Disclaimer: Not mine.
The Uninvited
Chapter 2
He pulled off his mask as he ran to look for the place he had passed earlier. Finding no trace of a body, animal or human, he looked around. Drawing out his wand, he cast a soft spell of Lumos, lighting the end of his wand, and searched for the blood trail that he knew must be there.
After several minutes, he found her sitting with her back against a tree, her legs splayed out in front of her. She wore black robes with her hood pulled down low obscuring her face with only her bare feet and ankles exposed. He was reluctant to push back her hood to look at her face or to expose what was under the robes. He had seen the remains of survival before, remains that could not be mended.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the hood back and was surprised to see her eyes lock onto his. Dark green eyes the colour of old bronze left too long outside, looked back at him. Her face twisted in pain as she held her chin up defiantly, and her nose flared as she sucked in panted shallow gasps of air through slightly parted lips.
He put his hand behind her neck, pulling her way from the tree gently, packing the material of the hood firmly and replacing her head to its hard pillow. She winced as he moved her, biting down on her already bleeding lip.
Her hair was dark in this light, not black, but not light. He brought his wand closer and noticed that what he had taken to be dark streaks was actually blood that had caked and dried on auburn tresses. Her skin was pale as if starved for sunlight, not a natural pallor. Her right eyebrow was pierced by a small silver charm at its outer most part. However, it was her eyes that unnerved him, her staring unflinching eyes.
He put a finger under the charm, inspecting it for its meaning. Unable to read the runes he let it fall back into place. Gently inspecting each of her cheekbones in turn with his fingers, he watched her reaction when he touched the left. Bringing his wand to her face, he muttered a spell and began the healing of the broken bone.
Her eyes never left his and her breath never raised above a quiet rasp. He knew she must have broken ribs but he was so fearful of moving her that he could not get to them yet.
He took her robes in his hands, and looking to her eyes he asked silent permission to continue. She closed her eyes, and reopened them. understanding what he meant to do. Pulling back her robes, he raised an eyebrow and looked to her face, watching her eyes.
She wore a traditional pureblood bonding gown, one only used by the purest of families. It answered all the questions he had for now. She was a pure blood, her father no doubt a trusted follower of Voldemort. She, a Death Eater's betrothed, was dressed to celebrate and confirm the union this night. At a Revel that meant that all in attendance would get to sample her after the bonds were complete. This was Voldemort's way of showing his ownership over everything a Death Eater owned, or could become.
He bent forward and examined her left hand. The absence of a ring meant that the wedding had not taken place and the condition of her body signified that she was a fighter. She was broken and bloody, but she had fled before they had time to pass her around the Revel.
In the darkness of the Forbidden Forest, Severus Snape smiled.
"Good for you witch," was all he could manage to say. Looking into her eyes, he saw them close and reopen in recognition of his praise.
He used his wand to look for other damage, running the diagnostic spells that Poppy had taught him. Her broken ribs, all on the same side, a sign that she had been down, and kicked repeatedly. Two ribs were pushing against her lung, threatening to puncture them if they had not already done so, and making every breath agony.
He admired her ability to have got this far. Being able to apparate while in this condition took power and concentration, or more determination than he had seen in many. Looking at her face again he thought that pure fear could have gotten her here as well.
She bled from wounds to her scalp and back, one leg was broken at the thigh, and she appeared to have internal injuries, seemingly more painful than fatal. But, he knew that to move her now could make them become so very quickly. Her crushed hands assured him she had not come with a wand, and he almost visualized someone stomping on her hands, grinding in the heel of their heavy boots as she fought to crawl away.
He sat back on his heels, sending his Patronus to the hospital wing to alert Poppy of his need, and waited for the Medi-Witch.
The battered witch in front of him tried to raise her arm, before letting it fall back into her lap. He watched her clenched misshapen fist try to move, and saw her shudder in the effort. Misreading the sign, he assured her it would be just a few more moments before Poppy arrived and adjusted her robes to take any pressure from the fabric off of her hands.
Again, the arm came up, for longer this time, her hand opening part way, and allowing a small chain to show itself. This time the arm dropped as she let out a small moan, turning her head to the side, a hiss of pain issuing from her lips.
He used two fingers to turn her head back to his. "Do you want me to open your hand?"
Again, her eyes closed and slowly opened.
"It will hurt, we could wait for the Medi-Witch.," he suggested softly in a voice uncommon to him.
Her mouth tried to work but she could not form words. He took his wand and again checked for injury, finding a cracked jaw he had missed the first time.
"Shhhh, don't try to talk." He reached for her hand. "If you want me to stop, close your eyes."
