Nope not JK and don't own anything you recognize.

Happy Groung Hog Day! :)

Chapter Forty-five

To Escape The Snake

Taylor could feel the hand holding hers long before she became aware of anything else. Warm and comfortable she resisted opening her eyes. It was all wrong!

With a gasp, Taylor's eyes flew open as she sat up in bed. Light was showing through the windows in the Hospital Wing, as the sky turned pink. Taylor looked down at her hand, and then over at her brother as he sat forward stiffly.

"You're okay. See, you're at Hogwarts." Harry said as he yawned.

Even though this was all blurry without the aid of her glasses, it was still light. She was no longer in that dark cell.

"You're safe now." A deep voice said gently on her other side and she turned to see the blurry form of the Hufflepuff.

Taylor didn't say anything. She just nodded and looked out at the morning sky.

"Here these will help." The Head Boy said quietly as he passed her glasses to her.

Taylor stared out the windows, with her glasses on for a long while. "I always loved sunrise." She whispered.

A few minutes later the noise of a bed creaking seemed to break the spell and Taylor looked over to see Ron getting up, her eyes then traveled to Hermione lying in the bed beside her. Her friend looked so pale and thin, without the mask of dirt and vivid bruises.

"Hey, how are you feeling this morning?" Ginny asked as she got up too.

Taylor looked over at the witch and smiled a little. "Better than yesterday morning! I expect breakfast will be better too." Taylor didn't bother mentioning that breakfast had been non-existent the previous morning.

Greg was a little surprised to hear Taylor refer so easily to the terrible ordeal that she had just been through, but maybe as he thought about it, that was how she was coping, by talking about it.

A few minutes later Madame Pomfrey came to check on her patients. She was pleased to see that Taylor was alert and talking with her friends, and was pleased to hear that she had already mentioned breakfast. Her other patient hadn't made as much progress, but Miss Granger's physical wounds were healed. Now they had to wait for her mind to heal as well.

"Miss Porter, is there anything special you would like from the kitchen for breakfast?" The nurse asked when she was through.

"Some porridge and toast please."

The nurse nodded before turning to the others "I suggest you head back to your dorms so that you have time to retrieve your books and have something to eat before classes take in. You can come back and check on these two during lunch break."

Taylor could see them start to protest. "Madame Pomfrey is right. You guys need to get to class. I'll be all right now. It's light out and I'll be here if Hermione wakes up so she won't be alone. You can come see me later."

Harry was torn. He needed to go get something to eat and he knew if he wasn't in class McGonagall would give him a hard time, but he didn't want to leave his sister and Hermione, in case they needed him.

Taylor seemed to sense her brother's turmoil. "Harry, go. I'm fine." She met his eyes and saw his reluctance. "I'm not sharing my breakfast if that's what you think!" Taylor grinned as her brother rolled his eyes.

Ron was reluctant to go too, but Taylor reassured him that if Hermione woke up that she would let him know. Ginny promised that she'd be back at lunch, and she took Harry's hand and led him out of the hospital wing.

"I'm not sharing my breakfast with you either Hunter!"

Greg couldn't help but smile. "T`was never my intention, milady"

Taylor snorted. "Man, have you ever got that one wrong!"

Greg sobered. "I happen to think that you are an incredibly beautiful lady." His blue eyes never leaving hers, he bent and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back at lunchtime."

Taylor watched him as he turned and started to walk towards the doors. He was almost there when she called, "I'm not sharing my lunch either!" She heard his laugh as he went out the door and out of sight.

Taylor ate all the breakfast that the nurse brought her. She was just finishing when Harry hurried in with his school bag slung over his shoulder.

"Here, I thought you could use this if you need me," and he handed her one of the two-way mirrors.

Taylor smiled at her brother, "Thank you."

"No problem. See you at lunch. I'll be sure to bring you some homework too!" he called as he hurried back out.

Taylor smiled as she looked at the mirror, before she put it under her pillow. Feeling very tired she lay back down and looked at Hermione lying on the bed beside her. After a few seconds Taylor took out her wand and levitated the bed so that it was against hers. Snuggling down under the warm covers she reached out and took a hold of Hermione's hand, as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Madame Pomfrey was quite surprised to see the two beds together. Then she noticed the two girls' hands and smiled. Walking quietly she closed the hospital doors, before going back into her office hoping that the one girl could finally get some much-needed sleep.

Madame Pomfrey met the Hufflepuff and three Gryffindors at the door at lunch and told them that both girls were sleeping.

It was mid afternoon before Taylor woke up, feeling much better.

Madame Pomfrey brought her some lunch, but she made no comment on the position of Hermione's bed.

