Hermione could feel herself coming back into reality incredibly slowly. Her head pulsed and stomach growled for sustenance. What was more distracting from all of that was the low murmur of voices that felt as though they were floating all around her.

Her mind started turning a bit more when she finally gained feeling in her fingers. She gave them a small experimental wiggle before letting out a low hiss from the pain in her right arm. She was able to register that she was laying flat on her back and that her body felt extremely cold beneath. The voices seemed to float away by the time she managed to open her eyes. She had hoped for the briefest of moments that Galia had sent someone in to rescue them but that hope was quickly dashed when a low blue light gradually came into focus. Her breathing hitched just a little when the same ape-like creature slowly leaned over her.

Exaudi me tu scilicet?

Hermione jolted slightly when and odd whispy sounding voice rattled inside her skull. It took her brain a few seconds to translate what had been said as she'd never actually heard anyone speaking full sentences of Latin before.

Yes?

Ah, so you speak English.

How...how are you-what are you?

I am a what your people call a demiguise, though my master has given me the name Parvapro and I'm speaking through this. The creature lightly tapped the band that was sitting around her head. The same one she'd taken from the Oracle's room.

Hermione was about to ask where Severus was when the sharp sound of glass vials knocking into the other jolted her focus. With all the strength she had left inside her, she pushed herself up with her good arm. Her eyes went wide when she saw a house elf, in a toga no less, rifling through Severus' potion bag. Many things laid around its feet, her own bag seemingly having been rifled through as well before her eyes landed on the man laying just a few steps in front of the creature.

"Severus!" Hermione winced at the sound of her own voice echoing off of the dark walls around her. Her remark turned the elf and he gave her a most disapproving look. The demiguise moved out of her way as she half crawled her way over.

"What are you doing? Oh, Severus..." She kept her bad arm cradled around her waist and gently laid her good hand on his chest. He was breathing, that was a good sign. The cut that knocked him unconscious had been healed but a dark purple bruise still covered his forehead. Hermione let out a small noise of distress unsure of what the best course would be.

Librous is looking for a potion to help him.

Hermione had knocked a few vials on her way to Severus' side, her chest was still heaving from the effort growing tighter and tighter with each breath. She let out a low whine and wrapped her injured arm around her rib trying to take in air that just wouldn't come.

What is wrong Lionhart?

The demiguise moved closer but didn't dare to touch her, it let out a low chittering noise of concern before turning its eyes to the elf. Librous stopped his digging to give the Hermione its own piercing look.

"I can't...breathe..." Hermione had no choice but to put her weight forward onto Severus' chest to try and stretch out her side. She could only hear the rattling in her chest and feel the weight that was placed there by her past injury. She felt like she was drowning on dry land. Her heart beat furiously but didn't have enough oxygen going into its blood to make it any use. Hermione could feel the world growing dark again but she struggled to keep her eyes open and focused.

Librous frowned and gave her good shoulder a rather firm push, stretching her out further. Her cry of pain having no effect on his stern face. "Lie down, girl."

Hermione shook her head wanting to help Severus before helping herself but the elf was having none of her Gryffindor stubbornness and gave her another push that she didn't have the strength to resist. Parvapro caught her in her arms on the way down, taking her head in her hands before helping her rest down beside Severus.

Hermione could do nothing but focus on her breathing, her eyes opening and closing slower and slower as the darkness tunneled her vision. She barely registered the side of her shirt coming up before a small and very warm hand pressed into her side. Her legs jerked reflexively before she was able to finally take a full breath.

The thoughts and feelings of the elf and demiguise swirled together inside her head, similar to the whispering voices she'd heard before. She could tell that Parvapro had her best interest at heart while Librous just seemed perturbed that he had been disturbed from his previous task of cleaning the throne room. She couldn't tell exactly if the elf wanted them there or not but she could feel their curiosity over just who exactly she was. Parvapro was more than certain she was supposed to be there and from what she could pick up from their silent conversation filtering through her own mind, she was trying to convince the elf to let them stay the night inside the castle.

"Severus...?" Hermione rolled her head to try and bring her eyes back into focus.

He will be fine. He protected himself very well.

Why...why hasn't he woken up yet? Hermione gave up on verbalizing her concern, for now, instead choosing to take in slow cleansing gulps of air.

He will.

Hermione frowned turning her head to try and see his face. The guilt over the entire event and her following helplessness weighed heavily on her heart. She was supposed to be able to protect him too. She wasn't some helpless princess rescued from some fairy tale land. She was a strong powerful witch. Why hadn't she thought to break her own fall or stop the bridges from collapsing in the first place? She knew the spells, she could have done it. Why hadn't she been able to?

"Stop raining. Drink."

Tears, ipsi erant dicitur 'tears', Librous. Non potest esse genus?

Anglicus. Tales sermone composito.

