Sorry for the wait, guys. I have been swamped with school work, and my muse left me for a while. Seems to be the case lately... Anyway, read and review, as usual, please. I really look forward to the reviews. Criticism is always welcome. How else will we improve?

Joseph stared at the chessboard before him, trying to plan out his next move. Sweat was trickling down his back, and if anybody pointed it out, he'd have just told them that it was due to the fire at his backside. He didn't want anyone to know he was getting his ass kicked in chess by a five-year old kid. He could feel the shadowy presence lingering behind him, and to be honest, it was very distracting. However, it almost seemed at peace, which was a nice change.

Jeffrey crossed his arms and tapped his foot in impatience.

Joseph set his hand on the knight, intending to move it in front of one of his pawns. He carefully watched Jeffrey's expressions. Even though he was a great chess player his expressions oftentimes gave him away.

Jeffrey's eyes widened and a glimmer of excitement spread over them. His eyes darted amongst the white pieces he commanded, already thinking ahead. Thinking against it, Joseph moved the pawn in front of the queen to take the white knight diagonally from it. It was threatening the queen, which had to be protected at all costs.

Jeffrey examined the board, smirked triumphantly, and ordered out: "Bishop to D one." Joseph watched in horror as the bishop on the white spaces rushed from its current position to the King, retrieved a small dagger it held at its side, and stabbed and beheaded the King with it. The statue crumbled into pieces.

Jeffrey smirked back at Joseph, who sent him a glare, frustrated that he'd lost, yet again.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked. Jeffery reset the board, explaining to him that he was making the mistake of guarding his queen, not the king. Joseph huffed and sat back as he contemplated his silly mistake, crossing his arms and pouting slightly. He growled and shook his head, demanding a rematch. His long red hair waved with the force of it.

A couple of giggling girls caught their attention, and Joseph turned his head to look at them. It seemed that they were talking about him, something that was beginning to get on his nerves. Sure, he had red hair… Sure, he had wings… But did they always have to giggle and talk about him like he was some sort of iphsium? (Model)

One of them caught his eye, and, deciding to roll with the situation out of sheer boredom, shot her his now trademark smirk. He learned, by talking to Severus, it had become as popular as his hair. She turned beet red, and turned her head away shyly. Joseph turned back to the board, hoping this time he might have a shred of chance.

A tiny clearing of a girl's throat rung in his ears, and he turned towards it. The previous girl had stood and walked up to him, fiddling nervously with the fabric of her dress.

"Hi, Joseph." She greeted. Joseph smiled and nodded, somewhat pleased that the girl had actually approached him rather than talking about him from afar. He also noted the thickened aura of the figure behind him, signaling something negative.

"Hello. What is your name?" He asked.

"Amanda Wiess." She said in a barely audible whisper.

He nodded his head.

"It is nice to meet you." He replied. The girl turned to look back at her friend, who gave her a nod of encouragement.

"I was wondering… Would you like to go to… the Masquerade Ball with me? It's… at the end of the month." She asked. Joseph looked at Jeffrey for clarification.

"Ball? What is ball?" He asked. Jeffrey shrugged, being too young to be interested in these matters.

Amanda giggled.

"It's a dance." She answered. Joseph smiled and slowly nodded.

"Yes. I would like that. Thank you." He stated, accepting her request. She stared at him for a minute in shock, and then grinned from ear to ear, nodding and rushing off to her friend.

As soon as he'd said yes, he could feel the shrouding darkness of the figure behind him closing in, full of anger and pain. He was finally able to peg what he'd felt before as extreme jealousy. The surroundings went cold, and the scene before him dimmed, as though he'd gone blind. He turned his head around to face the fire, and found that it, too, had gone out.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to tell the menacing figure to go away. To get out of his head, and to leave him the hell alone.

Jeffrey's voice shattered the darkness, distant and warbled. Joseph snapped open his eyes and immediately felt thankful for the fact that he could see normally again. The fire warmed his ice-cold back, and he shed his cowl and spread his wings, eager to let them feel the comforting warmth.

"Ready to play again, Joseph?" Jeffrey asked. Joseph shook his head, perturbed. He needed to get out, to stretch his legs. To move away from the cold dungeons.

