The Long and Winding Road

[LinZE]

“What would you give for a camera right about now?” Remus whispered as he glanced into the rear-view mirror. It was pitch black outside, but even still when Harry turned in his seat he could see enough of the scene to understand what the other man meant. A picture of the Slytherin and Gryffindor Heads of House asleep curled up like they were at present would be worth its weight in gold – either in comic value or for blackmail purposes. Turning back round he saw a slightly concerned look on the driver’s face as Minerva shifted a little in her sleep.
“You’re worried about her?” he asked broaching the subject that had been on his mind for a couple of hours now. He wasn’t quite sure what the exact cause of Remus’ unease was but Harry had a feeling that his former professor wasn’t the only one to be concerned.
“It’s…” he began, indicating and checking his mirrors before changing lanes. “Things are usually more complex than they appear Harry.” He wasn’t at all sure what the other man was getting at. “Take those two for example,” he continued, nodding his head in the direction of the back seat again. “Despite the impression they give and what they would like everyone to believe they probably have one of the most trusting friendships I’ve ever come across.” Harry’s confusion obviously showed on his face as he went on to try and clarify what he was saying. “Let’s just say that there’s always a tabby cat in the dungeons when he returns from his meetings and from what I’ve seen on occasion there’s no way in hell that he’s in a fit state to look after himself on nights like that.”
“Oh,” was all he could say.
“Yeah, well you should have seen him when he contacted Grimauld Place to let us know what had happened with Umbridge – Molly was convinced he was going to do something stupid. Anyway, let’s just say that Minerva’s been a positive influence in my life for a long time, it’s only natural that I should care about her.” He didn’t sound defensive when he said this but it did give Harry some insight. “You’re right though - I do worry. I suppose it’s only natural that we should all be concerned about each other in times like these but… well Minerva’s an odd one. I think I once heard Severus describe her as having the world’s most overdeveloped guilt complex. I went to go see her that night… after everything that had happened in the Ministry. I suppose I needed to be doing something and I knew everyone else was busy with the practicalities and I knew…well I know her well enough to have been able to predict the state she would get herself in when she heard about it all. I got up there to find her in the process of trying to get them to let her out – I mean she’d had three stunners direct to the chest and a fourth exceptionally strong one that had caught her hip shattering one side of her pelvis completely when she hit the ground only 24 hours previously. And yet all she could think of was the fact that her cubs had been hurt, that she’d let you all down. Let us all down.” Harry supposed he could understand that, he had seen glimpses of that side of her through the virtually impenetrable armour she wore.
“It wasn’t her fault – it was Umbridge’s,” he said quietly. Remus smiled whimsically at this.
“You and I and even Severus (despite what he says about it being down to her impulsive and temperamental Gryffindorness) might admit that, but convincing the most stubborn woman any of us are likely to meet of that would be a task I don’t think any of us are up to. In any case Albus is better than most at handling her; if Poppy had been given her own say she wouldn’t be with us now. She’d probably still be under her strict supervision but the Headmaster knows that sometimes it’s better to give in just a little to prevent an outright rebellion.”
“I suppose,” Harry mused out loud.
“Lets just put it this way Harry – she’d threatened to all but abduct you if he hadn’t agreed to you spending the summer somewhere other than Privet Drive.” He didn’t say anything in response to this. He didn’t know what to say. Once again his mind was swirling with revelations or at least the same things that had troubled him for sometime, bathed in an entirely new light.

