Veering Wildly Off Course

Belongs To JKR

Stroke.

Kick.

Stroke.

Kick.

Those moves were the entirety of Severus' limited swimming knowledge. It was all Lily taught him to do when they would swim together as children in the summertime. And it was the mantra Severus repeated to himself as he flailed through and icy, wet, hell searching for the only person he truly cared for.

Stroke.

Kick.

Stroke.

Kick.

The water itself was a murky mess filled with Merlin knows how many muggle pollutants.

If I don't die trying to find Lily I may just die from poisoning…..or grow a third arm.

Severus thought morbidly.

Which was cut off by the fact he could hardly move his arms and legs in the arctic water. And the fact he was rapidly running out of air. This problem was compounded by the fact that the dirt and mud at the bottom of the river would rise and obscure his vision with every move he made.

Severus' eyes and lungs were now burning equally, he needed to find her for both their sakes. Severus searched desperately for any sign of Lily. Some sort of beacon, and just when he was ready to give up and sink into the cold oblivion. A flash of red appeared in the corner of his left eye.

Lily

Severus pushed forward desperately, kicking and stroking with all his might before he bumped into another body that could only be Lily's. Wrapping the bony fingers of his left hand around her arm he clawed and kicked desperately to the surface.

Stroke.

Kick.

Stroke.

Kick.

Come on…..Almost….

Severus, by some miracle of Merlin felt his head hit the cool dusk air and began sucking in desperate breaths of oxygen to his abused lungs. While simultaneously trying to keep Lily and himself above water. Her inebriated Muggle accomplice was at the riverbank desperately screeching for Severus to come a little bit closer.

Finally he hauled himself and Lily onto the edge of the bank. The last of his strength falling away. The Muggle, Samantha, pulled Lily up and away from him. Towards her, cradling her head in her hands.

"LILY?!" She yelled as if that would wake her up.

Samantha turned her head towards Severus.

"What do we do? I don't know-"

"My coat" Severus managed to get past his pale lips while pointing backwards.

Luckily the girl didn't require further direction and ran to grab it.

Severus inched his way closer to Lily's prone form. Her head was bleeding profusely from a large gash. On top of that she wasn't breathing. Severus had no experience with CPR or anything remotely related to Muggle medicine. All he knew was magic.

Samantha arrived with his coat in her hands, quickly enfolding Lily in it.

"She's not breathing." She bleated through sobs.

Severus was familiar with many things involving magic. He knew spells, most Seventh Years didn't by the time he was in Fourth. However Anti-Drowning Spells weren't part of his really his area of expertise but…..His mind dimly remembered Slughorn saving a hapless First Year from choking. But that didn't involve-

No. It will work. It has to work. For Lily…..it has…too. Nobody…..lives….around here….abandoned….years.

"Hold….her…..stilll" Severus mumbled.

His finger numbly felt inside his shirt pocket for his wand.

"What is that?! A stick? What's that going to do" Samantha cried out.

Severus ignored her.

"Anapneo" Nothing happened "What the fuck was that? Just….just stay here. I'm going to get help" Samantha got up and ran towards Spinner's End. Which was fine with Severus as she only distracted him. Severus felt his eyes getting heavier with each breath he took. "Anapneo" Again, nothing happened. Frustration and desperation seeped into Severus' thoughts. Finally in a last ditch effort he cleared his mind of all thoughts. Focusing the entirety of his will on Lily ordering it to move like a current of lightning, coursing from his center, through his arm, toward Lily. "Anapneo" He croaked in some approximation of a yell. "Arghlllugh" Came the eloquent reply from Lily as she coughed and spit nearly all the water she had in her system out onto ground. Severus made sure to keep his eye on her breathing to make sure it didn't stop which was difficult considering the fact almost his entire vision was eventually clouded with darkness. However he managed to tuck his coat around her before collapsing to her side. I did it. Severus noticed that he wasn't cold anymore. Just sleepy. In fact he almost felt warm. Maybe it was because he saved Lily, or from pride for completing that spell, but more likely it was hypothermia. However Severus didn't care, Lily was gonna be alright. Maybe she'll finally forgiv- Then, darkness.