Thanks to all readers and reviewers! Here is the next installment for your reading pleasure. Do let me know what you think about it... I look forward to hearing from everyone!
A 'Tragedy' warning with this chapter... :( 'Tis a bit sad...
Nevertheless, do enjoy... go, plod through the angst... off you go... shoo!
Chapter 6 – The Worst Yet to Come
The harshest pain tore across Severus' torso as he wakened, and in that moment he dearly wanted to sink back into the oblivion from which he was rising.
A groan crept up from the back of his throat and exited his mouth without any permission or intent from him.
"Open your eyes… wake up," he heard a female voice echo above him. The tone sounded anxious and Severus began summoning his strength to respond.
"Severus… they're here!" the voice spoke again. The words meant nothing to him yet, but this time panic and fear were practically palpable; seeping into own his chest and thrumming with urgency. He blinked and opened his eyes, focusing on the Muggle woman's face hovering above him.
"Uncle Vernon… take Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the living room," ordered the Potter teen from somewhere higher, and promptly the three sets of feet pounded past Severus' head; a shrill voice, tainted with fear, was squawking on about something.
Sarah pushed her arms under Severus' shoulders and hefted him up a little; gently resting his head in her lap. He grimaced as the movement exacerbated his pain. In turn he felt her fingers smooth over his temple and up past his hairline in what seemed to be a gesture of apology or soothing; he couldn't be sure.
"They're outside the door… what should we do?" Sarah whispered to urgently him, and he was finally able to comprehend what she had been saying. With a huge endeavour of will power he isolated his suffering to a place in the back of his mind; he needed to focus on other things now. They were here…
After a quick tap of the area of floor near his hands and coming up with nothing, he asked a little shakily, "Where's my wand?"
"I have it… here," she said, delivering the instrument into his hand promptly.
He struggled to get himself into a sitting position quickly, but only managed to achieve a sort of half way pose before there was a sharp rap upon the door.
Everybody froze. And no-body dared answer the knocking at the door.
"Where is the boy?" Severus demanded quietly, staring at the door.
"Harry?" Sarah queried, scrambling to her knees now that Severus was no longer across her lap. "He's…-"
"I'm here," Potter himself finished, from just behind Sarah, but there was no time to put into action any further plan Severus may have been formulating.
The hall lights flickered ominously for a moment before winking out for good.
"Go, Potter!" Severus barked sharply; resolutely.
But before anyone had a chance to react, the front door abruptly burst open on its hinges and crashed against the wall; and in the doorway stood the dark silhouette of an obviously powerful wizard, his stance set with fury and determination; wand held aloft.
All three that were in the hallway fell back from the doorway several inches with a gasp of horror and dread; Severus rolling to face toward Sarah slightly protectively in an attempt to shield his Muggle companion.
Sarah shrieked in fright and Severus and Harry both thrust their wands towards the intruder, but neither were able to cast any magic before their weapons were wrenched from their hands and flew in an arc to land in the outstretched hands of the dark intruder.
A sharp glow, invoked from the intruder's wand, burst instantly into existence, and the odd trio in the hall shielded their vision involuntarily. When their eyes became more accustomed to the bright light all three lowered their arms simultaneously, and they, incredibly, found themselves gaping into the aged face of…
Albus Dumbledore!
As both Harry and Severus recognised the wizard standing in the doorway, they both made identical sounds of relief. Severus collapsed to his side, curling on himself facing Sarah, succumbing to the fatigue and pain the recent efforts had exacerbated.
Sarah, having no clue as to the identity of the bearded, crazed looking, old man, remained quivering and cringing between the two younger wizards; begging and praying she would wake up from this nightmare – and soon!
She drew her leg up and abruptly felt the poke in her ribs from the wand she had collected from the ground that had belonged to the Death Eater back under the tree. In a moment of panicked madness she thrust her hand into the opening of her coat, dragged the instrument from her inner pocket at held it out rather awkwardly toward the frightening, bearded man who had just been flanked by three other tall, equally scary men also brandishing their wands.