After she was done eating Taylor wondered what she was going to do for the rest of the afternoon. She contented herself for a long time looking out the windows at the sun glittering on the snow. She told Hermione about it, talking to her friend like she had when they were in the dark cell.

Taylor remembered the mirror as the sun began to set, and she knew classes would be over soon. Pulling the mirror out from under her pillow she looked towards the nurse's office to make sure that she wasn't watching. "Hey Harry." Taylor said softly, and waited a few minutes before saying it again.

"Hey Taylor, what's up?" Harry's face appeared in the mirror.

"What class you in?"

"Charms. How are you feeling?" Harry asked as his face disappeared for a second and then came back.

"Better, I sure pulled some zz's today!" Taylor heard a bit of a commotion then…

"Hey Taylor!" Ron said as his face appeared in the mirror. "How's Hermione?"

Taylor looked over at her friend before she answered. "Still sleeping, but she is looking better. She's not as pale or as drawn looking."

"Well that's something at least. So what have you been doing? Lying around all day?" Ron joked.

"Sure, pick on the sick person!" Taylor teased back, then she heard Professor Flitwick's voice in the background and a quick "gotta go" before the mirror showed just her reflection again.

Greg was the first one to get there when the bell rang to end classes.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Better, I slept most of the day. Did you happen to see Harry or Ron or Ginny?" Taylor asked as she sat up with a grin.

Greg noted that Hermione's bed was pulled alongside the other witch's but he didn't say anything about it. "Just this morning in the halls. I'm glad to hear that you got some sleep."

Harry, Ginny and Ron came in then.

"Hey, you're looking better! Course it wouldn't a took much!" Ron said as a greeting.

"Watch it Weasley, I might be in bed but I can still jinx you." Taylor growled mockingly.

"Man, you give a girl a compliment and look what it gets a bloke!" Ron said faking hurt.

Ginny laughed and gave Taylor a hug.

"It's good to see you are feeling better, and looking better too." Harry said sincerely.

They talked for a few minutes joking around easily.

"I'm sorry but I've got to run. I've got early patrol duty tonight so I gotta go eat. But I'll drop by later okay?" Greg said with a smile, and he gave Taylor's hand a squeeze before he left.

"I've got patrol later tonight, but I'm starving." Ron said after a few more minutes.

"You guys go get your supper. I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will be bringing me some soon anyway."

"I can stay for a while if you want. I'll just grab something later." Harry offered, but Taylor shook her head.

"No, go. Get something to eat before you fade away."

After a little more persuading Taylor watched her three friends go to supper and it was quiet in the hospital once more.

"Well, Hermione it's just you and me again."

It wasn't long after Taylor finished her supper that Harry, Ron and Ginny came back and stayed with her all evening. When Ron left for patrol, Greg joined them. Taylor had moved Hermione's bed back over in its place before her friends came, and they spent the evening talking and doing their homework.

It was almost curfew when Taylor said. "I think you guys should go get a good night's sleep tonight. You look worse than me."

"Well we wouldn't want that." Ron joked as he walked towards her having just finishing his patrol.

Taylor shook her head.

She had been thinking about it all evening, as the sky grew dark outside, and the lamps were lit. It wouldn't be easy, but she decided Hermione was here. Plus she didn't want Harry and Greg to think they had to stay with her, sleeping in a chair, just to hold her hand.

Harry shifted in his chair and studied his sister. If he hadn't been watching her as closely all evening as he had, he would have missed the moments that she looked at the dark windows fearfully before she turned away. He also couldn't forget how fitfully she had slept the night before, holding on to his hand the whole time.

"I have an idea," Harry said. "Why don't we take turns. I'll stay tonight, and Ron can stay the next night. Then Hunter and Ginny."

Ron yawned as he said "Yeah I think I can live with that. As long as if Hermione wakes up you let me know."

"You can count on it mate." Harry nodded.

Greg met Potter's eyes for a long second, before the Gryffindor looked away, but Greg had seen the worry in them. So Potter wasn't convinced that Taylor was quite as good as she was putting on either, Greg thought, but he kept that to himself as the others agreed to Potter's plan.

As the clock chimed ten o'clock, Ron and Ginny got up to go. Ginny gave Taylor a hug as Ron made sure Harry would let him know if Hermione woke up.

Greg stood up too and gathered his books and things together, dawdling until Ron and Ginny left.

Madame Pomfrey came out then with her potions and to check her two patients over, shooing the two wizards out for a few minutes.

Greg waited until he was outside the hospital doors before he turned to Harry.

"I think we both know that Taylor isn't quite as better as she was putting on tonight."

Harry looked at the Hufflepuff, "So you noticed too did you? What do you think we should do?"

