The Only Protectus

SO's (Shout Outs) to all of you who are still reading The Only Protectus and have become what can only be termed a wonderfully loyal readership. Also welcome to all of you who are new, and who are being added to my notification list (which if you want to join it, email at me at ophelias_diary@hotmail.com).

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One Truth of Many

Siana woke up with a start. Severus was moving around with something akin to triumph on his face and as soon as she started sitting upright he turned to her holding a beaker that was hissing in his palm.

'It's not going to make you're life terminally shorter, I actually think I've stumbled onto a liquid structure which though still far from safe, is actually safer than the original Insidious form.'

'Control yourself Professor Snape, you might burst something.' His face darkened again and Siana's face cracked into a smile.

'There's that brooding man I've come to know and loathe.' She grinned tiredly and then yawned. 'So this is good huh? Good stuff, see this is why you're the best. Because you're just in the know.'

'How are you feeling?'

'Like the world's actually an alright place to live in right now. I know I know, hard to believe.'

'It is hard to believe, but this morning I'm actually going to have to concur. It's a very satisfying feeling to know that you've improved on a flawed design.' He squinted at Siana and then walked up to her holding the beaker. He set it aside and sat down on the bed. 'Are you feeling up to what today might entail?'

'Kind of.' Siana said honestly. 'I'm just very scared of...I mean I know you're not going to want to deal with me if I'm flashbacking, and I don't know if I want to be alone.'

Severus started stroking the coverlet absently, his forehead lined in thought.

'You'll only be across the hall.'

'I'm not asking to stay,' Siana amended, 'Olympus forbid.'

'Indeed.' He echoed and shifted so that he was more comfortable. They sat in silence and Siana inspected the tips of her hair. As per usual, the condition of it was disgusting.

'I owe you for all of this, big time. I mean, you've done so much and you didn't have to. Hell, most of the time we're the ones causing the damage to each other.'

'I hazard that with the jobs and missions we accept, it will be difficult from now on to focus on killing each other. Besides, there are so many other wonderful people to focus on killing.'

'Do you still have to go back?'

'Yes.'

'Me too.'

'Which is moronic, Siana.' Severus said, meeting her eyes and scowling. 'Lucius abandoned you to the wiles of Draco, if you go back he's likely to do that again.'

'Not if I go to another meeting, he can use me for energy Severus, he already has.'

'If I have anything to do with it, you will never be present at another Death Eater meeting. I'm going to be speaking with Dumbledore. You, you are a relatively innocent player in all of this, and your misguided sense of wanting to do something right is not helping. It's not helping anyone.'

'Thank you for the overwhelming vote of confidence.'

'No. Don't think the worst of me.' Severus reached out slightly and then withdrew his hand, looking at it as though it were a creature out of his control. 'I'm not trying to insult, I am merely pointing out that you have procured very little by way of helpful information, and you are hurting yourself and taking up the time of the others around you. It is not your fault that Lucius abandoned you to Draco, if the situation had been different, I'm sure you would be an asset. Dumbledore will not let your talent in shapeshifting go to waste, I'm sure.'

Siana smiled then. Severus' eyes widened.

'I don't think I've ever heard you be so rational. I want to get dressed, do you have any robes for me to change into instead of this god-awful nightgown?'

Severus nodded impassively and rose, leaving the beaker on the side of the bed.

*

Siana was noisy as she pulled the robe onto herself, Severus mused as he looked up from his glass carafe of water and stared at the closed bathroom door, that her wounds and muscles would be screaming discomfort due to the stretching required. He frowned.

'Do you need any help getting dressed?'

'You just want to cop a feel!' Siana called cheerfully from behind the door, Severus paused as he measured out water and herbs into a separate beaker, his mouth pursed.

'I'm quite sure that wasn't my motivation.' He called back and Siana laughed a little. The laughter was strange, how often did he hear genuine laughter within his own quarters? He didn't remember the last...Albus. But then Albus had a generous laugh and he wouldn't be all that surprised to see Dumbledore laughing quietly, chuckling on his death bed.

'You have no idea how good it is to be in robes again!'

