Aftermath for Severus and Lupin
Early morning; Thursday, November 27th
When Lupin stirred, Snape slid down onto the ground and lay there as if he had fallen from those Stunning spells the previous day.
Lupin sat up with a groan and rubbed his face. He coughed once, as if his throat was uncomfortable speaking. He looked up at the sky for a little while and then looked around him. "Severus?"
Snape didn't move at first, Let him believe that he shakes of the effect of the spells first, he thought.
Lupin crawled over to Snape and reached out to shake him awake, and froze as he saw the blood on his hand. "No! Merlin, no!" he choked out.
Snape slowly sat up and made a gesture as if he had a headache, then looked at Lupin. The werewolf was studying his hands in the slowly increasing light. Snape groaned and mumbled something quite annoyed about ambushes and rogue Wizards, then pretended to see what Lupin was doing.
"What's that, Lupin?" He leaned closer. "Been out hunting rabbits, have you? I'm surprised you didn't take the opportunity to kill me."
"This is not something to joke about, Severus! I might have hurt someone, I could have hurt you!" Lupin was shocked but still managed a glare. "You said we would be back in time!"
"And we would have if some random Wizard hadn't cast Stunning spells on us. All I can say is that we're clearly close to finding the girl. Why else would we have been attacked? My informant said nothing about the area being guarded." Snape got to his feet and looked around them. "How do you feel? Can you Apparate?"
"I feel like I have been broken and badly put back together again. Nothing out of the ordinary... except for the headache."
"You look pretty much the same as before; perhaps a little worse for wear. But the blood does not become you." Snape knew that the potion he had used on Lupin was most likely the cause for the headache.
With a groan, Lupin rose to his feet as well. "Let's get back to Hogwarts. We have to talk to Dumbledore. I have to find out what I've done all night."
"You need to rest, Lupin. I have a feeling the girl is hidden away somewhere close, so I'll return here as soon as possible, to look around some more... Hopefully that Wizard or Witch who attacked us hasn't moved the girl yet. We will speak with the Headmaster when I am back." Lupin nodded slowly, looking at his stained hands again.
When they had returned to Hogwarts, it was still early morning. Snape went with Lupin to his quarters, to see that he was safely inside without being distracted by questions about his appearance and why he was out so early... Then he went back to the Lestrange house, taking a little extra time to look around the house as if searching for the girl. He went through the motions so that if Dumbledore should decide to try to take a little look inside his mind, he could hold on to this sequence.
The Weasley girl was still in her cell where they had locked her, and Snape opened the door quietly. Good, he thought, she's still unconscious. He grabbed the blanket in the corner and wrapped her up in it, and then carried her out of the cell, up the stairs and out of the house. Snape was tired after the long night, but he kept his focus; he was not about to jeopardise the carefully laid out plan. He could rest later.
With a loud crack he Apparated back to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, closer to the gates, Ginny held in his arms. The Auror on watch caught sight of him and helped him get the girl quickly inside, and up to the hospital wing. Dumbledore was sent for, and there was some commotion, as rumours spread that Ginny Weasley had been found and brought back to school; someone had seen the Auror carry her through the corridors.
First classes had just begun, and Snape gave Dumbledore a quick report of what had taken place: He had found out that someone had been talking about a new red-haired pet. He had managed to find information indicating what area this person would be in, but his informant had apparently not been completely truthful... He had taken Lupin with him as he had thought it would be faster to search were they two (a judgement error, as they were prevented from returning before sunset). Snape told about the attack, hinted at them being knocked out, then waking up in the morning... And carefully told Dumbledore that Lupin had had blood on his hands...
"Headmaster, I also found something disturbing at the house where I found the girl." Snape looked grave, his features set in a frown, and Dumbledore raised his gaze from Ginny's face.
"Yes? What was it, Severus?"
Snape wondered briefly if Dumbledore was trying to read him, and used the disturbing situation to his advantage, distracting the older Wizard. "I had found her locked in a cell, naked and with these injuries." Dumbledore's gaze wavered and sought out Ginny's still form again. "And when I carried her out, I saw something among the trees... A body lying on the ground, and a lot of blood."
Dumbledore looked sharply at him, and Snape met his gaze. "A body? Did you see what had happened?" The implication of the blood on Lupin's hands and a bloody body not too far from where he had woken up was disturbing, and Madam Pomfrey had paused in her bustling to take care of Ginny.
"I was more concerned with the girl, but think someone should be sent there to investigate."
"Of course, Severus. Thank you for the information... and for bringing her back. I know her family will be greatly relieved." Dumbledore smiled and patted him on the arm.
Severus nodded curtly. "Well, since that is taken care of, I won't be needed here anymore. I have students waiting for a Potions class."
"Yes, yes," said Dumbledore a little absent-mindedly and nodded as well. "I will send Arthur and Molly a message, so that they can stop worrying."
"Stop worrying? If they believe that the girl will be fine after such an ordeal..."
"They are fully aware of the fact that some healing will be necessary, Severus. They are not fools."
"Perhaps some time spent at home with her family would be beneficial?"
"Thank you, Severus. I will suggest it." Dumbledore twinkled at him over his half-moon spectacles, greatly relieved that his missing student had been found.