"Stay back!" she cried out, her whole arm shaking with fear.
Severus tilted his head to look at Sarah, wondering what she thought she was trying to achieve. He was surprised to see the foreign wand, he'd not even considered what the woman had done with it after she'd retrieved it from the frigid grass, but even more incredible was that she thought she would be able to intimidate anyone with it. She was only a Muggle… and obviously so!
"Sarah," he said, but his voice was so quiet with fatigue he could barely be heard by the panicked woman. He exhaled a sighed moan as the effort cost him quite acutely.
Harry had retreated into the sitting room to reassure his relatives that the intruders were actually friendly; just in case his uncle tried to foolishly attack again. He still wasn't sure how exactly the man had managed to best his teacher, one of the most formidable wizards he knew.
Severus sensed, rather than saw, Albus Dumbledore approach behind him, and watched as his hand reached out and wrapped itself around Sarah's, the Death Eater wand encased in both.
"Calm down," he said, his tone soothing and reassuring. "My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am no threat to you or any other here."
Sarah gasped out a breath, distress and relief at the man's statement warring to dominate her reaction.
'Dumbledore? Dumbledore… was that… was that the name Severus had said?' she thought wildly.
Severus tried again. "Sarah… it's fine," he said softly, landing a hand on her bent leg, finally gaining her attention. "It's okay."
Dumbledore retracted his hand, leaving the wand in the Muggle's grasp. She sat there stunned, the wand still held aloft, just staring at the four men who had invaded the home so swiftly. Her head was spinning and she concentrated simply on taking deep, even breaths as she watched the scene in front of her.
Two of the men swept past her into the sitting room. "Harry? Are you alright?" she heard one ask in a low voice.
"Yeah… yes, Remus, I'm fine. We all are. Well… except Snape," Harry replied promptly.
Sarah turned her attention back to the older, bearded wizard who was now reaching over Severus in front of her.
"How are you feeling, my boy? You seem to have made quite a mess of yourself," the old man said, indicating vaguely to the bloodstains gruesomely and liberally painting the scene and almost everybody in it.
"Smashing, Headmaster," Severus responded sarcastically as he gasped softly again. He tilted his head slightly toward Sarah again and his eyes caught a sight that made his stomach clench with wretchedness. With her legs at that angle Severus could easily see the small stain of red that had collected on her jeans between her thighs. He felt it was too great a wish to hope the woman had merely sat in some of his loss that had spilled over the floor. Not with what he knew about Sarah' concerns, anyway.
"I'm fine… but you need to get Sarah to a healer quickly," he said immediately.
The Headmaster's eye flicked up to Severus' Muggle companion. "Sarah? You're hurt?"
Still stunned, Sarah was hard pressed to respond, but at Severus' insisting that he was fine, she was able to gather her wits enough merely out of incredulity.
"He's not fine… he badly needs to see a doctor, he's not well," she stated firmly, quite astounded that the dark man would say anything but; Sarah was sure he'd come quite close to dying tonight.
"No, Sarah-" Snape insisted, trying to push himself up a little, but he was pulled up short by the sudden feeling of nausea and dizziness that swept over him. He groaned and slumped back to the floor as a shudder rippled through his frame. He really wanted to convey how serious Sarah's situation was, but these exacerbating symptoms rendered him unable to think, let alone act on her behalf.
Assessing the woman quickly, Dumbledore evidently determined she was not urgently in need of medical attention despite Snape's claim, and especially as she'd virtually ignored his question to insist on the magnitude of Severus' frailty. He turned back to the more obviously wounded and ill of the two and placed a palm across the prone man's forehead.
"You're burning, Severus, I have to get you to Poppy," he said.
"Poppy…?" Severus muttered, quite out of it. "Sarah…" he added simply.
Dumbledore looked up quizzically at the Muggle woman. "I had assumed you were one of Harry's Muggle neighbours of sorts… but it seems Severus has a desire for you to accompany him. Is that also your wish?"
