Is There No Sanctuary?

[Barbara Kennedy]

Is There No Sanctuary?

By Barbara Kennedy

This is going to be a very short piece, my first, which I am bringing back to the first page so folks get a chance to read it. There have been a lot of new members come to COS since it was first posted, so it is new to them. Feedback is highly encouraged and much appreciated.

Here is my feedback thread.

This is a short scene between Professor Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore very late one night, near the end of Goblet of Fire.

As usual, none of these characters are mine. I've just borrowed them from J. K. Rowling, with many thanks.


Thank you,
Barbara


Nov. 20, 2004 - changed formating of the pages a little to make it easier to read.
_____________________________________________

A moist wind was gusting and swirling the torchlights spaced along the walls and the dark cloak held tightly about a thin hooded figure slowly climbing the stairs to the Astronomy Tower in the earliest hours of the morning. The dark sky was clear as crystal above him with a vast ocean of stars unseen by the man whose eyes did not leave the stone stairs before his feet. There was a distant line of clouds at the horizon, illuminated briefly by lightning, foretelling a storm on its way.

When the dark figure reached the top of the stairs, he paused, looking around, as if to be assured he was alone, before making his way to the low wall at the edge of the tower. He leaned against the stone as if needing the support to remain on his feet. His arms were clutched tightly about him, though the wind was not cold. With head bowed, he remained in that same position for many minutes, as though in deep thought, or in painful reverie.

"Are you ill, Severus?" a kindly voice from behind the figure inquired.

The instant transformation of the figure at the wall was astounding.

As he twirled to face the speaker, his shoulders squared and his back straightened, adding inches to his stature. The hood was blown off his head by the capricious winds, revealing a long hook-nosed face and greasy black hair. His sallow face briefly revealing a surprised and annoyed expression quickly replaced with a more relaxed, but guarded look. His hand held a wand pointed at the heart of the speaker, but quickly lowered and put away the wand as swiftly as it appeared.

He saw the eyes of Albus Dumbledore twinkle in amusement at his actions before he spoke, "Forgive me, Headmaster. You surprised me. I did not see you up here." He paused. "No, I am not ill, at least not in body."

Dumbledore peered thoughtfully at Severus Snape, the relatively young Potions Master here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, then came to stand beside him at the low wall and gazed at the stars above them.

"I'm often told that, you know. I'm easily overlooked, when I wish to be. I've been up here observing the stars, Severus, and thinking. It is easier to think where people cannot see you, sometimes, is it not?"

Dumbledore gave Severus a sideways glance, seeing a curious glance returned. Snapes lip twisted slightly into a sarcastic smile.

"I should have realized that someone was up here, the torches are not normally lit. It was careless of me to be so unobservant." Severus said with a tinge of real worry in his voice.

[end of first entry, more to come soon]

[Barbara Kennedy]

"Are you sure you are well? You look very tired." Dumbledore looked closely at his face, peering over the top of his half-moon glasses.

"All I need is sleep. I haven't rested much since I left. I will be fine in the morning. Do not worry yourself." His face showed strain and a muscle in his cheek twitched slightly. Dumbledore notice that there was a haunted look lingering around his dark eyes. It was apparent to him only because he knew this man better than most other people who worked near him every day. He was not one to let people near.

"Did things go well?" Dumbledore inquired, turning to face Snape, fixing
him in his gaze.

"Yes, our preparations are in motion. Now we must wait for the results." Snape turned and leaned once again on the stonework of the wall, showing even more weariness than before. "I still have some misgivings about my ability to perform the tasks you have given me."

"You will perform them admirably, I am sure Severus, just don't take unnecessary risks to try to prove yourself. You have nothing to prove to me."

"There is much I must prove after the events of the last week, if not to you, I must prove myself yet again to that blind fool, Fudge. Especially if he keeps on pretending..."

"Now, now, Severus, let me handle that problem, in my own way."

"I'm sorry, Headmaster, I just don't think it will be that easy to make him see. That man was acting like a moron and has been for some time! He fears more for his job than for the safety of those depending on him to properly do his job! His incompetence is criminal. An empty shell lies where once there was a witness and proof of the Dark Lord's return. There is a boy being buried by his father and another almost killed because..."