Yet again Harry woke up to raised voices. This time however, they were in much closer proximity.
“Lupin!” Snape’s voice cut through the quiet atmosphere in the car. The other man was still sleep tinged and the exclamation seemed to be an odd mix of surprise and anger. Harry turned around to see what was happening in the back. To be honest he had half expected some kind of furore when Lupin had handed the wheel over to Minerva again. He suspected that they had thought he was as fast asleep as Snape had been when Remus had pulled into a lay-by for a breather. Minerva on the other hand had been wideawake and from what he could tell, with close to closed eyes, was much more comfortable.
“Pull. Over. Now.” Severus ground out. It seemed the shock of waking up next to Remus rather than Minerva had worn off enough for him to take control again. “Minerva – you have to pull over now.”
“Really Severus…” she began, glancing back at him in the rear-view mirror. “I feel fine – if anything the driving is making sure I keep moving enough to stop me seizing up,” she said quite plainly.
“Did it never strike any of your thick Gryffindor skulls that the reason you feel fine could have something to do with the fact that you still have a number of illegal compounds flowing through your system?” He was leaning forward on his seat, almost perching on the edge of the cushion and though he had thrown in a familiar insult it was the genuine concern in his voice that struck Harry. No-one said anything in response to this but he saw that Minerva’s face had fallen at the thought of this to the point where he thought he might have seen her biting her the far side of her lip. They sat in silence for the next few minutes before Minerva calmly indicated and pulled off the motorway and into yet another service station car park. She had cut the engine and was out of the car within seconds of them having stopped and yet they remained in silence again for a moment before anyone spoke.
“I’m sorry – it was my fault,” Remus said quietly. “I just wanted to make her feel like she was being useful. You know how she is… but that’s not an excuse. I just wasn’t thinking.”
“If it makes you feel better Lupin,” Snape answered without looking up from where he held his head in his hands. “I suspect that she was perfectly capable of driving it just happens that if the police had pulled us over for one reason or another she would have undoubtedly been arrested for drug-driving.”
“Oh,” Harry said without thinking. That really wouldn’t have been a good thing.
“And it is not entirely your fault – perhaps I should have mentioned what it was that I gave her at some point,” he continued.
Looking out of his window Harry could see his Head of House standing maybe twenty metres away with her back towards them. He could see the tension in her shoulders clearly and it looked as though she had her arms wrapped around herself but apart from that he couldn’t make out an awful lot.
“Well –it’s breakfast time,” Snape said finally sitting upright again.
“I’ll go grab Minerva then,” Lupin said going to get out of the car.
“Just give her a minute would you?” Harry said quietly. He hadn’t meant to sound so confrontational but there was something about the lone figure of her standing there on her own that struck him as being especially poignant. He supposed that it was what people liked to call natural instinct that urged him to go to her and for once he trusted it. Neither of the other two said anything as he undid his belt and opened the door calculatedly so he took this as tantamount to approval. It didn’t take him long to cover the ground between them but he left a few yards between them when he spoke.
“Hey,” he said quietly, not knowing exactly what he ought to be saying now that he was here. She started a little and turned around to glance at him and as she did he couldn’t help but notice the sheen of barely restrained tears in her eyes. He had known from the instant her face had fallen that this was about so much more than driving. That it was about being able to contribute something to the cause without letting someone down, letting everyone down. He supposed he knew at least where she was coming from.
“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling herself up and offering a somewhat weak smile. “We should probably do something about feeding you shouldn’t we?” Before Harry had really thought it through he had acted and opening his arms he had stepped forward and was giving her a somewhat awkward hug. He was even more surprised when her felt her arms wrap around his back and somewhere deep in his subconscious he noted that she really wasn’t very much taller than him; little enough that Ron would certainly tower over her. He supposed that that was just another stunning example of things not being how they seem. It was certainly a maternal feeling that washed over him as they stood like that and though perhaps not quite so open with it as Mrs Weasley, he could tell she cared and that was what made all the difference. His mind was so preoccupied with other things that he didn’t hear the other two approach and jumped in his own skin when Remus spoke.
“I don’t know about you Severus but I’m feeling kind of left out – care to share a hug of our own?”
“Just because I admitted that I may not hate you quite as much as most people seem to believe Lupin does not mean that I have any inclination to become your snuggle bunny.” Harry could see the sneer on the other man’s face as clear as the light of day in his mind’s eye and obviously he wasn’t the only one as Minerva’s shoulders started to shake with mirth as much as his own.

A/N: Thanks again to Rachel – please keep reviewing I really do appreciate it
Linds

[angeldust]

oh im really loving this ficv ! It's so funny yet quite sensitive

[TartanPhoenix]

Snuggle Bunny? LMAO!! That was a great chapter, and I loved how you described Minerva.

[Alesia]

You really nailed it with this last update. Really great. Harry has started to put the bits of information together that he has gotten. He is beginning to understand that everyone has burdens, challenges, and pain. It is also nice to see him seeing Minerva beyond the facade. Quite good.

Thanks!

[TheGryffindorSeeker]

*Howls with laughter* snuggle bunny!!! lol comical that was. That was such a great chapter. Feel sorry for Minerva feeling that way but way to go Harry helping her Lovign this, keep up the great chapters

[JKMcGonagall]

Snape as a snuggle bunny for Lupin, Hahahahahaha!!!!! I love this story. Your developement of the characters and their interactions with each other are wonderful. I look forward to the next installment. Can't wait.

I am also a teacher (not for 40 years yet) and yes you do develop the ability to tell when someone needs to visit the restroom. I loved that.

Kay

[Isabelle]

This was awesome. I look forward to the next part!

Liz

[Isabelle]

This was awesome. I look forward to the next part!

