A/N hey people! well, heres the next chapter... a teensy bit of marauders here, but its only a smidgen... so anyways, thanks for the reviews! hope you like this chapter!

Enjoy!

The light.

It was definitely the light that Severus first noticed. The way that no matter which way he turned, how tight he shut his eyes, it still managed to push its way through his eyelids and stab with brutal efficiency into his skull.

Groaning, Severus attempted to ignore the severe pounding and sink back into oblivion. God, his head was throbbing. And not just his head, he realised, his entire back was aching. He frowned slightly, eyes still shut, trying to remember why his back and head would be hurting so much. Maybe it had been a prank from those damn marauders... he pondered sluggishly. No, it couldn't be, he was on vacation, wasn't he? At least, he thought he was...

"Sev?" asked a small voice. A girl's voice. Severus frowned again. Who...? then a torrent of information burst into his head with a fresh wave of pain... his father, destroying the potions lab... starting a fire... throwing Erin outside before covering her with his own body... and his mother. His mother was dead. Grief flowed over him, bringing despair to his heart and tears to his eyes.

"Sev? Are you awake?" asked the voice hopefully. Who was...? Erin! His heart constricted, reminding him that he wasn't the only one who would miss his mother. His eyes snapped open, but he shut them just as quickly with a curse. The light burnt his eyes, it was so damn bright. After a moment he tried again, this time only opening his onyx eyes mere slits. The world was blurry, and he blinked a few times to bring it into focus. Glancing around, he took in the harsh lights illuminating a sterile, very impersonal room. Severus inhaled, and his suspicions were confirmed when he got a whiff of the nauseating antiseptic smell. They were in a hospital. A bloody hospital. He hated hospitals.

"Sev!" squealed a voice, and his scowl disappeared as his gaze fell on his sister, to be replaced with concern. He ran his gaze up and down her, taking in the too-large shirt and shorts she was wearing. She was standing next to the bed, obviously restraining herself from leaping on to the bed and squeezing her brother. His lip quirked, and he gently patted the bed beside him, vaguely noting that he was wearing hospital scrubs.

Erin didn't need any prompting, as she scrambled onto the bed and sat on her haunches, chewing her lip and gazing anxiously at her brother. She had been told not to climb onto the bed by the nice nurse, who had said that Sev needed to sleep. But she hadn't told Erin that she couldn't climb on the bed after her brother had woken up. So she pushed the slight worry to the back of her mind and gave him another look, noting how he was staring at her intently.

"Are you alright?" Severus almost winced when he heard his voice. It was dry and scratchy, making him crave a glass of water. He mentally shook himself. He could have some water after he was sure Erin was alright.

"Yes," she answered in a small voice, trying to sound brave, not wanting him to worry. But when he just kept giving her the look, the one that said he didn't believe her, her carefully built wall crumbled and she burst out, "No!" she started babbling, "I was scared and there was all these people, and you wouldn't wake up, and they took you away and wouldn't let me come, and the poked me and pinched me and why wouldn't you wake up Sev? I wasn't allowed on the bed with you and the nurse said..."

"Hush," Severus said soothingly, reaching out carefully and pulling the sobbing girl to his chest, wincing slightly as she clung to him, stretching his aching back muscles. He brushed that off. Erin was definitely more important to him than suffering a little pain. His eyes darkened and grew hard as he remembered how many times in his childhood he had suffered worse than this for less. He held Erin close, rubbing her back and humming softly in an attempt to calm her tears. He could feel the bruises on his face from his fath- Tobias' fists twinging when he scowled. What he couldn't understand was why there was poultice on his cheek. He took one hand off of Erin and gently touched it, wincing as he felt the jagged rise of stitches beneath the gauze. Frowning, he thought and a vague memory of one of the explosions followed by pain came to him.

It must have been a piece of debris, he thought to himself, glancing down at Erin and finding her looking up at him, face red and blotchy from crying. He smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Feel better?" he asked softly, continuing to stroke her hair. She nodded, snuggling into his chest and sighing, eyes half closed.