Severus faltered and he realized he had been shouting. He had been shouting at the one man who understood more about the recent events surrounding the disastrous Triwizard Tournament than anyone else he knew. Those events had changed his life in ways he dreaded to think of. He was not the only one in danger however, the whole wizarding world was at risk because the Dark Lord had returned. Voldemort was reborn.

He gathered his cloak and pulled it about his shoulders again, bowing his
head.

"You know my views on the man well enough." He looked directly into Dumbledore's eyes. "I did not mean to shout. You will do what is best, I know that. I just fear what damage he will cause before you can act." He looked away again.


[End of second part, sorry they are short. I guess I'm in a hurry to post them, before I lose my nerve. More soon.]

[Barbara Kennedy]

Dumbledore pulled out his pocket watch with the twelve hands and planets and peered at it for a short time, then looked intently at the sky above them and fiddled with the stem of the watch for a moment.

"I must go have look in on Harry and Moody in the Hospital wing for a moment before I retire for the night. Come along Severus, you should get a sleeping potion from Madam Pomfrey, you do look all done in."

"Perhaps you are right, sir, I could use a deep sleep tonight." They turned and proceeded to the stairs.

Dumbledore patted Snape lightly on his near shoulder and felt him shivering slightly. At the challenging look, with a raised eyebrow, that he received, he merely smiled and gripped the shoulder reassuringly, saying nothing of it.

He followed Snape down the narrow stairway.

Suddenly, about halfway down the stairs, Severus let out the tiniest strangled gasp and gripped his left forearm, reeling back onto the stair behind him. Dumbledore came around him and gripped his left hand and Snape did not resist. He gently raised the sleeve covering the Dark Mark he knew was tattooed on Snape's arm. It had faded from the vivid black it showed when he had practically shoved it under the nose of Cornelius Fudge to a barely discernable pattern of grey, except for the fact that it now was an angry red in color and raised like it had been recently placed there with a brand. It looked like it would bleed if it were touched, it was so raw in appearance.

"What is it Severus, a summons? Is Voldemort calling his Death Eaters together?"

"No." Snape managed a bitter smile."It is merely a reminder that he is thinking of me."

"Can he find you through the mark?"

"No, otherwise I am sure he would have done so long ago. I am sure I have been....a disappointment to him. He does not deal with disappointment well. It has been getting worse since this afternoon. It was only a minor irritation then. He has increased the strength of it slowly over the evening."

His skin had gone paler than usual and his shivering had increased. He spoke through clenched teeth now.

"He has many ways of making his feelings known to those who.... displease him. It is not the first time I have felt that displeasure. Nor is it likely to be the last. This, however is the longest he has shown me such....attention. It is usually very short, and much less intense."

Dumbledore held his hand over the mark and could feel intense heat
radiating from it.

He placed a hand under Snape's arm and lifted him back to his feet.

"Come along Severus, let us get to Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she can at least reduce the heat and do something about the pain. I know we cannot remove the mark, but let us see what we can do about this. Do not worry," Dumbledore reassured Snape before he could begin the protest that he had obviously been about to voice. "I will keep it as secret as possible and you know Poppy won't breathe a word of it either."

Dumbledore half-supported the younger man all the way to the hospital wing.

[Barbara Kennedy]

[Part 4] I am adding more characters.


As they drew nearer to the corridor of the hospital wing, Snape straightened himself and gently shook off Dumbledore's supporting hand. "There may be someone awake in there, even at this late hour." Snape hissed through his gritted teeth, his breathing rapid from fighting the burning pain on his arm. He carefully smoothed his sleeve back down over his arm, where large blisters were beginning to form. His hands were shaking and he seemed annoyed at that small weakness.

He took a slow, deep breath, as if to steady himself before he spoke in an almost-normal tone. "You go ahead, I will come in a moment looking for you."

Dumbledore looked concerned, but turned to precede Snape to the door. "Very well, but do not wait too long, Severus, or I will come and carry you in myself if I must. I will inform Poppy that you need to see
her privately if anyone is awake."

Snape raised an eyebrow but nodded curtly toward the door, indicating he wanted Dumbledore to go, twitching one corner of his mouth in a half-
hearted attempt at a smile of thanks.

Shaking his head and smiling at the young man's folly of pride, Dumbledore entered the room and quietly closed the door.

Snape shook his lank black hair back out of his eyes and took slow, deep breaths as he composed his features to his familiar scowl and waited for a full three minutes before he walked to the door in his normal manner.