Liz

[Jessabelle]

Omg please post again soon! I really love this story .. you are an amazing writer!

[Jessabelle]

Omg please post again soon! I really love this story .. you are an amazing writer!

[foci]

I read this story always on ffnet first, but now that I have an account here too, I thought I'd stop by and tell you that I'm in love with this fic. Awesome, fabulous, brilliant stuff. Can't thank you enough for writing it.

[LinZE]

PART 6

The timing of the other two’s arrival and their manner with each other was enough to lighten the mood considerably. Harry backed up but made a conscious effort to not look away and offered her a smile. She returned it with much more fervour than she had done previously and surreptitiously pulled her sleeves down and wiped her eyes a little.
“Right - food,” said Remus decisively.
“Yes indeed – you need to eat something before I can give you anything else,” Severus added to which she scowled in reply. However she didn’t object and Harry could see that now she was upright she was favouring her uninjured leg again. “Here you go,” he added, producing the crutches from behind his back.
“You’re too kind,” she said slipping them on.
“Food?” Harry said again. He hated to admit it but he was starving now that he thought about it.
“Ok – how about we go to the supermarket then?” Minerva asked, her voice filled with mirth. “That way we can stock up on things to stop you lot from starving between pit stops.” In yet another sterling example of the oddness of their current predicament Harry found himself greatly amused by how intrigued his teachers were over some of the things you could buy in the supermarket. Remus spent a good ten minutes in the chocolate and sweet section while after acquiring pastries and fruit, bread and crisps along with plenty of drinks Minerva seemed to come across something that she was more than pleased with. He didn’t see what exactly it was until they were back at the car.
“As an apology for snapping at you yesterday,” she said, leaning forward from the back seat to hand Severus a box. Harry leaned forward to, eager to see what it was that she’d bought him. He snorted into his hand when he realised what it was; a cake baking kit designed to look like a chemistry set. As she shifted back though she winced audibly and was met with stern looks from both the men in the front seat.
“I’m eating, I’m eating…” she said, pulling off the top of a stick of French bread.

When they had all eaten what was probably more than an elegant sufficiency, brushed as many crumbs off the seats as they could, and the Potions master had produced another, much smaller, at Minerva’s own insistence, dose of his concoction they all settled back down into their seats to set off once more. Just as they were pulling out of the car park Harry noticed Minerva lean down as if to pick something off the floor. He was just going to offer to get it for her when all of a sudden she was replaced by the familiar black cat. He watched, slightly bemused as the cat leaned back on its haunches stretching its front legs out as it yawned and then turned in a circle before settling itself down. Then something dawned in him.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to be doing magic!” he said, trying to keep the edge of panic out of his voice. Severus turned around to look at them and Remus glanced back into the rear view mirror.
“Oh – that won’t be a problem,” the driver supplied.
“The animagus transformation is like wand-less magic – it wouldn’t even cause a blip on anyone’s sensor,” Severus continued.
“However – I really don’t think this is a great idea. If I have to break suddenly Minerva’s going to end up sailing over your seat and through the front window Severus.”
“Good point,” Harry agreed, and glanced over to the cat who had stood up on the seat again and seemed to be making a point of riding the cars movement with ease.
“How about you settled down in the foot well?” the Slytherin suggested. She didn’t seem best pleased at the idea but as Harry had surmised he suspected she had to – the alternative was to sit on one of their knees and be held on to just in case. He watched with amusement as she nudged an assortment of jumpers off the back seat and onto the ground before jumping down after them and snuggling up in her new nest. Harry was convinced that none of his class mates would ever believe him if he tried to explain everything that had happened over the last few days.

“How about a pop quiz then Mr Potter?” Harry’s attention, which had been happily distracted by the scenery, and the look on Hermione and Ron’s faces when they next met and he shared at least some of what he’d learned, was drawn back to the present with a nasty bang.
“What?” he asked before his brain processed what he’d just heard. “Eh – do I actually have a choice in the matter?” he asked when finally his mouth caught up with him. Severus chuckled at this.
“What do you think Lupin?”
“I don’t know. Maybe…” He sounded entirely serious for about the first five seconds before collapsing into laughter. “You should see the look on your face Harry!”
“Believe it or not Potter I had no intention of being un-necessarily depressed by your lack of knowledge,” Snape pointed out lightly.
“You make it sound like I know nothing,” Harry objected. “I bet there are some things I know more about than you.” He wasn’t sure whether he ought to have regretted being so impetuous once he had issued what was all but a challenge. Remus obviously spotted the upcoming confrontation though as he stepped in and re-directed their attention.
“How about for the sake of us all getting back in one piece we avoid that kind of competition? In any case I think the next instalment of that drama we were listening to yesterday should be on this morning.”