"I am going to go for walk. You want to come with?" He asked, standing and holding a hand out to Jeffrey. Jeffrey took it and pulled himself up, brushing off the seat of his now dirty pants. Joseph retracted his wings and put his cowl back on.

"Can we go visit Sissy?" He asked. Joseph nodded. Sure, why not? Whatever this kid had wanted this evening, Joseph had allowed him. Not that Jeffrey's parents were too strict, but Joseph's had been. He wouldn't tell anyone that, not even the captain…. Especially not the captain.

"Yes." He answered, starting to walk out of the Slytherin dungeons. Jeffrey followed as quickly as he could. Joseph eventually tired of having to stop every few feet, and so picked him up and set him on his shoulders.

"Whoa! You're so tall! You're taller than my dad!" Jeffrey cried out from above. Joseph smiled at this, finding it funny. All of a sudden, he realized he couldn't remember his father ever having carried him on his shoulders, let alone pay any shred of attention to him. He frowned and stared at the floor, making his way to the fourth floor.

He stopped just before the doorway, having to stoop down to let Jeffrey off his shoulders, otherwise he might have bonked his head on the way in. He didn't want to have to explain that one to the captain, either. Imagining her rage made him shudder just thinking about it.

Jeffrey bounded over to his sister's bed and stood there. He took her hand and held it, an intensely sorrowful expression on his face. Joseph felt bad for the kid, and stood next to him, setting a hand on Jeffrey's shoulder for comfort.

"Do you think that she'll wake up soon, Joseph?" Jeffrey asked, his voice cracking.

Joseph bit his tongue to keep from saying something negative or hurtful. He had a feeling that they'd been preparing themselves for her to never wake… but he couldn't tell Jeffrey that.

"I… think so. Your parents try hard. So does Huître." He answered. Jeffrey sniffled, and wiped his eyes.

"I want to help too! But I can't! I can't do anything!" He pouted, beginning to sob. Jeffrey turned to Joseph and wrapped his tiny arms around his waist, grabbing onto his cowl. Joseph paused, slightly stunned, before falling to one knee and allowing Jeffrey to give him a full hug.

Jeffrey sobbed and wailed into his shoulder, and, pitifully, Joseph patted the little boy's head.

"You do help. You visit every day. That is helping." He reassured the five-year old. Jeffrey calmed down, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"I miss my sister." He complained, giving a yawn.

"I am sorry." Joseph replied, unsure of how to respond.

"Why?" Jeffrey asked. Joseph remained silent, staring blankly at the five-year old.

Jeffrey tucked the covers under his sister's arms, trying to make sure that she was well covered, as it was a chilly night. The heart monitor's beeping was the only sound in the room for at least a few minutes.

In the distance, the giant clock rang, and as Joseph counted the rings, he knew it was ten. Way past the kid's bedtime. He shrugged and decided the captain didn't need to know that he'd accidentally kept her son up three hours past bedtime. Besides, it was a rather pleasant experience.

Joseph tapped Jeffrey on the shoulder and waved his hand as he walked away, signaling that it was time to leave. Jeffrey leaned over and kissed Nayeli on the forehead and then ran to catch up with him.

Joseph paused to pick Jeffrey up again, carrying him "piggy back" to the Slytherin dungeons once more.

"Hey, you never answered me. Why are you sorry about my sister?" Jeffrey asked, tapping him on the back of the head. It slightly annoyed him, and he wondered if Jeffrey would do this to his own fathers. Joseph thought for a minute.

"You miss her. I miss my friend Zakkari." He admitted. It felt good to get this off his chest. He hadn't really talked about it since the incident, trying to hide the recurring nightmares leading to the death of his best friend… his "brother".

"Do you have a brother or a sister?" Jeffrey asked. This question hit home, and Joseph stopped, staring at the end of the hallway. He took a deep breath, and sighed, walking down to a remotely hidden area and out of earshot of any other people. He set Jeffrey down and sat down against the stone pillar.

Now, it was his turn to cry. Hard.

Jeffrey just stared at him, confused as he watched the red-haired man rest his head on his knees and sob into them, his body shaking with the effort and mass pain.

