The Grants Artefacts

13 Discombobulate

Discombobulate

Arun ran her hand over the threadbare sheets on Severus's childhood bed. She opened her eyes and looked up at a patch of peeling wallpaper thick with grey spiders webs. It was still dark, which meant she had only managed a few hours at most. Next to her Sev was asleep, but his brow was knitted. He held onto her like his life depended on it and when she moved his eyes flicked open and he gasped, still deep in a dream.

"It's ok, I just need some water."

Snape nodded and his head floated back onto the pillow. She sat at the end of his bed for a while, looking at the childish drawings that littered the walls of his room. She saw one that said, 'you're my best friend Sev, I can't wait to be at Hogwarts with you- Lily.' and under it two stick figure people, one with red hair and one with black stood hand in hand smiling. Another, drawn by an older hand, showed a dark figure posing with a cauldron, with a selection of crudely drawn people bowing at his feet, one of them with flame red hair, and the words above said 'The Half-Blood Prince.' There was a selection of newspaper cuttings stuck up too, including one from the day the Potters were assassinated with a picture of Lily. Arun ran a hand over her hair and wondered what she would look like with auburn hair, not as good she suspected. She looked back at Severus, his hair was covering his face and he breathed deeply as he slept. Who was it that told her 'death was just the start of another great adventure?' Maybe it was Grindalwold. One of that old guard who had searched for the hallows, one of the wizards who studied the resurrection stone. She had to wonder if Severus looked forward to his own death, just so he could see her again.

Without making a sound she crossed to the door and tiptoed back downstairs. In the living room she heard the patter of rodent feet, and in the kitchen, she saw shadows disappear behind counters as she entered the room. A clock told her it was coming up for six in the morning, Severus would want to cancel the Malfoys. He'd want to stay with his mum and if that were the case she would need to get them some f-

"Arun!"

She jumped, the glass fell from her hand and shattered on the floor.

"Arun!" Severus sounded panicked. She ran upstairs as fast as she could and skidded to his side by the bathroom.

"Oh no," Arun breathed.

Snape was frozen to the spot.

Arun pushed past him and ran to Eileen's side, she pulled her into the recovery position and checked her airways. She was mottled purple down one side of her body where her blood had settled. Her eyes were open, unblinking and she was cold to the touch. Next to the toilet was a bottle, Arun snatched it up and studied it, she recognised it instantly.

"I'm so sorry Sev, she's gone."

A change came over Severus' face, all emotion drained away. He nodded, turned and went back to bed. Arun hung her head, ran her hand across Eileen's cold, dead fingers and whispered how sorry she was, then told Eileen that she had been selfish.

She wrapped the body in a sheet from the bed and decided to transfigure it. She turned Eileen into a dark crystal ball, which mirrored the night sky and showed the multitude of stars and the milky way. As she worked she didn't notice Severus get up to watch her, she didn't see him go downstairs, or light the fire, or sit with his hands over the flames until they burned, because he felt nothing and he wanted dearly to feel something, anything, more than empty and hollow.

Arun brought the crystal ball down and without words, she handed it to Severus. He stood looking into the depths of the stars for a long time, then he turned and placed it on the bookshelf, next to her gobblestones set.