[LinZE]

A few hours later, a severe weather warning for the North East coast interrupted the drama.
“Where are we?” Harry asked, looking around the road for a sign, having completely lost his bearings some time ago.
“Just about to hit Newcastle,” Remus replied. Harry’s geography wasn’t stunning but he knew well enough that Newcastle was definitely east and fairly close to the Scottish border so was likely to be counted in the ‘North East’.
“Spectacular,” Severus drawled. “If I’m going to be taking over driving again it might be an idea to it relatively soon,” he added.
“Oooh look – a McDonalds. We haven’t done that yet have we?” Remus suggested, taking a hand off the wheel to gesture towards a big sign indicating the direction of the fast-food joint.
“Joy to the World,” came the sarcastic reply. Unconsciously Harry found himself humming the tune of the well known hymn until he was unceremoniously alerted to his slip by being hit square in the chest with an empty diet coke bottle. Looking up he was just in time to catch Snape turning back around to look forwards.
“I think someone’s caffeine levels have slipped bellow the prescribed measures for human interaction.” Having said that, Remus made a big show of ordering two large coffees first when they got to the desk.
“Make that three please,” Minerva added, coming up behind them after visiting the bathroom. “Unless you want one?” she added. Harry made a face, which seemed to amuse her.
“I’ll have a coke thanks,” he said trying not to look at the young girl serving behind the counter.

Once they were all fed, watered and had changed their clothes they literally ran across the car park, the dark clouds above them and rising wind heralding the approach of that ‘severe weather’. Luckily for them, they were all inside the car and had pulled back out onto the motorway before the heavens opened. Opened and poured down the equivalent of a small ocean on them. All the traffic slowed down to a crawl and despite the windscreen wipers working at ten to the dozen, the visibility level was ridiculously low. There was a quiet tension in the car, Severus was hunched over the wheel and snapped at Minerva when she propped up her feet against the dashboard.
“Do you want to crush your pelvis, again, if we run into the back of somebody, or somebody runs into the back of us?” She didn’t reply to this but took her feet down. Over the next three hours they seemed to crawl their way into Scotland but despite crossing the border into a new country the weather was as bad as ever, and it was sheer luck it seemed that the rain seemed to have eased up a little when the engine began to splutter pathetically and smoke began to rise from beneath the bonnet. Remus who was asleep in the back next to Harry began to stir as Snape coaxed the car over onto the hard shoulder before it died entirely.
“Anybody would think we were cursed,” Minerva sighed as they sat there in what seemed now just to be a pervasive mist, but one that surrounded them so densely that the lanes of traffic next to them were identifiable only by the blurred lights that moved past them at some great speed.
“One might suggest that at least one of us is,” Severus replied coolly, though he couldn’t quite decipher which of them he was referring to…
“We need to get out of the car,” Remus said as Severus made ready to get out and check the engine. “All of us. It isn’t safe to sit inside a car on the hard shoulder – especially not in weather like this.”
“Harry – get out our side, away from the traffic,” Minerva said, with a hint of the teacher about her. He did as she suggested and pulled on his jumper as he made his way clumsily across the seat.
“Dammit it’s cold – I wish I’d thought to bring a jacket with me,” Remus said as he hopped from one foot to another. But his cussing was nothing in comparison to Severus’s as he slammed the bonnet back down.
“I have no bloody idea what the matter with it is – but it’s beyond my expertise,” he said once he had all but stomped over to them.
“Well we can give it a few minutes and then try again. If that doesn’t work then I guess we’ll just have to call the AA.”
“Harry – have you got a coat with you?” Minerva asked, wrapping her cardigan tighter around herself and sticking her hands under her arms.
“Ummm – I have a cloak,” he told her, moving closer while Remus and Severus talked ‘car stuff’.
“Not quite what I was aiming for,” she said, seemingly more to herself than to him. “Get it out and I’ll see what I can do,” she said shaking off her distraction. He opened the boot and leant into the shelter that it afforded him from the wind, opened his trunk and ferreted around for his winter cloak. Pulling it out he handed it over and watched with interest as she turned it over in her hands, unfolding it, seeming to examine it before closing her eyes. Harry was about to ask what she was doing till he noticed abruptly that the material was shifting in her still hands After a few moments she opened them again and blinked as if she was trying to wake up and handed it back to him.
“Try that,” he said as he took it and realised what it was she had been doing. What had, up until a few moments ago been his school cloak, was now a thick, waterproof muggle coat. He pulled it on and revelled in the immediate warmth and protection it afforded him.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Hood up,” she said, pulling it up for him, nullifying her spoken request. “Now, think we can find a couple of spare jumpers for those two?” she asked, heading into the boot and rummaging around the three much smaller bags that they had brought with their own changes of clothes. She did and Harry was glad to hold the spares while she used wandless magic to transfigure them into coats for Remus and Severus. As he did he watched her though and it became plain just how much it was taking out of her.
“No luck,” Remus said as he walked towards them. “Severus is calling the recovery service.” Harry handed him one of the jackets as the Deputy Headmistress worked her magic on one of her own cardigans. “Where… oh no. Minerva you didn’t?” he asked looking at where she was standing, now leaning against the car. Harry watched as she offered him a tired smile as her only reply. Snape joined the group and quickly cottoned on but before he could say anything, Minerva spoke.
“I’m fine. And now we won’t all catch pneumonia,” she said that as if it was the end of the discussion, handing the Slytherin his jacket. But even Harry could see that the last transformation had left her looking as if a strong wind would blow her over. Severus stepped forward to take it and shrugged it on before helping her with her own.
“Harry – there are a couple of blankets in the back seat of the car,” Remus began.
“I’ll grab them,” he offered, already pulling open the door to the car as the other two men and his Head of House started to make their way up the embankment and away from the disturbingly fast traffic.