"I won't ask anymore." Jeffrey stated, sitting down next to him and trying to hug him. It was awkward, being as his tiny little arms barely wrapped around the broad shoulders of the man.

As he settled, Joseph wiped his eyes with his cowl.

"Your family loves you. I… have no family." He admitted, not caring if Jeffrey knew the truth.

"Ah. I see." Jeffrey muttered. He then let out another yawn, and his eyes drooped. Joseph stood again and picked Jeffrey up, flying back to the commons. It took much less time than it would have if he'd walked.

By the time he got there, Jeffrey was already sound asleep. Joseph kicked open the door with his foot and peered in. Severus still hadn't returned. He must be with Kathryn still. He assessed.

Figuring that Severus might not return until much later, he set Jeffrey down in Severus' bed and tucked him in, then stumbled over to his own, mulling things over in his head as he worked on his English. He waited until past midnight for Severus to return, then gave up. Severus could sleep on the couch in the common room.

Joseph woke up around eight, he figured, and slowly crawled out of bed. The shadowy figure was not there to greet him. It was a relief, and yet, it felt… unnatural. He'd gotten used to the strange thing.

Jeffrey had already gotten out of Severus' bed and left, probably to bug his fathers or mother.

Joseph made his way to the commons, and to his surprise, Severus was not there either. Joseph raised an eyebrow, and smirked. Maybe he was still with Huître… maybe they'd finally done it, and worn each other out from the lovemaking. The tension between the two was too obvious.

Joseph walked up the flight of stairs and out of the portrait, who'd said a "good morning" to him. The portrait must have gotten some that evening, too, because it rarely said anything to anyone.

Someone bumped into him as he turned the corner, and he glanced down. Jeffrey was skipping down the hallway, no doubt wanting to see his brother.

"Oh, hi! I was looking for you!" Jeffrey beamed, shocking the hell out of Joseph.

Jeffrey wants to see me? He thought.

"You find me." He replied, rather jokingly. Jeffrey smiled and took his hand, running to the Grand Hall. Joseph had no choice but to follow.

"Have breakfast with me! Sevvy isn't here. Neither is Kathryn." He exclaimed. Joseph caught glances with Sheeva, Draco, and Blaise, who were walking hand in hand towards the Grand Hall for breakfast as well.

"Morning, Captain." Joseph said as they zoomed by, giving her a look of "help me". Sheeva stopped as they sped past in front of them, and then chuckled as she recognized who it was.

"Glad to see that they are getting along." Blaise commented. Draco smiled.

Joseph was pulled into a seat before a plate, but didn't let that phase him. He was starving. His eyes bulged at the abundance of food: hassbrowns, hot bakes, and… what are they…. Oh, eggs! Yes! He piled his plate with hash browns, pancakes, and eggs.

He watched the captain and her husbands walk in, and as he got to look at them a little better in the light, they looked rough.

"Have a fun night, huh, captain?" He called out to her in Kadessian, not caring who could hear him. They'd have to get used to the foreign language soon anyway. Her face turned red and she translated what he'd said to her husbands. They looked over at Joseph and winked. Joseph laughed. He hadn't been able to laugh this carefree for quite a while, it felt.

As Sheeva, Draco, and Blaise sat down, the two males couldn't help but wince. They were getting a bit old for this. Sheeva smiled at Jeffrey, who was happily chomping on a chunk of ham. Draco glanced around for Severus and Kathryn, thinking that they were sitting at the Gryffindor table. When he didn't see them, he shook his head, and smirked.

"It seems that Romeo has succeeded in wooing his Juliet." He commented. Blaise and Sheeva laughed, and Sheeva had tears come to her eyes, but she wiped them away quickly. Joseph didn't get the reference joke.

"What?"

Sheeva calmed herself and looked at Joseph, explaining that Romeo and Juliet were a pair of lovers in a -play by some guy named "William Shanksmear", or something like that. Joseph wasn't really paying attention, as he began to notice that the shadowy figure hadn't shown itself all morning. In fact, it hadn't been around since last night.

"So…" Joseph began, giving her a look. Clarify, I don't get it.

Sheeva dropped her head, and then said to him in Kadessian: "My son is no longer a virgin." She explained. Joseph nodded.