When Lupin stirred, Snape slid down onto the ground and lay there as if he had fallen from those Stunning spells the previous day.
Lupin sat up with a groan and rubbed his face. He coughed once, as if his throat was uncomfortable speaking. He looked up at the sky for a little while and then looked around him. "Severus?"
Snape didn't move at first, Let him believe that he shakes of the effect of the spells first, he thought.
Lupin crawled over to Snape and reached out to shake him awake, and froze as he saw the blood on his hand. "No! Merlin, no!" he choked out.
Snape slowly sat up and made a gesture as if he had a headache, then looked at Lupin. The werewolf was studying his hands in the slowly increasing light. Snape groaned and mumbled something quite annoyed about ambushes and rogue Wizards, then pretended to see what Lupin was doing.
"What's that, Lupin?" He leaned closer. "Been out hunting rabbits, have you? I'm surprised you didn't take the opportunity to kill me."
"This is not something to joke about, Severus! I might have hurt someone, I could have hurt you!" Lupin was shocked but still managed a glare. "You said we would be back in time!"
"And we would have if some random Wizard hadn't cast Stunning spells on us. All I can say is that we're clearly close to finding the girl. Why else would we have been attacked? My informant said nothing about the area being guarded." Snape got to his feet and looked around them. "How do you feel? Can you Apparate?"
"I feel like I have been broken and badly put back together again. Nothing out of the ordinary... except for the headache."
"You look pretty much the same as before; perhaps a little worse for wear. But the blood does not become you." Snape knew that the potion he had used on Lupin was most likely the cause for the headache.
With a groan, Lupin rose to his feet as well. "Let's get back to Hogwarts. We have to talk to Dumbledore. I have to find out what I've done all night."
"You need to rest, Lupin. I have a feeling the girl is hidden away somewhere close, so I'll return here as soon as possible, to look around some more... Hopefully that Wizard or Witch who attacked us hasn't moved the girl yet. We will speak with the Headmaster when I am back." Lupin nodded slowly, looking at his stained hands again.
When they had returned to Hogwarts, it was still early morning. Snape went with Lupin to his quarters, to see that he was safely inside without being distracted by questions about his appearance and why he was out so early... Then he went back to the Lestrange house, taking a little extra time to look around the house as if searching for the girl. He went through the motions so that if Dumbledore should decide to try to take a little look inside his mind, he could hold on to this sequence.
The Weasley girl was still in her cell where they had locked her, and Snape opened the door quietly. Good, he thought, she's still unconscious. He grabbed the blanket in the corner and wrapped her up in it, and then carried her out of the cell, up the stairs and out of the house. Snape was tired after the long night, but he kept his focus; he was not about to jeopardise the carefully laid out plan. He could rest later.
With a loud crack he Apparated back to the edge of the Hogwarts grounds, closer to the gates, Ginny held in his arms. The Auror on watch caught sight of him and helped him get the girl quickly inside, and up to the hospital wing. Dumbledore was sent for, and there was some commotion, as rumours spread that Ginny Weasley had been found and brought back to school; someone had seen the Auror carry her through the corridors.
First classes had just begun, and Snape gave Dumbledore a quick report of what had taken place: He had found out that someone had been talking about a new red-haired pet. He had managed to find information indicating what area this person would be in, but his informant had apparently not been completely truthful... He had taken Lupin with him as he had thought it would be faster to search were they two (a judgement error, as they were prevented from returning before sunset). Snape told about the attack, hinted at them being knocked out, then waking up in the morning... And carefully told Dumbledore that Lupin had had blood on his hands...
"Headmaster, I also found something disturbing at the house where I found the girl." Snape looked grave, his features set in a frown, and Dumbledore raised his gaze from Ginny's face.
"Yes? What was it, Severus?"
Snape wondered briefly if Dumbledore was trying to read him, and used the disturbing situation to his advantage, distracting the older Wizard. "I had found her locked in a cell, naked and with these injuries." Dumbledore's gaze wavered and sought out Ginny's still form again. "And when I carried her out, I saw something among the trees... A body lying on the ground, and a lot of blood."
Dumbledore looked sharply at him, and Snape met his gaze. "A body? Did you see what had happened?" The implication of the blood on Lupin's hands and a bloody body not too far from where he had woken up was disturbing, and Madam Pomfrey had paused in her bustling to take care of Ginny.
"I was more concerned with the girl, but think someone should be sent there to investigate."
"Of course, Severus. Thank you for the information... and for bringing her back. I know her family will be greatly relieved." Dumbledore smiled and patted him on the arm.
Severus nodded curtly. "Well, since that is taken care of, I won't be needed here anymore. I have students waiting for a Potions class."
"Yes, yes," said Dumbledore a little absent-mindedly and nodded as well. "I will send Arthur and Molly a message, so that they can stop worrying."
"Stop worrying? If they believe that the girl will be fine after such an ordeal..."
"They are fully aware of the fact that some healing will be necessary, Severus. They are not fools."
"Perhaps some time spent at home with her family would be beneficial?"
"Thank you, Severus. I will suggest it." Dumbledore twinkled at him over his half-moon spectacles, greatly relieved that his missing student had been found.