A/N: Only one or two chapters left
Lol
Thanks again to Rachel
Please let me know what you think
Linds
Xxx
PS – the AA = the Automotive Association the UK’s biggest breakdown service.

[angeldust]

nooooooo not only two chapter !!!!!!!!!!! I'm really enjoying this story am sure gonna miss it when it ends

[TheGryffindorSeeker]

awww only 2 more im really enjoying this.....and what a cliffhanger to leave it at!, what happens? what happens? Great Chapter

[JKMcGonagall]

I don't want it to end. Sob!

Oh well, I can be thankful for 2 more chapters. I love what you have done with the characters. This story is so warm and friendly.

Kay

[Alesia]

I agree, only 2 more chapters, *sniff* makes me sad. I really like this one. More excellent interaction in that chapter. Min better be careful she is going to make herself in more ill.

[palanfanaiel]

Love this story, especially the interaction between them all...
2 sad with only 2 chapters left though....

[LinZE]

PART 7

A/N: Well unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, this is the final chapter of this fic. Sorry guys – it just worked better as one section. IT is however quite long if that makes you feel better…

In any case Enjoy!

xLx

Severus took the rug with the plastic underlay and put it on the ground before they all hunkered down, close together. Harry noted that Remus and the Slytherin planted themselves very carefully on either side of Minerva who now simply looked like she could sleep for a decade. He wasn’t certain where to sit himself but the logical part of his mind established from which direction the wind was coming from then did his best to shield his professor from it. They sat in silence for a few moments before Lupin struck up a conversation with him about some inane topic or other and they whiled away the minutes like that, but when the AA van pulled up Harry had never felt so relieved. Severus stood and went to speak to the technician and he moved down to take his place on the rug. It didn’t take more than a few minutes for it to become obvious that the news wasn’t good. Coming back up the hill, Severus crouched down in front of them.

“It’s dead,” he proclaimed. “But the gentleman says that he can drop us off at the nearest train station and we can move on from there.”

“Well we could probably get a train to Edinburgh,” Remus said, obviously racking his mind. “From there we’d have to cross the country though and go through Glasgow to get to Oban. That’s as far north as we’d get but we could talk to Albus before then and arrange something for the last leg.”

Compared to the palaver of the last few days this plan didn’t seem all that ridiculous, but in true fashion it seemed that nothing was going to be easy. They managed to get to Edinburgh all right, and even the trip through to Glasgow was no great problem but that was where they started to come across delays.

“There’s not a train that goes that far until eight o’clock,” he told them, having searched the timetable boards. He could tell that Severus’ patience was wearing thin and that this five-hour delay wasn’t going to help matters much. Remus was sat on the bench with Minerva’s head resting on her shoulder, and he shifted slightly to check the time.

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to wait then,” he said.

“How long will the journey be?” she asked shifting and sitting up but still looking like she was totally exhausted.

“Three hours,” he replied,

“Just a thought,” she said after a moment, “but why don’t we catch the next train to somewhere on the East coast line? Then we could head for Inverness and get the Inverness to Thurso train tonight. The station’s only a couple of hours from the castle, I’m sure someone could pick us up from there.” Remus headed back to the timetable and map display.