"Oh, he give his heart to Huître." Joseph finished. Sheeva gave him a confused look.

"Um… you know what we're talking about, right?" She asked. Joseph nodded.

"Yes. Did you not know? The first person that a Kadessian male loses his virginity to will always have his heart. That's… tradition." Joseph explained, proud of himself. He could educate her on something, for once. Sheeva shook her head.

"My children are not Kadessian. I was born in Mayfil." She explained. The look on Joseph's face dropped, and he stared at her, amazed. He went to say something else, but Severus and Kathryn walked up to them, hand in hand, ecstatic. Kathryn was practically glowing.

"We were wondering when you'd show up! Where were you?" Jeffrey started. Severus and Kathryn caught glances, and Severus left the answer to Kathryn, figuring that she'd have a clever answer.

"Seeing stars?" Kathryn muttered questioningly. Severus fought the urge to facepalm. Instead, he focused on piling food on his plate.

"But… it's morning." Jeffrey questioned.

"Thank god we didn't miss breakfast. I'm starving!" Severus changed the subject abruptly as he stabbed a chunk of scrambled egg and shoveled it in his mouth. Kathryn smirked and began to eat. She didn't seem to have a brain at the moment. Blaise muttered under his breath: I bet you are. Sheeva laughed, and wiped at her eyes again.

"Jeffrey, did you have fun last night?" Sheeva asked her son, glancing at Joseph. Joseph froze, unsure of whether or not Jeffrey would tell that he'd broken down last night.

"Yeah! I kicked his butt in chess, and we got to see Sissy!" Jeffrey beamed. Joseph smiled, relieved. Sheeva looked at Joseph and nodded her head in thanks.

"Don't be surprised if Jeffrey goes missing someday. I might kidnap him." Joseph joked in Kadessian. She laughed, and shook her head, translating what he had said. The rest of them laughed and chuckled.

Sheeva excused herself from the table, announcing that she wanted to visit Nayeli. She stole a glance at Kathryn's plate. She'd already finished it, and had sat back, talking with Jeffrey.

"I want to talk to you, Kathryn. Come with me." Sheeva ordered. Kathryn snapped her head up, a slight nervousness in her eye. Sheeva laughed.

"It is nothing bad. I just have a few things to say." She explained. Kathryn took a deep breath and stood. Severus stood and gave her a hug and a kiss before she left, and she turned beet red. This'd be the first time that they'd kissed in front of his parents. Jeffrey made an 'icky' face, and went back to eating. Joseph just shrugged. He'd seen them cuddling in the same bed before, her in a nightshirt and underwear. This kiss was nothing.

"Good luck." He muttered in her ear before they parted. Kathryn nodded and walked off, joining Sheeva at the end of the row of tables.

Draco and Blaise stared sternly at Severus, who began to feel the adrenaline rush through his veins, fearing that he'd be getting yelled at.

"Joseph." Draco barked. His voice was dark and commanding. It scared the hell out of Severus. Joseph looked up from his food.

"Take Jeffrey somewhere. I want to have a word with my son." Draco growled, giving Severus a terrifying glare. Severus gulped, seeming to feel frozen to the spot. Joseph smirked, only understand a few of the words, but they were enough for context.

"Jeffrey, you want play chess?" He asked. Jeffrey's eyes brightened and he stood happily.

"Yeah! Ready to lose, old man?"

Joseph paused.

"I am not old man!" He barked, chasing after the kid in mock anger.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Blaise and Draco leaned forward, scowls and glares on their faces. Severus' stomach tied itself into a square knot, and he swallowed the knot in his throat.

"What? Quit giving me the evil eye and just tell me, damn it!" He choked out, almost squeaking from being so nervous.

"Congratulations!" Draco barked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well done." Blaise complimented, smirking.

Severus only stared at his parents, a dumbstruck look on his face. He blinked, and then buried his head in his hands.

"I swear to Merlin, you two were going to kill me." He admitted, his body settling with the relief he felt. He then began to laugh, and wiped away the sweat from his forehead.

"We kinda figured out what you two were doing when we heard whispers about the Room of Requirement being 'locked' all evening." Draco explained, finishing his last bite of pancakes. Blaise nodded.