The elf pushed a vial into her hand with a small grunt, mumbling something in its mother tongue about how the potion was inadequate but would do a well enough job at repairing the internal bruising that was making it difficult for her to breathe. The next moment he was gone, the last thing she'd heard from his mind was that he was going to find something more suitable for the heir.

Hermione closed her eyes for a long moment, letting her tears warm her cold cheeks before finally taking a drink of the potion that had been given to her. Her head was starting to feel as though it was being slowly twisted in a vice and the pain in her stomach from lack of food wasn't helping either. The potion burned her empty stomach but did make the pain in her side manageable. Parvapro loomed over her head keeping her somewhat propped up making her second sip easier to swallow.

The pain in her side eased to a dull pulse but she didn't want to take any more of the potion for fear that Severus might also need some of it. Her shoulder didn't hurt any more unless she tried to move her arm too far but she could tell that it had been put back into place. With a somewhat tired grimace of a smile, she slowly brought her good hand down to try and sit herself up again. She was sure she'd packed at least a couple granola bars in her bag before they'd left, on the off chance they might stay out longer than intended.

Able to read her mind clearly, Parvapro helped her sit up before pushing the small pile of things that Librous had pulled from her bag closer. Hermione's wand laid among them, rattling softly when it rolled towards her.

Why you carry stick?

"It's not a stick...its a wand." Hermione gave the creature a small thank you before pausing to think about her question. The Prince's were a magical family surely they had had wands. Her mind jumped track and she quickly pulled the sacred wood into her hand before calling out for Severus' wand. When the black ebony snapped into her open palm from beneath the rubble she let out a small breath before turning to look down into his face, setting his wand in her lap.

"I'm so sorry..." Hermione pursed her lips before pointing her wand at his chest, "Ennervate."

Severus' body jolted and his eyes snapped open wide before tightly closing with a deep hiss of pain. Hermione dropped her wand, reaching over to cup his face with her useable hand, "Severus? Severus, can you hear me?"

"Yes...agh...are you alright?" His voice was deep and strained. He brought up one of his hands to gingerly touch his pounding skull. His body felt alright, a bit achy especially around his hip, but it was the pain threatening to split his skull in two that dulled out everything else. "The creature?"

"We're safe..." Hermione glanced over at Parvapro who just seemed to be watching them curiously.

"My...bag..."

"Which one do y-ou w-ant?" Hermione's voice hitched when she turned and she felt an overwhelming sense of protection washing over her. It took her a moment to realize that it was coming from him. It was so powerful, even her own drive to protect him felt weak in comparison. He didn't feel as though she wasn't capable but rather feared that it was he who would let her down. Hermione tried to push back the urge to cry when the catalyst for such a belief threatened to swallow her whole.

"The green vial...then..." Severus' voice trailed off as he just wasn't able to stand the sound of his own voice thanks to the migraine. He did manage to weakly turn his head trying to see what had caused her to stutter. He could tell she'd done something to her arm with the way she held it close to her body and his eyes ran up her back where he noted that one side wasn't rising in time with the other.

Hermione grabbed the green bottle before gathering up two pain potions, he'd still not shared his labeling system with her but she could easily see the vials that he was requesting in her under eye thanks to their artificial mental connection. She shifted, staying mostly on her shins and let out a slow breath, could he sit up? There was no way she could hold his head properly with just one arm. She turned her head to look for Parvapro only to find that she too, had gone.

"Severus...do you hurt anywhere else? Should I run a diagnostic?" She gingerly placed her hand by his waist waiting for him to open his eyes again.

"I shan't feel anything as soon as you give me my potion." His voice was a bit sharper than he intended but the pain was grating away all semblance of cordiality.

Hermione pursed her lips and gave him a small glare for his tone but really couldn't hold it against him. He did get awfully grumpy when he had a headache, "Give me your hand then."

Hermione held her good hand out for him to take, her own tone losing some of its patience. When he took it, she gave him the strongest pull she could manage and together they got him off the floor and leaning against whatever it was he had been laying next to. When he had settled she gave him the potion he'd requested before sitting back on her heels to catch her breath.

Severus let out a heavy sigh when the potion he'd downed in one gulp got to work. The pressure in his skull released like a popped balloon and he could feel the excess blood starting to build up in his nose which forced him to breathe through his mouth. He brought his sleeve up to keep the blood from running into his mouth and let out a low sigh. Gradually, the pressure behind his eyes released and he was able to take in the room they were in clearly. Though it was heavily shadowed by the blue flames, they burned bright enough for him to tell that they were in a mausoleum of sorts. He paid it no attention, instead, turning his eyes to Hermione who was watching with barely concealed pain and unfiltered concern.

"Hermione..."

"I'm okay." She gave him a brave smile but the hand that held her bad arm grew tighter, "I'm so sorry... It's my fault...I shouldn't have wa-wandered away an-" His hand silenced her and she made a small face when he pulled his arm from beneath his nose, it wasn't bleeding anymore but it was red around the bottom.

