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Chapter Seven

Her eyes flew open as her mind reeled. Where was she? Who was she? It took a moment for her memories to come back to her. Much too much time to waste getting herself back together as she felt the presence that had awoken her creep closer.

She shot up, the sudden rush of blood to her head making her eyes spin and the room tilt. Gathering herself she rose silently from the bed, flicking her hands across the covers to make it smooth again as she listened for a noise. She could hear nothing but she didn't need to rely on that, she could feel him. His core was familiar, she knew him.

She whipped her knapsack onto her back and eased open the door, but her way was blocked. The wizard was making his way up the stairs, as silent as the darkness that enveloped the house. She retreated back into the room and looking frantically around, pushed open the window.

The nearest tree was too far for her to jump into, she would have to scale down the piping system and do so quickly, he was checking the rooms now. She eased herself through the window, making sure to close it before she grouped for the water pipe. Getting a good grip she pulled herself over and inched down. Her heart was pounding as the seconds ticked by and the moment her feet touched the ground she took off into the night once again. She knew though that the wizard who had found her would easily find her again if she wasn't more careful.

Severus cursed himself when he realized River had escaped. He had been so close, had felt her energy pulsating behind his wand, and had searched the house it had led him to thoroughly. She must have seen him, or somehow known he was close by and fled. Everything in the house had seemed fine, untouched, nothing was out of place, but on closer inspection, had discovered one of the spare beds warm to the touch but little else disturbed. For a muggle, she was smarter than the average witch. That was a compliment indeed, though he would never say it aloud.

Cursing again he knew he wouldn't be able to find her until she stopped again, right now he would have to go and report back to Albus and then get some sleep, and he was almost dead on his feet.
Stepping out of the house, he turned and felt the usual tug as he apparated just inside Grimmuald place. As expected there was someone their waiting for him.

"Severus, did you find her?" Minerva McGonagall asked in a rush.

"Obviously, as she is not here with me, I did not." He remarked, though not in a rude way. He could tell Minerva had gotten as much sleep as him, which was none.

"Where do you think she could have gone to?" She asked

Severus pondered this. Where was she going? Serenity? Was she going to find her brother? They had little else to go on. "I'll try and find her trail again tomorrow; for now I think sleep is in order."

Minerva nodded in agreement, feeling the day weighing on her. Severus headed up the stairs to inform the other order members of his progress before he finally got some rest.

Severus had left just as the sun was rising for a new day. He had gotten little sleep that night, having his dreams interfered with thoughts of a tiny defenseless girl running down the wrong muggle streets in the dead of night. It was foolish, he knew, to dwell on such a notion. She was far from the innocent girl she portrayed.

He started off back to the house he had managed to track her down to until he'd lost her again and started afresh. It wasn't long before he was quickly pacing up and down streets and alley ways, searching through the morning crowds as they slowly built the further on time went. By the time it was almost two in the afternoon he felt more frustrated than trying to be patient with first years and their incompetence at everything.

River had weaved down every nook and cranny, every street and bend and it was annoying him to no end.

By the time the sun was setting yet again he was in a foul mood. He had better things to do then hunt down a muggle girl who didn't want to be found. He returned back to Sirius's house with the same news. He had been close at times but had been unsuccessful; this was the same with everyone else.

And so he spent another restless night, waking at another obscene hour in the hopes that she would have lingered for just too long somewhere.

Picking up from where he left off he began again, trying his best to pick up the pace. It wasn't until he'd been stalking around the streets a few hours that he realized the houses looked familiar. They looked slightly different in the daylight then they had at night, but he knew them nonetheless. River had retraced her steps back to the flasher homes but he didn't think she was simply going around in circles.

He felt her presence at a different home from the one he had almost gotten her in. It was just several spaces down, and she hadn't gone inside. Peculiar, he thought.

His wand hovered over the muggle homes letter box and it suddenly hit him! By all accounts she was a muggle, and muggles used flying machine contraptions to get from country to country the fastest they could, but they needed not just money, but identity papers as well. River had none of either, she must have been able to acquire them when she'd stayed at the other house the day he'd almost caught her, that was why she had backtracked.

He guessed that now she had what she needed, and would likely head to the muggle airport. Without a moment's hesitation he disappeared and apparated inside the muggle departure terminal unnoticed.

Sorting faces from the largely growing crowd was more difficult than he had anticipated. So many muggles packed into such a small place, shuffling back and forth.

He continued to search but could see no sign of River. Discreetly he pulled his wand from his pocket, half tugging it up the sleeve of his robe, (he really should have changed, he stuck out somewhat), he flicked it, muttering the locating spell. After a few moments it tugged him, not forwards, but back. He stopped outside the woman's toilet facilities, feeling irritated. Of all the places she would be!
Concentrating he flicked his wand gracefully around the door, muttering spells under his breath. First he needed to clear the facilities of any muggles inside, and then he needed to make sure they wouldn't be intruded upon. They were simple muggle warding spells, and would wear off as soon as he left the area.

He stepped aside as the doors opened and three women hurried out, suddenly needing to be somewhere else. Taking one more cursory look about him quickly dashed inside.

On first glance the white porcelain room was empty but he could feel his wand humming beneath his fingers and knew River was there.

"I know you're here. Why don't you make this easier for the both of us and show yourself?" His voice bounced around the room but River made no appearance to it.

Severus went to the first cubicle and with a brisk swish of his wand; the metal door flew open unhindered. It was empty and so he moved on.

It wasn't until he came to the second end one, forced it open, that he came face to face with his quarry. He had expected her, hiding behind the door, arms raised above her head clutching a pipe or bat or something to attack with. That though was not the case; instead she sat on the floor, her head dipped, almost in defeat, her arms draped over the toilet bowl as if holding on because the ground was swaying. She raised her head weakly and he saw the exhaustion on her face.

"You'll take me back now?" She asked, unflinching from his hard gaze.

"Dumbledore is worried for you."

"He needn't be. He cannot help me." With far too much effort she forced herself to her feet, supporting herself with help from the walls.

Severus stepped closer and grabbed a hold of her arm, leading her out of the woman's room and slipping into a muggle free stairway.

River swayed unsteadily, her knapsack bouncing on her shoulder. He had no choice but to stop as her legs gave way and she fell heavily on her backside to the concrete floor. She was panting; her face was white with a fine layer of sweat apparent on her forehead. Had she been this ill before she left?

"Your ill, what have you been doing?" He asked concerned and annoyed.

River shook her head as if trying to clear away the fog. "It's the magic."

"Magic?"

"It isn't mine. I can't carry it. I'm not a witch."

"The magic, it was the wizard's that was killed?" Severus inquired.

River nodded, her head feeling awfully heavy. Maybe she should rest it, close her eyes, just for a moment.

Severus took her shoulders and shook her lightly to keep her awake. "Can it be reversed?"

"It can. But I need to get to the machine. I don't have much time." Her eyes bored into his and he saw the desperation behind them. Albus had been wrong when he'd told them they had to find the muggles responsible before they found the machine. This girl needed his help, help he was sure Albus would postpone until it was too late. She needed his help, and he cursed himself for getting into this mess in the first place.

So he would help her, but he couldn't do it alone. No, he would need another set of hands and a spare wand ready. Unfortunately, the only person he could think of that would even consider helping him without informing Dumbledore was a certain werewolf by the name of Remus Lupin.