Severus didn't have the heart to shut down her mood, the excitement of being able to move again, quite freely, the knowledge that the Insidious was about to be flushed out of her system, how could he destroy that excitement when he knew the process of excising the Insidious in the first place would be so painful?

'Severus Snape, he has a cape, er...watch out if he's mad because. I'm going to stop now. I can't think of a Snape poem. Sorry.' Her voice echoed amongst the tiles and the badly executed poem reverberated back making him wince.

'You only need to apologise for starting it in the first place.'

'I'm excited. It's a dangerous combination. Adrenalin. Excitement. A recovering body. Dangerous. Do you want me to start another one?'

'Dear god no.'

'Oh come on! You know you want to hear another one. I bet I can get Severus to rhyme with walrus. Want me to try?'

'Only if I get to join in and with poetic license allow Siana to rhyme with annoying pinheaded harpy.'

'Great!'

'Will you come out of the bathroom!' Severus commanded and almost immediately heard the click of the door open. He had a sneaking suspicion that Siana had been leaning by the door all along waiting for him to crack. It was a disconcerting thought.

The black robe was too large for her and swept the ground, but it made her seem less sick and convalescing. There were dark bruised circles underneath her eyes but they also sparkled with humour. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth.

'So what do you reckon? Can I model robes for Malkin's?'

'Certainly. If you're aim is to put her out of business you'll do a fine job.'

'Aw.' Siana grinned and then raised her arms to stretch. As she did so she winced.

'Indeed. Come here.' He beckoned with two fingers.

'Why?'

'Come here. Turn around.'

She did so a little reluctantly and then froze when she felt his hands briskly on her shoulders, his lithe fingers pressing along the muscles there.

'What are you doing?'

'I want the Insidious absorbed as fast as possible, and it's not going to work properly if there are still places in your body that are blocked. I'm checking you for muscle knots and places of possible toxicity. Like right,' he grunted and she bit her lip as he dug his fingers in, 'here.'

'Ow.' She squeaked as he vigorously disseminated the knot.

'Wand magic is effective, but not as fast.'

'You're fucking merciless. So much for romantic massage...you great bully.' She gasped when he continued his light run along her shoulder blades and then down to her middle back.

'Press against me.'

'What?'

'Lean hard into me.'

'Okay. Oh fuck.' As she leant back he grabbed one of her shoulders with his hand and with the other he dug his knuckles in. She heard a slight pop and then winced as he drew her back further. The cuts on her stomach stretched.

'Pain.'

'There's supposed to be.'

'No. Pain in my stomach. Cuts.' She gasped and he abruptly slackened the pressure.

'Apologies. Your muscular structure is so well healed that you're not carrying yourself as injured. I forgot. It must have been the bad poetry.'

'Bloody walrus.' Siana grumbled and pulled away from him, reaching behind and rubbing at her back uncomfortably.

'Ahem. Pin headed harpy.'

'So what's that then?' Siana pointed at the beaker of water and herbs alongside the Insidious.

'A refresher.'

'Great. Do I get it on the house? Can I have croutons?'

'Are you always this excitable?'

'Hello. I come from a family of librarians who take pride in being, wait for it, librarians. My heritage is to either be said librarian, or even better, a librarian's wife. We make our own fun.'

He grunted.

'We should get started.'

'Well I need the mug for this to work don't I? Come on, hand it over.'

Severus extended his arm a little and then moved forward. As Siana took the beaker, Severus curled his hand around hers. Their fingers melded and Siana's eyebrows shot up sharply.

'You may need assistance. It is firstly not pleasant to the mouth, nor to the tastebuds, secondly I have no idea how you will react, or how soon. I would prefer not to break the beaker.'

She swallowed, stared at the viscous red liquid. It had little bubbles in it that caught the light. They made it look fizzy. It's appearance was that of a exciting child's drink. Very faint fumes of something acidic, like burning chemicals, wafted up to her nose. One of her fingers jerked a little and the hand around hers tightened.

'Do you really think I'm going to react to it that fast?'

'I would not be surprised.'

'You know, excitement aside, I don't know if I can do this.'

He 'tutted' impatiently but didn't say anything for a moment. His forehead creased in thought and a few seconds later his mouth pursed. Then he was moving backwards again, pulling her with him, her feet finding each other on the harsh slabbed tiles. He sat her down on his bed, then sat beside her.

