even registering that he was human again.

"Darian!" someone said frantically. "Don't fall asleep, Darian, do you understand me? Don't go to sleep!"

Darian felt his eyes tear from the pain and he hissed as a bright light pierced his eyes. "Hurts…." He rasped. "Help me—"

Voices drifted over him. Darian struggled to comprehend what they were saying, but there were just too many of them.

"Potion….need…immediately…"

"Attention…..Anderson…emergency…"

"Quick…loosing him…"

"'tay….stay awake…."

Darian's breathing hitched and he struggled vainly to steady it.

'He couldn't see. Why couldn't he see? There was a bright light shining in his eyes and it was burning them…..his eyes were watering and they were burning…..they were burning and he couldn't see. He couldn't see!'

"Help me!" he choked, panicking and began to thrash. Hands immediately came down to hold him in place, causing him to cry out at the pain the sudden movement gave him. "Let go!" he screamed. "Let go of me! I can't…..!"

"Darian, stay still," an unfamiliar voice commanded gently. "Just stay still and we'll let go, alright?"

"I can't see!" Darian gasped frantically.

"Dim the lights," someone barked and Darian flinched at the volume of the voice.

Darian blinked the sunspots from his eyes and focused on the Healers that surrounded him. "Where's my father?" he blurted out.

"He's just fine, Darian."

"But where is he?" Darian demanded, still struggling against the Healers.

"He is just outside the door, son."

"I want my father," Darian stated bluntly.

"We can't—"

"Let me see my father!"

"Calm down or we will be forced to give you sedative," a medi-witch said soothingly. "Now you need to stop moving, Darian, or you'll injure yourself worse."

Darian closed his eyes and hissed at the pain that blossomed from his arms.

"Please," he begged, feeling terribly weak and pitiful, his voice quivering. "Can't I just see my father?"

"Not right now, honey, you need to be treated first."

Darian swallowed heavily, taking in a deep breath. "Please…."

The mediwitch bit her lip and glanced at the Healer before disappearing out the door.

Severus waited quietly just outside Darian's room. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, though he had barely taken a sip from it and it was already growing cold. Instead, he stared blankly ahead into nothing.

"Professor?"

Severus looked up as a medwitch exited Darian's door. He stood up immediately, ignoring the coffee cup as it went crashing to the ground.

"He wants to see you," the mediwitch said nervously and glanced behind herself. "But the Healer won't allow any visitors until we've treated him. He won't sit still long enough."

Severus stared at her and blinked. "Then let me see him."

"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't let you in," she said nervously.

"Like hell you can't," Severus snarled, walking past her.

"Sir, wait! You can't go in there!"

Severus ignored her and pushed the doors open to see three Healers trying to pin down a yelling Darian.

"Let go of him!" Severus shouted, moving across to pull a Healer away from the struggling form of his son. "Don't touch him!" he commanded, shoving the other two away.

"Who let him in?" one of the Healers demanded, glaring at the mediwitch.

"Professor, you need to wait outside so we can treat him," another reasoned.

Severus ignored them and bent down next to his son. "Darian," he said the name loudly.

Darian slowly opened his eyes when he realized he wasn't being held down anymore. They focused on the man sitting next to him, staring down at him in concern.

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked quietly, his eyes doing a brief scan of the boy's body to assess his health.

"Oh, just perfect," Darian muttered sarcastically, though he looked a great deal more relaxed with his father beside him. He bit his lip and looked down. "I'm sorry I kind of….freaked out."

Severus merely shook his head. "Don't be," he told him. "Those idiots should have known better then to grab you like that."

Darian smiled wanly, suddenly realizing how weak he felt.

"I'm…..tired….." he breathed, his eyes already drifting shut.

"Rest, then," a familiar voice told him.

Darian flinched as he moved his neck to the side. "Don't…….don't leave, okay?" he said lamely from under closed lids.

"I won't," came the promised reply.

"Professor, he really shouldn't be sleeping now…" A pause, "..o-okay, maybe just for a moment…."

Darian sighed and felt himself relax, willing the pain to fade a little. A hand touched his shoulder, squeezing it tightly and he felt the dull ache in his bones ebb a little.

"Merry Christmas," he heard his father whisper regretfully before drifting off.

&&&&&&&&&&

When Darian next awoke, he felt considerably much better though it probably had to do with the fact that he had finally slept. His room was bathed in a gray-ish glow from the equally gray sky and snow piling up beside his window.

Darian stared out the window at the wall of white for a moment before cautiously turning his head. He was relieved on both accounts when he didn't feel the sharp jolt of pain due to the movement and to see his father sitting in the chair beside his bed, reading a book. Darian looked at him for a moment before clearing his throat.

"What time is it?" he asked, his voice barely above a weak whisper.

Severus looked up from his book and something flashed in his dark eyes as they focused on his son. "It's nine in the morning," he paused to look at Darian critically. "Are you in any pain?"

Darian shook his head wordlessly. "I think I'm numb."

Severus snorted, his lips twitching. "You aren't numb, you idiot boy, you're healing."

"Ah," Darian acknowledged before struggling to sit up. "What about you?" he asked, suddenly remembering the other wolf. "Were you hurt?"

"No," Severus answered and surveyed Darian with a stern look. "But you shouldn't have done that."

"Done what?"

"Attacked that other werewolf who was obviously much bigger then you like an irrational Gryffindor!"

"What's wrong with being a Gryffindor?" Darian snapped defensively as he his head suddenly gave a rather nasty throb. "And its not like I could actually control what I was doing for one thing."

"You took the Wolfsbane."

"Yes, but there's still a bit of werewolf that remains," Darian said irritably, rubbing his head. "You know that!"

"Well…" Snape paused, struggling with words. "Don't do it again!"

"What? Save your life?"

"Don't risk your life to save mine!" Snape yelled, standing. "It's not worth you dying over, Darian."

Darian folded his arms. "It's my life," he said coldly. "I get to decide what to do with it and how I want to live it, not you."

"You are so careless, sometimes," Severus snarled in exasperation, glowering down at his son. "Do you not realize how important your life is?"

Darian frowned, looking down. It hadn't exactly occurred to him yet that he actually had a father that worried. "Well," he said quietly. "I've never exactly anyone that worr---"

"Don't you understand that if you were to die then the Dark Lord wins?" Snape interrupted harshly.

Darian felt as if he'd been slapped. "Oh…well…"

"You charge into situations without even thinking them through," Snape cut him off again. "You've always been this way ever since you set foot in Hogwarts and I would've thought that as you got older that this hero tendency would wear off a little but obviously I was wrong."

Darian glared hatefully at him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I don't turn the other cheek when people's lives are in danger."

"Stop acting like a child!" Snape snapped. "It is time that you grew up and began to realize that your life isn't a gambling chip you can fool around with. There are more important things!" He turned to fling the door open.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Darian called after him, sounding a little meek.

"Out," Snape said without looking at him.

"Bu---"

The door slammed shut before he could finish.

A/N- I know, late and unbetaed, and a Darian/Snape fight...they do get into those a lot don't they?