Sarah swallowed and nodded. She definitely didn't want to be grouped with the other 'Muggles' in this household, anyway, which is what the old man seemed to be hinting at.
A clear look of intrigue and question shaped the man's aged features, but he merely nodded his agreement, apparently reserving his curiosity for another time.
"Arthur?" he then called and a red-haired man appeared hastily at his side.
"Yes, Albus?"
"Please deliver Severus safely to Madam Pomfrey at Hogwarts… as quickly as you can," he requested directly. "I shall send word ahead for her to expect you both."
"Yes, of course," the red-head acknowledged before replacing himself at Severus' side as the old man moved away.
Dumbledore then approached Sarah and crouched at her side. "Come, my dear," he coaxed kindly, allowing her a minute to place the wand back within her coat before gently helping her to her feet.
Suddenly a woman with bright pink hair rushed in through the open door with a sense of urgency. Sarah cringed close to the old man at the appearance of the strange woman; unconsciously and incredibly having come to trust and feel safe with him even though she's only met him barely minutes ago.
He patted her arm soothingly, turning to face the young Auror and Order member questioningly.
"Something doesn't feel right out there," the young, pink-haired witch blurted hurriedly. "I think we should leave as quickly as possible."
Dumbledore merely nodded, but he did not outwardly show any increased aura of urgency because of it.
"Nymphadora, please accompany Sarah here to Hogwarts with Arthur and Severus… I shall be along shortly after with Harry." The young witch immediately came forward and took Sarah gently by the arm and led her a few paces closer to her; waiting for the red-headed man to give the word he and their injured comrade were ready.
"Remus, you and Kingsley escort Harry's relatives over to Arabella's. Stay with them and keep everyone inside until I get word to you regarding the next move," the bearded wizard continued, facing toward the sitting room and addressing the two wizards standing in the doorway.
Then Dumbledore turned on the spot abruptly. "Alastor, will you go ahead to Hogwarts to make sure the area is secure?"
A deep grunt of agreement sounded from almost behind Sarah.
Sarah swiftly turned her head to see the man called Alastor, who had appeared unnoticed at the open door; she squeaked in fright and buried her face in her new chaperone's embrace as his overly scarred face and bizarre rolling eye startled her beyond her remaining thread of control.
After a scornful snort from the man, probably at her rather rude squeal, Sarah heard him stomp away and jumped slightly at the loud pop that rang off in the distance.
"Shh… it's alright. You get used to him," Nymphadora crooned.
"Are you ready, Tonks?" the one called Arthur asked, standing alongside them, holding his wand aloft guiding with him a stretcher, that Sarah had no idea from where it had come, with Severus lying atop. Tonks nodded, and then he paused to hand something to the old wizard.
"You might wish to deal with this," he suggested, waiting a moment while Albus took the proffered thick, Ministry envelope, and then turned to sweep Tonks and Sarah out the door ahead of himself before following with the stretcher carrying Severus.
"Hmm…" Dumbledore said with a small nod, pocketing the unopened letter to swing his wand in the air with a confidant flourish before a large, bright and shining majestic bird, resembling Severus' doe in composition, burst from the end of the instrument. Sarah did not see what happened next as she was ushered out the door into the darker street.
As soon as the four were past the letterbox Tonks took her arm in a firm grasp. "Hold me tightly… don't be frightened. This is called Apparating… it's our way to travel long distance." she said, giving Sarah a reassuring smile.
Sarah nodded mechanically. "I know… I did it already… with Severus."
"You did?" Tonks asked quizzically, but there was no time for Sarah to respond.
"Ready?" Arthur spoke, then after a moment both he and Tonks nodded and the spinning began.
S.S
Apparating was no less alarming the second time, Sarah decided; welcoming her first deep breath after the world rushed to right itself.
She heard a moan from her left and turned to see Arthur leaning over the stretcher.
"Stay strong, Severus, we're almost there. Poppy will sort you out."