'I don't blame you. The antidote that I've been working on is also ready, though I've been delaying my own consumption of it, as I'm still not entirely sure if it's poison or not.'

'It won't be.'

'Pardon?'

'It's not his style to outright poison. Besides, he hates you, he'd probably really want to be there when you die. So you can take it, it won't kill you. That'll be okay.'

'You should drink now.'

'I'm so scared, Severus. I don't want to remember, I know the kind of stuff in my past and I don't want to see it. Everything Frederick and Dad did, all the curses, all the bullshit. They didn't even-'

'You're shaking.'

He loosened his hand from around hers and drew the beaker away, set it on the bench nearby. With a sigh he cradled her hand in both of his. There was awkwardness associated with the contact, as well as an underlying need.

'I'm shit scared.' Siana said plaintively. 'To voluntarily take it? A new version of it? One that will, I don't know, reverse things? Can't you just knock me out and feed it to me?'

'If only.' He muttered.

'Shut up.'

'Siana, will you just drink the potion and stop whining like a first year with a bad grade? I'm not going to sit here and let you talk yourself into a panic attack. I'd rather-'

Siana reached past him, grabbed the beaker and squeezed her eyes shut. She tipped the entire contents into her mouth and swallowed with two very audible gulps.

'Here's to your health.' She said hoarsely as the burning sensation, so familiar and abrasive, started in her mouth and began working its way down to her throat. She stood suddenly, hands out, one dropping the beaker, which Severus deftly caught as he stood alongside her.

'Siana?'

'Burns.'

'I know. Just give it a moment and it will dissipate. The green rooster feather with the reactive ingredient of red-'

'Ah!' Siana shrieked as the red and white haze started to reach at her mind. 'It's not working. It's not going to work. Severus, don't let him...'

'Don't let who?'

'Oh god. Oh god. Don't let Frederick get me!'

*

~ Siana blinked rapidly, confused, dazed, uncertain why the Insidious was suddenly not working. Frederick was watching her, occasionally making an almost unnoticeable signal with his hand and she obeyed him, not wanting him to know. Maybe later, after this is all over I can just go. Go home. Run away. Behind them, the circle of them, was a small collection of scared men and women. They looked tired and sleepy. Siana realised with some apprehension that it was the village people that lived near the Basilican Archives. Something was happening, how much has happened since the last time you came out of it?

Closer. The dark man, with his long black hair, was standing protectively near a woman who looked a little older, a little wiser. She had a harsh look on her face now, and was glaring hatred at her mother.

'You can't force us off this land, the Snapes have as much of a right to the Basilican land as you do!'

'Then we have a right to your land!' Her Mother screamed back and Frederick came forward, the charming smile on his face. Siana hated that charming smile, he used it when he was poisoning her, when he was hurting her, when he was touching her. He rarely bothered to look angry, he knew how much affecting charm was more disturbing and he used it to his advantage.

The confusion bubbling in her turned to anger. She could feel the Insidious like a silver and red haze on the edge of her thoughts, trying to reel her back in but she stayed in the little place her mind had found for her, which hadn't been completely affected yet. Siana looked down at what she was wearing and realised that for the past few weeks, the past few months she had no idea what had been going on. She didn't remember dressing herself. She didn't remember the last time she got to run away into the forest. She shifted her wand sleeve a little and felt a bolt of fear when her wand wasn't there. Who has my wand?

Fear now was making her cold and the anger, the anger was freezing her up on the inside, she started to tremble. Frederick standing there saying something insulting and she just looked at him. Glared. She had to get away. She had to get out of the Basilican line. It was a matter of life and death. If she didn't get out...what would become of her? She had to get out.

She searched back desperately. Where did her life go? Was she even human anymore? She hardly remembered. Overhead the sky rumbled ominously, though that was possibly less of an omen and probably more to do with the fact that Frederick loved to show off his weather magic.

Her whole body started to tingle, thrummed in time to the overhead thunder. She looked around cautiously, she knew that if Frederick saw the awareness, he would place her under the influence of the Insidious potion as soon as possible.