Severus glanced around and found a box of tissues and a water jug on the table beside the bed. Carefully, so as not to stretch his back, he reached over, grabbed a couple tissues and dunked them in the water. He then wiped them gently over Erin's face, cleaning away the last traces of her tears. He dropped the dirty tissues back onto the bedside table, and poured some of the water into a glass. Picking up the glass, he took a few sips, sighing in bliss as the cool liquid soothed his parched throat. He glanced down, about to offer his sister a drink, and found her asleep. Her hand was clenched tightly in the front of his gown, anchoring her to him. Smiling slightly, Severus placed the glass back on the table and sat back, gently manoeuvring Erin until they were both lying comfortably.

When the nurse came in to take Erin back to the children's ward, she found an adorable sight. The teenage boy had his arms wrapped tight around the little girl, her head tucked comfortably under his chin. The little girl was sleeping with a small smile on her face, hand clenched tight in the front of her sleeping brother's gown. Smiling gently at the two children, she pulled a spare blanket from the end of the bed and spread it gently over the two siblings, tucking it around them.

"Thank you," said a soft voice, and the nurse started, glancing up and finding piercing onyx eyes gazing into her own cornflower blue. The brother gave her a small smile and shut his eyes again, letting out a sigh.

"You're welcome," the nurse said softly, smiling tenderly at them. Turning, she quietly left the room, closing the blinds and turning off the lights, the door shutting gently behind her.

Severus slumped back against his pillows, the now familiar hospital room right next to the children's wards lending no comfort to his worried thoughts. He and Erin had now been in the hospital for almost two weeks, the surgeons wanting to keep Severus there under observation in case he had suffered any spinal injuries from the explosion, and also their complete bafflement as to why the cut on his face had refused to heal, the stitched falling out after only two days as though disintegrating. As Severus was only sixteen, and his parents had both – supposedly – died in the fire, both he and Erin had been forced to stay in the hospital. Though Erin had her own bed, every night she managed to sneak into Severus' room to sleep, and after the first few failed attempts by the nurses to keep her contained with the other children, they had given in and allowed the diligent five year old and amused sixteen year old to share a room. Of course, Severus hadn't been able to tell them that he suspected accidental magic had been at play. After all, how else had a five year old managed to escape locked rooms within minutes of being locked in?

It had taken a few days for Severus to be able to even stand by himself, to his intense embarrassment. Not even the reassurances of Hannah, the nurse who had given him and Erin the blanket the first day, and was now a regular visitor once she realised they had no living relatives, could cheer Severus up until he was finally able to move around.

But now, the reason for the terrifying scowl on Severus' face, was the news that the doctors were reluctantly releasing both Severus and Erin into the care of social workers the next day. But Severus couldn't allow this. He had to go back to Hogwarts, he knew, but he couldn't in good faith leave Erin to the care of social services. His frown deepened. No, in just over a year he would come of age in the Wizarding world, and would be permitted legal custody over his sister. His scowl crumbled and a haggard look of despair crossed his face. The Hogwarts Express was to be leaving today, but there was no way he could make it. They were in London, yes, but all he had was his wand – which had been returned to him by Hannah, with the thought of it being a baton because it was made of a black wood – and nothing else. No robes, books, his school trunk, hell, even his homework was gone.

Sighing, Severus sat up and swung his jeans-clad legs over the side of the bed. He and Erin could sneak out of the hospital that night, he pondered. He wondered how far they were from the Leaky Cauldron. He was almost certain he could find it; after all he had had to take half a dozen different trams to get home at the beginning of the summer, and hadn't gotten lost once. But they didn't have any money. He frowned. They could probably get to the leaky cauldron for money, and he might be able to beg some food from Tom, maybe...

Wait! Severus sat bolt upright, his eyes widening in comprehension. The Prince vault! His mother had told him about it. Sorrow and guilt filled him as he recalled just why he hadn't thought of it before. His grandfather, the bastard, had had the goblins 'lock' the vault from his mother, because she had married a Muggle. The only way for him to do this without the goblins taking the money after he had died was to make the clause that her descendents could only access the vault after both he and his daughter had died. Normally, Severus would never think of touching the money, but now... he had Erin counting on him. He couldn't let them take her; it would kill to think that she might be hurt and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

Severus jerked his head up with a curse, having absently rested his face against his clenched fist. The still covered but unhealed wound throbbed fiercely, and Severus scowls. He had the suspicion that the piece of debris that had cut his face had had some of the destroyed potions on it and they had gotten into it, and for some reason wouldn't allow it to heal. He sighed; at least it didn't bleed too much.

