Cast Aside

Catastrophe and Broken Men

Chapter 39

It was like a nightmare. From the moment they apparated to Snape, tortured moaning and the foul smell of vomit and worse filled the chilled night air. Snape had a body levitating in front of himself, which was the source of the smell and the cries.

"Fabian!"

With dawning horror, Hermione realized the now panicked Gideon was right. "Oh, God..." Fabian was shaking and twisting against the agony that must have been wracking his body. "How..."

"What happened?"

Gideon had fallen to his knees beside his brother, hands hovering over him as if afraid to touch him. "Where is his charm? He had his charm? Did it fail?"

Ambrosi looked him over, grim resignation on his face. "We need to get him back to the tent. I will see what can be done."

By the tone of his voice, Hermione didn't think he would be able to do anything at all. Needing an answer before they left, Hermione took a step towards where Severus and George were arguing. "Severus, what happened?"

Practically growling, Severus turned from George and James Potter, whom she could now see slumped but seemingly unharmed against a tree behind them. "I don't know! I was trying to flee hell when I ran into this moronic arsehole," he gestured to James. "It seems as if they didn't get out in time and, from the kindness of his heart he—which one of them is that?"

"Fabian." Her voice hurt coming out through a tightening throat.

Severus sighed. "Damn. Well, Fabian must have given Potter his charm just before the damned thing went off. Now he's in shock‐" he waved angrily at James again, "and he's as good as dead." His voice had faltered slightly as he looked back at Fabian.

It felt like she had been punched in the gut. She wanted to ask more questions but Ambrosi was calling her back. "George?"

He pulled her into himself for a quick embrace. "I'll stay here with them for now, Love. Send me a patronus if you need me."

Nodding, she tried to smile reassuringly but it felt like a grimace, and turned back to the others.

"Are you ready, Mrs Prewett? He can be apparated but we need to do it together. On three?"

Stammering, "Yes... on... on three." Taking hold of Fabien's arm, she waited for his count and they apparated away.

Reappearing in the middle of their tent, Ambrosi levitated Fabian to one of the camp beds. "No one touch him again. Here." He waved his wand over both of their hands, muttering something that sounded like Russian. "Did you touch him with anything but your hands?" When they replied in the negative, he turned back to Fabian.

"Q'letaq'le" It was whispered harshly but with a sorrowful affection that scared her. He'd said it in anger once when he and Fabian had had a disagreement about the outcome of an international Quidditch match. She didn't know what it meant, but his haunted tone told her he didn't have any hope.

He cast the same spell he'd used on their hands over Fabians body before banishing his clothing and casting one of his wards around him. "You can touch him now, but take care of his skin. It will be feeling like burns."

Averting her eyes, Hermione snatched a sheet from one of the beds and gently laid it across Fabian. "Is there anything we can do for him, Ambrosi?"

He shrugged, holding his hand out for a potion he'd summoned. "We make him as comfortable as possible." Snatching the potion out of the air, he handed it to Gideon who knelt beside the camp bed, holding his brother's trembling hand. "Here, give him this."