"That and Jeffrey said that you weren't in your room when he woke up in the morning." Blaise added. Severus shook his head, and rested his forehead on his hand, unable to look his fathers in the eyes. He had never felt so embarrassed, and he wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.

"I wasn't planning on telling you this…" He muttered. Draco pushed his shoulder from across the table.

"Don't sulk. You had fun, didn't you? You were safe, right? You used the spell we taught you?" He asked. Severus smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, Dad, we were smart about it. It's funny, I…" He began, thinking about telling them that his wand had chosen her as well. He shook his head.

"Never mind." He muttered. Blaise shrugged.

"Good idea. We don't want any details anyway." He stated bluntly. Severus gave him a sheepish smile.

"I taught it to her. She actually didn't know it."

His fathers stopped and stared at him, shocked. Draco looked almost baffled.

"The know-it-all didn't know a spell? What?" Blaise stated. He was half-joking, half-serious.

Severus smirked and nodded. Draco smirked as well, crossing his arms.

"And you taught it to her? You taught her something she hadn't already learned from a book?" Blaise added, adding insult to injury. Severus beamed, proud of himself.

"Damn straight!" He barked. He turned back to his plate, eager to finish off his food.

Sheeva and Kathryn walked to the window overlooking the courtyard, staring out into the distance beyond. The side of the mountain was a crystalline white, the mountains further in the distance freshly capped with snow.

"You know, Kathryn, my son has always loved you. And…" She paused, thinking as she scanned the horizon. The sky was a bright blue, a few puffy clouds dotting it. "…through Nayeli and Severus, my husbands and I learned to love you too." Sheeva began, catching Kathryn off-guard. Kathryn paused, and turned to look at Sheeva.

"Oh." She stated, stunned. Sheeva smiled and pulled her into a hug, patting the top of her head.

"If he asks you to marry him, I have no objections whatsoever." Sheeva admitted. Kathryn froze, her eyes going wide. Sheeva felt Kathryn tense, and gave a small chuckle.

"You do not have to fear. He loves you, with all of his heart. You two make each other so happy. I have seen this many times throughout the past twelve-thousand years. I feel that you two are the best for each other. I really do." Sheeva added. Kathryn allowed her head to rest against Sheeva's chest, and silently began to cry.

Sheeva just held her, staring out in the distance, waiting as Kathryn cried.

Kathryn sniffled and regained herself, and gave Sheeva a small smile.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting that. I thought you were going to… well… I'm not sure." Kathryn finished. Sheeva nodded and continued to hug her.

"You two were safe, right?" She asked. Although, with his lineage, do normal methods work? She mused to herself. Kathryn nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. He taught me a spell." She admitted. Sheeva tutted.

"Stop calling me ma'am. You are practically family. I consider you a second…daughter. So do my husbands. So start using our names. We do not call you miss… or little girl." Sheeva stated sternly. Kathryn nodded.

"Yes, Sheeva." Kathryn agreed. The words felt foreign to her mouth.

Hermione walked around the corner, and paused, confused slightly. She smiled at them and walked up to them.

"Sorry, but the medics from St. Mungo's are here. Your husbands were looking for you."

Sheeva pulled away from Kathryn, and took a deep, calming breath. By the looks of it, she was steeling herself for the confrontation. Kathryn looked to Sheeva's hands. She was wringing them together nervously. Kathryn watched as Sheeva tightened her hands into fists and finally relaxed them, allowing them to fall to her sides. Sheeva forced her head to hold high, standing straight.

It was strangely awe-inspiring, and delicately graceful. It instilled the sense of power and control that Kathryn felt from their first meeting many years ago. Sheeva slowly nodded her head, her black hair falling down her shoulders.

"Thank you, Hermione. Where are they?" She asked. Hermione smiled, trying to remain cheerful.

"They're in the hospital wing, waiting for you." She answered before turning away and walking on. It was obvious that her being overly cheerful was not helping, but she didn't want to let her mask fall. It'd signal that her happiness was fake. Truth be told, they were all afraid of what the news might be.

Sheeva stood still, and as Kathryn watched her hands, she noticed that they were shaking slightly. A determination rose from within, and Kathryn boldly reached out and took Sheeva's hand.