He stepped through the door and saw that someone was awake, the ex-Auror, Mad-eye Moody.

Dumbledore had just rescued Moody from imprisonment in his own magical trunk, where Crouch Jr. had kept him alive while masquerading as Moody.

He was in quiet conversation with Dumbledore, who was seated beside his bed. The only light showing was a candle on the stand beside Moody's bed. Both of Moody's eyes were focused on Snape as he motioned him over to his bed at the far end of the row.

Snape saw Moody's magical eye shift to a partition around the bed where Harry Potter was sleeping. Mrs. Weasley was asleep in a bed next to the partition. Thankfully, her children were not in the room.

When he got close, Moody said quietly, "Heard you were singled out for a bit of attention today. Saw Dumbledore and you in the hallway and wondered what was going on. Come here lad and let me see." Snape scowled at being addressed as 'lad' but said nothing.

Moody held out his hand and Dumbledore nodded to Snape
reassuringly.

"Madam Pomfrey will be back in a moment, Severus. I've explained to her as well as I could what was happening. She has gone to gather things she needed to treat you. You needn't worry. Harry and Mrs. Weasley have both been given sleeping potions and will not awaken until morning. Her children were sent to sleep in Griffindor Tower."

Snape hesitated, but came closer, still wearing his habitual scowl. Though he knew Moody's magical eye could see his arm without doing so, Snape carefully rolled up the sleeve to expose his Dark Mark once again as he stood next to Moody's bed on the opposite side from Dumbledore.

He was surprised to see that, in the short time since he had lowered his sleeve in the corridor, his arm was now crusted with drying liquid tinged with blood that had begun to seep from the large blisters into the fabric, sticking it painfully to his arm. He loosened the fabric from his arm with a quick tug, breaking more blisters as he did so. He flinched slightly and his hands shook with his shivering, in spite of his attempts to hide it.

Moody took a surprisingly gentle but firm grip of his hand and pulled his arm closer to his face, both eyes affixed on the raw flesh.

"Sure you haven't been playing with a dragon, Laddie? Looks fair cooked and I can feel the heat from here. Ye better take a seat before Madam Pomfrey gets back."

"I assure you I have not been anywhere close to a dragon at any time today." Snape said rather stiffly. He removed his hand from Moody's grip. He located another chair nearby and surprised them by sitting without protest.

"What kind of curse d'ye think Voldemort is amusin' himself with to cause that?" Moody asked looking at Dumbledore with his good eye, though the question clearly had been directed to Snape, who was still the target of Moody's magical eye.

Snape raised his arm and flexed his fingers experimentally before saying "It is nothing more than a Transferal Charm, but what is being transferred is the cause of what you see here. I have seen him use it before as a punishment, but never to this extent."

Snape took another slow, deep breath before continuing, staring at his hand. "Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the Dark Lord has been using the charm several times today. I have felt it no less than six times since midday. Each time the effect has increased. What I am experiencing is the reflection of the pain and suffering of someone who has just received the Dark Mark, one for each new Death Eater the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, has just marked as one of his most loyal followers."

As he finished speaking, Snape looked towards the inner door of the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey's office and storeroom were located. He started to stand and seemed about to say something more, he grasped his arm once again, sucking in a great gasp of air through clenched teeth and grimacing in pain and he fell out of the chair. He curled around his arm as he lay on his left side, then slumped loosely onto his back, unconscious.

His arm was bleeding slowly now and wisps of what looked like smoke or steam rose from the blackened wound on his arm.


[End of part 4, don't worry there is more to come soon. Feedback please!]

[Barbara Kennedy]

Part 5 [This is my longest post yet.]

Before anyone could react to Snape's collapse, the door to Madam Pomfrey's office opened and she stood there in her night robe and bed cap, with a tray in her hands loaded with bottles, bandages, instruments and a shallow pan.

"My heavens! What in the world just happened?"

She hurried over to Snape, setting the tray on the floor near his head and, kneeling, felt for his pulse at the point of his jaw, she felt his shivering and noticed that his breathing was rapid and shallow and his skin was pale and clammy. "He seems to be in shock."

Dumbledore knelt beside them, his face showing sadness and concern.