Greg thought for a moment. "We'll both go back in and if she protests, we'll tell her that we are going to take shifts. That way one of us will be there if she needs us."

Harry looked at the Hufflepuff in surprise.

"Look Potter, I might not like it, but that witch in there needs you. I can see that, but I can't leave her knowing that she is still hurting. I want to be there for her. I will be there for her."

Inwardly Harry smiled. It couldn't be easy on the Head Boy watching the girl he loved clinging to another guy, especially not knowing that guy was the girl's brother. The Hufflepuff might just be all right for his sister yet.

The two wizards walked back in when the nurse called to them.

Harry just happened to notice the pink hue of one of the potions as the nurse walked by and followed her into her office.

"Yes Potter what can I do for you?"

"You gave Taylor some Dreamless Sleep potion? I didn't think she wanted any." Harry asked quietly.

The nurse sighed, "Miss Porter needs to heal, and the only way she is going to do that is by getting the rest that she needs. I am aware of her fear. I even consulted another Healer to get their opinion and they agreed with me. The potion will not keep her in the dark as she fears. It will keep her from dreaming so she can sleep."

Harry nodded thanking the nurse before he headed over to his sister's bed. He could see Greg already had his chair beside her bed and was holding her hand talking quietly as Taylor's eyes were starting to droop.

Harry took the other chair, as she smiled at him.

"I thought you guys were going to take turns? So you could get some sleep?" Taylor's voice was slow and sleepy.

"Yeah, but some Hufflepuff didn't want to listen" Harry said sarcastically.

"Hey, play nice. He got here first." Taylor's voice was getting even slower. "Don't let it get dark…"

"I won't. Now go to sleep. Harry and I will be here all night, I promise." Greg said softly as he brushed the hair off her forehead.

"Thaa…nks."

The two wizards were quiet for a long while, as Taylor's face relaxed and her breathing was deep and even.

"I'll take first shift. I'll wake you around three." Greg whispered and watched the Gryffindor nod as he got up from the chair and lay down in the bed Ginny had used the night before. "Potter?" Greg waited for the other wizard to look over at him, "Pomfrey gave her the sleeping potion didn't she."

Harry just nodded before taking his glasses off and closing his eyes.

Greg had heard the school clock strike two am a long time ago. His eyes were starting to droop and he had to keep shaking his head to keep awake. Though his rear end was getting sore from sitting for so long and his arm was getting stiff from holding Taylor's hand as she slept. He wasn't complaining though, and he was glad that she was sleeping so peacefully, even though it was potion induced.

At first Greg didn't notice anything, the weak light from the low burning lamp made seeing clearly difficult. He wasn't even sure at first what had changed. He sat up straighter and looked around, his eyes at last coming to rest on the witch asleep in the bed beside him. He noticed how still she was, almost unnaturally still. He reached up to brush her hair off her forehead and noticed that it was wet at the same time he noticed the hand he was holding was sweating.

"Taylor?" Greg whispered anxiously, as he stood up and put his hand on her shoulder going to shake her a little but it was as stiff as if she had been petrified. Then he heard her breathing in short fast gasps.

"Taylor?" Greg said a little louder starting to get scared.

He was just about to call to Potter when Taylor opened her mouth and started to scream. A blood-curdling scream that lifted the hairs on the back of Greg's neck.

"Taylor!" Harry cried as he came up off his bed. He knew that scream.

"Taylor!" Harry cried again when he was beside her as she screamed.

"What's wrong?" Greg demanded in a scared voice.

Harry shook his sister and then pulled his wand out igniting the tip and touching her neck with it. "Taylor, wake up!" Harry was suddenly unsure what to do. Last time slapping her had brought her out of it, had stopped her screams. Burning her neck should have done the same thing…

"Get Pomfrey!" Harry bellowed as fear gripped him.

Greg sprinted for the office and almost collided with the nurse as she ran out the door tying her dressing gown.

Harry tried shaking Taylor again, but he couldn't even get her to open her eyes. She just kept screaming.

"What happened?" Demanded the nurse as she rushed up.

"It must be the sleep potion! I can't wake her!" Harry yelled as his sister's eyes opened for a second and he glimpsed the sheer terror there, but then they rolled back into her head as her back arched off the bed still screaming.

Madame Pomfrey was waving her wand over the screaming girl but nothing she tried made a difference.

Then he remembered what his sister had told him about the snake about to swallow her soul just before she woke.

"We've got to wake her up!" Harry bellowed as he again tried his wand against his sister neck, ignoring the startled cry from the nurse, but it didn't work.

"It's the sleep potion!" Harry yelled again as the screams became weaker. "Do you have the counter potion?"