“We’d have to get to Leuchars for four-thirty and even then it’s a hell of a lot of changing lines, but that would probably meet with Alastor’s approval.” He checked his watch and then the timetable again. “There’s a train leaving here at three that ought to get us off on our way that gives us a half hour. So it’s Glasgow to Leuchars, change at Dundee change at Perth change at Inverness arriving at Thurso at 11.45 tonight. Agreed?” Harry watched as Severus gave a quick nod. “Right then I’ll go get the tickets then,” said the werewolf trying to look cheery. As he turned and left Minerva went to get up as well until Snape put his hand on her shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked pointedly.

“The bathroom,” she replied shortly, reaching for the crutches, and with that she turned and set off, rather slowly and obviously limping. All three of them watched her progress in measured silence.

“I think we should send her straight back to the castle. There’s a floo station somewhere in this bloody town,” Severus said after a moment.

“Do you genuinely think she’d agree to that?” Remus asked.

“I didn’t say that,” the other man snapped. “Damn.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Bloody woman. Right, stay with the bags Potter. I’d better try and get in touch with the Headmaster.” The two men stalked off in the same direction though, heads close and obviously in deep discussion. He could already tell them now, what the eventual outcome of the debate would be; after all, it would appear not even Albus Dumbledore could tell the Head of Gryffindor what she ought to be doing.

Harry sat there, one eye on his trunk and the compact holdalls that they had rescued from the boot of the car, and the other watching the people scurrying back and forth around him. The two men arrived back, with coffee, chocolate and tickets a few minutes before Minerva came back into view. Remus had bought a newspaper and settled down to peruse the muggle news, while Severus sat scowling and obviously watching out for the return of his colleague. Harry spotted her first, but only by a second or two and once again Snape had jumped up and was approaching her before he could think to move. The fact that she didn’t protest when he slipped an arm around her waist told him more than anything else though.

“Albus says he’ll send someone with a carriage,” Severus told them as Minerva sat down, slowly flexing her leg.

“As long as it’s not Hagrid with the thestrals,” Remus said with a smile. “We’re leaving from platform 3 in about fifteen minutes,” he continued. “Maybe we should head over there to wait?” The suggestion was slightly tentative and it was obvious that he was concerned that Minerva wasn’t up to the trip yet.

“Sounds sensible.” She replied though and hoisted herself up before they were even on their feet, and waited as they collected up their belongings. The train was on time, which seemed to be much to Severus surprise, considering how much he had been grumbling about the damn things for the last quarter of an hour. They found seats around a table and settled down for the first leg of their trip. The wind had picked up again and the train rocked gently as they travelled across its path. Within half an hour it became fairly obvious what the primary reason for the Slytherin’s dislike of this mode of transport was.

“Are you feeling alright?” Lupin asked, looking up at the other man from where he sat next to Minerva, newspaper spread out on his lap. Harry looked up from his section of the paper to see that, if anything, Snape looked distinctly green. He only grunted in response before taking another sip from his bottle of water, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes. Remus grimaced in sympathy at Harry before turning to check on the woman sitting next to him, who had at last, it seemed, fallen asleep.

Severus seemed to manage to calm his rebellious stomach for almost half an hour before he suddenly stood and swept, even without the aid of his robes, down the aisle towards the closest bathroom. His abrupt departure seemed to wake Minerva as she stirred and looked around her.

“Where...?” she asked, obviously alluding to the Potions Master.

“It would seem that Severus and travelling by train are not a good mixture,” Remus said with half a smile.

“Oh,” she said, looking up the aisle obviously waiting for his arrival back, the mutual concern that they both showed for each other surprising Harry once again. In the end it was almost half an hour later when the other man returned and when he did he looked the worse for wear. He sat down silently, pushing some of his hair, which had escaped its ribbon, out of his face.

“Mint?” Minerva asked having dug the packet out of her pocket. He accepted silently.

“The rest of the journey should be less… well… rocky,” Remus said sounding hopeful. “We’ll be travelling into the wind,” he added by way of explanation.

“Always assuming that the wind doesn’t change direction,” Snape pointed out acerbically, “Which considering our fortune in regard this trip so far seems highly unlikely.” They had to smile at this. “None the less, I suspect that I’ll survive.”

[LinZE]

As it turned out, he was correct, in that the weather shifted so that their trains seemed perpetually to rock from one side to the other for the entire duration of the trip. What between Severus looking distinctly nauseous, and Minerva hopping along, barely putting any weight on her injured hip at all, and with Harry and Remus laden down with all the baggage, they must have made quite a sight moving from one platform to the next. However, they made every one of their connections by some miracle and not once did Harry notice anything out of the ordinary enough not to be Muggle.