"He was just telling us that he believes he has been experiencing multiple Transferal Charm effects of Voldemort branding the Dark Mark on new followers, several times since midday. Apparently the latest one was more than he could bear. He was too proud to confide in anyone earlier, I'm afraid. You, know how he can be, Poppy. He clutched his arm and fell from the chair just before you opened the door. His arm did not look that bad when I saw it earlier."

"I need some light" she said, taking out her wand and pointing to a lamp sconce on the wall nearby, "Illuminus" The lamp glowed brightly, lighting half the room.

Dumbledore watched as Madam Pomfrey gently examined the arm that was still seeping blood and radiating heat. The blisters had gone, leaving a raw area where his Dark Mark still showed lightly, as if drawn in ashes."Poor man, hasn't he suffered enough? Oh, dear, it looks like someone just held his arm over a bed of embers. Here, help me get him over to this bed." She said as she got up and lifted the tray to a table near an empty bed across the aisle from Moody, who was watching curiously but saying nothing.

Dumbledore rose quickly from the floor and held his hands over Snape, who gently drifted up from the floor, limp as a rag doll, and over to the bed.

"Hold him up, please, while I remove his cloak and shirt. It will be easier to tend him and he will be more comfortable."

She took out her wand, pointed it to his shoulders, and uttered "Vestem Exue" and Snape's dark hooded cloak, waistcoat and shirt fell to the bed, exposing his slim frame to his waist. She quickly dropped the clothes to the floor and indicated he should be lowered now. She held his arm and head and guided him onto the pillows as Dumbledore slowly lowered him.

She pointed to the pan with her wand and said "Aqua Frigida" and it was partly filled with water. She placed the pan on the bed and lowered Snape's arm into it, the water turning a pink color as it was tinged with blood.

She then opened a large green bottle and poured half its clear contents into the water turning it slightly milky. A refreshingly woodsy odor wafted from the pan. "This will remove the heat and prevent any further damage unless he is assaulted with any further magic. Headmaster, is there anything you can do to prevent that?"

Dumbledore nodded, "I will certainly try Poppy. You just do what you must for him and I will prevent any further damage from occurring."

Dumbledore retreated to the foot of the bed and took out his wand. Tracing a circle around the bed with his wand, he performed a powerful protective charm.

"That will prevent any magical effects reaching anyone from outside the circle, Poppy. You may still do magic within the circle however. I didn't want to interfere should you need to use any magic on him yourself. If you need the circle lowered at any time, please notify me, as I am the only one who can remove it."

"Thank you, Headmaster. I don't know whether I'll need to use any magic on him unless I have to bind him to the bed long enough to treat him, he may be coming around soon and he is not the most cooperative person I've ever known. I need to let his arm soak in the healing potion for a few more minutes before I bandage it. I think he will recover nicely from the attack. I was more worried about him being in shock, but he is recovering from that now that the pain is lessening. He isn't breathing as shallow and he has just about stopped shivering. When he does come around, a dose of Pepper-up Potion should take care of any lingering effects."

Well, in that case Poppy, I will leave our esteemed Potions Master and your other patients" he said as looked around the hospital wing, "in your capable hands and toddle off to bed myself, perhaps after a cup of hot chocolate. Goodnight Alastor, I will see you in the morning. You should go back to sleep yourself. There is much I would like to discuss with you
in the morning about the new Death Eaters Voldemort has apparently recruited and your little adventure as well."

Moody gave a gravelly chuckle, "I suppose I had better, Albus, before Madam Pomfrey pours a sleeping potion down my throat as well. She was threatening to do so when you and Snape came in and I do believe she meant it. I don't think she appreciates my company."

"I won't have you possibly waking anyone else and I need some rest as well. I have a lot to do tomorrow. I have more than you to care for. So if you don't settle in and go back to sleep you will take a sleepingpotion, ex-Auror or no." Madam Pomfrey stated in a no-nonsense tone, hands on her hips.

Moody's good eye was glittering with a touch of humor and his scarred face showed a bit more color than it had when he was taken from his imprisonment in his own trunk. His wild grey hair had been trimmed to even it out somewhat. His wooden leg with the clawed foot carved at the end of it still sat on the stand next to his bed.

"I guess this is one battle I'd better not fight, eh, Albus? You go on to bed and I will try to sleep. I'll see you after breakfast then? Goodnight."