"Get a move on you two… constant vigilance! Tonks, you know better than to linger after Apparition!" the 'eye' man chastised harshly with a growl.
The young witch seemed to flush visibly in the very low light and for a moment Sarah even thought she'd noticed the woman's hair had also changed to a vibrant red instead of the hot pink…
'But no, it couldn't have been… it must have been the moonlight glowing on her oddly…' she thought, though thoroughly unconvinced. Anything was possible, wasn't it; they were all witches and wizards, weren't they?
The trek up the twisting road was long, laborious and silent, and Sarah wondered why they hadn't just 'Apparated' closer to their destination. Just as they turned a final corner where the trees seemed to open up the 'eye' man, Alastor, Sarah reminded herself, spoke up.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Miss…?"
"Evans… Sarah Evans," she supplied.
He grunted before indicating with a vague gesture up ahead. Sarah looked in the direction his hand had directed and was absolutely amazed and in awe of the sight that she beheld. She stopped dead in her tracks with a gasp, hardly able to give her limbs direction to keep moving.
Ahead of her stood the most impressive, most enormous castle with many towers and turrets spiking high into the night sky. Mostly only the silhouette was visible because of the low light, but the picture was no less remarkable and striking in Sarah's opinion.
"Oh my God… that's incredible, it's so beautiful," she blurted softly, overcome with the vision.
"That she is," Alastor agreed, giving the Muggle woman a small nudge in her back to get her moving again. "Not many Muggles are allowed this privilege… only a select few special individuals. Dumbledore has infinite insight sometimes," he said, and Sarah had the distinct impression the man was fishing for information about her; such as why she in particular was amongst the 'special' few.
She looked up at him, but between the grotesque scarring on the man's face and the rapidly swirling eye Sarah couldn't hold her gaze long. It was making her feel distinctly queasy.
"They call me Mad-Eye," he offered a little patronisingly, though Sarah instantly agreed it was certainly fitting and appropriate.
"Leave her alone, Moody," Tonks interjected, placing herself protectively between the Muggle woman and her wizard interlocutor. Sarah was certainly grateful, her evening had been trying to say the least and she longed for it to be over. It would be nice to know the worst of it was over and she could just calm down; dealing with an interrogation when there was nothing to tell, especially by someone so intimidating, was a stress she hoped to avoid given the way she was feeling at this point in time.
The pain in her lower abdomen hadn't gone away, but it had been far overshadowed by the dramas of earlier and she'd been trying hard not to think about it now. When they got where they were going, and Severus had been seen and treated by a doctor, she was hoping to get some advice herself.
As it was Sarah was almost bursting to go to the loo… for more than one reason. Over the last half hour she'd definitely felt a few odd trickles in her nether regions and was hoping they did not turn out to be what she feared. She unconsciously wrapped an arm around the slight swell of her abdomen.
"Yes, let her be, Alastor, there will be time for inquiries later," Arthur agreed, watching the Muggle woman with some concern for her.
"Sarah?" Arthur added kindly, "are you alright?"
Sarah didn't know what to say. She wasn't really alright… but nor was she in dire straights as Severus was.
"Uh…" she stammered, wanting to explain her situation, but not really sure where to begin.
"Snape will be okay, I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to get him well," Tonks offered with the intent to be helpful.
Sarah nodded, hoping she was right, but her own issues still pressed at her.
Arthur was watching her with even more concentration, his eyes tracking over the length of her body, drawn particularly to her hand wrapped low across her belly, and after a few moments an expression of surprised comprehension flowed over his features.
"Are you… are you with… child? Do you need to see a healer? Er… a doctor?" he amended, his tone serious and urgent.
Sarah noticed where his eyes rested and nodded, glad to have someone finally understand her predicament without her having to actually say it out loud.
The other two gaped at her at the revelation. Their heads whipped in unison toward the injured wizard being carted on the stretcher, and back to Sarah. It was obvious the conclusions they were drawing.
"I only just met him tonight," Sarah said, instantly heading off their deductions. "He's not the father," she added, just so she was utterly clear.