Severus noted that the band from before was around her head and he couldn't help but wonder just why she had placed it there. His brain was still to scrambled to put much thought into it and he just allowed himself a small reprieve. He did, however, offer out his hand for her to hold. When her small fingers twined with his; he knew they were going to be alright.

"It's night..."

"It is..." Hermione gave his hand a weak squeeze. Her eyes were sad, laden with guilt. Her stomach growled loud enough to make a small echo and she lowered her head in shame.

Severus could feel the kaleidoscope of emotions ravaging her broken confidence and purse his lips, "This is hardly the most difficult situation we have found ourselves in." He pulled her hand closer to his stomach causing her to look at him from beneath her lashes, "We shall get out of here. Come on..."

Hermione nodded her head like a scolded child, valiantly trying to push her emotions down. She released his hand and called everything back into their respective bags before finally turning her eyes up to properly look at their surroundings. The hole they'd made from their descent was much too far to climb out and with their various states of injury, it would have been unwise to attempt to magic their way up.

"How far do you think we fell?" Hermione could only guess as the blue flames only provided enough light to see the floor they were presently on and with no light coming from above it was impossible to know for sure. As though he was reading her mind, Severus shot out a small ball of light through the hope they'd made, it went up three stories before coming to a stop at the ceiling of the fourth. The floor they'd created through had already been sealed over despite most of the debris still laying in place at the bottom of the hole.

Hermione wondered if it had been Librous when her eye caught on one of the stones from the top of the pile simply disappearing. Her eyes widened and she gasped, albeit somewhat painfully before she realized what had happened.

"The castle is repairing itself..."

Severus didn't believe he'd heard her correctly until he called his light down to the pile of stone, another broken brick simply vanishing from sight, "That doesn't make sense..." If that were true why had the rest of the castle looked to have been in such a state?

"Maybe it only covers the library..." Hermione had heard his question as though he'd spoken before turning her eyes slowly over the room they were in, "Or maybe it's meant to protect this place..."

"Why protect the dead?" Unless...

"They're not dead." Hermione finished his thought carefully pulling herself up to her feet. Her heart was pounding a bit quicker now but the new vantage allowed her to see the room from a much different perspective. The hall, in which they stood was lined with stone caskets, laid to rest inside the wall. Beside nearly every name hung a black frame and a blank equally black canvas with a name inscribed in gold at the bottom. An orb, in various shades of white and black stood, just beneath each name on its own pillar nearly every frame that could be seen. Hermione was sure she'd seen them somewhere during her time researching the spell Severus had been trying to create in his youth. A deep sadness filled her heart.

"They're soul stones..." Similar to the magic used to being magical paintings to life that used a small fragment of a soul to feed its magic, the orbs actually held the entire living soul inside. Trapped in limbo, unable to move on. Forced to remain with the living without truly living.

Severus had joined her on his feet his eyes taking in the long hall before turning down to look at what he'd used to aid him to his feet. A large beautifully carved stone casket, the markings over the top more intricate and elaborate than anything they had seen thus far. The crest of his family stood out over the center, made of the rarest metals and jewels. His hand swept over the name chiseled into the stone. King Sevptivian Viservos, the first of his bloodline.

"Severus..."

"Let's find a way out..." Severus reached up pulling the band from around her head so she wouldn't be able to feel the emotions running through his body. He summoned her bag from the floor and pushed it inside before limping slightly around her. His hip would barely hold his weight, he could tell it had been mended but that didn't help the muscle that had been torn with its dislocation. Even with proper care, repaired muscles were always weak for hours sometimes weeks after.

"Come on..." Severus pushed himself forward trying to ignore the emotional weight rolling off Hermione in waves, that combined with the soft pulse the stones around them were giving out was starting to make his head hurt all over again.

Hermione turned to follow moving to his side to help support his weight with her good arm, unfortunately, it was also the side of her injured rib but she didn't care. She wanted to help him, keep him close. Severus didn't put up much of an argument rather he cast a small charm over her side and shoulder to temporarily numb the pain. The potions he'd brought had to last them until daylight, possibly longer if they couldn't find their way out.

Hermione kept her head down but her ears open. She wasn't sure where Librous or Parvapro had gotten off to but she felt as though they could definitely need their help. The catacombs hadn't been listed on any map of the castle and other than knowing they were someplace beneath the library there was little else to go on, without a landmark, there was also no way to know in which direction they were moving.

She wondered briefly if calling out the house elf's name would summon him. Both he and Parvapro had definitely helped them survive the aftermath of their fall, and Librous didn't seem all to happy with them being down there, perhaps he would help them get out. She was just about to suggest this when Severus lost his foothold and caught himself on one of the stones in front of a painting. A large surge of magical energy nearly stole the air from their lungs before a brilliant white light blinded them both.