"In my office!" the nurse cried as she ran to get it.

"What's wrong? What's happening to her?" Greg demanded from beside Harry.

Harry couldn't take his eyes off his sister. He heard the gurgle and saw the blood start to trickle out of her mouth. "Hurry!" his voice was desperate.

The nurse raced back pouring the potion as she came and poured it into Taylor's open mouth as the screaming and blood continued to come out of it.

"How long?" Harry cried. He could see his sister was weakening.

"Two or three minutes…"

"She might not have that long!" Harry cried desperately as he tried shaking her again. "Come on Taylor wake up! Wake Up!"

He never thought he'd be happy to see that terror in his sister's eyes but when her eyes finally stared straight ahead, as unseeing and terror-filled as they were, he was relieved. She was still screaming and he ignited his wand, once more touching it to the side of her neck for the third time.

The screaming stopped, but the terror remained in her eyes as her body relaxed onto the bed. Harry gathered his sister to him and held her tight. "I've got you. I've got you." He whispered in the silent hospital.

Shocked by the events they had just witnessed, Hunter and Pomfrey just stared for a few minutes at the wizard holding the now silent witch tightly in his arms.

Pomfrey recovered first and stepped forward and began running her wand over the witch to see what she could find out. The results shocked her. If she didn't know better, hadn't been here to witness it herself, she would have sworn the witch had just been tortured for hours by the Cruciatus curse.

The sound of pounding feet could be heard moments before several wizards burst in through the doors of the hospital wands drawn.

"What's going on here!" demanded the tallest of the three. They were aurors who had been on patrol and came to investigate the screaming.

"It was my patient Mr. Kent. I'm sorry. She had a bad reaction to a potion, but I think I've got it sorted out now." Madame Pomfrey said briskly, as the aurors looked around quickly for trouble.

"All right Madame Pomfrey, sorry to disturb you. We'll let you get back to your patients now." Kent said as he led the others back out of the hospital, closing the doors behind them.

Greg had sat down numbly when the aurors came, staring at Potter as he held Taylor rocking her slightly. He wondered distractedly if he was in shock, everything seemed so surreal. He couldn't seem to grasp what had just happened. The look in Taylor's eyes… he shivered, he had never seen such terror.

"Harry, I need you to let me look at Taylor. I'm afraid that she might go into shock." Pomfrey said gently as she returned.

Harry looked up at the nurse. He'd been watching his sister's eyes, the terror had yet to leave them, as her body trembled. Carefully he laid his sister on the bed, but he held her hand in both of his.

Pomfrey worked quickly assessing the damage and then hurried to her office to get some potion. When she returned she was deeply troubled to see the terror still in the witch's eyes. "Harry, I need you to tell me what happened. Before I dare give her anything else."

Harry looked up and swallowing hard he began. "I don't know exactly. It's happened twice before, but never to this extent. It must have been the sleeping potion. It wouldn't let her wake up, or let me wake her up."

Greg's heart continued to pound as he listened disbelieving.

"Do you know what causes it? Is it a Dark curse of some kind?" the nurse asked fearfully not knowing what else could ever cause such a horrific reaction in someone.

Harry looked down at his sister, as the terror slowly receded from her eyes, knowing that she had not yet even recognized him. "Yes I believe it is, though I couldn't tell you what it is or how she was cursed."

"You say it has happened before? When?" Greg asked finding his voice.

Harry took a deep breath there was so much he couldn't tell and so much he didn't understand. Frustrated, he ran his hand back through his hair. He knew when he answered that it was going to throw more suspicion on his sister, but maybe Pomfrey would be able to somehow help…

"It was during the summer…" Harry started hesitantly.

"When you and Taylor run off after the Weasley wedding? Are you telling me that you allowed her to be cursed way back then and never tried to get help for her?" Greg demanded, suddenly irrationally angry with the Gryffindor.

A/N Dum Dum Da! Another cliff-hanger! Let's see if I have better luck this time! What you ask? Well I did my final re-read and corrected everything wrote a great A/N and pushed save... and the login in screen came up! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SO please tell me if there are any mistakes in this chapter! I re-read it again but because I am running out of time I might of missed something! And trust me my A/N from last time were much better! And wittier! ;) Let me know what you think of the chapter though please!

Thank you to those who reviewed! Love you guys! And for Alerting and Favoriting! Love ya too! Plus just for reading... that makes me happy to! I'll try to update again tomorrow if not I will on Monday... of course if I get lot's of reviews I will try even harder! Yes I know shameless begging! Thanks to barbc my wonderful bata who makes these updates possible! Until next time, cytpotter.