Lena's P.O.V
Descending the stairs was much easier for Severus than ascending them and as we reached the second floor a door opened. I stopped quickly but Harry came to our side, unquestioning, taking Severus's weight with me and we were quickly at the kitchen door. I heard Dad and Molly's voices and knew we were heading for trouble. How could I explain coming to Severus's aid and then allowing everyone to sleep on unaware while I hid him away in my bedroom, in my bed. The bloody sheets in a pool at the foot of my bed sprung to mind and I felt my heart rate increase dangerously. I pushed the door open gently as I watched Dads face drop and hear the clunk as Molly dropped the kettle she'd only just been filling. "Oh Merlin," Molly clamped her hand over her mouth in shock and stood as if frozen. Dad quickly came to my side and helped support Severus's weight until he was sat almost comfortably in the fireside chair. "Molly, quick, call the Order." "No dad, please, he needs to rest." Dad looked from me to Severus who nodded agreeing. "Tea then Molly."
When everyone had a mug firmly clasped between their hands, all those but Severus who appeared to have lost all strength and so now I passed him it when he gestured. "You didn't think it important to tell one of us? Thought you'd handle it yourself?" Dad's anger had boiled to the surface again and Harry held my hand quietly under the table in support. "Sirius, Lena doesn't matter right now. She did as I asked," Severus spoke up for me and Harry squeezed my hand reassuringly. Dad shook his head and I stood to help Molly remove and change Severus's dressings but Dad motioned for me to sit. I did as told and Harrys hand now squeezed my knee as tears stung my eyes. Always the villain. "They know Albus is guarding it and think I should have known when to intervene to allow him a clear path to it. Nagini's been keeping guard and she's passed on descriptions of guards to him. He wants it Sirius. Badly. I've been sent as a warning to Albus that if guards remain outside, they'll face worse." My veins felt as if ice blocked any flow of blood to my heart and I quickly found myself struggling for breath, a reassuring hand squeeze from Harry however and my breathing returned somewhat to normal. A warning, that was all this was. Disobedience would lead to worse. Harry appeared to be concentrating a little more to what they were actually talking about but my thoughts were trained on the wounds that Molly had now revealed. "Lena darling, why don't you grab those sheets and ill scrub them clean." I left the kitchen quietly and traipsed back upstairs to collect the sheets. The sight of the blood shocked me yet again and I passed quickly to the bathroom where I lay upon the floor, vomiting into the toilet. "Lena?" Harry pushed the door gently open and I sat up quickly, attempting to push myself up but finding that I didn't have the strength. Harry put an arm beneath my shoulders and lifted me gently. I sat cautiously on the edge of the bath, all too aware that on standing my stomach had taken an almighty twist. Harry took the sheets from my clenched fist and sat beside me, placing a gentle arm behind me as if scared I may fall. "He's fine Lena. He's stronger than you think." I shook my head, unable to find the energy to answer verbally. As the tears swelled in my eyes I placed a hand on Harrys shoulder and cried helplessly into his chest.
Harry's P.O.V
Lena's tears eventually dried up but her grip on my shoulder was much firmer. She really had been thrown into the deep end. Since Snape had left she'd been much happier although I couldn't help but notice the moments when she'd stop and her eyes would cloud over, Snape obviously playing on her mind. I won't lie, I would always detest the man but since Lena had been around he hadn't seemed as harsh. But if he hurt Lena, I'd tell Sirius in a heartbeat. It was hard to believe she was only two years older than Ron and I, I suppose having Fred and George around, we hadn't always had the greatest role models for that age, but Lena was different. She seemed older and I could see how Snape had been attracted to her. She was obviously attractive and kind, but she had an intelligence to rival Hermione's and a confidence and anger to rival any Death Eater. Looking at Snape all bandaged up I'd seen the wrappings around his arms and knew that Lena, having patched him up, would have seen his dark mark, and I couldn't help but feel her behaviour now resulted from the shock of seeing it, knowing it had been death eaters who had tortured and killed her mother.
She still refused to talk about her Mum but Sirius had spoken about in the hours we'd spent feeding Buckbeak. The look on Sirius's face when he spoke about Maria told me how much he'd loved her and I recognised now that not only had I lost my parents but Sirius had lost his only love and had missed bringing Lena up. I don't know which was worse, having no parents or knowing you had a parent out there who you had yet to meet and had instead chosen not to know you.
Lena finally relented her grasp and I helped her stand. I wiped the remainder of the tears from her face and she smiled weakly. I took the pile of bloody sheets and carried them quietly down the stairs and walked into a kitchen full of confused faces.