The villagers stood and huddled, frightened, knowing that any argument created by the Basilicans could lead to the possible destruction of their village. During the times the Basilicans fought, it wasn't uncommon for innocent casualties to be caught in the crossfire.

The fights had been going on for long enough. The Snapes trying to repossess Basilican land, the Basilicas plundering the livestock and properties of the Snapes. Interference by the Ministry of Magic had been useless, both families were feared and held reputations of being traditionally entrenched in rules that were older than the formation of the Ministry itself. They were antiquated.

And Siana hated it all.

Something sharp to shock them. To make them realise that they had to stop it. And she was watching Frederick like a hawk, the cheerful good nature in his eyes, the cruelty simmering underneath, no one else saw it. Her hands clenched. How could no one else see it? Every time the man blinked thunder rumbled.

'You don't understand. The Basilican forest is important to us. You have good soil here, and it belongs to the Snapes. The Records of Serpent Land decree it. You cannot hide behind your false Basilican beliefs for long. You're a dying breed Audrey Basilica, and you know it.'

Audrey placed her hand protectively over her stomach and placed her other in her pocket, possessively over her wand.

'You will never take this land. We've had this since the Basilican family separated themselves and took up the Archives! Dammit we keep the Archives. They belong to no one else!'

'We have as much of a right to them as you!' Lydia shouted angrily. The long haired man beside them shifted slightly, muttered something under his breath. Twitched as though about to place a hand on his sister, then checked himself.

'You disowned them in the first place, they belong to us.'

'You'd do anything to keep yourself respectable wouldn't you? Everyone knows the Basilicans are dreadfully under-talented. One area of expertise and that's it. We know. If you don't have the Archives, you have nothing.'

'Why now? Why do you want them now? Are you hoping to reinstate the some of the Darker Laws? It will never happen. Do you hear me? My husband will eradicate you out of the century if he has to.'

'He practices just as much as we do!' The man shouted, stepping forward. Audrey whipped out her wand and pointed it at him, her eyes narrowed.

Siana clenched her fists.

But he does mother, he practices just as much as anyone. He loves his Dark Arts. You know it, deep down you do. So why are you defending him? Why do we keep defending ourselves? Do you know about Frederick? Oh I'll bet you do. What? What's that? What are you doing?

He too had brought out his wand and was holding it steady, a shadowed look on his face.

Frederick stepped forward.

'Ohhhh, Severus, heir to the Snape fortune. What is it? A few potatoes and a cow? So willing to sacrifice anything for that sister of yours.' Frederick folded his arms and Siana seemed to be the only one who noticed the quietening of the weather. The eye of the storm. Severus opened his mouth to retort and Frederick cut him off.

'I don't know why. Severus, she's a sickened bitch. You know what they do to the runts in the litter don't you? They put them down. Put them down the way they deserve it. And you know what? Lydia is just proof that the Snape is a defective line, you all deserve to be put down. Coming here to us. You're snakes in the bush all of you, deserving a bolt to the head. We're the Basilisks...we never were under-talented. Misunderstood? Sure.'

Frederick laughed.

'But we've done so much good. The Ministry is indebted to us, and suspicious of you. And I can't wait for the day when I see you in Azkaban, Severus.'

'On what charges!?' Lydia shrieked. 'You don't even know us! We have done nothing wrong. Nothing at all. And you insult us like we're less than dogs? I think it is your family that is scared of Azkaban and with good reason. You hide behind blaming others and continue to spawn violet eyed atrocities. You know what the old laws say, you were never supposed to become this prominent, this popular. You're defective, under talented, visually abhorrent.'

'We are children of the basilisk.'

'My ass you are.' Lydia shouted angrily and this time broke off coughing, clutching slightly at her throat. The man beside her placed his hand on her back and kept his wand pointed. When she stood her wand shook, but there was resolution in her eyes.

Siana felt something snapping inside her, over and over again, and she clawed a little at her side. Felt the long stick of wood. Why is my wand there of all places? She curled her hand around it.

Snap snap snap.

'You have ten seconds to get off our land!' Audrey shouted and Lydia sneered.

'Make us!'

'My pleasure.' Audrey said and both raised their wands at the same time, opened their mouths to curse. Siana blinked once and then screamed at the woman in front of her, the black hair, the black eyes, that supposedly wise look.