He turned over and, after removing his magical eye and placing it back on the stand beside his bed, pulled the covers up to his shoulders.


Albus Dumbledore paused on his way out of the Hospital wing and took a brief look behind the partition at the boy asleep on the bed there. A deep sadness showed on his face as he gazed at the sleeping figure.


He sighed and turned to leave, dabbing at his eye with a linen handkerchief he brought out of a pocket in his robe.


Moody was soon asleep, snoring, across the aisle. Madame Pomfrey had removed Snape's shoes and was lifting the covers from the foot of the bed and covering him when he groaned and started to show signs of waking.

"Shhh, Severus, be still." She said, as she steadied the pan of potion and placed her gentle hand firmly on his shoulder to keep him from moving. "Don't go thrashing about now or you'll be lying in a wet bed."

He took a long shuddering breath and slowly opened his eyes.

"I am aware that you have my arm in a pan, Madam Pomfrey, I will be still. You may release my shoulder." He gazed at the ceiling as he spoke.

When she had moved, he looked around at where he was.

"How long have I been here?"

"Not very long, Severus, not quite an hour, I think. The Headmaster has gone to bed and left you in my care."

She opened another bottle from her tray and poured a generous measure of a potion into a glass.

"Here, drink this, you were in shock and this will help. I still need to bandage your arm and you should stay here for the rest of the night, at least. The Headmaster himself placed a protective charm around this bed so you will not be tortured any longer while you are here."

"I will let you bandage my arm, but then I am going to my own rooms. I have things I must do tomorrow. It will do no good to argue. I am going."

He quickly downed the glass of potion and steam wafted from his ears. "Ridiculous side-effect." he muttered as he lay back on the pillow.

Madam Pomfrey recognized Snape's stubborn expression. It would probably do more harm than good to argue with him, so she agreed.

"Where are my clothes and my shoes?"

"They are on the floor under your bed, at the moment. I haven't had a chance to do anything else with them yet." She was gently lifting his arm from the pan by his left side. She moved the pan off the bed one-handed and spread a towel under his arm.

She began to examine the area where his Mark had been so raw before. The skin was still an angry red, but it was no longer looking like a piece of undercooked meat. There was a thin layer of new skin where it had been open wound just minutes earlier. "It looks very good. I don't think you will be able to tell it was so bad in a few days. Let me dab it dry and spread this ointment on it to keep it from itching. You don't want to damage the new skin by scratching or it will scar."

"I am aware what their functions are, as I do make these potions, you will remember." Snape said irritably and rolled his eyes.

Madame Pomfrey's eyes blazed and she pursed her lips. "Very well Severus, just hold still then and I will finish this as soon as I can so you can leave for your dungeon."

In spite of her harsh tone, her hands were gentle as she took a pad of gauze and dipped it into a jar of a gel-like cucumber-green clear salve and covered the new skin in a thin layer.

Snape closed his eyes and was quiet while she worked. As she closed the jar of ointment, Snape turned his face toward her and opened his eyes, they looked sad. "I am sorry, I shouldn't have spoken like that, but I really must go. I have a potion brewing that needs attention by morning. I appreciate all that you and our Headmaster have done for me. It is probably more than I deserve."

Madam Pomfrey was taken by surprise by his words. She had never heard him apologize to anyone but Albus Dumbledore before. Her expression softened again and she returned her gaze to his arm.

"That is not true Severus. You deserve to be treated with respect and consideration as well as anyone. You've earned the trust of Albus Dumbledore. That says a great deal about you to me. Now hold your arm up like this while I wrap it."

She reached and got the roll of bandages from the tray and began winding it around his arm in snug, but not too tight, spirals from his wrist to just below his elbow.

"There you are. It should not be visible under your sleeve now. I know you wanted anything about this to be secret. At least come back and let me see how it is healing sometime tomorrow. Let me get your clothes. I'm afraid I'll need to repair them. I removed them in a hurry."

She leaned down and got his clothing from the floor and drew her wand.

"Reparo, Reparo, Reparo."

She handed him the pile of clothes "Let me help you on with these."

"No" he said quickly, "I can manage by myself quite well, thank you." He sat up and quickly drew on his shirt, slipping his bandaged arm into the sleeve first.

As he dressed, Madam Pomfrey returned the tray to her office and disposed of the pan of potion, magically cleaning it and placing it away for future use. She also put out the candle still burning by Moody's bedside before returning to Snape, who was just finished with putting on his shoes.