Both the witch and wizard frowned with contemplation.
"And yet 'he' brought you though?" Moody growled his confirming question almost accusingly.
Sarah nodded. "He knocked me over… when he was running, I didn't really have a choice," she told them, defending herself automatically, but she did not have the opportunity to complete her story. They were now approaching the large, wooden, castle entrance and as they came within several feet the door began to swing open of its own accord; or so Sarah perceived, anyway.
Moody left them to return to the gates to ensure Dumbledore and Harry Potter arrived unimpeded, while Sarah, Severus and their chaperones climbed the prolific staircases until they had reached the third floor, Tonks showing even more care for her charge now that she'd been made aware of the Muggle woman's dilemma.
"Ow," Sarah intoned softly as the pain spiked in her abdomen. Sarah guessed that climbing the numerous stairs had aggravated her condition.
"We're nearly there," Tonks assured sympathetically.
"This is the school's infirmary," Tonks explained briefly a few moments later after leading her down a long, darkened hallway. "Madam Pomfrey is the school nurse… she's a qualified healer. She'll help both of you."
Ahead of them was a set of heavy double doors. Tonks pushed them open and ushered the others through.
"Ah, here you are," an anxious voice proclaimed.
"Poppy… Severus is hurt badly. Where do you want him?" Arthur asked in place of a greeting.
"Set him down over here," she answered, immediately indicating to the closest bed.
Arthur guided the floating stretcher carrying Severus to the bed indicated and Sarah blinked in awe as the stretcher instantly vanished from beneath him.
The nurse immediately leaned over the injured man, producing her wand from an apron tied at her waist. He did not respond in any way to the woman spelling his clothes open at his chest, so Sarah guessed he must be unconscious once more.
A tear sprang from her eye as she observed the woman work frantically over the dark man. He looked so vulnerable and frail… his skin pale to the point of stark white, especially so in contrast to the darkness of his hair and clothes. She truly wondered if he was really going to pull through this time; he'd been through quite an ordeal and Sarah could barely imagine the strength he must have called on to see him persist through the night until help had arrived.
And still he had seemed to attempt to get Sarah the help she needed too. She thought he was much more incredible than what she had first given him credit for upon meeting earlier in the evening. She prayed he wouldn't die… not after all that effort.
She looked away; not any longer able to witness the desperate and urgent endeavours of the healer and her new, eager, pink-haired assistant to get the wizard first stable and then on the road to recovery.
"I need the toilets, please… where are they?" she asked the person standing closest to her. Her tone was quite abrupt, but fortunately the man didn't take offence from it.
"Here, I'll show you," Arthur said tenderly, leading her away toward the dark corridor.
"Down there and to the right," he directed, pointing the way. "I'll send Tonks to make sure you don't need anything as soon as she's free, alright?" he offered, seeming a little reluctant to send her off on her own, but not comfortable accompanying a female, virtual stranger into the ladies loos.
Sarah nodded. "Thanks," she said mildly, making her way up the hall and disappearing through the small doorway she'd been shown.
At first Sarah approached the large mirror above the basins, and she gazed at herself for several moments, taking in the awful vision she made.
She too was pale, but worse was the abundant stains of dried, brown blood smeared over her frame. She touched the smudge across her cheek, thinking forlornly of the man from whom it had come who was right now fighting for his life down the hall.
Sarah glanced critically back at her own image.
Her hair was a mess, and she looked so tired… her eyes were shadowed by dark circles and shaped in an expression of bleak devastation. She looked absolutely wretched.
She felt another small trickle in her nether regions and she gasped in dismay. The pain she had been feeling since arriving at the top of the stairs deepened to a very painful cramp and she began to sob quietly before suddenly she experienced a sharp pain and abruptly felt a gush that soaked down her inner thighs.
"Oh God, no…" she whispered before glancing down at the blood that drenched her jeans. She slipped down to her knees, clutching at her paining pelvis and wept in distress and desolation; her heart aching in sorrow.