Turning his thoughts back to the problem at hand, Severus made up his mind. Tonight he would take Erin and they would go to Diagon Alley. Once he was there he would think of something, hopefully.

The Great Hall was packed with a sea of black robes, sported by both returning students and the freshly sorted first years. Albus Dumbledore smiled out at the happily chatting teenagers eagerly digging into the sumptuous feast before them. Glancing around at his staff, his gaze was caught by the frowning Horace Slughorn, the resident Potions Professor.

"Horace? Is something the matter?" Albus inquired, watching his colleague's gaze travel up and down the Slytherin table.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm sure it's nothing, Albus. I just can't seem to locate young Severus," he replied absently, still gazing at the students. "I do hope he hasn't fallen prey to one of the Gryffindor's pranks. That would be quite unfair, to miss out on the Welcoming Feast."

Albus frowned slightly and turned back to the students. He agreed with Horace; he was all for a good prank, in fact he believed it gave the children character, but to prank someone so that they missed the Welcoming Feast was rather unsporting. His gaze fell on the school's resident pranksters, the four sixth-year Gryffindors known as the Marauders. The teens were talking animatedly, but weren't sneaking glances at either the Slytherin table or the door to the Great Hall. Eyeing them thoughtfully, the Headmaster had a feeling that they had nothing to do with young Mr Snape's disappearance. They just didn't look... 'shifty' enough.

"I have a feeling, Horace, that Mr Snape has not fallen ill of a prank," he said thoughtfully, still gazing at the Gryffindor table. Horace gave him an incredulous look, then shook his head with a sigh. Ever since coming to Hogwarts Severus had been at odds with the Gryffindors.

"Think what you like, Albus," Horace said with a sigh. "I will speak with his house mates later and inquire as to his whereabouts."

Albus nodded his agreement, and returned to his meal, savouring the sound of happy speech and laughter from his children.

The Headmaster was relaxing in his study, contemplating the sorting of the new first years when his quiet time was interrupted by the flare of green flames in his fireplace. He watched calmly, his hand touching his wand as his potions teacher stepped through the flames. The Headmaster relaxed, and with a smile was about to offer his old friend a cup of tea when he caught sight of his face.

"Horace?" the headmaster asked, concern entering his voice as he pointed to the chair before his desk in offering.

Horace Slughorn was not a naturally pale man, but at this time flour was darker than his skin. He staggered forward and collapsed into the offered seat, resting his face in his hands. Albus waited patiently for his friend to speak, squashing the impatience rising in him.

When Horace finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. "I spoke to my Slytherins where Severus was, but they couldn't remember seeing him even on the train. So I decided to firecall his mother, Eileen," he paused, his voiced even hoarser. "There was nothing there."

Albus froze, and fixed his gaze on Horace, no twinkle present in his eyes. "What do you mean by 'nothing' Horace?" he asked, a sinking feeling in his chest.

"I mean there was nothing Albus!" he cried, finally looking up, pain in his gaze. "The house was a pile of blackened beams, the fireplace the only thing still standing!"

Albus leant forward, looking and feeling his age. "How long ago do you think it happened?" he asked, voice quiet.

Horace shook his head. "I don't know... a few weeks? There was no smell of burning left..." he started shaking his head again. "Merlin, Albus... I didn't think anything of him not being there..." he whispered. "I mean... I noticed, but I didn't do anything right away."

"I know, my friend," he murmured. "I was at fault, also."

A/N so what did ya'll think? little bit of Dumbledore and Slughorn being sad, but i reckon they deserve it coz of how they treat people - in different ways, yeah, but still in a mean way.

ps. oh, and my favourite chapter's coming up soon! cant wait!

Review please! the review i got today made me update!