"Do you know if it will be safe for you to leave the protective circle that Professor Dumbledore put up for you?"

"I won't know until I leave it now, will I?"

[End of part 5]
[Please give a little feedback folks. Is this story any good?]

[Barbara Kennedy]

[Part 6] More coming before shutdown. (From when Book 5 was coming out - COS shutdown totally for a few days.)_______________________________________

"Well, then, at least before you leave, I insist you let me take one more look at you to see how well you have recovered from the shock."

She took hold of his right wrist to check his pulse with one hand while she peered at his face.

"Your color is a bit more normal and you don't feel clammy, at least. You were not in very good condition when I first saw you there lying on the floor earlier. Why you insisted on waiting for most of the day to get back here and have something done about it..."

Snape interrupted, quite annoyed, "I had very good reasons why I could not simply drop what I was doing and return to Hogwarts because of a few twinges."

"A few twinges?" Her voice rose slightly as she dropped his wrist. Then remembering she had patients asleep a few beds away, she lowered her tone. She stood square in front of him and shook her finger right at his long nose.

"Severus Snape, You are too stubborn and proud for your own good." He looked somewhat surprised to find himself leaning back from her as she continued.

"If you had been hit with any more charms like that last one, your arm could have been too damaged to save! At the very least it could have been crippled! Even with magic I can repair only so much. Just look at Mr. Moody there."

Snape looked slightly alarmed at her news of how truly bad his wound had been.

"Oh, yes," she continued, "I've seen you flexing your fingers, trying to be sure they work. Are they a bit numb too? Though I did notice you had no problems with dressing. I'll wager that your arm is quite a bit sore even now, but of course you're not going to tell me. I'm only the trained healer!"

Her voice was beginning to rise again and she stopped and took a calming breath while watching Snape stare at his arm as if seeing it for the first time.

Snape held his hand out again and with a mildly anxious tone, he said, "No, they are not numb....not now."

He flexed the long, slender fingers of his left hand and then rubbed each fingertip quickly with the thumb.

"Although," he twisted his lips into a wry grimace, avoiding her direct gaze, "I will admit that they were just beginning to tingle badly and feel stiff before the last attack hit me. I had no idea the damage was that severe, although it did hurt....well, quite a lot." Snape whispered the last part reluctantly.

Madame Pomfrey looked very grim. "Severus, the damage possibly went all the way to the bone as a result of that charm, not just at the surface as a burn from fire would. Your arm was hot, but your hand was cool, and it shouldn't have been. That is why I left your arm soaking in the potion for a bit longer than usual. You came very close to losing the use of your hand tonight because you wouldn't seek help or even admit you needed it."

The horrified look on his face was not a shock to Madam Pomfrey. He was the Potions Master. He depended on the dexterity of his hands as much as his mind in his work.

"That was very likely the intention of the Dark Lord's attack then." He whispered. "Not just to make me suffer, but to cripple me as well."

He clenched his left hand.

"He wants me to know I have no sanctuary where I cannot be touched in any way. It is a clear warning that he intends to kill me."

[End of part 6]

[Barbara Kennedy]

[Part 7] Just a morsel to tide you over....



Snape paused, clearly considering his own words for a time before he again looked into Madam Pomfrey's face. A new look of purpose and determination was growing in his tired black eyes. She noted just how worn and haunted his eyes looked, like dark cold water mirroring a starless night.

"However this does not come as news to me. I have long accepted that he would seek to kill me if he ever returned. I do not seek his forgiveness, even more, I do not want it."

He snapped suddenly out of his reverie and his usual scowl now masked his face. "Are you through with your examination now, Madam?"

He looked challengingly into her face once more. "If you are, I will go now, it is late and as you said you need rest as well." He stood quickly and swayed on his feet slightly before gaining his balance.

Madam Pomfrey simply stood in front of him without a word for half a minute, mutely challenging him to walk through her. She stood at the edge of the protective circle Dumbledore had cast. "Oh, all right! Very well, Severus, but I insist that you return or send for me the moment you feel any more effects like that." She pointed to his bandaged arm. "I don't care what time it is either! Dumbledore would never forgive me if anything drastic happened to his Potions Master."

