The Sleepers Awake

Chapter 6: Strange Bedfellows


"How about 'Erszhebet I am a Wizard'," Erszhebet proposed quietly. "That is what you are; is it not?"

Severus dropped her hands as if he had been stung and leapt from the bed in shock. The look on his face was commingled coldness and fury; an expression that anyone from the Wizarding world who knew him would have been well acquainted with.

"What the hell is going on here?!" he roared. "What are you playing at?" Severus demanded, flicking his wand at Erszhebet. "Just who the hell are you?! I want some answers, NOW!" he screamed.

Severus was not prepared to see the eruption of green light from his wand; it was not intended, not at all. It was typical of him when he was a teenager; strike first and think later, but this strike was an accident.

Erszhebet felt an explosion in her head and then something warm and wet running down her face. She mechanically moved her hand to touch above her nose. It was blood, escaping from her wound. She touched her lips only feel blood from her bleeding nose. Her lips trembled, but no sound escaped from them; her body was now racked with convulsions as she twitched across the bed.

Severus stared in horror as his lovers' eyes rolled up towards the back of her head. "I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he said gathering her in his arms. "Arrête Convulso," he said frantically, tapping her head with his wand.

"O Goddess, I am sorry - I didn't mean it. Severina I didn't mean it," Severus whispered hoarsely, cradling her in his arms. Erszhebet was not moving now; her eyes were closed and her breathing was erratic.

"Gods, what have I done; what have I done," he moaned, crying into her hair. "No, no, not you too," Severus cried as he rocked her back and forth. "Don't leave me, don't leave me!"

For one of only a few times in his adult life Severus Snape felt completely helpless and at a loss as to what to do.

FLASH!

Severus looked up in surprise, his wand pointing in the direction of the sudden noise. His reflexes were still sharp after all these years.

Out stepped Minerva McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey from Erszhebets fireplace.

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Severus pulled one of the blankets around himself and Erszhebet; they were both still naked.

"What the hell is going on here?" asked Severus with more than a bit of venom in his voice.

Severus was trying to regain his composure somewhat; but he was angry, very angry and confused. His face was red and streaked from crying and he was not happy that he had been seen in such a - compromising position. "What are you doing here?!" he rasped.

"Get cleaned up and dressed Severus," said Professor McGonagall quietly, completely unlike her usual forthright manner. "We need to have a wee chat you and I." She knew the best thing was to tread softly. Knowing Severus as she did, Minerva McGonagall was astute enough to realize that he was bound to feel rather humiliated at his predicament.

It greatly disturbed Professor McGonagall to see him like this. Severus Snape was like a son to her though he did not always accept it. It was a relationship that had not come easy to either of them and took many years to cultivate. "This is all Albus' fault; thinking Severus just needed to get on with it and stand on his own two feet," she thought.

Albus Dumbledore may be the greatest wizard of the age; but he still had a lot to learn about the people he cared about. He clearly had not learned from the Harry Potter situation. "One day all this playing Goddess will be nothing short of disastrous for us all," she thought. Minerva loved the man, but Albus Dumbledore could really frustrate her to no end sometimes.

Severus was holding tightly to Erszhebet, he would not let go.

Madame Pomfrey approached him gently. "She will be alright Severus; I won't let her die, you have my word on that," she said.

Poppy was always as good as her word; if there was no hope she would have said so. But where there was Poppy there was always hope. Severus knew that about her if he knew nothing else.

Professor McGonagall lay a soft hand on Severus' shoulder, "Let her go, my son; you will help her if you let Poppy heal her," she said quietly.

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Severus reluctantly let go of his lover and Poppy took over treating her for her injuries. He heard her muttering under her breath about barbaric Muggle healing methods. Stitches and invasive techniques were not necessary in the Wizarding world.

Professor McGonagall had made her way over to his trunks and pulled out a clean change of Muggle clothes including a pair of black pants and a white shirt. "Is there anything that we need to know about what has happened to her, Severus?"

Severus came to his senses, "Minerva, I don't understand it - I can't - someone or something tried to kill her when she was dreaming," he replied as he gave Minerva a penetrating yet worried look. "This is all my fault," he said, shaking his head.

Madame Pomfrey looked up with a sharp intake of breath - her mouth open in a wide 'O'.

Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows; and considered her words carefully. After a moment she spoke. "Severus, there have been some disturbing reports that have reached the Order in the last few days, but please, get yourself sorted and then we can talk - all of us, including your girlfriend."

Severus scowled as only he could, feeling rather humiliated and wondering what they thought of him having a girlfriend.

"What else, Severus?" asked Professor McGonagall firmly.

"I got angry," he said; Severus turned from Minerva's penetrating look as the shame washed over him. Minerva, Poppy and Albus Dumbledore were not people he could lie to or simply withhold the facts from as tended to be the case with him.

Professor McGonagall remained silent.

"I pointed my wand; I didn't mean to - there was this green light - and she; there were convulsions and she was bleeding from her wound and her nose," he sighed heavily. Severus was in deep emotional pain at what he had done; at the fact that he had very nearly killed the only person in the world loved him.

"I just wanted to know; how she knew - she knew I was a Wizard and I hadn't been able to tell that yet; and it just happened," he croaked. Severus was visibly upset, trying to hold back more sobs.

"Gods sake, Severus," said Professor McGonagall shaking her head ruefully. "You know it is so very typical of us - these sorts of accidents. That is what it was, Severus, an accident." She was gentle but firm in her assessment of the situation.

"She will hate me; I have lost her!" rasped Severus in anguish. It was a testament to how well he regarded the two older women that he was able to say such a thing aloud to them. Severus was raw with emotion.

If he knew nothing else in this moment Severus Snape knew that without a doubt that he did already have strong feelings for Erszhebet and did not want to loose her. Even though each had a great deal to learn about the other, Erszhebet had been right. There was something very real and palpable between them.

"No," said Professor McGonagall as she gave him a motherly pat on the arm, "Somehow I doubt that very much, Severus. Now go on; get yourself sorted. Leave her to us. Everything will be alright between you."

"Trust us, Severus," said Poppy. "We won't leave unless it is."

Professor McGonagall looked at the now recovering figure on the bed. "Extraordinary," she thought. The young woman was very beautiful; but it was not her beauty that Minerva marveled at. The young woman very much reminded her of someone. Someone she had not seen in about 38 years, but whom she thought about from time to time in spite of herself.

"No, it's not possible," Minerva thought burying a memory -- a particularly painful memory.

"Severus," said Madame Pomfrey as she cared for the young woman who had dared capture Severus Snapes' heart.

"Yes?" he asked tiredly as he stood just inside the bathroom.

"What is the young lady's name?" asked the Mediwitch.

"Erszhebet; Erszhebet Bathory," Severus replied softly, still wrapped in Erszhebets blanket.

"Erszhebet Severina Bathory," he said with a faintly rueful smile as he reluctantly closed the bathroom door.

Had Severus been looking at Professor McGonagall he would have noticed the effect of Erszhebets name on her.

Minerva McGonagall had gone as white as a sheet.