"Let's go, Sheeva. They can help us." She said, hoping to Merlin her words were true. Sheeva blinked, and a small brightening of her eyes shone through. They walked briskly to the next floor and to the entrance of the room. Sheeva hesitated, and Kathryn couldn't blame her. She was scared. Hell, they all were.

Kathryn sighed and set her hand on the handle of the door, twisting it and letting the door swing open on its own. It creaked on the hinges, desperately in need of an oiling. The sound echoed through the intensely quiet room, and the inhabitants looked up and over at the door. Sheeva stared back, white as a ghost, with Kathryn by her side.

Kathryn looked at Sheeva pitifully. Sheeva's courage was gone. Kathryn nudged her lightly in the side, and when she didn't move, she grasped her hand and guided her in.

"Come on, Mrs. Zabini-Malfoy. Everyone's waiting." Kathryn encouraged. Draco and Blaise seemed slightly taken aback at the sight of Kathryn guiding Sheeva. They found themselves pleased with Kathryn, and they felt it swell from the pits of their hearts and seep through their entire body, warming them. Kathryn really wanted to ensure this family was all right, and seeing it really helped.

Severus smiled at Kathryn as he gave his mother a hug.

"I'm glad Professor Potter found you, mom." He greeted. Sheeva merely nodded, giving him a half-hearted hug. It was strange for her, but even stranger for him. He couldn't recall ever having gotten such an… emotionless, cold hug before. It scared him slightly.

Severus and Draco pulled up chairs for them around Nayeli's bed. Two men in white lab coats were standing by, holding clipboards and forcing smiles on their faces. Sheeva looked at them, and didn't bother hiding the annoyance in her eyes at their fakery.

"Good morning, my name is Matthew. Miss Sheeva, you are the mother, correct?" The shorter of the two asked, stating the obvious. Sheeva nodded.

"Yes, I am." She replied coldly. The others were put on edge, slightly, especially Severus, Kathryn, and Jeffrey, who'd never seen her act this way. Draco and Blaise had seen it before, but just because it was nothing new didn't mean that it didn't rub them in an ill way. Matthew looked at Kathryn with an inquiring look.

"And, you are?" He asked. Kathryn stated her name boldly. Severus, Draco, and Blaise picked up on the stern assertiveness in her voice, and Severus raised an eyebrow. This was a new side.

As far as Sheeva, Kathryn's brave tone was lost to deaf ears. Sheeva was paying close attention to the doctor, her eyes shooting daggers.

"Are you family?" He asked bluntly. Kathryn frowned, and shook her head.

"No, but I—

-I have to ask you to leave." Matthew interrupted her, not giving her a chance to explain. Kathryn opened her mouth to protest, but closed it. There was no use fighting with a medic, and she hoped Severus would tell her later.

"Yes, sir." She muttered, moving to get out of her chair. Sheeva stopped her by grabbing her wrist so sharply, there was an audible smack. Sheeva jerked Kathryn back into her seat, not taking her eyes off of Matthew.

"She stays." Sheeva hissed. The anger she had seemed to be emanating off of Sheeva, so thick that it almost seemed tangible. Matthew shook his head.

"She's not immediate family, so she—

-She will stay!" Sheeva commanded, glaring now, her emerald eyes full of hate and pain. Draco intervened, grabbing Sheeva's hand and ordering the doctor to get a move on.

The other doctor nodded and stepped in, flipping through a few pages.

"Well, for starters, she's healthy. Her physical state seems to be functioning normally. There's no signs of internal damage or any poisoning. However, she doesn't respond to stimuli, so… We don't know if she is in a coma, a deep sleep, or if she even has a… well, for lack of a better explanation, it seems that she doesn't even have a soul." The taller doctor explained. They all stared at him expectantly.

"Tell us something we do not know." Sheeva stated, tightening her grip on Draco's hand. Draco cringed, but tightened his hand on hers anyway.

"I…" The doctor said, a sorrowful look on his face. He looked to the other doctor, who took a breath and looked Sheeva straight in the eye. As soon as their eyes made contact, Sheeva seemed to come to reality, and she blinked.

Her expression changed rapidly, from its cold demeanor to one that he would pity. Her eyes pleaded with him, begging him not to say what she'd already anticipated from the start.