And you don't see it either do you? You don't see the darkness here. Well I'll show you. I'll show you. I'll...

'Siana!' Frederick shouted, eyes widening, noticing that she couldn't have been on the Insidious for voluntary magick.

'Profund Cruciatus!'

A coil of violet, a sleeping serpent as thick as her thigh, longer than her body, the end unwinding. It sprang forth at Lydia with a rattling hiss, fangs bared, sparkling and crackling. It left a rush of wind where a flew through the sky, a vacuum in its wake, and then with a roar of noise so deep it shook Siana to her bones, the serpent penetrated Lydia through the chest and disappeared with a curl of violet and white smoke.

Lydia stood there for a moment, eyes wide open in shock and in fear, and then she began to crumple, her mouth worked open and a small river of blood poured out over her chin and started to drip wetly onto the already wet ground. She hit the floor at a slump and keeled as the man beside her skidded down, wet mud splashing all over his robes.

'No. No. No Lydia. Lydia...' He was saying hoarsely, his hands seeking out of pulse, anything at all. Siana just stood watching, surprised that she even knew the curse existed in the first place, hatred turning her into someone who enjoyed the kill, and the aftermath even more. Frederick was watching her with some surprise, and something else, an inner recognition.

'She deserved it. Snape whore. If you don't get off our fucking land I'm going to have a lot of fun doing exactly the same thing to you.' Siana ground out, pointing her wand forward again, it crackled expectantly, sparked and fizzed. Her gut felt as hard as granite and a smile curled her lips.

'Come on baby.'

'How dare you!' He was moving impossibly fast, frighteningly fast, a wand in his hand. He pointed it first at Audrey and the words fell from his lips before even as he stumbled in the downpour.

'Avada Ke-'

'No!' Frederick cried, causing the young man to stumble on his words. He moved to take out his own wand and froze as the interrupted spell, still initiated with enough intent to work, shot forward in a sputtering web of light. Audrey collapsed shrieking, but not dead. She screamed and clutched at her stomach, at the place between her legs, when her hands came away they were dark with blood.

Severus turned to Siana, who was boiling now. Burning.

'You killed her.'

And you all deserve less?'

'You killed her...the only one who didn't deserve it. How could you? How could you be so blind?' Raising his wand, opening his mouth.

'Avad-'

'Oh no you don't!' And Kirk, enraged, hiding in the shadows emerged. Siana watched in awe, she had no idea her father was even present during the proceedings. The man tackled Severus to the ground, and shouted loudly as he rammed the man's head in the mud several times. Severus, limp, did not respond when Kirk rolled him over and took his wand. There was a hideous crack as the wand was snapped in half. Kirk dropped it onto Severus and then bolted to the side of Audrey, who was unconscious now, bleeding heavily.

Many of the villagers left then, some screamed, cried. One was talking to a blue sphere of light, possibly a newspaper of the Ministry. It wouldn't be long now before they came, and took the parties away.

I've killed someone.

Siana turned to face the limp form of Lydia and suddenly blanched white. Her wand dropped out of her hands. In the corner of her eyes, on her left, she saw Frederick rapidly making his way towards her. Terror surged.

I'm a murderer. They're going to take me to Azkaban.

And then something else, sickeningly joyful.

And I won't have to be here. With him.

Frederick alongside her now, picking up her wand out of the mud and steering her away. The rain poured down harder and cloaked them as he took her back to the castle. When he finally reached a sheltered cove, shadowed and cobwebbed, he took out his wand and stared at it while a small smile rested on his face. Siana watched him as hot tear tracks started moving fast down her burning cheeks.

'I killed her.'

Frederick grinned.

'Yes you did.'

'I killed her, Uncle Freddie. I killed someone.'

'Well I'm honestly not surprised, it would have happened eventually. It's what you, my dear, were built for in the first place. Now, as to breaking out of the Insidious, what happened there hey? Hm? Did we not give you enough? You developing a tolerance?'

Siana swallowed a sob. 'They're going to take me to Azkaban. You need to take me to the Ministry so they can take me to Azkaban.'

'No. I rather think you need to stay here.'