"Of course, Madam Pomfrey, I promise you will know at the earliest twinge." He gave her a small stiff bow and swept past her. "Thank you
for your kind ministrations, and goodnight."

[End part 7] (Yes, it is short, but I figured I could post something while I'm working out the rest. Hopefully soon.)

[Barbara Kennedy]

[part 8] This section is dedicated to The CoS Authorteers, written just for them, though the rest of you may enjoy it too.


Sorry, this is short too. I think my creative muse is too busy waiting for the book release tonight to let me write as much as I wanted to. I just had to do this bit though.

EDIT: This was the last part written before the release of Book 5. The story may shift now that it is out, or not. There is nothing in my story that was in any way contradicted by the story of Order of the Phoenix.
Barbara


_____________________________________________

Snape was hardly out the door of the hospital wing before he was hit with an impulse he couldn't fight.

He yawned.

It was such an intense yawn, he couldn't see for a moment. It left him almost breathless and, surprised at its intensity, wondering if it was another attack. He stood leaning against the wall for a moment, shaking his head.

He knew it wasn't another attack, though.

He was tired.

No, he was beyond tired.

He was exhausted.

He was almost desperately in need of sleep. Apparently any invigorating effects he had from the Pepper-up Potion were rapidly wearing off.

He took another deep breath and continued slowly toward his own quarters near his classroom in the dungeon and not far from the Slytherin dorms.

He thankfully did not meet Filch or any of the School Prefects he knew to be patrolling the dark hallways of the castle even at this early morning hour. He was especially thankful that he saw no sign of that
blasted nuisance, Peeves the Poltergeist. He had no patience to deal
with them now.

He arrived before his door after carefully navigating the long stairway down into the dungeons, yawning a few more times as he descended.

He brought out his wand and removed the enchantments and wards he always placed on his door to insure no one could gain access to his private domain but himself [and the house-elves who seemed immune to wizard locks despite many efforts on his part].

Even this simple task seemed to drain his energy. He entered and replaced the wards on the door. He was not surprised to find the fireplace lit and a candle burning on his private worktable next to the cauldron gently simmering over a magical flame in the center of the table. Though hardly able to keep his eyes open, he took a moment to stir the potion and check its progress, adding another ingredient from a small jar at the end of the table.

He passed from his study back to his bedroom removing his cloak and throwing it over the back of a chair near his bed instead of hanging it as he normally would. His frockcoat and shirt soon joined them.

As he sat on the chair to remove his shoes, he stared at his bandaged arm again, remembering Madam Pomfrey's news that he had been lucky tonight and not lost the use of his hand. His gaze shifted to an item many might have been surprised to know he possessed, a beautifully crafted harp which stood in a curtained off corner of his most private chambers.

It had been a long time since he had been able to bring himself to play, but he felt the need to at least touch the strings, if only to reassure himself that he still could.

As he caressed the strings, an amazing transfiguration seemed to spread across his features. His face relaxed and the habitual scowl disappeared, to be replaced with a peaceful and sad expression as he played a short piece, his fingers sure and fluid on the strings.

He finished and sat with head bowed for a moment.

Sighing, he then arose from the harp and finished preparing for bed. He was now so sleepy he didn't bother pulling on his grey night shirt, but simply fell into the bed in nothing but his Slytherin-green paisley boxer shorts and pulled the covers over his shoulders. He was asleep in less than a minute.

[End of part 8] Hope you all [you know who you are] liked my little "gift".

EDIT: After seeing Truly, Madly, Deeply, I sort of wish I'd made it a cello.....

[Barbara Kennedy]

This vignette has come to a natural ending place. I'm afraid anything else added would just mess it up.
Here is my new feedback thread.


I want to be sure to thank all my faithful reviewers and say hello to all my new readers (I hope there are more.)
Please continue to leave feedback.
I do plan on writing a few more stories but they may come slowly.


I am currently working on a story on FanFiction.Net that I probably cannot post here as it has to do with male pregnancy (Snape was cursed!). It is NOT a slash story but others might find it in questionable taste for this forum. Please do come and check it out if you are interested.
I also posted this story on that site as well with minor revisions. Go take a look and review please. The above link will take you to my author page.

[Barbara Kennedy]

Yes, I'm recycling my finished story back to the first page of Flourish and Blotts so folks can find it.
I'm shameless.
Here is my new feedback thread.