“It’s odd,” he said to Remus when they had finally all settled onto their last train. “I never really thought about us being spotted or hunted down when we were in the car, but here…”

“If it makes you feel better, we’re on the look out too,” Minerva said, shifting and grimacing in her seat.

“Are you…?” Lupin asked.

“Sore, stiff and tired,” she replied with a smile, “but to quote someone it won’t kill me.” It seemed like the Head of Slytherin had finally been so worn out that he seemed to have gone out like a light when he had sat down this time. Hopefully he’d manage to stay that way when the train began to move again. Harry found that thought hard to compute, but genuinely felt sorry for the man, who obviously felt absolutely horrific. Remus fell asleep next, but Harry found that having napped on and off throughout the day he really wasn’t drowsy. He watched his own Head of House from underneath lowered lids as she stood and used the backs of the seats to make her way up and down the otherwise deserted compartment. It seemed that she was trying to walk out some of the stiffness, which didn’t seem like a bad plan until the train lurched and she stumbled. He couldn’t see clearly even when he opened his eyes fully, but it seemed that she ended up falling onto an empty seat. Harry quelled his instant urge to jump up and make sure was ok, but watched carefully as she righted herself, testing each of her appendages in turn. Having obviously decided that she hadn’t done any extreme damage she propped herself up and undid her hair, which seemed to mostly have escaped her braid in any case.

“You know what I’d kill for right about now?” she asked looking towards him and giving him a bit of a fright. “A nice cup of tea and ginger newt,” she said with a smile. “It’s the simple things.” He couldn’t help but return her smile at this. “I won’t tell if you don’t?” she said casually as she made her way back towards him, to all intents and purposes hopping.

“As long as you grant me diplomatic immunity from them,” he said with a grin, jerking his thumb at the two sleeping men.

“I’ll do better than that,” she began sliding down into the seat. “I shall offer you afternoon tea, with ginger newts, any time you feel like it all summer.” Harry was strangely touched by this offer: after all, it was Remus who was supposed to be looking after him and he was certain that the Deputy Headmistress had better things to do in the holidays than entertain him.

It was still raining and the wind was still howling when, at ten to twelve they finally drew in at the end of the line. Remus and Harry had perfected the art of loading themselves up with the bags, but left Minerva to usher the still groggy Slytherin out and into the open air.

“Over here,” came a gruff but instantly identifiable voice from the shadows at the back of the platform.

“Is that you Alastor?” the Werewolf asked, moving away from the two other passengers who had disembarked.

“If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t tell you otherwise now would I lad?” he said, stepping just into view and pulling that ridiculous hat down over his magical eye. “Got the carriage out the front.”

“The coaches that take us from the train station up to the school at the start of term?” Harry asked.

“Nope, this one has wheels and horses,” Moody said. “Sorry we couldn’t get a hold of another car, though Merlin knows what you lot did with the last one.” They all but threw the cases into the closed carriage; Harry for one was past caring what happened to his trunk. It was a bit of a climb in but he managed it with a new hop in his step knowing that they were almost home. Minerva, seemed equally keen just to get on the way again and having handed Remus her crutches proceeded to take his hand to help her in. The two fine horses shifted a little in their fastenings and they rolled back and forward a little. Even from this little action it was plain to see that this ride was unlikely to be any smoother and the train journey, the light from up by the driving bench cast enough light on Severus’ face outside to show his disinclination to join them.

“Get on with it Snape,” the former auror snapped, and once more Harry felt a twinge of sympathy for the other man when he failed to come up with a typically acerbic retort. He couldn’t help but feel that Moody was infringing on them, and despite not having any particularly strong opinions on the man, Harry found himself looking forward to him shutting the door and taking the reigns.

The gentle rocking of the carriage had almost lulled him to sleep when somebody sneezed loudly.

“Remus?” Minerva asked from the opposite bench.

“Damn horses,” he muttered, searching through his pockets, presumably for a handkerchief. He sneezed again, several times all the while searching through his pockets. There wasn’t much light but on an impulse, Harry reached up to see if there was a lantern somewhere above them. He found one, and by some fluke there was both a candle and matches were tucked inside so he lit it, after only a few attempts, and shut the glass box that surrounded it with a satisfying click.

“Thanks,” Remus said thickly, finding what he was looking for and blowing his nose. Harry noted that his eyes were red-rimmed and watering profusely.

“You’re allergic?” Harry asked and the other man nodded. Looking across, he saw Snape had lent down and put his head between his knees and Minerva placed a reassuring hand on his back.