'No. No. Let them take me.' Siana begged. 'Let them, I deserve to go to Azkaban. Please let them take me to Azkaban. Please. Uncle Freddie please.' Siana started crying there in the cove of the castle, where the bodies both standing and lying were still in view. She grasped at her Uncle and sobs tore their way out of her throat. 'I killed someone. I killed her. Let me go. Please let me go there. Please Frederick.'

'I have something which will make the bad hurt all better.' He crooned softly, withdrawing a small vial with red shining liquid inside it. Siana slammed back into the wall, propelling herself away from him. She stumbled sideways and shrieked as he grabbed the sleeve of her robe and pulled her back. The rain came down even harder on those people that looked like pale white and black ghosts in the distance. 'No! No! Please!' She screamed and the rain muffled her cries. Frederick was manhandling her into the corner and looking at her with a grin.

'You did so well. Out there. You have hidden depths which I didn't even know about. Do you even know how you killed her?'

'Please let me go.' Siana sobbed and Frederick shrugged to himself.

'Of course you don't. You little secret weapon. You had no idea. You loved it. You loved the kill, and all this time I just thought you had a natural aptitude for being receptive to the Insidious when you're probably better at it than I am. Well. We can't have that.'

He squeezed her throat as the burning liquid poured down, making it hard for her to scream. She gurgled but eventually the haze at the corner of her mind started making violent grabs at her. She collapsed as it happened and Frederick, possibly punishing her for liking the murder, let her fall. ~

'Oh my god. Oh Artemis. Oh my god. Oh my god.' Siana whimpered, stumbling backwards, expecting to feel Basilica wall behind her. Her chest was burning, her face was wet, she was crying.

'What is it?'

Snape. Severus. The man. The man and his sister. And she killed her, she was going to kill both of them. Her hands flew out and connected with his arm which he intended for comfort.

'Get away from me!' Self loathing burnt her, ate away at her and she trembled uncontrollably. Kept backing away. 'I killed her. I did it. Don't you understand?! ' She cried out, her eyes widening and taking in the scene around her with immediate clarity. 'Don't you understand? I killed your sister!'

Severus' face twisted in pain but he shook his head curtly. 'I know it must seem like you did, and I can't believe I'm honestly saying this, but Frederick used you with that potion. You were under the influence. It wasn't your fault. It was your hand, but it was his doing.' He said firmly and Siana laughed hysterically, her voice cracked and fell all around her. Severus was looking at her with something akin to fear.

Terror surged, hatred again.

'No! No. No you don't understand. It wasn't him. It wasn't him. It was one of the only times I ever got free of the potion Severus and I liked it. I liked it when she died, I liked it so much I wanted to keep on going! It was me! I did it. I did it, oh my god.' Her knees started to buckle and she locked them upright again. Severus was watching her, searching her, his eyes slowly widening. Sobs spilled from the back of her throat and she bent over, trying to contain the pain, holding it in with her hands.

'Oh my god. I just wanted to get away, I just wanted to. I had to get away from there. They were supposed to put me in Azkaban so I could get away!' She shouted, straightening, rage and fear flushing through her. Betrayal. 'I loved it. I loved it so much. Oh god.' Her voice broke, tears spilled and she choked on a sob as it tried to come out. 'Oh god.' She backed up and Severus started towards her, his eyes wide, his face lined, horror there.

'You weren't under the influence of the Insidious potion when you...?'

'I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.' Her eyes had found his, were swimming wet with tears, were disturbingly alien with their violet hue. 'If I knew. If I had known. I didn't.' She calmed only slightly. 'I'll go. I'll go, it's the right thing for me to do right? I'll just go. I'm sorry. You can...if you want. You can do it to me too. I don't care. I just don't care.' She turned to move away and felt his hand on her shoulder.

'Don't touch me!' She screamed and turned around, pushed him hard. 'Don't you get it? Doesn't your preciously brilliant mind understand? I'm a murderer. I actually...' and she trailed off, and then was walking quickly to the door, leaving Severus standing there in shock. As soon as the door was opened she changed into a Protectus and sprinted away.

A few seconds later the beaker dropped from Severus' hand and shattered all over the floor.