As gently as he could, he moved two of the broken and crushed fingers allowing him to pull the chain and tiny medallion from her hand. His eyes locked onto hers the entire time. He saw tears from the pain flood and spill down her cheeks and heard her try to hold her breath, only to rasp for air. But her eyes stayed open and did not leave his.
When he had replaced her hand in her lap, he looked at what she had suffered to offer. Like the charm on the eyebrow, the medallion had ancient runes he could not easily read. He sat holding it, and then looked at her.
"Did you want me to keep this safe for you?" her eyes closed, and with an effort reopened.
"Poppy will be here soon. She is only a Medi-witch but one of the best Healers I have known," he told her, watching as her eyes rolled back to show only the white and the lids fluttered to an exhausted close.
He could hear Poppy thrashing about the Forbidden Forest, following his Patronus back to his wand. He stood and called her, walking to her he took her by the arm and led her to the witch, now unconsciously slumped back against the tree.
"I feared to move her until you were here," he explained before expanding on what he had found, watching Poppy cast diagnostic spells that were beyond his abilities. He noticed her choose not to waste time recasting for the same injuries. She trusted his assessment completely.
"My Goodness," she said aloud. She placed her wand down by her side and reached forward to push the witch's hair back from her neck. Pushing the lace down from around her throat she revealed a tight studded collar, with the small studs pointing in.
"Severus, quickly now boy, hold this thing back for me, I need to use my wand to remove it, there's no clasp," she said concentrating on the task.
She magically removed the collar, flinging it off into the forest only to hear Severus's soft, 'Accio Collar'.
"Poppy, we cannot risk any evidence. I will stay here while you levitate her to the castle. I have to cleanse this place of her magic in case they are able to trace her. If they follow her here and find my magic mixed with hers, she will be dead and my work forfeit."
Poppy continued to work on the witch. The sun was showing in purple streaks on the horizon before she held out a hand for Severus to help her stand.
"I am too old for all this young man," she chided. "Kneeling on the cold ground, indeed. It would behove the Order to be done with this war." She flicked her wand and the witch levitated to a prone position, gliding in front of her for the long trip back to the castle.
Severus took until almost noon to find each drop of blood and every strand of hair. He searched until he was satisfied. He then erased every trace of magic left by him and the Medi-Witch.
When he was done he returned to the castle intent on finding a hot shower, a good meal, and bed. He did not care in which order. He had almost made it down to the dungeons when he heard Poppy calling to him from the top of the circular stairs.
Groaning he stopped and turned to head back up. Knowing that bed was out, he now hoped for at least a hot shower, followed by dinner.
"Severus, I know it has been a long night. However, I really could use a second opinion. I want you to look at something for me," Poppy said as they walked back towards the hospital wing.
"She is sleeping; I have given her enough to make sure she does not wake until tomorrow. So, she won't even know you were here." She moved to where the witch lay in bed and pulled down the blanket to reveal the strange witch naked.
Severus quickly averted his eyes. "Poppy I find this most inappropriate," he said to her sharply.
"I thought you had seen witches naked before boy. If you are still a virgin, then leave," she snarled as she started to arrange the witch's body for viewing. "Now, if you can handle it, get your arse over here and stop acting like a school boy."
Severus sighed loudly letting Poppy know that although he did not approve of this he would reluctantly be of assistance. He looked down to see that Poppy had placed the witch on her side, with her arm over her head and her chin tipped up.
He frowned and then walked around the bed to examine her from all angles. The witch had scars and new wounds, testifying to the ongoing and continued torture she had endured. Long scratches, some deep and some superficial, ran from fingertip to hip, running down her arm through her armpit and along her ribs. She had scars from below the navel to her throat, from the swell of her arse to the back of her neck, and he assumed into her hair. The scratches were deeper at the base, at the lower parts of her body, and then tapered off towards the fingers.
He looked at Poppy who was lowering the witch's arms and pulling the blanket back up. She placed a finger to her lips, signalling silence and walked back to her office.
"Severus, have you ever seen the likes of that?" she asked.
"Poppy we can wait until she wakes, until then we could come up with several scenarios. It appears whatever they did to her, she was hung for the occasion. We both know those are not whipping marks. In the meantime I am hungry, I am tired and I need a shower." He was losing patience.
"I understand that my boy, but once she had awoken, I would not have had the opportunity to show you. I thought you needed to see this."
"Yes, Poppy," he sneered angrily. "Just in case I had missed one more form of human depravity, you wanted to make sure that I was aware of it."
"Well," Poppy looked up at the clock, dismissing his comment, "if we hurry I think we can make dinner."
Severus reached for her arm and not waiting for her to remove her apron, pulled her along to the Great Hall.
"I plan to eat. I plan to eat a lot. Nothing is going to take this from me. I have missed sleep and my shower. Do not get in my way of dinner or I may have cooked witch," he growled.