“Won’t be much longer,” she said quietly. It might not have been much longer technically but that hour and a half seemed to drag on for a lifetime. If he hadn’t been so tired and, on a certain level, concerned for the two men, he might have found it funny, he was sure that Ron would have, but instead he felt nothing more than anxious to set foot on terra firma once more.

When they did finally pull up outside the grand steps leading to the familiar oak doors of the school, they opened, light spilling forth onto the gravel path. Silhouettes framed in the doorway quickly descended the steps, the Headmaster and the School Nurse if Harry wasn’t mistaken, followed by someone he thought might well be Professor Sprout.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Dumbledore said, stepping forward to help them down as Moody held the horses fast.

“Good grief!” Madam Pomfrey said looking at them all in turn. “What a state you’re all in.” Harry turned to look at his three guardians for the last few days and had to admit that he could see her point. Minerva, who would once again be Professor McGonagall now he supposed, on crutches, pain and exhaustion etched on her features. Snape looked like death still, leaning against Remus whose eyes and nose continued to run excessively.

“Well it looks like you definitely came out of all of this the best doesn’t it?” Dumbledore said, and there was hesitation in his eyes. Harry smiled softly in return; he knew that it would be a while before he felt that he could realistically trust the older man as he once had but he was willing to accept that he might have been a fraction quick to judge him.

“No come on,” the mediwitch said, obviously trying to usher all four of them towards the hospital wing at the same time. Harry hung back, safe in the knowledge that he was definitely not going to be top of her to do list. He watched as Dumbledore placed a hand on his deputy’s back, trying not to laugh when she shrugged him off and obviously bit his head off for some comment or another he made, and couldn’t help but chuckle at the attempt the Potion Master made at scowling when Pomfrey started fussing and trying to take his temperature.

“Come on Mr Potter,” Professor Sprout said from behind him. “I think you look well enough if all done in; how about I show you up to your room?” He accepted and was more than glad to find his trunk, and Hedwig, waiting for him when he arrived. Feeling that he ought to at least make an attempt at washing up, he stepped into the shower before stepping into his pyjamas. As he lay staring at the unfamiliar canopy above him, his thoughts returned to how strange the last three days seemed when looked at in relation to the rest of his life since he began at Hogwarts. He wasn’t certain that he’d ever be able to come to terms with everything that he’d seen and heard over the last few days, be able to equate what he’d learned with the people he had thought he’d known, at least as well as he had wanted to. Whatever happened though, he knew it had been an enlightening experience that he would never, ever be able to forget and one that he wouldn’t have missed for all the world

A/N: Much thanks to Rachel as always

Hope you all enjoyed this

As always PLEASE review grin

Thanks for reading

Linds

xxx

[rogueinker]

I really should know better than to start one of your fics while at work. I got so involved in this story I read it non-stop and now I have to bring work home with. Arg!

Fabulous story, great pace with little things carrying over from chapter to chapter to keep the reader going.

[JKMcGonagall]

Great story. I enjoyed it from the first word to the last one.

Now how about a sequel about Harry and his interactions and relationships with those three (Snape, McGonagall, and Lupin) during his summer holidays at Hogwarts. Does he have tea with Minerva? Does Lupin show him parts of the castle he has never seen before? Could Snape tutor him in Potions? Will his relationship with Dumbledore improve? Just think about all the interesting things you could write about.

Sequel, Sequel, Ssseeeqqquuueeelll. Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

[TartanPhoenix]

It's another great story!!! I have to agree with JKMcGonagall; I would love to see how he interacts with the staff over the holidays.

[angeldust]

I'm kinda sad it's over but it was a very nice ending! Now the fact of a sequal and Harry's time at the school please say there is one!

[TheGryffindorSeeker]

yes, contiune Great Fic! hope to see more esp. an epiloge for this one

[Alesia]

Quite a nice ending. I really like the way this story changed perceptions of the three. I would love to know what Minerva snapped at Dumbledore about.

[Jessabelle]

I think a sequel would be great too! .. Very good story .. I am glad to see that they all made it to Hogwarts in one piece, more or less! Lol .. You are an excellent writer!

[kate]

Hi

I just read the whole story and I must say it was really cute and hurt touching! I loved it and it would be a shame if you write no sequel to it...most of all because I like your writing! I hope you think about it!

~*~ Kate

[BlazeFourPaws]

Please write a sequel. I absolutely love this story and how you write. You make characters human. You make Snape caring sarcastic and jerkish but still caring. You show Minerva as caring to the point of self hurt. Remus is great as well. Harry is also more human and I love the whole way the lot interacts.

[Mellypoo622]

That was great! I would love to see a sequel about Harry's summer at hogwarts!