Matthew averted his gaze, unable to bear bad news while trying to maintain eye-contact. It just couldn't work that way. Having been in his profession for years now, he'd seen far too many hearts break, too many dreams, crushed. No matter how much a person tried to hold it in, the eyes reflected it all. Indeed, eyes were a window to the soul.

"We don't think that she will ever wake." He stated. Draco and Blaise turned to look at him, crying out a "No", and Sheeva sat still, numb to her surroundings. Jeffrey began to wail as the news registered in his mind, and Joseph moved to console him. Severus shook his head in denial, his hands gripping his robes in sheer rage. Kathryn couldn't keep her composure, and let her mask of assertiveness fall, putting her head into her hands and crying into them.

"No! There's no way you can sit here and tell us that! We've been working so hard! So hard, to try to get her back!" Severus barked, losing his temper as he stood sharply and pointed at Matthew, hurt and fury in his emerald eyes. His voice cracked, constricted with the physiological response to his out-of-control emotions. Matthew just stared at him. He'd seen this too. He let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, but until we find the cause of this, she will be this way until she dies." He forced himself to say. Severus rushed at the man, grabbed the collar of his lab coat and lifted him into the air.

"DON'T SAY MY SISTER IS GOING TO DIE! Don't say she'll never wake! She'll wake, damn you!" Severus cried out, tears spilling from his eyes. Kathryn jumped up from her seat and set her hand on Severus' arm, softly calling out his name. Severus didn't look at her.

"Severus, put the man down!" Blaise ordered. Madame Pomfrey had her wand drawn and was pointing it at Severus. Matthew merely shook his head.

"It's alright. This has happened to me before. Now, Severus, I want you to close your eyes, and count to ten." He said in a calming, soothing voice. Severus didn't hear the man. All he saw was red. Kathryn shook him, calling out to him in a scared, timid voice. It cracked the mold, echoing off Severus' brain. Still, it had little effect.

"Severus, please. Severus?" Kathryn asked. It finally shattered the redness that Severus saw, and he relaxed, setting the doctor down and stumbling backwards. Kathryn helped him to sit down in the chair that she'd just been sitting in, taking his hand and placing small, soothing kisses to the back of it. Severus began to sob as well when his rage ebbed, mourning the horrible disgusting news. Kathryn crawled into his lap and held him. He buried his face in her chest, crying on her robes while he rocked back and forth.

Draco and Blaise were crying, the streams stinging their face. Draco was on his knees, crying into Sheeva's lap, and Blaise was also on the ground, leaning against Draco and the chair. Sheeva had tears falling from her eyes, but her expression was blank, cold and lifeless. No light shone from them. Not even a drop of fear laced her eyes.

Joseph had rocked Jeffrey to sleep. Jeffrey would whimper in his sleep, and his feet would twitch. Joseph even had a few tears of his own to shed. The amount of pain he felt for them was great, and he held no shame in admitting so.

Joseph looked up, relieved as he felt the presence of the shadowy figure in the room, and glanced around for it. He pinned it somewhere around Sheeva, Draco, and Blaise. He could have sworn that he watched it reach out a hand and rest it on Sheeva's shoulder in comfort.

Sheeva forced herself to stand. As gently as she could, she removed herself from the holds of her husbands, and without saying a word, walked calmly out of the room. It unnerved them greatly.

"You follow. I stay with Jeffrey." Joseph told the captain's husbands, wary of Sheeva's actions. They stared at him for a minute, and then nodded, trailing Sheeva by a few paces. Severus had calmed down, exhausted and out of energy from his breakdown.

Now, it seemed, they needed each other more than ever.

Oh, the sweet agony... I have my ideas about the next chapter, I just have to get them down in Word and out of my head. Any questions, comments, concerns?

Again, review. I wonder often if my work is... weird. Compared to the way I wrote five years ago, this is an amazing improvement. I'm not looking to be as great as Stephen King, or someone, because every writer has their own style.

I just want to see what people think.A second pair of eyes will help me find where I am too wordy, or areas where there should be a little bit more description. After all, this is all in my head, so it makes perfect sense to me, but it may not make sense to the readers.

So, help me out here!