A/N: Enjoy! :) I'm working on two other chapters already. It seems my muse came back from her long holiday.
Chapter Five: Strange Alliances
Voldemort seemed to be surprised for a moment, noted Severus, before his brows knitted in thought. "Yes, you appear to be right," he said at last. The potions did include several ingredients that were rather toxic if mixed with wrong substances and the Dark Lord knew that. "However, she was not given anything that could produce such complications," he told the Potions Master.
"Was it some protective measure of hers, perhaps?" wondered Snape, who had a few ideas he did not wish to share with the Dark Lord.
"Perhaps," conceded Voldemort. "We will find out soon enough. Tend to her," he commanded and left the room with one glare at the unconscious witch on the floor. He had to find something that would tell him more about the Temple of Perun and their ways. The answer, no doubt, was hidden in one of his books or in the bowels of the Ministry. He wanted the Temple; he wanted her to be a traitor against her will.
Snape nodded and bowed to Voldemort, glad to see him gone. As soon as the door closed behind the billowing robes, he knelt beside the body. His readings were not good at all and he told the truth when he said that she was barely alive. Perhaps it would have been kinder to let her die, he mused. Maybe he should have given her the activated potion and not the useless blob. It was still a dangerous substance and would only complicate her healing. It's presence in her system reduced the list of healing potions she could safely consume.
"Might not be so bad after all," he muttered; plans and ideas kindling at the thought before he focused on the poor captive.
'What is done is done – salvage what you can' he told himself firmly and waved his wand above her. The poison was slow-working so the major trauma was caused by the shattered bond and torture, he reasoned. Gently, Snape pried open her lips and placed a small bezoar on her tongue. It was better than nothing – he would have to raid his potions cabinet soon though.
The other door opened suddenly and in came Lucius Malfoy; his hair a little dishevelled which in turn told quite a lot about the mental state of the wizard. Snape nodded and carefully turned her on her side, brushing away the dirty strands to better see her face. Even in the embrace of sleep she appeared to be tormented by her personal demons. It was only to expected, he sighed in his mind.
Lucius crouched beside him. "How is she?" he asked in a whisper.
"Not good, I'm afraid. She'll make it though," was the reply. The bezoar seemed to work since there was a very small change in her liver readings already – this injury was caused by the potion then. He had no doubt her recovery would be long and difficult. Even the thought of it made him grimace. He had too much on his plate already - he could not play nurse too, but couldn't trust another with her health. Not even Lucius who seemed to be sympathetic to her plight. Malfoy was in disfavour and without his wand which made him a very poor choice of a protector indeed.
The blonde appeared to be relieved at Severus' assessment of her health though, no matter the expected long recovery. A warm blanket he held in his hands was carefully draped over her form. The ink that was still contained inside the magical circle did not touch it. In fact it seemed to have dried up.
"That will be hell to get out…" grumbled Malfoy.
"I doubt you will use this room in the future, Lucius," Severus remarked, but it was done without his usual sarcasm or bite. "How is Draco?" he asked, genuine interest in his voice.
"As well as can be expected," replied Malfoy and from the softening of the lines around his eyes it seemed he was glad the boy was ok. He loved his child even if some people thought otherwise.
"Good," nodded Severus, before he turned back to things at hand. He had to start her treatment. "Summon an elf to get her to the guestroom… and show me your potions cupboard," he commanded. "After her condition is stable, Narcissa could clean her up. We need to get her out of these clothes…" he sneered at the dirty and tattered robe hiding her form.
Malfoy winced, "I agree on that. Should I call for her right away?"
Snape grunted while tending to the cut on her arm and some of the bruises. These were easy to deal with after all. "I would appreciate her help with healing, if you don't mind."
"Malfoy inclined his head, "She shall follow your orders."
The elf came upon being summoned and handily transported the priestess to the bed. Snape and Malfoy followed behind. When Lucius inquired about the whereabouts of his wife, the elf informed him she was overseeing the changes made in the guestroom. "Follow me," he told Snape and led him to the cabinet where a wide array of potions was carefully stashed.
"This is the only reason I'm glad he chose your house, Lucius," said Snape as he rummaged through the contents, picking one or the other bottle and placing it on a platter he summoned from another cabinet. "These will come handy, but I will have to brew some that will be keyed specially to her in the next days. It is fortunate you keep such a wide variety."
"At least someone approves of something I've done lately…" muttered Malfoy. Snape chose to ignore the comment and hastily followed the blonde wizard as he led him to the guestroom room once he determined he had enough potions gathered.
Narcissa was hovering over the witch lying on the soft mattress when suddenly a knock sounded at the door. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from exclaiming about the priestess' state when she was brought in by the house-elf. She sent one to answer the door with firm instructions to bar entrance if it was Bella or any other of the Death Eaters sans Severus Snape and her husband.
"Cissa?" Lucius' voice rang out from the other side and she sighed in relief. It would have been quite awkward to fight her own sister when it was her who kept Lucius prisoner in his own house. She motioned to her elf to lift the spells and the wizards stepped in, Snape moving towards the bed with determined steps. He deposited the tray filled with colourful bottles on the nightstand and quickly bent over the still unconscious witch.
"What is wrong with her?" she inquired with genuine worry as she moved into the strong embrace of her husband. To think that they tortured something so rare in this world! Every priestess was a blessing, a guardian of the old ways, of the origins of magic. Narcissa might have been a Black once, but she belonged to the Malfoy's now and thus supported her husband's opinion on the matter of priesthood and pagan gods.
"Her internal organs suffered massive injuries. Dark magic being forced into her magical core did not help matters much…" he told her without raising his eyes from the priestess. "I must warn you about the shattered bond," he said as he straightened and took the first bottle. "We do not know the repercussions of this act – it could be from hallucinations, paranoia to madness. I am sure about nightmares, though, so you should stock upon Dreamless Sleep."
The Malfoy's nodded and watched him wave his wand over the witch again. He measured correct dosages and calculated their timing, possible contraindications; before he took the first spoon in his hand and gently pried open her mouth. Quickly removing the bezoar, he carefully administered the first of the potions. After the third spoon, she seemed to wake up.
Snape supported her neck with his hand when her eyelashes fluttered and a soft groan of pain alerted him of the change. He quickly motioned to Narcissa and together they put pillows behind the priestess back and placed her in a reclining position. After he removed his hands she opened her eyes.
"Do you require a dose of a pain-reliever?" Snape whispered since he did not know how she would react to loud noises or his presence. He would personally hate anyone who would see him in such a vulnerable and broken state and would have refused treatment, but she turned grateful eyes to him; so, he measured a generous spoon of the thick blue potion -the only pain-reliever she could take due to other potions.
Her breathing was laboured once again since she experienced the pain of her various injuries, but did not let another groan escape her lips. He admired her for that. Snape nonetheless took the bottle of Dreamless Sleep and gave her enough to knock her out for a few hours. She was a patient in a state he did not wish to see ever again.