Redemption I

Chapter 6

"He must not be home." Luna turned slowly under the cloak, pulling her hand back from the door.

"What do we do now?" Ron shifted to try and make room but his adjustment left the lower half of his legs exposed.

"I suppose we go back to hiding..." Harry felt all the hope he'd been building drain away. They were no closer to any of their goals and without Hermione, they were really at a loss. He'd never realized until then just how much she had kept them on track. Her ideas and theories pulling them from one place to another, keeping them safe.

"We need supplies, we'll have to find a place to hide until we can formulate a plan..." Harry glanced down the street as two snatchers turned towards them. "We need to get out of here..."

Just as the words had left his mouth he watched the two snatchers look in their direction. Luna shifted her head looking down at Ron's exposed leg. They were caught.

oOo

Severus groaned loudly pushing his face from the floor. He'd barely made it two steps before he had lost his meager breakfast. His body trembled as it struggled to follow his command and the room was more than on tilt. His head pulsed and the blood drying under his nose didn't help to quell the riot in his stomach.

He needed potions, he needed rest. His mind felt like swisscheese. A soft chime, like a tweeting bird, rose slowly over the pounding of his head and he carefully pulled himself up to his feet. His steps were unsure, shifted as though he were attempting to walk in an angled platform. His eyes blinked rapidly as the office slowly turned around him.

Finally, his shivering hand landed on the handle to his rooms and he gave it a rather harsh turn before making his way in. His body automatically moved in the direction of his potion cabinet, using the wall for support. He stared dumbly for a lingering minute at the empty space before him. He was meticulous by nature and that extended to every part of his life.

His potions were gone. His eyes closed tight as he tried to think of where they could be. The chime came again, simultaneously interrupting and appeasing his searching thoughts. The girl.

Severus snarled at the cabinet before pulling down a mild headache draught. He drank it slowly before turning carefully towards the closet. He took a moment to let the potion work before gingerly pushing himself fully onto his feet.

"Poppet..." His voice felt and sounded rough but it was no worse than his usual.

The house elf from before appeared instantly at his feet, trembling from head to toe. "Yes...master?

Severus looked down his nose at the pathetic creature. His top lip curling at the fresh burns over the tops of their hands. "What's wrong with the girl?" Severus lowered himself down onto the bench at the end of his bed taking a moment to try and calm his rising temper.

"I don't know master... she didn't like Poppet. No sir, she screamed and fell..."

"The...charm...did you set it off?" Severus winced and rubbed his temples. His leg jerked to the side as another residual wave hit him.

"No, sir." The little elf rung her burnt hands before glancing over to the potions cabinet.

"I'm out of-" Severus hissed as he pushed himself back up, "Silence that charm. I'm...going to make sure she's, not dying...Find me more pain relief potion. Pomphrey's stores surely won't miss a few vials."

"Yes, Master."

Snape sighed as the room went quiet. His legs dragged but he forced himself to the closet door. At the very least, he would make sure she wasn't bleeding out. After that, he really couldn't care.